Mexico Pachuca - Week 35 - July 14, 2014

Mexico Pachuca Letter #35 – July 14, 2014
(Excerpts from his email)

Hey mom again a little early cause we're gonna play futbol haha. Ya i knew that scripture because i really like that scripture before the mission and it was cool to see that part in my blessing. I finally studied it this week with the stuff from Aunty Anna and i could really see the things and amazing promises that the Lord has for me. Ya we had interviews with president this week. We have them like once every 3 months. No nothing major really. Ya i bought another sweater because i was freezing haha but its ok. 

 Elder Ortega and Elder Park have a house in Pachuca Centro that is perfect. The house is great with no leaks and it’s relatively newer in construction. This is a keeper. With all the recent rain on a daily basis we are having many issues with leaking roofs/ceilings. The missionaries through out the mission are being troopers...


 M: How is America, Jorge and the young lady?


EP: America is good she went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead like last week. Jorge is awesome he just got the Aaronic priesthood and Amaya is doing good hopefully her family can get baptized soon. . Ya I’m good. Doing good mom. I gotta go were gonna play soccer again haha. But i will talk to you guys next week. Love you 

 Love, 
Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 34 - July 7, 2014

(Excerpts from his email)

 D: Are your soccer skills getting better?

EP: my soccer skills are amazing now haha. Just kidding but I’m not that bad i know what I’m doing and can kick the ball. Some others are horrible. 

 M: Is it still cold in Mexico? In all the pictures on the mission blog you are usually wearing a sweater and your companion is always wearing a jacket.

Any new investigators?

 EP: yea its super cold haha.

 Um this week Nicole and her daughters came to church and Karla and her daughter. They both have baptismal dates for July 19 so we will see what happens. They are both awesome and hopefully they get baptized the 19th because that’s probably gonna be my last week here. 

 M: How come it's cold? Is it the rain? It is incredibly hot here and I hear Vegas is even worst!

 EP: i don’t know but its like super cold. i always leave with a sweater and i think I’m gonna buy more cause its cold haha. When it rains its worse but i think it’s just the altitude and the wind. 

 M: You sound good son, in a good place.

 EP: Ya I’m good things are going good right now. And were gonna go play soccer soon which is exciting haha. 

M: You sound good, you look happy in all the pictures we see, the true happy smile that we love to see. If you ever have a chance to look at the smiles in the Provo temple pictures and then look at the smiles now, there is true happiness coming through and let me tell you that warms my heart. I also can tell when things are not as good and I tell myself like I tell you it's for your growth and learning.

So why is soccer so exciting? I know after that first season you played a long time ago, you never wanted to paly again. Who are you playing with?

EP: Ya I really am happy here. its not easy but its something that really does make you happy. Were playing with the zone but I gotta go talk to you guys in a week. love you 

Love, 
Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 33 - June 30, 2014

(excerpts from his email)

This week was awesome. We had two great baptisms and the changes that I could see in their lives are amazing. One of our investigators that got baptized is Jorge. He has changed so much it is awesome. His wife has been a member for a while and he was never interested and never wanted to listen to the missionaries until about 2 months ago. Since then he hasn't missed a Sunday and has been awesome. We were talking to his wife this week and she was like "wow I cant believe how my husband has changed completely." She was telling us how he tells her to get up in the afternoons so they can read the Book of Mormon, how he wakes her up Sunday mornings to get to church on time, he washes the dishes, and just is a completely different man. I was like wow that is awesome Hermana. She was super happy and bore an amazing testimony in the baptism. The icing on the cake was he got to church early Sunday morning in a suit and tie ready to be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was a great experience and a great thing to be a part of.

M: Wow, son, what an amazing story and a confirmation that the gospel can bring changes and happiness to families.  I am excited for him and for you and hope that the change is a permanent one.  I hope that the young lady finds just as much joy and peace in her baptism and that she will find comfort in the gospel.  Sounds like you are doing work and it sounds like the Lord has prepared the way for you to be a part of the lives of your two new converts.  Happy for you all.
What else is going on with you?
 
D: Don’t forget to recognize the changes in your life as you grow in the gospel. They may not be as quick (two months) but they are there. Try to think about that this week in your study. That’s why it’s a blessing for me to do these talks. Whether as a high council or yesterday. I get to reflect on these topics. How I have grown from thinking things were coincidences to how I know they are blessings from heavenly father.

EP: Nothing much pretty normal. gotta find more people to teach now. 

yes i am definitely thinking about that more now too, how coincidences aren't really coincidences. how a lot of times things just work out and its really an answer to a prayer.

D: Maybe I was a little slow, hesitant learner. I went through a few sets of missionary lessons. But it probably all paid off in the end. And I know now all the blessings that are there for us as a family.

EP: haha i think about that all the time. what the missionaries must have said after they left the house now that Iʻm a missionary and have left a bunch of houses over and over again! haha thinking nothings really happening but it is. 

M:  I just wanted you to know that we love you and that we are proud of you.  Continue to do the work and know that every time you say something to someone you plant a seed and who knows when that seed will grow. 

EP:  love you guys

Love,

Elder Park

Pictures from the Mission:

Pachuca Centro Zone

Mexico Pachuca - Week 32 - June 23, 2014

(excerpts from his email)

EP:hey I’m doing really good.this Saturday if everything goes as planned we have 2 more baptisms. 

 M: That's great son. We are speaking in Waianae Ward this Sunday on prayer, want to give me a story about prayer to share?

 EP: Ya i would say my mission story is about prayer. Ok so i always knew i wanted to go on a mission but i just had a lot of questions. I wasn’t sure of my self. I was scared i didn’t think i knew enough to teach people i just doubted myself a lot. I was also thinking a lot about everything i would be leaving but i knew it was something i had to do. So one night i got on my knees for probably the first time in my life and just poured out everything. I just remember getting everything out, all my doubts all my everything and my head was just all over the place thinking about everything and then i don’t remember what happened but i was just filled with peace. My mind just went blank and i just went from a million things in my head to nothing. I finished the prayer and just slept like a baby. I just felt totally calm and knew the Lord was telling me to go.

 M: Same for me, the night you came and asked me to tell you what to do. I poured out my heart to the Lord with dad at my side and then slept so soundly and peacefully like i never do. Then the next day when I talked to Gma she pointed out a scripture found in D&C 6: 22-23 and it says "Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart that you might know concerning these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?" The Lord does answer prayers.
So who are you baptizing?

 EP: the girl we went to visit that had the ¨spirit¨ and Jorge. His wife is a member but he never wanted to listen until now. 

M: So the father and daughter? How is the girl doing? Better? Smiling?

 EP: no Jorge isn’t her dad. Its two totally separate people. Amaya is doing good. She has a problem where sometimes she has panic attacks but she’s doing good. 

 PAPA: hey guy, howzit going this is papa, how's soccer fever in Mexico? Weather must be crazy, hot and humid.

 EP: Soccer fever is crazy. Everyone is like oh come over and watch the game and we are like oh stop we can’t, don’t tempt us haha. Ya it’s been humid these past couple days but its going good.gotta go i will talk to you guys next week love you. 

 Love, 
 Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week #31 - June 16, 2014

(Excerpts from his email)

 Hey ok so first of all my new companion is elder Ortega. He’s from Columbia and he has 18 months in the mission. Things are going pretty good.

 

 Elder Park and Elder Ortega

America’s baptism was great. We taught her everything this week and she was able to get baptized this Saturday and i did the baptism. It was actually really cool because she was like my first baptism that i was there for her whole conversion process. From the very first time she got to church till her baptism and confirmation. 

Elder Park, America and Elder Ortega

M: That's very cool son, is she your one and only?

D: That sounds so great. We are so happy for you and America. Hopefully you were good with the words. I still get teased for not remembering all of Tyler’s name when I ordained him a deacon.

 EP: haha i was actually super nervous when i did it like o man i hope i do everything good so i don’t have to do it again. Yes she (America) will be my only baptism of the mission, she asked me to do it so i said ok. if someone else asks i have to explain that i can’t and why and all that it kinda sucks. there’s exceptions for like little kids that ask and maybe won’t understand but ya. 

 Um stories. Ok so we also went and gave service this Saturday. We helped a member put a cement water tank on his roof it was super hard. The worst part was we had to carry cement blocks up to the roof to make a base for the tank so i was standing on the ladder with my back towards the ladder and facing out. A member passed me a block from the bottom and i passed it up to the roof. One time i lost my balance and i swear i almost died. i started like falling off the ladder so i was just like o man holding the block with one hand and trying to reach the ladder with the other. Luckily i was able to regain my balance and didn’t fall.

Mis Cuates (My Friends) Three past companions at transfers

Soccer mania even in Mexico!

And Mexican Chinese food too! Looks just like at home.

Love,
Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 30 - June 9, 2014

(Excerpts from his email)

EP: Yes transfers tomorrow, or my companion has changes so we will see what happens. We are having a baptism for America this Saturday its crazy cause today we only had our second lesson with her but we talked to her yesterday and she wants to get baptized and knows its all true so we just gotta prepare her for the interview. We are going to meet with her everyday and it’s gonna be great. If you don’t reply i will try to find a story but also if you didn’t send the box yet can you send li hing powder a Hermana wants. She’s from Arizona, Hermana Cardon, but she like loves Hawaii food. apparently there’s a bunch of polys so she like loves chicken katsu, spam musubī, li hing mui and loo.

M: So I am happy that you were able to learn whatever lesson the Lord had for you.  Take the good, the work ethic and move on.

I'm excited about your baptism, is her name really America?  That's interesting, why is that her name?

EP: Ya her names America. There’s actually more than a few here that i have known i don’t know why. Oh also mom funny story, but i might have to get a tattoo haha! We went with an investigator and he’s super cool and his whole family but they don’t really want to go to church or anything and we were just talking. i don’t know how but tattoos came up and he was like i will get baptized if you both (me and my companion) get tattoos with me. I think a tattoo for a saved soul is a pretty good price no?

M: No!!!!! That's the answer. Unless you want to ask president and he says it's okay?!?!?!? Funny, but no!!!!

So you doing ok?

EP: haha nah he said after the mission we come back and we can all get tattoos together. 

Ya I’m doing good. I feel a lot of hope for tomorrow.

Well I gotta go we got a lesson but have a great week love you guys. 

Love,

Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 29 - June 2, 2014

(Excerpts from his email)

EP: This week was ok. Not great to be honest. We still have the stuff in the house i don’t know what were gonna do with it to be honest but I’m doing good.   We contacted a few new investigators but they didn’t come to church this week so that wasn’t great.  I bought a new soccer jersey today haha if that counts as something interesting.

 
M: No buying a jersey does not count as something interesting!  I did see that then Mexico soccer team lost one of their best players, that must have been a huge blow to the national team and Mexicans as a whole. 

How is Bernardo doing, still coming to church?

"I have often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worrying about families, for all time and talents and interests are centered on the work of the ministry. Work, work, work- there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work." 

- President Ezra Taft Benson

This is the quote that Hermana Egbert has on this week’s blog. 

EP: Oh man he shattered his leg not good. And right after he had a crazy goal haha.  

Ya Bernardo is doing good having some troubles with hypocrites in the church but its ok. His mom not so good the doctors said she has like 5 more years maximum its rough.

Hey I got to go love you guys i will talk to you later. 

Love,
Elder Park