Week 60 - Happy Birthday Mom!

To start, I'd like to wish my Mother a Happy Birthday! Thanks for all you have done and now do!

It's been another great and busy week. We met with Lehi, and he's progressing very well. He's having his baptismal interview tonight before mutual, and he should be all set for his baptism on Saturday. In our lesson yesterday, we were sharing a few of the spiritual experiences that we've been a part of as missionaries and before our missions. He was telling us about a few of his own experiences and how they influenced him and brought him to the point that he's at now. The spirit was there, and we were all learning from each other. It's like that scripture in Doctrine and Covenants section 50 that talks about when you teach by the spirit and learn by the spirit, both the teacher and the student are edified and rejoice together. We're very blessed to be a part of this work.

My biggest fear I've faced missionary has been the fear that there is only one good kind of missionary. What I mean by that is I had a fear that if I was going to become a happy missionary, it was only by fitting into this image I had of a "perfect missionary". I won't go into a lot of detail as to what I thought this perfect missionary was, since I don't think I even understood it myself, but basically, I had this fear that if I didn't fit into this cookie-cutter image, I was failing in the eyes of the Lord and everyone else. As time went on, I came to realize that among so many of the missionaries I looked up to, there were certain things that each of them had in common. Obedience, a desire to be a force for good, diligence in the face of difficulty, and love for their fellow men and God were in all of them. Beyond that, however, I learned that no matter who you are, where you come from, or how long you've been on a mission, every missionary can be amazing. Some had drastically different interests, personalities, and ways of working, and yet they were all great examples to me as a missionary. Looking back, I don't think I've ever met anyone who has fit my imaginary "perfect" mold. I have learned that the Lord doesn't call us here to become an army of clones in white shirts and black name badges, he calls us here to show us how unique we are. And yet, we are united in purpose. Each of our differences contributes to the group as a whole, and through the atonement, we become the servants that the Lord needs. I hope that makes sense.

We were out on rescue visits this week and we went to see one of the recent converts in the ward. He wasn't home, but we were able to meet one of his roommates and invite him to church. As we were talking with him about church, we had someone knock at the door. It was actually our young men's president coming to visit this same recent convert. He'd had a feeling that he needed to visit, but every time he had come, no one was home. Finally after about eight tries, he came to the house at the same time as us. This allowed him to get to know our new investigator a bit and help him when he came to church that Sunday. It's great how the Lord will not only put us in people's paths, but all of his servants, regardless of their calling or responsibility.

Last week we read about the arrival of Jesus Christ on the western hemisphere. I found myself marking my scriptures a lot this week. There are scriptures on baptism, the role of the gospel in a disciple's life, and plenty more.

This week, we'll continue this event in the Book of Mormon by reading 3 Nephi 16-20. Best of Luck!

Love,

Elder Clark

(Photo 1: My english and Korean name badges)

Photo 2: Biking around in our area)

His favorite knit hat from Groovacious (a record/incense store in Cedar City).  Who would have thought Australia gets cold enough for knit hats and wool gloves!