Hey, let`s go down a different road this time.

I`m going to tell you about the Familia "A".

We were walking one day and the Spirit led us down another route. As we walked, Hna Cayambe with her big sombrero and me in my sunglasses, a man and his daughter approached us. The dad was really happy to embarrass his 18 year old daughter Marìa. He said, ¨She wants to be your friend!¨ He gave us his address and we went the next day. He saw us from the window and came running out to let us in. His daughter Marìa and her sister Marina (17) were holding the door closed! The dad was shoving it open and yelling and well, Hermana Cayambe and I were a bit worried. He got it, told his daughters that we are the kind of friends he wants them to have, and shut the door. We started talking to them, and found out that they have a big family, 3 boys and 3 girls :) and that their oldest brother passed away 4 months ago. We instantly understood why we were there and who changed our route. We taught them about the Plan of Salvation, then returned Saturday and taught the entire family the message. They started to fight about their brother`s death and whose fault it was, so I hummed  ¨Love at Home¨ trying to keep the Spirit there. We then taught them about the Book of Mormon and they quieted down. They were so curious and we left them with the Book to read and they invited us to have lunch with them this week.

If we hadn`t followed the prompting to take a certain road, we wouldn`t have found them. I am completely sure that their brother has accepted the gospel in the Spirit World, they told us that he was very active in his Christian church, and he is just waiting for his family to accept so they can go to the temple. We found the 20 year old brother Alvaro last night, a wreck, because his mom had told him that it`s his fault that his brother died. We gave him his own copy of the Book of Mormon and again, we were led to him by the Spirit, or by his brother. 

I am so grateful to have the gift of the Holy Ghost - and to know how to use it!

Follow a prompting this week. This is just one of the many miracles we`ve seen this week by following the Spirit.

I love you all!!

Love, Hermana Park

And the miracles just don't stop coming

The cake her companions made her for her Sweet 16 (months)

I can honestly say that Friday was the best day I have had here in Bolivia and that Presidente Rodriguez is the best. I`ll tell you why later.

We were doing a little daily contact with Jorge Z. and his 6 year old daughter because he wanted to tell us about what he read in the Book of Mormon and the Bible. He said, ¨So I was reading in my Bible and there`s a part that talks about Christ`s other sheep.¨ We flipped open to John 10:16 and he said, ¨So that refers to us right? And that`s why we have the Book of Mormon. I think that Christ really loved these people and so that`s why after His resurrection He came here and established His church.¨ By this point, Hna Cayambe and I were just speechless. We gave him the Book of Mormon 2 weeks ago and he understands it better than I did when I came on the mission. We are literally just the instruments in God`s hands in these people`s lives. This is why I LOVE being a missionary. I have seen the conversions of so many loved ones. And can`t wait to see more.

We had a lesson with Teresa A. who had completely shut herself out of the gospel for the comment on her son of color. (being on the other side now and being one of the few whites I get many comments, but I love the skin I`m in.) But we were able to have a powerful lesson on the temple and that she needs to make some plans and goals to get there. We`re being the tools so the Spirit can creep into her heart, little by little.

We had a wonderful conference with Presidente on the Holy Ghost. One thing I LOVED was when he said that when we receive a prompting and we`re not sure if it`s from the Holy Ghost or we made it up, if it`s good - DO IT. We`ll receive the blessings just by being our own agents and acting and not being acted upon. Then one sweet Hermana shared an experience about trusting in the Lord and waiting for the family they went to bring to church and waiting and waiting and they finally left. She said, ¨and this family is getting baptized this weekend.¨ My heart sank and I mouthed across the room ¨WHO??¨ Because these are the Trompillo hermanas. My wonderful area where I was from January to July. Long story short, Hermana Alvarez and I got permission to go to a double baptism and see our 7 investigators enter into a convenant with God. We crashed a baptism in Trompillo Friday night of The Familia D.: Eduardo finally stopped drinking, and him and Betty got married, and their other 2 children Leo and Diana all got baptized. If that didnt make us cry enough, the family that made me cry the most when I got transfers got baptized too. Maria Lenny and her daughter Laura and son Pablo. We got there early and when they all showed up everyone was crying. Happy tears. We worked hard. Gave our all. The hermanas that are there now too.  And the Lord is incredible and converted them. Some plant the seed and others harvest it. But we can all enjoy the fruits of the harvest.

The Church is incredibly true. I love that this black nametag gives me a front row seat to the conversion of these precious children of God. My brothers and sisters. And oh do I love them. Go watch conference with questions and I promise the Lord will answer them, like He answered mine Saturday night in the women`s session. Especially when the cute Utah girl choir didnt know that they were singing the favorite hymn, How Firm a Foundation, of a missionary in Bolivia. I`ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Hermana Park

But Hermana Park, where`s your faith?

This week we visited the Ortiz Family again and we had a great lesson on the Book of Mormon. At the end, after feeling the Spirit, when trying to schedule another appointment they said that they would call us on Saturday to schedule it. I explained to them a bit that well, it`s better to make it now incase they forget, and they said, ¨no, we`ll call you Saturday to verify if we`re going to church Sunday.¨ So I said, ¨great! So what day can we visit you again?¨ And they said, ¨like we said, we´ll call you, yeah?¨ We were with the pensionista Derly and she said, ¨haha sorry! She doesnt understand. She`s still learning Spanish.¨ Humble pie shoved in my face! Yum! After in Derly`s car she said that they would call and I realized that my faith had completely dissolved as I raised my voice just a little and said, ¨They wont call! Everyone who has told me they`ll call, never has!¨ She stopped the car and said ¨But Hermana Park. Where`s your faith?¨ I had to do some serious soul searching and I learned that really, my faith was gone! I spent all week studying about it and praying for my faith to be increased. Yesterday I decided to put it all in practice! I realized, that faith lets you have the Spirit, and the Spirit makes the work fun! I am absolutely loving being a missionary and spreading the gospel to these Lamanites here in Santa Cruz. Hortencia and Bryan are reading the Book of Mormon. Chachi is loving her Book of Mormon in Portuguese. Hortencia cried in Gospel Principles yesterday from feeling the Spirit so strongly. Artemio committed to take the first step of saying NO when offered to drink beer. These are just a few of the many many miracles we are seeing. The Gospel is unbelievably true.

You`re all invited to do something this week that makes you stretch and show your faith. Try not doubting God`s power just one time and I promise you will be amazed.

Also, Hermana Cayambe is doing really well with her English. I tried to not laugh too hard hearing, ¨You`re crazy but I amn`t.¨ She got the concept right! 

with a lot of love and some dirt in your face from all the wind in our area,

Hermana Park

Okay. I put all the photos in first so that the nice man that works here can try to find all my photos that got erased...again :) But life goes on! We`ve got pics from the activity with the Elders where we played extreme volleyball and then they bought us huge hamburgers and ice cream. Muuucchha comida. So that`s what the Elders do. While waiting, we took hermana pictures in Hot Burger. I am in front mostly because they designated me for having the longest arms! Woohoo! 

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")