Mexico Pachuca - Week 7 - December 30, 2013

(Excerpts from his email)

 Q: How is your new area? What is it like, how is it different from the last area you were in?
 A: My new area is country country. There are fields and animals everywhere. everyone has chickens and sheep and cows. it smells like a zoo haha but it’s good the people are awesome. they all farm here and use whatever water they get so its black and they call it agua negro. one lady was so funny we were talking about Hawaii and beaches (playas) and she was like oh that’s just like here the beautiful playas con agua negra.

 Q: How’s the language?
A: The language is coming. I can understand most of the time its only when they use a lot of words i don’t know that I don’t understand and I can speak more or less correct. So the next thing is to learn more and more words.

 Q: I notice that on the blog, Sis. Egbert shares letters that President receives from missionaries, is that something you have to do weekly, monthly or is that just certain people? What do you write about?
A: Yes every week we all have to write a letter to president. To be honest I don’t know what we need to put in it I think it’s just to talk to him about how we are and everything.

 Q: What did you all end up doing as your service project?
 A: For our service project we went to a member’s house in Actopan the sister missionaries’ ward and cleaned her yard. There was like tall grass growing everywhere and we had to clear it all out so it was just dirt. We also helped her build a chicken cage. It was pretty hard work because we were using machetes and shovels to dig out the grass.

 Q: Want us to share anything with the ward this next fast Sunday?
 A: Just tell everyone thank you for the prayers and love. I appreciate it all. I’m doing good its cold and the work is hard but it’s going good and I love being here.

 Q: What are you studying?
A: right now I’m studying Jesus the Christ. It’s really interesting. Just the small stuff that I never really noticed like the messages telling of the birth of Christ and John the Baptist were so different. John’s was in the holy room of the holy temple to his father, the priest, during like the super special ceremony. Christ’s was to Mary in her house. Also similarly the people that testified of Christ’s birth were shepherds and wise men. The lower class normal people and the total opposite side of the spectrum the wise men. This was so that all would believe and hear of the birth of Christ. There’s so many interesting things in that book that expands on scriptures and helps explain, it’s really interesting.

 Q: So did you guys go hiking today, see the pyramids?
 A: Today we went to Actopan its more city and there’s a bunch of shops and stuff. We were going to go to a museum but of course its closed Mondays. We ate at a restaurant and I had a torta con carne pastor. Pastor is shepherd so I literally ate dog today. After we kinda just cruised and looked in shops and stuff. Oh we went in a catholic cathedral thing and it was so creepy. Like I just felt super cold and there was like the Christ on the cross everywhere.
      R: So was the dog any good? How come they call it shepherd, I thought you meant you were eating sheep meat?!?!?! But it's really dog meat?
     A: The dog was ok it’s called shepherd because it’s actually like shepherd like German shepherd. To be honest it doesn’t taste like different. It’s like a little tougher than like beef.

Q: So what else is new with you? You always say things are hard but good. We always told you boys that it is when things are hard and you work through them that you grow and reap blessings. I hope that you have the foundation to work through the "hard" so that things will always be "good" no matter what you are going through.
A: Nothing much new. It’s hard because the heater is broken so its freezing even more than it already is. We didn’t have electricity yesterday I’m not sure why. We have no baptisms in January so that kind of sucks but its all just inspiration to work even harder. We cant baptize any one new in January cuz they have to go to church for at least 5 weeks first but we have a few people that if we work really hard we can baptize them because they went to church before a couple times. Me and my companion talked a lot about it and he’s inspired me to work even harder these next few weeks to find more people and work really hard on those possibles. So we can baptize in January and have a bunch of baptisms early February.
     R: It reminds me of a picture that use to hang somewhere, a picture of Christ and the words said "I didn't say it would be easy only that it would be worth it." You went to work and to serve, so all I can say is go to it and WORK. The blessings will come as well as the miracles if there is faith and perfect obedience. We at home will pray for you and that the minds of these possibles will be opened and their hearts touched to know that what you teach is truth and that happiness comes from knowing and living the gospel. Anybody in particular you want us to pray for, a name maybe?
     A: Enriqueta. Her family is members and she knows its true but she was baptized in another church so she is having a little difficulties with that but she’s really cool and were gonna work really hard with her. In the Jeffery R Holland talk he was like mission presidents your missionaries are gonna be like why is this so hard? Why isn’t our only concern getting a cold? And he said because salvation never was easy. It wasn’t easy for Christ and he was perfect, why do you think it will be easy for you. I was like wow.

Q: So you are good, cold but good?
A: Yes cold but good. I eat so much haha everyone is like do you want more and I’m like no I’m ok. And then they’re like oh you don’t like it. And I say I like it I like it and then they give me more. Its crazy

Love,
Elder Park