76 - All Hallows Een

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


This week has been interesting... Our car needed long term fixing, so we walked for three days entirely. That was an adventure. I am SO thankful for a working car now! We were only able to walk to two lessons per day due to the distance required to walk. I haven't been that sore in forever. Other than that adventure making a dent in our work, we did get to see the Baker family and helped them strengthen their understanding of the restoration, Joseph Smith, and The Book of Mormon and its role in conversion and The Bible.

We visited the members in the heights, lots of tired mom's making costumes for the Trunk or treat. We also were able to meet Brother Rosas, and Ihave never seen so many varieties of fruits in my life, including some I never knew existed! So beautiful there, he let us tour his garden making up of plumeria, multiple varieties of oranges, tangerines, tangelos, limes, lemons, (I forgot the name but a fruit like a lemon lime looking fruit, tastes like a bland orange, with a slight sweet lemon, and a grapefruit aftertaste) purple/red dragon fruit, sugar cane, white and red pomegranate varieties, two varieties of persimmons, pecan and other nut trees, lots of pepper varieties, sweet potato, papaya, avocado, and other usual garden plants. SO PRETTY, it looked like a sightseeing garden more than a fruit garden how he set it up! He even used used old concrete from the sidewalks to make retaining walls, such a great idea and so pretty... Who would have thought! He even has chickens of all colors and said they love pomegranates that got spoiled by rain (the fruit rots when wet... who would have thought). That was an adventure. He LOVES giving extra food to neighbors and missionaries so we came back with more fruit than I knew what to do with other than share.

We also saw Brother Jensen who has an American Eskimo dog named Sissy. Sadly, she has heart defects that were unknown for years and only 1 usable eye now, so he was worried about her going down hill. His girlfriend also passed away a few months ago, so we focused on being positive despite loss and trials. Also on reading scriptures to help him and prayer. Hopefully that will help him. It is hard to see people going through loss like that in his age of life. Everyone around him is moving on to the other side more and more these days.

Lots of slow progress here, but that is OK. We did go to the Trunk or treat though because the bakers where there. Trunk or Treat's are almost a necessary here in California due to "scary clowns" going around lately. The bakers loved it since it was safe and reliving childhood for their kids to enjoy. LOTS of cars this year! As for Halloween this year for me...apartment cleaning. Almost as scary as what you see outside trick or treating.... Glad our apartment isn't since we deep cleaned it already. That means inventory of books and things, and additional study! Hooray!

Picture of Baker family at trunk or treat... I wore another Little India outfit with a skirt I had! Sister Dimmick was also in ethnic clothing from South America...another missionary hand me down. Our costumes were sister missionaries from around the world... So creative huh?

75 - Kumquats have a sunnier hue

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


While we may not have done much as far as teaching this week, we did have zone conference, Ken's Baptism, Emergency test for the stake, and apartment check.

We also found most of our appointments canceled, but hopefully that will change this week, but we kept busy and met with ward leaders to help target some people we could help out or visit so we could help the ward and other individuals that may need a message of hope or help with service. We were thankfully quite successful with that this week.

Miracle of the week was when we visited with the emergency preparedness specialist in this ward who recently was called, she was discouraged and lost in what to do. She wanted a map of the ward boundaries but despite all her attempts, the streets were off or unnamed making it almost impossible to use. We came to help her with a service by using my previous map fixing abilities I gained in my previous areas and used parts of an atlas book of sorts (not sure the name) and I carefully placed them up even so copies could be made and/or enlarged latter. She then took us out for lunch as a thank you and gave us some copies that were laminated as well when she finished them. God knows when we need help the most and she said that is was better we came when we did rather than the day before and we gave her the help/service and encouragement she needed right when she was at her lowest. We just felt prompted by the spirit to visit her first thing that morning, it goes to show it is better to follow the spirit rather than ignore it and continue on with previous plans to visit her latter.

She also had us have some kumquats, it was Sister Dimmick's first try at them and her reaction was funny, she tried to eat it without the peel and it was a big sour one too so she wasn't a fan. I however enjoyed a few since it had been forever since I last had some. We joked about that for a long while in good humor.

We went in the La Habra Heights (friendly hills) more this week. It is quite an adventure trying to find people up there and going along those roads. it reminds me of a roller coaster, lots of steep ups and downs with interesting sharp turns on occasion. Thankfully we don't pass by many other cars often in the smaller roads, or else I would rarely make those trips. It is real fun though going up there especially those rare sights of the entire valley below all the way to the ocean if the smog isn't thick only a few members live up there, They weren't home so we have to trek up there again some time.

The Baker family was fun to have a lesson with, we did a lesson on the plan of salvation and the father really enjoyed it. He kept asking us questions and loved our responses so we told him to write down any more questions for next time. He even said that it makes sense to him so much more and is starting to understand why it is us missionaries love to go on missions sharing about what we know and love to bless other people who are willing to listen. I hope they get baptized soon, they are such a great family! I also love the members who always let us use their home to teach at and fellowship them since they live outside our boundaries and can't travel to their home. I'm just grateful that the mission president that is over their area was kind enough to let us teach them.

going back to my last area for ken's baptism was a treat yesterday. Almost half the ward was there in support of them and even parts of the YSA were there to welcome him into the YSA should he like to come. He was so excited and even asked to share i\his conversion story and testimony afterwards. He even told us that his father said to him that he was so proud of him, something big in his life considering the previous nonsupport. His father even said he would be willing to support him to go on a mission should he choose. I am so happy for him!

Ken's baptism! Each time I get to see someone I taught make the choice to be baptized makes me so happy and proud of each and every one. It makes it hard to leave for home in a month, but I know they will all be just fine as long as they continue to face their life towards the savior Jesus Christ and in faith. It was interesting to see Sister Painchaud running over to give me a hug and said "my companion!" she must have missed me after all. Funny how life turns out, I'm just glad we are better off now!
All is well that ends well!

74 - New companion and refrigerator!

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


My new Companion is Sister Dimmick, and we have been having lots of fun together. This week for the most part has been very slow, but eventful. I moved to the Santa Gertrudes Ward in Whittier stake, and most of my area is in the La Habra Heights and just below. Sadly, whoever decided the boundary lines neglected to put into account the fact that in order to visit certain places, you can only get there by leaving the mission boundaries.... So we are two of the few missionaries who have permission to leave the mission to use a few streets to get there. That was interesting. We also found many small 2 lane roads that we both agreed were too small for 2 cars to pass by at the same time at some points, so we definitely said a prayer before heading out in the heights to find a few members to visit who were neglected in the past due to said reasons and mileage restrictions making it difficult to venture out there for. They really need to give us more miles for those winding roads to travel, but I doubt they will. It was an adventure though! We also got a good view of the entire mission and beyond from some points. Especially since it was the clearest day I could remember in the longest time for here. Normally you can see the smog about 50 feet away, but it was nice and clear that day. I will never complain about Utah smog ever again. California smog is 100 times worse, even for Utah winters!

No luck in the back woods, but we did find out some gated communities over here that we noted on the map for future missionaries so they don't plan to make a 10 minute drive thinking they could get to another section of the area and find out it is gated and have to go ALL the way around for another half hour or more. We did that trip for them....

Miracle of the week:
We also had an adventure as we found out our ancient fridge decided to leak water from the freezer and ruin everything so we had to buy new food and swap out the fridge for a better one. Turns out the housing missionary just had to close an apartment in Whittier and had to figure out a way to take the fridge down to storage so it worked out perfectly for us! Sadly it was an old elder's apartment and it was filled with mold..... needless to say we spent some good time sanitizing it and the deepest cleaning of a fridge ever in my life to get it safe enough to use. Another adventure in itself. Our car coincidentally needed to be fixed so that took up our day that also opened up when all our appointments canceled. That trend followed the rest of the week, so we only taught 1 lesson to our investigator Sherri the entire week and another with Abigail.

Sherri had just listened to a Christian radio station, and we came and taught about the same subject. She marveled how we seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear and prayed for. She is going through a tough time, so our visit helped her a lot and gave her hope. We also helped her find ways to write down her prayer and things in it so she would read it to help her build her confidence in saying her own prayers instead of reading some one else's. After all, the best prayers come from the heart of the person saying it.

Other than that, I found out that Ken from my last area is getting baptized on October 23rd so that is exciting. I just hope we can save the miles enough to make the trip down. Of course I get sent to the furthest away zone possible.... irony.

73 - Exchanging miracles

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


This week is bringing changes. I will go on an extended exchange with Sister Kwon in the Harper Park ward next door to ours. Sister Painchaud and I were having a hard time with each other, so to give each other time to refresh from the tough transfer we have had, president has negotiated with us since we are so close to the end of the transfer. I hope that Sister Painchaud is helped by this. After exchanges with the STL's last week, she perked up, but it didn't last long, so I made the call so that both of us can hopefully have a good week. We also have a general authority visiting our mission this week, so that has added stress because we need to have everything perfect in our apartment and area book.

We had a great opportunity to go to Bishop Terry's with Leicy and Ken there. They even made us a family tradition breakfast just before it started, that was fun. Ever since their son went off to his mission in England, they said it was just too quiet, so it was nice to have us there. This was the first time I have gone to a member's house for conference, so I was thrilled. It was also nice to talk afterwards and discuss things we liked, had questions on, or clarified. Super fun! Ken loved it, especially Priesthood meeting from the day earlier with the ward mission leader. It is so nice when members from the ward on their own invite people we teach to come to events or activities. That is always the best.

We had to return Stella's plate which gave us an opportunity to talk with her since we haven't heard from her for awhile. We helped her with some questions and concerns she had about Joseph Smith, and hopefully I can find what she needs to hear. It is a hard question to answer, but with The Spirit's guidance, anything is possible when you add God's help in the equation. I am so glad we got to see her and she is doing alright. Just wished she got to see General Conference since that really would have helped her. Satan is really working hard to keep people from truth and joy around these parts these days.

Miracle of the week, while on exchanges we decided our goal was to find a new investigator to teach, and Sister Watson and I did just that. We went by a former who had recently decided at her rock bottom to stop doing drugs and have God more in her life. She said that us coming by was just another sign by God that he loved her and was aware of her. She was happy to hear we are Christian, unlike she first had thought when elders first taught her a while back and wanted the sisters to teach her more of the message. Goes to show miracles do happen, especially on exchanges.

This General Conference was so good, I definitely want to listen to it again since I couldn't write down everything i wanted to in my notebook. I also found as I go along my mission, the more and more I write things for myself and more so the people I am teaching or working in the ward with. Funny how that works.