My "Normal" Week

 This week has been one of pure madness. I am so, SO tired from being up all night. Do not worry, it's not because I'm partying all night or anything, I've just been staying up late to study... sometimes because I'm lazy but not always!

 This week I hope to improve my time distribution. Yes I have a schedule but that only helps me for my classes. I need to improve my distribution between socializing and studying... oh the world's problems... how I detest them.

 I've been enjoying my classes these last two weeks and I love them a lot. My favorite class has to be Software Development. Although I haven't done anything great, it's fun to write a code that makes the computer asks a question and then answer it depending on what you tell it. The last one I did was a code where the computer asks the temperature in Fahrenheit and when you input the temperature it converts it to Celsius... Pretty cool stuff!

 In addition to Software Development I love my social dance class. It is a class but basically I just have to practice dance steps with girls and I win the grade! How cool is that?! I love dancing and I love girls... therefore all is well in this class. In addition to this class I'm taking a workshop for the dance "Lindy Hop" which is a type of swing. It's difficult but so much fun!

 Besides study also I do other things... not many but some. We went to see the new Avengers movie (It's really good! I really liked it.) and I went to the temple on Saturday morning to help with baptisms.

 While I was baptizing a young man, his nose she started bleeding and we had to stop everything until they filtered all the water from the font. I felt bad for the kid, I also have to be careful with that. If the air is dry my nose can't take it and sometimes it will bleed. Luckily it was humid in Guatemala so I didn't have any problems there.

 I'm in the same apartment with my cousins and my brother which is fun. We have been wearing specific things on certain days of the week and we've been thinking of other days we might implement more... For example:

• "On Wednesdays, we wear pink" (from the movie "Mean Girls").

• Star Wars Fridays.

 We have met our home evening 'sisters' and these past two weeks we have gotten to know them pretty good. So far we have shared a dinner, had two "Bang! nights" (It's an Italian, old western themed game that you play with cards) and had two or three movie nights with them ... I think they like our apartment but it's hard to tell. All of you know me... and let's just say my cousins and brother are almost as weird as I am so for some people that's hard to handle before they actually get to know us.

 These last few days have been difficult for me. Those who know me from the mission know that every once in a while I'll lose my enthusiasm for a few days... Yesterday I lost it. I don't know why this happens to me but all the sudden I'll start to criticize myself a lot and get depressed. I call it "that time of the month" because it happens almost routinely... it's very strange. Luckily I ate lots of brownies with ice cream and three girls gave me hugs today so that helped a lot. Ice cream + hugs from girls = Happy!

 Well it's pretty late and I need to wake up early tomorrow so I'm signing off for today! I love you all!

Crazy Travel Week!

  This last week has been a crazy one. We left the end of last week to go to Utah and see family.. I left you with the happy knowledge that we were having fun and about to visit family.. but I left you all too soon!

 Ever have that week where everything's just amazing.. and then tragedy strikes? Well listen closely as I tell you of how my amazing ending led to what followed next.

 So I finished writing you and we all prepared to leave the next morning to visit my sister, her husband and her 8 children. we packed our bags and were very excited to be on our way. We were also sad to be leaving my other brother's house so in honor of our last night we all stayed up till 4am playing games and having a grand ol' time but knowing we had to be heading out early the next morning we decided to get some shut eye for the night and so ended our night of lollygagging with hugs to the kids and goodnight wishes. I fell asleep quite easily and never drempt of what I was to find in the morning.

 That next morning I woke up to my mother who had sat down next to where I was sleeping and when I asked what was wrong I heard the story from her. 

 Apparently she woke up before us to do some quick shopping to take things to my sister and her boys. When she was driving down the road she felt like she should stop and see if we wanted to go with her.. after all she was going to Costco.. and who DOESN'T want to go to Costco? So she pulled over and was about to call us when she decided she'd go do some other errands first and then come back for us but as she started pulling out onto the street the car started to clench up and then died on her. Smoke started to come from the front right wheel well and so she got out of the car and popped the hood to see what was going on. She assumed it was the breaks because the car just seized up and then died. A few gentlemanly public electrical workers stopped and tried to help her but the engine would not start up so she abandoned the car there and walked all the way back to my brother's house to find help (don't worry she wasn't terribly far from his house).

 This is where I come into the story. She came down stairs and woke me up where we walked back to the abandoned car (me in my beautiful pink slippers) and waited for a tow truck that was to take us to an auto-mechanic that my brother knew and trusted.. all the time we thought it was the breaks but when I got there we put it in neutral and it ran smoothly.. so it couldn't be that the breaks clenched up. When we got to the mechanic's shop he tried to start it and found it was the timing belt. Now the timing belt is the belt that makes sure the engine is moving at the correct time with everything else so as to not have pistons or any other do-hickies clash, bend, break or in any way ruin themselves unnecessarily. He told us that because it was broken there was a chance that we could have blown out the engine. We had two options at this point. 1) Replace the timing belt for $700 and hope the engine wasn't blown (Which would have costed us around $6000 to replace) or 2) Sell our car for scrap metal at around $400. There was no way of knowing if there was internal damage to the motor without getting a new timing belt and if the motor WAS damaged buying the timing belt would have been a wasted $700. We were in quite the pickle. The mechanic said there was a chance that the engine was okay ONLY due to the fact that it happened when the car was almost completely stopped, he said that if it had happened going 30+ Mph it would have for sure blown the engine.. so we were left to decide.. and we only had a few hours to do so.

 Well we got back to my brother's house and my mom was already talking about getting a new car. I didn't want her to get rid of our car because honestly it's grown on me! I'd always hoped that I'd buy it from them someday but in her eyes it was a lost cause. Our car had around 230,000 miles on it and typically they last only until about 250,000 miles. I still didn't want her to get rid of it and tried my best to convince her it would be a good idea to replace the belt and give it a shot. I felt that it couldn't have been a mere coincidence that she "felt like she should stop and call us" RIGHT before the car died or that it all happened so close to our brother's house and not 5-10 miles away. I just FELT like it was going to be okay.. luckily my father felt the same.. and even though it was a risk paying $800 for an old car with 230,000 miles on her they did it.. and two days later our old car was back up and running!!! (I'm so happy about this! I might still be able to get it!)

 Well the two days that we waited for the car to get fixed we rented another car and headed down to my sister's house and helped her out with a few projects she had going on. Way fun! I got to meet a few of my old foe from El Estor (the mice) but luckily they were a lot smaller, not quite as scary after living with rat's in ones bed (See my post from March 02, 2015 on my mission blog).

 While there we got snowed in! I LOVED being able to see the snow! usually you don't see snow in April but I know the Lord loves me and always seems to move the weather around every once in a while JUST to make my day (and it's not the first time He's done it for me)! It was while we were there that we heard that our car was fine and that we could go and pick it up the next day (which we did).

 After picking up our car we headed up to Idaho but first stopping off in Logan, UT to see another brother and his two daughters. Him and his wife showed us a GREAT time taking us to many cool factories where we tried weird cheeses, flavored milks, free goldfish and ate "Fat Boy" ice cream sandwiches! (on the way home we even found ways to "Teleport" the ice cream sandwiches from one car to another while traveling down the highway! My brother taught me a little about a scholarship program for CyberSecurity.. and I think I might go into it instead of Software engineering.. We'll see what the Lord brings.

 That same night I was able to see some of my greatest friends (one to whom I will be best man at his wedding this summer). I'm so glad I could see them after a long absence of over 3 years!

 Well.. Now I'm here at Brigham Young University Idaho. I've officially moved in and I'm more or less adapted (I say that cause classes haven't actually started till tomorrow). I've already got myself a schedule and added time for my personal scripture study, a temple night (weekly) and I'm hoping to get some other good things fitted into it after working out the bumps and seeing how life really will play out here at the 'Burg.

Other Photos:

Café Rio with the family.

The Names of my brother and I.

Because "Sundaes" just don't fit into the rest of my week.

Changing Places (A New Start)

  Well I wasn't able to write last week due to much craziness and moving on with my life. For those who haven't heard I've been accepted to attend school at the Brigham Young University in Idaho. I'm really excited about this as this is where almost all my siblings have gone and where a few of them currently are going! I'll be going to school with quite a few family relations and also a bunch of friends.. but I guess that's probably not the BEST reason for picking a college is it... oh well.

 I'm planning on going into Software Engineering but everyone keeps telling me that changing your major is pretty common in the first few semesters.. So I'll be taking mainly generals and trying out a few small classes on software engineering to see if it's really what sparks my interest. Who knows.. maybe I'll end up a professional Ballerina! 

 This Tuesday I packed up all my belongings and tried to make sure I had everything I'd need for the next three months. You know packing for three months isn't too different from packing for two years.. I mean either way you can't bring everything you need, you leave half the stuff you want.. and you end up taking 80% clothes and 10% toiletries and 10% junk that you'll probably never use but that you think would be really fun to take anyways. I got off the mission thinking "oh yay! I never have to pack up and change houses again!" then I realized that I'll have to do that every three months for the next four years of college.. yay. So basically it's just like transfers all over again! New roommates, new housing, new mood swings and new chances to improve my patience. I just hope that means new friends as well!

 This week has actually been a really fun one for me as well though! I've been like non-stop, 24hr partying with my family! We went to Bethany Reservoir (outside of Tracy, CA), bowling, dancing, to the movies (I saw the new Cinderella!), on a road trip to Utah, to my cousin's wedding, swimming, to play football, to watch a soccer game, had multiple game nights and ice cream parties, and visited lot's of family! I've already seen 29 of my 40 nieces and nephews and I'll see 8 more tomorrow making it 37!!!

 I'm really excited about life in general.. I know it's not going to be easy or 100% fun but I've always known that.. I just have to do what I've always done and make the best of everything the Lord gives me! I'm so very grateful for what I've been blessed with, for the mission I served and for the qualities I've developed as a child of God! ♫♪"He is my king and my Father.. And I am his.."♪ Never mind.

 Cheque pues my fellow life livers, here's one more "out" coming right your way!

Out,

   -- Hyrum Clark

 

A very technologically advanced scripture study!

30/03/2015 - Arriving Home! "A New Journey"

 So I'm home! I mean, I should be in that weird "returned missionary"
stage where I don't want to be left alone, or where it's weird to be
around girls.. But in all reality I feel completely normal.
 I guess the only logical reason I can think of is that I feel like my
mission went by SO fast! I mean, I don't feel like I was really gone
long enough to lose my swag! I feel the same really! It's definitely
weird not having the same schedule.. But I feel like that's a natural
thing when you move to a new place.. You have your stuff in new
places, you start new routines, you meet new people and you really
build your life, starting from step one, all over again! I'm
suspecting that's how it'll be in two weeks when I'm up at college.
New schedules, routines, people, life.. I guess I've already adapted
to constant changes.. And now.. I'm okay with them!
 This last week and a half has been crazy! I honestly haven't slept
much since the Saturday before I left. The plane landed and when I
came out there was a dude who had a beard standin' there with my name
out! (It was just my brother) we grabbed my bags, took photos and off
we went!
 I never actually made it home. From the airport we headed straight to
my brother's Eagle Court of Honor where, despite my telling them I
hadn't been released, I was hugged by teenage girls and women on
multiple occasions. I honestly didn't care at all but I felt a little
self conscious after a few older members kept reminding me that I
wasn't supposed to hug till I got released. Thanks. After the Court of
Honor I was released, we went home and.. Well the night wasn't that
young and I guess I'll just say "she died at an old age" (I went to
bed at like 3am).
 The next day I was super tired.. But my brother took me to go help
work in someone's back yard. I agreed although not too excited about
working the day after I got home.. I got paid though! $$$ Dolla Dolla!
$$$ that night I went to a dance and danced so hard I came home with a
wet, sweaty shirt and wobbly legs (I know that's gross but I honestly
felt the best I have felt in years!!!) I guess it was kinda weird to
hop into the whole "girls" thing at first but after about 3 slow songs
I got into the hang of things. So I basically became normal after
that.
 Saturday my nephew Brigham was baptized! I was so happy for him! He
asked me to baptize him, so there I was, three days off the mission,
baptizing my nephew! It was a great time!
 Sunday I gave talks in two wards and had my family "homecoming"
party. Had a great time!
 Monday I went to San Francisco! I've lived close by my whole life but
I've never actually explored the touristy places it has to offer. I
saw for the first time in my life Ghirardelli Square, Pier 39, the
Exploratorium, and the Walt Disney Family Museum (I'd definitely
recommend it to anyone who likes Disney, art, drawing, or any of the
related things)
 Tuesday was my reporting to high council. I was able to talk about my
mission for the third time. I might have cried.. But then again I
might not have. I'll leave that for you to decide with your
imagination.
 Wednesday I finally got to rest all day.. I ate my first donuts and
didn't like them.. I was a little disappointed.. But I'm sure I'll
work it back into my taste buds.
 Thursday I helped redo my sisters back yard. It involved dumping out
a bunch of composted dirt and then spreading bark over half of her
backyard.. Also Popsicles were involved, so be jealous!
 Friday I had my homecoming party for my friends! It was a bonfire and
barbecue and it was SUPER fun! Only thing is, people came.. And then
left really quick. It ended around 10:30pm, for lack of participation,
and me and my family went inside to watch a good old favorite horror
movie called "drag me to HAAAILE!" (Well we just like to say it with a
southern accent). I ended up taking all night with my cousins and fell
asleep around 3:30am.. Four men in a bed.. Like old times!
 Saturday I was on a pretty big sleep hangover but still woke up
somewhat early.. Kinda.. Early having considered I'd been getting
about 5-6hrs of sleep for the past two weeks. I talked to my family
and cousins about movies I'd missed.. And tried to catch up on a few
of them (I just realized that "my family and cousins" doesn't make
sense.. Oh well).
 Sunday.. Well.. It was fast Sunday. I caught up with a lot of good
friends at church and we planned a beach trip.. I just hope it
actually happens! (I'll let you know next week.) We had a "break the
fast" after church and I ate a ton and brought some leftover pie home.
I'm scared I'm going to get so fat now.. But then the comforting
though of "you're going to college and have no money" comes to mind
and I remember, I still have four years of starving to do! :P
 I love and miss you all! To those who are still in the mission
remember to take time to enjoy it. Yes work hard but if you aren't
taking time to enjoy it you're working TOO hard. "men are that they
might have joy!" (2 Nephi 2:25)
-Clark out!

17/03/2015 - P.S. Xik Xik We

 Well Just writing you all this last day of my mission. I'm actually in the office right now just waiting to have my last interview with Pres. Curtiss. It's pretty boring cause there are NO missionaries here.. I was hoping I'd be seeing a bunch of old friends today but they all went to Semuc Shampey and well.. I guess I don't blame them. 

 This Friday the El Estor branch threw us a going away party.. It was a suprise party and I honestly was suprised.. not so much by the party but that so many people actually came! almost all the active members made it there! I have never seen or even heard of such a great loving act of kindness shown by so many people for two measly little elders who were finishing their missions. I was overcome with tears as I saw almost 100 people sitting in the gym waiting for us to arrive and suprise us with such a huge meeting full of balloons, photos of us, and a poster made for each of us with pictures and notes for us to take home. I've never felt so loved before!

 It's weird I'm leaving.. I want to go run by and visit a few families before I leave but I feel like I'll have no time! Time has passed by so fast since I woke up this morning at 2am and I'm sure it's going to fly by even faster in these next two days. 

 I heard today that Diana from La Colonia (the young girl I worked really hard with and who was just waiting for her dad to give permission) got baptized on Saturday! I am so happy to hear that and I can't believe she finally made it!!! I hope I'll be able to visit her sometime befre I leave tomorrow.. but I don't think I'll have enough time before the breakfast with President Curtiss.

 Tomorrow is my last meal with President Curtiss and his wife.. I'm scared that things will finally hit me.. I mean I still feel suprisingly tranquilo, like nothing different. 

Well I had the interview with president now.. it went great! He basically just talked about my future (temporal) goals.. about college, My future career and then of course he mentioned a future wife.. but suprisingly he didn't stress too much on that.. not that I think he had too much of a concern of me getting married when I get home. I think EVERYONE knows I love kids and they're in my future. He helped me feel a lot more set on my future.

 Well I got to go now.. the AP's are taking us to dinner! Love you all and I'll see you in less than 48hrs!

12/03/2015 - As one good thing ends, another begins.

 Well as I mentioned on Monday, my last preparation day in Guatemala was spent visiting Ram Tzul, a beautiful waterfall! It was pretty fun and afterwards we stopped by Tactic briefly to eat lunch and write a wee bit before returning to Teleman. While in Tactic I was able to see my old companion Elder Ballesteros! It was good seeing him one last time!

 Tuesday we had a leadership meeting with President Curtiss. All the District and Zone Leaders in Polochic and Tukurú got together with the Asistants and President to talk about how to lead our zones/districts to be more successful. We have one of those about once a year. I learned a lot and wish I could be here next change to apply all that I learned!

 Yesterday we FINALLY got home after many hours of bus riding only to get a call from the office secretaries telling me and Elder Recinos we have to type up and send in our spiritual experiences, goals for the future, character overview and what we're looking for in a future spouse.. So after showering I did divisions with Elder Recinos and wrote my goals and such for over 4hrs while my companion Elder Sierra and Elder Hawks went with the ZL's to do the baptismal interview for Edwin!!!

 That night we had Edwin's baptism! I'm so happy or him! My comp says he doesn't feel like it's a real conversion cause Edwin was already ready when we got to him.. He says there was no change and he doesn't think it counts as a baptism.. I hope he's joking because I honestly am very proud to be a part of his conversion even if he WAS already keeping all the commandments beforehand. That makes this my very last baptism. I feel oddly like Elder Rodgers from the best two years.

 Well I can happily say with all my heart that I'm not trunky to be going home. It has hit me that soon I'll have to leave this wonderful paradise and I'm not feeling too ready to leave! It's hard when you know you have such a short time among such great people.

 It's finally hit me that these goodbyes I'm going to give aren't "goodbye, maybe I'll see you again in the next two years" but now they're "goodbye. God willing, someday, we meet again." I realize I may NEVER see some of these people again! I may NEVER have the chance to laugh with them, sing with them.. And for many who I hold so very dear to me I doubt I will ever have the chance to embrace them in a loving hug.

 I realize that this country, this life style, this culture that I have learned to love so very much is now falling into the past and I must now bid them adieu. Even in a passing visit it won't be the same as these two years of paradise, as a tourist you don't really get the real feel of a country.

 These two years here in Guatemala have literally been a small piece of heaven for me. No worries of what to eat, what to wear, how I was going to pay for food, clothes, rent. I never worried for protection. I've passed through bus accidents, getting hit by a cattle truck, parasites, rat infestations and never once feared for my life. I ALWAYS knew God was protecting me.

 I may never see that kid who always invited us to play cars with him in the dirt in front of his house, or that crazy drunk guy who still insists we unite Mormon, Moroni, Joseph and the local evangelist church leaders together to make a peace treaty and stop attacking each other, or the awesome investigator with a mullet who invented his own equipment for his carpenter's shop, or that guy who asked me to give him my tie and then when I turned around tried to convince me that "tie" meant "pamphlet" and that I didn't understand spanish, or the bus driver who stood up for us when an angry drunk guy wanted to attack us for no reason, or that guy who threw a rock at me when I didn't give him a quetzal. I may never see any of them again.. But they WILL always have a place in my heart and in my memories of this amazing place.

 I can't believe it's over. I guess technically I still have a week left but in 3 days I leave for Cobán and from there my missionary work will be restrained to pure bus and street contacting.. Hey maybe even Airplane contacting? Make the most of those last hours as a missionary! I've gotta do my best because after that it's on to my next chapter in life.. College. *shudders*

 I feel like I've lost hold of time.. Of my adventure as an Elder in Guatemala.. BUT as a man with a beard once said "as one good thing ends, another begins".. And I can only hope what comes is even better!

 As I leave behind one great adventure, I begin but another.

-Elder Hyrum Joseph Clark

09/03/2015 - Quickie!

Hey, Today I don't have a ton of time to write but I just wanted to let you know we went to tactic (a 3 1/2jr bus ride) and visited a waterfall called Ram Tzul. It was a pretty cool last P-day so I'm happy!!! I'll be able to write more on thursday.. it's just that today we have to get back to our area, tomorrow I have a leadership meeting and wednesday we'll be having the baptism of Edwin!

 Love you lot's and I'll talk to you later!