Monday, February 23, 2015

愛してます









Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



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Some Final Pictures

Sushi with Sister Chie Suzuki :3







Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



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Some Final Pictures

My turn for adorable puppy pictures!!








Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



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Some Final Pictures

Korean food and all my planners 






Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.


The End?

Wait...

This must be wrong.

The end? Absolutely not.

It's not like I go home to America in 4 days. Nope nope nope. NOPE NOPE NOPE. 

This past week as fairly adventurous. It mostly was including in various eating adventures and some sore tummies. Also included various packing when it could be done. Meetings and more meetings. The normal missionary life. Talking to people when we can. Getting rejected. Getting accepted. 

On Sunday, I spoke in church and did my best. People said I did well, and I like to believe them. Elder Ferni spoke too. Ran around with various errands. Taught Sister Toshie for the last time. 

So I admit it. I am leaving this week. I am going home. I am leaving with a vast accumulation of knowledge gained over 18 months of work, of doing my best. I feel like I could feel novels and novels with what I have learned. To think about writing it all is a daunting task. But I want to write some basic thinks that have been engrained in my soul. 

God answers prayers in His own time and in His own way. 
Repentance is a continuing, perfecting process.
Hard work can be fun work.
Communication is essential in every relationship.
Love knows no bounds. It is completely and absolutely possible to feel the love of Christ for ever single person you see. 
Following the gospel of Christ isn't exactly easy, but it is simple and it is the only way to salvation and exaltation. 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of God on the earth today. No doubt.
When God comes first, all other things fall in place, BUT ONLY IF GOD COMES FIRST. 

I am eternally grateful for God seeing fit to save someone like me for His work. This has been an amazing 18 months, 12 transfers, 2 baptisms, 8 companions and a lifetime of knowledge. I definitely feel like I've gone through the Life Training Center. Ready to enter the field. I certainly hope I'm ready. I'm so grateful for Sisters Jones, Hathaway, Matsuzaki, Harper, Maloy, Wright, Tamagusuku, Blake and Kaizaki. I have learned so much from each one of them and am grateful for the others who have blessed me immensely during my mission. 

Is this the end? Absolutely not. We are never done enduring. I am a better person. I am ready and excited to embrace the world as such. I hope that I can continue to grow as the Lord would have me grow. I hope that I can be a blessing in the loves of those around me each and every day. I thank you all so much for your support and your prayers. I promise you that those prayers have been answered in the everyday miracles. 

May we all keep the faith and become who God would have us be. I pray this this day and always in the sacred name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I hope that you may feel His peace in your heart as you continue to follow him.

Amen.

Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



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Monday, February 16, 2015

Transfer 12.6 Pictures

Happy Valentines Day!!
Sister Kaizaki, Luo, and Me








Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



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Transfer 12.6 Pictures

Kids English!!

Kofu district is going crazy. 










Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



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Transfer 12.6: *ugly sob*

Wait just a second here.

Didn't I write this email like... A few days ago? Are you kidding me? It can't have already been a week. There is no way. Someone must have made a mistake. Did you check your watch? Will you check it again, please? 

What do you mean it is already the last week of the transfer???!!!

*bashes head against wall* I am not emotional prepared for this, ladies and gentleman. I can't even.

BUT what I can do is talk about some of the miracles that I saw this week!

Tuesday we were like "let's visit this less-active!" And then when we got there the name on the door was different and no one was home so we thought "hmmm, maybe they moved?" So we looked at the time and decided we have just enough time to house the one section of the apartment building. The first door we knock on is the less-active member! Turns out there was a mistake in the address. She can mostly only speak Spanish and some English... I cannot speak Spanish, haha. She said that she is now Jewish but her heart is Mormon and that she would like us to come back... So we are planning on coming back.

Then on the floor below her, we knocked on the door of a Chinese woman who immediately was interested in hearing our message, asked for a pamphlet, told us that we are incredibly adorable and that she wants us to come back. Uhm... Absolutely!!

Thursday, Friday, Saturday was filled with meetings and poor nights of sleep. Thursday was the shortest president interviews of my life, followed by weekly planning and good times with Sister Ogawa and Sister Magleby. 

Friday was an amazing and exhausting sisters conference. Good spiritual thoughts and exercise practice and some amazing final testimonies (including my own and the other beautiful sisters coming home with me). Looking back to when I first decided to go on a mission and who am now.... It's a big difference, a big change. And it is weird, because I still like Harry Potter and guacamole... It is a change that I can't quite describe, but I like it. I love this spiritual change and I hope that it can continue until I am like my Father. 

I feel like life is on fast forward. Monday to Saturday to Wednesday and then suddenly I'm home. WEIRD. Things are going to be so different, everything completely changed. It is making me nervous, haha, but I get to come all the way back with Sister Jones at my side and I have nothing to worry about! No stress! Got some final shopping done today! Invited some people out to church! Hugged my adorable companion! That is all it is about! Love love love it! Love Japan! Love the mission! Love all of you! I hope you are doing your best to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever you may be.

With love and a little anxiety,

Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.


Monday, February 9, 2015

Transfer 12.5 Pictures

Good times today!!





Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.


Transfer 12.5 Pictures

Our beloved zone leaders, "joining" district meeting via Skype (Elder Hansen and Blanchard) 
Chocolate decorating for valentines in relief society.






Sister Teagan Clark
クラーク姉妹



NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.