11-23 New Start...

Good Morning Starshines!

    Elder Clark says "Hello!". Just wanted to mention a few cool things that passed this week. I'll start with the office (like always..).

   In the office we changed things up.. I have my own personal cell phone as well as my companion and am now called "Secretary of the Mission" which is pretty cool with me.. I heard the Title "Secretary" is making a comeback! Yup.. With a title like this it's DEFENITLEY going on my job resume. I'm now not in charge of mail or baptism registries or the simple easy things.. Now I'm just in charge of the HUGE FREAKING CINCHO (belt) RECIEVING JOBS! (trust me you don't want to get the belt..). so yeah that story I told you about two weeks ago? I'm in charge of those situations. Travel, Telephone problems, IT Technology problem solving, new elders, Returning missionaries, passport problems, ordering all church materials and absolutely ANYTHING president.. or just about any missionary needs that isn't specifically included in the other elders job description.. I'm the "I don't know.. let me pass you to.." guy.

   In the area we've been having more success. With the office changes I got a 3pm rule set in place so 3:05pmHna. Kirk comes in and gives cincho to anyone that's still working and not heading out the door. It's a little frustrating for me cause I'm really the only one who is still hectically working at this time but I'm thankful cause we have been blessed just like she promised us!

   We have a baptism fecha for the 21 of diceimbre the same day that my delicious friend Elder Cole (Steeve pooh!) has a fecha for.. I look forward to having a baptism the same day as him! Our Baptism se llama Helmut.. Dr. Helmut Schmelding! No actually its Helmut Bol but it ALWAYS makes me think of Get Smart.

   We also recieved another investigator that I predict will be baptized shortly after Helmut. We were casually chilling at a tienda eating our tortrix and using our sly SIMI techniques on the tienda man when from out of the tall grass in Vermilion City sprang a menos activo and her non member husband.. no one knew they even existed till they pulled up to the tienda and begged us to give their baby son a blessing. We had a great lesson afterwards and talked about the power of the priesthood. The husband told us he would like to have that blessing for his family and that if he knew the church was true he'd be baptized.. basically he knows everything just wants to know why his baptism in another church isn't valid.. Well who can guess what our next lesson will be about?! ;)

   Another really interesting thing this week. The next day another member asked us to come and give her daughters blessings of comfort. one of her young daughters has been seeing a black bridge sometimes and the last time she started to freak out. her older sister was with her and couldn't see a black bridge but seeing her younger sister so scared at nothing scared her as well.. I gave a wonderful blessing to the younger sister and something that used to make me super nervous to do just rolled off the tongue so sweetly and I can honestly say I had no idea what I was going to say till I said it.. the blessing was probably the most sweetest thing I've ever heard and I could honestly feel the love our Father has for her!

   I feel the Savior's love for me and can recognize his blessings so immensely now! I know he loves us and that through him (and ADD just a LIIIITTLE bit of faith) we can do casacas GRANDES!!! 

   Remember me always in your prayers and know you're in mine!

Yours anew,

Elder Hyrum Clark

 

 P.S. I'm a peacock! (for Heather Loader!)

11-16 My area?

I thought you'd never ask!

   Okay.. I realize with my crazy office life I've neglected to mention much my area. I'm still in the same area "Cobán 2A" but I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that my area actually changed.. not the name just the house and where I'm serving.. so I'm "Not opening an area" and "I didn't get a change" but I'm now living in a mountain with a sweet house that doesn't have a place to wash your hands in the bathroom.. the shower shoots out green sparks if you try and use water hotter than 40°F and thats only if we have water and electricity at the same time. I really like the place though! It's a huge house for two people and it has a garage and like four rooms.. BIG rooms! me and my companion feel like we have our own AP mansion.. it just is missing a few nesessities like water and lights half the time.

   We gave up all our progressing investigators when we "Didn't have changes" and were left with ONE family that isn't progressing.. almost at all.. The thing is this guy is totally awesome.. just doesn't want to change.. let me rephrase that, he wants to change tuesday.. but his wife doesent.. but then wednesday she does and he doesn't. thursday they decide they dont want to take the lessons anymore but saturday they call and want to know why we havent visted them yet.. needless to say we've been looking despretly for new investigators!!!

   I'm so angry right now... my keyboard doesn't have the letters on the keys so it's VERY difficult to type this up! I'm extremely glad I took a few typing lessons before I left cause luckily I mess up less than half the time.. plus the backspace is half sized so when I try and back space it ends up looking like this. Rubber ´vaby vbubby bumnpers}¿

   So I think I'm going to get some changes made in the office! It might mean I get a personal cell phone and a fancy title.. or just the cell phone.. thats the más probable.

   No TOO crazy adventures this week.. we had two more medical trips to the cap but we used the bus system so Big Jimmy didn't have to pay the Pyper. That and I'm getting used to these whole last second emergency calls. They're super fun! I feel like HQ of some spy agency one day and like Alfredo Valenzinii, Mob Front the next day.. the mormon mob that is. Never too much excitement when you come from a family of 13!

 

 Picture time!!!

Distrita.. I'll talk more about La Distrita next week.. I hope to have a picture by then. (Don't look at my long hair and unshaved face! I didn't have water that day!)

 

 Elder Suitter my awesome ZL who makes brownies in a toaster oven with me when we have divisions

 Elder Bashaw. New finance Elder. GREAT guy for a good time!

P.S. 

   I tried a bodé (european toilet paper.. wink wink, nod nod) for the first time today. DEFINITELY a life changing expirience!

Yours newly animated.. with a dead keyboard,

Elder Hyrum Clark

 

 

 

11-9 "Something Hilarious" "Just that"

I'd name this something hilarious but I have no Idea what I'm going to write. I've decided to name it just that.. or maybe both!

   In my absence of though A thought came to me.. I'll write a letter about funny stories. Funny thing is those are hard to remember afterwords.. It's like when you're laughing you head off your brain lets out hormones or magic juice into the blood system and it removes the thought out of your long term memory bank.. anyways heres what I can think of.

  Strange things I've seen:

1) a 4 yr old kid.. alone.. peeing out the side of a moving tuctuc. WHAT?!

2) Crazy old lady chopping down giant weeds with a machete... in transformers pajamas.

3) A dog ran up to us barked for 2 seconds.. started convulsing on the ground and then ran away.

4) A picture of Isaiah sitting on a strange man's lap. AND

5) A drunk man sliding down a mud road on his bum.. I'm not going to lie I felt like joining him.. it looked really fun!

   So this week has been better! I'm getting ahold of things and even though I am completely behind I still seem to LOVE being in the office! Honestly I've never been more stressed and had so many things to do and so many responcibilities AND emergencies that I've had to do at the same time.. on the same day.. before 3pm! okay thats a lie.. I'm never out by three.

   So this past week I was in charge of getting a plane ticket for an elder who had to fly to the capital (Guatemala City) for a surgery.. got the call around noon and President wanted him on the plane that night. Thing is he couldn't get on the plane without his passport which happened to be in the area office IN guatemala city! Well that would have to be shipped be mail and wouldn't arrive till the next day so that stinks. Next thing I do is call Big Jimmy in the Cap and let him know what my piece of pie looks like and he pulls some strings and talks to the baker. The baker tells his crew and we get a ticket that night. Problem #2, Big Jimmy can only pull so many strings and The Kid needs to bring ID to board the plane. His ID is in Sayaxché. I call The Checkerboard Angels who works in that neck of the jungle and they tells me they can get him an ID.. but it'll cost.. about 4 hrs. Problem #3, The plane leaves in 4hrs. I call Mother Bear Companion of The Kid and lets him know whats going down. He makes a few pigs squeel and eventually gets the ID on a shuttle heading for The Checkerboard Angels. Good ol' Mama Bear saved us 2 hrs! All we can do now is wait.

   6:30pm The Kid is moved to the airport and is paitiently waiting to board the plane. I call The Checkerboard Angels and they tells me somethin went down at the bus stop and they're still waitin for the package. I call Big Jimmy and tell'em to give the Baker a piece of cake and pull the strings a little harder. The Kid HAS to board that plane in 1hr!

   7:30pm The Checkerboard Angels call me and they updates me on the situation.. They got the package and hop in a taxi and Litterally yell "¡Vamos al Aireporta y hacelo rapido! ¡hay un Q20 extra en esto para usted!" as you can imagine we're in guatemala and this taxi driver would do almost anything for an extra Q20 (Exaggeration.. sorta). 

   8:00pm The checkerboard Angels arrive at the airport but the plane has already left.. No worries though.. Big Jimmy Cut another slice of cake and The Baker got The Kid on the plane. 

   So that was my day Thursday.. I may have glorified it in a few places but it is exactly how I remember it when I look back! Ask the Checkerboard Angels they'll tell you the same thing.. just from their point of view.. and in spanish. Big Jimmy doesn't know I call him that so we'll just keep that our secret okey? ;)

   I'm living the dream out here guys so dont worry too much about me.. Just send me a bunch of letters.. or a package.. or a package of letters! ..with candy.

  Take care and know I love you! I'm all growing up and stuff so you guys can love me even more when I get back!

FOTOS

Me with a lot of money!

 

 Investigators getting married! YAY!! One of the happiest days of my life!

 

 Me with a rose! ;)

 

  I'm actually not sure why I added this picture...

 

Yours with epicocity,
Elder Hyrum Clark

11-2 Transfer Week

Wow...

   Transfer week was a blow to the cara! I've never had so much to do, so little preparation, so much responsabilidad y been so left without instructions! My Office trainer left this transfer and wow I realized how unprepared I am to take on 75% of the office load. I'm now considered Mission Secretary and have access to buying unit materials and get to charge almost everything to the mission.. anything thats not personal that is. That seems like a perk but even though I only do 75% of the work I receive about 90% of the Cincho! 

   I also received my new office companion.. I've never met someone so prideful. We spent the night at the assistants house with the new office elders yesterday and he just bagged on me for an hour straight saying that I don't teach him anything and that I don't know what I'm doing and that I shouldn't even be in the office with how incompetent I am. I know that I'm verymuch not ready to be in charge of this much stuff.. and I know I'm not the best teacher but I'm trying my best and SON!! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TWO MONTHS IN THE MISSION YET! Wow.. but really it was a humbling experience.. I felt like dirt and not just normal dirt.. the muddy dirt thats left when someone spits on the ground. His companion later told me to ignore it and that I'm doing a great job. Yay for amazing Elders! I know I'm not the only one to be uplifted by a good elder!

   I'm still pushing forward and trying to be a better teacher. I know I have a lot to learn here in the office but I wouldn't trade it for the world! My friendships I've gained, lives I've helped, smiles I've made... Nothing feels better than knowing I'm helping so many missionaries!

   I'm not sure what more to say but know that I love you all and that I'm sending saludes from out here in Cobán!  Take it easy and know you're my shimmering, glowing star in the cinema firmament.

 

Viejos

Nuevos

 

Yours Humbly,

Elder Hyrum Clark

10-26 New P-days!

Hello Everyone!

   Welcome to my new P-days in the office! I love p-day's in the office because I don't pay for internet, My Mission President gives me money to take my investigator to watch a soccer game and free lunch with that (Sad day :( .. Barcalona won) and I also got to play pool with the assistants (I won! 3 Times!!).

 

So this last week has been crazy in the office.. it's change week so everything's moving around and crazy. I've missed a few lunches but I've made up for them so it's all good... I have a ton to do for the new 21 elders and hermanas (sisters) that are coming in and also get stuff ready for those that are leaving! not to mention organize transportation for all of them and do all my hundred other pouch assignments.. oye mama.. I still can say with a big smile on my face that the perks are better than the downfalls!

   My mission President is cooler than all of yours! He's such a great guy and is getting this mission the kick start it needs to surge forward! I love his teaching Ideas and focus areas and he (being a convert) knows how our converts feel in a lot of situations. It's helped me out a ton cause he can share stories that fit in perfectly with my converts situation.. and then other times he'll come out and teach with us and he's completely open about the fact he's a convert.. and that he didn't like the church at all!.. until his moment hit when things changed.. He gives me hope for that moment in each of my investigators!

   I did divisions with my ZL Elder Suitter and it was great! We taught some amazing lessons and felt the spirit and worked amazing with the member we had who bore amazing testimony! Not only that was amazing but to add on that we went back to the house and made Brownies and watched a church movie! What an awesome
 guy!

Things are going great and I'll let you know that my new companion will be Elder Fitzgerald.. he has one change so I just realized now that I'm going to be a mom! Plus his office dad.. but the mission mom trumps office dad cause no one but office missionaries consider the office parents as real parents. Anyways I have no Idea what he is like but I'll send you a picture with him next week.

   Wait... I just realized another realization.. that he's not my REAL companion.. just my office companion.. I'm going to stay with Zavala in the proselyting area.. so I'll just be an office dad. That's cool though right? I'll still take a picture so you can see who my office compaion is.

   But anyways.. now you all know I have P-days on Saturdays and you can all show me love by sending me letters!

   Guatemala Coban Mission

   Apartado Postal #34

   3ra Calle 2-02 Zona 3

   Coban AV 16001

   Guatemala C.A.

I love you all!

   

Yours on a Saturday,

Elder Hyrum Clark

 

10/26 Ooops, mas!

I had to write more cause President walked in and told me to darles Saludes! (he says Hi!)

also I need to add a few more pictures and stories I forgot!

  Bus rides are crazy! I'm sure all you who have lived in central america know.. but riding on the bus is always an adventure! Anything from blasting 80's music to being awkwardly close to females or having someones bum IN your face.. Sometimes the adventure is bad and sometimes its a blast!

 

 

Also the plaza (Mall) here was CRAZY today! there was a halloween dance and fashion show with costume contest in the supermarket where the speakers were so big and loud that they almost blew my clothes off! Made shopping fun though with all the workers and people dressed up in costumes. also at McDonalds I found out that Ronald is actually Guatemalan and loves to sing kareoke.. no he was not dressed up for halloween this is the actual ronald McDonald that has his own McDonald van! This is him singing about paper airplanes in spanish.. His van was tight!

 I think that's all the fun stuff I got for today.. I'll miss you all till next saturday!

   

Yours on a bus,

Elder Clark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10-21 Photos-- Road Building Service

10-21 Super UNbaggie!

Okay I'm going to apologize  and say I'm not focused much on writing home right now.. I JUST ran into Aaron Howard who I worked pest control with and literally left him 5 minutes ago.

Me and Aaron Howard

So Aaron served here in Guatemala about two years ago and spent the majority of his two years in the polochic.. the area I hope to go to and die in (die in missionary terms that is). hearing his stories and seeing the pictures of polochicmade me baggie (trunky).. but not baggie for home.. baggie to get out of the office and into the chic as soon as possible! I cannot wait to get out there and learn q'eqchi! luckily I'm in he office and can print out q'eqchi learning materials like.. tomorrow.. so I already know what I'll be doing mañana!

   I'm still in coban 2A working in the office. I love every minute of it and the work is still great outside of the office! Lot's of people say it must stink to be in the office and those in the office are so excited to leave but honestly I LOVE it! I work with the most amazing people and just this last week the Senior Companionship (Los Kirks) went to the capital and bought me jolly ranchers and peanut butter!

 

I love them and because of them I'm POSITIVE I want to come back and serve a senior mission.. So I'm going to have to search for a future wife that wants the same!

   My companion Elder Zavala continues to be completely Pilas (Awesome) and our time here is chilero (cool). He's got English down pact and Just so you all know this Honduraño from san pedro sula spent two semesters studying at BYU-Hawaii IN ENGLISH! wow.. I love Spanish but to take college in only Spanish I imagine would be hard. I'd learn a ton of new vocabulary though!

   I'm learning tons in the office and this next Tuesday me and my companion will be training two new office elders after only one change of learning in the office. Sounds crazy but I believe we can do it! maybe.. :P we're still not sure if we're going to split up and have them as companions or stay together and they'll be companions but we'll find out this Saturday when we get the change call! (Yeah like 3 days in advance!)

   Saturday was a great day as well.. me and my companion went and helped do service with a investigator.. we built a road! yup! Thank you Bro. Bice for your teaching me how to do cement work! these people thought I was a cement wizard! the city is going to engrave our names (which they still think are "Elder Clark") in the road and it will be there for years so when I return in 50 years with my grandchildren I can show them that spot and say "I built this road with my bear hands... alone.. in 5 hours.. 3 miles of it!" and I'll only be mostly lying to my grandchildren! I have photos but they're from my comps camera and his photos are big so I'm going to send them separate!

Amaya Family

   We're teaching this awesome family that lives next door.. well they're our Landlords.. los dueños de la casa.. and they're awesome! The husband and children are ready and so is the wife but she's scared about accepting a fetcha.. her family is catholic and they kinda persecuted her sister when she joined so she's scared it'll happen to her.. but they're already basically members.. we just need to help her overcome her fears and see that she always will have this WARD family to help her through anything and also help her see that her sister is a great example and to see the BLESSINGS she's received in her life from her decision. Here's the Family Amaya:

 

 

I love you all and I keep you in my prayers!

Yours Unbaggily,

 

          ---Elder Hyrum Clark

10/14/2013 Tired.. Just tired.

Well I am extremely tired.. working a full office day and then a full missionary day on top of it is impossible.. if you cut out the EXTREMELY helpful study time you can just BARELY fit it all in. Sadly without the studying it's not as easy and not as fun. How bad is it that I as a missionary have missed days reading scriptures personally? I'm going to try and work on that.

   Today was funner than others.. still played futból 2hrs but we woke up at 5:30 and helped our Menos activo build a place to sleep behind his sisters house.. it took us about 2 hrs and he's ready now! guate houses are so easy to build ;)

 

 

 

 So this menos activo is super pilas and has changed so much! these past two weeks he's gone from the drunk guy without shoes sleeping on the sidewalk that the YM would use as a fun fact for the new missionaries ("Hey see that drunk passed out there curled up in a ball?.. yeah he's a member") to a dapper looking guy who has earned a little money so he doesn't have to go to church in rags. He's cut his hair and shaved and this last week let me just say I felt proud standing next to him.. He really did look dapper and I hope next week to get a picture with him all fancied up!

 

 

 

 Changing lives changes your life! I can't tell you the joy you feel when you see people's lives changing.. you can see the happiness entering their lives and the brightness enter their eyes and just seeing that makes your eyes a little brighter and your smile a little bigger too!

   I'm dead beat but I want you all to know I think I've already gained back the pounds I've lost.. I looked at myself and I look healthy.. now I need to watch what I'm eating so I don't swing all the way over to the fat office guy. not that they exist in guate.. fat tienda guy.. THOSE exist and they're pretty funny too.

I haven't taken any new pictures so sorry.. my comp has a picture of the "house" we built so I'll see if I can get that by next week! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 BTW Happy Birthday to the Amazing Taylor! Hope it's a great one for you and that you haven't forgotten me yet! Keep being awesome!

 

 

 Love you all!

Yours with Sueño,

 

 ---Elder Hyrum Clark

10/7/2013 My Comps

Pictures of my companions!

Yours with pictures,

 

          ---Elder Hyrum Clark