Monday, October 28, 2013

Hey Mom, Dad, Rachel, Joshua, Michael and Andrew,

Thank you for all the emails! It's so wonderful getting to hear from you all each week! I absolutely loved the pictures this week, cool costumes everyone! Michael makes a handsome gladiator, and Josh's costume is just hilarious! and Dad looks like.. Indiana Jones? Mom, you're a cute giesha, love it! Haha. It looks like you found Andrew his dream costume, so cute! :) For Sister Strong and my Halloween costume's I think we're going to be each other and switch name tags haha. Just teasing. :) 

It's so fun to hear all the exciting news going on in our ward back home! That's so exciting McCall is going on a mission! You'll have to tell her I'm so excited for her! :) Sam is going to New York, New York. That was adorable to hear about little Nixon already preparing for a mission, what a cutie. What video's did Josh show? I'd love to see them. Have you guys checked out the "Hastening the work" page yet? It's so inspirational! I love hearing about all the neat work that is going on, with Brother Winkelman's friend etc... We sure have such an amazing ward back home. :) I'm glad to hear Mom and Dad got to go  on a fun date. So is Josh getting braces? 

So it's a wonderful week to be a missionary! We have been making preparations for Sue's baptism this week, it's been neat to see how supportive the ward is. Her wonderful friend Sister Larkin is coming from Utah with her family to support Sue, and her husband and a few of her children are going to make it as well. I'm so glad to see her receiving this support. We're really praying for her family right now, it would be so incredible to get to see them make this journey together. My dream is to see them all go to the temple together. That would be incredible! It's so neat as a missionary you get to see a portion of the vision that Heavenly Father see's for each of his children. With each person I meet, I just feel so much love for them because I know how much they mean to Heavenly Father. I was able to give a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday, and the topic was "Becoming More Christ-like" I based my talk on a quote by C.S. Lewis. 

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, New York: MacMillan Co., 1960, p. 160).

It's nice to feel comfortable, the remodeling process can be painful, yet as we have faith in God that he is turning us into a beautiful palace, the pain that comes with the building process is so worth it! Through Christ, we are remodeled. As we repent- (Simply put-change) we become so beautiful, we transform. In a conference, Elder Boren said, "The nearer we get to God, the clearer our weaknesses become. It's a gift that he shows us what we can change" that is the painful part is recognizing what we must change. Ether 12:27 so beautifully illustrates the changing process. 

 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them theiraweakness. I bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my cgrace is sufficient for all men that dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make eweak things become strong unto them.

It's amazing that we have this gift, that we can be transformed through Christ. I'm so grateful that through Christ's sacrifice this gift is available and that he has left us the perfect example, that as we follow in his steps we can have eternal life. I can't wait to go thank Christ one day and give him a great big hug! :) 

Well, so many miracles this week.. Although Max is still struggling we felt prompted to ask Sister Poffenberger one of our cute ward missionaries, (She's in her 70's and just lost her husband to cancer this last year.) Anyway she's so sweet, we took her to visit Max and it went so well, she has even offered to have him in her home for lessons. She brought him this huge beautiful picture of Christ and we put it up in his apartment. It's so sweet, Sister Poffenberger told us, " I'm so glad they called me as a ward missionary, I just feel the happiest I've been since my husband died." it was so sweet. It's amazing that you really do feel so much joy seeing that you have the power to bless lives. I know each one of you has the power to bless lives and the gospel is the greatest gift we can give to those we love and care for. 

I just want to leave you with the invitation to start marking your favorite scriptures in a Book of Mormon, and write your testimony in it, and pray for an opportunity to share it with someone. 

I sure love you guys so much! 
Thank you for all of your prayers in my behalf and in behalf of the people I get to serve. 
I'm truly grateful to be so blessed with such a wonderful family. :) 

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Much Love, Sister Sarah Clark 


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