One More Transfer :(

I have to be quick this week because we had transfers again, and as usual, it's been a crazy busy day! There is nothing like running on only three hours of sleep haha. My new companion is named Hermana Colque and she is from Chili!!!! I flipped out when they told me on Saturday!! I was secretely hoping to have my last companion be a native! I really want to improve my Spanish the most that I absolutely can before I go home!!

The weather here is ridiculous. Seriously. I had still been wearing my coat last week, and then all of the sudden it has been burning hot. Spring does not exist here. It went straight from cold to hot. I am already pretty tan. So that's fun.

I really just love being a missionary. It makes me so happy :) It's the best thing ever!

Well, I hope that you all have the most wonderful week ever!! I am so excited to work so, so, so hard here in Vitoria for my last transfer in the mission. I am going to give it absolutely everything that I have got!! Woooo!!! I love you all!!

-Hermana Clark :)

Ps- All of the members wanted to say goodbye to Hermana Barlow this weekend, we were fed so much food that I swear I do not want to eat ever again haha

Mossy Floor

I don't think that I have ever traveled this much in my entire life. Holy cow! Within the past week, I have been in Barcelona, Bilbao (3 times within 4 days), and San Sebastian. So basically, Sunday we flew out to Barcelona, got to Bilbao Monday night, returned home to Vitoria Tuesday evening. Wednesday was a normal day in Vitoria. Thursday we woke up at 5:30 to catch a bus to Bilbao for a sister missionary conference, returned back to Vitoria Wednesday night at 8:30 or so. Friday we woke up at 4:15 to catch another bus to Bilbao for zone conference. We got back to Vitoria Friday night at 10:45. Saturday I had my final interview with President Dayton. Such an incredible interview! Sunday was a normal day in Vitoria. Today (Monday) we woke up at 3:20 to catch a bus to San Sebastian. (Which was actually free or my companion and I because we had the cleanest piso in the zone. Free trip!) And today we got back from San Sebastian a couple of hours ago. So I have never had so much fun traveling, but it is a bit tiring to say the least haha.

I have to say that San Sebastian is the prettiest place I have EVER been. You need to google it! We hiked a trail up to a castle and then rented bikes and biked along the coast. But then it started dumping rain. And of course we were very unprepared and got drenched! It was sooooo fun!! It was literally like I had just jumped in the ocean haha. But we had to catch our bus back home, so we went to the bathroom at the bus station and tried to dry off haha. Definitely made some of the best memories of my life today! 

This week was so spiritually filled, because we had so many conferences and meetings. And because it was the last time that I will see President and Hermana Dayton before they go home in two weeks. We all cried a lot. They are such good people. They do what is right and have inspired me so much over the last 16 months or so. There was literally so much information and stuff that we learned, that there is no way I can explain it all. So I am just going to write random sentences and I hope it makes sense.

What would you do today if you knew you could not fail? Be determined. There is always a way. Have faith that God will open a way if you do your part. Two men can do anything if one of them is the Lord. 

As long as you live with the spirit, you will do right. Your good thoughts invite the spirit. Train your mind to have faith in God and in yourself. Your thoughts are essential. Happiness will find its place.

Always speak loving words. Be a people builder. Give compliments generously. Leave everyone better than you found them.

Be in places where the spirirt resides. This will keep you safe and lift you up. It is a huge foundational rock for you.

Develop a genuine work ethic. Don't do anything half hearted. If you do anything half-way or kind of/sort of finish it, you have wasted your time. Focus on the most important things. Do them first! Don't wait for people to tell you what to do. Be proactive and be creative. Work until you are tired, and then keep working. Give all that you can.

Faith is an actual substance and it emits light. It grows by choice. Faith drives diligence. Miracles are the result of faith, very rarely they create faith.

I wish you all the most wonderful week ever!! Be good! Do good! And be happy! I love you!

-Hermana Clark :)

Ps- I did not know that places can be so humid that moss can grow on the floor. You learn something new everyday!

You can do hard things!

My life was saved by a pilot yesterday. Wow. So, okay, I have to start at the beginning. Sunday night we had to go to Barcelona for an all day meeting with the missionary leadership. (I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but back in January I got called to be a Sister Training Leader. Basically my companion and I watch and care for all of the hermanas in our zone. Sometimes we give teachings in zone conferences. But we have to travel a lot to visit the other hermanas in their areas and see how they are doing, etc. But we also have leadership meetings once a month in Barcelona.) So anyways, to catch our plane to Barcelona, we first have to take an hour bus ride to Bilbao. That was all fine. The weather has been awful this last week. It has been pouring rain every single day. Everyday. Literally. So our flight was delayed by almost two hours. We ended up getting to Barcelona just after midnight. Then, the other missionaries who work in the office came and picked up us. We were just driving down the freeway and all of the sudden the clutch of the car stops working. We barely made it off of the freeway because we were going so slow. One of the Elders shouted that faith can not only move mountains, but it can move vans hahaha. I guess it worked! So the elders started looking at the car and figured out what the problem was. No clutch fluid. (Honestly, I have no idea what that means, but whatever haha) So we called a few taxi companies until one answered and we took a taxi to the apartment of where some other hermanas live. We arrived there around 1:30am, ate a snack, showered, and went to bed a little after 2:00am.

The next day, we had the leadership meeting (which I will write about in a bit), and we got to the airport on time in the evening. But as I was about to board the plane, I got stopped. My residency here in Spain expired forever ago, and I have been waiting to have a meeting with the government since December. My papers are still pending. So I got stopped cause my card was expired. And, silly me, I forgot to bring my passport with me. I had to call the mission office, and they were in the process of texting me some papers to show the airport people. But, the plane was about to leave. So they told me that it was taking too long, and there was no way that I could board. But! All of the sudden, the pilot walks up and asks what the problem  was. They tell him what is going on, and he says, "I don't see a problem with her flying because she is with me." I was stunned. They gave me my expired ID back and I walked on with the pilot. BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE! So then I flew to Bilbao! We made sure to write him a thank you note :)

So. The leadership meeting. Since the Daytons (my mission president and his wife) are going home in three weeks, this was their last leadership meeting with us. They are incredibly inspiring people. They basically just did teachings on how to be unstoppable, successful, good people and leaders. Wow. I learned that I always need to stay on the path of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The little things matter. Read your scriptures daily. Go to church weekly. Daily prayer. Go to activities. Surround yourself with good people who you can learn from. Also, realize your God given talents, and then shoot for the moon. You are a son or daughter of God. Do you realize that? Have you thought about it much? God is your Father. And He loves you. He wants to help you in anything and everything. Go for your dreams! Don't let anything stop you! Figure out a way to get there! You can do it! Don't you dare sell yourself short. That is what Satan wants. Whatever it is that you want to do, go and achieve it. Get back up every single time that you fall. It will make you stronger. Christ will help you along every step of the way. Always be learning. Don't neglet your spirit and your mind. They need nourishment. Keep progressing. It's really hard to explain just what I learned from the meeting. It was so inspiring. I am so pumped!! I am a daughter of God! It's amazing!!

Well, this is really long now. I love you all so much!! Please know that you are loved :) And prayed for :) Until next week! Ciao!

-Hermana Clark :)

Ps- On Thursday we are having a women's conference with Hermana Dayton and other women. Hermana Dayton founded an image consultanting business. She in incredible!! I am so excited!