Always Learning

Whoohoo! This week has been great. Sounds like it was a great one for the fam. too :) I´m SOO happy Dave left this past Wednesday. SO happy! Seriously! The joy I feel in the mission is a different kind of joy - I´m excited for Dave to experience it. I already sent him an email - I hope he gets to talk to you guys soon! Chuso, his setting apart blessing sounds like it was incredible!!! Really! Hidden people and such. I´m way excited for him.                   

                As for my week, it´s been another one of learning! Learning every day. To me, self - analyzation is the key. Always looking at what you´re doing/thinking, and WHY you´re doing/thinking that thing. Always trying to become better. Especially this week I've experienced some lessons in humility and patience. One trial that I wasn't expecting was the huge challenge of winning over the respect of a whole zone! Dang! Way harder than I originally anticipated. Leading them in public/P-days, teaching and grabbing the attention of all of them at district meeting, and getting them to want to respect and listen to your decisions - I´m not gonna lie its been a little tough for me! So ya that's a work in progress. 

                Something else that made this week memorable was.... dun dun dun dun..... a baptism! The baptism of Ana Carolina. We had put a fecha with her last week, took her to conference and everything, but I still thought she was a little ways off from being prepared for her baptism. But, Elder Follette was like "let´s go for it this weekend". I was like cool--let's go for it! She had enough attendance and everything, so what was stopping us? We taught her almost all the commandments in one week, had her interview Saturday, and baptized her after church on Sunday afternoon! Whoohoo! She asked me to baptize her, so that was cool...... which leads me to my next point.

                Not only is the baptismal font in my new chapel STUNNINGLY gorgeous, but my new ward is INCREDIBLE. Like..... don´t even get me started. Yesterday, the attendance was 170 here!! What?! There were so many people in the sacrament meeting I didn't know what to do with myself! SO many strong priesthood leaders and jovenes and everything! Wow! By far the strongest ward I've been to in my whole mission. The meetinghouse is so beautiful - it´s two stories! I´m still trying to figure out what to do with so many willing members here. I feel so blessed.

                In other news, we put a fecha with a recent convert's mother - Julia. She should be baptized the 28 of this month. Also, our last couple p-days have been sick! Last week we went to Panama Viejo (panamanian ruins) and then today we went to the "zona libre" in Colón. Tons of tourists! The mission is goin' good right now. I will write more next week. I love you guys so much! Have an awesome week. 

Love,

Elder Clarke