Whoo!

Dang. I spent a while going over some of Dave`s letters this afternoon. They are so inspiring! He is such a great missionary - you can tell from his letters! Already so much better than I've ever been. I also appreciate all the thoughts and emails from you Mom and Dad. You guys are stud parents - you both deserve trophies. If they had parent contests...

Anyway, this week was BALLIN!! Time has never flown so fast, really. I feel like I was JUST writing you guys. We spent this whole week just workin' our tails off! We found 18 new investigators this week!! I felt like the first couple weeks were slow opening an area and all, but we're now in the full swing of things! Ready to see some miracles. Changes are this week, but Elder Teichert and I are obviously stayin' together! Going into my last 6-week transfer.  My hermanas here in Santiago have changes, though, which I'm kinda sad about. I've become such good friends here fast with Hermana Torres, from Honduras. As well as Hermana Cuyán, from Guatemala! I will miss 'em, but we should have a sick district with some new peeps for my last change.

Anyway, like I said, this week was just great. Good news of the week? We had 4 people in church!! Bad news of the week? Israel was not one of them..... dang it. We had a miscommunication for our Saturday lesson and we ended up not being able to get him to come to church with his wife. Darn it all. But? I'd like to tell you about 3 young men that came to church - Galileo, José, and Miguel. They are SO sweet!! They are all brothers - ages 18, 14, and 12. And they walked almost an HOUR to get to church!! Their parents are also really sweet and quite prepared! We've just gotta get 'em married. Since arriving here in Santiago, Elder Teichert and I have already fasted 3 times to be able to find the people God has prepared for us, as well as a family. And as of right now, we really think this Acosta family could be the one. Pray for these guys with us. This family has got so much potential if they all become converted. I can't wait to see how The Lord is gonna help us with these folks. Keep praying for Israel too! I'm confident we'll see success here.

Amongst other news, for the first time in my whole mission, I used a LAWN MOWER on Saturday!! What?! It kinda made me trunky, not gonna lie. Man I forgot how much I missed mowing the lawn..... our church building here has a nice lawn so they have a lawn-mower! Elder Teichert and I helped out the Hermana Morales clean up the church on Saturday - she's goin' through a really rough time right now. We actually had a super powerful spiritual experience with her last week that I'll have to write about soon when I've got time. I just love being an instrument in The Lord's hands out here, as well as being able to use the power of the priesthood to bless other's lives - like the Hermana Morales.

Well, that's really all I've got time to write about for today, but I hope ya'll have a great day and I love you all!

-Elder Clarke

Bueno...

Elders Teichert & Clarke

Bueno pues. Today is a great day! Every day is here in Santiago! I really love being a missionary and it's gonna really stink not being one anymore. I am loving life! And loving Santiago!! Elder Teichert is SUCH a boss. He's made me laugh harder in the past few days than I've laughed in a long time. Such a stud-muffin. Cool fact? His birthday is on the 4th of November, and mine the 9th. We are gonna have to go buy a gallon of ice cream of somethin'.

Shopping for items for their new home.

So I'm gonna be honest, the first week here was really slow. I mean, really slow. I always felt like I wasn't doing anything. We had to dedícate days to just furbishing the house. We also didn't technically have an área for almost a week cuz it took a while to be able to divide up the áreas again with the hermanas (the hermanas here are so great - they have helped me so much and we make a sick district). Anyway though, in the past few days we've finally gotten settled in and there is WORK TO DO, FELLAS!! We're hittin it hard, Elder Teichert and I. He's a super good motivation - he reminds me a lot of myself when I was a newbie in the mish. That's why I love training - it always reanimates you to the max. Gives you a boost in faith and hope. He's such a stud and I know he's gonna be a great missionary. He was only in the MTC for 2 weeks! The same week I completed 23 months in the misión, he completed 1 :) Cabal.

With a member from Brazil.

So we've fasted a couple times already for member help and to find the prepared people for us here in Santiago, including a family. The member help has come on so strong and I KNOW those escogidos are coming soon! Fasting works, man. I can't wait to help this branch grow. Santiago has got so much potential! But anyway, we put a sweet fecha last night with an awesome man named Israel. A husband of an endowed wife. We're thinking a sealing! He's such an awesome dude, and we had a great lesson last night about the restoration of the priesthood. He understood and we're thinkin he'll get baptized here this next month! I dunno why I'm so lucky and The Lord just gives us these prepared people. Anyway. I have a lot to write but I just don't have the time today.... mi querida mama me estaba escribiendo buko y no me dejaba escribirles :) No mentira.... te quiero, mama - mucho :)

Also, can I just say how nice it is to not be a zone leader anymore? So nice. So much relief. Anyway. I love you all so much!! So much. Have a great week and cuídense mucho! 

 

Con mucho cariño,

Elder Clarke

"Elder, you ready for an adventure?"

FAMILY!!!! How`s it goin?!? Man I've been thinking about you guys lately. Mom talking to me so much about everything at home has really got me missin' you all! But? I now know after this week for sure that there's a WHOLE bunch of work to do before I come home! A whole bunch. As one of many testimony builders, this week was just another reminder of how much God really must love me.

The reason? Well, it started Monday night after we had gotten home from P-day and everything when Elder Saavedra and I are just gettin' ready to plan, when we get a call from Pte. Carmack. This was expected, as we had called him a few days earlier about a marriage/divorce problem we were trying to fix. But anyway, Elder Saavedra answers the phone, and Pte. asked for me. Why me? That was kinda weird - he usually just talks to whoever answers. So, I get on the phone and he says something that I don't think I'll forget for a while.

 

"Elder, you ready for an adventure?"

 

I was kinda surprised cuz I thought he was calling for the divorce deal, but nope! He proceeded to tell me that I was gonna have emergency changes!! What? People have had e-changes before in the mission, but never me! It`s kind of a rare occurrence. I didn't know what to expect, but I could not be more THRILLED!!!!! with what has happened.

So I was asked to leave Bocas and come open an area here in Santiago, Veraguas - it's in the zone of Chitrè!! So I`m actually really close to Penonome again. Also, he asked me to come here and serve as DL again and I`m TRAINING again!! What?! I could NOT be more thrilled. So so so happy. I guess an elder got here late from the MTC, (kinda like I did) and they didn't have anyone to train him and they needed to open up a new area. Of all elders, me?! I`m thrilled and so excited. My new "baby boy" is Elder Teichert from Cokeville, Wyoming. He`s a cattle-rancher!!! What? Hahah he's so dang legit. I`m already picking up his western country drawl. He's still 18 and he's a few months younger than Dave! We're here starting literally from zero, nada. We don't have any investigators or anything and we're having to furnish our own brand new house! It's such a tight experience. Sadly, I'm having troubles with my camera so I'll try to send you a pic next week. But it's LEGIT!!

My time is all up but I'll write y'all tons next week! I am so excited to finish my mission this way. It's exactly what I needed and The Lord knew it. He's got GREAT things planned for us here in Santiago. This is where I've got to find my family. He loves me so much - I'm so dang grateful.

 

Love yoU!

 

-Elder Clarke

What a week, eh?

Bueno folks, it´s been another week. I don´t have too many of these left?

You guys are famiiliar with the hymn "I Stand All Amazed". This week, and in the past few days, that hymn has become quite a reality for me - I am truly amazed by the love our Savior Jesus Christ offers us. We can be lost in sin, living in the world, or be one of the "best missionaries", and the love our Savior has for both parties is the same! Mom, you always told me you loved all your children equally - I´m not sure if I currently comprehend that, but I hope to be able to one day when I have my own kids. I feel like it´ll help me understand a bit more the love that God has for us as His children. I hope I can love them all equally too. I can´t wait! 

 

I´m also amazed at the love that God has for us to forgive us over and over again. To let us come to earth, make mistakes, suffer. He sent His own only begotton son to die for the rest of us so we could make all those mistakes and still be ok if we repented. What class of love and patience must He have with us? I´m just grateful He does, for now. I am so imperfect and so badly need The Atonement in my life daily! We´re lucky he´s willing to forgive us time and again. 

 

So like I mentioned last week, this week came and went in a blink of an eye. Going to consejos in Panama feels like a dream, but I really enjoyed it. I think it was my last consejos meeting - I´m kinda sad about that. I liked voicing my opinion on how to better the mission. The mission as a whole has been struggling as of late with baptisms. I don´t know why this is happening, seeing that we now have more missionaries than ever! I sometimes question our example that we´re giving to the mission as leaders - me personally and the rest of the leaders, too. I sometimes feel like I could do better. I haven´t done divisions in a while, and I think we´re gonna start doing that more now. Helping these newer missionaries learn how to teach.

 

Now..... Conference!!! Man! What a general conference, eh? I was gonna write a whole lot about my favorite talks and everything, but I forgot my journal at home before coming to write ya´ll! But man. Wanna know my favorite talk? It was in the very first session by Elder Bednar, about tithing and the blessings we can recieve. He took paying tithing to a whole next level for me!! He went DEEP into the blessings that we can really recieve by paying an honest tithe with a willing heart. I REALLY liked it. The best was when he said that paying tithing helps us in the life-long process of personal sanctification. Anyway. There were so many dang good talks though. Elder Maynes, Elder Uchtdorf´s, Elder Scott´s, and Elder Perry´s in the priesthood session. I loved how he based it around the 13 articles of faith! I want to memorize them. 

 

Well, some great news is that Daniel came to church again! He totally showed up to the Saturday morning session in a white shirt. Elder Saavedra and I are thinking baptism. I love him! Him, with a few others, have a baptismal date for the 19th of this month. Which reminds me! 

 

Quick story. Yesterday after conference, (about 5:30-6 PM) I found myself without ganas to do anything! I don´t know why, but conference had just worn me out, and I had no desire to go anywhere. Just wanted to lay down and not have to interact with anyone. I don´t know why! Anyway, we had a family night with a less active family planned, and I just wasn't looking forward to it. So, on the 20 minute walk there, I just didn´t know what to do! I haven't found myself like that that many times in the mission, but I finally decided to just say a little prayer in my heart, asking God to help me have desire to go teach and feel love and charity for these people, and want to help them. Well, to make a long story short, the lesson, although the flow was somewhat hard to control with the member help we had, ended up turning out fabulous!! I mean, truly great. We animated the father, Hno. Cantule, for the first time since I´ve been here, to commit to coming to church next week. He works, but he´s gonna get his shift covered. That is saying A LOT for this guy, seeing as he hasn´t been to church in years. Also, with the help from my companion, we were able to put a baptismal date with his littlest 8 year old daughter who´s not baptized! Marlenis :) The best part about it was definately the STRONG spirit that was felt at the end of the lesson. And I felt so much LOVE for them!! God granted me exactly what I had asked for in my prayer! Now are you seeing why I´m amazed sometimes at the love He has for us? He helps us SO much! We are nothing without Him or His help.

I love being a missionary and I´m gonna miss it so much. I love you all! Have a great week! 

 

-Elder Clarke

La hora para esforzarme

Bueno, pues.

This week . . . . what a fast one.  SO fast!  I am really starting to get nervous about my mission ending.  I'm now down to 10 P-days and counting!  That's . . . . nothing.  Oh man.  Such a good week though.  Oh how I will miss the mission.  Something that Elder Whitcomb once tried explaining to me that I didn't understand until recently was how great the mission really is.  In what sense?  let's think about it . . . . when I go home, I have to start worrying about money, work, school, homework, church callings, college "life" (girls and dates and such), buying gas for the car, etc, etc, etc.  The list is endless.  Here in the mission?  All you've got to worry about is your investigators and your zone.  Punto.  QUE FACIL!!!  I'm by no means saying the mission is easy, cuz it's not, but, dang.  The mission just seems so much easier and better than life back at home.  All I have to do here is worry about other people.  When I go home, it seems I'll have to be worrying about myself a lot of the time.  I've gotta value this time.  I'm sad it's ending!  So, I just wanna say real quick: 1) Adam, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  9 anos!!!  Dang, man!  How do you fell?  I'm so excited to see you, go on bike rides and play ball with you and Scotty.  Also, 2) Dave, CONGRATS on training!! Dang, bro! I've never seen a gringo train that fast here in my mission.  How are you such a good missionary already?  I look up to you so much.  You're gonna have to teach me Spanish when you get home.  So this week blew by -- I think I already mentioned that.  But it's cuz we did so much service this week! Man! We also put 4 fechas.  Elder Saavedra is a blessing fallen from heaven.  He is SUCH a tight guy!!  He's already turning into one of my favorite comps.  Such a stud, and more than anything, he's motivating me so much! He was exactly who I needed. It's great how God just helps you out, giving you exactly who you need.

Elders Saavedra and Clarke at Jeny's baptism

The two huge services we did was one in El Silencio, El Empalme on Wednesday with Elderes Aguirre and Serna (helping a family move into their newly purchased home) and then Saturday en las 30's.  Allright, ya'll gotta understand how much I love this place -- Las 30's. It's a part of my area that's like 30 minutes hidden into the banana fields.  Those that live there are pure indians, and it's so dang sweet!  Mom, Dad, we're totally coming to Las 30's when we come to visit. Hermano Bonilla, one of the coolest members in our ward, lives out there, so we helped him help one of his neighbors move a GIGANTE pile of dirt with shovels.  It took us from 9 AM - 2 PM.  Just pure dirt and shovels -- I felt like I was in the movie HOLES.  Elder Seegmiller and I even started singing the song.  Hahah. Hermano Bonilla is so sweet though.  He is Dad's latin twin.  When I get my camera back, you best believe I'm sending ya'll a foto of Hermano Bonilla.  He reminds me so much of Dad.  His personality, his laugh, his stature, everything.  He's even a convert that went on a mission!  Can't wait for you guys to meet each other.

So, for our fechas, we should have a couple baptisms come from out there in Las 30's -- the Bonilla family is doing their job out there and is befriending people and bringing them to church.  One of our greatest difficulties in our area is that we're so dang far from the chapel, and a lot of our area is poor natives, they don't have money for a taxi and don't want to walk.  It makes things tough.  But, in the morning yesterday we woke up super early to go find Daniel and we walked to church together.  He stayed all three hours!  He's 16 and such a good guy!  Not like most teenagers.  Definately a escogido.  Our two most positives right now and probly him and Lorenzo, a friend of Hno. Bonilla.  Things are looking up!  Even if I don't have any more baptisms here in this area, I know Elder Saavedra will after I leave.  He deserves them too.  The im,portant thing is that we're finally jumpstarting this area after it having been dead for so long!  Like Alma, I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for letting me be an instrument in His hands to do good work here among His children.  Well, this next week should be the fastest one of my life!  We're traveling to Panama this week for consejos, we get back Thursday, work for two days, and then . . . . GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! It's like the NBA finals.  I'm so dang pumped.  The hours for the sessions here are weird though this time!  Here is Bocas Saturday the first session starts at noon, the second at 4, and the Priesthood session goes from 8-10 at night!  Crazy!  Party!  I love the mission.

Love you all so much and hope you're all safe and sound this week.

Love,

Elder Clarke

P.S. . . . Elder Seegmiller and I planned a double date we're gonna do back at Provo someday . . . . . it includes seronading mexicans outside the mexican stores with our spanish music solos, and then using the money to go buy plantains and cook patacones with our dates.  Ya!

What a week!! New companion and baptism.

Oh man. This has been one of the greatest weeks in recent memory!! La verdad que si.

So, first of all, changes were this week and I've got a new comp! Elder Saavedra from Nicaragua! He's my first Nicaraguan comp in the mish! Such a sweet dude. He is one of those dudes that I know was the top dog of his high school. I was his ZL in Paraiso, and we already knew each other. I miss Elder Olivas, too. He went to go be comps in Tocumen with Elder Kniff! Elder Saavedra goes home in December with me, so that really lowers my chances of being able to finish here in Bocas... man.  I'm entering my last 12 weeks of the mission, can you believe it?!? 80 days. 

Anyway, Saturday something monumental happened: Changuinola 3 had its first baptism ever!!!! What?! Yah buddy :) Hermana Jenny entered the waters of baptism after having investigated the church for nearly 3 years. It really just blows me away sometimes, really, how The Lord does almost all the work out here in the mission field. Just a little thought.... In Jacob 5, it talks about how The Lord of the vineyard comes down to work WITH His servants, right? I kinda feel like it's more like He comes down and just shows us how to do everything, meanwhile practically doing a lot of the work for us himself. I relate this a little bit to my own dad. My whole life, he was always teaching me how to do stuff, whether it was yard work, teaching me how to fix the car tire, or how to tie my shoes (I still remember that, by the way). What ended up happening on most of these teaching occasions is that my dad ended up doing most of the work himself. I truly feel like this is similar to the mission field. Our Heavenly Father knows SO MUCH that we don't know, and is constantly trying to help us and teach us. He has called us as His servants to help Him in His great work, but really, that's all we are - servants. I feel like His hand is so involved. It's practically all Him! We just walk around, obey His orders, wear a nifty badge, and wa-la! He works miracles through us. I feel SO grateful that The Lord provided this baptism for us here, and hope He will continue to let us be part of His work, (and come down from His vineyard and help us out) :).

Well I'm practically out of time for today but I must comment on President Carmack's visit here to Bocas this past weekend. He came for District conference, and meanwhile gave the zone their interviews while he was here. Man! What a great interview we had! For real, just a great conversation. He helped me out a lot, too. I left that office feeling 'aliviado'. He`s a great man - I wanna learn as much as I can out here from him before I leave. The conference was great too - everyone spoke well, and I was especially impressed with Pte. Brown's talks in all the sessions (he's Carmack's counseler). The priesthood session was in the morning, and was great. Elder Saavedra and I are excited to start working with menos activos.

Well, I'm gonna wrap this up for now. Hope you all have a wonderful week! Say hi to the german girl for me in german please, Katie. :) Love you all!

-Elder Clarke

P.S... just so ya`ll know..... I`ve been taking HOT SHOWERS for the past couple days for the first time in my mission. The reason? Elder Barnett. The new guy in the house (Elder Seegmiller`s comp) is a genious from Layton, Utah who TOTALLY hooked us up by going and buying and installing a shower water heater. Just preppin` myself to get back home :) Oh how that shower is glorious.

P.S.S.... guess who else is in the new zone? Elder Aguirre!! The one I trained in Penonome! So fun to have him around again :)

22 months!!

Man... I can't believe I left home 22 months ago....I'm so glad they're giving me an extra month - I'm definitely gonna need it.

So this week was a pretty good one - we didn't have a whole lot of time in the area because of travel, but it was a good week of reflexion and helping me prepare for this upcoming change. I only have 2 left!! We got the news on Saturday that my comp. has changes and will be leaving Tuesday afternoon to Panama.... I'm grateful I get to stay behind and wait for my new comp. with Elder Seegmiller. That bus ride is brutal. This could possibly be my last comp. of the mission! Crazy.

So, when we went to Panama, while waiting all day for the bus and meeting to start, I aprovechared the opportunity to go to.... Barrio Centro! Yep! I went and visited with Hna. Carmen again. Man how I love that lady. Really, I do - when I went back, I felt like that was my home here in Panama! I most definately will go again before I leave. 

Afterward, we had the consejos meeting in Cardenas by the temple - it was a good meeting. It's amazing to me how much and how fast Pte. Carmack is changing this mission. His authority here is so obvious - it's a testimony builder to me that he was called by revelation. He's beginning to implement exactly the changes that this mission needs to grow and become more successful - the thought even crossed my mind that it's kind of a bummer I won't be here too much longer to see Pte. Carmack's vision totally come to pass! He's a great guy. He's also coming this weekend to Bocas for our district conference, as well as renew my temple recommend that expired last month, and interview Jenny for her baptism! Should be good.

So, after the meeting in Cardenas, we drove back to the other end of the country (the other zone leaders flew by plane - we're special like that) with the assistants, Elder Hawks and Elder Laurino. They are both great. Elder Hawks, you guys know, was in my MTC district, and we continue to be really good friends. I actually look up to him quite a lot. He's a very humble person that I'd like to be like someday. We all enjoyed the all-night drive before arriving in DAVID at 2 am (Yes, Mom, I finally went to David) only to sleep a few hours before the multi-zone conference at 9 am. It was pretty amazing as well! Elder Ochoa came, and he counseled us all so well. Also a very obvious servant of God, called by revelation. 

Multi-Zone Conference with Elder Ochoa

Well, that is all I think. If all goes how it should, Jenny should get baptized this weekend. Pray for her please! I'll let ya'll know how everything goes. I'll miss Elder Olivas and Elder Houghton (Elder Seegmiller's comp.), but at the same time I'm definately ready to get crankin with my new comp. Hope you all have a good week!

Love,

Elder Clarke

P.S.... this morning was reading Alma... man! Too good. 38:5,14 39:12-19, 40:9. The Book of Mormon is so dang true.