Is it already October?

Hola,

Where to start is always the question. So much happens each day, but then the week flies by and you feel you have accomplished nothing. We have had many miracles this week and many hard times. I just keep remembering that if I keep pushing forward in all things, all will turn out to be okay.

Spanish is, by far, the biggest obstacle that I need to overcome and it’s a long, slow, hard process. But I think I am starting to understand people a little more! I am practicing a lot, especially in my sleep! Two times already I have been talking in my sleep in Spanish either street contacting a person, or giving a lesson. I say something like Somos Misioneros de la Iglesia de Jesucristo.....and one night my comp let me go on for like five minutes and then just had to wake me up-haha good times! Next time he is going to record it. I guess missionary work and Spanish are just on my mind!

I am starting to get a lot more comfortable being in my role as a missionary. I have embraced it! It’s not weird now to be dressed up at the store or riding bikes. I actually enjoy the looks and comments we get and I talk to everyone! My Mission President said: "the Gospel is never inconvenient."  I love that and I have been trying to keep that in my mind.

I had my first Zone Training Meeting on Thursday and that was super, super good! We learned a lot of amazing things.  Its crazy the insight that can come from such young people. It is truly uplifting! I felt the spirit super strong for the rest of the day. On Friday, all the new missionaries got to go to the temple! It was an amazing day and I got to see a lot of my old friends from the MTC. When we walked out of the temple doors there was a wedding party with their cameras in hand waiting for the bride and groom to walk out. We all started laughing because we were definitely not who they were expecting to come out!

I was on exchanges that day and later that night an Elder in our Rama (branch) who is about to leave on his mission was biking with my comp and he fell and dislocated his shoulder. Man, do I know how that feels! He is all good now and still wants to serve a mission - so that’s good.

We talk to tons of people and lots of people reject us and say things to us and it’s awesome. People crack me up! This one guy we were talking was a Baptist priest and I asked him if we could give him a picture of Jesus Christ. He said sure and when he took it he was like "how do you know this is Jesus Christ? Have you seen what he looks like?” We told him it was just an artist representation, but I guess he only believes in the Jesus Christ he grew up with. Another guy told us he prays for us that we will recognize the fault in our ways-that was interesting. But the hardest so far are the people who say that they already have Christ in their life and they don’t need anymore. It’s hard, in a very short period of time, to get people to understand we have more for them and they can use what they already have and became even better. I know I will get better at doing that!

We have one really awesome investigator. His name is D and he loves to talk. He has great insights and at times I feel like he is teaching me. That is what the Spirit does; it teaches every one present. He talked about the power of a person’s name and I loved that. It makes it even more meaningful to know that our Heavenly Father knows each of us by name. D works on Sundays and that has been our biggest issue, but I reviewed with him what he needs to do to be baptized and he wants to be so badly! So he is going to try and work a later shift so he can come to church. I pray that it will work out. He bore his testimony with us and it was amazing and he said he always feel such peace after our visits. I am really hopeful for him.

We meet some amazing people! The members of our Rama (branch) are great people. I love this culture I am in. They are just some of the nicest people and God puts them in our path! We find people that are just ready for the gospel and I hope I can do all I can to help them!

Have a great week! I am back to work!!

Elder Clark