Mexico Pachuca - Week 59 - December 29, 2014

(Excerpts from his email)

gifts we have been talking a lot about that lately, something i have bee thinking a lot about. what gifts do i have? what can i do to use them better? all kinds of stuff. it was interesting but hard. always hard for me to see my gifts and what i do well but i don’t know. its a little sad this week its very likely my last week in Xico and I’m sad but also super happy. this week was pretty amazing and yesterday in church we had 7 investigators come which was awesome.  

M: Gifts, you have many gifts.  Before I tell you some that I think you have, you tell me what you have been thinking about and have identified for you.

I can imagine that this will be an emotion filled week for you.  do you find out tomorrow about changes?  I figured out why you are sad, but why super happy?  So why was your week super amazing?  Who were your investigators? Jaime? Parents of the kids?

EP: no changes are in a week. i find out Monday and changes are Tuesday. our investigators were Alejandra and her family . i think her daughter and her 3 granddaughters. maria del Carmen. Armando and Felix. Maria had a crazy story. so we have been teaching her for a while and she is the one we talked to on the bus. after all this time she finally went to church. she said like tuesday she made the decision to go with us and tell us to go pick her up in the morning. we weren’t gonna go with her this week but we went Saturday night the last lesson and when we asked her again to go she was like ya come for me tomorrow. i heard that and i was like wo what did you say. i wasn’t expecting it at all. and then she loved it Sunday and felt super good. it was awesome. Alejandra and her granddaughters also loved it. they were in primary and then they came out and gave me a hug and i was like wo what’s going on here i only talked to you like twice in my life but it was super cool. i just felt super good and happy. December was rough for our whole district none of us baptized but in January its looking good but to help us we fasted as a district on Friday. really i don’t enjoy fasting i don’t think i ever did it with a real purpose and with real intent before but this Friday i did and Sunday i could see the results. to gt baptized they need at least 4 Sunday in church and to get baptized in January all those people had to go to church on Sunday and they did. it was super cool 

M: So one more week in Xico.  Leave your testimony with all of your investigators and then all you can do is pray that they will continue.  One of your gifts, connecting with people where they feel your genuine love for them.  I have seen that grow in your mission.  Your desires for them to have the truth and to embrace it comes through in your words and I can bet the spirit witnesses it to them as you speak.  A gift.

EP: ya i am hoping for a miracle and one more cycle here but who knows. haha yes i was thinking about that as well. that i could have that confidence with people. and how i could use it a little better maybe be a little more direct with some people and then show them more love after like it says in d and c 121?

M: Another gift, your mind. Your knowledge of the scriptures has also increased ten fold! I had to go and read, and what a powerful section.  The words of the Lord and the purpose of the priesthood is clear.  You are a mouth piece of the Lord and you can go in confidence, if you are obedient and worthy to preach with His spirit.  Sometimes that calls for directness and "reproving with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost and then showing forth afterwords an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved..."  Sometimes it calls for subtlety and meekness, sometimes for no words but actions of service and kindness.  When you are directed by the spirit, all things are possible.  Thus the need for perfect obedience and as you saw on Sunday, the miracles follow.
Whether you stay or you go, know that your work has been great in Xico and you have created many eternal friendships.  It seems that you have also awakened the missionary spirit in Xico and there will be more baptisms and saving ordinances in Xico after you leave, it is a good place to serve.

EP:i hope so if i do go i just hope all these people get baptized in January. i gotta go i will talk to you in a week love you guys. 

Love,
Elder Park