Monday, January 9, 2012

Letter #33


Hola Familia!
How are you all doing?? Taft is doing just great!  Last week we were able to talk to the Bishop and he went through the ward list and told us some people we should go and visit and all of the less actives in the ward.  Well it didn't take long to realize that about half of the town of Taft is Less Active! Not really but it seems like that when we went through the list and person after person was less active.  So we have been trying to go by and visit them.  It has been so interesting to ask why they had left church in the first place.  Usually they just say that they just kind of fell out of the habit.  It just made me realize how important it is to constantly be reading the scriptures and going to church.  It is easy to become complacent and not fall out of activity.  It really is sad to find them and just think that they really aren't happy!  They might think they are but they don't realize the blessings they are missing out on! 
The work here is so interesting.  I definitely am having a hard time teaching white people.  It is so much harder calling people to repentance in English!!  I am not sure why it is so much more difficult for me but I leave realizing that my stomach was just in knots the whole time.  Its find teaching investigators, but less actives is more difficult.  I am working on it though, maybe I just need to realize that my job as a missionary is to bring people closer to Christ in Spanish or in English.  Zebra work is interesting, we are teaching a couple of white people and a few spanish people. I know it is going to be hard to get people to come to church here because there are about three people that come here that speak Spanish.  I just have to keep telling myself that President put us here for a reason and if the people read that Book of Mormon and pray about it, and come to church, it won't matter if there are alot of people that speak spanish, we can always translate for them.  So cool story for this week!!  so since Bethany went to Peru on her mission I have just been hoping to meet and teach someone from Peru.  Well the other day we went to find this less active.  We knocked on her door and weren't 100% positive that she was spanish.  so we started to talk to her in english.  She spoke a little but it definitley was not her first language.  so we started to speak in Spanish.  It was almost instant the change in her countenance.  She invited us in to her home even though before she had had a "headache".  We sat down and learned that her husband had died  5 months ago and that she was really struggling.  she has two boys that have not been baptized.  Anyway, she is from Peru and I told her that my sister had served in Peru.  It was fun to have a teeny tiny connection with her that way.  She let us share a message with her, and also sing a song.  She was so sweet and I definitely feel like we were guided there at that time to help her.  Hopefully we can help her understand that if she starts to come to church she will have more peace in her life.  She was just the sweetest lady, and now I have fulfilled my desire to teach someone from Peru:) 
The ward is really wonderful and they continue to take good care of us.  They always ask us if we need dinner, we wish that they would be asking if we need more member presents!!  I never realized it was such a big deal for members to come to lessons, but if a member comes to a lesson,. the investigator is that more likely to come to church because they aren't as scared.  That is something that we have to work on here in Taft, is to find members to come to us with lessons. 
Well I hope you know that I love you so much and I think of you each and everyday.  I am SO grateful for the support that I recieve from you all each and everyday.  It makes it so much easier knowing that I have family at home cheering me on!  I love you so much!
Les AMO!
Hermana Clark

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