Weird week

Magui wanted us to help her make the lunch for the kermesse, and she offered me a rib and it took all I had to say no. Obedience brings blessings, but it looked really good.

Hermana Huber´s birthday yesterday :) Magui made her a cake and politely smashed her face in it :) 

Valeria´s 14th birthday!

What a crazy week. This will be a bit jumbled because it got to the point of weirdness of a drunken man from Argentina rapping for us in the street. 

Tuesday was New Year in a little pueblo called Aimara, and since the President of Bolivia speaks that language, he made it a national holiday! The ward had a kermesse, or a fundraiser bbq to help out a sister in the ward (Pray for Sandra) and Magui made the picante de pollo and ribs. She asked us to help! It was fun and I got to use an apron for the first time since my 2 episodes of my cooking show I made. haha Then at 7 pm, Manuel gave us all fried chicken and we went over the ward mission plan with all the leaders. 

Then Wednesday we had our final conference with President and Sister Willard. Since it was their last one, it was less serious and President was making jokes right and left. I think they just didnt want anyone to cry! He said things like, "Dont cry because it´s over, smile because it happened." At the end, we sang Teach Me to Walk in the Light, and everyone stood up for the 3rd verse and faced President Willard and sang, because in Spanish it just says Father, not Heavenly Father, and there was not a dry eye there. I'm really humbled to have had him as my mission president for almost 1 year here in Bolivia. He and his wife have changed my life. The little things. 

Yesterday, Maria Lenny and her family, and Betty and her family fell through and didn't come to church because it got cold. :( So we were a little bummed in church. But we really saw the Lord´s hand! We visited Maria Lenny at 6 pm and we said, ¨Hermana. Our mission president is having his farewell in 30 minutes. Let´s go.¨ and she thought for a minute and said ¨can I bring my kids?¨ YES. It was great because they had asked 3 couples of recent converts to speak as well, including Henry and Mariela! (by the way, Presidente came to our ward yesterday. Never have I prayed more to be able to play the piano well. And he conferred Henry with the Melchizedek Priesthood! Henry was so excited and humbled that he actually came. I cried too.) It was great! Magui brought the cake we asked her to make for Hermana Willard and everyone sang the Santa Cruz birthday song, and it was beautiful. :) 

Leonardo went a bit MIA but we´re still in the game. We realized that we are teaching 4 little boys from different families, so that´s fun but actually really hard to teach simply! But it makes it easier to follow the Spirit. Isn´t that why we´re here? And we visited Paola, a less active with 5 kids under the age of 8. Returned missionary. We went with the Bishop and it was powerful! All she needs is support. So a brother passed for her and she and all 5 of her kiddies came to church. 

We´re happy. We´re cold. And we are ready to find new people to teach in this normal week! President Rodriguez gets here tomorrow morning! We will miss President and Hermana Willard, but how exciting to be here to get a new President! :)

The church is true and don´t forget to read your Book of Mormon and compare it with your Bible! I would write more, but you´ll just have to read my journal someday!

Love, Hermana Park

(These are some surprise photos that the ward mission leader sent Emily's family via facebook throughout the week. "Actividad del barrio")

Así es la vida

Our companion exchange with Hermana Canales and all she wanted was fries. That is an offer that I can´t refuse.

one of our investigators Elfi! 

Hermana activity at some historical museum and the lady yelled at me for eating cookies.

SUUUUUUNNNNNNN 

We got WAY excited about the salt water taffy and I tore the bag open without realizing it was a ziploc! haha 

from our special vip room we ate lunch in because Magui fed all the Taxi drivers and they decided to watch a movie! 

This week I learned that the Atonement covers disappointments. 

What a fun way to start an email! haha But Leonardo all of the sudden had to MOVE, then right after we got a message from our cute investigator Mariana telling us to never return for no reason. But one of my favorite phrases is Así es la vida, or that´s life! But what I also learned is that how can I testify or teach something that I have never experienced. After all of this, we got on a bus to go to an appointment and I decided to sit by a woman named Katharine. I started up the conversation and our small talk turned into how she has blamed God for some things that have happened lately. She cried and I was able to bear her my witness that He loves her because He put me on that bus in that moment. I was surprised that the words of comfort spilling out of my mouth! We both ended smiling and I committed her to trust in Christ and His Atonement. His Atonement is infinite and perfect. I´m thankful for all the things that led me here. :) Bolivia is a land full of hard working people that I love. 

Leonardo came to church again yesterday and his been telling everyone about his baptism this Saturday. I have no idea what´s going to happen but the ward mission leader Manuel is SET on baptizing him. If Heavenly Father wants it to happen, it will. We were able to teach the younger brother and cousin on Mariela and Valeria yesterday. They are both 9 and just mesmerized by the Book of Mormon. They love primary too! Sebastian and Jesús! 

We are also teaching other people. It´s not like there´s no one. haha but I´ll talk about them all next week! :)

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

Hermana Park

Then we were excited for him! I´m talking boys basketball, we´re down by 2 in double overtime and we make a 3 excited.

We really, but I mean REALLY love empanadas con queso with powdered sugar on top

The sun came out, I took off my tights, yay for a sunny day in Santa Cruz! :)

Tuesday night at 9:30 we got a call that the next morning we would have our last conference with Presidente and Hermana Willard at 9 am! The conference turned into surprise final interviews with Presidente where he called us out of the conference by companionships. One part of what he said was, ¨You know, Hermana Park, little Emily Jr. is watching you right now and she is so proud of you.¨  

We were visiting a family and they said that they were happy about the outcome of the Bolivia vs Chile soccer game…because even though we lost, 2-1, we scored a goal! I love that outlook they have. Things might not work out the way we had hoped, but Heavenly Father does not cease to bless us. 

Yesterday in church, Betty, Leo, and Diana, Sofia, Beatriz, and Leonardo all came! We were a just a little happy to see them all there... In Gospel Principles, Manuel was teaching about the things we need to do to enter into the Celestial Kingdom, and Leonardo was answering every question and commenting like he had been a member his whole life. After the class, Manuel pulled us and him aside and told Leonardo, ¨You are really special Leonardo and I want to baptize you this month. Hermanas what day?¨ I said the 25th and Leonardo said he didn´t feel ready yet. Manuel reassured him by saying that he will keep receiving the lessons from us and keep learning, but will be ready by this day to enter into a convenant with God and Leonardo accepted by saying, ¨Okay! It´s a commitment!¨ We also gave him a Book of Mormon to read and he smiled and said, ¨Wow, really! It´s for me??¨ I have never seen someone so excited. Then we were excited for him! I´m talking boys basketball, we´re down by 2 in double overtime and we make a 3 excited. The Church is incredible. 

Everyone else is coming along as well! :) 

Happy birthday Adam, and happy Father´s Day to all this weekend! 

I love you all and hope with all my heart that everyone enjoys the sun as much as I am right now. The Church is true and I have never been more excited to be serving the Lord in Bolivia!!

Love, 

Hermana Park

PS Elder Owen from Marisa´s ward in Arkansas is now in my zone! 

Sorry there´s just one picture! We´ve been a little busy preaching the gospel ;)

Ella es mia...por favor! bleh

I might have already sent this..but KITTENS!

Yesterday Luana Cesari turned 7 and all she wanted was for us to come and eat cake with her! So cute!

Then with Valeria (Franchesco really wanted in on the pic!) 

The fun of public internets is that there is a young boy reading over my shoulder as I am typing this. haha I said ¨hola¨ and he told me ¨it`s english??¨ haha 

We didn`t get tranfered! I am still here in Trompillo with Hermana Alvarez! Sorry for the lack of email last week! We all had to fill out  a q and a and write to Presidente Rodriguez who is coming in 3 weeks! Where is the time going. 

It`s still cold and humid, but luckily people are getting used to it and have stopped hiding in their beds all day! 

Our lesson fell through, but we are going to teach a guy named Leonardo. He came to an activity with a less active member he lives with, and has come to church these past 2 weeks! He said he`ll never stop coming. Everyone LOVES him and we`re excited to get him into YSA because he`s 22 oooo oooo. The Bishop even went to his house to visit him and told us ¨Hermanas, he`s going to be a Bishop. Teach him well.¨ So praaaayy so he, and the Dàvalos family, and Maria Lenny who FINALLY accepted a date last night, can all get baptized on the 25th for mom and dad`s 36th anniversary! :) But they didn`t  come to church yesterday. FOR THE SAKE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY JUST GET OUT OF BED. IT`S NOT THAT COLD! ahem..anyways..

We are also going to pick up Beatriz again. She has been going to church for 15 years, her 3 kids are members in young men and young women, but they aren't married. but MIRACLE,  after yeaarrrs of legal issues, her husband, father of her children, is officially and legally divorced! I never thought divorce could be a good thing! 

The work is moving along here in Trompillo and the cold never bothered us anyway. To end, remember Elmer, the guy I asked if he was single a couple months ago? Well, we went to visit his mom, Elfi, the other day and there were 15 people there for her daughter-in-law`s birthday and she wanted us to stay. So we sang and ate cake and empanadas for a few minutes until we could visit Elfi. Well, with 17 of us, someone got confused and yelled ¨who`s cake is this?¨ and everyone yelled which piece was theirs etc. But in Spanish, everything is either male or female. As I quietly drank my hot chocolate, Elmer looked at me and yelled ¨Ella es mia!¨ (she`s mine!) There was an uproar of ooohs and laughter and then he yelled ¨I was talking about my empanada!¨ So, in other words, yikes. Ciao bubby. Not coming back! 

I love you all and hope everyone can make someone smile this week!!

Love,

Hermana Park