Catching Up

Feb. 21-28, 2016

Spring is here!

  Sunday night, we found out that President Paz (Councilor in Stake Presidency & Teacher for Self-Employment) could not make it to the mini-class we had been advertising for 3 weeks.  The mini-class was to be taught on the following Wednesday evening (02/24/2016) from 7-9pm on Self-Employment.  Pres. Paz had volunteered to teach the class last month and asked us to get the word out.  We had, but learned that Pres. Paz's job had made changes to his schedule which he could not teach the class.  We had 2 options:  1) try to cancel the class - not knowing who was coming, or 2) try to teach the first part of the Self-Employment Workshop ourselves.  We called the Stake President to ask his opinion.  He suggested that we teach the first part of the Self-Employment Workshop to those who showed up.  He also wanted us to get the Stake Employment Specialist (Paul Clarke) to help us.  So we split the Workshop section into 3 parts and prepared to teach the following Wednesday evening from 7-9pm.  We were all excited to teach the workshop and do our parts.  On Wednesday evening we were ready, but no-one showed up to the class.

  We all were disappointed and happy at the same time.  We were disappointed, for we had prepared and were ready to teach.  We were happy, for we learned the start of a new workshop and it contained valuable information.  Now, when the time comes again, we can complete our preparation and teach the entire Self-Employment Workshop.  We were happy we learned the information.

One of our first successes.  We are elated.

  We helped a member who needed a job fill out her profile on the computer.  After her profile was completed, her resume was printed out.  She (the member) was so excited to see how good she looked on paper (her resume).  We gave her a few job leads and then on Friday, we helped her fill out some applications on-line.  She doesn't have a computer at home so she used ours.

  Another member that we helped get a job, told us that a company name Qualfon was hiring.  This company is 2 buildings away from office.  We went that day to talk to the Human Resource Manager and he said they wanted to hire 200-300 people in the next few weeks.  He introduced us to the company recruiter and we set up an appointment to talk to her on Monday, Feb. 29th.  Qualfon is a call-center for AT&T, Life Lock, and Paypal.

We love the Missionaries.  This is the Harlingen Zone on P-day in our office.

  Friday, we got a visit from the Tracy's (Senior Missionaries from McAllen).  They normally work in the Mission Home (in McAllen) and are responsible for the Missionary apartments.  They were checking the Missionary apartments in Brownsville, to see what condition they currently are in.  They were planning on doing this for the entire mission.  The apartments for the younger missionaries (Sisters & Elders) need to be upgraded or repaired by the owners.  We are helping by inspecting the missionary apartments in the Harlingen Zone, before next week before their transfers on Tues, March 8th.  The Tracy's wanted us to helop them decide to help upgrade or get the landlords to repair the apartments.

  Sunday, Sherrie gave a lesson in Relief Society on being self-reliant.  The Church employment service is going to be put under the Provident Living part of the Welfare Department.  The Church wants to teach members how to be self reliant both Temporary and Spiritually.

Love the first fruits of Spring.

  After the RS lesson, we drove to the Young Single Adult Branch in Los Fresnos.  On the way there, we got a call from the Mission Office.  President Maluenda wanted us to come to McAllen later in the afternoon and train the new Employment Missionaries (Sr. Couple) that arrived on Friday, last week.  So, after Sacrament meeting, we arranged an appointment with the missionary couple and went to McAllen.

  The Winwards are from Idaho (Boise area) and before McAllen, they served a mission in Botswana, Africa.  They met Sherrie's brother Wendell and his wife Linda in the Botswana Mission.  It is such a small world in the Church!!

  We taught Elder and Sister Winward what we could in a couple of hours.  After we soaked them with training so they could not take any more, we stopped and drove home.  When we got home (San Benito), we discovered that we left Tom's cell phone at the Employment Office in McAllen.  Oh my.......... sigh.    -  Tune in next week for the conclusion to the phone story.

Can't help but LOVE these missionaries!

  Love you all.  We love our Mission and find great purpose and pleasure in serving the Lord and his children. ....................Elder & Sister Clark.