Came Out Swinging!

Mis queridos familia, amigos, y mamá!

Hey how is everyone!! I hope people are still reading these blogs!! I just finished 7 months on Thursday and it is just sooo crazy to me!! I have literally been living on my own in México, speaking a different language, and somehow surviving!  I don´t really see myself surviving the next 17 months (woo, long time) either, but somehow it will work out!! I must admit though, this weekend was AMAZING! And it always seems like the most amazing weeks go by the fastest too, I can´t believe it is already P-Day again!!! AHHHH.  Everyone tells me to just enjoy the mission because I know I won´t be a missionary forever so that is what I am trying to do.  The last week I feel like it was a little rough, but my attitude was bad too.  I was almost feeling bad for myself that Mother´s Day was over and I really didn´t have anything to complain about.  This week, I made the decision to come out swinging.  We got on a couple game losing streak last week, but this week I came out ready to play.  I had a better attitude, I was happy and excited, and I came out in the first quarter with a determination and heart which got us a nice lead for the rest of the week.  As my grandma told me to do, I tried my best to be a "disturber in the adversary´s kingdom".  After Satan got me down last week, I came back this week, punched him in the mouth and got to work.  Also it was the start of a new cycle this week, so I got so put some new sweet pictures on my agenda- one of Kawhi Leonard and one of Captain Moroni.  I am pretty excited for this next cycle honestly.

This week I really tried to focus on loving the people, as I learned last week too.  I realized when I really love the people, and desire their salvation, I am filled with the Holy Ghost, but also I am just filled with a joy indescribable.  I really can´t put it into words, a couple of times this week I just felt sooo happy inside, something I have never felt before, and it came when we were with investigators who I loved and who accepted our message really well.  Some days this week too I had been really really tired (I miss naps a ton), and just prayed to my Heavenly Father for help and strength I needed to keep going.  There was one time in a lesson where I was filled with an energy and the spirit.  My body was still really tired, and it really seemed like the energy was coming from another source.  It was almost as if the Savior himself and angels were there with me, helping me go along and do the work I have been called to do.  It was a really cool feeling and these are some experiences I wouldn´t trade for anything.  We were also able to put a baptism date with a new investigator named María, but a couple days after we visited her, her mom had a stroke and is now in the hospital!! We were really sad because just a couple days before she was so excited for baptism, so happy, and we have been praying lots for her mom, her mom´s name is sister Concepción Martinez.  We also visited sister Ramos, and she is doing soo much better.  She loves it when we visit. I feel bad because it has been a little while, but one morning I just felt like she needed a visit.  She always tells us a SUPER long story and we sometimes have to cut it off as it gets closer to an hour or hour and a half with her but she told us she made a covenant with God that every time we come to visit it is Him telling her she needs to go to church.  So I guess we ought to visit her every week!! She is such a sweet little lady and doing a ton better.  Lastly, I felt that same indescribable joy, when we went with Elida, Genesis, and Angel (Yael´s family), yesterday.  Literally every time we go with them, I just love them so much.  They are so fun to be with, we laugh during our lessons, we share spiritual experiences and the spirit is always so strong.  They have so much excitement and desires to get baptized and keep going in the church, they want to go to the temple in one year and they are probably some of my favorite people/family I have been privileged to know in the mission.  We have their baptism planned this Friday and on Saturday we are going to the temple´s visitors center with them.  Elder Achá and I are honestly so excited, this will be our best baptism yet and we have a good musical number planned.  I really just can´t put it into words, when I am with them I am just filled with such a Christlike love and joy.  I don´t want to be anywhere else in the world.  And it just feels like my whole mission is worth it just to bring this one family to Christ.  It is amazing to see them change and want to change for Christ in their lives and I am sure I will always keep in touch with them.  Seeing this whole family coming unto Christ just makes me feel like if there is any other family even close to being this prepared and this awesome out there for me to find in my mission, it makes my whole mission worth it and I will find them.  I am so greatful for all of the success we have had in this area, and especially for the wonderful converts and investigators we have met.  

Well, we did have some pretty fun moments this week too.  On Saturday we had a ward activity and invited some other missionaries to come over.  It turned out amazing, we visited as many less active members as we could in just a couple hours with the help of some of the ward members.  We had a ton of ward support and a lot of success!! Just from visiting the less active members for a couple hours we found 3-4 potential baptisms in the next week/weeks since everyone has kids/spouses who aren´t members yet! They have just been waiting for us to come and I am glad we could find some new investigators for our future here in Atlicpac because I must admit... We have been baptizing so much lately and it seems like all of our investigators are now recent converts.  It really is a legit concern lol, probably a good thing even though our numbers are a bit lower.  Also a couple Sunday´s ago, it was funny- Henrry wanted to bless the Sacrament but he didn´t wear a tie to church because he hates ties, so I let him borrow my tie and he was rocking my favorite Spurs tie as he blessed the Sacrament.  I was happy to share the blessing of repping the best NBA team with him.  Also Yael went to the temple with the young men the other day and did baptisms for the dead!! He said he loved it and I am so happy for him.  He really is growing super fast in the church and I think he has helped his family have that same excitement and motivation too.  I also did some divisions this week which were awesome!! I went on divisions with Elder Nadauld from Bountiful, Utah. It was so fun to talk and relate with him, and no matter how good your companion is, I think it is always nice to have a break from being with one person for 24/7.  We actually had to go to the eye doctor for Elder Nadauld in the afternoon, and seeing all of the equipment and pretests reminded me of working for my dad.  On the way back we were in the World War-Z metro at about 6 or 7 oclock.  It was literally THE WORST I have ever seen it.  I guess that is when it was most bust so you literally stand in this huge crowd like little sardines until the metro train comes.  When the doors open, people run and push so hard to fight for a spot and LITERALLY cram every single person in.  You can´t even control yourself and if you get lucky enough to get pushed in, it is just a big sauna, literally crammed on every side, smells horrible, and somehow you finally get to where you want to go.  It was definitely an interesting experience, but not something I want to do again.  Public transportation down here is a little bit crazy, it is kind of a miracle there aren´t MORE accidents, but somehow it all works out. Crazy, crazy Mexico... At night, Elder Nadauld and I played an intense, 7 game series of ping pong with my sweet ping-pong set (Thanks Mom!)  It was super fun because it has been a while since I have had some pretty competitive games of ping-pong and I miss it a lot.  In the end, I beat him in 6 close games and I am still practicing! (I am coming for you Jon!!!!).  Speaking of ping-pong, I decided to spice things up a little bit in the district meeting this week and we played companionship ping-pong.  It is always fun to start out with a little activity to tie into the lesson and I am going to try and start doing that more but if you guys got any fun ideas hit me up!!!  Today we went to a recreation park and got to play some basketball! Man was that sure fun, I just love competitiveness and I was on fire today!! I miss basketball so much and when I have having fun and playing things like basketball and ping-pong I can relax my mind a little and it helps me a ton.  We ought to play basketball more often on P-Days because it sure was a blast.  We are keeping up with the gym too and I feel great! 

Well everyone, I am doing pretty good doing here in Mexico.  Just keep working and going, somehow I am surviving.  Time is going by really fast looking back, but sometimes in the moment it just seems so long and looking ahead I got a long way to go.  I actually just finished my first journal yesterday and am pretty proud of myself.  I haven´t missed a day since I left home, and 214 days and 367 pages later, I have a journal filled with wonderful experiences I can remember forever.  I am pretty impressed I have been able to keep up with it!!! But yes, even though there are hard days, there are definitely some great times and rewards and happiness and hope.  I love and miss you guys sooo much, I pray for my family and friends, everyone single one of you, by name almost everyday.  You guys mean so much to me and I have so many relationships and memories that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. Well, got to go get to work and be a disturber in the adversary´s kingdom!  Love and miss you lots, always remember your favorite missionary,

Elder Clark

P.S. Have fun in Texas and all of your other summer trips you guys have planned!!! 

P.P.S!!! I also found out today is my one year anniversary to opening my mission call to Mexico City South East!!! What an adventure it has been since then, and I can´t believe a year has already passed since that!!!!