Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

     We have been busy since we last wrote.  Throughout the first quarter of this year, we’ve had a lot of people come into our offices that wanted help finding jobs.  We helped them create resumes, searched online for job openings, and taught them how to “network.”  Networking is a strategy to have several people help a person obtain a job.  It is similar to how the missionaries (here in Texas McAllen Mission or TMM) obtain referrals.

Spring Flowers

      In January, we gave a 5^th Sunday lesson in the Spanish Mercedes Ward on "Networking" with the help of a Translator.  We introduced ourselves in Spanish and then the lesson was translated from English to Spanish.  The lesson was conducted during the last hour of the block and the Priesthood, Relief Society, Young Women and Men, basically the whole Ward excepting the Primary attended.  The entire Cultural Hall was filled for our lesson. The lesson went very well and we had members come and set up appointments to meet us in our office later that week.

Sister Training Leaders at Mission Office

     We have been using social media to help get the word out to all the Church units we are responsible for.  We have learned that posting flyers and getting announcements made over the podium or placed into the bulletin,  have not produce very good results.  We have been making announcements (like upcoming employment classes, job leads, etc.) on Facebook to each of the Unit’s Facebook page.  The response to our postings has been enormous and we are finding much greater success in helping the people of this area.

Oil Platform parked off Port Isabel, on the Gulf

     On Wednesdays of each week, we work in our office in Brownsville from 1pm to 8pm and take an hour (around 5pm) to grab something to eat.  We usually go somewhere close like Chick-Fil-a or Ultimate Taco and we normally always ask the Manager on the way out if they are hiring.  Recently, we went to dinner at Chick-Fil-a and one of the employees (named Jeremy) came to our table and thanked us for helping him get his job.  We had never met Jeremy before, but he had seen our posting on Facebook for job openings at Chick-Fil-a and he had obtained his new job.  He told us that obtaining this job was an answer to his prayers and wanted us to know that he was very grateful to us.  Jeremy made us feel good that posting things on Facebook had reached more people than we thought.  He bought us an ice cream cone to show his appreciation.  Helping people that we do not even know through Facebook, is a great blessing for us.  To find out about this young man was a tender mercy from the Lord.

Honey, where are the ducks?   I have looked everywhere for them.

     Earlier this month, our car was having problems with the windshield spritzers not working.  They worked one time and then not anymore.  We opened the hood to check on the windshield fluid and found that the oil cap (on the engine head) was missing.  The underside of the hood and engine were coated with hot oil.  Tom checked the oil dip stick and could not see any oil on it.  We had the car’s oil and filter changed in late January and it was likely the mechanic did not put the oil cap back on.  Thus, the oil had been spraying all over the engine for a month.  A quick phone call to the car dealer’s service department got mechanics to our apartment and they found the oil cap in the engine.  They put more oil into the car and took it to their dealership and cleaned up all the oil.  The tubing for the windshield spritzer was replaced and another part (fire retardant layer) that fits under hood has been ordered.  We now have our car back and it has had another oil change and new filter.  The mechanics said that we were lucky that our engine did not seize or that we did not have a fire or explosion occur.  We know that we have been blessed by Heavenly Father and that we were protected. 

     President Maluenda (our 1^st Mission President) taught the Missionaries to pray for “safety" before they go out every single day.  We have followed his advice and know we have been blessed with safety.  Our car experience is an example of following the council of our leaders. 

Birds, Birds, everywhere

     Our missionary job as Employment Specialists is being absorbed into a self-reliance services program that the Church is promoting in the United States.  It is a program that has been running in Wards in other countries for a few years now.  President Torres (our current Mission President) said that he had seen it work in Honduras, where he is from.  He said the program had helped many people provide for themselves.  Harlingen Stake (which contains the majority of Church units we serve) is starting the new self-reliant program in July, after we leave.

President & Sister Torres with us 

     This new self-reliance program was recently a pilot project in Houston, TX where Bro. Stotts (our Manager) has been running the program.  He said that it is changing people lives and activity rates in the pilot Houston Stake have increased considerably.  The McAllen West Stake are starting the new program and we are attending meetings and witnessing its planning and start-up process.  It is really an exciting and an inspired program. We are excited to see it work at home in Idaho Falls where the Eagle Rock Stake will be starting its planning process in July, after we are home off our mission.

Some of our Amigas

     We can’t believe that we will be coming home in June.  We are excited, but also sad.  We will miss all the friends (amigos) we have made here.  The people in the Rio Grande Valley (TMM) have been so kind, loving, caring, and we will miss them terribly.  The area is beautiful and has lots of wild life – especially because migrant birds fly through this region every year.  Even so, we are excited to see all our friends, family, and be of service wherever we can at home.

     May the Lord bless us all …………….. the Clarks.