President's Interview

A directive came to us from the Missionary Department asking us to have President's interviews every six weeks instead of every quarter.  So, in keeping with this change, we just finished up interviews with all of our missionaries.  We changed up the format just a bit.  We trained and interviewed one zone a day and the zone was divided into their districts, so it was a smaller group.  The President and I did a role play with each companionship, then as the President did a short interview, I trained and role played the Pamphlet entitled The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is always so rewarding to spend time with the missionaries, they are so wonderful, great teachers, good listeners, and are continually trying to improve.  LOVE IT!

Normally I take the pictures with the missionaries and the President - well, this time the President took most of the pictures. . .

Merced Zone

Standing, left to right:  President & Sister Clark, Elder Strommen, Elder Woodmansee, 
Elder Cummings, Sister Jeppesen, Sister Tatakamotonga, Elder Jones, Elder Sim
Kneeling, left to right:  Elder Gray, Elder Taylor, Elder Rogers

Standing, left to right: Sister Balls, Sister Willmore, Elder Wright, Elder Thornton,
Elder Flores, Elder Edwards, Elder Estrada, Elder Almeida
Sitting, left to right: Elder & Sister van Uitert, Sister & Elder Richards, Sister Clark 

Fresno West Zone

Standing, left to right:  Elder M. Lopez, Elder Larson, Elder Austin, Elder Bishop,
Elder Nelson, Elder LaMay, Elder Corless, Elder Kauai
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Pachner, Sister Clark, Sister Anderson

Standing, left to right:  Elder Atkinson, Elder Ford, Elder Ekpo, Elder Anderson, Elder Watson,
Elder Morrison, Elder Nielsen, Elder Herman, Elder & Sister Williams
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Kokol, Sister Jefferies, Sister Clark, Sister Peterson, Sister Jordan

Fresno East 

Standing, left to right:  Elder Davis, Elder Sparks, Elder Fischer, Elder Smith,
Elder Mendez, Elder Watts, Elder Ikimau
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Whitney, Sister Clark, Sister Frazier

Standing, left to right:  Elder Johnson, Elder Rose, Elder K. Flores,
Elder Tapia, Elder McGraw, Elder Morales
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Gough, Sister Maxwell, Sister Clark, Sister Rendon, Sister Kelly

Visalia Zone

Elders, left to right:  Elder Gollner, Elder White, Elder Burke, Elder Stojka,
Elder Paukavic, Elder Rust, Elder Mountford,  Elder Belmont
Sisters, left to right:  Sister Dixon, Sister Clark, Sister Miller

Back row, left to right:  Elder Jensen, Elder Blume, Elder C. White,
 Elder Facer, Elder Gibson, Elder Van Vleet
Front row, left to right:  Elder James, Sister Clark, Elder Richardson, Elder Arebalo, Elder Pettit

 Porterville Zone

Standing, left to right:  Elder Mussin, Elder Rearte, Elder Talbot, Elder K. Davis,
Elder Wilmoth, Elder Baconawa, Elder Levie
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Jeffrey, Sister Troseth, Sister Clark, Sister Levie

Standing, left to right:  Elder Matienzo, Elder C. Wright, Elder Maas, Elder Armstrong,
Elder Muir, Elder Keeley, Elder Halliday, Elder Derbidge
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Jones, Sister Clark, Sister Sprouse

Hanford Zone 

Standing, left to right:  Elder Perez, Elder Allen, President Clark, Elder Merrill, Elder L. Lopez
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Padilla, Sister Clark, Sister Wadham

Left to right:  Elder Witt, Elder Frei, President & Sister Clark, Elder J. Lopez, Elder Lamore

Standing, left to right:  Elder Fernández, Elder P. Nelson, Elder Aguilar, Elder Ennis, Elder Quinn, Elder Stakebake, Elder Kloepfer, Elder Kennick
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Vogel, Sister Clark, Sister White

Fresno North Zone 

Standing, left to right:  Elder Tongish, Elder Sullivan, Elder Garner, Elder Smith,
Elder Poulsen, Elder Cummings
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Murray, Sister Clark, Sister Baldwin

Standing, left to right:  Elder Yskes, Elder Bagley, Elder Vawdrey, Elder Biggs,
Elder King, Elder Ellestad
Sitting, left to right:  Sister Sheffield, Sister Clark, Sister Larsen

Left to right:  Elder Del Carmen, Elder I. Lopez, Elder Schaff, Elder Wilson, Elder Medero, 
Elder Rushton, Elder Perkins, Elder Carnahan & Sister Clark

Back row, left to right:  Elder Lillywhite, Elder Park, Elder Nesom, Elder Bingham
Front row, left to right:  Sister Plummer, Sister Tompkin, Sister Clark, Sister Dowdle, Sister Gang

Trainer/Trainee and District Leadership Trainings 2-2017

Trainers/Trainees - It was so wonderful to have such a big group of Trainers with their Trainees!  We worked hard all day and they received some great training.  It is always great to see them come in a little beleaguered and help turn them a little more towards the Atonement and its Enabling Powers.

Back Row, Left to Right: Elders Perkins, Almeida, Kauai, Lopez, Tapia, Flores, Biggs, Armstrong, Toombs, Bagley, Ellestad, Yskes, Estrada, and Carnahan
Front Row, Left to Right: Sisters Dixon, Miller, Dowdle, Gang, Kelly, Rendon, President and Sister Clark, Sisters Sheffield, Larsen, Jeffrey, Troseth, Vogel, White

District Leaders - Always a great day to gather in District Leader Council with our wonderful District Leaders.  They are doing an excellent work as they teach and love those they've been called to serve.  These great Elders know how to minister to others.

Back Row, Left to Right: Elders Perkins, Smith, Nelson, Keeley, Richardson, Nesom,
Frei, Millburn, Wright, King, Ekpo, Perez, Carnahan;
Front Row, Left to Right: Elders Johnson, Fernandez, Del Carmen, President & Sister Clark,
Elders Rearte, Sparks, Taylor

Valentine's Day Surprise 2-14-2017

The Assistants, Elder Perkins & Elder Carnahan gave me a box of chocolates for Valentines Day!  

They are so thoughtful and kind.  They take great care of their "Mission Mother"!

Mission President's Weekly - Obedience is not by chance, but by choice

  Obedience is not by chance, but by choice!

Dear Elders and Sisters:

I continue to bask in and ponder on the great compliment from President and Sister Nelson of our obedience. Something about it continue to press upon me but I didn't know what until this week when I received some comments on obedience from several of you. I share them with you, thanking the authors for being an answer to a prayer.

"My brother serving in ___ wrote to me telling me how hard it was to obey because other missionaries were so disobedient, including his trainer. I was nervous that my mission was going to be similar. However, as we know it is not at all the same! I'm so grateful for the obedience in this mission! It is another testimony to me that the California Fresno Mission is where I need to be."

"It really was an amazing thing to hear from the mouth of an Apostle that we are an obedient mission. If there is one thing that I noticed right off when I got to the mission, was how obedient it was, and how everyone was really striving to be the best."

I know of a young man who arrived in the mission of his assignment only to find a disobedient mission, including his trainer. He had always desired to serve a mission and was willing to sacrifice, among many things, his own will and desires (be obedient) to do so. The environment of disobedience in his mission and the attitude of "do what I say, not what I do" of his trainer was more than he could reconcile emotionally. He returned home after one short transfer with severe emotional distress, not being able to reconcile his vision of what a mission should be to what the reality of his mission (sadly) was.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught; "When we seek to know God's will and do everything He commands us to do, the blessings of heaven will rest upon us. To get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded....The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it." (HC, 6:223)

I just want to thank you once again for being obedient. It doesn't happen by chance. Each and every one of you make this choice and the sum of our choices equals a culture of exact obedience. It begins with a choice, then requires diligence, then a willingness to sacrifice your will for the will of the Lord, and lastly a faith that He will bless you for doing so. I promise exact obedience is a true principle that will bring miracles! It will be one of the greatest lessons you can and will learn as you seek to love and serve others. Correct and encourage one another. Be accountable! Repent when you need to and be a blessing to your area by being worthy of miracles the Lord will rain down upon you for choosing to exactly obey and serve Him.

With much love and admiration for who you are and who you are becoming!
President Clark

President's Weekly - The Eternal Law of Sacrifice

The Eternal Law of Sacrifice

Dear Elders and Sisters:

President and Sister Nelson's and Elder and Sister Cook's kind observation and compliment of how obedient this mission is continues to brood over me.  I continue to be elevated in spirit that the Holy Ghost would, first and foremost, communicate this to them about the great CFM.  As I ponder this, the concept of "What Lack I Yet" (Elder Lawrence) settles on me as instructive.  While we will accept the wonderful compliment of our honored guests, we will not rest from our labors or upon our laurels.

“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. “And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. “And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:17–22.)

In response to the Young, Rich Ruler's question posed to the Son of Man, Jesus' first answer was to obey.  Once established, He, the Savior, invited him to live the law of sacrifice.  Note the divine order of these two commandments - obedience leading to sacrifice - and necessity of living the first law of heaven (obedience) in-order-to build the faith, hope, and love necessary to live the eternal law of sacrifice.  This divine order or pattern you may have already observed in the temple as well.

How timely is this for the CFM!  Just as the Brethren are granting us to be better agents unto ourselves, the Lord seems to be preparing the way for the great CFM to live the law of sacrifice, in addition to the law of obedience.  While I recognize you have already sacrificed much to be here, it impresses upon me there will be sacrifice required to effectively be agents unto yourselves and truly "Journey to Higher Ground" (Elder David B. Haight).

These sacrifices may be recognized as a list of "To Do's" such as study the MHB each transfer but you may have to do it on your personal time in-order-to not sacrifice true companion study in a now shortened companion study time block.  Or share what you learned in your personal studies with your companion but do so over lunch, again so-as-to not take away from precious role play time needed in your companion studies.  And I could go on but you get the picture.  The crux of the matter is, we will need to sacrifice our wills, our wills and desires to kick back, to relax, to "chill" in order to remain anxiously engaged in the Lord's work.  With each sacrifice our testimonies will be strengthened for to do so is to obey and show our love for others.  Many great blessings are associated with OBEDIENCE to the eternal law of SACRIFICE (note that order).  The Savior was simply inviting the Young, Rich Ruler to build upon his obedience and obey the eternal law of sacrifice.  I believe He is inviting us to do the same.

We look forward to being with you in interviews these next two weeks.  Please come prepared to teach and role play.  Please come in Districts allowing two hours per District. 

Sister Clark and I send our love and prayers!

President Clark