Miracles on West Temple Street






Oi! (hi in Portugese)
It is a very exciting time to be at Temple Square as we prepare for conference and the insane craziness that is going to happen. We have a "count-down to General Conference" in our mission office which only makes the anticipation more exciting! 

This week we were able to hear from Sister Ruth Todd, the head of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We were able to get lots of good advice from her which was great.

One of my very first investigators from here in the states that I told you about a few weeks ago has committed to baptism!  He is the one who said a prayer with me over the phone and said "Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Macy to me."  He is such a sweet man.  He is so happy that he found the gospel of Jesus Christ. We've got a couple things we need to work on with him but that is ok because I know that Heavenly Father will get us there. I'm just hoping and praying that it'll all work out. It is amazing to see the change in people as they read the Book of Mormon and pray to know of its truthfulness.  He has really struggled with many things but we just keep reminding him that Heavenly Father loves him and is always there for him no matter what. 

This past week we have worked so so hard but it was a very successful week for us.  We have four new investigators and I love them ALL.  I genuinely care about them and want to see miracles happen in their lives. Aside from all the training, tours, phone calls, and preparation, we were able to teach 22 lessons last week.  Before this week, I felt like I was not working as hard as I could be so I just decided to "forget myself and go to work!"  And guess what?  It worked!

I was able to attend the General Relief Society Meeting on Saturday. I hope that all the women I know were able to watch it and if you haven't, its never too late! Go on LDS.org!   The meeting was so special to me because I am always testifying of our Prophet, President Monson. I know that he is a true living prophet of God and I tell this to people everyday.

I have heard many people say that being in the presence of a prophet of God is powerful but on Saturday I was able to experience that first hand.  I always thought I wouldn't feel it because I'm such an airhead and I don't pay attention sometimes but I felt it and right then I knew stronger than ever that he was truly called by God. Seriously, as soon as he walked into the room it was like a warm feeling just instantly came over me.  Before he walked in I was being all hyper and weird just having fun with the other missionaries but then he walked into the room and it was like he brought this peace into the room with him and I just felt like I was wrapped up in a blanket! I don't even care if that sounds stupid Christie, it's true.

He spoke on prayer and the love that our Heavenly Father has for us and that was exactly what I needed to hear. Missions are SO hard. Only someone who served a mission can truly know how hard it really is. But his talk reminded me that prayer is truly the answer. Heavenly Father loves us so much. He said even if some of us don't deserve his love, we always have it. Remember the story of the Prodigal Son that I told you a couple of weeks ago?  Well that is how it is with Heavenly Father. 

I am so thankful that we have a prophet to guide us through our lives and who can answer our questions in just a matter of 10 minutes. I'm thankful that God sends us prophets. He obviously loves us so much to do that for us so that we have hope and that we know that we are never alone.

There are literally thousands upon thousands of people at Temple Square this week! To get ready for everything, we have had trainings and meetings all week. It hasn't been this huge thing like "How to Prepare for Anti's" or anything. The members of the church outnumber them by far so we're not too afraid! But you can tell conference is coming soon because a lot of people scream and curse at us as we walk down the street. I actually find it entertaining and I personally like all types of attention so I take it as a compliment and just keep going about my business.

I hope everyone watches conference this weekend. The prophets and apostles all pray separately about what they'll speak on and don't tell each other what they are going to talk about. Everything that they talk about is inspired by Heavenly Father and I have such a testimony of that. They can answer questions we have been struggling with and uplift us.  Even when I wasn't the most active member in the church, I was able to receive answers and guidance through general conference and now I am here! It just shows that God never ever forgets about us even if we really don't deserve his love at the time! We always always always have it!   

I see God work miracles every single day as he prompts me to speak to a person that I didn't even notice minutes earlier; or when he puts the right words in my mouth at the right moments; or when he literally turns me around and has me walk in a different direction so I will run into a person that he wants me to share his message with.  I have witnessed first hand that he is trying to come to each and every one of us- and he wants us to come to him.

So I am going to be the typical Temple Square Missionary right now that every member of the church seems to love- Not!   But if any of you have anyone you care about in mind that you feel can benefit from talking to the missionaries either on the phone or in person please let me know. I know its hard because I used to run from the visitors center sisters! I thought they were so creepy with the referrals they always tried to get but honestly it is hard and awkward and scary asking for referrals. If we didn't want to help out the people who truly could benefit from the gospel, we wouldn't ask. I used to think it would ruin my relationships with my friends but that's not something we should worry about at this time. What we should do is try to invite everyone to hear the gospel. The church is for absolutely everyone and I promise one day they will thank you for caring about them so much.

I have seen so many miracles just from member referrals. That's how most of the magic happens-because they have a friend for support. If members and missionaries keep coming together, oh my goodness, imagine how awesome it could be. If you ever have anyone in mind, just get my email from my mom and we'll start getting to work. I promise that sharing the gospel has never hurt anyone.

I hope to see people at conference! Who's coming? I just want to thank everyone who writes me and supports me through this mission. Writing letters is hard but I promise to write everyone back even if it takes a month.

I love you all and pray for all of you every day!

Love,  Sister Macy Park

 

 

Moments are the Molecules that make up Eternity

Hello Family!  It's been a great but busy week here at Temple Square.  There is lots of excitement and a little stress as we prepare for General Conference.

We have a conference prep meeting tomorrow in place of our district meeting.  I hope the members are ready.. It's going to be so fun. We're going to be very busy...I'm going to die I think.  Sister Weng is the District Leader and she decided to make up her own calling and she called me to be the District Leader's Assistant at the last transfer so she has kept me busy! The new sisters we have are doing great! It's awesome that we got such great sisters coming into the busiest weekend of our lives. Things are already going crazy. People are holding up crazy signs and shouting at us and everything. I feel like a New Yorker lately... its great!
 

We had Family Home Evening at a church member's home last Monday night. They fed us dinner and had Cold Stone Creamery brought in with tons of toppings for us. Their house was seriously a mansion and so beautiful. One of the church Missionary Psychologists came and did personality tests on us and told us our personality color. I found out that I have a peaceful personality so in other words I'm boring, haha.

This is a picture of us in front of a little girl's playhouse.

Her parents are the ones who had us over for FHE.

Finally, good food!  I got some groceries and made the best dinner! All I did was grill chicken and make mexican style veggies but it looked and tasted so good!  Everyone in my house wouldn't stop staring at my food but I was not about to share because I just got done fasting!

SHOUT OUT TO GRANDPA WELLMAN because my newest investigator is from SCOTLAND! Oh- and you're also Grounded! Anyway, I met this Scottish investigator through chat on mormon.org.  He had a Mormon friend that recently died and he went to the funeral.  He said the funeral was such a different and uplifting experience and he wanted to know why members of our church are able to have so much faith and hope even in times of sorrow.  From what he says it really seems like his friend prepared him to receive the gospel before he died.  It has been so fun to teach him and I can't wait until we talk again.

The other day in the Tabernacle a man asked me a question about the organ so I began telling him about it and took the opportunity to bridge the discussion to the topic of prophets; then I bridged that to the restoration.  The next thing I knew I taught him the entire lesson one, recited the first vision, and he was filling out a referral card! I didn't even know how it happened because usually it's not that easy. I just kept talking and then ten minutes later I had his info so I have another investigator from Kansas!

Sister Weng has to leave to go back to her Independence Missouri mission soon and I am very sad! After she leaves I will be in a trio for one week until the next transfer conference.  I never thought that living with a whole new culture would be so different but it really is. It's so cool though. I have learned so much from her. I can say that I am truly thankful that she is my companion for 12 weeks. She's not afraid to correct me even if its harsh. She's bold but she's also very loving. When I have a bad day she hugs me and says "Shou BouBou" It means Little Baby and its my nick name from all of the Asians. For some reason they all really like me and think I'm cute and they all want to keep me for a pet.

Sister Weng is very inspirational to me and all our investigators, especially our Chinese investigators. She was Buddhist and she had no idea about God and Christ and her story is just incredible. She was sent to two missions- Temple Square and Missouri, Independence- for a reason. When she speaks to people she can get away with being as bold as she wants and I admire her courage. She is great because she always gives me a lot of opportunities to speak during Chinese tours. She helps me build a relationship with them.

Mandarin is going very good! At first it was really hard to feel the spirit during those tours and I sometimes got frustrated because I wanted to know what was going on but I have really grown to love those people. Before coming here, they have no idea that we have a Savior.  So I jump on every opportunity to bear my testimony to them now because they are just so open to it and feel so much joy when they hear this message.  The other day we taught a group of men from China and after the tour we all sat down and they wanted to teach me Chinese! So they started having me write down all these sayings and it turns out they were teaching me how to say pick up lines. I told them "I can't use it on my mission!" and they said you will get so many Chinese boyfriends if you say this! One of the lines they wanted me to say was, " Ni hun shry, Wo shi hwan ne" which is "you are hansome, I like you." I had so much fun just sitting and chatting with them.

In this mission we have to face a lot of people that try to tear us down and weaken our testimony- but for us it only makes us stronger! Heavenly Father is really taking care of the Temple Square sisters! We're  able to shake things off and I already feel like I'm a stronger person. Dad used to tell me I need to thicken up my skin. Well, by the time I go home my skin is going to be pretty thick, Dad!  When people try to bring us down we just get stronger and thats how I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is there to help us every step of the way.

This week I was very busy with conference prep and I didn't have an overwhelming spiritual experience but I always knew that God was with me and was helping me out. He took a big risk sending me here to Temple Square. Some times I don't even know what he was thinking. It truly is a hard mission because people literally come to us wanting to know and searching for truth and light. It's a lot of pressure and I don't want to mess it up so I just do the best I can and keep moving
forward!

This mission is all about the little moments! We have such a small amount of time with people so we have to make the best of it. The gospel is for everyone so we take teaching it seriously. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "Moments are the molecules that make up eternity" So we must cherish the moments we have! Sometimes I know I seem exhausted but just know my mind is constantly going and going. I have soooo many people I worry about! He also said, "Faith in God includes faith in his timing." And that is another thing I have to remind myself of on this mission because sometimes we will have a great moment but nothing happens and it's discouraging.  But we are planting seeds and I know that God does things according to his own timing.

When I get down on myself I remember Grandma Wellman saying "You can do hard things" and it gives me that motivation to keep pushing on!

Oh I went to the temple this morning and it was such a good experience. I was able to get a question answered that I have been struggling with so I'm feeling pretty good today.


Grams! Thanks so much for your letter. You make me feel so good and I appreciate your support.

Gary, I never did get your letter! I am going to look around and see if it's still in the mission home somewhere!

Kendall, thanks for your letter! Stay away from all boys at college. Someone amazing will be there for you when you return home from your mission!

Mom, thanks for the coats and robe and warm stuff. It's starting to get cold!

I love all of the mission calls I'm hearing about. Kylie- I have to tell you some more things. Just wait ok?

Mom& Jeremy, Dad & Keli, Kendall, Jagger and Jersy- I love you!

Sister Park

The Lord is Hastening His Work



Sister Weng and I just before a Flagpole Tour

Hi Family! How is life? What’s new? I love you all so much! I miss everyone but not that much- no offense!
Last week was hard and this week has been hard too; but Joseph Smith said that the Lord will bring you down before he lifts you up so I'm just waiting…

With General Conference approaching, some very interesting individuals are starting to emerge around Temple Square.

A man who thinks he is a prophet came to the Square and told me my future. Apparently, I am going to work with children and then I'm going to drive a green car and get in a car accident that will do some major damage. It’s ok though, this is what conference season is all about.

People who do not agree with our church can get a permit to stand on the street between Temple Square and the Conference Center and say what they think as everyone walks by. Well the church has a permit too and they have church members and missionaries stand close to these people and peacefully sing hymns. So this past weekend a group of anti-mormons (very handsome ones I might add) decided to give us a taste of our medicine so while Sister Weng and I were giving a tour in the Tabernacle they came in and stood next to us and starting singing hymns at the top of their lungs to drown out what we were saying. They were also harassing our guests and passing out Anti-mormon literature. They don’t have a permit to do that within church facilities of course so we Sisters can ask them to leave. If they are a real threat, we call for security but these ones were just obnoxious so I stopped the tour, walked right up to them and told them they needed to leave immediately. I bet you can’t picture me doing that but I did! And they left! I was nice about it, don’t worry!

This week was awesome because we were able to meet and teach a lot of people from Israel. A few of them were from Jerusalem. We obviously don’t have missionaries in Israel but they seemed very interested in what we were teaching and they were seriously some of the nicest people I have ever met. They were fascinated with the stories about Joseph Smith and even took a referral card. The Lord is preparing every nation! Missionary work is growing rapidly, it’s insane.

In the MTC we had the opportunity to talk to members of the church and try to get them to give us referrals. It was kind of like practice for Temple Square. One day a member of church came and told me and Sister Esquivel that she hates Visitor Center missionaries because of their “stupid referral cards”. But Sister Esquivel and I talked to her for a little while and she actually decided to give us her friend’s contact information. So once I got here to Temple Square I called her friend and since I was so new it was terrible! Partly because I had no idea what I was doing and partly because I'm shy sometimes. I talked to her a couple of times but it went nowhere and eventually she just wasn't interested. So anyways, lately I have had her on my mind A LOT and have been prompted to call her again. I have been too scared to call because I felt like I messed it up but I decided to pray because the thought would not leave my mind. My prayer was answered and I knew I had to call her. So I called her today- just about 30 minutes ago. She answered the phone and was so happy to hear from me. She told me that she has been trying to get a hold of me for a few weeks because she missed talking to me and wanted to hear more about what I had to say! (My number changed with transfers so everything got confusing and changed). Nothing life-changing has happened yet but she never left my mind and I am so glad I was able to talk to her again. She even requested a Book of Mormon from another missionary when she couldn’t find me.

Listening to the spirit has also helped me to become more comfortable with teaching and making myself clear. I have definitely improved from where I was at in July and August.

I would also like to say one thing. I am a missionary at the church headquarters and I meet 1000's of people weekly so I just hope that all members will get involved in missionary work as well. In case it hasn't occurred to anyone… God is hastening is work and it is important that we are never hesitant to share the gospel with the people we love. I mean we are all God's children here.

Mom, I sent referral cards to you a while ago so start working on it! And Kendall better get cracking as well!

Everyone knows that the missionary age change was one of God’s ways of hastening his work on the Earth but there is so much more! Crazy things are going on in the church right now- good things! I can’t say much but it is great! We all need to get involved!

On Friday we took a group of people on a tour that started off kind of rude and argumentative and I wasn’t sure they were here for the right reasons. At the end of the tour I was prompted to share my testimony about the Pioneers and Book of Mormon. And wow, what a change! Four out of the twelve of them were crying and said they really felt something special. Heavenly Father really is preparing everyone.

Sister Park

Ni Hau, Jia-ren! (Hello Family)

This has been a very busy week and today is a very busy day so this entry will be short and sweet!  Sister Weng hates going to the store so I haven't been grocery shopping in three weeks- and I have literally been living off of peanut butter mixed with jelly for my meals! Don’t worry though- I change the jelly up with honey sometimes!  Oh, and I can’t forget the really weird Asian fish that is compressed and shaped as meat balls that my Asian roomies force me to eat. I gag.  Every time. They laugh.  Every time. It’s so gross.  I am going to be rushed this time because if I hurry I can catch a ride to the grocery store with a group of sisters and they are leaving soon!  Wal-Mart, here I come!  Sorry, no pictures this week.  The batteries in my camera died and I haven't been to the store! I will get some today though.

Twenty-five new sisters came and I can't believe I'm not the new girl anymore! I'm in my second transfer and it all is just going by so fast. Sister Weng is still my companion and we are still teaching in Mandarin sometimes.  We are still right in the Square too which I love.  We still live in the same house! We have two new roommates-Sister Vargas from Spain- I met her on facebook before my mission. Remember? And Sister Lee (Mandarin-speaking) from California. We have SO much fun together.  Things have really slowed down quite a bit in the last week since everyone is back to school so we have gotten a little break but starting next week we will begin preparation for General Conference and then things will get crazy again!

A of couple days ago the square was flooded with people wearing orange because of the UT and BYU game. So we gave some Texas fans a tour of Temple Square and I told them that Brian Harsin was my uncle. They just went crazy and said they need him back. They kept saying "Does Brian get to hang out in the temple?" or "What are holidays like with Brian?"  It was so much fun because they were so excited.

By the way (haha), John Bytheway came and spoke to us for transfers last Tuesday.  He spoke about the three parables in Luke 15… the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, and the prodigal son.
 

Each week I choose a Christ-like attribute that I need to work on.  This past week I chose Hope. We can't have faith if we don't hope first.

I was randomly reading in Romans and in Chapter 8, verses 24-28 it says,

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

After reading these verses it really stood out to me that Heavenly Father will help us but we must have hope for these things and not let little things get in the way or discourage us. Going on a mission was never in my plans; but I had a strong feeling that I needed to go and I know that I must have Hope and Faith that everything will be ok no matter how hard it is. This past week I have been looking back on life before my mission and I wonder why or how I got here. Not that being here is bad but I felt like things before my mission were fine just the way they were.  This mission is hardest thing I have ever done in my life but I am so happy that I chose this path; even with all the struggles, just having Hope makes it all better.

When I first got my mission call I was disappointed because I thought this call meant I wasn't going to be a good missionary and I couldn't actually help people but I thought completely wrong! They send tough girls to Temple Square and I know it sounds like I’m bragging but I don't care. Sometimes we have only 30 seconds or a minute to bear testimony to people who stop by for a tour and then we never know what happens after that. Sometimes we gain this strong connection with people in just an hour-long tour and we don't know what happens next in their lives so we have to have complete trust in Heavenly Father.

I love this mission but lately I do question why I was called here.  Then the other day, I got a free haircut from one of the senior missionaries and she told me a cool story. She said there was a sister missionary here about a year ago and when she received her call to Temple Square she cried and cried because she did not want to serve at Temple Square.  I can relate because sometimes I wonder if I am not capable of converting people and if that is why I was sent here.  But this sister missionary told a story about an experience she had in the MTC.  They were having a big MTC devotional or something and they had one of the elders who was a convert stand up and tell his conversion story. He talked about how he and his parents went to Temple Square as tourists and took a tour given by two sister missionaries. They had a good time and the sister missionaries were very sweet but he and his family didn’t want to be referred to missionaries.  However, throughout the rest of the trip they kept saying how they felt something different, something very special at Temple Square. So they ended up finding local missionaries on their own and joined the church about a month later. The two sister missionaries have no idea that the family was baptized because of the tour!  I just thought it was really cool because it reminded me of how important it is to have Hope that things will work out. Sister Weng and I have been giving awesome tour and not very many refer but that is why we really have to trust that Heavenly Father will continue to prepare them and put them in the right places.

Elder Bednar gave a talk and he said that sometimes when you’re doing something good but have no idea what you’re doing or why- that’s the spirit guiding you. Sometimes you don't even remember doing or saying it! Well, yesterday we took some amazing Jewish people on a tour. It was really good and they were really receptive and nice. We invited them to learn more and they didn't say anything so I did something that is not typical when our investigators show no interest.  I grabbed the Living Christ paper and a referral card and gave it to them.  I didn't even realize I was doing it until Sister Weng asked me why I did it at the end of the tour and I didn’t even know.  Then it came to me that this was one of those experiences Elder Bednar was talking about- it was the spirit guiding me.

Kendall, during this time you are experiencing a lot of new things and changes but I promise everything will be ok! Read Matthew 11:28-30. It has helped me through my hard times on my mission as I have been experiencing new things.

Hello John Family! Sorry that I missed you! Mom, thanks so much for the CD’s, Mio drink mix, the letters, and everything! Oh, and thanks for offering to get me and Sister Weng pedicures but she doesn't believe in pedicures or manicures. True story. I painted her nails and she took it off.

Wo ai ni dou! (I love you all!)

 Nin,

 Shu Park