Mexico Pachuca - Week 77 - May 4, 2015

(Excerpts from his email)

um this week was not the best haha. it was actually probably one of the hardest weeks we’ve had. but just gotta keep going. we have another activity and so i don’t have a lot of time to talk again. 

M: So tell me what's going on and try to get a story in there before you leave please.

EP: were just working and working and working and its just like blah. but i don’t know, i think i am realizing a lot of things that i need to change to be better. We have a baptism planned for this weekend hopefully everything goes well or i might just go insane. 

M: Positive attitude goes a long way.  Look for the good amongst the rotten!

What are you realizing and who is getting baptized?

EP: ya i know, trying, but its hard. i am realizing its super hard to love people when they just reject you in a super ugly way. i don’t know its been harder for me to really feel this love for the people when i cant even teach them and i don’t know its just been hard. but i do have a story. so we had no one so we were knocking doors. we find a Christian lady and she starts talking about her church and that a church isn’t gonna save us only Jesus and we need to follow him and a bunch of other stuff. and then at the end she was just like why am i gonna waste my time worrying about what church is the good church I’m just gonna go from church to church and a church isn’t gonna help me, you guys can’t tell me your church is the right one cause your just humans like everyone else. and i was just like super tired of everything that has been happening in the area and so i was just like no i know that this is the true church and its the only way we can truly follow our Savior Jesus Christ and the only way we can receive eternal life because i have asked God and He has answered me and there’s no doubt in my mind. after i told my companion i don’t know what else to do, i know we did our part and i know the Spirit testified in that moment that what we said was true and if she can’t or doesn’t want to accept it, then there’s nothing else we can do. It was something super cool cause in the talk Elder Bednar wanted us to study it said something like more people receive their testimony trying to share it than on their knees looking for it and in that moment i could really understand that part. 

M: So maybe the lesson in this area is that you need to find the very strength and core of your testimony.  That no matter what happens, your testimony cannot be rocked and you can leave each door saying I left it all out there and it is now for them to decide.  I can only imagine how frustrating it must be, sometimes when we are in the big city, we are so materialized we find it difficult to see the truth.  There is a reason for these difficult times and in the end, it will be for your growth and benefit.  Keep trying, keep working, even when you don't want to.

So was this week Elder Bednar?  What did he say, what was he like?

EP: ya maybe haha i have been trying to see what i need to learn here. what the lord is trying to teach me. we will see. no he comes in like 2 weeks. but he’s sending us 3 talks to study for when he gets here, one every week.

M: that's super cool. I'm excited for you.

Maybe you need to take a different approach, service maybe? Just random acts of kindness, not pushing the gospel, just how can we be of service to you today? I don't know, maybe it's time to think outside the box!

You have to admit though son, your mission has been far more positive than not and the work has been good, maybe it's to un-spoil you a bit!

EP: ya i have been thinking like i have had it pretty good. it hasn’t been super easy but its been good to me. My last area was like a paradise, people just came to us wanting to be baptized. its crazy since i left, my companion baptized 3 and he has 3 more this weekend. and they are all people i taught and its just like huh aw man that kinda sucks. but its ok i gotta go love you guys have a great week. 

Love,
Elder Park

Baptisms in Huicholes after Elder Park left