¨You are awesome, Hermana Park¨

After the conference with Elder Montoya! (I took a sneak peak in my birthday package and picked out a dress to wear early! Thanks!) 

I tried to pretend I got my ears pierced by putting earrings on and my ear almost fell off from pain haha my body is a temple

The pensionista´s cat named Eldera. She was Elder but then they found out she´s a girl and added an a on the end! Eldera!

An hour ago with my sash that says ¨it´s my birthday!¨

This is a fun birthday message that says ¨happy birthday, eat trash, monkey.¨ 

This is my friend Pedro Leon from Tabladita!! 

an investigator gave us cute lizard key chains!! 

Valeria accompanied us on our visits. Who would´ve thought a 13 year old recent convert of 6 months would have the strongest testimony ever? 

THANKS so much to everyone who made my birthday happier! I am really happy today, and I want to make a goal to make every day like my birthday and have this much happiness and excitement :) 

This morning I got sung to, Hna Alvarez made me crepes, I found out that Tarija was split into 2 stakes now, Stake Tarija and Stake Tabladita, and my inebriated friend Pedro from Tabladita, who always yelled at us from across the street that we are his queens and he loves us, cut his hair and stopped drinking! Could this day get any better? 

Friday, we had a conference with Elder Hugo Montoya! He wanted everyone to participate, and when they did, they had to stand, say their name, and an attribute of their mom. 

He spoke about priesthood keys for a few minutes. He asked a few questions about who holds what keys, and all of us sisters on the front row kept quiet. Then he told us about an experience in Sacrament Meeting where the Bishop told the congregation that during the Sacrament prayers, the whole congregation would kneel. He asked us what we would do. SILENCE. So I shot up and awkwardly said ¨how´s everybody doing?¨ (in Spanish of course) Because it´s nervewracking to talk in front of 12 sister missionaries, 100 Elders, a member of the Seventy, and the mission president and his wife! Then I said, ¨I´m Hermana Park! My mom does everything to help someone else and...I would follow the Bishop because he has the keys to preside over the meeting.¨ Then sat down, out of breath, and a little red. I looked over and President Willard looked at me, smiled, gave me a thumbs up, and whispered, ¨You are awesome Hermana Park!¨

Then Elder Montoya talked about a phrase in Preach My Gospel that says ¨no one else can do this¨ No other church has ALL of the truth and restored priesthood to open the doors to the Celestial Kingdom! And no one else could pay the price for our sins so we could return and live with Heavenly Father, except for Jesus Christ! I may only be 20 years old (and 11 hours) but I KNOW that He is real. He lives. He loves us. He suffered for us. Through Him we can find an undescribable joy that is even better than the birthday joy. Please study your scriptures EVERY DAY and today, as a special birthday present for me, find someone who is having a hard time, and help them! That´s all I could wish for..that you could all make someone smile today! 

I love you all! I can feel your love here in Bolivia! You´re all awesome!

Love, 

the new and improved 20 year old Hermana Park :)