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
We got the two new pamphlets!!!! Temples and family history and the teaching and serving in the church one. They are a little larger than the usual ones we have now, but they are full of amazing pictures and quotes. I love it! We are currently in our mission the only missionaries that have them! They will be introduced to the mission soon, but since we are over family history, we got a sneak peak, not even the AP's got to see them before us. Pretty neat! We hope to use them to supplement the family history and temple lessons soon and help missionaries use them in their lessons regularly and FULLY.
We got to meet quite a few wonderful people who just got baptized this week while doing the lesson with them. Some even had family who were effected by the earthquakes in South/Central America and still managed to pull through with no immediate extended family hurt. It brought the topic of "families are forever" real home that time, and the comfort that even if they did die, they still would see one another again.
The miracle of the week was seeing Catherine and Tony her boyfriend at their home while knocking the complex and while we only were able to stay for a few minutes, we got to talk about how church went, and Tony was excited to hear that next time he could ask questions and contribute to the lessons in Gospel Principles class all he liked. We also talked about the similarities and differences of times during Christ's time and now days and the teachings being taught. Sounds encouraging that he will continue to show interest towards learning. I also hope to see Robyn again, I miss seeing her.
We did a service project this Saturday for the Cypress/Buena Park service day. We helped clean up the Cypress Nature Park (flood water land). We filled an entire 40ft dumpster and still had bags lining a fourth of the park. It was lots of fun working alongside other members of the stake we never usually meet. Despite the efforts we took passing out hundreds of flyers in the community, no one outside our skate showed up to help. I did hear a couple did for the other projects, but not much. More fun for us!
We also helped Sister Matsen with cleaning and organizing one of her bedrooms. We hope to help her once again next week. Because of that we missed out on a next project at a local rest home to sing to the residents, but there is always next time. It is so neat that we now are getting more regular community projects to help with. This zone in notorious for having barely any projects to help out with.
Transfers are this week. Surprisingly we are staying in the ward and together. I thought for sure they would at the very least assign us to the other ward since sisters were taken out.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
49 - Greater unity and pizza
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
Things are going much better this week with Sister Hinckley and I. Still have some trouble every now and again, but with so many people we have been tracting/teaching, so we now have more possible lessons to keep us busy. Still haven't broken the barrier of more than 4 family history lessons in a week. Work in progress. One funny yet unfortunate thing is we WERE going to break that record, then just as we were going to scarf down a pizza dinner a member gave us in the church parking lot, we accidentally between us two managed to lock ourselves out of our car. The Spanish Anaheim sister missionaries came also for their dinner since it is closer than their apartment. We shared stories and kept one another company during their dinner hour at least while we waited for our spare key to arrive. Thankfully the STL's were closer to the office so they were a big help.
We met quite a few people this week, some promising, other we shall see.
Miracle 1: We met Michael (a new one) and had Sister Nau come with us. He was the first person I ever met that actually took time to look at our website that we gave him from the card. He is a special ed teacher for middle school/elementary school children and loves the kids he works with. So many of them come from homes that never show love and only feel like love or kindness is a weakness. His role is to help them see that there is another way to life, despite what they go back to at home and to be good people to themselves and others on top of his special Ed students. Sadly, because of testing, we won't see him for another month, but after that he would love to learn more. Not committing to anything, but wants to read as much as possible of The Book of Mormon we gave him in the meantime till then. We are excited, and hopefully we will still be here when that time comes. Sister Nau's son also works the same job so they had quite a lot in common to talk about and how our message would help him so much with those students, himself, and others around him. How neat to have members come with us that work out perfectly.
Miracle 2: We met Alma (Mom) when we came to a complex we had trouble getting into. No potentials or anyone were in there, making access almost impossible. We felt impressed to go there and walked to a specific area near the back and saw a little girl playing and went to her and asked for her mom. That's when we met Alma and her mom who used to be taught by missionaries years ago. She said she missed us coming and wanted us to come back and teach her and her kids. The best part is when we looked at our schedule. That place wasn't in the plans at all, yet we could have sworn we read in in our plans.
We have been teaching Vianniy and her daughter this week more. We even had Sister Spencer come and she helped SO MUCH, especially since we aren't mothers yet or older with experience, or very knowledgeable about catholic belief. She was able to connect with her and explain things to her that made the connection and so much more sense and hopefully helped her find ways to come closer to those in her family who are very devout Catholic and her own journey towards God.
Tessa Davis is going on her mission now to new Hampshire. We will miss her.
Its been a good week all in all. No one at church yet, but it's a work in progress.
rachael.clark@myldsmail.net
Mission address:
Sister Rachael Geniel Clark
California Long Beach Mission
6500 E Atherton St.
Long Beach, CA 90815
Things are going much better this week with Sister Hinckley and I. Still have some trouble every now and again, but with so many people we have been tracting/teaching, so we now have more possible lessons to keep us busy. Still haven't broken the barrier of more than 4 family history lessons in a week. Work in progress. One funny yet unfortunate thing is we WERE going to break that record, then just as we were going to scarf down a pizza dinner a member gave us in the church parking lot, we accidentally between us two managed to lock ourselves out of our car. The Spanish Anaheim sister missionaries came also for their dinner since it is closer than their apartment. We shared stories and kept one another company during their dinner hour at least while we waited for our spare key to arrive. Thankfully the STL's were closer to the office so they were a big help.
We met quite a few people this week, some promising, other we shall see.
Miracle 1: We met Michael (a new one) and had Sister Nau come with us. He was the first person I ever met that actually took time to look at our website that we gave him from the card. He is a special ed teacher for middle school/elementary school children and loves the kids he works with. So many of them come from homes that never show love and only feel like love or kindness is a weakness. His role is to help them see that there is another way to life, despite what they go back to at home and to be good people to themselves and others on top of his special Ed students. Sadly, because of testing, we won't see him for another month, but after that he would love to learn more. Not committing to anything, but wants to read as much as possible of The Book of Mormon we gave him in the meantime till then. We are excited, and hopefully we will still be here when that time comes. Sister Nau's son also works the same job so they had quite a lot in common to talk about and how our message would help him so much with those students, himself, and others around him. How neat to have members come with us that work out perfectly.
Miracle 2: We met Alma (Mom) when we came to a complex we had trouble getting into. No potentials or anyone were in there, making access almost impossible. We felt impressed to go there and walked to a specific area near the back and saw a little girl playing and went to her and asked for her mom. That's when we met Alma and her mom who used to be taught by missionaries years ago. She said she missed us coming and wanted us to come back and teach her and her kids. The best part is when we looked at our schedule. That place wasn't in the plans at all, yet we could have sworn we read in in our plans.
We have been teaching Vianniy and her daughter this week more. We even had Sister Spencer come and she helped SO MUCH, especially since we aren't mothers yet or older with experience, or very knowledgeable about catholic belief. She was able to connect with her and explain things to her that made the connection and so much more sense and hopefully helped her find ways to come closer to those in her family who are very devout Catholic and her own journey towards God.
Tessa Davis is going on her mission now to new Hampshire. We will miss her.
Its been a good week all in all. No one at church yet, but it's a work in progress.
Monday, April 11, 2016
48 - Feelin' Filipino
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
Things are going better this week then last. We had more family history lessons, each one we learn something new and how to alter how we do things so we don't run into the same troubles again. Just when you think you have figured it all out, you find out you haven't at all.
We did our first multiple person lesson with family history as well. I ended up helping some prospective missionaries out with their family history so they can take some people to the temple with them next time their youth goes while Sister Hinckley helped the elders in that ward's investigator. It ended up a success. Wouldn't try that again though unless they had as much information to enter in as they did, but it was quite the surprise to come see more people than we first imagined.
We also managed to use up 500 miles already this month on our car! Thankfully we get our miles deducted for the lessons and those miles used up, but that still is a ton considering regular missionaries get 1050 per month. We also taught our first all Spanish lesson, took much longer than we thought in translation, having to pause and not lose thought, and to simplify even more so the elders could translate better. So far so good!
We had to drop lots of people in our teaching pool this week. During our exchange with the STL's they put an emphasis on the need to find quality, not quantity, which was hard at the beginning since we only had 1 quality person to teach, now we have three.
The miracle of the week was when we went by a potential we met at an apartment complete a couple weeks ago, and when we came by she let us right on in! Veronica is a young mom of two adorable kids. She wants nothing more to have the childhood for her children that she never got growing up and is a stay at home mom. She said she would try and come sometime soon and learn more before committing to baptism, but is open to it. I love when we meet people who are so family oriented, honest, and wants to improve their own life and their families life. We need more people like her in this world! I just hope we can continue to meet with her and other people we found this week. Some days you find such amazing people, but after 1 lesson, they disappear off the face of the planet it seems. Or are done with learning more or aren't willing to act on any invitation we give and progress towards the happiness they see they could get to potentially.
Something neat that happened on Sunday. I saw Catherine Delos-Reyes from my first area Cerritos 1st ward! She ended up getting a divorce in the end, but moved here and is excited for her boyfriend and to possibly have us teach him since he is from another church. What is also exciting is that she seems stubborn on going to our ward every week. Be foreI was just she could hardly go a singe week due to work and other things. It think that over time, one notices the difference not going to church makes and then makes a big effort to go regularly after that withdrawal period, some times that is, not always, but sometimes that is true. This is so exciting to have another person to teach AND I already know her!
I have just figured I must have made a promise with the Philippines before I was born, because somehow I inevitably end up teaching almost exclusively Phillipino people. I love them and their culture because of the time I spend with them all, I just find it ironic it ends up this way so often. What a small world we live in.
rachael.clark@myldsmail.net
Mission address:
Sister Rachael Geniel Clark
California Long Beach Mission
6500 E Atherton St.
Long Beach, CA 90815
Things are going better this week then last. We had more family history lessons, each one we learn something new and how to alter how we do things so we don't run into the same troubles again. Just when you think you have figured it all out, you find out you haven't at all.
We did our first multiple person lesson with family history as well. I ended up helping some prospective missionaries out with their family history so they can take some people to the temple with them next time their youth goes while Sister Hinckley helped the elders in that ward's investigator. It ended up a success. Wouldn't try that again though unless they had as much information to enter in as they did, but it was quite the surprise to come see more people than we first imagined.
We also managed to use up 500 miles already this month on our car! Thankfully we get our miles deducted for the lessons and those miles used up, but that still is a ton considering regular missionaries get 1050 per month. We also taught our first all Spanish lesson, took much longer than we thought in translation, having to pause and not lose thought, and to simplify even more so the elders could translate better. So far so good!
We had to drop lots of people in our teaching pool this week. During our exchange with the STL's they put an emphasis on the need to find quality, not quantity, which was hard at the beginning since we only had 1 quality person to teach, now we have three.
The miracle of the week was when we went by a potential we met at an apartment complete a couple weeks ago, and when we came by she let us right on in! Veronica is a young mom of two adorable kids. She wants nothing more to have the childhood for her children that she never got growing up and is a stay at home mom. She said she would try and come sometime soon and learn more before committing to baptism, but is open to it. I love when we meet people who are so family oriented, honest, and wants to improve their own life and their families life. We need more people like her in this world! I just hope we can continue to meet with her and other people we found this week. Some days you find such amazing people, but after 1 lesson, they disappear off the face of the planet it seems. Or are done with learning more or aren't willing to act on any invitation we give and progress towards the happiness they see they could get to potentially.
Something neat that happened on Sunday. I saw Catherine Delos-Reyes from my first area Cerritos 1st ward! She ended up getting a divorce in the end, but moved here and is excited for her boyfriend and to possibly have us teach him since he is from another church. What is also exciting is that she seems stubborn on going to our ward every week. Be foreI was just she could hardly go a singe week due to work and other things. It think that over time, one notices the difference not going to church makes and then makes a big effort to go regularly after that withdrawal period, some times that is, not always, but sometimes that is true. This is so exciting to have another person to teach AND I already know her!
I have just figured I must have made a promise with the Philippines before I was born, because somehow I inevitably end up teaching almost exclusively Phillipino people. I love them and their culture because of the time I spend with them all, I just find it ironic it ends up this way so often. What a small world we live in.
Monday, April 4, 2016
47 - So cold!
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
General Conference Weekend, lots of amazing talks given, and time sitting in a VERY cold chapel. My favorites are always the ones with stories from their life, it means so much more coming from their life. Also amazing ones on fatherhood which was a nice change from last one's focus more on mothers. One's on self improvement and making wise choices, and not giving up when we can be fixed through Christ's atonement when we do make unwise choices.
This week we had 3 family history appointments. One that was super prepared, one that went way off topic, and one that was not that helpful for the missionaries since it was all advanced information that most missionaries won't EVER encounter. The variety week. We did however see that the more prepared the person was, the better it went. The more they learned, and the better the environment was for the spirit to testify of the truths we taught.
We didn't have any appointments this week work out as we helped Sister Lambson move to her new area, general conference took up the better part of two days, cancelled appointments galore and people not showing up, and sadly us needing to not go by them any more. I hate dropping people as a missionary, but sometimes it is for the best. Lost of less active people, but almost all of them were either busy, sick, or unwilling to do anything to help get them out of their current situation.
No matter what it was a alright week.
rachael.clark@myldsmail.net
Mission address:
Sister Rachael Geniel Clark
California Long Beach Mission
6500 E Atherton St.
Long Beach, CA 90815
General Conference Weekend, lots of amazing talks given, and time sitting in a VERY cold chapel. My favorites are always the ones with stories from their life, it means so much more coming from their life. Also amazing ones on fatherhood which was a nice change from last one's focus more on mothers. One's on self improvement and making wise choices, and not giving up when we can be fixed through Christ's atonement when we do make unwise choices.
This week we had 3 family history appointments. One that was super prepared, one that went way off topic, and one that was not that helpful for the missionaries since it was all advanced information that most missionaries won't EVER encounter. The variety week. We did however see that the more prepared the person was, the better it went. The more they learned, and the better the environment was for the spirit to testify of the truths we taught.
We didn't have any appointments this week work out as we helped Sister Lambson move to her new area, general conference took up the better part of two days, cancelled appointments galore and people not showing up, and sadly us needing to not go by them any more. I hate dropping people as a missionary, but sometimes it is for the best. Lost of less active people, but almost all of them were either busy, sick, or unwilling to do anything to help get them out of their current situation.
No matter what it was a alright week.
Photos from the temple trip. My companions both were busy then we had to leave, so I got one with sister Webb instead.
Fun Easter activity
Black Bear Train! Fun place to eat at
Photo from Knotts market place
Monday, March 28, 2016
46 - Easter
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
Where do I start for this week. Honestly, all that has been going on in our area is getting to know literally everyone on the few streets we have, lots of cancelled appointments, and lots more cancelled family history appointments. Yep, lots of tracking!
We did however get to have Sister Lambson from the La Palma ward over because her companion Sister Apple had to go home because of major migraines for 3 months straight and it wasn't getting better at all. Because of her leaving, we are short more sisters, and we had to work in Sister Lambson's area and ours, juggle two cars (because our car miles are sky rocket high and we are running out. Normally it isn't bad, but with so many family history appointments cancelled, we can't count on those free miles saving us). We also helped her clean out part of her apartment since a couple days ago we were surprised again when they said they will shut down her area and move her to Cerritos 1st ward, my baby area. We were hoping she would stay a week since our companionship got along so well with her, in fact better than usual odd enough, but that's life.
Easter went super well. I got to see Debbie once again, and I missed teaching after baptism lessons with her... In fact, with all my recent converts as well. I also got to see people from the La Palma ward I haven't seen in a long while since I am no longer with the STL's and don't get to go on splits some times when they were in meetings.
We didn't get to do service at the Habitat for Humanity after all this week, sadly, due to some miscommunications, and we got booted out because they had too many volunteers. We did however get to help Park Anaheim with making big paper eggs and decorating them with the residents.
Today we did get to go briefly to Virginia's gift shop and the bakery at knotts marketplace, it was real fun! I got a book and squashed penny, my other companions got a bracelet and a coin purse. The chicken dinner restaurant was too packed to even be able to try and get food there sadly. That was the highlight of the week as far as P-day fun goes, especially for Sister Lambson since it's her last day in this zone.
Sister Hinckley and I have just been going back and forth for lots of odds and ends this last week, weather it is meetings last minute to things for Sister Lambson, all the way to picking up things for family history. Lost of unexpected things, so not much in the way of progress with our investigators. It's also hard when it is Easter weekend and hardly anyone wants to spend even a minute with us.
Miracle of the week, we met Mike, a father of two adorable girls who used to date a member. He also works as a chef at Walt Disney land. He never finished reading the Book of Mormon from when his ex-girlfriend gave it to him, but he listened to us for awhile and thought it would alright to listen to more of what we shared with him this week. He is super prepared, so we are excited to see how things go with him and hopefully his family as well!
rachael.clark@myldsmail.net
Mission address:
Sister Rachael Geniel Clark
California Long Beach Mission
6500 E Atherton St.
Long Beach, CA 90815
Where do I start for this week. Honestly, all that has been going on in our area is getting to know literally everyone on the few streets we have, lots of cancelled appointments, and lots more cancelled family history appointments. Yep, lots of tracking!
We did however get to have Sister Lambson from the La Palma ward over because her companion Sister Apple had to go home because of major migraines for 3 months straight and it wasn't getting better at all. Because of her leaving, we are short more sisters, and we had to work in Sister Lambson's area and ours, juggle two cars (because our car miles are sky rocket high and we are running out. Normally it isn't bad, but with so many family history appointments cancelled, we can't count on those free miles saving us). We also helped her clean out part of her apartment since a couple days ago we were surprised again when they said they will shut down her area and move her to Cerritos 1st ward, my baby area. We were hoping she would stay a week since our companionship got along so well with her, in fact better than usual odd enough, but that's life.
Easter went super well. I got to see Debbie once again, and I missed teaching after baptism lessons with her... In fact, with all my recent converts as well. I also got to see people from the La Palma ward I haven't seen in a long while since I am no longer with the STL's and don't get to go on splits some times when they were in meetings.
We didn't get to do service at the Habitat for Humanity after all this week, sadly, due to some miscommunications, and we got booted out because they had too many volunteers. We did however get to help Park Anaheim with making big paper eggs and decorating them with the residents.
Today we did get to go briefly to Virginia's gift shop and the bakery at knotts marketplace, it was real fun! I got a book and squashed penny, my other companions got a bracelet and a coin purse. The chicken dinner restaurant was too packed to even be able to try and get food there sadly. That was the highlight of the week as far as P-day fun goes, especially for Sister Lambson since it's her last day in this zone.
Sister Hinckley and I have just been going back and forth for lots of odds and ends this last week, weather it is meetings last minute to things for Sister Lambson, all the way to picking up things for family history. Lost of unexpected things, so not much in the way of progress with our investigators. It's also hard when it is Easter weekend and hardly anyone wants to spend even a minute with us.
Miracle of the week, we met Mike, a father of two adorable girls who used to date a member. He also works as a chef at Walt Disney land. He never finished reading the Book of Mormon from when his ex-girlfriend gave it to him, but he listened to us for awhile and thought it would alright to listen to more of what we shared with him this week. He is super prepared, so we are excited to see how things go with him and hopefully his family as well!
Monday, March 21, 2016
45 - Mexican party and Easter eggs
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
We had 3 family history lessons this week, it was so much fun. We also got a nice GPS to use from the office that we are in the process of customizing no go zones so it will never take us outside our mission boundaries as well! I was worried we might get stuck with a cheap $30 one that constantly breaks and takes you the long way around and in the wrong direction (which happens very often).
We have gone to Long Beach West (bro zone as it is termed, which is cool to be the ONLY sisters who have ever been there) to teach a bilingual family, helped the Elders in our ward, Buena park; with Jessica. Don over in Huntington beach, who has the darnedest stories you have ever heard that are all true! It has been a blast this week. I hope we can get to the point were we schedule 2 a day, that would be the greatest!
One of the greatest things to see is the missionaries and investigators/recent converts change when they go on and experience it. So many comments on how easy it is, how fun it is, they love how similar it is to Facebook, only for people living and dead! The biggest is how you can put on memories of anyone you put in there and can connect with everyone around the world for free! Spanish is a bit hard since there are VERY limited records available, but other than that, it is great! So many missionaries after the lesson are excited, or at least less nervous about doing the first lesson we do with other people, Which is good!
Other than that, we haven't found many other new investigators. We met with Reynold a couple times this week, sadly last minute he cancelled on church, but we hope to see him next week!
AISHA IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!!!!!!! FINALLY, this is so exciting. I get to help out with a talk and come. Even though I wasn't the missionary over her to the end, it still counts in my heart.
Its been an interesting week. We also got to do service at park Anaheim making baby ducks and baby chickens for the residents.
Miracle of the week is when we crashed a Mexican party (talk with everyone commitment, so awkward in this case) and just as we were about to leave, Johnny came up and asked who we were. He was confused how two young fair skinned girls were lost at their party and was about to offer directions if we were lost. We talked about the new Easter video #Hallelujah and how we and our loved ones will be made alive just like Christ did one day. He was stunned that a Christian church believed in that and had this look like he hit the lottery since just before seeing us he was just thinking about his cousin who died less than a week ago and missed him a lot. After that, he really became interested in our message and church, and even though he was Catholic, he was open to listen. Sadly he lives out of our mission, but hopefully he takes the lessons wherever he lives. Earlier we had an option to go there, or stay on that same street, and I felt we had to go to another street. If we didn't, we would have missed him. So amazing how if we follow the spirits promptings, we won't miss out on opportunities to share the glad tidings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
Today for sports we are dying Easter eggs! Fun stuff. I am trying out Ukrainian egg style, hopefully it works!
rachael.clark@myldsmail.net
Mission address:
Sister Rachael Geniel Clark
California Long Beach Mission
6500 E Atherton St.
Long Beach, CA 90815
We had 3 family history lessons this week, it was so much fun. We also got a nice GPS to use from the office that we are in the process of customizing no go zones so it will never take us outside our mission boundaries as well! I was worried we might get stuck with a cheap $30 one that constantly breaks and takes you the long way around and in the wrong direction (which happens very often).
We have gone to Long Beach West (bro zone as it is termed, which is cool to be the ONLY sisters who have ever been there) to teach a bilingual family, helped the Elders in our ward, Buena park; with Jessica. Don over in Huntington beach, who has the darnedest stories you have ever heard that are all true! It has been a blast this week. I hope we can get to the point were we schedule 2 a day, that would be the greatest!
One of the greatest things to see is the missionaries and investigators/recent converts change when they go on and experience it. So many comments on how easy it is, how fun it is, they love how similar it is to Facebook, only for people living and dead! The biggest is how you can put on memories of anyone you put in there and can connect with everyone around the world for free! Spanish is a bit hard since there are VERY limited records available, but other than that, it is great! So many missionaries after the lesson are excited, or at least less nervous about doing the first lesson we do with other people, Which is good!
Other than that, we haven't found many other new investigators. We met with Reynold a couple times this week, sadly last minute he cancelled on church, but we hope to see him next week!
AISHA IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!!!!!!! FINALLY, this is so exciting. I get to help out with a talk and come. Even though I wasn't the missionary over her to the end, it still counts in my heart.
Its been an interesting week. We also got to do service at park Anaheim making baby ducks and baby chickens for the residents.
Miracle of the week is when we crashed a Mexican party (talk with everyone commitment, so awkward in this case) and just as we were about to leave, Johnny came up and asked who we were. He was confused how two young fair skinned girls were lost at their party and was about to offer directions if we were lost. We talked about the new Easter video #Hallelujah and how we and our loved ones will be made alive just like Christ did one day. He was stunned that a Christian church believed in that and had this look like he hit the lottery since just before seeing us he was just thinking about his cousin who died less than a week ago and missed him a lot. After that, he really became interested in our message and church, and even though he was Catholic, he was open to listen. Sadly he lives out of our mission, but hopefully he takes the lessons wherever he lives. Earlier we had an option to go there, or stay on that same street, and I felt we had to go to another street. If we didn't, we would have missed him. So amazing how if we follow the spirits promptings, we won't miss out on opportunities to share the glad tidings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
Today for sports we are dying Easter eggs! Fun stuff. I am trying out Ukrainian egg style, hopefully it works!
Monday, March 14, 2016
44 - New apartment and training missionaries
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 crazy weird and busy. My new companion is Sister Hinckley, and she is from Alberta Canada.
We moved into a brand new apartment, had to purchase an entire apartment's worth of supplies, and that alone took up our first day. After we had good parts of the day spent at the mission home and/or office, working with President and Sister Tew working out the details of our new assignment. Looks like it will last a couple transfers then we will go back to normal.
We will work with the missionaries in the ENTIRE MISSION and their investigators in 1-2 lessons to help ALL investigators find at least 1 name to take to the temple within the first month of baptism. The goal is after a lesson or two the missionaries in that area will know enough to be able to take over all other family history lessons and every missionary in this mission will know how to do family history. The hope is to have greater retention in this mission and change the culture of being a recent convert in this church since most older members seem to avoid if not hate family history without even giving it a try, and they aren't attending the temple like they should. (With exception to the Cambodian ward, they always are on top of things and love attending!) There is a great need for the hastening of the work here, so this should help a bunch.
Lately we have seen some good improvement in our ward members due to a new change in the ward. Our entire ward was split into committees according to their interests and talents: 1. Proclaim the gospel; 2. Temple and family history; and 3. Perfect the saints/care for the poor and needy (service). We saw that when the ward members were put into those committees, they seemed to care more for the work they discuss, and were much more willing to participate in the work they are over, more so than 1 or 2 people being assigned to a calling. They then support those in the specific callings and more things happen in the ward like it should. We hold those meetings every 5th Sunday and its been fun so far. Took a month for everyone to get used to, but since the whole ward is doing this, not just a few, almost everyone feels like they can help out instead of making excuses. Bishop is now more interested in the work our companionship is doing in now that he got assigned to the family history committee, so that is wonderful. Before it was less than what it is now, so improvement is always good! Lots of great things are happening in this ward!
No service this week due to trainings we gave to the whole mission and preparations we took to get it done where Sister Tew liked it and President put his stamp on it (sort of speak). Sounds like we will do MANY short training's possibly in the future as we go along and refine how we do things. I have never used up so many miles before, it's worse than STL mile status! Thank goodness we have to put on the paper log how many were for family history that will be deducted from our normal amount. Elders in Long beach who had our car before HOGGED tons of miles already, so this should get interesting. Our apartment is 1 mile out of our area, right next to the highway (which is great for travel around the mission) and is a nice and safe complex. Not as noisy as my last one oddly enough, too. We ended up splitting my last area, and now we are over 1/3... which is about 1/7 the size of the ward... UBER TINY.... Even more challenging is it is a nicer area with barely any investigators, potentials, less actives, or even members. I hope missionaries start using us soon, since we are running out of streets to tract in the meantime.
The first couple days were real hard adjusting, especially since I am sort of follow up training as well, so it's always hard for adjustments from one's first area and companionship. Sister Hinckley had a hard time getting used to how we had to drop every plan we had to get things done for our apartment with Elder and Sister Grossnickle, lots of travel time, and changing plan at a moment's notice if necessary. It was hard getting used to STL, or even YSA missionary lifestyle of constant re-planing, planning travel time, or dropping plans when something came up that we have to do. We are learning to get along, but it's been a bit of a rough go at the start. I hope it will get better as we get going the rest of this transfer, which is the 7 week transfer due to MTC time changes)
Good news is that Aisha will get baptized and even though I am not teaching her any more, and we will be able to come! They weren't able to find names of those involved on her record for the supposed baptism, so she was cleared for baptism in 2 weeks!
Other than that, we picked up a few new investigators. Most of them we had to pass off, but we hope that we can work with Michael, Gina, and Reynold still!
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 crazy weird and busy. My new companion is Sister Hinckley, and she is from Alberta Canada.
We moved into a brand new apartment, had to purchase an entire apartment's worth of supplies, and that alone took up our first day. After we had good parts of the day spent at the mission home and/or office, working with President and Sister Tew working out the details of our new assignment. Looks like it will last a couple transfers then we will go back to normal.
We will work with the missionaries in the ENTIRE MISSION and their investigators in 1-2 lessons to help ALL investigators find at least 1 name to take to the temple within the first month of baptism. The goal is after a lesson or two the missionaries in that area will know enough to be able to take over all other family history lessons and every missionary in this mission will know how to do family history. The hope is to have greater retention in this mission and change the culture of being a recent convert in this church since most older members seem to avoid if not hate family history without even giving it a try, and they aren't attending the temple like they should. (With exception to the Cambodian ward, they always are on top of things and love attending!) There is a great need for the hastening of the work here, so this should help a bunch.
Lately we have seen some good improvement in our ward members due to a new change in the ward. Our entire ward was split into committees according to their interests and talents: 1. Proclaim the gospel; 2. Temple and family history; and 3. Perfect the saints/care for the poor and needy (service). We saw that when the ward members were put into those committees, they seemed to care more for the work they discuss, and were much more willing to participate in the work they are over, more so than 1 or 2 people being assigned to a calling. They then support those in the specific callings and more things happen in the ward like it should. We hold those meetings every 5th Sunday and its been fun so far. Took a month for everyone to get used to, but since the whole ward is doing this, not just a few, almost everyone feels like they can help out instead of making excuses. Bishop is now more interested in the work our companionship is doing in now that he got assigned to the family history committee, so that is wonderful. Before it was less than what it is now, so improvement is always good! Lots of great things are happening in this ward!
No service this week due to trainings we gave to the whole mission and preparations we took to get it done where Sister Tew liked it and President put his stamp on it (sort of speak). Sounds like we will do MANY short training's possibly in the future as we go along and refine how we do things. I have never used up so many miles before, it's worse than STL mile status! Thank goodness we have to put on the paper log how many were for family history that will be deducted from our normal amount. Elders in Long beach who had our car before HOGGED tons of miles already, so this should get interesting. Our apartment is 1 mile out of our area, right next to the highway (which is great for travel around the mission) and is a nice and safe complex. Not as noisy as my last one oddly enough, too. We ended up splitting my last area, and now we are over 1/3... which is about 1/7 the size of the ward... UBER TINY.... Even more challenging is it is a nicer area with barely any investigators, potentials, less actives, or even members. I hope missionaries start using us soon, since we are running out of streets to tract in the meantime.
The first couple days were real hard adjusting, especially since I am sort of follow up training as well, so it's always hard for adjustments from one's first area and companionship. Sister Hinckley had a hard time getting used to how we had to drop every plan we had to get things done for our apartment with Elder and Sister Grossnickle, lots of travel time, and changing plan at a moment's notice if necessary. It was hard getting used to STL, or even YSA missionary lifestyle of constant re-planing, planning travel time, or dropping plans when something came up that we have to do. We are learning to get along, but it's been a bit of a rough go at the start. I hope it will get better as we get going the rest of this transfer, which is the 7 week transfer due to MTC time changes)
Good news is that Aisha will get baptized and even though I am not teaching her any more, and we will be able to come! They weren't able to find names of those involved on her record for the supposed baptism, so she was cleared for baptism in 2 weeks!
Other than that, we picked up a few new investigators. Most of them we had to pass off, but we hope that we can work with Michael, Gina, and Reynold still!
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