TRANSFERS AND MARCELO

Ciao Hermana Orozco! (at 5 am!)

Hermana Alvarez!

Marcelo´s baptism! Still haven´t figured out why NO ONE SMILES. This Marcelo is on the left. With the Cesari family that got baptized 5 months ago and helped fellowship Marcelo. Henry was SO EXCITED to baptize him and only had to redo it 3 times! Since the ward mission leader wasn´t there, there was a confusion about the baptismal clothing that was in the church, so they ended up wearing the dresses and it took ALL that I had in me to keep my cool and not laugh too hard. 

Henry and Mariela´s cute daughter Eduana!

our last morning of workouts together in the park!

blurry hipster pic from the micro

these trees are everywhere! So pretty!

pizza last Monday!

We had transfers! My Colombiana Hermana Orozco was transferred to Tarija! And my lovely Colombiana 2 came from Tarija! Hermana Alvarez is from Medellin! She is cute, 24, a convert, and has 6 months in the mission! 

I remember one time in my mission prep class in my YSA ward, our teacher told us that missions are hard and I thought, ¨psha! what Debbie Downer! The mission will be fun and I won´t have a care in the world!¨ But when Hermana Orozco left, I had to get everything ready for Marcelo´s baptism alone and felt like I was drowning! haha Wednesday the ward mission leader called and said he wouldn´t be there, our member fell through so we couldn´t visit Marcelo, every appointment fell through, just everything that could happen, happened and I felt awful! I prayed SO HARD! ¨Pleeeeassssseeeeeee let everything work out because he´s ready!¨ And somehow, everything just kind of fell together.

The baptism went swimmingly. Henry, recent convert of 5 months, was chosen to baptize him! He said he didnt know if he should laugh or cry or dance. He´s a little soccer player, so 3rd time´s the charm to get Marcelo completely under the water! But I learned that Heavenly Father knows me, loves me, and won´t let me fail. The church is true. We have the fulness of the gospel. Jesus Christ is the Head of the church and this is His work. I am proud to be a part of it.

Love,

Hermana Park

gllerioejf

Our last zone pic before transfers Wednesday! The Zone Cañoto. What´s fun is that our zone contains all the Elders from the office. 

 I took advantage of our empty micro and took a micro pic! Usually it´s packed and I get a little too close to chicos. 

Reason 449595905400320203 why Trompillo is the BEST is because not only is there Burger King in my area, but also Subway. And I ordered it with EVERY VEGETABLE. I´m a changed woman.

I am so proud of my little sister, Ally Pack, who won Distinguished Young Woman! Speaking of DYW, the last time I sang in front of more than 3 people, yesterday Hermana Orozco and I sang a nice duet of More Holiness Give Me. It was incredibly awful on my part. haha 

SO MANY PEOPLE came to church yesterday. We are visiting a bunch of part member families, so that´s a great help! Marcelo came with all his books from church! He is preparing for his baptism THIS SATURDAY! I hope his interview goes well :)
My ward mission leader just called and took a lot of my time, so sorry this email is so short! hahahah He told you to all go to Arugula Deli in Idaho Falls, it´s his brother!
I hope everyone has a great week! I LOVE YOU ALL!!  Happy 85th Birthday Grandma!!

¿Usted es soltero?

Because I didn't take any pictures this week, here is a live feed from the internet cafe with Hermana Orozco!

Oh here´s a pic of the cute shoes I bought that came out to be about $8. I love Bolivia. 

Thank you all for every single one of your prayers. Sometimes, Hermana Orozco and I stop in the street and say, ¨Who was praying for us?¨ Really Trompillo is bursting with potential and God´s hand is in this area.

We are working with Manuel, the ward mission leader, to get Betty and Eduardo married so they can be baptized!! Their daughter Alejandra will leave for Mexico on May 2nd, but they are so close. We are also teaching their 2 cute kids, Leo and Diana. And we are softening the hearts of their 2 older kids. One of them, Eduardo (son), read the Restoration pamphlet 3 times while drinking and was taken away with the word apostasy! He loved the concept. Now if he would just stop drinking and come to church he would be a great missionary. 

This week we have been working with Elfi. She reminds me of mom. They have a pool but she never swims nor comes to church because she says she´s too lazy. hahaha (This is how she´s not like mom.) But her 20 year old son sat in with us on the lesson, and I thought, ¨Elfi has 9 kids. One time she told us one of her youngest sons has a baby, but is it THIS son?? Because I want to invite him to join the young single adults in the ward.¨ So I bluntly asked ¨Oh, hermano, ¿usted es soltero?¨ or are you single? But he, Hermana Orozco, and his mom, had a pretty good time with me saying that. We saw his mom in the plaza and she can´t stop laughing about it. They asked if Mormons are allowed to dance then kindly invited me to their pool after the mission so I can come and swim and dance with her son eewwwww. no. hahaha the people in Santa Cruz are SO hilarious. 

Marcelo is coming along! We FINALLY were able to talk to his wife and daughters. We plan on visiting them soon. Marcelo asked what more he needs to do to get baptized and then said ¨I mean, my towel is ready¨ hahaha We´re preparing him for his baptism next Saturday. And fingers crossed for Betty and her kids this Saturday, but if not, the same day!! 

There are so many people to talk about there just isnt time! The work here is wonderful! I got to buy some CUTE shoes because Hermana Orozco had to buy new shoes at a street fair of American shoes, and the member we went with said ¨HERMANA PARK, BUY SHOES BECAUSE YOULL NEVER GET THIS PERMISSION TO COME HERE AGAIN!!!¨ hahaha Everyone is so kind and no one judges me when I mess up while playing the piano or when I have to give a talk in Sacrament meeting on missionary work. I love Bolivia so much. I am so honored to be a missionary in this time! This church is true! There´s no way it isn´t. There´s no way 2 young girls could be invited into homes and convince people to read a book and pray about it and be baptized, if this church wasn´t true. 

Love, 

Hermana Park

Si hay gozo en tu corázon

With the cute Valeria who got baptized in November. She has wanted to come out SO BADLY with us and visit, but is only 13 and we can´t be alone with her. But President Willard knows and loves her, so she got special permission! (And a giant 2 liter water bottle because they didn´t have small ones! haha) Oh, her favorite hymn is Si hay gozo en tu corázon - You Can Make the Pathway Bright - so she was happy! 

Our Hermanas activity last Monday was drawing eachother! We passed around papers and each turn everyone had to draw something, like the mouth or hair, then write a note on back! It was a really fun activity and I love all of these hermanas :) First pic was smiling, second was what our picture was doing. haha 

In our zone conference this week, Presidente told us that companions share bread, 

because the word "pan" means bread. haha

The Tabladita sister leaders came to town! I got to go out with Hermana McDonald and it was wonderful. She is a great missionary and I love her a lot!

BURGER KING. I was so happy!! 

from the trunk of our taxi after women´s session. hahaha we´re being safe I promise! 

"By the miracle of modern technology the separation of time and vast distances vanishes. We meet as if we are all together in one great hall. But even more important than our gathering together, is in who's name we do so." --Henry B. Eyring

I was able to watch the Saturday conference sessions in English at the stake center, but with cool new wifi, everyone had to be in their own building, so I watched the Sunday sessions in Spanish. Everyone send me your favorite conference quotes because some things just don't translate over. It was a wonderful week and I promise I'll write more next week!! I love you all so much!!