Mexico Pachuca - Week 80 - May 25, 2015

(Excerpts from his email)

Hey mom on early for a little but i will be on later to talk normal. everything at home sounds good. this week was pretty amazing. we saw some miracles. i will tell you what happened later but it was pretty amazing.

hey mom, so this week was pretty crazy. we had a crazy experience. so we were a little behind schedule one day and we couldn’t go and eat. i felt bad cause the members made us food and everything but we were like we cant we have appointments and we gotta work so we kept working. an appointment fell through and it was like well we could go eat now or we could go try and knock the door of some less actives. they have been less active for like ever and missionaries have gone and tried to talk to them forever cause they have 2 kids that can get baptized but haven’t yet. so we went and knocked. i was kinda skeptical cause we have gone like 10 times and they never open but we went. so we knock and the mom opens the door like crying and says we need to teach her kids and they need to get baptized. me and my companion were like what?!?!?! so we teach them and invited them to church. they said ya and that they would meet us there Sunday. it was crazy and then Sunday comes and we are waiting for them and they don’t show up. the sacrament hymn starts and were like what do we do what do we do. so we go to the kitchen close the door get on our knees and say a prayer. we go back and take the sacrament still a little nervous but better and then they open the doors after the sacrament and the whole family walks in. it was crazy so we go back and say another prayer to thank Heavenly Father for all that he has blessed us with. it was a crazy Sunday and to make things better the other boy we are gonna baptize on his birthday when he turns 9 got permission from his dad. His dad was always the obstacle in his baptism but the mom talked to us in church and was like i talked to my husband and he’s not totally ok with everything but he said that Toño can get baptized. I was like wow this is amazing. the Lord has really blessed us a lot. We are doing great and the whole zone is improving a lot. 

M: Wow son, that is pretty incredible. Amazing what perseverance, a little fasting though it was probably not on the schedule and listening to the spirit will do. And of course, perfect obedience.  The Lord is beginning to deliver his servants!  I think it is amazing and incredible that the scriptures are truly coming to life in front of my eyes. I too am grateful to a Father in Heaven who hears and answers prayers. How wonderful it is that you and your companion had the desire to go and pray for a family during sacrament meeting. He does answer prayers and sometimes it is so immediate. Inspiring.

Why was the mom crying, what was going on?

EP: they have had a lot of problems. That’s why they went inactive. but she just opened and said i need you to teach my kids. we gave her a blessing after and she cried a lot but it was a really cool experience feeling like we really helped a family in a really big way. Oh, also did you guys see the Bednar pictures on the blog?

 

M: I think one of the things that I got from the conference talks is that happiness in the home comes from the gospel, without it, the family life can be hard. I think when we realize that, we want so much to have the gospel in our lives, just for the peace and happiness it brings to the home.  She must have recognized that and knows that her children need the gospel to increase the happiness in the home. I'm happy for you, but even more for them cause i know that the gospel is the answer.

Yes we saw the pictures on the blog, pretty cool.  Looks like you were right up there in the front and then the smile that I love with your last companion.

 

 

EP: ya we were in the front row it was pretty cool. and then after we were waiting for him to leave we were talking and everything so i got to see elder castaño again

M: Very cool.  I'm glad you are good and that things are looking up again.  I think it was just a matter of enduring and patience.  We will continue to pray for you and your area.

EP: ok. love you guys i gotta go. have a great week. talk to you guys next Tuesday cause Monday i will not be on. Remember so you don’t go crazy mom. love you

Love,
Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 79 - May 19, 2015

Excerpts from his email

May 18, 2015: hey mom well elder Bednar came today so tomorrow we have p day i will talk to you tomorrow just wanted to let you know so you don’t freak out. love you

May 19, 2015: hey mom so these two days were pretty awesome. elder Bednar was really cool. just hearing him and being in the same room was crazy. track sounds super cool ty gets to go to his first states and food at headmasters house. the last two days were awesome cause yesterday elder Bednar came. Listening to him and elder de Hoyos was super cool. they teach the same doctrine and the same principles but in a way so simple and understandable its crazy. the gospel is so simple but its the little things the little details that make all the difference. and today was a special p-day on a Tuesday so we went to the soccer hall of fame. It’s not open on Mondays so today was like a once in a mission opportunity. it was super cool. we spent like 4 hours there. 

M: Wow, I did not even know there was such a thing.  Is it all Mexican players or world players too?

EP: no all over the world. it was like a huge soccer ball with pictures and videos about all the best players and the important stuff that happened and then there is a huge area with a bunch of interactive games. how hard can you kick the ball. how fast can you run. how high can you jump. human table soccer. it was super sick. 

  

The 49ers helped build the hall of fame so they have a plaque in the hall.

M: That's pretty cool, like I said, I didn't know it even existed.  Makes you want to go and see the ones in the US for other sports. 

So a story for this week.

EP: Well this week was full of mini miracles. I got a new companion elder Rubio and he is awesome. super excited to work and just a chill guy. We worked super hard got the 40 lessons and felt super good going into Sunday. Sunday was a little hectic but we got 3 people in the chapel. two kids one that’s gonna turn 9 in June and one who is 12 that both have baptismal dates. and then we had 3 investigators show up alone. their families are members and they came with them to church and it was super cool. we don’t know if they want to get baptized or anything but coming to church is huge.

M: Ah, and the little miracles begin, awesome.  Sometimes it takes finding the small things and taking baby steps before we see that there really is some progress. So where is the new companion from?  How long has he been out?  Do you have the same responsibilities?

EP: ya it was cool. a good week and the zone did really good as well so that makes me happy haha. my new companion is from leon guanajuato. He’s got 16 months in the mission the same as elder Castaño my last companion. and yes we are still the zone leaders here.

M: Well, i am glad that things are looking up.  I am guessing that the place your companion is from is in Mexico.  Funny that you have never been assigned to a US missionary, but I guess that make sense.  So what happened with the grand daughter of the lady who fed you the other week?

EP: ya its pretty close to here. yup never had an English speaking companion but my comp now speaks good English. ya she’s the 12 year old that has a baptism date.

M: So you good son?

EP: yes mom everything is good. I’m doing good but thank you for everything, love you guys so much.

M: You sound good.  I am happy that you are in a better place, not that it was ever really bad, and I am sure that your growth over the last few weeks has been huge. 

EP: ya my companion has helped me a lot. He’s just excited and happy all the time and that helps me be more happy and excited and positive haha.

MOM: Yes, sometimes it is the people around us that makes us better.

EP: haha that’s what elder Bednar said. A sister asked how we can know our faults and weaknesses to get better and he said we can ask the Lord in prayer ad the Holy Ghost will reveal it to us or we can get married and have a family and our family will never let us forget our weaknesses. but it also applies to what we do good. well i gotta go love you

Love,
Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 78 - May 11, 2015

(Excerpts from his email)

haha thanks mom and dad. i know i am trying to look for the little things that we do to help people and i hope that i can make a difference in these peoples lives even if i don’t see the results, but we are working on it. i re-read Mosiah and my patriarchal blessing this morning haha. i liked Mosiah 23:10 its alma saying it was hard, he had to pay his dues but he’s happy he was able to become an instrument in the hands of the Lord so hopefully i will be able to say something like that soon haha. also i reread that part of my blessing and i wrote it in my agenda for the next 6 weeks to hopefully help me out. thanks for everything um my companion has changes so he’s going tomorrow and i will have a new companion. 

M: Yes, sometimes re-reading things will help with understanding and we learn something new.  I thought it was very interesting how your blessing spoke directly to your struggles.

EP: well today was pretty cool we had to wait for changes so we left and went to eat with a member which we probably shouldn’t have done hahah but anyways we go and the hermana was like hey elders i need you to go and talk to my granddaughter and get her ready for her baptism. She was like ya i talked to her and told her she has to go to church every week and she has to prepare her self and everything. we were just like um ok. sounds good hermana. 

M: is this a child of record or a convert? Did you talk to her? 

EP: she’s the granddaughter of some converts but she’s been listening to the missionaries and just never got baptized. we are gonna talk to her at 5

M: See there is already some light! I'm glad that you went to see the sister.  So you okay son?

EP: ya I’m good mom. just keep on chugging along haha. 

M: That's all we can ask for or do.  We will continue to pray for you and for your learning and growth.  I know that with the bad and the frustrating the good and the rewards are so much more appreciated than if it was easy.   The hard and the difficult shape us depending on how we live through them, we can become better and more like Christ or move farther away, it really truly is our choice.  When we look at it that way, or at least for me, I try to handle it better, when we really want to be more like Christ, we really try to be better and handle the junk better.

EP: well gotta go love you guys. have a great week. 

Love,
Elder Park

Pictures from the Mission Blog