Letter from Caleb--March 11, 2013

Elder Caleb Clark is our oldest son serving a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  His mission call was to the Anaheim, California mission and currently is in Santa Ana.  He has been out a little over 4 months now.  He is still serving in his very first area, but will soon be transferred to a new area.  Every Monday he writes home and I usually copy his letters here for all to see, unless there is private stuff.  I change names for privacy as well.

So there is so much to tell you this week. First off, here is the most exciting news, at least for me.

As of Thursday, March 7th, the church released new policy concerning e-mail. We can now email family AND friends, for a total of 2 HOURS on P-day! This is huge, and while I will not have 2 hours today (due to what you will read in the rest of my email) expect better letters in the future. 

Can you please get me Brad and Ryan's mission emails? 

While I have more time, most of the time I am allotted will be spent on family first. The best way to get a response from me will remain mailing me a letter, but I will do my best to email.

My mission address is:

Elder J. C. Clark

2500 North Bristol Street

Santa Ana CA 92706-1409

Ok, other sweet (and slightly terrifying news):

I have been called to train a new Elder in Palmyra East. This is really exciting, but also really scary as I am still a pretty young missionary, and the prospect of training a new one (especially one that was only in the MTC for 2 weeks!) scares the daylights out of me. This also means that I will be staying in my first area, Palmyra, for another 3 months at least. 5 transfers (a transfer is usually 6 weeks) in the same area! Wow. 

I will be picking up my new companion tomorrow. There are so many new missionaries coming out this transfer that for the first time, missionaries are going to the office instead of the Mission Home for their first interview. Then, instead of having a meeting with the trainers and the new missionaries, we are just getting called by the APs (Assistants to the President) to come pick them up as soon as their interview is done. I am pretty excited, but also really nervous. I hope my new companion is not bad on bike. 

Other mission news: 

I'm pretty sure there was an earthquake today, but I don't know. 

Oh, and the whole "New Mission" thing.

So a few weeks ago, the Church announced 58 new missions around the world. Thats kind of a big deal, but it's an even bigger deal for us since one of them is the newly announced "California Irvine Mission". Currently, we have Irvine and Newport in our mission, but come July 1, we lose the Irvine and Newport Stakes to the new mission. President Bowen clarified today that he has been asked by the General Authorities to keep running the mission as if there is no split coming, and then July 1st, those areas will slip away. Any missionaries serving in those areas will become part of the California Irvine Mission. I hope I get to stay around here, as I really love it here.

While it is on my mind, Rosie, I got your letter today. Becca, I got both of yours, and am busy responding. expect a response in a week.

Something exciting: 

A missionary gave me a waffle iron because it was broken, and said there was nothing I could do to fix it. 30 minutes later, I have a working waffle iron, and I AM MAKING WAFFLES TOMORROW, I DON'T CARE IF IT MAKES ME LATE TO STUDIES, I WANT WAFFLES. 

(I feel strongly about this)

I am so excited to have a waffle iron!

I have not bought groceries in two weeks. I have eaten lots of rice and noodles, including spaghetti noodles, but plain because I had no sauce. Bleh.

Hmm, what else is interesting....

Oh!

So I have been praying for weeks to be able to find a family to teach, and that if I couldn't find them, for them to find me. A few weeks ago, we were riding our bikes to a dinner when a Mexican woman stopped us and asked if she could meet with us sometime. We were really surprised, but said sure and got her address and information and scheduled a time to meet. Turns out, she lives just across the street from us, was baptized a few years ago, but has two children who are not baptized who really want to get baptized. We taught the first lesson and scheduled a return appointment. We returned for the appointment later, but she was working, and we realized we wouldn't be able to see her till next week. Elder Healey got really sick, then I got really sick and we were expecting that we wouldn't be able to see her that week. Yesterday I got a call from the Santa Ana 10 Sisters, who are the Spanish ward sisters who cover our area as well. They told us of a family they knocked into and taught the 3rd lesson to and had two kids who now have a baptism date of the 30th. Apparently Heavenly Father really wanted that family visited last week! We now have 4 investigators with a baptismal date! Super exciting. 

We have no interesting tracting stories. We have been cussed out a lot more frequently lately, but its funny for me. It's really funny how some people can't think of anything worth saying, so they have to drop to swearing. It makes me feel bad for them. 

I have to get going, because I still have a letter to president to type, and  we are already 3 hours behind today. Got to go, but expect more next week! Love you all, and hope you are doing well in the snow! I love the weather here, but wish it was actually a little cooler! 

Elder Clark