Hey everybody, what’s up?

    (A monkey he wanted to pet but was told it would "rip his face off" so he kept his distance, ha)

This week was awesome.  We worked our selves almost to death.  We didn't have to go on any exchanges or any meetings so we had a full week of proselyting other than Zone Training.  We got some work done which was really good.  We needed a good week’s worth of work in our area.  It was awesome.  I love my companion.  I don't know if I have ever told you guys about him but he is sweet.  We do some great work.

First up was a story from last night.  So we were sleeping, I didn't get to bed until midnight because I was reporting to the APs for the week, and it was probably around 3 or 4 and some woman out in the street started going crazy.  I was pretty out of it and I can't remember but she was really, really loud.  It was pretty crazy.  Ghanaians’ love waking up in the wee hours of the morning to "pray" by going out on the roads.  

So last week we were contacting this one house and my companion was talking somebody and I was just kind of playing with the kids and I started spinning around one kid.  Around and around he went for probably about 2 minutes.  Finally we stopped and I let him go and he took one step and BOOM!  He fell.  Man it was so, so funny.  I was on the ground right next to him laughing my head off.  It was so funny.  Every time I think about it I start laughing.

So we have this one really cool progressing investigator we are supposed to baptize this month.  We met her through a less active.  Anyway, this week she got thrown out of her house this week so that really stinks.  We are really hoping that she can find a place to stay.  Hope and pray.

The Zone training went really really well.  It was super spiritual.  It's different from a Zone Conference because those always have more than 1 zone but President Hill did come to the meeting on Tuesday.  It went really, really well.  I was really stressed about it Monday night but it turned out pretty well.  Now we just have to see if it did anything to make a difference.  

I hope you all got the picture from Mom of the USA Bug.  I love that car with all my heart!!!  We found that on Sunday just out in the Zongo (Muslim area) and we were looking at it and the owner walked up to us and told me I should get in.  Then he offered to sell it to me for 4000 cedis.  I'm really tempted; I fell in love with that car.  I sat in it and it just felt so right.  That car chose me... (Only Tim!!!)

Anyway the zone is doing well and the work is going even better.  We are trying to plan a zone activity in 2 weeks.  

Lastly we have started something here we call "The Joy Movement."  It started with us just ridiculously waving at people with both hands and now it has evolved into a way of contacting and "spreading the Joy."  We always greet people by waving both hands.  Shaking hands is a thing of the past; we now do double high fives.  We laugh and smile more than ever before all in an effort to "Spread the Joy."  It's gonna become a big thing someday.  We're going to make shirts and everything.  It makes everything better and it is revolutionizing the world.  Now, everyone is smiling.  Now, everyone is happy.  

Love you all!!!

Elder Clark

SPREAD THE JOY     

Good looking missionary

Happy birthday MOMMA!!!!  The big 55!  I hope you have a fantastic birthday and enjoy the German Chocolate cake.  I am going to make some brownies with chocolate chunks from my package and peanut butter swirls to celebrate with you.  Hope it’s a fantastic day!

Status update: the 'bola can't get me.  Still no cases in Ghana but there were 11 maybes and it has been transferred to Nigeria where 11 people have it.  We did get 5 new missionaries from the Sierra Leone and Liberia missions.  They seem pretty cool.  

Last week was SUPER busy.  We had to interview 13 candidates for baptism and we had MLC (mission leader’s council) all day on Thursday and some open houses we attended too.  And with the new missionaries they gave us they added a companionship to the zone so now we are up to 38 missionaries.  The average zone size in West Africa is 16 so we are double.  I love it though; we get to see all sorts of good stuff.  Because of that our proselyting is pretty limited.

This week is Zone Training meeting.  We're only stressing a little bit about that.  Hopefully it will go pretty well.  I really, really hope so.  

Friday was super sweet. We had FHE with a family in the ward.  We decided to bring refreshments this time and it was cool.  We got a bunch of Wafer cookies and soda for everyone and played my card game with them.  It was so, so good.  When we finished we both just had such a great feeling.  Makes life worth it, to feel like that every once in a while; man we felt so good.

Ultimate high point for the week!  I don't know if anybody remembers but back when I was in Buduburam I was teaching one woman named S. and she was super excited to be baptized but she wasn’t quite ready before  I got transferred.  I just found out that LAST Saturday she was  baptized!!!!  I called her this morning for the first time and she was so happy.  I have been worrying about her.  I am so happy that she got baptized.  The Church is true!!!!

Sorry gotta cut it short.  Light just went out and my time is up.  Love you all!

Love,

Elder Clark

If I were to describe this week with one work it would be busy.  I am exhausted.  But I love that feeling. We started apartment jogging every morning which is nice and we are so busy with exchanges and working hard.  I haven't slept this good in a long time.  I really do wake up in a puddle, haha.

This we pretty cool though.  We had a lot of miracles happen for us and we work well together.  We work crazy hard and the Spirit is working over time.  We had a lot of really good lessons with some cool people.  The highlight of the week was one guy named O.  Last Saturday (July, not August) we had a stake activity and a member brought this guy to it so we met him there.  We finally made it out to meet him last Saturday.  We rode in a taxi for almost an hour to reach this place because it is super far and when we got there the member didn't meet us and the phone was switched off.  So we were pretty bummed but we didn't lose faith and then a guy called us over.  The man was the member’s husband and he knew the man we were there to see. He directed us there and we taught him a wonderful, spiritual lesson in which he accepted to be baptized.  That was awesome.        

Friday we went on exchanges with one of my MTC mates named Elder J.  That was pretty cool.  We had some appointments with people who basically live on the beach so I was able to get some pictures of the fishing boats and stuff.  It was really cool.  Lots of women gutting fish, even though they were still alive.  Poor guys.

Oh yeah, if you remember back in Buduburam I baptized a guy named P.  Well guess who showed up at transfers!  Man, I was so happy to see him again.  He is doing great.  Since I leeft his wife has been baptized and the kids are going to be children of record!!!!  That was so cool.  I was just standing and them from behind me I heard "Elder Clark," I turned and saw him and froze.  It was so cool.  I also saw a lot of members and recent converts from there at the stake activity 2 weeks ago too.  So cool to see those people again.  I love Buduburam with all my heart.  

We experienced a small earthquake too.  That was a first for me. That was pretty cool.

We are teaching a new girl too. She surprised us and came to church on Sunday.  That was really cool.   

My time is finished but hopefully you guys get some good pictures.  Love you all!

Love,

Elder Clark