Dearest Family...

This week has been a nice mix up... On Monday my companion Elder Weber took a 2-1/2 hour nap so i figured I'd improvise and have some fun! So I created a mini golf course out of my pad (pic 1) :) It was fun! I learned how to cook some good garlic bread with melted cheese on top at the S for the last FHE we would have with them before Brother S left for Houston! :( (pic 2). Man I'm going to miss him and then Sista S when they leave... basically mama and papa schoenbeck to me... Then on tuesday Brother Danner our amazing ward mission leader made us some delicious chili... hes famous for it... on Wednesday we met with Anthony and Novinta and he is doing really well! Still looking to get baptised on the 16th and then Thursday we finally had a member present with our lesson with A! We took brother d who we clean the church then eat at old country buffet with every thursday morning and he is such an awesome guy. He is old though so he loved to tell stories... It's a good thing we didn't have another appointment until an hour and a half after that appt because we almost missed our second one anyways haha! I'm so glad though because I think bringing him made him more comfortable to come to church. We will have to bring someone else this week though because A still didn't come... He just is always helping people so thats what he was doing again... haha hes a good guy... Then on Friday I went on a basically all day exchange with Elder Garcia (pic 3) from So-Cal who is a really awesome missionary. He got in the mission in brentwood spanish a week after I left for home and has been here since with his trainer Elder Heagren who came out with me! the whole time! thats 5 transfers! 7-1/2 Months with the same companion and in the same area... That was really fun because I got to excercise my spanish skills again! Haha I talked to a lot of spanish people and we found this AMAZING family while we were tracting... We talked to them about gospel and life for about 45 minutes while they were sitting out on their porch (typical NY) eating mr. Softees (ice cream truck that claps during the song). That was so fun! then also the spanish program gets fed... a lot... I had 2 DA's while I was on the exchange that ended at 4:30. Like full on delicious spanish meals. We also talked to this one guy who was sitting in the shade of a tree (soooooo hot outside.... Humidity is the worst...) and we gave him a card and asked him if he would give us his info so we could call him and he was looking for his phone number in his wallet and he pulled out a different mormon pass-along card that he found on the ground. he had cut out the picture of jesus into a nice framelike image and it turns out that Garcia had written that card! that was really cool and he was pretty excited that we were the original owners of that card! I think that alone really sparked his interest! Moral of the Story... Even if you think your efforts in a righteous cause in anyway go unnoticed or unsuccessful know that Heavenly Father has a bigger purpose in mind and that he will allow his purposes to happen even if it is not in the way our minds picture them. Always trust in the Lord's way! It may not be the easiest way in our perspective but it will always be the best for us. Also... take into consideration that by small and simple things great things come to pass!

On sunday the sisters had a baptism that went really well as well! The husband of the member mother of the son being baptized actually seems like he is becoming interested! He asked Elder Weber and I to come by sometime so hopefully we can help the family come together through the gospel!

One of my new favorite scriptures came to me this week as I was finding strength scriptures to put in my workout room to encourage me to workout.... I came across 2 Cor 12:9-10 "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." I believe this scripture to be the answer to life's challenges. In fact, I know that this is why we are given challenges in life. That when we humble ourselves with our own agency and truly rely on Christ by choosing his side and his ways to endure our trials, then and only then is when THE POWER OF CHRIST RESTS UPON US. Then is when we are the strongest. Because all is possible through Christ. I believe that if we learn to glory in our infirmities we will enjoy the blessings that come with eternal progression and increased perspective.

I love you all and pray that you will be able to do this throughout this week!
You are great! All Y'all!
Love,
Elder Clark