October 5

I woke up this morning around 530 and was alarmed to find my eyesglued shut and dried blood on my bottom lip. I forgot to take offmakeup yesterday and I guess I've been smiling a lot in my dreams (??)to make my chap lips bleed (from the dry weather). I am beginning tofeel what it means to be "tired" as a missionary. Nonetheless, I loveit here. Really, I do! So much happened this week I hope I can shareat least some!

We went to the RC this past week and had a truly remarkableexperience! Gustavo, a man from Brazil, started asking Hna Barlow andI questions about the church (through a chat). He told us his daughterhad recently joined and was now going to serve a mission in Paraguay.He and his wife don't know ANYTHING about the church and are very veryscared for the welfare of their daughter. We were able to share ourtestimonies of the blessing that come from serving a mission as wellas peace that comes when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. We wereable to give him the contact information for the closest branchpresident to talk about these things he's concerned with ... as wellas learn about this new faith his daughter absolutely loved. He wastouched that we were in the exact place his daughter would be in inDecember. By the end of the conversation, he said we were his angels.He is excited to learn of the gospel so much so he is thinking hemight want to join. Later that night in class, our teacher wastelling us of how many times she was simply the messenger and she didabsolutely nothing. Yet one more testimony to me that this is HISwork, not mine. Not Hna Barlows. I wish I could tell you the wholething ... it was amazing. We felt like real missionaries - able toshare the peace and joy we feel from our knowledge of the gosepl ofJesus Christ! We also committed to write his daughter, Marina, and are writing her a letter later today!

Hna Barlow and I are always finding new things to do! Recently we'vediscovered that you cannot hear us singing in the bathrooms! We veryoften will sing or hum a song and harmonize! This week it's been Comethou Fount! hahaha She is an awesome companion and we feel blessed tobe in a district with Elders that respect us!

Conference. WOAH. I have always loved conference. I will tell youthough, hearing Elder Brent H. Nielson challenge all the risinggeneration to prepare for missions was powerful. Just imagine hearingthis and saying ok, I will do it. Then I remember I am in the roomwith 2000 others who have taken on the same task. Now we all get to goout into the world and testify of the truth we've found, that everyoneelse can know for themselves. It was piercing. I also loved ElderHollands and how he said something to the effect of if you hold ontoChrist's words you cannot be decieved. Powerful testimony. The generalimpression I got from conference was LOVE, do the basics and you'll behappy. It's not that complicated. Things are going to not be peachykeen but you will make it through if you have faith in Jesus Christ,repent, and endure to the end.

Spanish ... is coming? I don't feel like I"ve been a missionary thepast 3 days because of conference. Hearing "Brothers and Sisters" issuper strange after hearing "Elders y Hermanas" for so long!

Exercise has been awesome here ... espeically with all the food theythrow at us. I've been running for at least 20 minutes a day and Ilove it! So far ... I haven't gained any weight. hahaha Keep yourfingers crossed! Even if I did ... if I keep running I'm not worried.I've been blessed!

I love it here! The church is true! Thanks for the letters!

Love love love!Hermana Clark