M.I.A.

Okay, Hi. Let me just tell you how my week started.

 

Call from the ZL's...

"Hey, Elder Powley, how's it goin?"

"Well, uh, we're actually pretty stressed."

"What's up?"

"Well, we were wondering... can you help us find Elder Harnish?"

 

What?! Yes, so I guess Elder Harnish left a note Tuesday morning saying that he was going to go make some videos of himself doing flips or whatever and he'd be back by two or three. SOOO off went the whole zone in search of an elder in sweats and a hoodie on his bike.

 

Anyway, several missionaries were prompted to go to the library, again, all at the same time, and there he was, chillin' at the computer. "Hey guys."

 

Dunno what happened there, maybe he had a mid-mission crisis, but he's doin alright now. We did feel like super legit undercover agents though, so that was exciting. :)

 

And there are Oil Wells all over the place

SO A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON TUESDAY...

• I sent my package of stuff home... and then it came to my apartment on Wednesday.
• I dented the Lord's car. Like a lot. And scraped it. Like a lot.
• Washed the car and vacuumed it out... and LEFT MY HARP AT THE CAR WASH. What The Heck? It was still there when we drove back...don't tell my mom I did that.
• Had ugly hair
• dropped my cardigan button down the sink
• stuttered everything I said
• cried all day about nothing
• aaaaaaaaaaaand that's about it.

So when I was just a weepy mess by the end of the day because I was already feeling sad for no reason because I'm an emotional basketcase, I was laying in bed and praying that someone would come and help me be happy, and LO AND BEHOLD a knock came to the door. I think, "Wow, what an answer to prayer that would be if it were Sister Leavitt. But it's probably just our neighbor Kelly who comes over all the time." But then I hear "HELLO, SISTAS!" and in she comes, turns on the light, and I just cry to her. So she came and snuggled with me and I told her all about my horrible day and then she said an awesome prayer for me and made me laugh and gave me all the E. Harnish deets and I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL that Heavenly Father answered my prayer so fast. It was a huge reminder that He knows and loves me.

 

SO AFTER ALL THAT DRAMA, the rest of my week was absolutely incredible. We did service, harped for members, had an incredible and inspiring zone conference, worked our little bums off, and had an amazing lesson with MATT! Matt is Johnny's boss, and he's been in on a couple of the lessons with Megan, and he's so prepared. So we did a chapel tour with him. He came to a dinner at the Boggs (who are just awesome, B. Boggs was baptized in September after a long haul with the missionaries), and then the Boggs came with us to the lesson. B. Boggs answered all his amazing questions so well, and we invited him to be baptized and he said YES! He told us, when we were talking about the priesthood, "I WANT that." with so much fervency, and then when he expounded, he just said that having people come to him and ask him for blessings would be so humbling and it's such an incredible gift and such. And he's excited to bring his three little girls to church, and he just soaked everything in. IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

 

OH MAN, and then on Saturday! It started out with the Carlson's oldest boy's baptism, to which they invited the babysitter, his school teacher, and B. Carlson's coworker, and they all loved it! And his LA uncle gave the talk on baptism. The whole service was so wonderful. I remembered vaguely back to my own baptism, and being with my dad and such. He had so many family members there supporting him. I don't remember my baptism really well, but I remember it was special. I remember being surrounded by people I loved, and who I knew loved me, simply because they were there. I remember my dad asking me why I wanted to be baptized. I probably didn't know, but he told me why, and let me choose. :) Mostly I felt so overwhelmed at the greater understanding I received, of how blessed I was to be born into the gospel, and to receive the Holy Ghost at such a young age. I can't believe what blessed circumstances I was born into, and it just reaffirms to me that missionary work is what I need to be doing, now and for my whole life.

 

We were then able to attend Paula's baptism, Sis Leav's and Sis Bishop's investigator. Her testimony was so powerful, truly. She testified of the Savior, the Book of Mormon, of the Church, of everything. I just cried tears of joy as she shared it.

 

I was asked to play Be Still My Soul at her baptism, and I included the "I like to look for Rainbows" song in the middle. I'm so glad I got to play!

 

THEN THE GENERAL WOMEN'S BROADCAST. Holy cow. It was so powerful. I seriously wept through the entire thing. Like when they had all the 8-11 year olds stand and start singing "Teach me to Walk" and then Sister Wixom had EVERYONE else and sing the second verse! And when one Sister referenced that covenant that Women can raise children in a home "that are blessed by the strength of priesthood power." And when all of us, every LDS woman in the world sang together "I am a Child of GoD!" The lyrics had never hit me so strongly before. Just imagining being with Him in the pre-existence, and His love, and because He loves me He sent me here, and to SUCH a wonderful family. And the plea to Him to lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me ALL that I must do to live with Thee someday!" AND THEN when we sang "Let Us All Press On" the words hit me so powerfully I couldn't even sing:

 

"But an unseen power will aid me and you in the glorious cause of truth!" And what a glorious cause it is to share the true gospel with all the world!

 

OH MY GLORY BE this update is so scattered, but I just... GUYS. I love the gospel. So much. IT'S JUST SO TRUE, okay? Okay.

Love, 

Sister Clark