Whelp....... Apparently last weeks email didn't send.......
Sorry about that folks. But in good news, besides the old lady fight from the previous week, this latest week puts that week to shame in every way, shape and form! Get ready for an epic email about going four wheeling in expensive cars, holding adorable puppies, and speaking at a funeral for a person I've never met! Lets go!
Where to start...... Well this week started like any other. Wake up at 6:30, study like you've never studied before, and go to work! But someday this week (I don't remember which...... Is that a problem?) we got this call from a blind lady requesting a blessing. Now you've got to remember, my area, Idabel, is already considered the EXTREME boonies of my mission, and this lady lives in the boonies of the boonies of the boonies. In fact I don't think it's possible to live in a more boonie area. The region is simply known as the "Red Lands" and it's on the Arkansas/Oklahoma border in the middle of nowhere. Being the adventurous, obedient missionaries we are, we decided make the trip! (Because it's not everyday you get to drive to the heart of the Red Lands!) We courageously set off with our very nice 2017 Rav-4! After a half hour of driving we left the main road and hit dirt........ We kept going, and going, and going....... Plus some more going. Soon our pleasant dirt road started to look abandoned and all that was visible beside the numerous, shaggy trees crowding in were two hardly visible tire tracks in the mud. Mud?!?!? With this sudden surprise the Rav-4 started to sink! Elder Frampton gunned it and with tires spinning we start to slide all over the trail with hardly any control. This could've gotten very bad, very quickly, because if we got stuck it would have been extremely difficult to get the car out. Partly because there is no one around. With no where to turn around we were forced to go even deeper into this tangled, back wood, mud hole. Apparently we had made a wrong turn somewhere. Finally when it could not have gotten any worse the AP's decided to call us about exchanges that night! (Very interesting timing to call if you ask me....) Well finally after using up all of miracles for the week we found a place to turn around(ish)...... We were quite excited until we realized that we would have to drive the ENTIRE way back through it. Honestly it's a miracle in and of itself that we made it out. The pictures do not even come close to doing it justice. If we had gotten stuck, we would have been in serious trouble. But eventually we did find our way to the blind ladies house and had a super spiritual experience there. Moral of the story: Don't take expensive vehicles back country four wheeling.
That was probably the most exciting moment from the week, but now where near the most interesting. This week I had the the opportunity to plan, conduct, and speak at a funeral for a non-member person I've never met! His name was Jimmy Wayne Lamproe, and the funeral happened Saturday up in De Queen. It's kind of funny the way it came about....... Apparently his daughter lived next door to a member named Brother Shaw and Brother Shaw found out that they needed a priest or some religious authority to conduct and speak at the funeral so he had the perfect idea for them...... Call the missionaries! (Apparently I'm now qualified to plan funerals.......) Elder Frampton and I spent some time planning how we wanted the funeral to go, rummaged around our apartment for a CD with pretty music and then we were off! It was actually pretty cool, and I think we did a good job. I hope. His family was crying at the service....... I just hope those were tears for Jimmy. Not for how the service was conducted. We got to talk about the plan of salvation to a HUGE audience which was pretty cool! (Brother Shaw was the only member present which made it even cooler!)
This week we had interviews down in Gilmer Texas, so on Friday we made the long drive down there for those. It was awesome because this was the FIRST district meeting I've had in person! (Almost all of our meetings are over Skype "Out East"........ I guess it's cool, but meetings in person are just SO much better!) I love President Dalton! He's seriously the coolest president ever! This month we have an awesome mission plan focused entirely on baptism, and already which seen some incredible miracles result from it! The Idabel area is considered a tough area, but already Elder Frampton and I are starting to get the members up here to work! We've been working on a Branch Missionary Plan, and this last week we started seeing it come to fruition! I hope to stay here in the promised land for a long time! It's so cool to see those you teach start to make and keep commitments. To actually see them quite smoking and start coming to church. The love you feel for them is so strong. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
This party they call missionary work continues to fly bye, and I'm loving every minute of it! From sketchy people following us on the streets to the gorgeous sunsets, I love it. I see literal miracles everyday. Miracles of healing, miracles of guidance, miracles of strength, you name it! The influence of the spirit is real, and we'd just be a couple of strange young adults without it. I know it sounds dumb to say this, but this church works. It is the only church to exactly follow the doctrines found in the scriptures. If you look at it logically this church is true. If you go to church, you can see that it is true. If you pray about it, you will know it's true. Everyone, this church is true. If you don't know for yourself yet, I urge you to go start reading today! You can and will know!
I love and miss ya'll, have a blessed day!
Elder Clark Fox
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