3 - Enter: California

Email address (preferred):
rachael.clark@myldsmail.net

Mission address:
Sister Rachael Geniel Clark
California Long Beach Mission
6500 E Atherton St.
Long Beach, CA 90815

Hi, How are you doing? Things are going well, Sister George my companion and I have been busy visiting less active and a few potential investigators this week. Already we have had two people go to church with us. Amelia, a Philippine woman who went looking for the church who has been going to church for a few weeks now elsewhere. She is super nice and wants to join most likely because of her brothers example. She is looking for happiness and peace in her life as well as someone kind and loving to look after (she is a caregiver and has no family.) The other is Terri, a lady who had a VERY downward spiral past, she grew up here, has been living in park city Utah for awhile, then ended up in jail and homeless and doing other not so good things to herself and others long ago. She has been clean from drug abuse for 9 years now this month and it was her first week at church last Sunday here in California. One would not know her past looking at her and she just got baptized the second of this month!
 I am in the Cyprus ward and am in an apartment somewhere in Norwalk. Not the greatest part of town, but our complex is gated off and pretty safe to be at considering the area. It was so nice to finally do laundry, at the MTC our day was Thursday so I have only done laundry twice the three weeks I have been a missionary.

This is the second transfer that sister missionaries have been in the apartment, before it was only elders. Unfortunately when sister George and sister lafortune (her previous companion) first came, the white walls that cover the entire apartment and white tile, even the fan where BLACK! they had to clean for two whole days to clean it up and even after that the tile grout and the ceiling was still a bit grey and dirty. Those sisters also dealt with Roaches and had the place cleaned before, but sadly they came back and on Thursday sister George and I had to take a day and DEEP cleaned the apartment till everything was super white and clean. We got some cleaning solutions that I used for My hospital and it worked wonders on the tile grout and everywhere else. That apartment was in sad shape and everything felt empty, so we also got a few pictures and posters to brighten and liven things up a bit. So far my daily cockroach kill count is 5-15 a day! But today was the first day I haven't seen a single living one around so I hope this last time got them all. The bug guy said to spray things off real good with bleach and water and leave it there to deter the stinkers from sticking around the kitchen and bathrooms. Sadly they went elsewhere including in my dress while I was sitting on the couch one day!
Other than our little friends who I would like to kick out, the apartment is real nice and clean (most likely the cleanest in the mission now with how well we cleaned it) and is HUGE! Two bathrooms and everything so its never hard to get what you need done in the mornings to get ready for the day.

We helped out the Pontons, who are in charge of the ward mission, and were moving. We got some antique type writers from it that they didn't want as well as a super beautiful and old dresser! I put the typewriter and their neat looking cases and a box sister George got as well and made a nice display in our room. Hopefully I can get some photos from my family and make it our tribute to family and their history with it! Along with those things, they has a pomegranate tree, so I got a fresh picked pomegranate! So cool!!!

We have visited with many of the less active members of the ward and some super nice families, it is a wonderful ward! The only thing they need to work on now is member participation, getting the 2/3 less active members back to church regularly, and to get them to visit teach. So many people just go to church, but don't really do much other than that. Most meeting just have us missionaries and the one person with the calling, no one else. Its kinda sad. But the area is really struggling right now, most of the ward is older and many have either passed away just recently, or have family who has. Its been real sad lately. Many are having financial troubles as well, I hope that my serving now reaches out to those people and can get them back to church, I know that they would be doing so much better if they did.

Here are some photos from my mission. Been so busy I haven't taken many at all. I will work on that this week!
 One of them is of the new extension to the MTC, they had a model in the MTC front desk area. Some other photos of our MTC district and older training district as well.

 Please feel free to email me anytime! I wish you the Best and let me know how you are doing!

2 - Missionary Training Center

2 - Missionary Training Center

Life is going well here in the MTC, the days go short and long, some days SUPER LONG. Sitting for hours on end in desks with the worlds finest and coldest air conditioning. The elders like it to feel like a freezer! Our district is 42B, first day we only had dinner so by the time dinner came were just so happy to have food we didn't care too much what it tasted like. Right off the bat they have us teaching, most days three people, our teacher who roleplays as an investigator, TRC investigator (someone they pay to be visit taught, sometimes a member or teacher, but they do have real investigators coming as well) and TRC member where we teach them a lesson and commit them to something after the lesson. I FINALLY Got my P day today (Thursday) and I am so happy to do laundry and I was able to go through the provo temple which was a great experience. The gym here is neat and have been working out on the bikes and once o the track. Mostly I helped out Sister Foster with her physical therapy exercises. Sister Jones is my Companion and she is so nice and super fit, always running and stretching, and then running. I can never get that good, but that is ok. She also lives in Provo so she practically knows everyone and we get stopped all the time so people can say HI to her. I know no one, but that is also OK. There is almost no time to spend here, almost every second you are either teaching, walking from place to place, or studying. On top of that there is homework..... so usually we just barely get it done. Whatever personal time we get we have to share with shower and writing in journal time. 30 minutes for both and whatever else is not enough.....

Waking up at 6:30 is no problem for me, waiting for a half hour to an hour before that alarm clock sounds because I am already awake is. Get lots of scripture reading though from that.

 Our teacher Sister Jenkins Roleplays an investigator named Davia who was referred from a friend and didn't want to pray at all, so once we got past prayer, it has been going REALLY well, already she agreed to read scriptures daily and even committed her to baptism on the third day! Now to help her with all the other lessons and help her with her insecurity with friends and her boyfriend who lives with her coming back today. Even though this is just for practice, it has been both hard and rewarding. Our TRC investigator Lianna is real nice, HARD to get through to, yesterday we finally got her to read her scriptures daily and not be hesitant because its not the bible. she is non-denominational Christian and believed in almost everything we believe (we were helping her with a few questions that didn't add up since she is at BYU and already knows quite a bit about our church), but didn't believe she needed baptism or any other ordinances to live with god and her family after this life...... but now once we were able to utilize a rarely used or taught about tool while doing missionary work, the Foot notes, were we able to help her see that the bible and Book of Mormon complete each other. She even said she would go to church, which is really nice. Our Member lessons are quite intimidating though, but going well, it just is so different from regular missionary work yet so much the same. I have had some really hard days where I feel like I am just not getting it, then suddenly I do a little latter or the next day, it can be just so frustrating sometimes.

I was called by the district president to be the Sister Training Leader, which was really cool and I was able to go with the zone leaders and help teach the new missionaries that came yesterday. Got to take them on a tour as well, in the dark just as we did our first day, only a tad bit more light out since it wasn't raining real hard like last week. Weather has been real bad and rainy, SUPER COLD, good grief is it ever cold at night when it rains down here. I had a neat service activity on Wednesday, cleaning all the metal knobs and haldes throughout a building, wasn't so bad till I noticed all the door handles that get skipped because there are so many. They get cleaned, but not polished, so I polished them, they looked like that hasn't been done in ages for most of them.... quite sad. I only got one floor though, but something is better than nothing.

Food here is sometimes really good looking and tasting, other times super good looking and tastes so bad/bland/or overpowering sauce placed on top which makes it not enjoyable to eat. I think its so that when we get out in the field, we don't complain about the food there. All in all though, the food is good.

Hoping everyone is doing well, I will be leaving the MTC on the 19th, at 3:30 AM..... that will be one short night’s sleep. I am also placed in charge of our entire district of 8 people for travel. I have never ridden a plane before and in charge of people..... this should be interesting.

Sister Rachael Clark

1 - I'm going on a mission!

I have been called the California Long Beach mission and leave for the MTC on may 6th 2015.

To send letters to me while in the MTC please send to:
Sister Rachael Geniel Clark
MAY19 CA-LB
2009 N 900 E Unit 104
Provo UT 84602

Any packages or letters for missionaries must be sent through the US Postal Service, UPS, or other commercial carriers. The MTC cannot accept packages or other items delivered any other way. Mail to the missionary should be addressed with their full name and mission assignment. At no time are they permitted to receive perishable food items such as pizza, restaurant food, or frozen treats.

I hope to hear from everyone while in the MTC and while in the mission field.

This will be updated periodically when I am transferred to California and areas within California, so check the blog first before you send or it may not get to me.


 I may not get the time on my Pday to write everyone, but I will do my best to make a newsletter of sorts  monthly at the least and when I can I will write back. Thanks for all your support!