I've learned that doing this work is going to take all my efforts to lose myself in the work and that is what will make me successful. Because in order to get people to teach I need to talk to people and in order to get people to talk to I have to open my mouth and talk! And in order to do that I have to completely lose myself and not be nervous to talk to people about something I hold so near and dear. But holy smokes I thougth the MTC had humbled me... I didn't know what humbling was... Already I feel like i am in the middle of a new country with a work to do which is almost impossible to do alone. Thank goodness for prayer and being able to rely on the spirit to help me because I have been able to be in the right place at the right time for a number of times where I have been able to have a few come up to me and say, "hey I was baptised in yo church like 5 years ago and I've been getting back in my old ways and I don't like the bad luck that has happened can yall come teach me?" in the broken ghetto english. Which by the way no joke has been a struggle for me because half of the people we talk to I can't even understand most of what they say... it's pretty rediculous... I have had elder A translate their english for me on a number of instances. But maybe by the time half my mission goes by I will be able to understand them. This is sooooooo much different than I had ever imagined! I totally thought I had missionary work down in the mtc but truly people here and the background here is nuts! I got here and felt like calhoun "this isn't the language I learned in the MTC" and "these people sure don't look like those on the west coast" and "why does my small apartment in the middle of staten Island cost around 2000 dollars a month... Crazy right? I wish I could send you some pictures but however I am at the library and the computer wont allow me... so hopefully I can find a way to get you some... By the way this part of new york is not anything like the manhattan I had thought it was going to be... It is ghetto and black and very colorful and barred and intense... but don't worry we are protected as missionaries and I have felt it and I know for sure that I will be okay! Mom don't worry please just get lost in the work of raising your wonderful children and it will go by fast. Oh and it was thunderstorming earlier today... but now its sunny... weird right? and it was definitely a flashback to kansas thunderstorms these last few days because they are nuts and it has great lightning shows with getting soaked by being in the rain for literally 2 seconds. What is cool is that people respect us here. Most don't want to hear the message but they would never really try to steal anything or mug us or anything. That hasn't happened in a couple years and the area that it happened in is closed down and surrounding areas have to be in by 8. That would stink. So the only hard part about obediance is we tend to go to bed a little bit later than 1030 because we are so busy teaching and traffic takes so much longer that we have gotten back past 930 half of the nights and it takes us forever to plan because we are so busy. but it is always for a good reason! And I love love love being this busy because I know that this is the Lord's time and not mine. Life as a missionary is hard but good! The spirit is so great and anytime we teach it is there. It's awesome. Hopefully we will be able to get a few more investigators to commit to baptism in the next coming weeks. we have another baptism on july 29th but I didn't have much to do with that either... A's a boss missionary and he is helpful because both of us have a common goal of working on obediance. And thank goodness for planners otherwise we would forget everything. we already have had to cancel a few people because of delays and such but again it is only because we are so busy so that's good! And members like us... they feed us almost every night if we don't have to cancel on them... So ya things are great! Difficult, but great! I'm having the time of my life! It can be hard but then I realize how happy I possibly can be because I have the spirit with me and I end up being extremely happy and loving the fact that I am on a mission. Thanks for everything again I love you!

Love,

Elder Clark

Dear Mother, Father, and Family!

Thank you sooooooo much for your love and prayers and emails and everything!!! I love you soooo much! It has been definitely a new experience being here in New York! I have met sooooo many different people already! I was able to take part in a baptism yesterday that my companion(father) Elder A from Las Vegas and his old companion had taught and she is from Gebon in Africa! She was a Golden Investigator. She wanted sooooo bad to be a mormon and she would chant in her french (yes I guess she lived in france as well) accented voice "I'm gueen tu bee a moor-mun" It was pretty great! Her name is Anoushka Sefu and she has a little bit of a language barrier but it was all good! She wanted so bad to follow all the laws of the gospel that she is looking for a job so she can pay tithing! After the first day of talking about wearing modest clothing she basically wore a huge dress covering everything with a hat and large boots. Then we helped explain she doesn't have to be over the top! haha :) But anyways we are really busy here in Staten Island and there are a lot of people that we teach so its been really fun! I feel blessed though looking at the circumstances here... I have a lot... a lot a lot a lot. These people truly have a completely different lifestyle... But I love you all and the work is going well! Obediance is key! I've taught so many different nationalities it's crazy! I love you! Love,

Elder Clark

letter 6-12-12

Dear Wonderful Family! I love you soooo much!
Oh my Gosh. This time in the mission field already is going too fast.... Im bouncing out of this MTC Joint on Monday at 3:00 AM! So early! and not just that but I was chosen to be the Travel Leader for our Group of 15 going to NY! Wow! Its very interesting... Doesn't Heavenly Father know that I forget everything? Well he does but he also knows that it will bring me closer to him to have these responsibilities... One thing I have learned is to just not stress. This mission will go by so fast and I will blink and wonder what happened. As I have been here I have had an amazing time learning to truly trust in the spirit with my teaching. It is a little bit scary but the words do fill my mouth! I know that! And I am definitely gaining more trust! Teaching has been amazing! Already I have been used as a tool by having me turn to scriptures I don't remember about and having it be exactly what they needed to hear, saying things that did not come from me. And it has truly been the biggest growing experience in my life! Being here has made me truly realize who I am. It made me realize that without Christ I am nothing but with Christ, I can have the power and authority and influence as Christ would himself! Infact that is who I represent! I know that as long as I do not stress and I just make sure that I am being the Best Elder Tyler Joseph Clark that I can be I will never have to worry about anything because the spirit is with me and teaching will go fine! But I have gained a MAJOR love and addiction to missionary work. Sure it is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done in my life already! But it is also the most rewarding thing that I have ever done in my life. Don't get me wrong it is not easy, but with Christ I can do all things. I know that to be true! My testimony of Christ and the Atonement truly mean the world to me. Because I know that HE LIVES! This knowledge that I have brings alll the meaning to my work! I teach people who come to volunteer, like less actives, progressing investigators, and referrals. Some are members some are not. It is definitely a blessing to be obediant and not an irritant! It means the difference in missionaries! I have been blessed with a wonderful District however and we are definitely like family so that is so fun! I miss you all and love you soooooooooo much! Thanks for all your love! And Mother Dear, Papa Bear, Jeffy, Ri, Kyle, and Austin. I love you with all my heart and it will go faster than you can imagine. Just focus on all your million things but also focus on being the happiest family you can be because we are blessed to have a close family. Continue saying family prayers, having family night, and reading the scriptures together because these are the most important things! I love you and I want you to know that I am out here to serve the Lord! I will do my best work! Thanks for raising me as you did! I LOVE YOU!

Love,

Elder Tyler Clark

saying see you later

Tue, June 5, 2012 2:26:03 PM

I Love you! and Church is TRUE! :)

---

Dearest Mother Dear, Papa Bear, Jeffrey, Riley, Kyle, Austin, Family, Friends, whoever...

 

This is Elder Clark reporting on my first Preparation day at the MTC! I love you soooo much! Thank you so much Mom and Dad for your wonderful example! You are the BEST PARENTS EVER! I want to quickly share with you my testimony because it has grown more in this short period of time than it ever has during the span of my life. I KNOW that Heavenly Father is there and he is closer to me than he has ever been. He is not even far at all but he is right here with me. The spirit of the MTC is amazing because it truly is a marvelous work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man! This is the Lords work and because I am representing him I can feel the love that he has for every single one of his children and it's amazing how much love i feel for everyone, missionaries, investigators, especially my district, and of course EVERYONE! I LOVE IT HERE and this is an inspired work!

 

I first will share the experiences I have had on Sunday... Because this was probably the biggest growing moment of my life! First of all my companion is Elder A. going to Tucson, Arizona and we get along really well even though he is the complete opposite personality of me...  So basically the calls were arranged and I was made as District Leader  I believe so that was truly amazing and I learned on a first hand basis how the Lord can work in Mysterious ways! I also knew this because I had an overwhelming love for my District. But anyways, Im about to go to the temple really soon so I can't write too much more, but I also have been able to teach these investigators about the church but one in particular I truly believe that my companion and I were the exact people who he needed to meet with because we had the most AMAZING conversation about God and Christ and the spirit was sooooooooo strong and he was like, PLEASE COME BACK! WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT CHRIST MORE! So that was really cool... Hes a mountain man named B:) The teaching is hard however but I'm gaining trust in the spirit so its working out a lot better! But most truly I completely love it here and I Know that everything is possible through Christ without a doubt in my mind and I'm excited to share the amazing news of the Gospel with everyone! I love you all so much and I know that this service will bless you and me as well so I'm really happy to be helping you maybe! I pray for you every day and I have the strongest testimony of prayer and Guidance by the spirit its soooooo awesome! Also it was really cool to be an answer to another elders prayer in my room because I had an overwhelming feeling of love for him one night and I knew he was awake because I sneezed and he blessed me :) but anyways apparently he had been praying for comfort and I felt this love for him and said "Elder C You will be an amazing missionary and I love you" So that was really cool when I heard it was an answer to his prayers the next day!

 

Anyways I must go however I love you! and Im drinking a juice, chocolate milk, and a banana with everysingle meal so i thought that was kinda a fun tradition :) I love you! Kick Bum in life Ill get back to you next week! Hopefully with more info!

 

Love,

 

Elder Clark

farewell: