Week #9

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I didn't just have a birthday I
had a birth week! This week has been really awesome! We have been
really busy but have found time to celebrate! On Tuesday we went over
to this awesome members house and he barbecued for me and I think I
ate about 5 pounds of food that day.. It was a blessing and a curse.

That same day (Wednesday) half of the mission got to go to the temple!
The Los Angeles temple is the best temple!! It was really cool because
in the session you go into 5 different rooms. That was a first for me
but the entire building is so beautiful. After I had the opportunity
to have an interview with my mission president. He is a stud. We had a
really good conversation and it was really motivating for me to try to
be better everyday.

Later in the week we had an awesome lesson with this couple they
received our message so well and we are looking forward to going back
this week and teaching them some more!

Funny conversation we had this week. My companion and I were walking
around in Compton we stopped at an intersection so he could pick up
Pokemon cards he found on the ground. SMH. When this car pulled up to
the intersection and he said "Y'all play basketball?" I said "Yes I do
sir!" He responds "Y'all seen that video of two Mormons in the hood
and they schooled our brothers?" "yes we have sir!" The man gives out
a big laugh and speeds always. The people here are fantastic

We are starting to have a little more success now. I think it's
because we are exercising more faith. As a companionship we talked
about some areas where we could be doing a better job in and we are
trying to fix them! I know that if we show and exercise more faith in
the lord  then we will see the lords hand in our lives helping us with
tough times and our struggles. It's because he is a forever loving God
and he will always want us to become better people and he will always
be there to help us make those needed changes so that we can grow
closer to him! I know that to be true, I have seen it.

Peace and Blessings

Élder Clark

Week #8

Yes yes tomorrow is my birthday, so I'm expecting birthday wishes and
cards from my millions of followers on Instagram, Twitter, you know.
Jk jk,this super cool member said we can come over and we will have a
little birthday party for me! Told him It can only be an hour long
because thats all we have for dinner then we need to get back out onto
the streets😁

This week we got dropped by what we thought was a promising
investigator. One lesson she was so passionate and ready to take the
steps towards baptism. Then the next lesson she said she has to drop
us because she has to stay with her Catholic roots. I was super bummed
to hear all of this. It felt like she was breaking up with us and this
was only the third time we have ever met with her. It affected the
companionship and it was hard to finish out that day and the next day.
Luckily we both realized it and we made adjustments so that we could
finish out the week going hard.

On a better note I had the opportunity to be a witness at a 9 year old
baptism! That was super awesome and the spirit was there so strong.
That got me more motivated to go out and see if we can get our two
progressing investigators baptized!

So this week started out really just not good but then turned into a
pretty good week. We got in contact with some potential investigators
and we have return appointments! We are still trying to get Beci and
Luz to church keep praying for them that they can attend church!

Peace and Blessings

Elder Clark

Week #7

This week has been a good one! Second transfer with my boy elder
Jensen. I'm still in the same area. Blessed. So I'm glad I get to keep
building relationships with ward members and make new ones with new
investigators.

It is starting to cool off here. Thank heavens. But luckily we are
starting to teach a lot more, AND we have a baptismal date for this
awesome lady named Luz! I'm so pumped for her she is ready and I can
see that the gospel will bless her life immensely. That's what's going
on with investigators here, we have others and we are hoping they keep
progressing.

Ok, the plates of Compton might be the best kept secret not only in
the CLAM but in all missions around the world. Missionaries from like
3 years ago put together these plates made out of cardboard and wood
and only elders that has served in my area know about it. There are
funny stories that have happened in this area and I am just honored I
get to have a page that I can write some stories I have while serving
here. I'll send pictures of the plates home and I hope you all get to
see them!

Also! I have heard from like 10 different people that there are people
dressed up like clowns running around where I live people say it's
like the purge. They are run around and just do what ever they want
pretty much and schools have been in lockdown all week because these
clowns are targeting kids and schools. We have been warned if we see
someone dressed up like a clown to not approach them and talk to them.
It's a great time to be in Los Angeles right now.

I shared my testimony in sacrament meeting about the atonement on
Sunday in Spanish. I was scared and I did not want to go up, but while
I was up there waiting
 I asked Heavenly Father for the gift of tongues one more time. An
overwhelming peace came over me. I thought I did a good job while I
was up there. I realized if I want to learn the language I'm going to
have to start taking more leaps of faith like that if I want to become
fluent at Nish.

This week I have been thinking a lot about the word grit. What it
means and how can I have grit everyday. A lot of missionaries have
enthusiasm but not a lot have grit. This week I have been working
really hard no matter what happens no matter the disappointment I'm
just pushing through that day still giving it my all. That's what I
think a successful missionary is, no matter the outcome or other
people's choices you give it everything you have everyday and then the
lord will bless you for your efforts. I hope I can have grit
throughout my whole mission and for the rest of my life.

Love you all! have an awesome week

Peace and Blessings

Elder Clark

Week #6

KILL JUNG UNGH
This week has been really really hot.. Close to 100 everyday but hey
that won't stop us and  we are still taking it to the streets
everyday.

Thursday I went on splits with Elder Park. He is from South Korea. He
is a character and the man. We walked by a tae kwon do place and he
tells me how he use to do it back in Korea and then for the rest of
the day he would kick every pedestrian crossing button we came to.
Then during daily planning that night I made the mistake of asking him
what he thought about Kim Jung Uhng (I thinks that how you spell it,
that's what he told me) he stopped what he was doing immediately and
screamed "Kill Jung Uhng !!" Then he went on and on about how Kim Jung
Uhng needs a hole in his head and what not. I was on the floor dying
because I was laughing so hard. He also told me South Korea is having
a draft right now so he has to serve in the army when he gets back. He
said thought he is going to cut off is index and middle finger so he
can't get drafted because he thinks it's all a big waste of time.
Thursday was a day to remember.

I hope you all get to see the pictures I send home every week. This
week We found Two things this week that my companion and I found that
were new. There is this alley that we walk through quite often and one
night when we were walking back to the car there was a new graffiti
sign that wasn't there the day before "black lives matter" I had to
get a picture with that! The other being when we were in Compton we
stop by this stop sign for shade because it is under a tree my
companion looks up and says "hey that's new" I look up and what do I
see? I nice new bullet hole right through the stop sign. Man I love it
here.

Conference was OFF THE CHAIN. It was so good I took really good notes
and all of the talks will help me become a better missionary! If
anyone would like my notes I took I can send them to you! We also got
transfer Sunday night and I'm staying with Elder Jensen! And now he is
our district leader! We are going to have our hands full for this
transfer but with the lords help we can do it! And I'm so grateful I
get to serve in this area again!

Wednesday was awesome, we were in Compton and it was really hot and we
were getting ready to go get our car to go get some water. I had this
thought come to me that was like "hey lets go see if the Oliva family"
they are a less active family and we have tried to come by their house
several different times during the day and we have had no luck at all
their gate is always locked at the end of their driveway. My companion
looked at me and was like "it's hot, lets go get a drink and drive
back over here" I replied "yeah that's a good idea lets just do that"
as I turned around and took a few steps towards the way of the car I
just got the same feeling, so I turned around and said "nope lets go
we are going to their house right now it's only a few streets over.
THE GATE WAS UNLOCKED AND THEY WERE INSIDE! I said a quick prayer in
my heart thanking Heavenly Father for the urge to go to their house
and that they were home. The dad answered the door and we kinda got to
know him and his 3 girls, as we were talking i was paying real close
attention to what he was saying and his needs were and then just a
single thought came into my head for a split second and that was "show
him the 3rd pattern of lights video with David A. Bednar" so I said
"hey I have something to show you" and I gave him my iPad to watch
this video. After it was done he looked at us and started crying. He
said "I prayed last night for the first time in 6 months asking
Heavenly Father what I should do where should I go" there was a huge
pause in the room because he was choking on his tears. He then looks
at both of us and he said "Heavenly Father answered that prayer by
sending you two to my door today." I instantly felt the spirit so
strong right as he said those words, I just about started to cry which
I don't plan on doing on my mission. We'll see. But this was the
coolest experience I've had since I have been out here. I said like 15
prayers to Heavenly Father the rest of the day thanking him for those
prompting and for this opportunity I had to meet with Carlos, and I
know he was doing the same. This experience built my testimony up so
much stronger about the Holy Ghost and how important it is to act on
these promptings. Bringing people unto Christ or helping me get back
on the path to Christ can only be done through the Holy Ghost. I am so
grateful for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost I have with
me everyday

Hope everyone has an awesome week!

Peace and Blessings

Elder Clark

Week #5

Churches Chicken Is Inspired
This week has gone by so fast! And this week we have been teaching
more and I am feeling more comfortable sharing and participating in
lessons. Which is a huge blessing

Tuesday we got woken up to a 3.1 earthquake! They happened every two
hours nothing big just moved the floor a little! And this continued
all throughout the morning and our studies it was cool but scary at
the same time! Haha

Friday night the ward I cover (Hermosa Liahona) had a multi cultural
party! There was a mariachi band and different booths set up from
different Latino countries like Peru, El Salvador, Mexico etc... Each
booth had food from that country and there was just a ton of food in
general... All of it was awful I tried everything but it was all
nasty. So I came home and had a bowl of cereal. Blessed. But this
party was a huge success because there was a lot of recent converts
less-actives and investigators there. It was huge for us to go up and
talk to them or just for them to mingle with ward members. It was a
fun night and Latinos know how to party and have a good time and I
will leave it at that...

People have some pretty weird things in their front yards like Easter
island heads  we have seen a goat or a little boy going to the
bathroom but my favorite were this signs that had some explicit
wording on it they were so funny I had to take a pic I couldn't decide
the subject name for this week because these signs were so funny! To
say the least "tenemos una salvaje aquí" (we have a savage here)

Saturday we had an appointment to go up to the visitor center at the
temple in Santa Monica but the family that we were going to take up to
it got In a huge fight and backed out at the last minute... We were
both pretty bummed because we were both so excited for them because we
know this visit could really help them grow closer to God. Since we
both felt really bad my companion said lets go to Church's Chicken,
because that's all I have been talking about it since I've been here
because it was mentioned in a rap song (Jon Little should know which
song I'm talking about). So we went to Church's Chicken for dinner and
a little bit of a pick us up. While we were eating some lady came up
and started to talk to us and she wants us to come and talk with her
friend that we found out is a less-active member! So we got a member
referral from a non-member and we are hoping to go and visit with this
lady this week! After our dinner we were feeling pretty good and we
went and had a stellar lesson with a man named Edwin! He is a new
investigator and this was our first lesson with him. He speaks both
English and Spanish so this is good practice for me to get better at
my Spanish because we asked him to correct us whenever we say
something wrong.

My favorite thing on the Mish is when people from across the street or
from anywhere yell "Hey Elders!" Because we get avoided a lot as
missionaries and we get a lot of people that don't want to talk to us.
So it's nice when people on the street acknowledge you or give you a
honk driving down the street. I really enjoy it and it brings me a lot
of happiness. So I challenge you guys when you see a set of
missionaries honk or say "Hey Elders!" because I know they will love
it!

My companion and I are going hard everyday trying to reach out to
uncontested referrals and we get tired a lot but then I just say "well
sitting here won't do us no good no how" who can name the movie? (I
know my dad and my uncle Mike can)  but missionary work is tough and
it's exhausting. But it is worth it  at moments it's hard and I just
want to go take a nap. But at the end of the day when I look back at
the day I think about the conversations I had with people or the
lessons I taught and I wouldn't have had those experiences if we just
stayed in our apartment and slept. But this is the greatest experience
I have had in my life I am learning so much about this gospel and
myself and I am so grateful for this experience I have. This gospel is
so important to me now and I am so grateful to be apart of this church
and for the opportunity I have to be apart of this church

Peace and Blessings

Elder Clark