God Knows Me

God really does know me. He knew that I was getting a little tired at the end of my mission but that I still wanted to continue on, and so He sent me someone I needed at the perfect time. Sister Fielding is so diligent and hardworking and also FUN and hilarious- she's teaching me how to be a better missionary and I LOVE her! I am just feeling jipped that I only get 4 weeks with her! President hinted that by June 21st I'll go to a new area for my last area...

I've learned a lot more about how to really pray this week, and how to have fun while working your tushie off. I thought I knew how to do that ok, but Sister Fielding is teaching me so much. There's still so much I never knew I never knew!

This week L_____ demonstrated that you can put a dog in a baby carrier.... I never knew. LOL. And we also were able to eat out at a Chinese buffet place, YUM. Enjoy the pics!

I've been studying Faith in the Book of Mormon for a while now, but when I brought up that I'm trying to have more faith, Sister Fielding commented that she's assuming that I'm praying for more faith... I looked at her in shock. Have I been praying for faith as I've been studying faith? NO! Why not? I have no idea!!! Hahaha it's the simple things we tend to overlook. The Gospel is so simple but it'll take a lifetime to get it right. Thank goodness for practice!

I love the Lord and I love Idaho. I've been so blessing in so many ways. We met a lady that had been through the Temple and made sacred covenants with God but then decided that she didn't believe in Him and turned the other way, and now she's very bitter and angry and she kept us on her doorstep trying to justify her lifestyle and beliefs to us for a long time... it was sad to see, and our spirits ached for her. Yet, it was a huge testimony for me and what I believe in. Those experiences with people who are "anti-Mormon" only solidify my belief that I am truly serving the One True God hoping to bring as many as I can into His One True Church. I believe it with all of my heart, and it brings me so much joy :) Life is glorious with God's grace.

All y'all have a good week and stay strong to what you know!

Love,

Sis. Clark

Can't Take the Trunky...

The temple tours finished off with a bang! It was some real fun, but we're so glad to be back in our area. 

We got transfer calls this Saturday!! Sister Holtermann is leaving me for Star Valley..... I'm going to miss her with all of my soul. I'm really sad, but.... at the same time, I found out Sister Fielding is coming to be my companion and that's super exciting!! :D She's so fun and such a genuine missionary- I can't wait!

Well, the closer I get to the end of my mission, the more people can just sense it I think. The questions have changed from "How long have you been out?" to "How long do you have left?" HOW DO THEY KNOW?! It's so painful to answer, so I just tell them that I've been out for over a year, but when they ask that question of how long I have left there's no escaping it! Argh. It was a rough week in that sense, and I swear that every person in the world was trying to make us "trunky" aka excited to go home...

Let me describe a taste of what this last week at the temple was like- Us sisters, sitting in the Idaho Falls temple bride's room on a special tour before the day starts, President guiding each of us to the mirrors and telling us to prepare now because it's all about the bride on the wedding day. Then they take us to the highest sealing room right under Moroni's feet, sit us down in front of the mirrors of eternity, and President gives a big tearful speech about how wonderful and special it is to be sealed to your sweetheart forever and ever and ever, and the married couples in the room all kiss, and then we listen to a video play all day over and over about eternal families and how it's the whole purpose of life to be together with our families forever............. need I go on? 

I'm so glad to be back to normal missionary work, I don't want to be trunky! Thank goodness I still have time. I just want to proselyte, that's all I want!! I'm so PUMPED to be teaching and preaching again!!!!!!!

I'm going to miss Sister Holtermann more than I could ever say with words, but at the same time I'm excited for this new chapter in my mission. Bring it on!!

Keep on keeping on, everyone!!

Love,

Sister Clark

I'M HOME!!! (in _______)

I'm going to quote Sister Holtermann's email for a minute, because we're almost the same person anyways.

Sister Holtermann:

"This week was wonderful! Many spiritual experiences, many funny moments. I hope your week was wonderful as well! 

This week, we were up in Idaho Falls at the temple again. It was such a good week! Sister Clark and I visited a Japanese Garden and sat by the Falls almost every day. Woo! 

We found a taco truck in IF, so we went and enjoyed some delicious Mexican food. I had an elote for the first time in a looooong time. And it was GLORIOUS. 

We had a lot of wonderful spiritual experiences this week at the temple! 

First, we were able to sit in the celestial room of the temple before our shift in the mornings. It set the tone for the day and helped us to focus on becoming more Christ-like. I also received a lot of super awesome revelation that strengthened my faith in Heavenly Father. The temple is so wonderful!"

Ditto to everything for me! It was a really good week :D We go back for the last two days of the tours on the 19th and 20th- we're almost done!!!

We're not supposed to proselyte during the tours, but on the last tour on the last night, the tour guide stood up after the video we show and he started to talk about his conversion story to the Church. He looked at us and said, "Now I know this is out of the ordinary, but..." and he continued to testify of what he knew to be true, and he invited everyone to have a prayer in their hearts and promised that they would have a spiritual experience if they did. It was really powerful!! 

Here's an awesome quote our mission sent out to everyone that I love:

Professor Harold Hill in Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, cautioned: “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”

From President Hancock: "He who has a desire finds a way; he who does not finds an excuse."

Making the days count, not counting the days here in the wonderful IPM!!

Love ya'll!!

Idaho Falls Temple Tours Week 2, Stay Tuned....

Pray for us, we're still exhausted from the last week's tours and we're going back in for more today... BUT at the same time I'm really excited for them :)

Last Monday we went to the Potato Museum. I saw with my own eyes the largest potato chip in the whole world... I feel quite educated on potatoes now. I never knew there was so much to know about potatoes in my life before. Thank you, Idaho, for your strange obsession with potatoes!! I love this place so much.

All this week, it was SO HARD to want to get out and work knowing that we are just going to leave again soon... but we did it anyways :) Nothing huge or out of the ordinary, but we saw plenty of ordinary mini miracles a lot in finding people at home or having some awesome lessons with Lindsey and Diane, someone who wants to come back to church with all of her soul. We love our peoples here!

I'll have a lot more to send home again next week, I'm sure :) Happy Early Mother's Day, everyone! I CAN'T WAIT FOR MOTHER'S DAY!!! Hug your mom, all of those who can!

Love,

Sister Clark

Back in B________ (sorry, still trying to keep Sis. Clark's areas private ;) )

The tours at the Idaho Falls Temple have been crazy!! But a crazy awesome!! :D 

We've talked to a lot of amazing people with some deep questions of the soul looking for answers. One day we had a big group of Hispanics come through, all asking a lot of good questions... in Spanish, of course. The rest of us stood by watching as the Hermanas handled the situation, and they even played the Christus recording for the group in the Visitor's Center. The look on their faces as they listened to it made me tear up. I had no idea what was being said, but the feeling that swept over everyone in the room was undeniable. The Gospel and the Holy Spirit testifying of the truthfulness of it is so powerful even if you don't speak the language.

Other than that incredible experience, we had a lot of small miracles adding up to a wonderful week of tours :D And the weather is getting to be better and better!!! Idaho Falls is beautiful! We played in the Park for a bit on one of our breaks one day and took a picture by the Marines portion of a tribute to Veterans, and the Falls.... oh man. I'm in love with this place.

I also got to see the Mansfields!! It's the cherry on top of my week! They're so amazing, I miss them so much- it was hard not to cry :') I've got friends and family all around me all the time- I love being a missionary!

In the entrance of the temple is inscribed a scripture I really love and have been pondering over. It's Habakkuk 2:20, saying, "The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him."

I love the solemn and beautiful, respectful reverence we're encouraged to keep in the Lord's holy halls. I miss being in the temple often- I'm looking forward to going back.

Funny story- so during church Sister Holtermann crossed her leg and suddenly looked at me with wide eyes and whispered, "Oh. My. Gosh." They just called someone up for a calling and I immediately looked around for whatever the scandal was. Was someone wearing socks and sandals in the chapel? Did someone dress up in a neon orange suit? The man standing for his calling was totally normal and happy... 

Then Sister Holtermann explained. "There is gum ALL OVER my leg," she whispered in horror. "I CAN SMELL IT."

As a good trainer would, I busted up laughing in Sacrament. I died. This poor girl really did have gum EVERYWHERE, freshly stuck under the seat by someone before and now smeared everywhere down her leg in minty fresh streaks. You'll know the picture when you see it. 

Hehehehe another funny story- President drove us down from Idaho Falls to Pocatello for MLC (I got to see 3 of my old comps again!!!! And I saw Bueno and Archer for the last time....), and on the way back President bought us pizza. He wanted to bring it into the stake center so the others could have the extras, but we'd have to smuggle it in. The solution was to casually wrap the pizza in a pink elephant blanket................. LOL we all died laughing at him X'D I love the Hancocks with all my heart!

Sis. Jarvis

 Sis. Wilson

Sis. Archer

Sis. Holtermann

Take care! Love you all!! Don't drink creek water!

Love,

Sis. Clark