"one miraculous week"

This has been one miraculous week! Transfers happened but Sister Faulk and I stayed the same! We were so happy. We both wrote President Wall and told him he could not transfer us. Sister Faulk has been in Opelousas for over a year! That is so rare! She does not want to leave either. She is hoping to finish her mission here and I don't blame her at all.

I don't know if you heard but it snowed in Louisiana! I used to think that dry cold weather was awful but no...humid cold weather is the worst. It is painful and my hands were literally aching! There was a thick sheet of ice on our windshield so Sister Faulk and I had to use our credit cards to try to get it off.

While we were in the process of trying to clear our windshield we looked over and saw a man who was really struggling to get the ice off of his windshield.  So we took a break from working on ours to go and help him.  He was so glad because he was worried that he would be late for work.  I thought I was going to get frost bite!

All of a sudden our teaching pool is huge!!!!!!!!!!!  Sister Faulk said this has never happened. She has always focused on less actives and members but now we are teaching investigators!

We sometimes visit a lady in our ward who is in a wheelchair and this lady LOVES missionary work! She is an excellent missionary.  She has a helper named "G" who comes to take care of her during the day.  She introduced the Book of Mormon to G who just soaked it up! She has been reading the Book of Mormon, Gospel Principles, and the Ensign. She loves it so much. So Sister Faulk and I went over there to meet with her! She is such a sweet lady and has three adorable little kids. We began teaching her about the restoration and let me tell you- Satan will do whatever he can to distract people during lessons!  We were in the middle of the lesson and all of a sudden a huge flock of birds started smacking into the window we were sitting by.  It just kept happening!  But of course Satan didn't win that battle. We just continued our discussion and were able to complete it.  G told us she has noticed a difference in her life since reading the Book of Mormon and her sweet little children have noticed a change in her as well! They love how happy she is and now they want to learn more about why their mom isn't so sad anymore. We asked her if we could continue teaching her and she loved that idea!  So we went to her house yesterday to teach her and her kids. Two of the kids were not there- just her five year old baby boy whose personality reminds me of Jagger.  He and Jagger have the same curious, contemplative looking face! Some of her extended family was also there and they decided to come and sit in on the lesson. We had no idea they would be there but it was perfect. We felt we needed to teach the Plan of Salvation as soon as we walked into the house and that is what we did. Sister McDavid from our branch who is a convert was also there with us and it was so helpful to have her powerful testimony in the room. They just loved everything they were hearing and said that it made perfect sense.

 

Her extended family told us they were even going to come to church on Sunday and wanted to know if they can come over every week for the lessons as well. I just imagined that family dressed in white at the temple. The spirit was so strong. As I started to bear my testimony to this family I started to cry a little because I could feel God's love for each of them.  

 

We also visited a super cute part-member family this week.  The lady is a member of the church and the guy is investigating.  It has been such a blessing to teach "J" and we have been strengthened by his faith! Yesterday he told us that he prayed and he knows that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true! We are so happy- I can't even describe the joy we feel from hearing that. We have been reading chapters of the Book of Mormon with his family and it has been really cool to see him liken the scriptures to himself. We will be teaching them Temple Square style tonight.  I can't wait!  

 

Sister Faulk and I were talking about our meeting with J and his family on the way to the library this morning and it's so cool to think about how Heavenly Father works. J's mother died in 2009 and since then he became more religious and he has been trying to find truth for a long time. He has been searching for God and now he has a sweet family who has the truth and is sharing it with him.   Sister Faulk and I thought about ourselves in 2009. We were high school kids who were not even thinking about missions and who objected to that idea completely; but at that time God knew what was going to happen. God was preparing people for us to help and we never even knew it! Several times in the scriptures it talks about God preparing a place or a way for us to go. He has such big plans and it is up to us to go in the path that He wants.

 

I never thought I would be here but I am happy that He helped me get here on this mission. I never would have thought that there would be people out there being prepared for when I got here and could share what I know with them. I just love thinking about that!  God knows exactly what he is doing.  Every situation and person He brings into our lives serves a purpose.  So I invite you to think about that. God has a plan and it's a lot better than our plans. His plans are way better than going to parties with our friends on the weekends or planning our lives around things of the world. If we put Him first then we get to see a glimpse of how He sees us. We get to see a glimpse of who He knows we can become.  Something to remember is that even if we feel like it's too late for us it is not! If we feel like it is too late and we are too far off the path then we are denying the atonement of Jesus Christ. We must remember how much we are loved! We all have full potential and gifts that can help people.  Each and everyone of us has a divine purpose in His plan!

All or most missionaries reach a breaking point at some time during their mission when they are humbled before the Lord. We come out here ready to teach and ready to help others come closer to Jesus Christ; but we don't really know how it is actually going to be- how we will feel, what trials we will go through, how much we will actually love the people we serve, and how important the atonement is not only in our own lives but everybody's lives. I feel like after seven months of Heavenly Father breaking me and humbling me I am finally starting to get it.

 

Heavenly Father's plan for us is truly the plan of happiness. Sometimes we think we can do it on our own but we always end up finding out that it is impossible to be truly happy if we don't put God first before everything else. Sometimes we have to find out the hard way and that is totally okay! That is when the atonement comes in. Jesus Christ descended below all and has the power to help us overcome everything. 

 

I just know that God loves each of us perfectly. He has a plan for us and it's up to us to make the decision to be with Him again one day. We need to start now rather than later. Even if it is hard He will be right there to help us. Repentance can be painful at first but that's because the atonement is so powerful and so real!  

 

I just want to bear my testimony and say that I know these things are true. I am thankful for the restoration of the gospel. I am thankful to serve here in Opelousas. I love these people! I am grateful to know that if I do my best I can be with my family again one day. I am thankful that I finally know that simply going to church, being baptized, and not doing bad things isn't enough. This life is all about progression. If we love God then we will work to show it. I love being a missionary and I love the scriptures. I just hope that everyone has the chance to feel what I am feeling and I know that if we read the scriptures every single day we will be filled with the spirit. It changes how you feel and act and treat others. I invite everyone to read them! Family, I love you. Thanks for supporting me. Sorry I am busy and I don't have much time to write back. Just know I think about ALL of you and pray for you. I hope you know that we are all so precious to our Father in Heaven. Times are tough but so are we... that's why we were saved for this time. 

 

Missionary work is great! I am happy. I hope my entire family and friends are happy. I just can't explain how much I love each of you. I look forward to going to family reunions when I get home because I am just going to cry when I see all of you. I LOVE YOU. I am on a spiritual high if you can't tell. Why? Because I read the scriptures this morning. And I have a testimony that they answer our questions and give us the knowledge that we need.

Thanks so much Renee and Dustin Phelps for your letters.  Love you guys!

 

Bye Y'all!

 

Sister Park  

Calling (from) Baton Rouge!

(back row from left to right) Me, Ashley, Elder Bracken, Gabby, Sister Faulk
(front row) Elder Jones

Bonjour Friends and Family! How are you doing? How is life? Life has been wonderful here in Louisiana. I love it! We just got transfer calls and found out that Sister Faulk and I get to stay in Opeleusas together. We are both very happy.
Each day we get up and go biking down the bayou at 6:30 a.m.  I always hope to see alligators but it's still too cold so I will have to wait for a couple of months. Then we come back and get ready for the day and proceed into our personal and companionship studies. I really hope that I keep up with my studies everyday after my mission because they are so helpful and such a good time for personal revelation. The scriptures are so awesome! Then we head out and go to any appointments that we may have. If we don't have too many appointments we go and visit less active members and just see how they are doing.  We also go visit sick people or people who have any needs at the time.  That is usually what we do for the whole day. I have not been tracting yet. This mission is more focused on building up the branch and member missionary work which has been very successful. I really want to go tracting though so Sister Faulk promised me that we can do it one day soon.

On P day we do the same except we come here to the library to email and then we go to an activity with our zone.  Usually we play dodge ball which is what we did last week.  Dodge ball was fine but I am just not entertained by that type of leisure. Well, I am but only if I know the people. I don't like to throw balls at people I do not know. Today we're having a Nerf gun war and it will be fun because I know people now so I won't mind shooting them.  But I would still rather be able to write letters to friends and family. Please apologize to everyone for me because I have a feeling I will never get a few hours where I can just sit down and write!

I am really loving it here. I love the people, the scenery, the southern hospitality, and everything.  I love how we can drive down the road and see cute little old men just sitting on their front porch, watching the world. I feel like dad is going to do that when he is old.

Ok Jeremy listen up!  You're going to like this.  Last night we went over to the Nations house for Family Home Evening and they ordered pizza. Well, in Louisiana they put shrimp on their pizza and even though I have never liked shrimp, I actually ate it! It was sooo good. I have become so cultural on my mission, its insane. First Asian food and now Cajun food.  What's next?

Oh, I know what's next!  I have very exciting news.  I AM GOING TO BE HERE FOR MARDI GRAS! Ok so mom... remember when we used to go to Mimi's Cafe and I would tell you it was my dream to go to Louisiana for Mardi Gras? Well, my dream came true! And we usually get permission to go to the parades. Don't worry I won't flash anyone for beads, hahaha!

Meeting in person with my investigators is an amazing experience that I didn't get very often at Temple Square.  It is really cool to actually be face to face with these people and to be able to feel the spirit so strong during lessons. We have been able to teach some amazing people. So last week we got a call from the elders in Jennings, Texas.  They were calling to give us a referral.  The referral was for an awesome 19 year old girl who is interested in the church and she just moved into our boundaries.

They had already taught her the restoration so we just needed to meet with her and start teaching her the rest of the lessons. We met up with her (I will call her H) on Saturday! She is such a sweetheart and we have a lot in common with her! We asked H why she was interested in the church and she said it was because of our emphasis on having the proper authority.  Wow!  That isn't an answer we get very often but it shows she truly wants to find the truth. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and the spirit was there so strong. So at the end we felt prompted to ask her if she would be baptized and she accepted! She has a baptismal date set for the 16th of February. This is such a miracle because things like this just don't happen all the time- especially here in Louisiana! She came to church the next day and really enjoyed it. She was also able to attend Gabby & Ashley's baptism right after church.  I am so excited to continue meeting with her and watch her progression.

Gabby & Ashley were investigators that Sister Faulk had for about four months before I got here.  They are really good friends and are amazing. I have grown to love the two of them so much and I have only been here for 2 weeks. About an hour before church on Sunday, Gabby called us and said that Ashley was very sick and would not be able to make it to their baptism. She had been throwing up all night and was in a lot of pain. It just came out of the blue and Sister Faulk and I were so sad.  We called the elders and asked them if they would go over there and give her a blessing. So Brother Prescott took us and the elders to their house so they could give her a blessing. In the blessing, Elder Bracken told her that she would be healed. We all had so much faith because we knew that she could get better, and she did!

They ended up coming to church and she felt a million times better by the time she got there. It was amazing and the spirit was so strong. I have such a testimony of the priesthood. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father has provided us with that gift here on earth. Before my mission I never really thought too much about people getting baptized but now I look at it a whole new way.  It is such a blessing that our church has the proper authority to baptize in the name of Jesus Christ.  And the faith that these people have to take this step and make this covenant with Heavenly Father absolutely amazes me. I have such an appreciation for the gospel and the fact that I get to be here at this time to serve. I used to be mad at myself for wasting time and postponing serving a mission until July rather than when I had originally planned to go but I have come to realize that this is the right time for me to be out here serving the Lord; and Temple Square/Baton Rouge are exactly where I am supposed to be!

Since coming to Louisiana, I have learned so much about the gospel and my testimony is becoming even stronger.  Spending so much time with investigators and new converts has taught me a lot about repentance and conversion.  Conversion and Testimony are completely different and I finally am starting to see the importance of it all- the temple, scriptures, prayer, serving others, priesthood, and family...but most of all repentance. I used to only associate repentance with committing really bad sins.  I never realized how close repentance can bring us to Heavenly Father.

I am kind of prideful and I do not like to admit when I have done something wrong so it is so hard for me to get down on my knees and say sorry and ask for forgiveness. Well, in my third transfer Heavenly Father really hit me hard and let me know that I need to change! Missions are so hard.  Kendall, I hope you understand this. They are so incredibly hard. Most missionaries enter the field with a lot of pride. We don't even realize it until we get here. Heavenly Father knows that he needs to break us in order to make us stronger. That goes for all of his children, not just missionaries.

In Ether 12:27 it says, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

He shows us our weaknesses to make us better. He knows who we can become but sometimes we have to go through it the hard way. Well, after a ton of praying I finally realized something I have been leaving out of my prayers. I have always repented but its never been very sincere.  Because of this mission I realize now that repentance is essential to growth and I consider it a blessing that I have the opportunity to repent every single day.  That is part of what the atonement does for us.  It doesn't just redeem us from large sins but it brings us closer to God as we strive each and every day to repent and become more like Him.

Repentance can do so much for us! It brings us hope and reminds us of the bigger picture. Repentance is such an essential part to Heavenly Father's plan for us. As missionaries we are here to help others to receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. I am finally starting to better understand my purpose; and the only way I can help others understand their purpose is if I do all of these things as well.

I love you friends and family and I know that if you put your faith in God and allow yourselves to fully repent and come unto Christ, he will bless your lives immensely!  Have a good week. 

Sister Park

Hello from Louisiana!

Macy and her companion in front of the mission home.

Hello everyone! I am currently serving in the Louisiana, Baton Rouge mission and I love it! It is a completely different world down here. I am in the Lafayette zone and I live in Lafayette but my area is actually out in the country in a little place called Opeleuses.  The weather is nice and warm! Today it's raining and flooding. They eat a lot of crawfish here.  I have already had it twice and do not like it yet!

This mission is completely different from the Temple Square mission. I am working with elders, members, and actually going to a regular family ward.  My companion and I serve in the Opeleuses Branch. There are about 50 people in the branch and the chapel isn't much bigger than a relief society room. The branch president made me give a talk last minute yesterday. I didn't have time to prepare so it probably wasn't very good!

It is crazy how different the south is from the west. President Wall really encourages us to use their slang words such as "y'all". I am so happy that I am serving here of all places. Sister Cuevas is serving in the actual city of Baton Rouge and they stuck me in the country. I was so happy about it though!

My companion's name is Sister Faulk and she is from northern California. I absolutely love her! We are so much alike and she is hilarious. She may be one of the most Christlike people that I have ever met! The ward members absolutely love her! I have so much to learn from her because I don't do the lovey dovey give me a hug thing and thats what people like down here. But I think I was sent to the perfect place!

Outbound is a completely different experience. We spend on a lot of our time building up the members and visiting less active members. I am not used to this because at Temple Square we find people and teach them. I feel like I have slowed way down since I got here but it's actually kind of nice. I am just so happy to be done with fleet!  One of my favorite things to do is to go visit people who are in the hospital.  Any time I step foot in a hospital I am a happy person.  It makes me miss my job though- shoutout to my friends at Oasis Hospital!- and it even makes me a little trunky (missionary lingo for feeling ready to go home).  Don't worry though, there is nowhere I would rather be than here!

Working with less-actives in the short time I have been here has really helped me to gain a stronger testimony of the Temple.  You would think Temple Square would have done that but just being able to listen to these people's stories and everything they have gone through makes me realize how special it is to have the temple in our lives. Our goal is to help them get to the temple because that is the place where we can feel closest to our Heavenly Father and our loved ones. President Wall said something really cool. He said as we are teaching people we should imagine that their relatives who have passed on are in the same room listening and learning from us as well. I thought that was interesting and so true! We never stop learning and we can be a huge help to those who have passed on without ever receiving the gospel. That goes for everyone. Members of the church do not realize how big of an influence they have on people. We can bring families together because we know the truth. We have such wonderful news! Why wouldn't we want to share it? We know that god provides a plan for us so that we can be with our families forever! We know that we have a Savior who died for us so that we can be happy. It is overwhelming and humbling to contemplate all that our Heavenly Father gives us.

I am so happy to be here in Louisiana.  I love these people.  They are all about service. They put others before themselves every day. The members go out of their way to help others come to church and will drive an hour just to take someone to the temple. The church isn't very big here but the people are strong. I am learning so much from them. They have such an appreciation for the Atonement!

Life here in Opeleuses is very hard for a lot of people. The poverty rate is very high. There are drug deals EVERYWHERE! Especially at our apartment complex.  They go on every night.  The drug dealers are nice to me and Sister Faulk though.  They respect us as representatives of Jesus Christ and refer to us as "the Jesus girls".  The people in this town experience many trials just like everyone else in the world but they have faith whether they are members of the church or not.  I can't wait to take the family back here.

On Saturday we were in a hospital visiting a sick member.  The branch president showed up to give her a blessing.  The nurse kept watching us and listening to us and she was fascinated by the blessing the branch president gave.  After he left, she asked us if she could talk to us.  She had so many questions about our church.  We ended up teaching her the restoration right there in the hospital and gave her a Book of Mormon.  She told us that she would like a home visit so we have an appointment to go and teach her this week.  I have already had so many wonderful experiences and there are more to come!

Unlike at Temple Square we eat in  the member's homes! I am not a fan of crawfish and I'm having a difficult time adjusting to southern food.  I love some of it though. I think so far my favorite thing is jambalaya. I love Cajun chicken too! The people here are great cooks! Last night we went over to the Nations' house for dinner with the elders. The Nations' are a great family in our ward! They have the missionaries over every Sunday night for dinner and football. We had meatball soup and it was so good. Then Brother Nations drove us home and we listened to George STRAIT in his truck!  President Wall has a rule that if good music or TV is on then just enjoy it. We watched football last night too. There is a lot of Saints fans here. Cammie would be proud because she likes Dirty Sanchez or something like that...????



The elders that serve in our branch with us are Elder Bracken and Elder Jones.  We see them a lot and have so much fun with them.  One of them likes Justin Beiber a lot and even has a Justin Beiber backpack.  But they like to make us do a lot of their work for them like plan their baptisms.  We do it but the other night to get them back we decided to wrap their car in saran wrap.  While we were wrapping the car we met a man named Cedric.  He accidentally spilled beer on us while he was talking to us so that was awkward.  Then he said, "I thought you were weird but now that you messing with you friends car, you cool."  So now he calls me Baby P and he calls Sister Faulk Baby Thug.  I like him.  Who knows, maybe we will get to teach him the gospel soon!





I love you all!  Families are Forever!



Sister Park

I'm going outbound!

Hello Family!  This week has been a wonderful week. Another one of our investigators was baptized! I am so happy. He is just this kid we met on chat but we have never met anyone so sincere! He is a great person!

So it is a New Year! On New Year's Eve our mission got together and had a short little New Year's Eve Party. We ate chips and salsa and had a countdown. It was 10:00 so we pretended that we were NYC time. During our New Year's Eve Party President Gillette got out this mini transfer board and announced who is going outbound! I did not expect to be on the list. He went through all of the names and then the very last name that he said was mine!



There I am in the second to last row!

I was so scared! I just started to really love my mission and now I am leaving!  I found out where I am going but I am keeping it a secret for now... I will give you one little hint: Bible Belt. I think. I am so excited because I have always wanted to visit there. I do not know how long I will be serving there. I will find that out on Monday. So this blog will not be too exciting because I have barely had contact with any human being. It's been nothing but computers and cars for me and Sister Steenhoek. I have less than a week left of fleet and even though I will miss Sister Steenhoek I am so happy to be done with fleet!  The last week is the toughest because we have to figure out all the flight info and transportation for the new sisters and the outbound sisters and it's so much more work than you can imagine. This is also a stressful week because I have transfers to figure out on top of getting ready to leave for a few months and move across the country. I have a lot of packing to do.
So last night we had to take the Trax (which is just like the lightrail in Phoenix) to see if we should just have the sisters going outbound ride that to the airport. We wanted to make sure everything worked out the way we wanted it to. Well, on the way back to Temple Square we had a little experience that was probably meant to prepare me for my next destination. We were sitting down discussing transfers and I looked across from us and a man would not stop staring at us. I couldn't even focus on our conversation because he was kind of freaking me out. And when people stare at me I tend to stare at them until they stop and look away so I just kept staring at him. So this guy and I basically had a staring contest for awhile. But he won because he wouldn't stop staring! So I looked down and pulled out the phone so I could write a fake text and tell Sister Steenhoek that he was freaking me out. So as I began typing it out, he stood up and sat across from us and introduced himself. He asked us if he could ask us a couple of questions about our beliefs. So of course we said yes! And of course he went straight to the typical questions that we usually get from people who are antagonistic rather than sincere... like polygamy and then racism. Racism questions will really prepare me for my outbound so as he was expressing his concerns I was thanking Heavenly Father for preparing me but also asking for his help in responding to this man.

We explained both situations to him and told him that racism had nothing to do with anything that has happened in the church. I don't really remember what we said because the conversation was not my own words but was completely led by the spirit.  Thankfully, the spirit was very strong during our conversation and the man surprisingly seemed very sincere.

Come to find out, he grew up as a member but could never get past those two issues. He said that he had always received different answers but had only talked to friends and had never thought about asking a missionary until he saw us sitting on the train.  He seemed happy with the explanations that we gave him. After we answered his questions we could tell he didn't want the conversation to be over so we had him read Moroni 10: 4-5:

"4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

 

We proceeded to tell this man that he needs to pray with real intent. He is sincere. But if he sincerely wants to know then he needs to pray with faith that he will receive an answer. The whole meeting was a miracle for so many reasons but the best part of all was that he gave us his contact information and said he wanted us to call and teach him.  Unfortunately I will be leaving for ....................... but Sister Steenhoek will continue to teach him while I am in.............!

 

Next cool thing to happen! So the other day we had some free time and decided that we wanted to give a few tours. So we were asked to do a VIP tour and headed upstairs to go meet the people we would be showing around. It was two nice gentlemen from Burbank, CA. They were sooo California. They even said "totally." So we took them around on a Preach My Gospel walk. (I do not like the term "tour" because our tours are actually lessons but the people we are taking just don't know it.) So we were talking with the guys and then come to find out... we were with the writers and producers of the Jay Leno Show! It was no surprise. They seemed like they were something big! That was a neat experience. It was our first VIP tour!

 

And the best thing to happen this week is that I was able to see the Udall family. Kylie had a missionary glow and I know she will do so great! I was really hoping to go outbound in Portland so that I could take care of her and if she had a bossy companion then I could set her straight but that is ok!  It was so good to see the Udall family.  I missed those people!

So for my outbound assignment I am kind of close to Rulon...  I am in the south...  It is warmer than Salt Lake...  And I might just be teaching the cast of Duck Dynasty!!  On Wednesday at 3:40 a.m. I will be flying out to serve for a few months in the Louisiana, Baton Rouge Mission!  I can't wait to serve and come to love the people of Louisiana!  I am happy to experience the next chapter in my mission and I can't wait to find out what Heavenly Father has in store for me.  Baton Rouge, here I come! 

 

Don't forget, life will be hard at times and you will have trials but the Savior was, is, and will always be there for you. D&C 90:24- "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good...".

 

Love you all, Sister Park

 

"Look Not Behind Thee"

I love looking at this every night, especially during
the Christmas season

Merry Christmas! I am so happy I was able to talk to the family on Christmas day! It was so great to hear your voices! I am counting down the days where I can see Sister Kylie Udall as an actual missionary before she enters the MTC. It is even in my planner. Hey Uncle John! What's up!!

All I can say is that being a missionary during Christmas time is the most amazing experience. I am so happy that so many of our cousins and friends have a desire to serve because it is just the best feeling in the world. Just being here at Temple Square on such a special night was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was worth not being able to be with family and doing some of the things I normally do on the holiday. That was definitely one of the best Christmas's I have ever had and I know it is because it was all focused on helping others to realize what is truly important and the reason why we celebrate Christmas. Sorry Mom but I think I'll extend my mission a couple of weeks so I can be here for next Christmas too!

One of the best parts of my mission is getting to interact with people with special needs when they come visit the square.  I just love those people and we get to see them often.  Here is a picture of Bob doing tricks in his wheelchair.  He comes to visit quite often.

Christmas Eve the square closed at 5pm and we had dinner, watched the nativity movie, and had a spiritual Christmas activity called the Christmas Posada. It's a family tradition for one of our AP's and also very common in Mexico. Many of our senior couples and mission presidencies dressed up as different characters from the Nativity like the three wise men, shepherds, Isaiah, angels, and Roman guards. They were all in different buildings or stations on Temple Square and we went in groups to "search for the Christ child." Each person would tell us their story of how they were involved with Christ's birth. It was a very powerful and spiritual activity and such a great way to help us feel the Christmas spirit that night.  Dinner was brought into us by Café Rio.  I had enchiladas and it was awesome because we eat enchiladas every Christmas at home.

  

 

 Christmas Day the square closed at 5pm again.  During the day we had a couple of hours to make our phone calls and then worked.  After the square closed we went down to the South Visitors Center for our party.  For dinner we had ham sandwiches with Doritos.  Then all 200 of us got wonderful presents from the missionary presidency.  They gave each of us a Wal-Mart gift card, a box of chocolates, a Jenny Oaks Baker CD, a Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD, a pencil, a scarf, fuzzy socks,

$50, and so much more!  It was so nice!  A former senior missionary who is crazy and funny and acts like Uncle Darin came dressed up as Santa Claus and gave them to us! We all went up one by one to get our gifts and he grabbed me and hugged me even though I am a missionary. It was so funny!  We watched 2 movies. One was Christmas for a dollar and the other was Happy Feet! We all wore our pajamas and it was so much fun. 




Santa visits the Temple Square Missionaries 

It was so cool getting to see my family last week but I was amazed at how easy it was to walk away from you when it was time for you to leave. This mission is so important to me and I know that I am here for a specific reason. When it was time for our visit to end, I just felt like I needed to get back to the square and do the things that I was called here to do. 

 

One of my favorite sayings is "A Missionary is someone who leaves their family for two years so others can be with their family for eternity."  Even though I struggled a little at the beginning of my mission, I quickly came to realize how special my calling as a missionary is.  In Alma 34:32 it says:

 

"For behold this is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."

 

That scripture really hit me hard when I first read it. I like to share this scripture with my investigators but I feel like it really applies to my mission as well. As we prepare to meet our Father in Heaven we must also work hard to do our part in building up the kingdom of God and bringing others to Christ. Being a good person and just hanging out on the sidelines doesn't make the cut. This scripture reminds me that I need to go the extra mile and do everything that Heavenly Father has asked me to do. 

 

I am so happy because for most of the year of 2014 I get to be a missionary! My New Year's resolution is to make the most of my time here and to not waste a minute of it. Heavenly Father trusts us missionaries with our callings and expects us to do our best. I am so excited to just start fresh and leave everything behind me! I want to share one of my favorite Mormon Messages! It is all about the New Year and "Look Not Behind Thee" which is one of my favorite stories in the bible. It is the story of Lot and his wife when they are leaving Sodom and Gomorrah.  The Lord told them to flee the city and don't look back.  It's not that literally looking back as she left was bad; but she was looking back with longing.  She wanted and already missed all the things Sodom and Gomorrah gave her even though it was an evil city.  You should watch the video.  Here is the link: 

 

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=910930409001

 

It is so important that we leave the past behind us and look forward to what we can do in the future.  That's why New Year's is such an awesome opportunity.  I have a love hate relationship when New Years Day! I like to reflect on the past and think about all of the good times that I have had and everything I have learned- but sometimes all of those memories make me miss the past and I don't want a new year to start! I also love the New Year because it is a time to make resolutions and changes to be better. It is so exciting because we get 365 new days and we don't even know what will occur! 

 

2013 was the most interesting, amazing and shocking year of my life so far. This time last year I had decided not to serve a mission and I enrolled in nursing school. So many changes and ups and downs were going on but I am so happy that I made the decision to serve. And I am so excited to see what Heavenly Father has in store for the year 2014!

 

I challenge each of you to look forward to the new year and "look not behind thee" so that you may focus on what lies ahead.  The past is in the past and because of the loving sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the future is bright!

 

 

Thanks to my wonderful family and friends for the awesome Christmas gifts and Christmas cards.  You all are so good to me and make serving my mission such an amazing experience because of your support.

 

Thanks to:

Grandpa and Grandma Wellman

GiGi

Grams and Mac

Papa Rick & Grandma Laurie

Grandpa Herb & Terry

Aunt Tonya

The Udall Fam

The Inman Fam

Sterling

Sister Weng

Dad and Keli

Mom and Jeremy

 

If I didn't mention you yet, it's probably because we haven't received everything yet.  There was lots of mail coming in and they are still sorting through it.  But thank you so much to everyone!

 

Sister Macy Park

 

A Special Tour of Temple Square

Hello! How is everyone doing? OK so it is SO cold outside so I hope that everyone who is driving in Utah is careful. I got stuck in the snow yesterday and then when I slammed on the gas (trying to get un-stuck) I almost a hit a tree. It was so funny.  Other than that, this has been a wonderful week! Last Saturday was one of the best days on my mission because J was baptized. He is so great and will be getting the priesthood soon! I had not been to a baptism for a while and it was such a good experience. The spirit was so strong and I knew as everything was happening that this church really is true! He truly had a glow about him and he just seemed so happy. I never thought too much about baptism before my mission but what an amazing blessing it is! It makes me realize how special partaking of the sacrament each week is because it reminds us of those covenants we made with Heavenly Father on the day we were baptized.  Our investigator from Iowa was also baptized on Saturday. I wish I could have been there for that one too!

Remember our investigator from North Carolina?  One of things that he would always want to pray about is finding a job.  He had been unemployed for several months and was very depressed.  So we began praying for him and with him that he would find a job.  Within a few weeks he got a great job and he was so happy but then eventually he stopped talking to us and he even cancelled the baptism that he had set for the middle of November.  I was so sad for him but he had gotten to a better place since getting a job and felt like he no longer needed God.  But then last week he lost that job and was stuggling again so he got in contact with us and has been asking us to pray for him again.  I am so heartbroken that he lost his job but he wants to embrace the gospel again and I am so glad to have this contact with him.  I just know that God is preparing him for something great.  Sometimes God allows trials to happen in our lives because He knows it will bring us closer to Him.  God sees the big picture and promises us that our trials will be for a small moment but that if we accept the gospel of Jesus Christ our joy will be eternal.  I am happy to be teaching him again and I hope he chooses to go ahead with his baptism this time!

Yesterday the snow storm was so bad we were sent home early. Snow days are boring for missionaries so we ran outside and got big bowls of snow and then ran back into the apartment. We put vanilla, cocoa, sugar, and milk in the snow and had frozen hot chocolate! 

 

Since we can only go to Sacrament Meeting on Sundays we have Relief Society every Thursday morning.  Last Thursday we had it in the church Relief Society building and our lesson was taught by the General Relief Society President, Linda K. Burton.  She told us about how her dad used to tell her: You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the number of apples in a seed. This means there are an ENDLESS number of possibilities when we plant a seed in someone's life.  There are also many opportunities for progression. We do not know what we are meant to become, but God does!  She also said that our mission is preparation or the MTC for the rest of our lives. Our work ethic in our mission will determine the course of our lives. Don't waste any moment! Serve at every opportunity you have! This goes for full-time missionaries, as well as member missionaries.

 

This morning we attended the temple and Sister Steenhoek and I brought our patriarchal blessings so that we could read them in the Celestial Room. We have made it a goal to invite everyone we talk to (those who are already members of the church) to read their patriarchal blessings. Heavenly Father is such a loving God! He has given us so many gifts to help us throughout our lives such as the scriptures, patriarchal blessings, prayer, prophets, family, etc! It is up to us to use those gifts to make us happy in our lives and to remember the bigger picture. Being on a mission and getting into the habit of taking advantage of all of these things that Heavenly Father has provided us has made me a much happier person.

 

So we have had Elder Holland, Elder Oaks, and Elder Don Clark of the Seventy speak to us so far since I have been out on my mission. All three of them have spoken to us about spiritual maintenance. President Monson is very worried because we are losing a lot of the youth in the church. The youth in high school, college, and even returned missionaries. All three of these men who spoke to us said that the best way to remain happy in our lives is to keep doing the things Heavenly father asks us to do. Sister Steenhoek and I have been teaching a few less active returned missionaries and when they become less active in the gospel it almost always starts with the same problem. They completely stop every wonderful thing that they learned to do while they were on their mission. I am not perfect and I won't be after my mission so I am just so happy that I am learning about how to prevent all of this right now. We learned that it is so important that we don't just go through the mission but we let the mission go through us!  Even if you haven't served a mission! Before my mission I found myself just going through the motions. I didn't really think about it and I felt like I was doing ok but I wasn't saying prayers every morning and night and I wasn't reading the scriptures as often as I should.

 

So I would like to leave an invitation to all of my family and friends. The world isn't getting any better but if we truly want to be happy and have peace in our lives the best way to do so is just to keep the commandments, do what God asks of us, remember the Savior and his atonement. He did all of this for us and there is no possible way we can pay him back but what we can do is keep the commandments and draw ourselves closer to our Father in Heaven. SO! I invite all of you to do personal scripture study, morning and night prayers, read your patriarchal blessing, think about the Savior as you take the sacrament, and read scriptures with your family! I think it is so important to just remember the bigger picture. There are such good things to come and Heavenly Father has blessed us with so much. He promises us such amazing gifts and it is not worth it to not do our part. I know that Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us. I know that He has a plan for all of us and there is always a way back to Him. One of my favorite chapters in the bible is John 14. Anytime I am going through a hard time since I was 17, I just read John 14!

 

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

The Savior went before us to prepare many wonderful experiences and blessings for us. Heavenly Father has a plan and his way is always the best way. As we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ we can enjoy those good things to come. If times are hard and we don't know what else to do we can always lean on the Savior because he knows what we are feeling. I like to imagine that kind of love that he had for all of us. He wants us to be happy and the best ways to be happy in life are doing the things that draw us closer to the Savior and Heavenly Father.

 

It is almost a new year and it is going to be a good one! I am so excited to see what this next year brings. I will be on my mission for about 11 months of this year and I am so happy I get to do so! I am so happy to serve here at Temple Square. I love everything I am learning and the wonderful people I get to teach. I love learning from my investigators because they have taught me so much about the important things in life. The first few months of my mission were tough but now I can truthfully say that I love my mission! I am happy I am here and I know that I need to be here. 

I can't wait to see what's in store for us this Christmas!  I have heard that Christmas is amazing here in our mission. I will tell you all about it next week!

Love,

Sister Park

From Macy's Mom:
After Macy received her call to Temple Square we immediately began hearing about how unique the mission was.  Girls who had served there and parents of Temple Square missionaries referred to it as "the most unique mission in the world."  We soon began asking questions and doing research to learn about the mission and everything we learned about the Temple Square mission was incredible.  The mission isn't unique in the way that most people might think.  It's not just a mission where beautiful international girls get fixed up and stand around the square to serve as customer service reps or tour guides.  The rumor that "all the pretty girls go to Temple Square" is just a myth- don't get me wrong, the girls there are beautiful.  But not because they were blessed with striking features or supermodel physiques.  They are beautiful because, like all other missionaries serving around the world, they are filled with the light of Christ.  This mission is unique for many reasons.  It is an all girl mission.  The girls are responsible for preparing all their own meals and don't eat in member homes.  This mission does not have boundaries.  The whole world is their mission and there is no country these girls have not taught the gospel in.  It is one of the highest baptizing missions in the world.  The Temple Square missionaries teach local investigators as well as investigators over the phone.  And finally, it is the only mission that allows the missionaries' family members to visit and see their child in action.  This weekend our family did just that.

Our appointment with Macy and her companion, Sister Steenhoek, was set for Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and we arrived in Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon to finish some Christmas shopping and check into the hotel so that we could go see the lights at Temple Square that evening.  Our hotel was right across the street from Temple Square and the view of the Square was absolutely perfect.



Everything was covered in snow and it was beautiful!

We knew there was a small chance we would see Macy and her companion at the Square Friday night but we weren't too hopeful since many people have gone to look for Macy during conference time and other times of the year and had no luck.  For security reasons the other missionaries won't tell us where she is at if we ask.  We knew there would be thousands of people there and she would be hard to spot but we decided to keep a look out just in case.  We walked through the west gates of Temple Square at 6:00 just after the lights went on and headed for the North Visitors Center.  Inside, the visitors center was packed and I knew that if she was in there we probably wouldn't even see her.  After a few minutes of looking around in the visitors center, Jeremy had a feeling he should go back outside to the west gates we entered through.  As soon as he walked up to that area he saw Macy and Sister Steenhoek! 

 

In the meantime the kids and I were still in the visitors center looking around and barely able to walk two consecutive steps because it was so packed.  Then I hear Jeremy from behind me say, "Hey, look who I found!"  So I turn around and there he is with my beautiful daughter that I hadn't seen in months!  She was beaming and smiling from ear to ear.  I quickly handed Jeremy my phone and purse so I could go give her a huge hug before Kendall and the twins bombarded her.  We were all so excited to see our beautiful missionary!

 

Macy and Sister Steenhoek had an appointment with a family a few minutes after that so they didn't get to stick around but seeing them was so much fun and made our night!  After a long day of traveling our little encounter was enough to recharge our batteries so we stepped outside of the visitors center to brave the cold and see the rest of Temple Square before finally eating dinner at the Nauvoo Cafe, one of the restaurants in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

After seeing Macy Friday night, I thought Saturday morning might be kind of anti-climatic.  But when Saturday morning rolled around I woke up extra early and stared at the clock, willing it to be 10:00 so we could leave and actually spend some real time with Macy and Sister Steenhoek.  The clock was ticking by slowly and finally at 9:30 we all walked down stairs and started across the street to Temple Square.  According to Guest Services instructions, we were to meet Macy and her companion at the Temple Construction Desk in the South Visitor's Center at 10:00 a.m. sharp.  We arrived at the South Visitors Center at about 9:35 and decided we would look around a little.  We walked in and there were two missionaries at the front of the visitors center who were there to greet guests as they walked in.  We told them why we were there and they acted like it was the most wonderful thing in the world.  That is one of things I love about the Temple Square missionaries.  The hospitality they display is very remarkable.  It's kind of like going to Disneyland where the customer service is top-notch and everyone there makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world.  I have heard that employees of Disney go through extensive customer service training to learn this skill.  But the amazing thing about the Temple Square missionaries is that they don't go through any extensive training other than in the MTC.  What causes them to possess such a gracious charm is the fact that they are surrounded by beautiful music, missionaries both old and young, temple patrons, and the spirit of Christ every hour of every day.  It truly rubs off on each of them and the feeling they project is incredible.

After looking at the SLC temple model for several minutes we decided to walk over to the area where we were supposed to meet Macy and wait. 

 A sweet missionary from Sweden offered to take a

picture of us while we waited.

 

After a few minutes we heard a familiar laugh and then we finally saw our sweet missionary and her companion enter from behind an area blocked with a red velvet rope and a sign that said "controlled access".

 

 Macy told me to not act like the paparazzi

but I couldn't help myself.

 

After we hugged her and her companion (again), they told us the first stop on our tour would be to the chapel in the Joseph Smith building where they attend church every sunday.  Macy told us about the chapel once before in a letter and said how beautiful it was.  She was right!

 

 The woman at the organ was practicing the most beautiful

 Christmas music I have ever heard.  She was so talented!

 

A view of the ornate ceiling Macy told us about

 

Macy and her companion told us the reason the chapel is so luxurious is because it used to be a ballroom back when the Joseph Smith Memorial Building was a hotel.  When the hotel was turned into the Memorial Center they decided to make this ballroom a chapel.  It is truly amazing to see in person!

 

When the girls leave the chapel during the month of December they walk out to the view of this beautiful Christmas tree in the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

 







 

Our next stop was to the basement of the South Visitors Center where the Temple Square mission office is located.  This area is filled with cubicles that serve as offices for the Fleet missionaries (Macy and her companion are on the Fleet assignment right now), the Office Assistants, and Assistants to the President.  This is also where the missionaries go to teach the lessons over the phone to investigators who live all around the world.

 

 

As you walk into the mission office area, there is a large board that describes perfectly why we have missionaries on the earth today.

 

 The board says "What's bound on Earth will be Bound in Heaven"

and there are pictures of recent baptisms of some of the girl's investigators.

 

The tagline of the Temple Square mission is "The World is Our Mission".  On another wall in the mission office is this large map with little pins that represent the mission's recent baptisms all across the world.

 The pins are very hard to see in this picture.

Another map on the wall represents all the countries of origin of the current Temple Square missionaries.



  Since the age change, there are several

more from the United States than there were in the past.

 

There are over 200 sister missionaries representing 55 countries serving at Temple Square.  This display of flags in the mission office represent where some of the sisters are from.  There are also other flag displays in different areas of the office.

 

 



 

Macy and Sister Steenhoek decided to get creative with the Fleet board and bought some fabric to cover it and decorate it a few weeks ago.  Here is the finished product.

 

 

 A little sign they made to go on the bottom of their board :)

  





Next, they took us to the tabernacle.  There were investigators in there so we were able to watch Macy in action as she went up to the front and talked about the acoustics in the building and did the pin drop demonstrati

 

 

Our final stop on the tour was the Christus room in the North Visitors Center.  Jersy was in awe when she saw the Christus and immediately knelt down to pray.  Everyone in the room was touched, including the investigators, and many of them were taking pictures of her

 

 Macy and Sister Steenhoek talked to the kids about why we celebrate Christmas.

 

 

I just had to get a family picture in front of the Christus before we left.  I wish we all would have remembered to take off our coats but at least we have the picture!

 

This concluded our hour long tour.  We hated for it to end but luckily we were able to take Macy and Sister Steenhoek to lunch before we left.  The girls wanted to go to Hires Big H, a hamburger joint close to down town that has become their favorite restaurant.  They went back to the Church Office Building to get a car and we met them there.  The hour that we had for lunch flew by as we listened to stories about their mission.

Several people asked me if it was hard to say goodbye and if I am being honest I was very worried about that part.  But when I walked Macy to her car she looked at me and said, "Mom, for the first time I can honestly say that I am genuinely happy."  Looking at her face I knew she was telling me the truth.  She wasn't just ok with going back to Temple Square when we drove away, she was excited to get back to Temple Square and go to work!  She is in a beautiful place decorated with the most beautiful christmas decorations on earth, she has a companion that she gets along great with, she has 200 other missionaries who are all there serving the same purpose, and she is working alongside Heavenly Father each day to help bring people to Christ.  Who wouldn't find completely happiness in that?  So to answer everyone's question- I will miss her for the next year but saying goodbye wasn't hard at all.  She is exactly where she is supposed t 









Be of Good Cheer

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Hello! I have been missing AZ this month because it is way too cold in this place. Seriously I think I am going to die. My ears turn red and I can hardly even talk to people because I am shivering the whole time. I love getting letters from everyone and hearing about what is happening back home! I'm not being stuck up but its hard for me to realize that life goes on for other people without me there!

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