Hello Everyone!!!
Holy cow, this was just another crazy, happy, awesome, fast week down here in Mexico as a missionary! I suppose one of the highlights was that I survived the biggest earthquake that Mexico has had in 100 years! Yeah, it was pretty crazy. Thursday night, all of the sudden I woke up at about midnight and our bed was shaking uncontrollably. My initial thought was, "what is Elder Torres doing underneath our bed haha" (since we are in bunk beds and I'm on top.) Then I looked out the window and realized EVERYTHING was moving and swaying back and forth. There were electrical explosions from telephone poles and bright, colorful lights were being shot up into the sky, blue, green, and yellow (I later found out when tectonic plates hit they shoot lights of energy into the sky). Still being half asleep, you could imagine how much of a strange and frightening experience it was, Elder Torres legitimately believed it was the second coming and was checking to see if Christ was descending from the Heavens. We quickly got dressed in case we had to leave, checked the safety plan, and just tried to stay covered and safe. It was pretty crazy, our whole entire house was just swaying back and forth, left to right and we couldn't walk straight. We kept trying to make some phone calls, but we had no service because of all of the telephone wire explosions. The swaying and shaking and the fear for my life lasted for about 5 minutes and then everything was calm. We went up on the roof to go check everything out, and everyone was outside wondering what had just happened. After a while we realized that we should just go back to bed, even though it was pretty hard to sleep after that! I later found out it was an 8.4 on the Richter scale, the biggest earthquake Mexico has had in over 100 years! And I survived and experienced it. What an awesome story that will be to tell my kids! I must admit though, it really made me think a lot about the second coming. That it is close. We are in the last days. The signs and disasters and wars have already started. I began evaluating myself and thought, would I have been ready to meet Jesus that very night in that very moment. Are we truly prepared for this great day any second of our lives? We know that He will come in "the hour least expected", "like a thief in a night" and by the way the earthquake caught me by surprise, I suppose we can all change something to be better prepared for the second coming of the Messiah.
Well I have to admit, this week was definitely one of the MOST AMAZING or maybe even THE BEST week as far as the missionary work goes. We had the wonderful opportunity to have interviews with President Mann this week and then were blessed to have him work with us for the rest of the day! It was an amazing day of finding lots of awesome, new, investigators, but also teaching and testifying. Our mission President always has a special, powerful faith and spirit that just makes me so excited for the missionary work. But not only was that a great day, but literally every single day this week was loaded with success! And one, really, amazing, miracle. On Monday, a man with a little bit of alcohol in him, Damian, approached us in the street, basically almost in tears telling us how much he wanted to change his life, come unto God, and strengthen his family. I could just tell he was in so much pain, regret, and burdened down, he kept repeating, "I just can't do it anymore" over and over again. Usually it is a little difficult to talk to people if they aren't sober, because they usually don't remember the appointments or commitments we make but this guy I could feel it, he was special and I couldn't help but just be overwhelmed with love for him. I could literally feel his determination to change and his willingness to follow Christ. We got an appointment with him the very next day and I was really excited. Well we went back the next day and he was so ready and willing to listen to our message. I've never seen someone just so anxious to listen to us and change his life around. I could feel his sincerity. And he happily and enthusiastically accepted a baptismal date in October. I will never forget how relieved he looked as we taught him because of the sacrifice and example given by our Savior Jesus Christ, that he could be cleaned and freed from the chains and power of sin and guilt in his life and could literally become a new person through Christ. this life. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to be called upon by God and to bring this family, who I knew before, unto the hope and light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this life. As much as I loved the Cortes family and Ramiro in Atlicpac, and as certain as I was that I was put in their lives to help them come unto Christ, I am also certain that I have been called to serve this Jacobo family and I've never been more determined or excited to watch their entire family, dressed in white, enter into the waters of baptism, and in one year, be sealed as a family for all eternity in the temple of the Lord. Even though finding and meeting Damian and the Jacobo family was probably the highlight and biggest miracle of this week, that is only just one clip of the extended highlight reel for the week. I wish I could explain every single experience and every overwhelming feeling of joy I've had, but to summarize, we had a MONSTER week achieving every single standard of excellence finding, just in our area between Elder Torres and I, 20 new investigators, reaching 9 set baptism dates for September and October (not even including the Jacobo family yet), and were so blessed to have 6 of our investigators come to church with us on Sunday. Looking back, I don't even know how we did it.. I have just been exercising more faith than ever in my life lately, and I can't say it enough, when we really put our WHOLE heart, faith, and trust in our Lord, He just works miracle after miracle in our lives, and I've seen it week after week, almost day after day in my mission. I seriously can't describe it in words how I just stand in awe at all of the blessings and miracle God works in my life in each day. I feel so blessed, humbled, and I'm happier than I've ever been in my entire mission right now. Heavenly Father is just pouring down His blessings of success upon me these days, and sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve them all. I am also very excited and happy to announce we will be having a baptism for Liseth Cuin, an 11 year old girl who is super cute too. She reminds me exactly like Brea, and it amazes me that she is so strong and sure she wants to get baptized, an 11 year old girl, even when NOBODY from her family is a member. That just shows that Heavenly Father speaks to all the little children too. So I'm super excited for this baptism and then we will another baptism the following week for Guadalupe, the mom of Luís, a recent 15 year old convert. Lots of baptisms too look forward to, and lots of work to do. The Lord's work sure is busy, but also the most satisfying work in the world. I love being a missionary and representative/disciple of my Savior Jesus Christ!!! :)
Well, we also did divisions this week and they were GREAT! I went to an area of another brand new Elder, Elder Boynton just 4 weeks old in the mission! Just like always, it was a blast, we had a ton of success, I taught him a lot, and most importantly, I'm still undefeated! We were able to find 4 new investigators that day and put a brand new baptismal dates with one of the 4 investigators we met that day! I'm not sure why divisions always bring blessings but now, every week I've done divisions we've always been able to find someone new to set a baptismal date with, so I hope that streak keeps up! I'm super excited for next week when I will be doing divisions with Elder Kay! And yes, Elder Boynton and I did have our 7 game series of ping-pong and once again, I kept my crown. Still undefeated and no one has been able to beat me in the mission, we will see how Elder Kay is! We also received the great revelation to make FRENCH TOAST when we were on divisions and they were delicious! It was the first time I've had French Toast since the CCM and they were delicious, I ought to make them more often now. So apart from the great week in the missionary work in our area, it was another great successful divisions.
Finally, to put the cherry on top, this week was so much fun. We seriously have one of the most fun zones ever and I love my friends in this zone right now. On Friday night we had a stake activity called Noche Mexicana or "Mexican Night" where everyone came from the stake, dressed up, made food and it was just a huge party to celebrate the Mexican Independence Day which is actually next week but it was a blast! We didn't stay very late but the time we were there, we were really enjoying it. I got to see the Almas, Esteban, and a ton of our investigators came and had a blast including Damian's family. But, the highlight of the whole night, my pride and glory, was the mechanical bull. Heck yeahhh! There was a mechanical bull there and almost all of our zone got on to ride it. Being decorated with Mexican Flag eye black and a sweet mustache (it only took me a few days to grow it out), I was the last one from our zone to ride the bull. Even though I was screaming the whole time, I held on for about a whole minute and it just stopped! I had beat it! I lasted longer than anyone and they couldn't get me off. Then it started again and I hit a dab on it and finally I got super dizzy and fell off. But I finally achieved my dream. Not only am I the mission ping pong champion, but now I can be throned México City Southeast Mission Mechanical Bull Riding Champion! (MCSMMBRC for short). I must admit, the Noche Mexicana was lit, and Mexicans really know how to party.
Well, I'm sure you can already tell that I just had the time of my life this last week. Seriously I'm loving my mission so much right now that I almost don't want it to end! (woah, did I really just say that??) I'm just starting to really enjoy living in the moment and having fun, working hard, finding satisfaction in success, strengthening my testimony, love Mexico, the people, and the food, and of course, a could healthy dose of basketball, at least twice a week. As for food this week, it was pretty good. We officially found the one golden taco stand in our area that are sooooooooo good and don't make us sick and we are going there quite often for dinner now. Also, one night after an activity in my old ward of aurora, the Almas invited us for some really good huaraches which were in the form of a burrito and it tasted just like a carne asada burrito from Humbertos, but 10 times better and more Mexican. It was sooo good. We also found some pretty good Hawaiian burgers in the street this week too which were pretty good too. Also, even though my email might not sound like it, I really am trying to stay humble. I know that all the success we have had has only come from God, and that we are merely instruments in His hands to do His work. I don't take any credit for this great and marvelous work. Also I really am not that great at riding bulls, eating elotes, and I'm sure I'm just used to playing on the low quality ping pong tables here, however, I do like to win :) I just get really excited about the missionary work sometimes, especially with so much success and I like to be fun and funny to have good stories to tell you guys. Well I hope you guys are all having as good of a time as I am down here! I love and miss you all lots and like always, thanks for everything!
The MCSMMBRC, Ping-Pong Champ, and 3 Point Specialist,
Elder Tyler Clark
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