If You're Happy Then You Will Be!

As background, when Kat’s sister Corinne was three years old, she and I were walking along hand in hand and she said “Dad, you know what; if you’re happy then you will be.” It’s now a Clark Wardle family axiom – a self-evident truth that requires no proof.

For those of you who have enjoyed her email and sharing her mission experiences, now would be a good time to send her a note. Mail to Brazil is slow. She’ll be home five weeks from today. I’m certain she would love to hear from you.

Sister Katherine Wardle

SHIN CA 05 Lote B1

Salas 304/307

71503-505 Brasilia - DF

Brazil

Regards,

Clark

P.S. I’ve inserted hyperlinks for those of you who want to click through to see what Kat is talking about.

Hi fam!

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to write super quick today. We're going downtown in a minute, and we're already kinda behind schedule - so I'll be brief.

The big lesson that I'm learning is about "If you're happy then you will be" because it is SO SIMPLE. The big idea in the church is to just act, just do. We know the gospel - so live it. Stop being wishy-washy. We know the commandments - so obey them. Stop making excuses. If life is hard and you dont think you can be happy - get over it; be happy.

ACT, WORK, DO. I love how simple the gospel is. I think it’s so funny how we, as people, love to complicate things with our own little excuses. Corinne was WAY ahead of her time when she said that quote.

Alma said basically the same thing, and i was just studying this today, so I'll pass it to you really quick because i loved it. My Book of Mormon study usually goes like this - I read the great lesson on

faith he taught in Alma 32, and then i get all excited knowing that Alma 34 is another good chapter with solid plan of salvation doctrine.... so usually i read Alma 33 really fast without paying much attention. BUT, I realized today that in the context of the situation, Alma was teaching the little poor people about how to live the gospel, not just "how to plant a seed of faith" and so at the end of chapter 33 he bears his testimony of christ, and then tells them that there is a lot to do to live the gospel. And then he says, "All this ye can do if ye will." Haha. And reading that, I just hear Corinne's words echoing out. We just need to do it... We just need to act... but only if we will. And who's going to stop us? We're the only ones who stop us from living the gospel principles, from doing what we need to do. I'm not kidding; the simplicity of the restored gospel is so amazing to me. I love it.

Anyways - this week was reaaaaally good. We have some men and families we're teaching and they're actually progressing!! Yay! The Ward is helping us out so much; they're so great. I love Lago Sul. The members are worried about us, and the missionary work, and the investigators, and they're involved, and they care, -- it makes all the difference in the world. Yayyy.

This one man we're teaching is starting to really gain the strongest testimony, and when I hear him pray with sincerity at the end of the lesson, my little heart just melts.

Things are great. Couldn’t be better. And transfers are next week - this transfer FLEW by. And I hope I stay in Lago Sul with Sister Tsukuda. If I get transferred for the last 4 weeks I'll be semi bummed, but its all good.

Which brings me to the last 4 weeks - LAST CALL FOR LETTERS. A very big thank you to Nickole Canfield and her letter, and for everyone at home, I would kindly remind you how much missionaries love getting mail. And that everyone says that, "at the beginning of your mission people still miss you and they write you a bunch, and then in the middle everyone forgets about you, and then at the end of your mission you get a bunch of mail." So let's see if this comes true, and if I get a letter or two this last month. Thanks a bunch :)

welp, love you, gotta go

Sister Wardle