JOY IN THE WORK

What an amazing and eventful week. I went on exchanges with our district leader, Elder Paige, who's down in Green River. It was probably the best exchanges I've been on yet in my mission. We did so much great and productive missionary work that just uplifted me and motivated me to work more and more. I learned so much from Elder Paige. It's not fair, it seems like missionary work just comes so easily to him. Maybe that's what happens when you've been out 22 months... ha ha. We did lots of service. We also went fishing early, early one morning with an investigator and caught Salmon, Mac Trout, and Rainbow Trout. We got skunked on Bass. We filleted it all and then took it to the only restaurant in town, which is Mormon owned and feeds us for free. They cooked (grilled) up our Salmon and Trout for us, and it was delicious. The investigator that went with us loves us too. Everyone in Manilla loves the missionaries. We had so much fun. We even got to stay with a part-member family. They let us sleep in their cabin. They own over a hundred acres with cattle and over 20 horses. The cabin was up on the mountain a little bit and got a good view of the small town. We endured it.... ;) Anyways, with me going with Paige, Elder Bass and Williams(Elder Paige's companion) maintained our area and did so much good work. They are both in their first transfer, so we put a lot of faith in them that they could do it. I feel like I came back and Elder Bass was a new missionary. They found a new investigator, took care of Justin's baptismal interview, and did a bunch of meaningful service. I was proud as a trainer to see them grow so much. Hopefully we'll be able to do something like that again. We had a wonderful baptism on Saturday and confirmation on Sunday for Justin. I feel that Justin and I have become great friends in this Gospel. The ward has been sublime in their fellowship and support of him. Our other investigators are progressing really well. We had 5 investigators at church on Sunday;

That's the most I've had yet. Elder Bass and I also taught Gospel Principles. We had no idea we were teaching it until we got to the class. It was on the Holy Ghost, and I think it was the best lesson I've taught. The Spirit was definitely there. We had 3 investigators there, a few less-actives, and like 15 members in the class. It was crazy. We had a ward party Sunday night that was a Happy Everything party. It was.... unique.... Ha ha. Somehow I ended up playing the ukulele for a song while one of the young men in the ward sang. It was legit. So this week I've really tried to focus my studies on the trials of Alma and his people, and how much Amulon persecuted them. I LOVE how in Mosiah 24:15 it talks about how the Lord strengthened his people according to their faithfulness. He didn't just take their trials away, but he STRENGTHENED them so that they could handle their trials on their own and actually learn something from them. I love that. I know as a missionary I can be strengthened by the Lord as well, and I'm beginning to realize that it's necessary to receive that strength in order to be successful. We, as always, have a lot of people that we're teaching and visiting that have their own set of difficult trials. I want to be able to help them receive that strength from the Lord just like Alma and his people. Family and friends, I love this work. It's becoming who I am, and I'm beginning to see the Lord work in me in ways I didn't know were possible. Anyways!! We have a mission trek tomorrow in Evanston, WY. The whole mission is getting together and doing a full day trek of pulling handcarts. It'll be a fun experience, and yes Mom there should be tons of pictures from it. We're going to have a testimony meeting that night with just the Wyoming and Park City zones, since the Salt Lake zones have to drive back. We also just found out that we have another mission conference coming up in August. Elder Don Clarke will be visiting us and educating us on his spiritual ways. So that should be an amazing experience as well. I love and miss you as always. I thank Heavenly Father every morning and night in my prayers for how great of a support I have back home from my friends and family. And of course, I receive the most strength and support from Taylor Lindsey. I love and miss you and Ralphie the most. :)

Love, Elder Clark

WHAT A DIFFERENCE SIX MONTHS MAKES

Hello everyone!! It's been another great week out here in good ole Rock Springs, WY. We volunteered at the county fairgrounds 3 different days this week for the upcoming National High School Rodeo Tournament. It's been so much fun. We've gotten to meet people from all over the country; 42 states are represented. Canada and Australia participate as well. Our job has been checking in and then guiding people's trailers back to their camp spot. There are over 1200 trailers coming in for this thing. The tournament started yesterday, and we're going tonight with a group of missionaries and one of our investigators, Justin. We've been meeting with Justin a lot this week, and he's been making huge progress. He's been at church the last 3 Sundays in a row, and he's getting baptized this Saturday!!!! We're really excited for him, and the ward has been really supportive and good at fellow shipping him. After the rodeo tonight, we're going on exchanges with the Elders in Green River. I'm so excited!! Elder Paige and I are going to be going to Manilla, UT for 3 days. He says there's so much work down there, and the people are amazing. I seriously can't wait to go down there. It's a tiny ranching town of about 500. Anyways, Elder Bass and I have been doing work here in Rock Springs, WY. We now have 4 people on date to be baptized, and a couple others that have shown a lot of progress lately. We have a few ward parties coming up and we're hoping to invite as many people as possible to that. We've going out on splits with the priests of our ward a lot lately, and it's really weird to think that was me just 6 months ago... It feels like that was such a long time ago. I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well back home. I miss you all and keep you all in my prayers. I know the Lord promises to take care of my friends and family back home because I can't be there right now, but that means that I have to put everything into what I'm doing here so that promise is kept. I hope everyone is doing all that they can to progress this work. The time is now. The Lord is hastening the work whether we like it or not. We all have to be doing our part to bring to pass the salvation and eternal life of others. My love and prayers are especially with Taylor Lindsey and Ralphie. 

Love,  Elder Clark

COMMUNITY WORK

What a great week we've had in Little Rock Springs, WY. We've found several new investigators this week to start teaching, and we have 3 people on date to be baptized with several others who are really close. We still have Heather on date for next month, and we have an eternigator and his wife on date for August as well. It's going to be really hard for it to actually happen though. He struggles with Joseph Smith and tithing. One of our investigators is getting married today, so hopefully that will help her along her way. We had a miracle this week!! A girl that just moved here a week ago called us and wanted to get baptized. Her boyfriend is about to go on a mission and was teaching her all of the lessons before she moved here. So we went over and taught her the first 2 lessons because she already knew them and it was more of a review then a learning experience. She bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith to us right then and there. We put her on date to be baptized on July 12th, which is her birthday, and her boyfriend is coming up here that weekend to baptize her. (Super legit). She's going to be an awesome member. Hopefully she goes on a mission at some point. We spent our 4th of July at a community firework event that was held at the local golf course. We just walked around and talked to people, trying to get to know as many people as possible. I participated in a pie eating contest, in which I came in 2nd. I figured, publicity is publicity, right? We've studied knowledge and revelation this week for a part of our companion study. The only way we're going to gain knowledge is by putting effort into our studies and work for it. The wisdom is the hard part. Applying the knowledge is a lot easier said than done. But I think if we just make it a goal to remember what we've learned from the scriptures, then we'll be more successful when trying to apply that knowledge. One of our investigators, Justin, leaned over to me during sacrament meeting and told me that he's been thinking about getting baptized. I know that he felt something while at church and the Spirit is working on him. It's so cool to see God's hand in our lives and the lives of those around us. What a great blessing it is to know of the Gospel and how loving Heavenly Father is. Elder Bass and I both bore our testimonies twice on Sunday in two different wards. Our wards weren't exactly at maximum capacity with it being a holiday weekend and all, but it was a great opportunity to be visible in our wards. We had a couple investigators at church, and even a few less-active people that we've been working with. We're going to try to be more involved in the community with service, or activities like the 4th of July event. Tonight, we're running in a community patriotic, 5k race. It's going to be sick. We're going to get decked out in American swag and talk to as many people as possible. The National High School Rodeo tournament is coming to Rock Springs next week, and I think we're going to volunteer for that as well. We've had a really solid week, and want to keep going off of our momentum. I love and miss you all, and I hope everyone is doing well. Taylor and Ralphie I still love and miss the most of all. :)

Love, Elder Clark