Hi everyone! How is life? I am good but I was hoping to go grocery shopping today. We didn't end up getting a P-day because there were so many issues with cars which is why I am emailing you so late. In addition to not having time to shop, Sister Stephen and I both ran out of money early this month so we have been scavenging for food. Our little miracle for the week was that we had nothing for breakfast and then we found an opened, abandoned box of rice krispies by our apartment door. So we ate them :)
Monday was the highlight of my week! DALLIN H. OAKS came and spoke to us with his wife! They are the cutest and funniest couple. I never knew an apostle would be so funny and sarcastic. He spoke to us about a few different topics but mainly answered some questions for anyone who had them. He talked a lot about staying active after our mission through spiritual maintenance. That's something I never thought of and something I never really did before my mission. He told us that we will be most happy if we keep doing everything that we are doing now- scripture study, a lot of praying, and serving the Lord. At the end of the meeting, he met each one of us at the door so he could shake our hand on the way out. When I got to the door I hugged his wife and talked to her for a few minutes because she has come to our mission before. I didn't realize I kept Elder Oaks waiting but he was being so patient. When I turned around to shake his hand he said, "Sister Park, thanks so much for everything you do." He was so sincere and I was just so excited that he said my name! When I shook his hand I just felt this warmth overcome me like Disneyland or Pumpkin Pie on Christmas. I can't really describe it but it's powerful. It was seriously the best thing ever and it totally jump started my day and made everything good!
So I am learning a lot this transfer. I am a very independent person and I love doing things by myself and my own way. I don't usually like when people try to help me or tell me what to do. Sister Stephen is helping me out with that. We are sharing and splitting groceries and doing everything together because she is trying to get me prepared for a future husband and this has been a big trial on my mission but I am learning and getting better! We get along so well. I love her so much and she is just really helpful to me. I am grateful to have her for a companion. She even helps me with my parking. We practiced yesterday.
Today was just a stressful day for fleet so we decided to relieve some stress. We have shopping carts in our garage and I was about to cry so she made me get in one of the baskets and she just sprinted through the halls and pushed me. We felt so immature but we needed the break and we had so much fun. We didn't get in trouble because they let us do whatever we want in there. They love us.Sister Stephen is much more serious than me and she isn't used to my sense of humor so sometimes she laughs so hard at the things I say because she has never heard anyone say something like it before. I just love President Gillette. He is the cutest old man. When Elder Oaks was here, President Gillette got up and spoke to us for a couple of minutes first and said that he knows our mission is hard and that at some point every missionary wants to go home but if we even try we will be shot. We all laughed about it all night because he is so cute and old. So we were talking about it later and I said "He is so cute I just want to punch him in the stomach." Sister Stephen thought it was so funny that she had to write it on the white board in our office. Here is a picture of it.
Mom, even though I miss you and there have been times that I wished I could go home, I don't want to come home anymore. I had a hard day on Tuesday for a few different reasons and I just laid in my bed and cried and cried; and then I prayed and I looked up and saw a picture I hung up on my wall of Jesus wiping the tears of a little dark hair blue eyed girl. At that moment I literally felt like Jesus was
right there with me and I have been happy ever since.
Fleet has been really busy. I am learning more about cars and working at my parking skills. I'm really proud of myself. Everyone that we work with in fleet is awesome. I love everyone in the Church Office Building Car Department. I wish Dad would work there, he would love it!
I hung the twins pictures up in my office! (I have an office, woo!)
So it has been quite a week! On Sunday I spoke in a ward in Magna, Utah. It is a cute little town and the ward was small but the people were so kind. I spoke on strengthening your testimony; I was so stressed out because that's a broad topic. I decided to find just one thing to focus on so I decided to speak about what helped me personally gain a testimony. I spoke on how I was able to strengthen my testimony through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The atonement is something I have always had such a strong testimony of. Throughout this week I was able to feel the Savior's love for me even stronger than ever before. The other night we were able to watch The Chronicles of Narnia as a mission. It sounds stupid and the last time I saw that movie was in the theaters and I hated my life every minute of it because I thought it was so boring. But after I watched it this time I thought it was so good! The lion in this movie reminds me of the Savior and his role in our lives. I cried so hard when the lion died!
This whole week I pondered on how much the atonement has changed my life and blessed me. I was sitting in Theatre 1 at Temple Square last night and as I sat I thought about last Halloween (so fun, I miss Taylor) and that time has gone by so fast. I feel like throughout the past couple of years I have been up and down and have gone through many struggles but also some really good times. I thought about each experience and how grateful I am for all of them. I can pick out the little things that really helped me and at the time that I was experiencing those things I didn't even know that those were blessings from Heavenly Father. He gave me those experiences just to lift me up and bring me back. I feel like a couple of those little blessings were people that came into my life. Like Grandma and Grandpa Wellman for example. I was able to go and live with them at a time that I needed them most. I was going through a really hard time and one night Grandpa offered me a blessing without even knowing why I was struggling- but he just knew!
I feel like I finally am recognizing that Heavenly Father sent me these little things to help get me here. It just reminds me again that he never gives up. He always reaches out to us and all we need to do is let him in so that the power of the atonement can work for us. We have to trust in Heavenly Father because he knows what is best for us. One of my favorite scriptures is Alma 24:15 and it says:
"Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby."
I love this scripture because it can relate to any of us. We all have weaknesses and trials but if we just recognize He who knows better than the rest of us and trust in Him, we will be able to finally see a change. I was finally able to experience true happiness as I let God be my first priority. Change is so hard though. It was so hard on me but that is why trust is so important. There was a time when I was too afraid to even say a prayer. I just didn't want to do it but that is when I needed it most. Just remember to "counsel the Lord in all your doings and you will be lifted up at the last day"- Alma 37:37.
"Oh, how merciful is our God! And now behold, since it has been as much as we could do to get our stains taken away from us, and our swords are made bright, let us hide them away that they may be kept bright, as a testimony to our God at the last day, or at the day that we shall be brought to stand before him to be judged, that we have not stained our swords in the blood of our brethren since he imparted his word unto us and has made us clean thereby."
I love this scripture because it can relate to any of us. We all have weaknesses and trials but if we just recognize He who knows better than the rest of us and trust in Him, we will be able to finally see a change. I was finally able to experience true happiness as I let God be my first priority. Change is so hard though. It was so hard on me but that is why trust is so important. There was a time when I was too afraid to even say a prayer. I just didn't want to do it but that is when I needed it most. Just remember to "counsel the Lord in all your doings and you will be lifted up at the last day"- Alma 37:37.
Here is one of my favorite videos from LDS.org that goes along with what I am saying. Mom, maybe you can use it in your Relief Society lesson on Sunday. It's short. Here is the link: http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-014-the-will-of-god?lang=eng#2012-01-014-the-will-of-god
Mom, I remember sitting with you last New Years Eve and talking about Life. I just wanted to have a really good year. I remember praying to Heavenly Father to help me be happy and make all my wishes come true. Now I am happier than I ever thought I would be. His plans were different than mine but I am so glad I'm here. That's why I like the video I just told you about. I feel like God has corrected me so much and he has better plans for me than I have for myself.
My goal on this mission is to understand people better. I feel like this specific mission is preparing me for something big and I don't know what it is. I'm just learning a lot of new things and finding out new things about myself. I am learning good communication and thinking skills as well and it's all a little overwhelming. I already have matured and changed so much. When I saw Colton, he just kept saying how different I was and I know that I am. I never realized how cool my patriarchal blessing was. I never realized it talked about missionary work but it does. I am so excited to leave this mission as a better person than when I got here.
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