MACHU PICHU, one of the best days of my life.

Just pics this week, gotta go catch a bus to Abancay, we're gonna go work with the sisters there. Life is CRaZY BUSY. I am very good. 

MACHU PICHU IS INCREDIBLE. Mom and Dad, we NEED to go when you guys come. Absolute 10/10. 

In the words of mom, G2G!  

Love yuns. 

hermana clark 

Feliz Pascua!

Hola sweetest familia! 

HOPPY EASTER!! 

 First off, more pics from last week at Moray, it was seriously SO beautiful. 

We went to QUILLAQUILLA this week, and that was so wonderful. I worked with Hermana Dueñas, she's from Utah, but she looks latina, and her last name is Dueñas! She is seriously my favorite, I absolutely loved working with her. That girl has the fire of the gospel inside of her, and she is lighting a fire inside of so many others. I loved talking with her about the mission, and about grammar rules in Spanish, and teaching lots of lessons with her in a day. We saw so many miracles that day, and we invited one of her investigators to be baptized, and he accepted a date! I wish that you could have seen her reaction, it was actually the sweetest thing, so excited, and happy, and FULL of joy. It filled my heart with the Spirit to see her react like that, and I remembered my first investigator that arrived at baptism was like the best feeling ever. One could think that that is just "greenie fire" to get excited about someone accepting a date, but that's not just a "beginning of the mish feeling" it calls for REJOICING  when any soul decides to come unto christ, to be part of his fold. 

 Me and Hermana Dueñas (worked with her this week in divisiones, she is SO wonderful)

Hermana Ovando is training Hermana Dueñas, and Hermana Ovando is from my group. I love her so darned much, she has to be one of my favorite people. 

 My compi met my fave place in Quilla, MISKY . After a long hot day of work, a cremolada is a misionera's bff.

My companion Hermana Barrientos is someone that every person should have the opportunity to know. She is sweeter than sugar, loves everyone (and everyone loves her), is so kind, has a strong testimony, is really good at making people laugh (she's a little jokester), and loves the Lord. She always gives me hugs and is just the cutest. I feel very VERY grateful to be her companion. 

Well, this is actually a house, but there was a lamb peeking out the door, just standing there, "baaaaaa-ing", and that just made me laugh. Not normal, it was funny. 

The weather is beautiful these days! It gets pretty cold at nights, but in the days, the sun is usually shining. I realized that I was a real sissy about the weather when I got here. I had no idea that it is almost always over 50 degrees.One of my mission pals got home, and she sent me a pic of the weather report for Cusco.  Really got used to that Quillabamba heat, 80's every day. I love the weather in Cusco. Okay no, I just love Cusco period. 

Helped Hna Ruth decorate easter eggs for the first time. She bought these funky plastic eggs that I had never seen before, and we decorated them with colored tape. That was really fun! And then on easter morning, she hid them for the kids. That isn't a tradition here, but I had told them about it, and she LOVED the idea. So cute. 

Semana Santa, or the week of Easter, is huge here!! There aren't bunnies or easter eggs, or even lots of chocolate, but there is a lot of remembering the Savior. Ahhh, I LOVE that about Peru. So many people who just love God, and know that Christ lives. They eat 12 different plates Thurs-Saturday, and here I am with sopa de calabaza, everything with calabaza is traditional here. AND, you can't eat red meat during the week, only fish, so we ate a lot of fish! Peru has made me LOVE fish- My pension, their restaurant is a Cevicheria, and I cannot wait to try ceviche when I end my mission!!  (because as missionaries, we can't eat it, because it can make you sick or something to the likes) 

I've been reading the Book of Mormon, and this week I read 2 Nephi 4. That chapter is 10/10. SO good. I love what Nephi says in verse 26. 

O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

If you have felt God's love, and have seen miracles happen (and everyone has seen at least one!), why stay in the valley of sorrow?

If you are in that valley of sorrow, if life is beating you down, if things are just rough, PLEASE don't keep walking in that valley. Climb the mountain (and it may be hard sometimes) and get out. And you don't have to climb alone! The Savior walks with us, and he even carries us up that mountain when we can't find the strength to walk. I KNOW THAT, because I have felt it here on my mission. 

I love you all more than you know. I hope that you had the happiest of Easters, and are still snacking on easter candy every day. But more than that, I hope that you remember the Savior, and that he lived, and died, but most importantly, that he lived again! 

Keep on working hard in the Lord's vineyard, in HIS work. That's the most important work you'll ever do. 

Lotsa love, Hermana Clark 

April 10 2017 Moray!

I worked in divisions almost all week (and it was exhausting). I worked with Hemana A, Hermana S, and Hermana F. Only got a pic with Hermana F, forgot too take pics before with the others, it was just busy. Hermana F had to go do tests in the hospital, bc she has strong allergies to something and we don't know what. It made me think of colebug, as I saw a woman in the hospital using that machine (what's it called?) that Cole said, "I need my tweetment". haha. Ah, nebulizer! (right?) and also when they talked about allergies in general. miss you Cole 

Also, a few cute kids in a lesson (that were WILD, needed to be tamed, but SO cute and precious) 

And, Polly didn't want a cracker, but he did want to sit on my shoulder (how bout that?)

We went to Moray, and holy wow, that place is AMAZING. The Incas always just blow me away with their architecture. Oh, I don't know it I told you, but I am going to Machu Picchu in 2 weeks! TWO WEEKS! I am so so so excited. 

This woman explained to us how they dye the different wools, and I don't have time to explain it now, but when I get home, I will give you all the down low on the traditions here!

All of the cool pics we took at Moray are on another elders camera, I'll try to send them next week. This place was so cool, the Incas blow my mind!! 

Pics with llamas never get old. 

 for that matter, pics with any animal, haha love it. 

 Clearly not a yoga master, but hey. ;)

Me and my sweetest compi, she's from Lima, and is THE BEST. 

April 3rd, 2017

Okay, this top picture is THE COOLEST. This store let us borrow their traditional clothes to take a pic, and it was the sweetest, but it was also a little sketchy, I thought they were gonna rob us (hence why I'm not looking at the camera, haha) and it would've been so easy to do it! Don't worry mom and dad, I'm street smart, always lookin' out.  

Well, I took this pic with a la piedra de 12 angulos ( the rock with 12 angles) and then a man yelled at me "Doo not tach!!". So I got a legendary picture of me touching the rock with 12 angles (that is FAMOUS) and that's not allowed. SO cool! haha

Me and my comp (who I love) are Cusquenas to the core!! 

In my sweet lil (BIG BUSY) town. 

Went and explored el centro last P-day- Holy wow, I love that place, it is magical.

We also had Concilion this week, and I saw my FAVE person, mi hijita Hermana Asang. Oh my, I adore her. So, now she is in Abancay, and we're their hermana leaders and they are ours. My hijita is my hermana leader, is that cool or cool? 

And then me and my sweet Hermana Barrientos. She is the BEST. A real answer to prayers. 

Planned the zone meeting this week with the ZL's. That always takes a good chunk of time, but it was awesome! 

 

Me and a goat that joined us in a lesson. That's pretty neat. 

And another thing, a missionary came to stay with us this week. She is Hermana Marca, and is a really sweet girl. That was fun for us to be in a trio this week. 

And then, me and my compi., 

It was Edu's 6th birthday. He is the sweetest boy, and I love this family with all my heart.

(mom and dad, I cannot wait for you to meet them)

We also did zone pday, and did olympics and we were winner winners, and brought home the cookie dinner. ha :) (I guess I was super excited about it too, bc the only pic I have I'm lookin at my cookies. YUM.)  

1- A pic for my momma. :) Wasn't conference just the best? I am SO SO happy to be a missionary for this wonderful church, and more importantly, for the Lord. I KNOW with all my heart that THIS is His work, and I couldn't be doing something more wonderful and rewarding. 

ALSO, BEST EVER. Our convert Brian from Quilla was in town, and he attended the conference. I got to see him, and oh my goodness, that kid only continues to progress and it is so cool to see. It makes me feel oh so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and how it changes people. Brian shared with me his conference notes, and is still so pumped to serve a mission (came to every session in his suit, that's a future missionary!) I have so much love for every single person I have worked with in this beautiful country, a love that confirms to me that we seriously all ARE brothers and sisters. SO cool. He said, "Hna clark, as I listened to Elder Costa's talk, I thought, "man, I can't wait to share my story across the pulpit like that. And hermana clark, you had better know that you are going to be in it." That was the coolest thing, I have worked with him from the very beginning, and it is just so cool to see. 

Love you All!