7:43 AM (36 minutes ago)
Wow thanks for that letter! It was great. So detailed! So I am glad that you were able to see Joseph and Ofelia and the kids! I would love to see pictures of them!
So wow, this week has been mad. I will start from the beginning. So K and Ch are amazing. They had us over for the whole preparation day. Our goal was to get sick of each other before they left, so we would be ok with it. We have become best friends. I really really love K. Gosh. I will miss her! So we went to their home and had food, and carved pumpkins. It was very fun!
On Wednesday we went to dinner at C’s house and watched a couple conference talks for the lesson. So much fun! We watched one from the priesthood session, and it was amazing! I can't wait to get the ensign. Speaking of the ensign...apparently they get here so much later than they do at home. Do you think you could send me the conference ensign when it comes? I am anxious to read it, especially because we didn't get to see the last session.
Thursday night, we got the craziest call. Elder Davies, an AP, called us and asked us if Ch had been baptized before. In our church. Obviously we said no. he had never mentioned anything. And he would have. So the next day (Friday) we went to the As. We didn't bring anything up until the Mission President talked to our bishop about it, and made sure it really was Ch. Then we had dinner at the Sellers home. The Sellers are an amazing family, and Brother Sellers is the ward mission leader, and he's so good. So active in the missionary work. Well the bishop had planned to come interview Ch to receive the priesthood while we were there. Well, we found out that Ch was baptized when he was 11, in Guatemala, and he didn't remember it at all! We were so surprised! And he was surprised, and K was so surprised. K kept saying "I’ve been married to a Mormon?!" ha-ha. So funny! Well, we know it all happened for a reason, and it worked out. But it was quite the ordeal. Pretty shocking! So Ch will receive the priesthood tomorrow. So exciting!
Oh, so all week, I went to this wonderful family's home with Sister Byrch, and practiced their harp. They were so nice! I went almost every day for one week, and practiced about an hour and half every day. So much fun! Then I went with Sister Byrch to drive about an hour away to go rent a harp from this woman that we got in contact with. Wow. So much effort! But it worked out. We picked it up on Saturday morning and left it locked up in the bishop’s office. Then we went and taught a lot of people, then went to C’s baptism in OXFORD! Yes. Outside the mission! It’s only about a 45 minute drive from banbury, and it was pretty exciting. We did it that way because the font in the Banbury chapel is still not functioning, and C started meeting with the missionaries in oxford. So yeah, it was pretty darn exciting! C’s baptism went so well! It was uneventful compared to K and Chs, but most are. It went great though, and we are so happy for C. He will be the best member ever! We are so excited for him.
Saturday night, we got the news about the transfers. Sister Nemec is staying in Banbury and training a Sister from Iowa named Sister Rose. And Sister Pope and I are both going to a place called Evesham. It has had elders in it for a long time, and we are "whitewashing" it. Which means we are switching the elders out? It’s scary because neither one of us knows anything about it, and we are completely going in basically blind. But it will be awesome. It has been a pretty dead area, and Sister Pope and I are really going to try hard to bring it out of that. We are excited, but also I am pretty sad. I know that it's time to leave, and I realize I have been lucky to stay in Banbury for so long. But it's still sad to go. I have realized that my purpose for being in Banbury was the A family. They are leaving at the end of this week to move to Mississippi. It’s so sad. K and I both have shared some tears over the phone.
Sunday. Church was great. A little bit of crying, but not much. I kind of shut myself off a little bit to ease the blow. Plus I have been feeling really not well for the last few days, so that hasn't helped. C was confirmed, and he is so happy! Sadly the As had a family function this weekend so they couldn't make it to church, or C’s baptism, but they are so happy. And it is so awesome to see! I am so happy for them! After church, we went and packed some, and had a few lessons, and then I went to the church to practice. I had a few people from the ward singing with me for the concert, and so I had to practice with them. Plus I had to work on my repertoire. Only a week of practicing really isn't enough to get ready for an hour long concert. God was on my side though, because it went well. I have huge huge blisters, which isn't very fun, but it worked out. And the Stake President was able to show up, as well as my zone leaders, and many less actives, and investigators, and non members. It was really good, and a really good turnout. I played ten pieces, and I don't have the list with me, but I will try to remember what pieces I played. I played
1. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (with a member singing)
2. Jesu Joy of Man's desiring
3. O Give Me Back My Prophet Dear (with a member singing)
4. Canon in D
5. First Arabesque
6. Ten Past Two (the little jazz piece I played a long time ago)
7. My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee (without any singer)
8. Ave Maria (the Bach prelude that goes to Ave Maria really.)
9. Abide With Me
10. La Source
Mom, to answer your question. I wore my long black skirt. My cream lace cami and my green cardigan. I was playing a semi grande harp, which was rough, because I am not at all used to that size, but it went really well. And I was surprised by the As. They said they wouldn't be able to come because of their family party, but they surprised me and came, with flowers. When I saw them, I started crying. I have turned into a crybaby. Ok, maybe I was before...but I still am. So yeah, it went really well, and I am really happy that that was like my little farewell from Banbury. I loved it there, and I really feel that I did my best in that area, and I feel that I made a difference.
This morning, we packed the rest of the way, went and visited Sister Mac. So sad to leave her! I will miss her dreadfully. Then we went to breakfast with the A family before we left to go to Birmingham for transfers. I am writing this letter here in the mission office, and we leave soon to go to Evesham.
My new address is
Sister Annie Clark
Flat 1 68 Pershore Rd
Evesham, Worcestershire
England WR11 2 PQ
UK
Please pray for Sister Pope and me to be led by the Spirit as we enter this new area. We are both pretty nervous, but also pretty excited. We both desire to be strictly obedient, and we have so much in common, it will be really good. I am really excited to work more with her. And I am grateful for the time that I was blessed with to spend in Banbury.
Thank you for everything! I love you very much!
Love,
Sister Clark
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