This week stunk.... then it ended good with a baptism.

Man... this week was one of the hardest I've had in a while. I really don`t have too much to recount besides the baptism, because I was stuck in the house the whole dang week. This week I found the principle to be totally true that if you don`t work, you get homesick and you don`t wanna work anymore. Working is the only remedy!!! And when you can't work cuz you're stuck on your bed, that's when things get really tough.

Right after I wrote you guys last week, we went to go play basketball and soccer. Well, we were warming up with soccer and I 

jumped up to head the ball, and when I came down my whole ankle popped out of place! Fetch, I don`t wanna sound like I`m exaggerating, but it was one of the most painful things that I've experienced in recent memory. I popped it back into place myself! Afterward, we went to the hospital that night to take an x-ray to make sure nothing was broken or fractured or anything, and thank goodness it wasn't. But dang, it sure felt like it - they put a soft cast on it and that night getting into the house was really hard, cuz we live on a big hill. 

And that`s pretty much my whole week - I stayed in the house until Saturday afternoon when we went to prepare Michael`s baptism. BIG props given to my comp, Elder Atuake, for constantly going on divisions during the week and keeping the work going. I love that guy, for real. I stayed with Elder Aguare and Quico mas during the week - Hermana Alvarado (member that lives above us) is a blessed woman and made us dinner and breakfast almost every day cuz I couldn't leave the house.

Michael's baptism was really cool though - it made the week awesome. He got confirmed yesterday, and I really feel he'll make a great missionary and member. The cool thing is both his father and mother came, who aren't members, and we planted that seed with them as they witnessed the baptism. The father had a lot of questions about Joseph Smith and everything so it'd be great to start teaching him a little. Blessed be Michael's grandma, Beatriz. She's a VERY strong member and we see God helping her so much in growth in the gospel! I admire her desire and willingness to do/learn whatever it takes.

Well, I'm gonna wrap this up, but I wanna share a quote I found by Gordon B. Hinckley this week that almost exactly describes the way I need to feel now in the mission: "The older I grow the less concerned I become with quotes and statistics and percentages, and the more I become concerned with the kind of experience that the soul of man has in the Lord`s church, and particularly in the Lord`s holy temple." Isn't that awesome?! Being a leader here in the mission, I've seen how important numbers are - it's kind of like a business. But the PROPHET, of all people, having to deal with all the numbers in the church, doesn't worry about it! He`s much more interested in the PEOPLE, not the numbers. Every number is a person. That`s how I need to become here in the mission. I need to perfect that. 

Well, that`s it for this week. I love you all!!!! Much! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Clarke