Hello Hello, real quick

 My new companion is Hermana Barrientos. She is so precious, and is always giving me hugs. 

This week, (like every Semana Uno of the transfer), we go to the hotel to stay with the new missionaries that get here. That is part of our assignment here as the hermana leaders. (Which always means, Papa John's pizza, we are spoiled x 10) 

I always love meeting the new missionaries, because they've got such a fire inside of them. (even though they are usually a little shy, a little terrified) they are SO excited to get out and work. They LOVE the work, and have that MTC fire still. They go and contact in the square, and they see potential in every contact. (we could learn a lot from new missionaries) 

I always have the weird realization in the mission that I am one of the oldies now in the mission, and it doesn't feel that way at all. 

 The neighbor's have a parrot, and as we were hurriedly loading suitcases of hermanas (that had transfers this week) I left the door open for like 5 minutes. In that time, the neighbors parrot entered our house through the door, and I didn't even notice. Later that night, my comp screamed, and I was like oh gosh, what happened? And she's all, "Hay un LORO abajo de mi cama". hahaha, what? We had to get him out, and it was just a funny experience. 

This week, we also washed clothes with Hermana R for a long time. I have a lot of respect for that woman. 

Well, short this week. g2G but I love you all lots.  

Picture post

My compi finished her mission this week. That is crazy! My new comp is Hermana Barrientos, can't wait to meet her. 

 Noche Blanca en Vista Alegre

We had 4 baptisms this week. 

1. Elita (here she is with her family and her dad baptized her. He was less active, but we've been working with their family for a good while) 

Is she just the cutest or what?

2. Adalia got baptized as well. She is 9 and her family is getting active in the church again. I adore her, and in her testimony after her baptism, she said, "The Book of Mormon is true. And I know that because...because I feel it in my heart". THAT is how you know. She is so so good. 

 Hermana Ruth and her daughter Valeria were baptized too. (Lucero wasn't quite ready, but I KNOW she will be soon) They are so strong. 

Here they are right after their baptism. :) 

Noche Blanca and having 4 baptisms was such a special experience that I will never forget.

 ROSITA. 

This girl is crazy, never leave me alone, haha. I love her too much, and this week she told my comp, "when you grow up, you can wear shoes like Hermana Clark" She is always trying to tickle me or climb on me, always giving me kisses and hugs, or telling me secrets, and she is just so precious. 

My fam is having puppy fun, and so am I. How cute is Adalia with a puppy? That's just too cute to be true. 

Valeri makes me laugh all the time, she is so funny, and gave the opening prayer at the baptism this week. She calls me Hermana Joselina (I have no idea why, and it cracks me up.)

UN ANO, how bout that?

These girls crack me up. Oh my goodness, you would love R. She is HILARIOUS. (she´s the one that's laughing in the pic.) Seriously, when I am with her, I think, "Cole would love her", she makes me laugh so hard all the time, and is just so genuine and sweet like Lincoln Jay.
We had a lesson this week with L and V where V decided to be my compi Hna Alburqueque, and L was "Hermana Clark". They decided that THEY were going to teach us about diezmo, and it was so funny how she picked up on some of my mannerisms. She did her best to talk like a gringa, and she said, "ohh my guuudness", and talked with her hands, like I do. It was so funny, and it was a really cool lesson too, to see how much they have learned. And I don't know, it also showed me how much those two precious little girls were watching us, and how we always need to set a good example. I was proud of the way that L imitated me, haha, and when she acted up, and got a lil sassy (classic for her), her mom said, "that's not how hna Clark acts" and L said, "Soy Hermana Clark, renovada". oh brother...hahaha
THEY ARE GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY. 



Cusquitocan anyone get tired of that view?









Well, I'm an oldie now.
I have been in PERU for a year now. How is that possible?
So, one year in the misión, and "wiser too".... here's a lil bit from Hermana Clark to you all:
 This week I taught a few lessons where I seriously had to stand up for what I believe. That doesn't happen all the time, in this wonderful country, where just about everyone believes in God. The first was a woman named Conci, who belongs to an Evangelist church. That church is interesting for me, because they really do teach a lot of truths, there's just a few things that are a lil' off. We had been visiting her,I guess she didn't realize that we were, "Mormons" when we told her that we were missionaries from The Church of Jesús Christ of Latter Day Saints. She freaked out when we started to talk about the Book of Mormon (because we started with the plan of salvation, and she loved it, and agreed with all that we had said), but she said, "YOU'RE MORMONS? I don't receive Mormons or Jehovah's witnesses. I will never worship Joseph Smith, and read a book that he wrote".
I was like *facepalm*.
1. We don't worship Joseph Smith. We worship God, and his Son, Jesús Christ is the head of our church.
 2. Joseph Smith didn't write The Book of Mormon.
But, she was just so stuck in the rumors that she had heard before that I knew that now, she wasn't listening to a word we were saying like she had listened before. All she wanted to do was argue, and I didn't want to argue. But,I testified with my whole heart, and I testified of the reality of Christ's church on the earth today. I was really straight forward, and creo que la quemé un pocito.
We ended and afterwards, I told my comp, "I felt the spirit so strong in that lesson" and she agreed, and I told her she spoke with the Spirit and it was powerful, and she told me the same. But, nothing happened with Hermana Conci.  She was still so stubborn at the end of the lesson, and didn't want anything to do with us. We came to the conclusión, that as missionaries, our words can go as far as her heart, but if she doesn't open it, she will never change.
----->ll It's like this. Nothing that I ever say will enter into the hearts of anyone, if they don't want to feel it. It takes the desire of that person too.
The spirit is what touches the hearts of us all.
Another was Antio, a teenager that doesn't believe in God. (not common at all here) My compi was so thrown off, and she told me after, "I have never met someone that doesn't believe in God".
Isn't that something so beautiful about Peru? A belief in God and the Savior. I felt the Spirit so strong in that lesson too, and he was VERY ornery the whole time. But I felt there was a little opening to his heart, unlike the other lesson with the hermana.
It would be easy to get discouraged in these situations, but it doesn't discourage me one bit. Because in both opportunities, I felt even stronger of the reality of God, that He really does love his children. That The Book of Mormon is NOT the mormon bible, (but thanks for that attempt) but is Another Testament of Jesús Christ, and His ministry to his "other sheep" (John 10:16) in the American continent. And that the Church of Jesús Christ of Latter Day Saints IS the church that Jesús established when he came to the earth and called 12 apostles and gave them the priesthood, or the power of God.
It so is, I have no doubt.
Antio was trying to give me some ant-mormon info, and I said, "Antio, you can't change my mind"
God is real, I know it.
The church is true. I know it.
The Book of Mormon is true. I know that too.
Joseph Smith was called to restore the church in these latter days. Without a doubt.
Jesús came to the earth so that we might live with our Heavenly Father again. TRUE.
 So, don't be discouraged when you share what makes you happy (the Góspel), and people tell you no. Or tell you that you are wrong. Or have a whole lotta information to prove the góspel wrong. Because if that experience didn't help them, it will surely help you, if you be brave and stay strong.
Also, there's a hymn in spanish called "Hoy sembramos la semilla"
It says:,
Hoy sembramos la semilla: una bien, la otra mal;
una entre tierra buena, otra entre pedregal;
en terreno preparado una parte se sembró;
otra parte no dio fruto, y entre piedras se quedó;
Or in other words:
Today we plant the seed, one well, another not quite
One in good soil, another in rocky soil
The one that was planted in prepared land started to grow
But, the other didn't give fruit, and in rocks it stayed (and nothing happened)
 Interesting, no? We can plant as many seeds as we want, but if we plant in rocky soil, nothing happens. There are those that are ready, and others, not quite. But, as the soil of their hearts begin to soften, that seed that you planted will begin to grow.
I love this scripture:
Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.
You are strong and you are brave, and will receive what you put in.
Don't be discouraged and don't give up.
The BEST is yet to come, and that applies to your efforts in sharing the góspel as well.
Oh, I love you all so much. More than you know.
That is my one year rant for you.
I love this country, and I intend on making the very most of every day I have left.
We have 5 baptisms this weekend, so SO excited.
I love my misión.
Oh está, todo bien,
Hermana Clark

oh yeah, and the above pic. A few hermanas stayed with us this week, and we got locked out of our bathroom. Of course the doorknob cant be picked (good ole Peru) and so I climb through the opening above the door, and used a belt to unlock the door. Don't ask how, but it was a good success, and that's just another lil' thing that can happen as a missionary in Peru.

I worked in divisiones with Hermana Valdebenito. I really like her, she's from Chile, and has gone through a lot in her life, and is just such a powerful example to me.

Heavenly Father sometimes works in the last minute

Okay, I'll write a lil' more in this email for my blog. 

Hermana R and her children are my miracles. I'm serious, they make life so so fun for me, and I loved painting their house this week. They had bought spray paint, and we decided to do a tree on the wall, and I have never been super talented art-wise, nor had I used spray paint like that, but was like, "how hard can it be?" and we along the elders painted a tree on the kid's room wall, and Hermana R is obsessed with it, I'm serious she can't stop talking about it. I have to admit I do think it came out pretty dang cute. I mean, spray paint, people! Who knew? And that's something really special that I'll get to leave with them, that cute lil tree on their wall. It was so so fun.

SERVICE PROJECT EN LA CASA DE HERMANA R. 

Wow, have I told you that I love this family? Seriously, they have stolen my whole entire heart. 

Hermana R wanted to paint her daughter's room, and so we went to paint with the elders. The girls are crazy, and there was paint fight galore. Oh my, it was so fun, and they are so funny. 

 

(Lucero is not amused in this pic, haha she's an honary one. PS how do you spell that?) I LOVE THEM. 

 

The elders who share our ward are so great too, and R's son is their investigator, so we are all working hard with that family. Hermana R and her daughters are getting baptized on the 18th of March. 

Also E, (I sent pics of her last week) will be getting baptized on the 18th as well. And also, A, I think I've talked about her too. We are looking to have 5 baptisms on the 18th, and I am so so excited. We are praying hard for them in this time. 

Well, this Sunday was crucial with their baptismal date. An investigator has to have attended church 3 times before being baptized, and all of our investigators needed to attend this sunday for their March 18th date. When church started, only E was in the church, and I was like, "shoot, where are they?" We had gone in the morning to wake them up, and remind them, and they still hadn't came. After the sacrament, me and my comp went into a classroom and said a prayer for our investigators, and that they would be able to arrive. As I said the prayer, I felt the need to say, "Heavenly Father, help us to be happy what ever happens, and that our investigators can be baptized in your time." We went back into sacrament meeting, and still no one had arrived. I was l like, "Heavenly Father, please help me to not cry if they don't come."

It was  9.45, and our phone buzzes, and it's a text from the elders that we share the ward with, and the text says, "Hermana R is behind you". I turn around, and there's Hermana R, with V. And right as I turn around, A and her mom come walking in the door, what in the world?! I was like, "If this real life?" Heavenly Father wants them to get baptized. I am so excited. It was the last minute, but they made it, it was a miracle. 

I said -  I have to tell that to my family!

Okay, I love you all lots! Have the best week! This week is March 8th. 

LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON!

Love, Hermana Clark

Multi-Zone conference

Quillabamba came to town, so I got to see some of my pals from my other zones. 

A pic of some of the missionaries from our zone Inti Raymi. 

Me with my two favorite girls L and V

We made brownies at Hermana Johnson's house.