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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!!

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!!

Arrepientense

Hermana Orozco made me arepe from Colombia!

The Cesari Family made us salteñas. They got baptized last year and are so cute! This was our intent on a picture that almost didn't happen because my 10 second timer is fast and I tripped over a chair. 

This week I have learned what truly is repentance...after hearing "We Are Never Getting Back Together." Satan knows my weaknesses.

Yesterday we had stake conference! We had some big names there. President and Hermana Willard, President Jensen from the Cochabamba temple, and Elder Lizano from the Seventy. It was a little ways to get there being in the 6th ring, but surprisingly many of our investigators came! YAY! It was so good. They all touched on keeping the Sabbath Day holy and repentance. One of the speakers talked about divorce. He said that the solution for problems in a marriage is not separation, rather repentance. Why is repentance so bad? Why do we treat that word like a swear word? A mí, me encanta el arrepentimiento. A new opportunity to START OVER. All thanks to the Atonement of Christ. I CANNOT believe that we are in March, so close to Easter and General Conference! I want to think more about Jesus Christ. About how he lives. Hallelujah, He lives!

Have a happy spring and enjoy the sun! We´re going into fall here now! I love you all :)

Love, Hermana Park

Zone meeting pictures from Hna Secce!  Hermana Huber and Hermana Canales weren't there because they went to Tarija to check out hospitals!  The other Hermana is Hermana Basualdo who did a mini mission and leaves on Wednesday for her mission in Colombia!  So here are the hermanas in our zone, and then our district. We've got some good space going between the zone leader and me because we wouldn't want to break any rules!

(Salteñas have little cubes of potato, shredded chicken (chicken is better than beef) with part of a hard boiled egg, some spices, and an olive.)

Water balloon fight!

The hermanas in my zone when we went to the Casa Dorada! 

It is really pretty and is on the bill 20 in Bolivianos! 

 

My district, Elder Hernandez, Elder Palomar, Hermana Petroff, me, Hermana Paz, Hermana Cabrera!

 After the conference, 2 of the hermanas from Bermejo stayed at our house! Hermana Padilla (my former companion I had for 2 weeks!) and Hermana Logovii, from Samoa! I got to teach with Hermana Padilla again and it was just like good old times, 4 months ago!

We found a restaurant called XOXO that had buffalo wings! 

(Do you like the Louisville shirt I found here? haha)

This Wednesday are transfers! Just glad they weren´t last night! It´s scary because I have been here in my beloved area of Tabladita for a good chunk of time! 1.5 months in the MTC, 3 weeks in Senac, 6 months in Tabladita equals more than 8 months as Hermana Park! Still feels like I just landed in Peru. 

We are busy preparing Raquel for her baptism this Saturday! She has had an unbelievable amount of doubts and her husband wouldn´t wait for her because he wanted to get baptized NOW so he got baptized in November (Mateo!) And then she just decided it was time, but she wanted to keep it a surprise from the ward! So she had the Bishop announce it in Sacrament meeting at the end after Mateo gave his first talk on humility (which he rocked!) and she just smiled and the look on Mateo´s face was PRICELESS. So our recent convert will baptize his wife :) 

The weather is warming up, the rain is gone, so that means it´s time for carnival! Just 2 weeks away when we spend 3 days locked in our house! (hope my companion is nice!) But people are already starting the traditions. We´ve got people dancing with baskets of fruit on their heads, squirt gun fights, and best of all the water balloons. It´s just another reason I LOVE Bolivia. Yesterday we were walking down the street, and there were a bunch of kids playing, and their dad yelled ¨Look at the queens! Get them!¨(They use the word queen a lot, reina, just in every day conversation.) So we were running from a group of 10 kids under the age of 12 pelting us with water balloons! We´ve also gotten them thrown at us quite a bit, but these soccer players don´t have good arms! 

We had 2 wonderful conferences this week, Tuesday with Presidente with more preparation for Wednesday! The conference, that we got to watch in English! The leaders of the church spoke about how we can Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts. We learned so much. The things are SO SIMPLE. Missionary work is so simple. We over complicate it! I am excited to be able to apply all that I learn now, and in this next transfer! :) 

The mission is wonderful. Bolivia is perfect. The people are angels. And I hope everyone is reading their Book of Mormon :)

Love, Hermana Park

PS. Yesterday the stake brought in pop for the relief society and told us to all drink it as fast as we could so that they could return the glass bottles. From the stake, or a sneaky trick from another church to kill us all with poisoned pop?

New Year, new you.

From the Christmas Skype with all the cool cats in my family, minus Scout.

December 28, 2015 

Yay! Christmas happened! I hope all could feel of Christ´s love :) I was SO HAPPY to be able to Skype my cute family. Best Christmas EVER. 

We had to be inside an hour earlier Christmas eve so we did the usual and ate the Greek pizza from down the road! :) We have to be in by 7 pm, two hours early, on New Year´s Eve! It seems like just yesterday I was with Meghan and Kristin Ferm at the YSA dance! Where does the time go. 

We had our Christmas conference with Presidente with all the missionaries in Tarija and Bermejo, so around 50 of us! We had a conference with him in the morning then we all sand songs and recent converts and investigators came! My zone sang "What Child is This?" and acted it out, and I got to be the angel! :) It was a little cheesy, but fun! 

Last night, the party next door blasted a remix of 80´s songs and older. We got to hear a nice rendition of "Another One Bites the Dust" while we tried to sleep! Also, we heard at least 5 times this week that everyone here has a sister in Virginia. So if anyone goes, I think you have some good odds of meeting a Bolivian! Gotta love Bolivia!

I was trying to think of a good resolution for this year, and here it is! I am going to do everything exactly how I think Christ would do it! WWJD. But really! As I read Jesus the Christ I am more inspired to be more like Him, do what He would do, say what He would say! 

I hope as you all come up with what you want to change and who you want to be, remember that it doesn´t matter who you were or what you have done. Because with Christ, we have a beautiful future :)

I LOVE YOU ALL and hope everyone stays super safe this new year :)

The Liahona

Thanks for everyone who sent me pictures of the funeral! It looked beautiful! I was just about to tell you all how cold it was here this weekend, but I think y'all win. haha 

In honor of everyone coming home, I hope some kid on a bike yelled at everyone and told them to go back to their respective state. (Ask Doug and Marisa) Because someone just yelled ¨Good afternoon! This isn't your country!¨ haha 

We had a zone conference with President this week! It went really well and we got to see the new Christmas video from the church! It is really cute so I hope you have all seen it! 

Since I got to the mtc and saw people with conference Liahonas I thought how lame I was for just printing off a few talks when I could've just brought them all together. So I have always wanted a Liahona, or Ensign, from the April conference. I have one, but it´s in Spanish and even though I can read it, it´s not the same! We have a stack of Liahonas in the house because we get one every month. I organized them a few weeks ago, but didn´t see one. Then yesterday we were leaving for a lesson with a family about the prophet, and I knew there was one in Spanish, so as I hurriedly dug through them, an English one fell out! I just sat there on the ground, literally hugging a Liahona. Something that we take for granted and just put out for decoration when it comes in the mail. I felt as if it was Heavenly Father telling me that He has not forgotten about me. He gave me something so simple that I had always wanted, because the God, Creator, One who has the plan, loves ME. And you.

Hermana Park

hi scout

and bathroom picture just for you mom. hahaha 

my district! minus the elder on the right. haha he's a zone leader that was sitting in.

one of our families we're teaching! Roxanna and her kids Mariam the oldest, Mishel, then the baby Sebastian! The husband jonny wasnt home but we wanted to take a picture anyways! haha 

because who likes normal pictures. Especially when it looks like I don't have any legs! hahah

they have salteñas here and it's filled with chicken, potatoes, and other fun stuff! a member of the bishopric has a little shop of them near our house! :)

my zone with our shirts that the stake presidency got us and our goal of baptisms until the end of the year. just so happened that our way tall zone leader from Argentina stood in front of the poster. haha 

Hello.

They weren't lying when they said it rains here. We have had some little rain storms but on Tuesday night at 8pm. we had the most rain I have ever seen. It was CRAZY. Lightening! Thunder! The whole 9 yards!

We are teaching the cutest family in Bolivia. (see pic) and we were teaching about the 10 commandments and we got to the part about adultery...and the little girls wanted to tell us what it meant. Mariam (8) told us that it's when you kill an adult. Mishel (5) told us that it's when you rob someone and the devil dances. haha close! It's been a wonderful week here in Tabladita! 

I have heard some interesting things happening there with the church and such. Something I learned this week is that before the Savior comes again there will be many tests of faith to see who really is on the Lord's side. Follow the counsel of the prophet,who receives direct revelation from God. I once heard a story from one of my companions that there was a ward party and 3 men ran in with masks and guns. They said that they would shoot everyone who believed in Christ and if you didn't to leave. Many people in the ward left and only the faithful stayed. Then they took of their masks and it was the bishopric. hahaha obviously not real. But makes ya think. Who's side are you on? The world's or God's? 

Love, Hermana Park

Hi

Emily's "ponderize" scripture for the week and a picture of somewhere in Bolivia

Dear people who haven't forgotten about me,

We're starting into the rainy season here! Luckily it doesn't start until exactly 9 pm, so if we're exactly obedient, we're not in the rain! :) But there has been a TON of lightning. I really thought the world would end last night, but looks like we're still here!

Last week we had a stake activity for only missionaries and investigators and watched Meet the Mormons! It was fun to actually hear the story from Costa Rica in Spanish! I finally know what her voice sounds like! haha Then yesterday there was a conference broadcast from SLC only for Bolivia and Peru! It was really good! Neil A. Andersen spoke and others from the Seventy. It was a great day! :)

We also had a ward party Friday! We all brought salads, and from Hermana Petroff and me was a pretty sad looking fruit salad. Sadly, the chicken and half of the ward didn't get there until 9 pm, and we missed getting to watch the whole ward dance, but next time :) It's really fun how dancing is such a big thing here. I cannot picture having a 7th ward party with everyone dancing to a mariachi band. We'll have to start that up when I get back :)

My ponderize scripture is 1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil" I really like this scripture and like to be recognized as a representative of Jesus Christ! I love Bolivia and am so grateful for this opportunity to bring others unto Christ. I really had no clue what the mission would be before I came, but I'm so grateful I am experiencing it! :) Have a great week and take up your cross and follow Christ!

Love,

Hermana Park

Yay for the 7th ward! :)

My favorite pday activity is cleaning the bathroom! :D 

When we had an activity in the fair and gave people chocolate and Christ.

BABY BANANA! 

Sometimes random cows just wander around our area.

What we did to Hermana Paz's and Morales' desks while they were at sister leader training :) 

I FOUND Dr. PEPPER and it was 7 bolivianos which is just 1 dollar! It was unbelievably good. hahahaha 

I cant remember if I sent this graffiti or not but it's funny. haha 

One time a lady made us shishkabobs and I have no idea how to spell that but I took a picture and here it is. 

The view from my window on a rainy day!

It was a really good week! :) But even better to hear of all the mission calls in my 7th ward!! :) Congratulations to Destry, Kyler, and Claudia! :) Hurrah for Israel! 

I had intercambios with Hermana Morales this week! She leaves next week with MY COMPANION Hermana Holden! :( So next week I will be getting a new companion! :) But really anything could happen in this mission! haha 

We have our "noche de hermanamiento" every Thursday and this week we had a little lesson and then played a game where someone does a dance move while singing "Ali Baba y los 40 Ladrones". And you know I was all over that! So they had me be the head person and it was really funny and we laughed until we cried again. Then because Bolivia is cheesy the young men's leader (who is a returned missionary of 4 months) said "somos pocos pero locos" (we are a little crazy!) hahaha It's the little things.

We had a conference with Elder Uceda of the Seventy this week and I am really happy to be here in Tarija where there are just about 40 people so we could just have a small gathering and not in Santa Cruz with everyone and their cat and the other Santa Cruz mission! haha I really love Tarija!! 

Elder Uceda talked from 2 pm until 7 pm, then from 7:30 until 9 pm all the leaders of the stake came! But it went by REALLY fast and I loved every second! :) He talked a lot about personal study and really loving your companions and serving them. I was heartbroken to hear about how many of the Latinos dont get emails from their families some weeks. So thanks for always writing me mom!!! It was really good and his English is really good too! He stressed the importance of languages and us gaining a good accent and the Latinos learning enough to be able to listen to the voice of the prophet! Then he gave a major smackdown to the leaders and we got another in church from the Bishop yesterday about keeping the Sabbath Day holy! Because there are tiendas outside of every church here and so it's easy for people to buy things! But it's ONE day that has been set aside for us to rest from our labors and grow closer to God! Just one day is all He asks for.

There is no greater joy I have found than here in the mission! Seeing our investigators come to church or really feel the Spirit and see their lives changing is amazing! But it's not always a bowl of bubblegum. Our investigator D. literally dug out my heart with a rusty spoon when he told us yesterday that church was normal, just like any other church he's gone to. So we asked him why he goes and he said because we invite him.  Hermana Uceda told us to have our families connected with us on our missions and help pray for our people here! :) So, being obedient, you could include him in your prayers to listen to the Holy Ghost and the answers he's receiving about the church! Also, the C. Familia to continue to read! :) M. who just lost her mom, and the man who owns the pizza shop Hermano G., that his daughter will stop being bullied in school because she's tall! :( Thanks! :) 

I hope everyone can be able to feel of the joy of sharing the gospel with others and just do what Jesus would do! I have been reading in Jesus the Christ lately and it is so interesting! There is a part I really liked about how He was perfect and sinless, but he had the ability to sin. He was tempted and any person would have submitted themselves to the power of Satan and sinned, but Christ being perfect chose not to sin. He chose to do what was right. Interesting insight. I also really liked the part about how when Mary received news she was going to give birth to a baby boy that Joseph loved her so much that he would save her from any shame and humiliation even if it meant that he would be shamed in the town. Do you save the ones you love from unnecessary shame and ridicule or are they the first people we take out our anger on? 

I love you all! Help someone out! Be nice to EVERYONE even when you don't want to! :)

Love, Hermana Park

PS If anyone ever needs a cheering up just picture me talking in Spanish with a retainer.