Week #30

This week was my first week in my new area! I am coving Hollywood! So the Griffith observatory, walk of fame, Hollywood sign is all in my new area! Oh plus you can see the Scientology HQ from our apartment WOOHOO. Hollywood is very different than Hawthorne. People here are very very weird. Plus there are cannabis dispensaries everywhere. Plus I am starting to dream in rainbow.... the members here are amazing! And we were able to find 8 new investigators this week! A lot of people are prepared for the restored gospel here! This week has been very very enjoyable!

My new companion is Elder Thomson no P. He is from Virginia! He is very funny and he speaks Spanish really well. He has this little giggle that cracks me up. What a man. We work really well together and he makes the work a lot of fun!

Also I am district leader now so my first week as being a DL was cool! I am over 2 companionships of sisters and one set of elders. The two sisters work at the VC so we have to do district meeting on Thursday... I found that out Wednesday night at 10 o'clock luckily I prepared somewhat of a good training that I was able to give to them a somewhat decent training about inviting people simply and with love to be baptized.

There are a lot of Armenians here in Hollywood they usually don't even look at us but a family of Armenians were out grilling and we talked to them they ended up giving us meat with pita bread! It was so good! And they didn't want to hear our message! Still a blessing because they meat was off the hizzle 

Yesterday we did an iPad fast. I have so much respect for the missionaries who use paper everyday. It was difficult! But we were able to talk and have a super spiritual lesson that probs wouldn't have happened! We saw some cool miracles for this fast and we are doing it next Sunday! Reminds of if home and every Sunday not having my phone! It was relaxing but hard. It was a great growing experience 

 We were also able to set a baptismal date to week with our investigator Lorena! When we extended it she was so happy and excited! That got me thinking, it's so cool that we as missionaries invite people to change for the better! How great is that! Inviting people be washed clean of their sins and start a new life. If someone offered me that I would take it and not them finish the sentence. This church is true, we have evidence of it and it's called the Book of Mormon. Love this gospel and for this wonderful opportunity I have to make myself better.

Peace&Blessings 

District Leader 3/17

22 March 2017

Ryan and Melanie Clark 
8535 W. Rioja St.
Star, ID 83669
USA

Brother and Sister Clark,

Elder J Talmage Clark has been called to be a District Leader in California Los Angeles Mission.  This assignment has come to him because he has exhibited high qualities of leadership, demonstrated his obedience, and gained the trust of his fellow missionaries.  In this leadership position, he will be an example of conduct, appearance, and performance to his fellow missionaries.

As a District Leader Elder J Talmage Clark will supervise the activities of between 4 to 8 Missionaries in his district.  His responsibilities will include demonstrating and teaching missionary skills and attributes to each member of his district.  One of his most important responsibilities will be to interview candidates for baptism to determine their worthiness for this most significant ordinance.

Sister Haynie joins me in extending to you our sincere appreciation for your fine son.  We realize that your example, training and love have contributed in large measure to his success as a missionary.

Sincerely yours,

Robert M Haynie, President
California Los Angeles Mission

CC: Stake President 
BishopElder J Talmage ClarkDistrict Leader

Week #29

This week was super good!! Not a lot happened but we did see a lot more success in our area!

On Wednesday I went on exchanges with our zone leaders I went with Elder Wurtzbacher. He is an awesome missionary and he helped me out because I have been struggling with street contacting. He just told me to be myself. He said elder Clark, act like elder Clark. That got me thinking I am kinda robotic in conversations sometimes and I just say the same thing as if it's a script. So since Wednesday I have been more like myself. Cracking jokes and being super loose and excited to share the message! That's where the success has come from! People, especially here open up a lot more! 

I was able to finish the Book of Mormon this past week and let me just say. It's true. All of it. Cover to cover. I prayed for reassurance that it was and I just felt a little more peace within me. Love God and I am glad he is always watching out for me. 

But that wasn't the highlight of my week!! Saturday I was pretty discouraged because that day all of our lessons fell through so I felt like a big trash can like Ryan Pecararo called me in Sports Med class. So I got down on my knees and asked Heavenly Father for just a bit of success anything will do. When we continued working we found Katherine and Nick. Both English but we just offered to help them with cleaning up their yard sale. They said sure and wee ended up sharing the restoration and giving them two copies of the Book of Mormon. They fell in love with us! They love us and we went back over in Sunday and we told them we revive transfer calls tonight and Katherine just a bout balled. So cool how close we have grown to them in just two occasions. 

Speaking of transfers I am going to downtown LA/Hollywood! I am going to serve in LA 4th ward!! With Elder Thompson! I am super excited! Guess y'all will find out what's going next Monday! I will probs have a bunch of good stories for you all!! 

Peace&Blessings 

Élder J Talmage Clark

Week#28

This week was good! We saw a lot of really cool miracles and now we have a couple of new investigators! This week was better with my companion too! I just focused on loving him and that helped me out a ton! 

Plus this week we had another mini missionary and he actually stayed the weekend with us! His name is Bon, he moved to the states 5 years ago. So every time he prayed it was in Tagalog! Really cool. 

Funny convo we had with Bon,While we were with him there was some Tongans playing basketball in the street and as one started to leave one of them said loudly "hey be safe my N$&&@" then he turns right around and looks at us and goes "hey elders!" Then Bon says to us "man never thought I would hear the N and Elder used so closely together." I started laughing out loud on the street great kid and he is going to be a great missionary this summer!

Before we picked up Bon we had Zone conference. It was awesome and so spiritual,y uplifting. I have been dealing with a lot of crap this transfer so it was nice to relax and just kinda spiritually recharge. Plus I love hearing testimonies especially president Haynies. He is a G. 

One of the miracles we saw this week was we finally got into contact with Jonathan's mom!! She wants to meet us before she lets her son be baptized. So we said a prayer right before we went up because we were super scared to talk to her because we did not want to screw it up. God immediately answered our prayers. We had such a great conversation and ultimately got what we wanted! She is going to sit down with us and listen to our lesson so hopefully she can feel what Jonathan already knows to be true!

Also so I had to prepare a talk for zone conference. It was super cool  and I want to share it with y'all. It is pretty long so read it if you will. It is pretty cool how baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and the sacrament. 

Always retain a remission of your sins 

• "Ordinances constitute authorized channels through which the blessings and powers of heaven can flow into our individual lives". One of those blessings we enable is a remission of our sins 
• Our first ordinance is baptism, which leading up to being baptized our investigators need to have faith and sincere repentance. 
• Then when we are baptized it is an initial cleansing of our souls from sin
• The baptismal covenant includes three fundamental commitments: (1) to be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, (2) to always remember Him, and (3) to keep His commandments. The promised blessing for honoring this covenant is “that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us].” Thus, baptism is the essential preparation to receive the authorized opportunity for the constant companionship of the third member of the Godhead.
• The Holy Ghost is a teacher, comforter, revalator and a sanctifier. 
• In Alma 13:12 reads  Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.
• Another quote I liked from the talk says regarding the Holy Ghost is As members of the Lord’s restored Church, we are blessed both by our initial cleansing from sin associated with baptism and by the potential for an ongoing cleansing from sin made possible through the companionship and power of the Holy Ghost
• In preach my gospel under the section titled baptism and confirmation on page 9 it reads Baptizing and confirming the people you teach is central to your purpose. Baptism is for the remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost brings a host of blessings to those who live worthy of it
• A way that we teach that our investigators can have the Holy Ghost more abundantly in their lives is by the constant partaking of the sacrament on a weekly basis and renewing the covenant of baptism.
• Another quote from  Elder bednar says The ordinance of the sacrament is a holy and repeated invitation to repent sincerely and to be renewed spiritually. The act of partaking of the sacrament, in and of itself, does not remit sins. But as we prepare and participate in this holy ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then the promise is that we may always have the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. And by the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we can always retain a remission of our sins.
• In this talk I loved how it first used the word obtain. I have had to repent many time of many different things. Once as a obtained a remission of my sins overwhelming peace and love from my savior fill my body. I want this joy always with me, thats why I always want to retain a remission of my sins. To have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost with me that is only enabled after baptism.  Then to renew it and make it stronger every week by participating in the sacrament. I know and I can promise that our investigators can feel this exact same way if we teach them repentance first, help them first obtain then they will have a strong desire to do these ordinance, and make these covenants that only bring joy and happiness. In the name of Jesus Christ amen. 

Peace&Blessings