Wedding Bells

At Work

  This week has been very busy.  We helped our first 2 candidates (people looking for jobs) on Monday.  A battered wife and a young man investigating the Church.  We helped them register on ldsjobs.com and gave them some job leads to contact and a profile to finish on-line.

  For us missionaries, it was scary at first, for it was the first time we had worked on the things taught us from our training.  Both candidates were in our office at the same time and Sherrie worked with the woman and Tom took a laptop to the High Council room with the man, his girlfriend, and his daughter and we worked separately from each other.  Many questions arose that individually we could not answer.  We tried to call our Houston, TX headquarters, but they were not there due to it being Martin Luther King Day.  Hence, Sherrie and I relied on each other to get things right.

Sisters Barton & Christensen - the best!

Sisters Montuy & Gusman - we love our missionaries

  On Wednesday morning, we inspected two younger missionary apartments and their bikes.  We then went to a World Wide missionary meeting broadcast from Salt Lake City, UT, at the Stake Center.  While at the conference, we learned from the missionaries who were teaching the man (one of our contacts from Monday) was interviewing for a job.  The man got the job and insisted it was because of our help that he got the job.  He had also asked the missionaries to ask us to come to his wedding later that week, on Friday.
  On Friday, we inspected 5 more missionary apartments, their bikes, and then went to the wedding.  The wedding was later in the evening and was beautiful.  Upon arrival at the Stake Center, we met with this young man, his girlfriend (very pregnant), his 10-month old daughter, and their extended families, some members from the Branch, and the missionaries.  The Branch President conducted a beautiful ceremony and the couple were civilly married.  During the marriage ceremony, the Branch President encourage the couple to fulfill the requirements to make this an eternal family and to work towards being sealed in the temple.  The Young man (or father) was to be baptized today.  His wife needed a little more time, but mostly needed to deliver their 2nd baby.

Handsome Family

  It was a wonderful experience for us to see this young couple getting married.  We all enjoyed a dinner and cake afterwards with their family and friends.  All of the tables and decorations were provided by the Branch Relief Society Presidency.  The 2 younger missionaries set-up, served, and supported this wonderful couple and their families.  To say the least, this was a very touching experience for us. 

Wonderful Wedding with lots of friends & family

  Yesterday (Saturday, our P-day), we spent most of the day preparing for the talks we gave in the Brownsville 1st Ward today at 9am.  After talk preparation, it was off to the grocery store and then the gas station to fill-up our Scion (little car).  After shopping, Tom was in "shock" because food and gasoline are so inexpensive here, as compared to Idaho.

Tom likes the gasoline prices here

  Today (Domingo or Sunday), we delivered our talks and they were well received.  We were glad to give the talks to an English-speaking Ward.  Our Spanish is not that good yet, but we are trying.  In the afternoon, we went to the San Benito, Texas, Spanish speaking Branch and enjoyed being with the members there.  Very few of the members there speak English. The latino members are very gracious and enjoyed having us there.  Although we did not understand much that was said, we felt their love.

Nos Vemos (see you later)!. ......................... the Clarks.

A lot of these signs around

For good reason - Quack, Quack