Merry Christmas, Everyone!
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It is really beautiful here though. I love the lights! I love being able to see them every night. Salt Lake City is a winter wonderland. There are these beautiful horse carriages that take people on rides around the city. The snow literally sparkles! The lights are so bright and are the perfect representation of Jesus Christ! I just love being here. Life is pretty good lately. Of course there is always some ups and downs when it comes to missionary life but for the most part it is good!
Our wonderful investigator, "J" from Salt Lake City, will be getting baptized tomorrow! We are so excited for him. We were able to take him on a tour of Welfare Square on Wednesday and it was so great. Sister Steenhoek served there last transfer so she knew what she was talking about. If anyone lives or visits Salt Lake City, I invite you to go and visit Welfare Square or Humanitarian Center. I knew the church did a lot for people in need but I had no idea that they did THAT much. You feel the spirit so strong at Welfare Square because you just know that God's children really are being taken care of (if they accept the help of course, which some people don't and I find that kind of weird). If people need help they should take it! When we allow others to serve us we are doing those people a service as well. We should never rob someone of the opportunity to give!
So tomorrow I have to give a talk at J's baptism. He asked me to read a talk about the very first chapter I assigned him to read in the Book of Mormon back in September which was Alma chapter 32. That chapter is on faith and it's a common chapter used by missionaries. I still don't know what I am going to say which leads me to realize that if we have faith, we will receive the help and guidance we are looking for. Sometimes I pray and ask for things but don't necessarily have the faith to receive it. One day I was so stressed out. I was really worried about one of my investigators and I just felt like I didn't have what it takes to be able to help. I felt like I was doing so much but wasn't really helping and I was so worried. Then I decided to read in Doctrine and Covenants and came across 101:16 which says, "Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God."
After reading that I realized was that I didn't have enough faith! I really came to understand, though, that I was not alone in this. These are Heavenly Father's children so he is right there with me helping me along the way! He wants them to come back and know his love for them. I also realized that Heavenly Father doesn't even need missionaries to help him. He can do this all by himself but he allows us to serve because he loves us! He wants us to be able to experience real happiness and to be able to help others feel that too. After being here for 5 months I think I finally realized what is important. I am not focusing on myself anymore because this isn't about me at all. But as I genuinely serve others, I feel God's love for me so much stronger. That is what this Christmas season is all about! Serving others so that they can feel the light of Christ in their life.
Guess who decided to just walk in and have sacrament meeting with us on Sunday? Just Elder Quentin L. Cook. He needed an early morning sacrament to go to so he came to ours! It was awesome. I never thought I would have church with an apostle.
Elder Don R. Clarke of the First Quorum of the Seventy came to speak to us a few days ago. He is an assistant executive director of the mission department and presides as an area assistant over the Salt Lake North, Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake South missions. He got me thinking that I need to start thinking a little about my future and what I plan to do when I leave in one year. Right now my main focus is my mission because I have less than one year to make a difference in Heavenly Father's kingdom; but I also need to decide what I am going to do with the rest of my life. That thought is actually a little scary to me right now!
I think I forgot to mention our investigator in Surrey, England. She is awesome and has just decided that she wants to be baptized! We finished teaching her the Plan of Salvation and she felt really strongly about everything but still had questions about prophets. So we sent her two talks by President Monson. We had a feeling that she would really like them and guess what! After reading them, she decided to get baptized!
Something else exciting is that we were able to attend the Christmas Devotional on Sunday night! I always remember watching that as a family so it was really cool to be there knowing that my family was watching it right then. Elder Nelson's talk was so great! Tomorrow night we get to go to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert. I can't wait!
The world is such a different place at Christmas time and I don't ever want this feeling to end! I am just so happy right now and no offense, mom, but I don't want to come home next Christmas because I am afraid of leaving Temple Square. The feeling is just way too incredible here. We can keep these feelings all year round if we remember to make Jesus Christ a priority each day and remember why he came into the world and what he did for each one of us.
In John 16:33 it says, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Sister Park
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