Week #27

Hi mom

It was really cold. I still can't feel my toes. I'm pretty sure I won't ever be warm until July. It snowed 3 times this week and it's snowing today. This winter is already worse than last year, everyone says. But every time I'm cold I just think of Robert in the -40 weather and then I don't feel as bad. We had a really great lesson with Kelly and John on Tuesday. Kelly has zero faith and John is Catholic but they still have a lot of questions about religion. We read Alma 34 with her, which is basically a step by step process on how to gain faith. We bore our testimonies and even told her about the restoration because both her and John were curious. We asked her how she was feeling and she started to cry. She said she feels lost and like she's missed out because we're so passionate. It was so great! That means she was totally feeling the spirit. The spirit was really strong in that home and I told her that she's not lost anymore and she's going to gain that faith and Heavenly Father is there for her and he loves her because we love her and we've only met her like 2 times! And she cuts hair so we're going to have her cut our hair.

We didn't have a ton of success this week but we made a lot of progress with investigators and potentials. Matt and Jill came to the Christmas party! And they loved it! And they brought their kids. I sang and it was good... I think. And we showed Matt and Jill the chapel and there were people practicing a song for church so the spirit was there and their kids just went and sat and listened. I have never felt so much peace in the chapel than when we were sitting in there listening to the music. Jill said that if their kids love the church, then they will definitely keep it in their minds because if their kids hate it then they just forget about it. Good thing their kids loved it! We were going to go sledding with them on Saturday but we didn't have time :(

Sister Jensen and Sister Johnson were here on exchanges Friday and Saturday. I wish Sister Jensen and I could be companions again because we would just destroy Huber Heights or whatever area we were in. We just get along so well and like to work! So Saturday morning it snowed A LOT. We bought shovels and shovelled peoples driveways. I smelled like a wet dog all day because it was super wet snow and then it rained. But we did 5 houses and it was awesome! I need to get some snow boots.

So since the snow turned to slush and the roads were tricky we did not have a baptism this weekend. Charnelle was about 40 minutes away at an ultrasound and said she wasn't going to make it. It was super stressful. We rescheduled for this coming Saturday at 11. It's kind of a blessing in disguise though because she's so accepting of everything we're not really sure how much she understands the commitment she's making. She's just kind of casual with everything. Oh and guess who decided to show up and surprise us at the baptism? President and Sister Nilsen. Super. I'm glad they came but really embarrassed that we had to postpone our baptism. Satan is working really hard so that we don't reach our goal of 500+ baptisms in the mission. And we haven't been able to get in contact with Charnelle since we rescheduled. She hasn't responded to our texts, calls, or answered her door. So if everyone could just pray really hard that would be helpful.

Oh also church was cancelled yesterday because nobody bothered to get the parking lot plowed Saturday night. All of the slush froze overnight and the parking lot was a disaster. The roads were fine, though. So we didn't have church. Never thought I would have to plan backups for church on my mission. We made cookies and took Sydney, who's going on a mission to Bolivia in February, with us to visit some investigators. Yesterday was a hard day but it ended well with us getting a new investigator, Dorothy, who has taken lessons from the missionaries before. She's really old and she's just so cute! We're going to help her put up her Christmas decorations this week. Oh and also Karen dropped us. But it's for the better because I think she thought we needed to be taught and she just would never listen. I don't think she'll accept the gospel in this life.

Well I'm really tired but I love this work and I know that it's true! Even with a tough week.

Love you!

Sister Clark

Week #26

 

It was COLD this week! Not as cold as Winnipeg I'm sure but it's cold. It was a weird week, but a good one! We have been so busy. So busy we haven't been able to see people that we want to see. I guess we should have gone on splits with the members...

 

Monday and Tuesday were super successful. We found quite a few people to teach and our investigator Jessica didn't drop us! Miracle! We just went into the lesson and started teaching her and she never brought up the conversation we had with her on Saturday. And we have an appointment with her tonight. She's halfway done with 1 Nephi. We also taught this older lady Diane who told us she's reading the Book of Mormon when we knocked on her door. So we taught her about where it came from and how the gospel was restored. She's pretty awesome. Then we met this lady Melinda who said she wants to learn more about the Book of Mormon and the gospel after we taught her the first lesson! She is super genuine and sincere. The only problem is that she works in Maryland... as in the state of. So she's only here on the weekends. Convenient. We went to Springfield on Wednesday for exchanges. So I got to see Sister Jensen! Then we had our mission Christmas devotional. I sang a song. It was a little messy. But the devotional was way good and I got to see Sister Hicken and Sister Tueller gave me a gift. It was really nice. Thursday night we taught Charnelle, who's on date for this Saturday, about the word of wisdom. She's pregnant so she's already living it and she has no problem with keeping it. I keep thinking that there's got to be some kind of catch because she is just so prepared and we found her by randomly knocking on her door! She'll be my first baptism that's come from tracting. Sometimes it works!

 

We helped the elders clean their apartment on Friday. They were moving and needed some serious deep cleaning in their old apartment. Boys are disgusting! They had 8 years of elders living in that apartment. There were so many marks all over the walls (including boogers.... yes, boogers), and cracks in the walls. I just don't know how they lived there. It actually made me grateful for our apartment. Even though we live in the ghetto and it wreaks of smoke. Also, the snow hit Friday. Our ward Christmas party was postponed. We helped Sister Miller and her husband take everything down and then they fed us Thai food.

 

Remember Floyd from all those months ago? We started teaching him again! I've been a lot more bold this past week. I'm just kind of sick of all the excuses people throw at us. For example the Springfield bishop doesn't want to do a 40 Day Fast in his ward because he personally doesn't believe in organized programs.... guess what i did? Told him how dad's been a bishop basically my whole life and how I know he is given the power to receive revelation for the ward. So I committed him to take it to the Lord and pray about it because then it will be coming from the Lord not anyone else. Sister Johnson will follow up. He shouldn't do the 40 Day Fast just because we as the missionaries ask for it but he shouldn't NOT do it just because he doesn't believe in programs. I thought he was going to fall over, but he said he would pray about it! Then Floyd told us that he doesn't want to miss the boat and he lets religious people in because "it could be Jesus". So I told him to look at my name tag and then I said "whether you believe it or not Floyd, the boat is here, we're bringing it". And he said "I know". I think we're actually going to make some progress here!

 

And it doesn't stop there! We met a lovely couple with a little 3 month old that are currently catholic but have a TON of questions about God and different religions and basically the plan of salvation. Things that we can answer! Holy cow this week has just been so great. It's kind of been like my first transfer here. We have just seen a lot of success. I hope President keeps Sister Loder and I together because we are going to tear it up here in Huber Heights.

 

I love this work and I love the Christmas season. We've been given the ultimate gifts. Heavenly Father gave us his son, and Christ gave us his life. What can we give in return? Bring souls back into the fold of God!

 

That's about it! The roads were a sheet of ice last night. Bring it on, winter.

 

Love you!

 

Sister Clark

Week #25

Hi mom!

 

Yeah I'm still here. Didn't Sister Miller tell you that? Same address. 

 

Well I'm training again. We got the call on Monday and President broke the news. Sister Hicken and I were so shocked! We thought for sure we both would be staying or at least I would be leaving. Nope. Sister Hicken is now in Columbus and I'm still here in Huber. This will be my 4th transfer here. So I got a new missionary on Tuesday. Her name is Sister Loder and she's just like me. Really. Not even kidding. She's my same height and we basically have the same personality. It's weird. It's like being on a mission with your twin. But I love it. She's really great and she just gets everything and isn't afraid to jump in on lessons and she gave the spiritual thought at a member's house last night. She's so awesome.

 

Did I tell you we haven't been allowed to tract for the past 2 weeks? Which is good because tracting is really crappy and ineffective but now Sister Loder and I are trying to come up with new ways to find people rather than knocking on their doors. I think we're going to start riding the bus. Should have some interesting stories from that one! Oh also on Tuesday we forgot to pick up Sister Loder's bedding at the transfer meeting so we had to drive alllll the way back to Columbus. And it was snowing!

 

Thanksgiving was great here. We had 3 places to go. We saw Matt and Jill. Some former investigators invited them to the Christmas Party this Friday. Then we had Thanksgiving dinner with the Millers, Gustafsons, Stewarts, Tophams, and some of their friends who are nonmembers - The people we raked leaves for a few weeks ago! It was a lot of fun and we gave them our number so they can call us if they ever need help with anything. Then we went to the Stoddard's and saw Ray and had pie. Friday we had dinner with the Dowlers. They are the nicest people. I got a new bag from them! For free! And we taught Jenna the first lesson and she asked for a Book of Mormon. Good thing we had two on hand, marked and everything. We did service for her the next day and she said she already read some passages and really liked it and that we can teach her the lessons! We're going to continue doing service and helping her clean her house and teach her the lessons. They're pretty active in their church but that doesn't worry us. I'm singing this week at the mission Christmas party and at the ward Christmas party. Yikes! I haven't really picked a song yet either....

 

Well that's pretty much my week. Nothing too exciting. We're just trying to find people to teach. It's been unusually warm these past couple of days. I wonder if snow is going to hit.

 

Love you lots!

Sister Clark