Week #39

A kid in the Wiltshire ward gave me a Fidget spinner

This week has been just a busy mess! I love it! Being zone leader is so incredibly busy! You are always going a million miles an hour and I love it! Don't worry we actually got to do some fun things this week in my new area too! We have had meetings, given blessings and helped other missionaries with so many different things! That's what I have liked everyday has been so different, it's been super fun!

Monday night I said good by to all of LA 4th ward it was super sad:( I didn't want to leave :( my companion told me I was going to leave to be zone leader and everyone started to bow down. Ugh. 

on Tuesday I got to the zone leaders area then went to a new leadership training. As we are standing there Getty ready for the meeting president Haynie walks up to me and elder Reynolds and says "elder Clark you have 6 weeks to transfer everything from this brain *points to elder Reynolds noggin* to this brain *points to mine*. He smiled shook our hands and walked away.... I soiled my shorts. 

Something fun and cool happened this week! In our ward there is this less active lady with 3 kids and they are all into acting, apparently one of them has been on parks and rec. we just call them the Disney kids, but one day we were over there helping them with their car and she asked if we could come help out at a CD release party for her friends son. We said heck yes we would love to! So that night we went. It was insane. Polys everywhere so every 5 seconds we got HEY ELDERS. We got there and they said oh we don't need your help but go inside and eat! So we went inside.. it looked like celebrity club for like kids😂😂 I am not joking when I say these kids parents dropped them off. The food was fantastic tho. Plus we got to talk to two polys who are getting ready to go on their missions soon so they asked a lot of questions about it. Then we had to get pics on the red carpet too 

But this week has been so much fun! We have done a lot! We have given two priesthood blessings 1 to a lady in the hospital and 1 to a missionary! We have had a total of 3 hours in our area, but I know that the lord is going to bless our efforts in our area! He did yesterday when some random lady showed up and said I want to learn more about your church! Boom there is a direct blessing from God. 

So we live behind member in an apartment, this family has a son named Jonny he is getting ready to go on his mission (hopefully his call should be here this week) but every night when we get he he comes and hangs with us and we have so much fun! He is the biggest bro and it's just a good time! 

Love you all! Have a good week!

1 barrio cuarto:( 

2 la familia Perez we eat with them every Sunday they are awesome

3 tom cruise and our mission dad!

4 tom cruise and our mission parents!

5 peace out to Spanish 

6 red carpet mayne 

7 us with our less active on the carpet!

8 so she was on the voice I guess. She sang and it sounds like a 23 year old. When we were sitting there talking to her found out she was 14..

Peace&Blessings

ZONE LEADER

9 June 2017

Dear Brother and Sister Clark,

Elder J Talmage Clark has been called as a Zone Leader in the California Los Angeles Mission. This assignment has come in recognition of his dedication and commitment to the Lord and to missionary service.  This appointment is in partial recognition of his leadership qualities and skills already demonstrated.

Elder Clark will supervise and direct the activities of between 18-24 Missionaries in his Zone.  He will also serve as a representative of the Mission President to the stakes in which his zone is located.  I am confident that he will continue to be a worthy example to all missionaries in the zone as well as a dedicated leader.

Sister Haynie joins me in expressing appreciation for your fine son.  We know that your training, love, and encouragement have contributed to his success as a missionary for the Lord, Jesus Christ. Please accept our appreciation for the privilege of having Elder Clark in the California Los Angeles Mission.

Sincerely yours,

Robert M Haynie
President
California Los Angeles Mission

cc:
Stake President
Bishop
Elder J Talmage Clark

Week #38

This week has been a pretty hard one.. but it was still full of fun and miracles! We didn't have a whole lot of time in our area so we haven't really been able to find new people or even just get out and talk to people. 

Last p day there is a a member of the Hollywood ward that does those star line things so he let us and the Russian missionaries go on the tour for free!! Apparently it  is 60 bucks a person, so personally I think it is the biggest scam because pretty much all you do is pay 60 bucks to stare are celebrities fences.. luckily we didn't have to pay a nickel! We got to see Kay perrys house, Eddie Murpheys, Bruno mars and more! That was fun and I have pics! Pretty sure we left the mission for a little. Oops. 

Tuesday was ZLC and we pretty much talked about why all of the numbers for the zone are down, and why so many companionships are having problems with not working and so forth. We pretty much came to the conclusion that as a leadership we need to show our love more for our missionaries! Get them motivated and show that we care about them! One of those missionaries that needs some motivation is my companion.. it's been a hard week for him. He told me Tuesday that he just wants to go home:( I said heck no you don't his is the best out here the lord and I need you out here!!! I bought him some churches chicken and he seemed to do a lot better afterwards:) 

Wednesday we were in a trio for most of the day with elder Lopez! The little guy is the best! We talked mostly in Spanish. It was the same thing for my companion:) just kinda down and depressed:( I can't keep buying him churches chicken!! I finna go broke if that's the case! 

Thursday was our last district meeting of the transfer. It was good! I love my district they are the best! After we had a cereal party!! I brought all of the cereal we had because we have slowly been getting more and more cereal on top of our fridge, mostly because ants the first isle we go to at food 4 less. It was a good way to bond as a district! 

After district meeting we were walking around knocking on doors when all of the sudden we go to leave an apartment and the door was locked on both sides.. so we went to the next door same thing! We tried 4 doors and same answer. We were locked in the fool apartment complex!! We were in there for like 10 mins until I finally said I don't care I'm gonna hope the fence into someone else's yard and use their gate! As I am getting ready to do it a thought comes into my head. Pray. So we prayed and asked Heavenly Father to let us get out of this complex. After we close the prayer elder Lawton walks up and boom door opens right up. THE POWER OF PRAYER IS REAL! 

No funny stories or convos this week:( it's been a toughie 

This week I have been reading in Alma, specifically Alma 36 and I'll give you the passage:

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

Alma is describing to his sone Helaman what happened when an angel of the lord appeared unto him I love it about how just horrible he felt his souls was racked with torment,  but then he remembered something his father told him about the coming of Jesus Christ. Then he couldn't remember his sins anymore! And his pain and fear turned into joy! that's really what Christ does, brings us joy! I live this gospel, I love Jesus Christ it is only through him can we find everlasting joy and peace in this life! 

Got transfer calls last night I am going to the English program:( #laidiomadeDios

Also one last thing! My trainer became AP this week. Everyone thought it would be Elder Holyoak, Elder Holyoak if you're reading this I think you're a nerd. 

Have a good week! Share the gospel with someone! 

Pics 

1. The Mish, plus the Hollywood bowl
2. Bruno Mars house 
3. I guess they filmed a scene from The Godfather here.. all I remember was the house was like 203 mill 
4. Gwen Stefani's house
5. Universal studios
6. Beverly Hills hotel or hotel California 
7. The lady from Star Wars that just died tbh her house was ugly and old, her gate speakers for the rest of the house. 
8. Michael Jacksons house! Well gate.. 
9. my favorite. The house of Kanye West 
10. 2 mill Bugatti on rodeo dr. 
11. The district! 

• Me 
• Elder Reynolds, from Virginia, and our zone leader
• Elder Lawton, from Kansas, my Comp, tom cruise look alike 
• Elder Jung, from Seoul South Korea, our other zone leader, we joke he is from Pyongyang North Korea 
• Sister Call, from the Mormon colonies in Mexico, she knows Parker Robinson and Preston Moyle, she is just the nicest 
• Sister Rosenlund, from Nebraska, one of our STL's 
• Sister Harris, from New Jersey, nicest lil misionera 
• Elder Lopez, from kaysville utah but grew in Tijuana Mexico, got the whole zone to rap "grandma use to call me Mickey Mouse but I'm the rat" to him because someone called him a shifty lil rat one time 
• Elder Fierro, from Oaxaca Mexico, has the funniest laugh in the mish 
• Sister Jones,from Alaska, just got here don't know much about here besides she is jacked to be a missionary 
• Sister Jimenez, from New Jersey, but grew up in the Dominican Republic, she's brand new as well, she is a very good teacher tho
• Sister Meyer, from Hawaii, goes home tomorrow, RIP☠️

Peace&Blessings

Week #37

This week went by super fast! Not a lot happened. I felt like we hardly had anytime in our area this week. So kinda bummed the work didn't really progress that much this week:( 

On Monday my companion got a call from our mission president telling him some bad news from home. So he asked for a blessing from president so when p day ended we went to the mission office and president Haynie and I gave my companion a blessing of comfort. Man that was a very cool experience, I love president Haynies testimonies  that blessing so so powerful yet so simple. He is the man. 

It was kind of a big blow to my companion, he is already having a hard time with Spanish and confidence and this just took a shot to him:( so it's been pretty hard to keep him motivated to go work and talk to people. I guess this week has been more of a comfort my companion week! That's alright because I need him bad!

As of now we are really trying to work through the members and have their friends and non member family talk to us. Because street contacting isn't all that effective. One day we were walking in a neighborhood and some guy building an apartment complex stopped us and said the guy who lives in a trailer at the site wants to talk to us! Turns out the guy working at the site is a member from San Pedro! He gave us the dudes number so that was a great blessing and miracle! We finna call him! 

A funny convo we had was with a couple of dudes that are street performers from Venice beach.. they first said scientologist? Nope. Mormons? Yep. Then they went off on how they love the church and how much fun we have as a church camping, picnics, ward get togethers. Then they said plus you have that choir full of bada**es we said oh yeah the Mormon tabernacle choir! Yeah they are great! 

Second one we were walking back to our car from dinner and this one guy from across the street yelled scientologist? No, mormons! I love Mormons! I dated a Mormon girl in high school and she was feisty! Then walk into his apartment complex.

Our mission presidents wife challenged us as missionaries to memorize all the articles of faith. So this week I have been pondering on why we have them. I think they are the most powerful thing to use or say when someone asks what do mormons believe in? They are so simple yet powerful. It's what we truly believe in. My challenge for you all is to learn the articles of faith all 13 of them! I can promise you, you will grow your testimony and have a better understanding of what we as Latter-day Saints believe in! 

Love you all! Have a great week! 

Only pic from this week:( sorry 

But at Kobe's house preparing for his baptism! 

Peace&Blessings