2015-06-21 Father's Day

Hello! Thank you for your prayers! I definitely feel them! This week has been enormously better, the devotional the district has been arranging went great, and we have been figuring out different ways to work with the YSA. So brother Chris was confirmed yesterday. and on July 11 we have two more baptisms! So i can't remember how much I have told you about this family, but it is the Santos family. So we found them in street contacting, they have been to church every week, they keep every commitment, and are so excited to learn. They will be baptized on July 11. They are the fastest progressing investigators I have ever found. They are so happy all the time, and the father has been talking about how he wants to invite his whole family to be baptized, and they are reading and highlighting the book of mormon all the time. When we contacted them about 3 or 4 weeks ago, we extended a baptismal date of July 11, and he said why is it so far away? Haha they are both doing so good, I feel it is the fruit of just working hard every day, and being obedient.

I love you, sorry my email is late, but I miss you and love you!!!!! 

Love elder Clark

Thank you for your letter this week, it reminded me of my earthly father and Heavenly Father. My own father is such a great man, and that letter touched me, I don't know why. I guess its because whenever I am tempted to be lazy or disobedient, I think of my earthly father, and I realize that is not what he taught me. He grew up working on a farm and he is the hardest working, and most diligent man I have ever met. Unfortunately I grew up in the city, but I try to always base my work ethic off of him. This week there was a big change around, I don't even really know what happened but this are just going a lot better. I have been praying so hard for things to become better, and I feel that they are. I have been pondering the training supplement for district meeting, and it is so great. We really are commanded to pray for what we need. I saw the power of this as I prayed for specific investigators/RCLA to come to church, and as I prayed to find new investigators. We found this great new investigator named Dante, and more people came to church this week. I realized in Alma 31 when Alma was praying for his bretheren, that that is really what caused so many great miracles among the Lamanites, prayers of the faithful. I have committed myself to pray much harder and pray for all my investigators, and less actives and for the whole district by name each night. Also about the language, I have been reading the Book of Mormon in Tagalog a lot. When I went on exchanges with Elder Bell he inspired me to read it, and I have seen a great difference in my Tagalog, it is improving a lot, hopefully I will be close to finishing it by the end of this transfer.
So with the wards and stuff, it is going better. The lady that had a little beef towards me is perfectly fine now, I don't think she was really even mad at me in the first place, she just kind of has up days and down days. The fireside went great! President and Sister Hiatt were great, and the spirit was strong. And now we have been thinking of new ways to hasten the work, President Hiatt suggested that we get the students more involved with the media by making like a video and stuff, so this might be one of the next things we try to do, we will try to get the members inspired to do it, so we don't spend much time on it if any. We are also doing showings of meet the mormons, for the members to invite friends, (Don't worry the missionaries aren't watching it) and we are doing training starting this week in the student leaders committee meeting, I will tell you how that goes next week. Love you president!

Love,
Elder Clark

2015-06-07 - Pray for me

Hello Mom and Dad! I love you so much! how are you doing? So about Brother Chris, he had his interview on saturday, then texted us this morning and told us he wasn't ready to be baptized. He said he didn't feel worthy. I think the Lord just wants me to learn from that. Please pray for me. I need extra prayers. It has been pretty rough lately in just about all aspects of missionary life, but I am really striving to turn to the Lord in all that I do. I know that the Lord wants me to learn humility and I am thankful for the lessons he is teaching me. I know that If we rely on the Lord in every aspect of life he will guide and direct our paths. I want to thank you for all you have ever done for me. And you really don't realize how much you love your family until you cant see them for two years. Please send me more pictures! I know that the Lord is exercising faith in us as he gives us opportunities to lead others. We went to the temple last week, and I realized how real God truly is, and how much he truly loves us, and how much he wants us to find the path and learn in all our experiences. I have learned that the Lord gives us weaknesses and trials to humble us. I also have been pondering on the wonderful power of prayer. The Lord has so many blessings that he wants to give us, and sometimes the only thing we lack is just asking for them. I have also learned how important humility is and how prideful i truly am. so thank you for all you do for me, I dont need anything, I am fine here, I will tell you when I need something! Love you, Please pray for me.

2015-05-31 - Ideas on doing missionary work

My back is doing good now, after a day or two it popped back into place. So Mom and Dad, if I have one suggestion for you in sharing the gospel and inviting people to hear the missionary lessons, it would be to involve family as much as possible, get to know about their family, and then tel them about your family. I know that the spirit of Elijah is real, and when you testify of families it brings that spirit right in! All you have to do is say, "hey we are having a family home evening at our house in a couple nights, A family home evening is when we gather the whole family together to strengthen our family bonds, would you like to come?" Then give them promised blessings like free food. or you can testify about families and say, Do you want to be with your family for eternity? Almost everyone will say yes, but then you really hit them with the follow up question, say, "Do you want to know how?" I have used those two questions many times, and it can of takes them back for a second. because most people are Catholic, and catholics dont believe that families are together forever. But most catholics arent aware that they believe that. But anyways, those are my suggestions! Also pray for them each by name every night. That is more powerful than almost anything you can do.

I really liked that story with Brother Brock, that is super cool to know that he became a high priest. So I want to tell you about brother Chris and his eight year old son, 

sorry I got to go, ran out of time love you

2015-05-24 - Why didn't you write

So hopefully you guys are all okay, I didn't get any letter from you, next week I guess. I am doing good here. I played basketball earlier and hurt my back, it hurts pretty bad, but I think it will be okay. I guess I dont have much to write so I will just tell you I am so thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ, and I am thankful for eternal families. It gives me comfort to know that no matter what happens our family is eternally bound together. This gives me so much motivation. I am thankful for you Mom, and for all the sacrifices you have made for our family, I am so glad I got to see you on mothers day! I am also so thankful to Dad who has shown me how to work hard and magnify your calling! And I love you Dallin for being a great Brother! And to all my sisters, Natalie, Brittney, Hailie, and Melissa I love you and am thankful for your examples to me in temple marriage and in everything else, love you! I miss you so much, but I am not homesick. Love you!!!! Be safe, and stay healthy! Please write me next week!

2015-05-17 - The Work of the Lord

So this week as I walked confidently down the sidewalk, I was excited to see to shiny coins, on the sidewalk. I walked by them and decided to pick them up, as I grabbed for one, It didn't come off the ground, I realized that they were both super glued to the sidewalk. My companion laughed at me pretty hard. It was embarrassing. 

Anyways, yes I got the two photo books from from you guys, one of them got lost, but I got it eventually! My companion is from Ifugao, which is just another Province in the Philippines. They speak Ilokano there. SO about the people we are teaching, we had 6 investigators at church, and 3 less actives. The investigators at church were, sister Kelly, Brother Chris, and his sons, And Ryan, Mark, and Jay. The friends of Alfred, who is a member. they are in the YSA ward. Sister Kelly is all ready to be baptized, she just wants permission from her parents, even though she is old enough to make the decision on her own, she wants her mom to approve, because her mom is strongly against it. That is cool that Natalie got accepted into Weber! And send me more pictures! I want pictures of the house too! So I bought myself some basketball shoes earlier, as a late christmas present to myself. they are Class A Knock-offs, so they were only 36 dollars in US money. they are kobe basketball shoes.

Anyways, this week has been great! I Really like they way my new companion teaches, he teaches with the spirit. I know that there is no other way, but by the spirit. I was soo glad to see your faces on mothers day! I know it seemed like a short time, but I have to be obedient. So in my area, there are some great things going on. The district and I are organizing a stake fireside about enrolling in seminary and institute, and missionary work. Since we are assigned in the YSA ward, and at the central focus of institute for the whole Manila, we have a great opportunity to work very closely with seminary, and institute. So one of my main focuses right now in my mission is just being exactly obedient. I have realized that I can't control people's agency, like the investigators, and such, But I know that success is measured inward, so I have been being very obedient lately, because I have direct control over that. I am very happy to be serving, and I feel the Lord helping me change into a better person than I used to be, that is the biggest miracle in my mission, and I am so thankful for it. I love you so much, I want you all to also strive to be exactly obedient to all the Lord commands us! We may not understand why, but we do understand it comes from God, or from the mouth of his servants, so we must obey, I love you so much, until next week!

Love Elder Clark

2015-05-10 Happy Mother's Day

Thank you for letting me Skype with you, I love you guys so much, especially Mom, happy mothers day!!!!

That is my district in the first couple pictures, although now it is different. now the other elders are a three some and I have a new companion. Anyways, thank you for raising me in the gospel mom, I now see what great blessing come to those who live the gospel of Jesus Christ. You are such a great mother! I love you so much! I am so glad I got to see you! Please send me pictures of the house and the backyard, and front yard, haha I love seeing the house! I love you guys soo much! Dont worry about me, I am being obedient and working hard!!!!!

We are teaching this family that is partially active partially not, and there son turned 8 years old a couple months ago, and he asked me to baptize him. the other kid is an actual convert baptism. I look good though in white dont I?

2015-05-03 - Sampaloc work and the Game Show Contestants

Fun! So I can probably arrange my schedule so that I can Skype around 9 or 10 Philippines time. Plan on me to call at that time. I am looking forward to it. Be prepared and write down your questions for me so you don’t forget. So we can use our time wisely... haha I'll tell you how it is going in the city. Also, my companion is transferring. I am staying here. I just know that I am staying here. I don’t know who my companion is. It is really sad though, we had a really great time together and I learned so much from him! So give my regards to grandpa, I hope he gets better soon!!  I myself am doing very good here.

We had a very cool experience yesterday. So basically everyone in the Philippines is christian, I have taught one muslim, but other than that everyone I have ever taught has been "christian" haha sometimes they dont understand what that means. But yesterday a member brought his friend to church with him, and we taught him. This kid told us he was Atheist, and the member that brought him just thought that he wasn't going to take church seriously, but after sacrament meeting, the member said that he had to leave after sacrament meeting, but when sacrament meeting got done, his friend didnt want to leave! He was like this is great, I want to keep on learning! So we finished church and taught him, and it was one of the best lessons I have had in my mission! We never know who is ready for the gospel! I also testify that working with members is the only way to go, It is so much more effective!

I love you guys and look forward to seeing you on Monday! Well in Filipino time, haha

So these guys are two returned missionaries that entered into this huge game show called Foreighnoy. which is a show where they take foreighners who speak Tagalog, and they compete. The one with blonde hair was 3rd place, they went to church on sunday in the singles ward.