Mexico Pachuca - Week 4 - December 9, 2013

(Excerpts from his email)

Q: What is a typical day like for you?

A: Normal day is wake up at 630 and exercise till 7. Shower and eat and then personal study at 8. Companion study 9 and language study at 11. 12 starts our work day and from then on we are out and about. Lunch is at 2 or 3 and then we return home at like 9 to plan for the next day and then 1030 is lights out. The afternoons are kind of hard because almost everyone is working so we usually don’t have planned lessons until like 5ish.

Q: Any update on the couple you are teaching?

A: the couple is amazing. We had to push back their baptismal date to December 28 but they are doing great. The husband continues to be strong and his testimony and desire to learn more is amazing. The wife Belen finally turned the corner and when we were teaching the plan of salvation and the atonement she opened up and talked to us about her relationship with her father that she wishes was better and he passed away so she has regrets. This past lesson we finished plan of salvation and asked about their baptismal dates and she said she was nervous but now she feels tranquilo. It was great i think she is really ready and really accepts what we teach.

Q: Have you been able to see the city on your p-days? Ruins? Do you have pictures?
A: No my area is Pachuca and the tower that you see on Google when you search Pachuca is in my area. That's pretty much the only place I have been I will try to send pictures but last time it didn’t work.

The Tower when you Google Pachuca

Q: Do you need anything?
A: Send those stickers you can put on the verses if you can find them i think it will help me understand and investigators have a visual because that’s what i learned. Visuals and little activities help them a lot and they remember it. And last just pictures of home. Family, basketball, the beach, my friends. My zone leader said it helps a lot for people to see that we are normal people haha.

Q: Are you good?
A: I’m good learning a lot haha. Me and my companion were studying plan of salvation and D & C 76 and I learned that if people hear the gospel in this life but don’t accept it even if they accept it in the spirit world they probably won’t go to the celestial kingdom. Ultimately Heavenly Father makes the call but that’s what it says in the scriptures and I didn’t know that. It really opened my eyes to the importance of trying and trying and trying to bring people to the gospel because in the words of my companion once we start talking about it we are condemning them or saving them. Its a scary thought but it just made us think and work that much harder every day.

Love,
Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 3 - December 2, 2013

(Excerpts from e-mail)

The language is still difficult. I can speak ok I think but understanding people is still hard. I have to focus super hard just to try and pick out a few words here and there and try and piece together whets going on. Its ok and i feel like I’m getting better everyday i just need to focus and pay attention all the time. We teach lessons all the time and they are going good. We only have a husband and wife who are progressing investigators right now but they are great. On Wednesday the husband bore his testimony about how he is preparing for baptism and how he wants it and he wants to change and wants to start a new life and be a new person and ended with estoy listo. Which simply means I am ready. It was amazing and it really made me think this is why I am here and this is what I want all the time. His wife has a few more concerns but on Friday she said she prayed and felt really peaceful and didn’t know if that was an answer or not.  Me and my companion sang Lead, Kindly Light (which is an amazing hymn) and after I shared how I got my answer about whether or not to go on a mission and it felt great. We have another lesson with them tonight so we will see how that goes hopefully they get baptized at the end of the month.

Lead, Kindly Light

1. Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom;

Lead thou me on!

The night is dark, and I am far from home;

Lead thou me on!

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene--one step enough for me.

2. I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that thou

Shouldst lead me on.

I loved to choose and see my path; but now,

Lead thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.

3. So long thy pow'r hath blest me, sure it still

Will lead me on

O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till

The night is gone.

And with the morn those angel faces smile,

Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

The weather is weird its usually cold but during the day it can get kind of warm but my companion says it gets colder in December and January so we will see.

This week we studied how family history is a huge tool that we can use for finding people and helping people and it really hit me hard. I keep thinking about my patriarchal blessing and how important it is. There are videos we watched called "To Turn the Hearts" I think. It refers to the scripture turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. I understand this scripture now and also the spirit of Elijah. I learned so much this week but the videos were great and I know how important it is and I plan on starting that as soon as I get home. The scripture the worth of souls is great in the eyes of the Lord, I feel like that is also talking about all the souls that have already passed on and need the work done for them. And how great will be your joy if you bring many souls unto repentance and ultimately salvation. This is what I have been thinking about a lot this week and it really has me excited to start this when I get home but for now I have other work to do.  

We just watched a talk about this (missions being for the missionary as much as for those they are serving) by Elder Holland this morning about how the new missionary program with Preach My Gospel is in use now to first convert the missionary and then to help the investigator. He shared how his mission changed his whole life and shaped every single decision after and every good thing that has happened in his life has been because of his mission. I feel that way now a little and i hope that that feeling just continues to grow and not shrink over the next two years. It was a great talk and i 

learned so much. It was a talk to missionaries at the MTC.

I love you and everyone. Thank you all for the love and example that you have been to me.

Elder Park

Mexico Pachuca - Week 2 - November 25, 2013

(Excerpts from his email)

It’s interesting because this week during study we were talking about how it’s so important to love our investigators and love everyone we meet and a way that we can do that is to think of them as children of God. Not by their appearance or how they come off but that every person here is a child of God and our brothers and sisters and no matter if they shut the door on our face or tell us they don’t want to hear our message we still love them as family.

Q: How’s the food, do you eat okay?

A: Yes I eat well here everyday a family feeds us lunch so i am well fed. The food is good. Almost everyday it’s some kind of soup and then usually chicken and tortillas or rice. Yesterday I had this thing like meat and cabbage with potato salad that was good and reminded me of home. We have to cook breakfast and if we want a snack at night we can because they don’t really have dinner here only a big lunch.

Q: Did you get the Dearelder.com letter?

A: I think dear elder comes in on p days so we will see I’m not too sure though.

Q: What is the name of the place you are serving in, the city district or whatever?

A: I really don’t know where I am haha the ward is called Nuevo Hidalgo.

Q: Is it cold?

A: It’s cold at night but days are usually ok as long as there is sun.

Q: Is it expensive in Mexico?

A: Everything is really cheap here. The food the clothes everything is super cheap.

Q: Do you have a maid?

A: No we don’t have a maid we have to clean every p day with like brooms and a makeshift mop.

Q: How’s your clothes situation, need anything?

A: Clothes are good.

Q: Are you teaching anyone?

A: We only have one progressing investigator family right now and they are doing good but it’s difficult for me right now because I don’t understand most of what they are saying but its getting better. We teach a lot of less actives here because we don’t contact on the street here.

Q: Do you need anything, want anything in particular for Christmas, or shall we just put money in your account, people are asking?

A: I don’t think I need anything right now especially cuz the mail is kind of sketchy so I think money would be best thank you and thank everyone.

Study Tip:

President gave us a way to better our personal study and it’s pretty amazing. In the book of Mormon first Nephi it says every scripture in the book of Mormon is there for a reason and has importance to the children of men. So he said take a scripture and do five things.

1. Ask what. What is the background significance message etc.

2. Then ask why. Why is it written this way, with those words, the deeper message?

3. Then use the references and find a deeper meaning.

4. Fourth think about the savior. Every scripture can relate to Jesus Christ.

5. And last how can I apply it in my life.

It’s crazy how much more I learn doing this. I spend the whole hour doing one scripture. 

Love,           

Elder Park

Pachuca MX Zone Conference 

Pictures from mexicopachucaldsmission.blogspot.mx

  

Mexico Pachuca - Week 1 - November 18, 2013

Hola familia~ 

Mexico has been crazy this week. I learned so much and i just barely got here. I thought my Spanish was pretty good leaving the mtc but i got here and realized its horrible haha. I barely understand any thing and it’s even a challenge talking to my companion because he’s from Columbia and doesn’t speak much English, but every day i get better and understand a little more. The people are all so nice even though they may think I’m slightly retarded because a lot of the time i just smile and say si and if they look at me funny i know it wasn´t a yes or no question. But even though the language is hard, it´s been a good week. I went to my first baptism and so many things went wrong. The last elders left the water in the font so it was green when they checked it so they drained it and put in a toilet cleaner. That turned the water blue and when they tried to mix it around the elders hand turned blue. They were scared that the clothes and the people were gonna turn blue also. It was funny but nothing happened and the baptism was great. The lady’s face after she was baptized was indescribable. She was so happy and was smiling from ear to ear all night. It was amazing to see. Mexico has been good. The food is different but good and we eat with members every day so that’s nice. Here they only eat two meals, breakfast and lunch at like 3 so it’s different but I’m good and satisfied all day. I hope all is well with everyone at home. I saw some pictures from the wedding and it looked great and i wish i could be there but i know i am where the Lord wants me. 

Love, 

Elder Park

Arrival in Pachuca Mexico

Dear Parents- 

Your Elders have arrived safely. They were exhausted and starving but we remedied that up with food and interviews with President and then a place to rest their heads. We will meet again this morning at 930 for mission wide transfers, and training for the twenty new missionaries (11) natives and your ten with their new companions and then off to their new areas they will go. President finished interviews last night and commented that this was a talented group with some depth. He has prayed for inspiration on whom might be the best trainer for which missionary and hopefully with the Lords hand involved make a proper selection that will help enable success here in the first 5 weeks (next cycle/transfers) if not the entire 12 weeks ahead. We anticipated some significant adjustment including likely homesickness, physical illness and discouragement so we ask on your end to keep things positive and upbeat- reassure them they can do this and if needs be “to forget yourself and get to work” advise. We anticipate all will be able to look at emails from you next Monday which is their scheduled p day. Thank you again for sending your son to serve here in Pachuca as we are so excited they are here and have much for them to do. We already love each one for their sweet spirit and uniqueness they bring to the Mexico Pachuca Mission. May God Bless and Protect them while they are here as we strongly encourage obedience with exactness, being wise and never, never, never, leaving their companion and the rest is in the Lord’s hands. Continue your prayers in our mission behalf as we need them daily. 

Visit our blog spot weekly if you already haven’t for a taste of our mission….. mexicopachucaldsmission.blogspot.mx 

All our love, 
Salli kae 
President and Hermana Andrew E. Egbert

MTC Week 5

Hola Familia, 
Today is my last p-day here at the MTC. I leave for Mexico on Monday. Then starts the real work. Thank you all for the love and support. I really appreciate everything you all do for me. The MTC is going good pretty much done with our Spanish books. Some people in my district that took Spanish in high school said we are now learning stuff they learned in their fourth year. That's amazing to me and it just shows how much we can do with the Lord's help in our lives. It's a lot to take in but my Spanish is always improving and I can now get my point across fairly well. My grammar is horrible but people can understand what I'm saying and I can usually understand them. Thank you all for the love and support. 
Con amor 
Elder Park

MTC Week 4

Hola Familia, The district is going good. I don't know if mom told everyone but Lopaka Durrett is in my zone which is pretty cool. He came in yesterday and I talked to him a little. It's cool having someone from Hawaii especially someone I know around. The MTC is going good we've been teaching since the first Friday here and since then pretty much every other day we have lessons. It depends on the week but the lessons are going pretty well my Spanish is improving to the point where I can get my point across pretty well. My grammar is horrible and I rarely conjugate but what I want to say get's across to the person I'm teaching. My time at the MTC is winding down only got about a week and a half before I leave for Mexico which is a pretty scary thought, but at the same time it's not because I know that I have all the help I need to be there and teach the people. Thank you all for your love and support I miss you all. Love, Elder Park