Hola! Ni Hau! (China) Talofa! (Somoa) Mabuhi! (Phillipines) Hi! Hello! How is AZ? How is Florida? How is the rest of the country besides Utah? Temple Square is amazing as ever and the spirit has just been stronger than ever! We're meeting some awesome people! I love when I meet people from my home state of AZ! I just want to grab them and say I love you! I love it here but I'm not so sure I understand Utah's weather. One minute its cold and rainy and the next its hot and sunny. Its messing with my flow...
Sister Weng is very sick this week and we have been at home a lot so there isn't as much to report but it was still a great week!
So I had an AMAZING experience last Friday evening. It was the first time I went through the SLC Temple. It is so amazing. I didn't stop smiling, not once. Sister Weng had to keep getting my attention because I could not stop staring at the ceiling. Everything was so beautiful and I was just going crazy with happiness because you know my obsession with chandeliers and good architecture. So we went as a district and we just had a good time. We are the fortunate district because we have a senior couple in ours. Elder and Sister Frost! They take such good care of us. They are like my missionary grandparents. They are so sweet. Their smiles make me happy and I know if I'm ever sad I can go to them. After the temple we went over to their place and they made us pizza and ice cream. By the way, PRAYERS WORK! I'm gluten and lactose intolerant but I said a prayer that I wouldn't get sick and I never got sick! NOT ONCE.. We also made them tell us their love story! SO CUTE! I love love!
This morning we got to go through the Bountiful Temple and its probably my favorite celestial room. The sealing rooms were the prettiest ones I have ever seen so far too. I only saw two small ones in SLC. I seriously want people to go to the Bountiful Temple. I love it SO SO SO much. I just about died. Its so peaceful and simply beautiful. It was amazing. After that we went to In and Out with Sister Opeda (VEGAS), Sister Yu (TAIWAN), Sister Kennach (AMERICAN SAMOA), and Sister Sneider (LATVIA). We've had a really good past two weeks. General Authorities.. Temples.. In n Out. (Except I have to eat the lettuce wrapped burger).
JEREMY- I eat Asian food all the time. I eat so much fish that I don't even like but the Asian sisters stare at me until I eat it so you're welcome! BUT I LOVE SEAWEED! And I love Korean BBQ Pork... I so recommend it to the world.
Monday was our last district meeting because we have transfers on Wednesday. I'm having a really hard time about not being in the same district anymore even though I'll still see everyone. I guess I just have separation anxiety- I know its weird. Whenever I get close to people I'm always taken away from them!!!!!!! I better still be companions with Sister Weng next transfer!
We have grown so close. We are like sisters. We talk, laugh, and argue like sisters. It's so fun. She always punches me though, haha! Tonight we are going out with Sister Walsh (ENGLAND), Sister Lee (UTAH), Sister Kim (KOREA), and Sister He (TAIWAN). We are going out to celebrate because Sister Walsh is going outbound and Sisters Kim and He are going home so we are eating Vietnamese food- whatever that is. Hey Grandpa Wellman! You might know what it tastes like! By the way, you're Grounded! We find out where the outbound sisters are going on Sunday and I hope that Sister Walsh goes to Arkansas because I want her to marry Rulon. She's so cute and loves southern accents. She always wants the Americans to teach her how to say "Howdy".
I guess its time to talk about work. This mission is hard because I don't really get to see the fruits of my labors. We work very hard and we really have to get out of our comfort zones but half of the time I don't even know what happened with the people I taught or talked to.
I love it though because I get to interact with people all day and I love people. I love people SO much that I want to share something with them that I love even more- and that is the gospel, the knowledge of the atonement and God's love for us!
The hardest part is not always knowing what happened with the people I talked to. I have been really working on trusting Heavenly Father. I need to trust him and his timing. I always have to remind myself that he doesn't give us just one chance to accept the gospel. He loves his children and he wants every single one of them to return to him. So I tell myself everyday when something doesn't turn out the way I think it should, "That is his kid! He loves him, he'll give him other opportunities!" Sometimes its hard to get it through my head but it is true! I know it's true just by looking back to where I was a few months ago and to where I am at now. He helped me out so much and I have really felt his hand in my life. He didn't give me just one chance, he kept working on me and putting me in different places until I got here to Temple Square. He's still working on me! He doesn't ever quit on us even when we think he has- but we have to do our part too!
I have a new FAVORITE scripture that my zone leader showed me during a heart to heart talk when we went on exchanges. It's Alma 26:17 and it says, "Who could have supposed that our God has been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, polluted state?" I just love when it says snatched. Not everyone is sinful or polluted but sometimes we are not exactly where we need to be and this scripture reminds me of how much Heavenly Father loves me and that he truly does want me to succeed on my mission. He helped me push through to get here and I wasn't alone- not one time! He does not want us to suffer. He continues to give these chances and opportunities so that we can grow closer to him and I love him so much for it! I love that he has this plan for us and that he gives us agency but he loves us so much that he gave us the Savior to atone for our sins and help us though our trials.
I'm just happy I am here. Every little experience and moment of my life before now helped me prepare to be here whether it was good or bad. I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father never forgets about us. I have been guilty of feeling that way but reading that scripture proved me wrong and I'm so happy. I just want to say thanks for always loving and supporting me.
So in the MTC we are required to memorize the first vision. I've shared the first vision a couple of times with investigators and the spirit was strong because the first vision was such a powerful experience it is hard to deny when the story is being told truthfully and by the spirit. They are just extremely powerful words. So we were teaching this man the restoration over the phone the other day and I started to recite the first vision to him and my mind went completely blank after the first sentence! I just forgot everything even though I have it memorized and have said it so many times. Sister Weng knew what was going on and immediately began feeding the words to my ear because they were not there. I just stared and smiled because I had no clue what to do or why I couldn't remember. So eventually we got it over with and the guy I was teaching was a golden contact and asked for the missionaries to come visit him but still I knew I did a terrible job. I am very hard on myself. It drives Sister Weng crazy but I am just extremely hard on myself when I make a mistake. I have to work on it. Then she said, "Do you know why that happened?" and I said its because I'm stupid. She said, "It's because what you were teaching is true." Apparently the same thing happened to her when she was in Missouri. She went on to say, "Those words are so powerful that Satan will do whatever he can do to stop us from saying them. Those words are probably some of the most powerful words a person can hear and they have changed lives." I didn't really have a testimony of Joseph Smith until that point. I am happy I had that experience because Sister Weng is so right! Those words are so true!
I have a new investigator in North Carolina! We have spoken on the phone quite a bit and I care so much about him. He is an older man and he is recently divorced. He is also recently unemployed and has been searching for a job. He has had a very hard life. I just want to do what I can to help him and take care of him. We prayed together on the phone yesterday (he said the prayer this time) and he said "God, I have to add one thing! Thanks for sending Macy to me!" It was so cute and it made my whole mission worthwhile! He thinks that I am the one helping him but he has no idea how much he has helped my own testimony grow just from our conversations. I hope things get better for him soon. I love my investigators so much and want them to be happy!
I just want to say how truly grateful I am for all of you! I can't even begin to express how much your support and letters truly help me. You guys always seem to know exactly what to say and your words always help me so much. Even the twin's letters! I am so happy to call you my family and that I have the knowledge that I can be with all of you for eternity. Families are essential to God's plan!
My favorite thing to do at Temple Square is work with families and teach them. Families are our proof of Heavenly Father's love for us. I just feel like he must really love me a lot because of all the supportive family I have. I am a stronger missionary because I have you for a family and because of my great parents. I know what love at home truly is! I can't wait to follow your examples and center my own home around Christ one day. I am so blessed because I have parents and grandparents who have lived according to the family proclamation! I know how to testify of this to other people because of your examples.
I just want to say how happy I am that you never gave up on me when I was deciding whether or not to serve this mission. Thanks for always encouraging me! I know I will be an awesome mother because of my mission but mostly because of your examples. I wish I did a better job of expressing my love for all of you before I left but I hope you know that I pray for each of you several times a day!
I miss my sisters and brother. Thank you so much for giving me so many siblings! They are truly the best gift you could have given me! Better than anything any amount of money could buy! I love them so much that I can't wait to see them again. But I love them enough that I will wait..... about 16 months!
Love you all forever and one million times a thousand tulips!
-Sister Macy Park
P.S. THEY ARE PUTTING UP THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. WOOO! I WAS SO EXCITED THAT I SCARED THE GUY ON THE LADDER PUTTING THEM UP. Oops! Ok Bye! Love all of you!
1 comment:
I love this girl! I cried through the whole letter...She is such a good example to me and I want to be like Macy when I grow up!!!
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