Origami Master

Hey everyone!

It has been a while since I have had a chance to write a letter!

Things as an assistant are far different then I could have ever expected. It is a very hard assignment in some ways. But I am learning a lot and I have a lot more to learn. One of the biggest things I am learning is trying to stay up on the basics even with all my extra responsibilities. I can truly see a difference when we have a good study in the morning and I get some personal time to read from the scriptures and words of prophets, as well as when we just have a normal day to proselyte. Not sure how normal this week will be; we meet with the president a lot to talk about transfers and then next week we are swamped doing the transfers!

This last week our investigator, Corey was baptized. He has a mental handicap and he is awesome. He even taught origami at FHE last night. He says he is the origami master and so some people nick named his origami, corigami! He liked that a lot haha! He is doing well! For the last week he has brought his tarantula to our lessons, and he always wants us to hold him! Ha I guess I am slowly overcoming my fear of spiders!

This Friday, Hayley is getting baptized! She has come a long way and it's incredible to see the change the gospel can bring on people. I already shared part of her story in my last email, but it's been so cool. She has had a member of the church as her best friend and that is a major reason why she is changing. That is why being a member missionary is so important, they can do things we never could do. Like those two are always together and so it has really helped her out. She posted on Facebook and Instagram to all her friends about her conversion and baptism. And many of her friends have hostile views to some stand points of the church and Hayley herself, only months before, held the same views. But what changed for her was personal study, prayer, and a good friend. She read all of the gospel principles book and lots of the Book of Mormon. We would give her homework assignments out of the back of the pamphlets and she would basically write a dissertation on it and bring in her own referenced scriptures. She would always go above and beyond and always surprise us! I am so grateful I was able to see this miracle. I know without a shadow of a doubt that it was all the power of God! It was really cool because my comp and I did absolutely nothing. For example, we did a magic trick just so we could do something that would blow her mind and she wouldn't already know the answer too! Ha

And so in these last three transfers I have of my mission, I have so much left to do. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to serve; I have grown so much. I still have doubts and wonders and struggles, but I know this gospel is true. I serve the people of Las Vegas because I know I am serving God. I know that I love God by the effort I have put into my mission. No one would work this hard for two years and not know it’s true! I know it is. The Book of Mormon stands against the rising new generation as a testament of Jesus Christ and of the restoration of the gospel and of the prophet Joseph smith. We have the fullness of the gospel! If you have doubts, doubt them as Elder Uchtdorf would say. But if you have questions its ok, just press forward and keep the commandments and one day your question will be answered. If you don't know if you should serve a mission and are contemplating it I would recommend you do! Especially if you are a male! It's a priesthood duty but even more then that it will define you and your love for God for the rest of your life. The way you serve God and serve a mission is a reflection of how the rest of your life will be!

Elder Clark