Trials make you stronger!

With Grandpa the night before she left on her mission, May 2015.

Ice Cream

A mask that Derly's daughter made

Her bed that was broken and then fixed

I was in a service project making candy flowers for the relief society Friday night and we were leaving at 7:55 pm. Then Kelly, the counselour of the Relief Society said she didn't want us to leave until she could give us a glass of water. Which was out of the usual. I was there, drinking my water, when the worst person to get a phone call from called me, Presidente Rodriguez. It`s strange because when Grandma passed away, I knew it before President called. But this time, I actually had no idea. I answered and he said, ¨Good evening Hermana Park. I got the news from your mom that your Grandpa Park has passed away.¨ I was fine. I mean, he has been holding on by a thread for years, but I was also a little mad because I have been praying for this whole time that Grandpa could be there when I got home. I thought, why! Couldn't Heavenly Father just wait one month more to take him? But then through hugs from hermanas and the Spirit, I realized that it really is a happy thing. Grandpa Park lived a lot longer than he should have, and he is now happily with Grandma and his mother he hasn't seen since he was 4! The Gospel is so perfect. 

But to give you some follow up on everything Los Olivos,

We had what the "Z" family called a ¨hot lesson¨ on the Book of Mormon. They started out saying that they wanted to ¨break up with us¨ and stay in their own church and ¨just be friends¨ but ¨it`s not you it´s me¨ So we asked if they had read their Book of Mormon. They replied, but the kids...and the work...and there isn`t time. Which resulted in a hot lesson about how the only way they are going to be able to be able to have a happy, successful family would be through this church and the priesthood authority that Joseph Smith restored. Jorge left and returned with his phone and put himself a date saying, ¨I will read the entire Book of Mormon by October 28th.¨ We`re going to visit them tonight. 

The Familia "A". We taught only half the family this week about how knowing that the church is restored makes it possible to be sealed to their son who passed away. The sweet family of members, the Familia "B", gave them a picture of the temple. 

Hortencia is drowning in sadness for the decisions of her sons. But there is always hope through Christ. You have to put in your part and be obedient to receive blessings.

And many many more things that happened but there`s never enought time!!

I love you all! 

Hermana Park

Miracle is a 7 letter word

La Colorada Zone


1. We are 98% sure that we found an apartment. It`s in a beautiful safe condo. The owner gave us the price and we asked the zone leaders. They said that if we could lower it $60 dollars, it`s ours. We prayed and called the owner, exaplining that we`re Christians, we wont use the pool or the garage and he lowered it to the exact price the zone leaders had asked. That never happens. 

2. We prayed to know where to go and decided on visiting a recent convert. While walking to her house, we found Soledad, a woman who has brothers in Argentina who are members. She is really excited to learn about the gospel and find out why her brothers are so happy, and we are really excited to teach her and her family!

3. We were looking through future investigators we had contacted and Hna Cayambe wanted to visit someone named Magdalena. I said, ¨Are you sure? When we contacted her a couple months ago and made an appointment, she hid from us.¨ haha but Hna Cayambe is pure and innocent, and wanted to go! We ended up finding her neighbor Hortencia, who has been off the radar lately. We had a great lesson with her, her son Bryan, and her niece Claudia. They accepted the challenge to be baptized, but want to pray about it first. Great!

4. Hna Cayambe lost her agenda and as we were looking for it, the Secretary to President called and said that someone had called Presidente and had it. Who else but our good friend Mario we always see in the street. He accepted the Book of Mormon and promised to read it. Heavenly Father`s plan is so perfect. There`s a reason behind everything that happens.

5. (Not for the faint of heart) We spent a day walking visiting and contacting many people and at the end of the day I said, hey my foot hurts. I got a blister, but that doesnt stop me. The next day it turned black! haha I called my good friend Hermana Huber and she told me to stab it with a needle and drain the liquid out. What. I prayed and my good old Trompillo companion who I live with Hna Alvarez came in. She had Hna Sanchez and Hna Cabrera hold my arms down as if I was in State Hospital South and they drained out blood. I prayed because I didnt want to have to stay inside but I literally couldnt walk, and trusted in Hna Huber, who after I told her it was a blood blister she said, ¨ooh sorry. Just forget about it and it will go away!¨ and then it didnt hurt anymore. I am really grateful for my health because I do not like being locked inside the house! :) Dont worry because I`m fine!

6. We found Chachi, who is in one of the pictures with us in purple dresses, and she told us how grateful she is that we visit her. She`s alone. Is having legal problems with her ex husband. But said that she feels her faith growing. She compared it to her banana tree outside.

7. Conference was the best and I loved every minute of it! Miracle that I learned and understood every single word in the beautiful Spanish language. 

There are always miracles. Every day there are miracles. We couldn`t do this work alone. 7 is also a sad number because that is the number of weeks I have left to serve the Lord. This week I enter into my last transfer as a missionary and there is nothing that can keep me from working. Not even a blood blister. Im grateful to be Hermana Park :) and even more grateful for my Salvador Jesus Christ.

with love, Hermana Park

PRAY

HERMANA HOLDEN, my trainer, came to visit!! 

district

Our group hna activity for all the May birthdays

bad elevator pic after

Foto de la Conferencia con Élder Montoya

We had a Mother´s Day ward activity and it was beautiful! We had 2 of our families of investigators come! We are working with the Familia Dávalos and Familia Suárez so that Betty, Eduardo, Leo, and Diana .... and Maria Lenny, Laura, and Pablo can get baptized in June! I'll write more next week, pray for these people!! 

salteñas from the zone for my birthday! 

¿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

Piojos

A photograph from a few weeks ago with Hna Rivera, sent to Emily's mom's facebook by a young woman in the Senac ward.

Hello friends, family, and countrymen.

Bolivia is SO fun lately and as I am writing this I am missing a giant parade with a marching band and dancers in front of my apartment for what I think is Flag Day today so thanks everyone. haha

There is an investigator we have that will see us and yell PARK really loud and then she'll come over and talk to us and it was scary the first few times because - who knows my name?! hahaha

Here is a story not intended for young children or for those feeling ill that I am going to share because it is funny and I am an open book.

My head has been itching lately. You can already tell where this story is going. haha I thought, "Oh, a pesky dry scalp like Hna.Higham had." But it kept getting worse and I found 2 live bugs in my hair. Gross. So I thought, haha, this is more than a dry scalp. So my amazing companion Hermana Holden did some searching for me and then we called Hermana Rivera my old companion in Senac because she loves this kinda stuff and.. TANGO PIOJOS. What is that, one might ask. The good old lice.

Yes mom. I have lice. haha I knew it was bound to happen because I'm always in micros and taxis with my hair down. haha Anways. Hermana Rivera's companion before me from Utah had lice and had a bunch of special treatment and shampoo in the apartment, so we have that now! Then I thought, wait a minute. I slept on that pillow of that girl who had lice. And then after me Hermana Paz slept on it and her head itches. haha Sisterhood of the Traveling Lice? Anyways, I did the treatment and seriously these Hermanas I live with are the best. haha Last night I was trying to do it myself and Hermana Morales and Paz the other companionship in the apartment came in and asked if they could help, had me sit down, and started picking nits out of my hair. "What are nits?" One might ask. Nits are the egg sacks that a louse will lay in hair that hatch in a week and can contain as many as 100 lice. So today we are getting a special comb and I'll do the treatment again and these seriously amazing Hermanas will help me get these animals out of my hair. hahahaha

Anways, if you read that I'm really sorry because it's gross. hahaha But it's a good experience to have because I always was able to slide past the lice infestations of Ridge Crest! haha

It was a good week! Our investigator wasn't baptized because it suddenly got cold again and everyone and their cat got sick! So we're hoping he's better by this weekend!

All is well here. I have officially perfected my grilled cheese sandwiches. Im seriously LOVING life and Bolivia and everyone here is so nice!! I drink my occasional Coke just to hear people tell me that I am the only white person they know who likes Coke. Thanks dad for always getting it. haha

I love you all and love this gospel. This week I learned a lot about the power of fasting. A true 24 hour fast and the miracles it can bring! I have received a lot of answers to prayers this week and have

really noticed how extremely blessed we all are to have a loving Father who truly knows each of us. Even if we may not understand the things He tells us to do, I know that everything will work out if we have faith and trust 100% completely in Him. He will guide our paths. What better life is there to have than one directed by God?

Also, we are having a noche de hogar tonight and watching Gracias a El with our investigator and I remember when it came out and wow. It is still, if not more, powerful. So watch it! I cant remember what it's called in English! haha

Have a wonderful week! Read your scriptures. Follow promptings. Answer someone's prayers. Don't wait to be a missionary, because you can be a missionary NOW!

Love,

Hermana Park