The closest I'll ever get to Disneyland on my mission...

Original Date: April 28, 2014

I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MUCH I WAS FREAKING OUT YESTERDAY. Transfers are so intense these days! Oh man. I felt like I was in line for Tower of Terror, in that little creepy room, with the video, and the lightning crashes in the window? Yeah, just like that. I seriously felt the same as when I was waiting to open my mission call! So ready for the news?

 

OSU STILLWATER WITH SISTER NEFF!

 

Sorry, that was dramatic. But it will be grand and exciting and everything. I'm really, really, REALLY sad to leave Quail Creek though. These are my people! I feel like I'm leaving for my mission all over again, they're like family. I've seen everyone grow and change so much. I remember when I first got here, it was so dead. We prayed and prayed for miracles to happen, for people to teach, and along came Sarah, and Brad, and Kyle, and Johnny, and Megan, and Matt. Heavenly Father answers prayers. All of them.

 

Our lesson with Matt and the Word of Wisdom:

"No more coffee?"

"Nope."

He said it might be hard, but he committed to be done right then, and went home and threw it away, and hasn't had it since!

So after we talk about coffee, he got really serious again. He leaned forward and said,

"Okay, here's a question. So... you guys know how much I love Oreos. Is that going to be a problem?"

 

Hahaha he was so concerned, more so than about the coffee! We assured him Oreos were fine! The lesson was with the Hicks fam, and they are just incredible. And hilar. They'd fit right in my fam. :) We had two lessons with him this week, and he's just so prepared! He's so excited for the baptism, too. And everytime we ask him one of the baptismal interview questions, he just gets so excited to say "Yes!" It's awesome.

 

We met with Brad this week too, a less active member who's coming back strong! I'm just so proud of him. He got his patriarchal blessing recommend, and he'll be ordained a Priest in the coming weeks. He's so ready - he's already doing so much good and being a great example to this whole group. I can't wait to see how far he'll go. He can even be ordained an Elder in the coming months! He's come so far. :)

 

We had a lesson with Pam, too. She put the Plan of Salvation together for us, and did such a great job. And then she told us all about her drama and the movies and such. Haha I love her so much!

 

OKAY OKAY, let me tell you about Friday-Saturday. I'll start with District Meeting.

It was amazing. We all read John 15 together, and talked about what Dr. McLaughlin refers to as "Next-ing," forgetting about the past and looking forward.

 

Sis. Cardon and Sis. Clark with the Olsen Family

So then we had lunch, and practiced the songs we sang in Village Ward and our ward yesterday (it went awesome!). It was quite the experience. We got all the missionaries who go to church in that building to sing the EFY medly for our ward! Then for the other one (Come Unto Christ), I was missing the last page of the sheet music (I was on the piano), so when we got to that part, I had to wing it and I did a really bad job and it was hilarious. Elder Beus and SisLeav busted up laughing, and my comp was NOT amused, so she marched off the stand. I guess E Beus was up there telling everyone to calm down and it was okay, and I gave a look to EVERYONE WHO WAS SITTING THERE (a bunch of Elders in the pews) that was like, "Oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-my-companion-is-so-ridiculous-and-dramatic-I-am-so-horrified" and they looked back at me with an "I-am-so-so-sorry" look, and one of the Garwood girls asked S Car what was so funny, and in her Queen Elizabeth "I AM NOT AMUSED" voice, she replied, "I don't know. Why don't you ask Sister Leavitt."

 

I just had to laugh. It was just so awkward and dramatic. Good heavens, and good bye.

 

SO THENNNN EXCHANGES WITH SIS LEAV.

 

Oh man.

 

So we went to try a LA, and we OYMed some people and knocked some doors! It was AMAZING I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. We met William, a devout Roman Catholic who had the coolest truck ever. It had baseball figurines screwed into every spot you could find. 

We also prayed with Heather, and then we saw a fire hidrant shooting out water across the street and a guy fixing it, so we stopped at Sister Leavitt's request and told him he did a good job, and after he walked off she said, "HURRY GO GIVE HIM A CARD" so I jumped out of the Escalade (hahaha we were in an Escalade) and gave him a card and invited him to church. he was so sweet. :) 

We also prayed with Terri, and saw Tina again! Remember her? She's still not interested, but she will be ready one day.

 

Then we had dinner at the Sanchez's house, and it was incredible. So after dinner we shared a message using the "Because of Him" video, and talking about Christ. We had each of the four teenagers talk about who Christ is to them, and the Spirit was so strong as Sister Leavitt testified of the Atonement (Isaiah 53:3-5, replacing "we" and "our" with "I" and "my"). After we were finished and were closing up, and after Adam (15) had asked for a Book of Mormon to give to his friend, Adam piped up again and said, "Wait, I wanted to say something." He paused. Rachel (17) laughed, "are you gonna cry?" and Ashley (14) started giggling, while Sister Sanchez said, "It's not funny guys!" Adam leaned forward with his elbows rested on his knees, and gripped his mouth in his hand, obviously trying to hold back tears. I watched and listened intently. His voice cracked as he said, "So when Christ was in Gethsemane..." he broke off and the tears came. "He asked Heavenly Father if there was another way. He didn't know it would be so hard till then. But... but He did it anyways. He still went through with it." We'd talked about how He was perfect, but that it didn't mean He didn't feel things like we do. He still got tired, and hungry, etc.

 

It was just so powerful. He finished by saying, "It just... it means a lot."

 

He's going to be an incredible missionary.

 

You guys, this is the best part of being a missionary. Seriously. To see people grow and change and gain their own testimony of Christ is the most moving thing you will ever witness. The work is hastening, but it's not just non members! More than anything, those less active members who need a little help and guidance to come back, and the youth of the church. I never understood it until I wasn't a youth anymore. But it's such a pivotal time!

 

So then.... aw man, confession time. SO THENNNNNN we stayed up till 2:30 IN THE MORNING talking about life and feelings and best friend stuff and making saugages and pushing our beds together. Oh man, I just love her guts. I'm SO SAD I'M LEAVING!!

 

Yesterday at church, I just looked around at everyone and how much I love them and everything, and I'm just going to miss them so much. I had a feeling it was my last Sunday, and it was. I wish I could stay here the rest of my mission! It's so crazy, I've never not wanted to be transferred before, but here I am! Oh man.

 

The church is true, and it's Christ's church. He lives. Go tell your friends.

 

Love,

Sister Clark