and the rest of you people!
Thank you for the note about the harp. I know that I will be OK with harp. It may even be good for me. It will let my wrist fully recover, and maybe let me forget all my bad habits on the harp. But I sure do miss it. I miss being good at something ha. But about harp, I have been letting some people in the ward listen to my DVD, and Brother S(the ward mission leader) listened to it and decided he was determined to track down a harp for me to give a concert for the ward to be able to bring friends and investigators. Well, last night, Brother B called me and told me that one of his driving students plays the harp, and she may let me borrow it! I can't wait! I called president and asked if that would be OK, and he said yes. So I am now anxiously awaiting the final verdict if I can borrow the harp or not. Way to go Brother S!
Oh man, our tripanionship is going OK. Sister P and I are one in the same. We are so much alike, it's really great. We both really want the same things. We want to be healthier, we want to go running, we want to have a clean flat, and we really want to be exactly obedient. So together, man, we are a team! We are working very hard to all get along, and bring things up right away. We laugh and laugh so much. And we are also finding great ways to make use of being in a tripanionship. We sometimes bring out a girl in the ward, then split up for lessons. It’s great. It means we double our time! and it's seriously wonderful because after a long talk, we decided that it's only fair that we switch off every day going outside for exercise or staying in. so on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays, we are able to go running, and then on the other days we stay in and do a good workout Kristy A gave us that we can do in the flat. It’s working out great. Still obviously not ideal, but it's so much better than it was. It’s very nice. I love it.
The training was so amazing. And we have really seen a difference in our lessons since then. We find ourselves being much more quiet and listening, and it's really changed things. It’s great! We used it especially on a lesson with the A's. They have been doing everything we ask, and they still don't want to get baptized. We don't know why, and neither do we. So we decided to use "heaven sent questions" to help us out. It was an incredible lesson. Kristy was almost crying when we left, and they really knew that they had to do something. They have to make a decision about what to do. Whether to continue on in the church and get baptized or what. They called us the next day and said that they don't feel like they should set a date, but they think that at some point it will happen. I have high hopes that when they get to Mississippi they will be greeted by the ward and missionaries, and am able to have a smooth good hand off. They are such an ideal family; they would be perfect in the church!
Oh, C is doing so well. He has moved his baptism to the 16th of October because he has friends flying in from Finland, and he wants them to be able to come. He is so excited to get baptized. We talk to him every night as daily contact, and he is awesome. It’s always a pretty funny discussion. Last night, it was all about how his baptism. He also said that he wants to start coming to some of D's lessons, because we were telling him about them. C is such a good guy; it will be so exciting to have him in the ward. What an incredible asset to the ward and church! He also wants to meet with the A, because a couple months ago, he was at the same point as they are now, and he thinks he may be able to help them. Talk about a golden investigator! Oh, and yes, he is excited for general conference. To answer your question mom, he will be there. It’s going to be the best
M is also doing well. I haven't talked to him much this last week, but hopefully we will see more of him this week. He is awesome. Hopefully he will come to church this week. That would be really great.
B is doing great. He is making all of us painting, which we are pretty excited about! I love that. He is receiving the priesthood next week, and he seems so excited and honored. He is still learning, and it's awesome to see how much he still grows from the lessons and from church. He grabbed a stack of pass along cards from the church on Sunday and had us write our number on the back of all of them, so he could give them to people that he felt prompted. I think if he could, he would go on a proselyting mission right now. He’s so excited about missionary work. And he just got his home teaching assignment, and it's so clear that he will magnify every calling that he has. What an example to us.
D is doing well. He had a weird dream that he wrote down and we told him he should pray about it. But he continues to read and pray. He says he's not getting answers at the moment. We asked him why he thinks he's not getting answers, and he said that he thinks if he stopped smoking, he would receive the answers. We agreed. We continued on to teach him the word of wisdom. The poor kid is only 23 and has problems with every area of the word of wisdom! So it will take some time for him to stop doing all of them, but he has the desire. He knows that he would be happier if he stopped smoking, drinking, doing drugs etc. he is awesome though. We told him that we are here to help him, and he was really excited. He said what if it takes me a year? We told him that missionaries would help him the whole time. I know that he is doing all this for baptism. He wants to be baptized, and the only way to be baptized, is to be clean. He wants that happiness that comes from being able to feel the spirit. He’s so great. He is really on the right track, and really wants to do everything right. I love that desire. Desire is really all that matters. Oh, and funny thing about D. We asked him his address, and he lives in the same shared house as B. Crazy!!!! So yeah, B gave him some advice also. What a good opportunity for missionary work for B. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Things are going great. I am really receiving answers to prayers daily, and the mission is really just flying by. I can't believe it's almost October. Next month, I have just a year left of my mission. That really seems so short now. It’s crazy that I have served for a third of my mission in my greenie area. I am so lucky, because I really LOVE banbury. I will be heartbroken to leave, but I know it will happen. Thank you for all your prayers, letters, love, and support. I really feel them. I know that what I am doing is what God wants me to do. I am so happy doing this work and seeing people's lives change. It’s unbelievable! Every girl really should go on a mission. Otherwise they are seriously deprived of some amazing chances to change people's lives. I love this mission. I love the Lord. And I love being in England. I hope you have a great week! Thank you for all the updates, and the news. I love you so much!
All my love heaped up pressed down and running over,
Sister "Ann (not Annie)" Clark
Ps. I LOVE YOU!!!
