What Up!!!!!

Family!!! How are things back home?!! Sorry my last Email totally sucked. this one will be better i promise! I wrote a little Rough Draft before coming to the library today cause I had so much time on my hands! Well since my email last week didn't really explain much.. I thought i should start the whole thing over!! Hi my name is elder clark! haha Just kidding! But I flew into Lansing Michigan and holy cow!! This town is amazing! The mission president and his wife picked me up from the airport and then I had the great opportunity to go onto the Michigan State Campus!! The basketball team welcomed me and we shot hoops and hung out... NOT! The President had us go find people and bring them unto christ!! it was awesome!! I found this girl named Megan and kinda told her the jist of things and how and what our church is all about!! She was so open minded (those people are the best) and so we set up a time where we could meet with her! Well since the campus wasn't my area i couldn't have taught her... but GREAT news! The elders on the campus called me last night and she has Committed to be baptized!! its amazing how much of a seed you can grow in someones heart! Im so proud of her!! The next day was Thursday and I waited for this day my whole life! I met my Comp. who I will be with till about June!! He is one big dude! He is extremely goofy and is 6 foot 5 or something like that! He is from Gilbert Arizona and lives in Power Ranch! but he doesnt know Uncle Derek... lame!! But there is a Elder here that does know Derek and Camille. his name is Elder Snow! He wanted me to tell them that! Well i am serving in a area called Battle Creek Michigan! Talk about GHETTO... haha just certain parts though! the members here are AMAZING!! we have dinner every single night by a member and there family and they are just such amazing people!! The city is really big!! but there is only 1 ward!!! little bit of a culture shock for me! We are on bikes till i turn 6 weeks old! my comp wasn't very smart with cars back home so they wont let him drive quite yet!! but thats okay! gotta love that exercise  But while riding our bikes members stopped us and insisted they buy us TACO Bell!! oh best feeling ever!! so we went to taco bell and i had to go refill my water where i met my best friend paul! he was like ," yo kid are you what the called the mormons?" and i was like yeah whats up man!! we talked for an hour or so! Paul is homeless and me and him are very tight!! I love that guy and i think i would do anything for him!! There is this Trailer Park that we teach some families in and its one of the worst trailer parks in all of the united states... yeah Sketchy!! But there is this old lady in there named Sandy Cooper and she is so loving!!! She Made me a cake thats said, WELCOME TO BATTLE CREEK ELDER CLARK!! The cake was so good!!! Battle Creek is one of the depressing cities in Michigan and the U.S. and it is also very very poor in some areas! We are teaching a family that is getting baptized on april 20th! we get a call from them late friday night as we are getting home from door knocking and they called and said," Elders! we are getting evicted from our house and have to be out by 4:30 the next afternoon! so we hurry and ran over there and helped them pack up and we were there helping them move out! its so sad how families are living and not doing the things they are doing! but ever since we have been teaching them i have seen a change in there lives and i am so grateful for that! well this week has been crazy busy! last tuesday we walked a total of 8 miles! we met tons of new people!! Everybody here in battle creek has a serious problem with smokin the cigs!! its so gross!!! we come back to our apartment at nights and take off our clothes and we smell so gross!! but i met this african american old lady and me being the stupid sensitive human that i am! i just about cried when she let us in and told us her life story! she cant read or write and her son is in prison and her other son died in a gang shooting! i didnt know what i could do to help her! i havent felt so helpless in my life! we just visited with her and didnt really teach her anything but the spirit was so strong in that room! she asked me to say the closing prayer and the prayer was so great i started choking up saying heavenly father please be with cynthia at this time in her life and just help with whatever she needs! it was really strong! i know the lord will bless her! well i will wrap up the letter with this funny missionary story! We were in a really bad neighborhood Saturday night and i dont know why on earth we felt inspired to go into this neighborhood but we are walking around and i thinking im gonna die... it was so scary!! we are walking down washington AVE and manchester St in downtown Battle creek and this african american dude rolls down his window and yells," yo!! ya'll better get out of here!! some Real (BEEP) is about to go down! !! and so we booked it out of the neighborhood and to find out in church the next day thats where all the shootings an drugs go down!! so nuts!! well i love each and every single one of you!! this gospel is the true gospel of jesus crhist!! it has been restored by a true prophet and we have a living one today! i miss you guys!! much love

Elder Clark

P.S. i got your guys package today and i about had a heart attack!! so much candy!! happy Easter!!! and thanks for the Thermal G's!! its so cold here!!!!!!!!

 

 

P.s.s. We met another family and committed them to baptism!! we have 9 upcoming baptisms in the next month!!!! wahoo!!

I'm In Michigan!

I am in Michigan!! It is so freezing!! My area is called Battle Creek, Michigan! it is about 2 hours away from East Lansing Michigan! My mission president is so awesome!! He is such a loving and such a wonderful man! Something cool that strengthened my testimony that our heavenly father knows us personally is that... Battle Creek is where the POST and Kellogg cereal companies are based out of! So every morning when we wake up it smells like fruit loops! Its amazing! My comp is awesome! He is such a bomb trainer!! His name is Elder Rehies and he is from Gilbert, Arizona! He is 6'6!! He is such a big dude!! The work here is crazy!! We already have 5 baptism dates next month!! So we be baptizing like crazy!!  I door knocked to this girl on Friday afternoon and surprisingly she let us in.. cause Battle Creek Michigan is the capital of ANTI Mormonism  so everyone hates us! But that's okay! She let us in and I taught her the first lesson and invited her to church on Sunday and she came!!! it was one of the coolest feelings of my life!! It was so great! I love you guys!

Friends in the MTC

Short and Sweet

Hows it going? Today I'm sick!! I have a sore throat! Its weird to have to take care of myself! But I love the MTC! Its so spiritual here and everyone is always so loving! I miss you guys like crazy! I've learned so much! I gave a priesthood blessing last night and wow! Its amazing! I am so privileged to have the priesthood! I hope you got my letter!:) I think i was balling the whole time I was writing it! haha but thats okay! My comp is really struggling so its hard to stay focused when you have to worry about him to! We taught our first investigator Monday night and it went so bad!!! The spirit wasn't in the room at all and i think all of our nerves were just getting to us! I wanted to just go lock myself in my room and cry cause I felt like I could have done a lot better!! Well I'm sorry this email is so short but I have so much to do! Write me a letter I feel like that is the best way! 

Priesthood Power

Dear Family,
How's it going guys?! Can you believe that I have been gone for a whole week? It's nuts! I have learned so much more this past week! I'm loving it here! I keep saying to myself, Well if I love it here, I wonder what Michigan is going to be like! Hopefully good because thats all I hear about it from Elders and Sisters whose brothers have served there! I heard a fun/sucky fact but only 1% of people in my mission area are of the LDS faith! How crazy it that? Looks like the lord has some work for me to do! I fly out next week! I can't wait! Well the reason why I'm writing this letter is because I want to share with you guys something so sweet that just happened about 5 minutes ago! I just gave my FIRST priesthood blessing tonight! I have a comp that is really struggling here with teaching and confidence and just every aspect in life pretty much so I got the change to do it! Couldn't help but get a little teary but the Spirit was just so strong! And I want you guys to know how important it is to have the spriti of he lord in our lives and not to do anything that disrupts the spirit from not being with us! In closing I want to share my favorite scripture with you guys and I don't think I have told any of you guys it before but here it is! It's in D&C 84:88  and I invite you guys to read it! This scripture has helped me realize that when I feel alone that I am not! The lord and his sprit works in many ways as I have come to realize that over this last week! You'll probably receive my email tomorrow before getting this. First P-day tomorrow! And Provo temple! I love you guys so much! I love my lord and savior Jesus Christ so much! And this gospel! We are so greateful to have it! I have the COOLEST family! thanks for the "Dear Elders" and packages! You guys rock! I love you!
-Elder Clark

P.S. The chocolate milk is now starting to test my stomach :(
P.S.S. Buddy you're still a scamp and Shelby You are the only one that hasn't written me! I hope you feel bad! Just kidding I'm sure you're busy. Love you guys!

Best Family Ever!
FO SHOW!!  :)

Chocolate Milk on Tap.... So Tight!

Wow! That is basically all I can say at this part! I'm just so grateful to be in the MTC and go on a mission for our Heavenly Father! Now the fact that I am ready to teach this work?! Haha I hope so! I know that I will learn a lot here in the MTC... There is a quote in a letter that I got today in a district meeting and it says, "Although your stay has been reduced, expectations of your accomplishments continue to be high... GROW UP!!!" I didn't think that I would like it so much here but I LOVE IT! I got put into a "3 some"companionship and I couldn't be happier. My 2 companions are Elder Stevenson and Elder Drake! They are such cool dudes Elders! (They remind us here to call everyone Elders and Sisters) That'll be an adjustment from bro,dude and all the other names. In my dorm I'm on the 4th floor! Lots and lots and lots of stairs. Our room is one of the smaller rooms on the floor because its only has us 3 Elders living in it. Haha we got put on the "Japanese floor." Everyone on our floor is going to Japan and one Elder is going to Austin's mission! I saw Trent and Kiesini! It's weird to get so excited just to see your buddies! My P-day in the MTC is on Thursdays but I don't get one tomorrow :( So expect an email next Thursday. It will probably be longer than this letter because I hate writing! Well until then! I love you guys and couldn't be more happier to have such a great family! I know I need to be here and I couldn't be more happier/blessed to be here! I'll talk to you guys on Thursday!

Oh real fast! I forgot some hangers at home.. and a laundry bag! If you guys have time to send those, Elder Clark would love you forever! Not like I already do!!! You guys are the best! I love you guys!

God Speed!
-Elder Clark

P.S. Chocolate Milk on the tap?! SO TIGHT!!! And in the next letter/email could you tell me my actual MTC address so i can put it on the return address and not confuse my friends! Thanks!

P.S. Give Reese lovins from her Uncle B!

Thank you everyone for coming to my farewell!!