Monday, Sept 12, 2011

Oí Família!

Hello everybody!!! Well we have hit the end. My companion is finally headed for home. I will be getting my new companion tomorrow, whom I don´t know yet, and he will be grabbing the next plane to Fortaleza. Elder David is a very special missionary and has become one of the people whom I respect the most. He has been a great partner here in this ward with me and I can honestly say that I have never helped SO many people with him than I have in my entire mission. We have baptized families, sturdy and solid priesthood holders, husbands of member families, and we were able to change the reputation about the missionaries of the entire stake. My companion has an amazing story as well and I would love to tell it to you all.

When he was three days old, his mother became extremely depressed and decided to take away his life. A stranger offered to take care of him and raise him instead of letting him die with his mother. So this man raised him, but wasn´t the best thing for Elder David. This man mistreated him and beat him and forced him to beg for money on the street. At nine years old, Elder David ranaway from home and lived alone on the street for three years. After these three years he was found and put in an orphanage. He joined the circus and travelled around the world with them. Through a friend, he was apresented to the missionaries, where he was baptized and followed strongly. Then he joined the marines and had a very good job through them, including a house. He battled with himself whether he should serve a mission or not, but finally decided to go and now he is finishing a very honorable mission. He has been my favorite companion thus far and a very, very good friend of mine. I have marvelled at his faith and I wish that I could have as much faith as he has. When times of much doubting came over my head, I looked at him and he always believed that we could do anything we wanted to. I will never forget my good ol´ buddy Elder David.

Well, as I am typing this e-mail, I just got off the phone with my mission president... I will be packing my bags... He called me to be his assistant. I need to be in São Paulo tomorrow to meet with him. I am still a bit shocked and I am hardly able to type this e-mail.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Clark