Transfer 9.5: TYPHOON TYPHOON

Hello audience! What tales can I regale you with this week? Hrmmm?

We had the best zone conference EVER on Tuesday. There was a lot of crying that happening. Lots of embarrassing crying. Mostly because Sister Thomas has such a strong testimony and she was like "How can you NOT talk to these people?! You promised them you'd bring them the gospel!!" And yeah, so many tears of spiritual goodness. Also, President Wada is the best, anyone who says otherwise is a itsuwarimono. Yeah, I said it.

Eikaiwa is pretty exhausting every week. Basically I dance around like a monkey trying to help people learn English and it is kind of ridiculous, haha. And since my companion is Japanese, I get to do all the English stuff all by myself. I sleep the best on Wednesday nights. Sometimes my students try to be like "wait, is that right?" And I am just like "YES IT IS RIGHT DONT DOUBT ME" and mostly I learn that I never ever ever ever ever ever want to be a teacher, never ever ever, it isn't going to to happen ever. 

We went to the park this week and discovered that the park is filled with LARGE TERRIFYING SPIDERS but really never before have I been so paranoid of spiders, but when they see big and everywhere, there is only so much that one Clark Shimai can handle, to be honest. Tamagusuku Shimai was like "they aren't ever that big" which means unfortunately I can never go to Okinawa because there are probably bigger spiders there and that is just a no go. 

We had the chance to eat SHABUSHABU with some Ward members this week!! It was so much fun! I ate lots and it was good tasty meat and sauce and veggies. Man oh man. The ward members are hilarious. It was Sister Tamagusuku's first time and I think she had a good experience. That evening we got to watch the Women's Conference and it was amazing!! Loved it! I can hardly wait for General Conference! There is nothing like a weekend filled with revelation from the Lord and the words of his mighty prophets, seers and revelatory. Truly a blessing. 

Nothing much else to say, oh, except TYPHOON don't worry we are all still alive and well, just a little bit wetter.

Peace be with you this day, and always.

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.4 Pictures

I think this really sums up what exchanges are like.

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.4 Pictures

Sister Ellingson and I! My hair is a bush! This is her last transfer CRAZY TOWN.

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.4 Pictures

My shoes.

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.4 Pictures

Waiting for the train in the typhoon. It is a very small one, but nonetheless.

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.4: The Fruits of Our Labor

It looks like it is time for your favorite time of the week- Clark Shimai blog time! Whooooo yeah party! 

I hope everyone enjoyed the fall equinox. I am really really enjoying the weather here in Japan. It is finally not super hot and has become really really nice autumn like temperatures. Ahhhh.... Autumn. How pleasant. 

We gotta go play volleyball with the ward, which was a blast. We discovered that Elder Graul from Sandy? is 4000% times more graceful than I am (he was a dancer) and that I should probably never participate in sports ever. Aka balls are terrifying always. But I do have the random craving to play tennis randomly. I think I've only played tennis once in my life. 

This week included a lot of visiting people and lesson planning that ended up in no one ever being home ever/ slash ever one was busy cleaning their shrines or something. I can't be quite sure, as my Buddhist Japanese isn't quite up to par. 

Thursday was particularly interesting, as I went forth with bold faith during a typhoon to visit people who I was sure would be home at that time, fully prepared to teach them and testify with all my heart of the truth of this marvelous message-- and then neither of them were home. I'm sure there is something I am suppose to learn from this. 

Had exchanges with Sister Ellingson, which included visiting a cute old lady and her genius cats. Walked holes in my shoes (they have had holes for a while now, actually XD) and still going forth with faith! Still working hard and as smart as I can! All the areas around me are seeing baptisms and I hope that my effort has been somewhat part of that. I may not be the one seeing miracles, but somebody is. I feel like I am learning from this experience and this transfer.

Sister Tamagusuku never laughs at my jokes.

Also I am pretty sure all my friends are dead, because no one really writes to me......ever.......

Just as a friendly reminder....

1-7-7 Kichijoji Higashi-chi

Musashino-shi Tokyo

180-0002

Japan 

Clark.kathryn@myldsmail.net

As always, my love and prayers are with you. Keep the faith and always stand as a witness of God in ALL things. Yes, even when you are playing video games or pulling weeds. In all things.

Cheers,

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.3 Pictures

Simple sunsets.

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.3 Pictures

Some beautifully weird flowers that randomly started blooming everywhere. Perhaps the cause of my suddenly new allergy attack.

And yes, that is my ward mission leader eating potato chips with chopsticks. 

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.3: New Challenges

I know, as opposed to old challenges. All that means is... Well... Maybe I'll talk about it as I think of it. 

Wednesday brought a fun challenge of delivering a birthday card to someone on the member record that we had never met or seen. We went and found that she no longer lived there, but the lady who was living there (I am assuming she was her grandmother) was just like "You are from the church? You know her name, address, and birthday and you have never met her but you brought a birthday card? That is so very scary. She would be so scared." And Heavenly Father really shut me up because after we left and were walking away, I pulled out all the sass. Scary? Sister Tamagusuku and I are NOT scary! We are two young girls who made a HANDMADE BIRTHDAY CARD because we saw that someone had a birthday! How many people put all that same information into various websites and get birthday emails and such without another thought?! But heaven forbid we bring a handmade note to the door. Excuuuuse me. 

On Thursday we got to go to a members home and we had a delicious meal! Sister Tamagusuku had the opportunity to teach bits of the lesson in English, which was exciting. The next day, she had to go off for a conference and so Sister Jolley came and worked with me for a day.

That day, we all made cookies and Mexican food with a wonderful lady. It was delicious and really defining for all of us. We had the opportunity to share the gospel with her and challenge her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. I think there is great potential their and I really hope that I can be better missionary in order to help out. I guess that has been the main challenge lately. Feelings of such great mediocrity. Trying and failing and trying and failing again and just following this continual cycle of nothing happening because of my inability. 

I've been really struggling. I just want to be a good example for my companion and give her experienced with lessons and miracles and being able to do astonishing things but I have just come to really see how unastonishing I actually am. 

I have so many more feelings that I could express, but I don't know if here is the right place or the right time. Needless to say, I asked for a blessing from Elder Ferni on Sunday and he gave me one, which helped. But that along with some other frustrations are really pushing me to my limits. I don't know how much more I can do. 

Also there was a GIANT SPIDER and everyone thinks I am crazy but I won't walk on that side of the street anymore. 

Maybe next week will be better. Perhaps I just need the faith to fail, because the faith to succeed doesn't seem to be taking me anywhere. Wow, that sounded awfully pessimistic. I'm really sorry. Just disregard all of that. Just know that it isn't easy and that I am simple getting stronger, I suppose.  

With love,

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹

Transfer 9.2 Pictures

At the temple!!

Sister Teagan Clark

クラーク姉妹