All of these things shall be for your benefit, and shall be for your good

Wow. A crazy week, all. You might wanna put on your cinturon de seguridad to listen to this here email. I had a crazy week. 

Got a package from my Dad that I adore

First of all, I am grateful for the little things in life. I've been keeping a "grateful-journal", and no it isn't cheesy, it's actually like my fave thing ever. It makes me so happy to look back on all my many many blessings every night. I am blessed x 10. (PS are hashtags still a thing? Keep me hip. hehe)

Some things I was grateful for this week:

Spring-cleaning our room in October. We put egg white and savilla in our hair to make it grow mas rapidamente, and then put a plastic bag over our heads, so that the heat would help enforce the savilla and egg white. (or somethin like that, I have no idea.) Then, we ran downstairs to give a book to the other sister missionaries, and locked ourselves out of our room, WITH plastic bags on our heads.Oh my gosh, I was dying. But I was grateful for such a sweet companion that just laughed the whole time as people watched us try to pick the lock on our door. 

I was really grateful for Hna M this week. It was a different kind of grateful, because she has really taught me a lot about the kind of person I want to be and that I don't want to be. She was very set on leaving her family, and being released from her calling, as least, as of Tuesday. I decided that I had done a lot for them, and that I wasn't seeing much progress in her family, so we decided to go and visit her, and her husband, Hermano G. In that lesson on Tuesday, they just fought the whole time, and it was kind of uncomfortable for us. But,at the end of the lesson, I testified of the atonement, and Christ's power to heal, not just individuals, but relationships. When we draw closer to Christ, our relationship grows stronger. A lil Dr Phil (I mean, Dr Hermana Clark action) was just what we did, and then told them we'd be praying for them, and we left. I cried so many tears about them that day. I just love them so much, and I don't know why, but I just wanted that relationship to heal more than anything. Then, miracle of the week, their whole family came to church together this Sunday with smiles on their faces. Hermano G sincerely thanked me for my prayers, and he said that he has felt them in their relationship, and then today he texted us and said, "tonight we are having family night together, and I will preside with the priesthood. Right on! I was so happy to receive that text. 

Grateful for when people here try to speak to me in English. It is my favorite thing. Whenever T calls or we call him he says, "hello seesters, how are juh?" 

The best, I'm serious. 

More than anything, this week I had a rollercoaster with my health. Well, I've been pretty prideful about my health here in Peru. I've almost always refused to go to the doctor, I've always said- we don't have time to rest, and I had 0 desire to take more pills. 

This week, I was very sick. So sick that I am actually writing you this letter from the hospital. I received lab results this week telling me that I have 2 intestinal infections, parasites, and Typhoid. I have never been so sick in my life, and was very weak starting on Thursday. I have been sick for a long time, and I have just pushed it aside, because all I wanted to do was work, and I felt like I would be a lazy missionary for taking a breather. And I guess more than anything, I just didn't want to ask for help, or be a burden to anyone. 

Saturday night I was scary sick. Like, sicker than ever, but we didn't have credit left to be able call anyone with our cell phone. In that moment of serious darkness, when I didn't know what we were going to do, without any reason at all, our mission President called us. As the phone rang and I was throwing up and crying and just so sick, I felt the spirit so strong that my Heavenly Father is aware of me. It was such a miracle, and then the elders were able to come to our house and give me a priesthood blessing. In the blessing, he said, "I bless you with patience in this trial, and that you will understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that He felt the pain you feel right now". How sweet is that? I never thought of it like that, that when Christ suffered for my sins, he felt my physical pains as well. 

After that, we traveled to Cusco, and I had been in observation in the hospital for a good little while. I stayed the night here last night, but really am so SO much better now. The people here are taking such good care of me, and I should be headed home soon soon (that is, home to sweet Quillabamba.)

The Spirit is real, and it has so many roles:

*It can testify through my voice to broken families about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

*It can warn us of danger, and when we need to rest. 

*And it can comfort us when we are thousands of miles away from our families in a hospital room in Peru. 

The love of our Heavenly Father is real. He hears every word of our prayers, even a desperate cry in scary sickness. 

I love my Heavenly Father, and I give all the glory to Him. I will serve him until the day I die, and then into the eternities.  

Love you all, Thank you for every email, every letter, and every prayer. I felt your prayers especially strong this week.

Oh està, todo bien, 

Hermana Clark

Nor-mal, life is good

Wow, is this what life is like as a missionary when you aren't still so brand spankin new?

 I feel like everything that I did this week was pretty average, but-  it's not average to be here in this beautiful town that's called Quillabamba in a country that I love called Peru. Hmm...what happened? 

Well, life's a rollercoaster, I will say that. One moment I'm a little down in the dumps, a little bummed, and the next moment, so happy, like cloud 9. Am I bi-polar? I mean, I don't think so...it's just, that the mission is good. 

Oh yeah, one funny thing that I have been doing. So people here are very direct, and will just tell me right to my face, "Hermana Clark, tus granitos son tan feos, ¿que pasó?" Like, your acne is so ugly, what happened? Haha, I mean they say it out of love, but still. Anyways, i put savilla on my face, like straight aloe vera, the actual plant. It's this weird goo, and apparently it cures all. Like today, I put it in my hair mixed with egg (everything natural here, folks) to help my hair grow! 

Wowazowa, who knew? (Speaking of, look how long my braid is, wooooo!) 

Lots of rain in Quilla lately. But still not cold, it is HAWAII-bamba, i'm serious.

Ghoenghi and his cat, he cracks me up. El pequeñito of my convert, Nori.

 

I just love spending time with Yuli Salazar, any free moment that we have I want to spend with her. She doesn't have much, lives so humble, and just wants to serve a mission so bad. Her desire to share the gospel is contagious. 

Then we had the talent show, and hermana firth and I sang "All Creatures of our god and king together. Definitely different than all the salla goin down.

We have standards of excellence in our mission (pretty sure that everyone does), numbers that we want to have for the week, like how many lessons, how many contacts, how many references received, etc. Not that it is about the numbers, but it's a good way for us to know how we are progressing.

Anyways, this week, President upped the numbers. Like, a lot. Here I was fulfilling all the old numbers, feeling oh so cool, and then right when you're good,what usually happens? You are humbled. There are some numbers that seemed impossible to me, but this week, we worked hard. HARD. And, hey! We were able to fulfill some of the standards! I won't say all, because well, we're getting there, but I know that God always provides a way for his will to be accomplished. (Nephi knew it too, 1 ne 3:7)

Brian is back from Cusco after 5 years (no just kidding, he was gone for 5 weeks, but you know, haha) Told us he hadn't attended in Cusco, which I was just bummed about, but he's a timid fellow, so I kind of understood why. He still is just SO excited to be baptized. November 19 this the date!

An investigator I have taught basically my whole mission came to the chapel for the first time in this whole time, and this week again a second time. So that's a miracle. Still hesitant about getting baptized, but we'll see. That's Rosa, the one that always agrees with everything I say. ("AMEN hermana" "AMEN praise Jesus" things like that, she always says as I teach.) LOVE her. 

Okay, those are just a few random things. I love you all a BILLION. (I usually say a million, but i realized it's more than that)

Oh está todo bien, 

Hermana Clark

Mom, a little help with mission prep

Ah, mom thank you! You are so wonderful. Okay, because of lack of time, my help with the mission prep class will be my letter this week. A lot of normal things happened this week, so we'll just go with this! 

Hmm, what do I want to say to the mission prep class? 

Wow, this is so cool and so spontaneous! 

 

         

Saw Hermana Celan! That was a blessing,and I cried! Also, Hermana Garcia. And all the sisters that came from the CCM with me, minus Hermana Bingham. (hence my funny arm, oh boy)

  

 

 

Let me just start by saying that a mission is the best thing that you could spend your years doing right now. Like, sometimes I have these moments where I am walking the streets, doing my regular routine, and then I think, "what they heck? This is NOT normal. I walk the streets of Peru speaking spanish every day" and "I live in PERU". What, it is so crazy, and I feel so darned blessed. BUT I also realize that not everyone will walk the streets of a foreign country, and not everyone will speak Spanish (slash other language) . BUT oh my goodness, I am so jealous of the missionaries that serve in the states too. 

There are a lot of things that are so wonderful about a mission. And there are a lot of things that are hard. Like, rough. But, the joys outweigh the sorrows a 100 times. 

You will see the church in a different light, through branches that are still pretty new, that are definitely still learning, and through the eyes of your investigators hearing the message of the restoration for the first time.

 

 You will realize how much you really love the gospel. It's so awesome, you come to know of the necessity that the gospel is in the lives of every single person. 

 You will learn what it feels like to really love your family. Wow, I thought I loved my family before.

 Addy Clark before the mission, YOU don't even know. 

You learn the importance of families. Please cherish your time with your sweet moms, and your wonderful families. 

You learn that you don't know how to cook squat without the internet. (Ask your mom to send you with some of her recipes!)

 You learn that wow, seminary was actually really important. I feel so grateful for my seminary teachers all through high school. Pay attention in seminary! 

And wow, one of the best things you can do to prepare for a mission is memorize your scripture mastery scriptures. It doesn't matter if you end up serving your mission in Mandarin chinese, you will still have those scriptures in your mind. I can't count the times that we have arrived at a house, and our investigator or a member will begin to cry as they talk of hard things that they are passing through, and I have those scriptures in my mind right off the bat to strengthen their faith. 

I am so grateful for my mission, and I love this beautiful country. Read Alma 26, you will understand that chapter in a whole different light on the mish. You will experience that joy. I promise! 

Keep on preparing, keep on being good, and you know what would be the biggest advice? Start being a missionary now. Like, invite your friends to church, share the gospel! You'll get out on the mission, and you'll wish that you had. 

Oh, and also, I LOVE when the youth are so willing to go visit a less active with me, or help teach a lesson to our investigators. The youth are so powerful. 

Anyways, the church is true. Mission prep is the bomb. We have a mission prep class here, and sometimes only one person comes, but he is just so pumped to serve, even if no one else from the whole district comes. And stand up for the right! 

Okay Mom, I love you and I love that you are teaching mission prep AKA building the kingdom of God through missionary work. Also, I don't have anytime left at all, so I just want to give a shout out to Grams for being such a strength to the sister missionaries in her ward. Reading about Grammy helping the sister missionaries left me a lil teary. LOVE YOU GRAMS!

           

  

We went to las ruinas en chinche otra vez. 

Somos Peru. 

Mom, Thank you for the CTR rings. E was SO excited, but he can't keep his eyes open in pics, so he always looks a lil wiped-out. But he was super excited about his new ring. Says, "everytime I want to do do something bad, I just need to look at my ring, and remember, "haz lo justo!" so cute...

The BEST WEEK EVER

Hello darling family! 

How was your week? I bet that cool things happened in the states this week, but did anyone get to see a baptism AND a wedding of some of your favorite people in the world? I DID. Oh man oh man, I just want to take a lil time to brag about that, because I have waited almost my whole mission for this wonderful week, and it finally came. (It's actually kind of surreal to me that it all already happened.)

Okay, so first of all, I am training, like you may already know. Technically I have 3 hijas now  (Hermana Caballero , Hermana Garcia, and now Hermana Asang!), so I've been called "La Mama de la Zona Quillabamba ", or Mama Clark. Super proud of that, haha. No, kidding. Okay, but Hermana Asang. Honestly the biggest answer to prayers. She is SO good. SO pumped to work. Super niña, like very innocent, pure, just believes the best of every situation, and is not shy at all. She will talk to anyone. So that is a little tribute to my hija, Hermana Asang. We are very different, but she compliments me very well, and I sure do love her. 

We traveled back from Cusco during the night on Wednesday so that I could be here on Thursday. I was like, there is no way that we arrive on the day of the wedding, there were still so many last minute things to do!

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. I LOVE weddings, and as they presented the couple for the first time, I just cried like a baby. Seriously, no it was actually a little embarrassing, but I just couldn't help it. It is a unexplainable joy. I thought deeply about the times in the beginning of my mission when I doubted if I really even had a purpose here in Peru, when we walked the streets for my first 6 weeks without a progressing investigator. I just thought, "Honestly, I could do a lot more missionary work at home in Spokane". 

But let me tell you: I know that T&J G (Because now they are a married couple, wowazowa) I know that those two were waiting for me. They have passed through hard hard times in their lives, opposition, and lots of tears, but they are so strong. And the first lesson we had (Me and Hermana Celan) they told us,  "Hermanas, we're really not looking to get baptized, we just want to know more about the mormon church" and I remember thinking, "We'll see about THAT." hehe.  And everything after that is history. And as Tony got baptized, and then J came up out of the font, and in her soaking wet clothes, immediately took me in a huge hug, and we both cried, I just reflected on my life. And I am so happy my parents taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ, that I went to BYU-Idaho, that I had good friends who always encouraged me to go on a mission, and that I made that choice. Where would I be right now if I hadn't?

I love. my. mission.

I am blessed beyond measure. My Heavenly Father sure does love me.  And His children in Peru, and in all the world. 

Thank you for your prayers always. I will never stop being grateful for those prayers. 

Families can be together forever. This I KNOW. So grateful for my sweet family, my favorite people in the world. I am always bearing testimony of the family here. It is the basis of my testimony. Everyone has their keystones, and I just love how the gospel focuses on families. 

T and J and C, are on the road to the temple. They love talking about that day in one year, and when Jessie was thanking everyone for coming to the wedding on Thursday (like a little speech), she said, "We are grateful for everyone who made this day possible, because now that we had THIS day, we can prepare for an even more special day in one year where we can be married for eternity in the temple". You can imagine that the tears were coming fast at that point.

This church is so true. It has brought me all the happiness I feel everyday, happiness that lasts more than a night, or a party, or this week when Jessie made me a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, because she  found peanut butter here. I felt JOY in that moment,  but the joy of the gospel is so much bigger! 

Lotsa love a cada uno de ustedes!

Chao! :) 

PS If you would like to  send  me a letter, (which I know you would ;)  you can send it to this address. Also, my friends who are getting married, shout out to you all, PLEASE LET A SISTA MISSIONARY  KNOW. hehe Love you all!
Hermana Addysen Clark

Peru Cusco Mission. 

Av. de la Cultura 2417. 

Frente de Urb. Santa Ursula. 

Capilla Mormona, Cusco. Peru

A, one of my favorites, she's like my adopted lil sister here, made me a friendship bracelet. Stole my heart honestly, that lil one. She's cole's age. 

When I gave our wedding gift to T&J, a set of nice scriptures. THEY LOVE THEM, I can't explain, it made me feel so good. 

I taught T and J how to make microwave popcorn (I found a bag here, WHAT?) It was cracking me up, I felt so much like Grammy as I explained to them that 2 minutes on the microwave was better than the popcorn button, haha(because they just got a microwave  too) They were so mind boggled with micro wave popcorn, it was the funniest thing. I love them so much. 

"Padre, ayudeme creer en Ti"

Hello family dearest, 

Today is cambios, and I received a letter this morning telling me that  I am going to be training again. I wish that I could send you a letter like I sent you when I found out that I would be training Hermana Caballero. I was so overjoyed. 

Right now, I literally have the best companion in the history of ever, she is my soul sister for sure. We are the same, yet so different, and I really just wish I was training her. Now we are thinking that she will be headed home, because I don't know if I told you, but she is waiting on her mission call. Or also, an Elder told me that we could  be working in trio, Hna Garcia, me, and my hija. I am praying and praying that all will be well this change. 

If I really AM training like my email from President says, I will be here in Quilla until Christmas!! Is that crazy or what?!  But, I am excited that for a new transfer, because this transfer has been  the hardest one of my mish, for sure, and then the very best, with Hno Gerald's  baptism and everything, and Hermana Garcia arriving. I am praying that she doesn't leave. 

Okay, so this week  was GENERAL CONFERENCE, literally my fave thing, and you can call me Molly- Mormon. I LOVE CONFERENCE. I obsess over it weeks before, and give it lots of thought,  and I was fasting  as conference started with questions in my mind. It was incredible, as conference started, literally in the first session, all of my questions had been answered. I LOVED Elder Uceda's message about prayer. Wow, he was speaking to me. 

One quick thing because I don't have much time. We have these investigators named M and M. They are almost 12 and 9, and their dad is a menos-activo that we have been helping to get active again. We've really been working on getting M to pray, and this week he finally prayed. His prayer was the  humblest prayer I have ever heard. He said, "Please  bless my dad when he goes to work hard really early in the morning, and thank you for the little food that we have. Heavenly Father, please help me to believe that you are there". His humble prayer brought me to tears, and I felt our Heavenly Father so close. He really is only a prayer away. When we begin to address our Heavenly Father, the heavens open, and He. Is. Listening. 

Loved the thought of listening to conference with you all. We were doing the same thing this weekend, and that makes me happy, even though we are  millions of miles away. There truly are faithful saints in every part of the world, and it is hard to understand when you haven't seen it. But, WOW have I seen it. Love the faithful saints here. 

Just got news that I am training, and that my angel compi is leaving me. Oh why oh why, but the Lord always has a reason. Sometimes it's really hard to accept, and I feel so underqualified, and wonder why is he having my train again, after what happened the first time.  It was honestly so painful for me, but I know He has a will in everything. 

Getting ready for the best week of my life, with T& J 's wedding. I cannot believe it is finally here, Oct 6. My heart is full. 

Love you all!

Praying for you all. "What a wonderful day it will be when the members of the church not only pray for the missionaries, but assist those that are serving in their home wards" Please. Help the missionaries. 

The members are so gracious and loving to me here, and I only hope that you all are doing the same. 

Lotsa love

Feliz como una lombriz

Hello, this week was so wonderful. I am SO blessed. Seriously. 

On Wednesday, my new companion got here. You don't understand. She has to be one of my biggest blessings in my life. She is so kind, so ready to work, loves to sing, we think the same. She is the best, Hermana Garcia!

We had Hermano G's baptism this week, and I cried so many tears of joy. That family is on its way to the temple, and it makes me so happy. I KNOW that families can be together forever, and now they are complete in the gospel. I love a pic that I sent you home of Hermano G with Elder Ludlow right after his baptism. It just captures his joy SO well.

This week, we went and did service at a polleria, and we washed a billion plates. It was soo stinkin fun, and as I was getting more plates off the bottom shelf. (this polleria was dir-ty.), I saw a lil something move, and I freaked out, because I thought it was a lil mouse, but then I felt like such a nancy because it was a lizard! Like a lil salamander. The owners told me, "Ah no, Hermana Clark, that's normal! He'll eat some of the bugs down there!." haha gotta keep the lil creepy crawly friends around, I s'pose.

After service, I had my work clothes in my bag, along with my hawaii sandals. (My air bethlehems, i think is what Cole calls them), and as we had been walking in the streets, one of my air bethlehems fell down, and I had no idea. We got to the house that night, and I didn't have my shoe. So, we went and looked and looked, and NADA. I was praying the whole time, "Please Heavenly Father, i LOVE those sandals." (haha, call me dramatic but they are something else!) And this was just the biggest miracle ever for me, (because they HAVE to be my favorite shoes), but I was like, aw man, they are gone forever. Just when I turned around to give up, like I kid you not, I was turning around to go back to the house, I stepped on my sandal. My lost sandal, IN THE STREET. What. I could not believe it. 

Like I said last week, our God is a God of miracles. And sometimes they are little things like lost sandals getting found, that lots of people would call insignificant. 

And you know what? Sometimes they are big. A father of a family of members, that initially was very indifferent to the gospel, that wasn't interested in hearing the lessons, that went through a lot of hard times that tested his faith, but then decided to listen, to humble himself, to see if the gospel his family always talked about really. was. true.

He prayed and received an answer. His testimony is firm. His desire to be a good father is unshakeable. And, he was baptized a member of the church of Jesus Christ this week. THAT is a miracle, my friends. A family on the road towards the temple. 

I love my mission, love the people of Peru, and love YOU. 

The gospel is true. I will never, ever deny it. 

Prepare for conference this week! It is going to be gold, I can feel it. :) 

Love you all to the moon!