The last few days 7/9/12

Family!

First off, Happy 4th of July! I hope you got my pic. I drew an american flag and let it fly on Wednesday :) I hope you all had a great holiday. Obviously, living in a different country has made me all the more grateful to live in the U.S.A. What a blessing. When I think of the 4th, I think of hot dogs and hamburgers and soda at Grandma and Grandpa´s house. If you were wondering, I also celebrated the holiday this week by having my first dream in spanish!!! Super sweet.

Anyway, this week has been a toughie. I had two different days of divisiones with Elder Jensen (he is the bomb), so my comp. and I weren´t able to hone in on our area like usual. Also, in a very odd chain of events, Melánia moved to Colón this past week with her family.... there goes our best investigador :( They didn´t have enough money to pay their rent (algo asi), and had to move back to Colón where they have a sure house. It all surfaced in the span of a few days and they are gone! The good news though, is that we called her there and she has already found the missionaries there (Elder Mendez from Puerto Rico is one of them - lucky guy) and is planning to get baptized there in Colón! So it´s all good :) I kinda wanna get transferred to Colón now....haha. Other than that, the mission work has been kinda slow and it makes me sad we haven´t had a baptism this change. When I get to my new area, I just wanna go nuts and contact every door! I will be leaving on Wednesday morning to my new area... I´ll letcha know how it is next week! We had a few investigadores at church yesterday though, and even revisited Vielka Lou! It´s been a while since we have been by their house. Of course I see Carlos more often, but I truly love seeing that whole family.

Speaking of that man, Mom, you truly went above and beyond with the package :) Wow!! Thank you! I recieved it this week, and already gave the shirt to Carlos. He loved it :) I also gave the aceitero to the ward member, and Elder Huallanca. Elder Huallanca was so grateful! He wears it every day. He loves our whole family, and wants to come to Utah someday. Also, let it be known that he´s in love with Katie. He loves her red hair and always looks at our family picture. Hahah :)

So I had a super sweet study about Alma 5 this week. Alma 5:27 - if you died right now, could you say you have been sufficiently humble? Alma taught me in that chapter, that as a missionary, I must be more bold in everything I do, and I need to put emphasis on the doctrine of Christ as I teach and preach. I am just trying to better myself every day here and trying to be an example - a representante of Christ - to all. I consider it an honor to serve a mission, and I´m trying to improve myself every day here. Like I mentioned a few times ago (?), we can only become who we want to be through the ENABLING power of The Atonement of Christ.

I hope you all have a great week, and Adam and Scotty, I love you!

-Elder Clarke

P.S.... tell Nick Clark congrats for me!! Tahiti! Fetch! I sure hope they speak Spanish there...
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P.S.S.... Mom, I eat Reeses every day for breakfast now. Ohhh how I have missed them.