MLC 9-30-2016

Another great MLC.  The leaders of this mission are fantastic, we are so blessed to know them!

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Tranfer Hub 9-2016

Departing Missionaries - 9-2016

Three Wonderful missionaries are departing this transfer, we are so appreciative of their valiant service!  We had the opportunity to go to the temple with them, enjoy a session and listen to an inspirational message from President Crane and his wife.

Elder Oliphant, Elder Petersen, President & Sister Clark, Elder Roberts

Elder Oliphant

Elder Roberts

Elder Petersen

The night before these great Elders go home, we have them to dinner at our home and then have wonderful testimony meeting and our very last "Words of Wisdom" for these fine Elders.

President's Weekly - Faith: A Living Part of Who We Are!

Faith: A Living Part of Who We Are!

Dear Elders and Sisters:

I was blessed to interview an investigator last evening and witness what happens when Missionaries teach someone how to develop faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.  It simply leads them to make better, more correct decisions and ultimately leads them to live correct principles.  An increase of faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement prepares people to make and keep sacred covenants, beginning with the covenant of baptism. 

After this good Sister opened with prayer, I knew she was prepared to be baptized.  It was clear in her pray that she knew God was her loving Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christ, His Son, is her Savior and Redeemer.  It was clear from her prayer that she had a testimony of Joseph Smith as a Prophet and the Book of Mormon as the Word of God.  It was clear she had developed sufficient faith to live the commandments and follow the Lord, Jesus Christ.  It was clear to me that faith in Jesus Christ is now a living part of who she is.

As we talked, it became more obvious that she, like Lehi and his family, was about to leave an old life behind and motivated by faith press forward and allow the Lord God to take her to a better place.   A place where she will prosper by living the gospel and doing so will bless and prosper her.  It was clear that she was excited to be baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  But she is not doing this as an "initiation" into the Church but as an evidence of her faith in Jesus Christ and her willingness to follow His perfect example.  As a result of her faith, she will follow, she will learn, she will grow, she will develop and she will "become" a Saint!

Elder Richard G. Scott taught: "...concepts like faith, prayer, love, and humility hold no great significance and produce no miracles until they become a living part of the individual through his or her own experience, aided by the sweet promptings of he Spirit." 

My desire is these principles, especially faith, become a living part of you through your own experience as a Missionary, aided by the Spirit and that you will desire this and help foster this with your Investigators.  As you do, their faith in Jesus Christ will motivate and teach them to take action, including and especially the action of baptism.

With much love and appreciation for all you are doing,

President Clark

PRESIDENT'S WEEKLY - Faith is a Power!

Faith is a Power!

Dear Elders and Sisters:

Each of your letters from me this week began with: "I just want to start by letting you know how great it was to be with you in Specialized Training this week and I trust you can observe how dedicated I am to helping you develop greater faith in the work and greater faith in achieving Zone and Unit goals this year.  I know you are the kind of missionary who will plant the seed of faith, receive the initial endowment of faith through the spirit and then get to work and give the Lord a reason to bless you."'

I do this because it is the message I want each of you to hear, to know, to feel, and to live!  I have felt such peace in teaching it and feel so aligned with our culture, the culture we seek to adopt from "Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts".  I know this is what the Quorum of the Twelve desire of us and testify it is their work we are participating with them in.  And I have already heard from so many of you how focusing on and exercising greater faith in the work is blessing you, your area, and your ministry. 

I know we are called of God and desire to live our Missionary Purpose!  And I know we will better be able to do so as we seek to increase our faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement as well as help investigators develop the same - Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement...unto Repentance, yielding a desire to be baptized!  My heart brims with excitement as I even write about it.  The entire world simply needs to increase their faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement.  It is the cure for what ails everyone in this world.  It is the greatest message and if you'll help them understand this, baptisms will increase for they will desire to repent and be forgiven of their sins for they will want to "Come and Follow" Him. 

This is so absolutely real!  Only in His Church, the true and living Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can one truly "Come unto Him".  But it will take faith!  Faith to begin that walk with Him!  Faith to come and see!  Faith to know "he is mighty to save"!  Help them plant this seed of faith and receive through the spirit the initial confirmation it is a true seed (Alma 32:28).  Then help them nurture it through their good works - asking, seeking, and knocking.  This pattern is so simple and it is so real!!!

Elder Christofferson teaches in his great talk "Free Forever to Act For Themselves" that we need to simply "Go to work so there is something for God to help us with."  You hear me say this often.  But we need to work in the right ways.  We need to seek to achieve things rather than just do things.  Good is the enemy of Great!  Preach My Gospel says: “Goal setting and planning are acts of faith. . . . Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish.  Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action.” 

“Set goals for each key indicator. . . . Do everything within your power to achieve your goals while respecting the agency of others. . . . Carefully considered goals will give you clear direction and will help you fill your days with activities that help people strengthen their faith in the Savior and progress toward baptism, confirmation, and full activity in the Church.  Challenging goals will help you work effectively and lead you to stretch and grow.”  (PMG)

I am confident (based on seeds of faith I have planted) that our increased faith coupled with the appropriate good works manifested in our finding, teaching repentance, and baptizing converts will help us advance from 30 to 60 baptisms per month. The energy and faith to find those who will listen will come alive, and repentance and conversion will follow.

I have planted seeds of faith in two things: 1. Zone Goals, and 2. Unit Goals.  And I have received, through the spirit, the confirmation they are good seeds.  I am now working to nurture them through good works and can already see how they are developing into a mighty tree.  I promise you that as you do the same (and you'll need to do this each month in regards to your Zone Goals and in each new area you may be transferred to), you will "know" they are good seeds.  And then simply go to work doing the right things and give God a reason to bless you!  In this manner you will nurture these seeds by planning and working in the right way which will serve to create and provide more faith. 

His promise is that He will bless you and while people do have their free-agency to choose, i know that where faith is present coupled with appropriate good works, faith increases.  And as Elder Anderson taught us: "There is a spiritual force that can stir a mortal soul toward the spiritual, motivating deeper study into the Book of Mormon and more prayer with real intent. Faith is a power, and it can cause things to happen that need to happen. It can cause a soul who is good but dormant to awaken to God."

With much love and heartfelt prayers of faith,

President Clark

The Vineyard 9-2016

Each year we, as missionaries along with the members in the Valley have the opportunity to work in the "Lord's Vineyard" literally!  We love it, it is a great experience and a memory that will last forever!!!

Lest you think we have great tans - you would be wrong, it's DIRT!!!! Not only do you pick grapes standing, you also crawl underneath and up into each row to reach all of the grapes!
It's a messy job, but somebody has to do it!

The grapes are laid out on this paper to begin the drying process.  In a few weeks the "laborers" will return and turn them and then the drying process will be done a few weeks later at which time they will be picked up and sent to be cleaned, hydrated, and packaged.  Note the rows are graded at an angle in case of rain allowing the rain to wash through and not collect in the grapes so the drying process won't be hindered.  Once complete, the raisins comprise the Church's "store" for the year and are shipped to the Bishop's Storehouses worldwide.  This area (San Joaquin Valley) is believed to grow 80% of the world's raisin supply. 

Here are a few pictures that the missionaries sent to me . . .

Elder Merrill and Elder Muir

Elder Merrill and Elder Muir

Elder Watson and Elder Walker are way in the back, Elder Howard is in the front with a
lot of great ward members

Elder Watson and Elder Howard

Sister Aguilar and Sister Wright

Sister Frazier and Sister Johnson with ward friends

Sister Johnson and Sister Frazier

Sister Larsen and Sister Aboussou

Sister Plummer and Sister Windham

Elder Vastbinder (You can't help but eat a grape or two, they are sweet, sweet, sweet,
full of rich flavor)

Elder Morrison and Elder Dean

Elder Vastbinder, Elder Gibson, Elder Nielsen, Elder Morales with ward members

Sister Maxwell and Sister Jeppesen

Elder Draney and Elder Howard

Elder Stojka

Elder Keeley

Elder Olsen, Elder Speer, Elder Halliday, Elder Tongish, Elder Nesom, Elder Van Vleet

Elder Gray

Sister Murray and Sister Rendon

Elder Richardson

Specialized Training 8-2016

We love Zone Conferences/Specialized Trainings!  It is an opportunity to visit with all of our missionaries over the space of three days.  The missionaries are so valiant, righteous, and wanting to do good at all times, we sure love them!

Southern Zones:  Hanford, Visalia, Porterville

Back Row, Left to Right: Elders Del Carmen, Estrada, Vargas, McGraw, Fernández, Toombs, Mapp, Watson, Roberts, Wilson, Stojka, Park, Merrill, Muir, White, Blume, Taylor, Howard
3rd Row, Left to Right: Elders Lopez, Perez, Dean, Morrison, Keeley, Nelson, Mountford, Millburn, Davis, Wilmoth, Walker, Biggs, Ekpo
2nd Row, Left to Right:  Elders Speer, Atkinson, Sparks, Bingham, Kloepfer, Call,
Maas, C. Wright, J. Wright, Nelson,  Collins Draney, Strommen, Arebalo, Riley, Bishop, Woodmansee, Olsen
Front Row, Left to Right:  Sisters Gibby, Anderson, Wright, Aguilar, Sister & Elder Hammond, President & Sister Clark, Elder & Sister Gressel, Sisters Bermúdez, Jefferies, Troseth, Blocker, Aboussou, Larsen

These wonderful missionaries helped Sister Clark with a training on integrity. 
They each did an amazing job!
Sister Wright taught from the Book of Esther.
Elder Fernandez - Daniel 3, Elder Biggs - Genesis 39
Elder Howard - Daniel 6, Elder Kloepher - Joseph Smith History 1:21-25

Our Departing Missionary - Elder Roberts

Fresno Zones:  Fresno, Fresno North, Fresno East

Back Row, Left to Right: Elders Johnson, Gollner, Knapton, Bagley, Nesom, Smith, Garner, Oliphant, Thornton, Noffal, Vawdrey, Agazzani, Flores, King, Smith, Rushton, Magnum, Mendez
3rd Row, Left to Right: Elders Halliday, Austin, Pettit, Lillywhite, Poulsen, Lee, Van Vleet, Allen, Kennick, Gray, Tongish, Carnahan, Paukovic, Smith, Russell
2nd Row, Left to Right: Elder Hibbert, Sisters Malpica, Johnson, Murray, Dowdle, Frazier,
Elder Rust
Front Row: Left to Right: Sisters Jones, Padilla, Rendon, White, Sister & Elder Beutler, President & Sister Clark, Elder & Sister Winters, Sisters Tyler, Bangerter, Baldwin, Willmore, Wadham
 

Our Departing Missionary - Elder Oliphant

These wonderful missionaries helped Sister Clark with a training on integrity. 
They each did an amazing job!
Sister Willmore taught from the Book of Esther
Elder Paulovic - Genesis 39, Elder King - Daniel 3
Elder Gray - Joseph Smith History 1:21-25, Elder Ruston - Daniel 6

Northern Zones:  Medera & Fresno West

Back Row, Left to Right:  Elders Witt, Richardson. Larson, Schmid, Belmont, Bennett, Sullivan, Frei, Gibson, Quinn, Corless, Rogers, Talbot, Ikimau, Watts, Ford

Middle Row, Left to Right:  Elders Meteors, Peterson, Perkins, Nielsen, Morales, Rearte, Hopkins, Ordoñez, Herman, Flores, Cummings, Burke

Front Row, Left to Right:  Elders Speer, Vastbinder, Valenzuela, Sisters Plummer, Windham, President Olsack, President & Sister Clark, Elder & Sister Richards, Sisters Jeppsen, Maxwell, Elder Olsen

Our departing missionary:  Elder Peterson

These wonderful missionaries helped Sister Clark with a training on integrity.
They each did an amazing job!
Sister Jeppesen taught from the Book of Esther,
Elder Mederos - Joseph History 1: 21-25. Elder Gibson - Daniel 6,
Elder Ikimau - Daniel 3, Elder Rogers - Genesis 39