Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow

Hello!

Can you believe it?! 

This is already my last email home. My mission has been such a purifying experience and I am beaming with gratitude for how beautiful it has been. Thankfully, it's not over until it's over!

The Elders bought me flowers for my last district meeting... ha ha. I guess that makes it my "funeral".

Aiden was baptized on Saturday! We took him and the whole family to walk around the temple grounds on Thursday, and then we along with them sang "Families Can Be Together Forever" at the baptism. He is anxiously looking forward to his 12th birthday when he can be baptized for his father in a holy temple and give him the opportunity to accept that ordinance.

Speaking of ordinances, I've been thinking a lot about them. Why do we need them? To make covenants! God has always required His children to make covenants with Him. I see this as evidence of His desire to have a close and personal relationship with us. He wants to bless us!

The ordinance of baptism is an especially beautiful and symbolic one. We leave behind whatever we once were and become new. It typifies the death and resurrection of the Savior and symbolizes the death of our former selves and the raising of a clean and committed disciple of Jesus Christ. When done by priesthood authority, baptism is a rebirth. 

Sticking with the ordinance theme, Sister Kathy Edwards from Fredericton is being endowed in a couple of hours and I get to go! Kathy was baptized last spring and I met her a few short weeks after that! I was privileged to work with her and teach her the new member lessons and she has just soared from there. We went to supper together last night and then she and I got to hang out with the Pratts while Sister Goodsell had a new trainer Skype call (Sister G is training! I'm so proud of her! Also she's going to PEI...). Talk about dreamy!

Do you guys remember Chloe? The one I taught my very first day and then like 8 months later in Fredericton? She texted us this week asking for the Freddy Sisters' number and I was like CHLOE THIS IS SISTER PARK REMEMBER ME and she was like NO WAY and she told me about how she met Kathy and has been feeling she should make her way back to the church and start investigating again. Meanwhile, Kathy was praying about who she could invite to be taught by the missionaries and she felt it was Chloe! It was so fun telling President the story with Kathy, and he knows Chloe too and loves her. Ahhhh I wish I could write down all of the miracles.

More good news! Both Judy and Alex are planning to be baptized in the next few weeks! Pres gave me permission to drive to Dartmouth to see Alex today. I love and am SO excited for the both of them!

I'm not sure that nearly 19 months out of the 20.5 years that is my life would be considered a full-tithe, but there is not room enough to receive all these blessings! It's hard to keep up with and exciting at the same time!

I see so much evidence of the Father's love and acceptance of my missionary service; although it was far from perfect, I have gotten very familiar with repentance and with the Savior. I still lack so much but I have experienced "a mighty change of heart" and one of the greatest evidences of real repentance is its permanence. I am grateful I have changed! It's all about improving from where we are.

Although I am saddened that my full time missionary service is ending (not to mention how devastating it is to leave Presidad and Sister Pratt) I am grateful to know that it is all the same work and that miracles and spiritual gifts and hope will always be present among faithful saints who strive and struggle to stay on and improve along the covenant path towards eternal life. I know that the Savior loves His missionaries. I know that He loves each His brothers and sisters. I know that He is especially pleased when we sacrifice to invite others to come unto Him and experience the life that only He can offer. 

Sorry for the extremely mushy and likely incoherent email. I know that Jesus is alive and aware of us. As I started my mission in November 2015, I committed to God that I would follow where ever He leads me. I plan to keep that commitment the rest of my life because the blessings that have already come from doing so have far exceeded any expectations I ever could have had without Him.

I will see you soon!

Sister Park

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Pictures:

Glenna (investigator)

Rosaleigh (branch missionary)

Bobbi (the Assistant's investigator but I love her too!)

Judy and her dog, Honey

Wayne took us to get my last donair. I'm going to miss those things. They way they prepare the meat is considered "unsanitary" in the States.

Mother's Day Miracle

Hi humans @ home

Today is a much needed p day because WE ARE TIRED ha ha.

This week was so amazing.

I have gone through the 6 stages of grief this transfer (due to it being my last) and now I am just happy all the time! Happy to be here, happy to see you soon, just happy.

What beautiful and miraculous things my mission is made up of :)

So Presidad asked all of the missionaries to fast and pray and focus and increase our diligence this weekend so that we could exercise our faith and see a miracle for Mother's Day!

We saw plenty!

A woman named Vicky was having an unusually tough day and she let us in! Her friend Kelly was there and oh man, she was just thrilled with the Restoration (same). She really wants to change to improve and that's what we are all about! Teaching repentance is my favorite and I'm so glad I've had the privilege of doing just that for the last 18 months!

Aiden IS getting baptized on Saturday! THANK YOU for your prayers in his behalf.

We are taking him and his family to see the TEMPLE on Thursday this week. One restored truth that has motivated his testimony is the knowledge that he can be baptized for his father in a holy temple. His father passed away before he was born, but Glenna says that if he was here on earth she is sure he would have accepted the restored gospel - and it is likely that he has in the spirit world! What a precious thing!

Glenna is itching to be baptized as well. Hopefully this summer. There's still a few things to work out but things are starting to move forward and hearts are being softened! 

Skyping my family was great, my heart is warm just thinking about it! 

I am grateful for everything!

I love you!

Sister Park

Hi People

Hey!

Everything is brilliant. I feel so much love for and from God and people and I am just filled to the brim with gratitude. It breaks my heart that the end is so close! I am determined to serve with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength all the way through the very last day. What a blessing my mission is.

Aiden is planning to be baptized on May 20! The Saturday before I go home, can you believe it? Please please keep him in your prayers, especially for his health. Poor little guy has got is rough but he's hanging in there! He's got congenital adrenal hyperplasia (?), which is not fun for anyone, and especially not for an 11 year old. He's got a lot of faith though and I just love him :)

Glenna is doing so well too! She bore her testimony to us in her lesson last night. One of the best feelings in the world is when an investigator starts calling it "our church" instead of "your church".

Cool things:
- We got let in two times in a row while knocking last night! #dreams
- We are teaching the Bhujel family tonight and I'm very excited about that!
- We got Blizzards w/ Rosalie for my 18 month mark.

For church this week there was an area broadcast and Elder Gong kept pronouncing Newfoundland "new-found-land" is was awesome.

The Gander Sisters were in the Metro for MLC and they spent the night with us! It was SO good to see Sister Osborn! <3

I am so much more than grateful for everything the Savior has shown and taught me on my mission. I know this is my Father's work! :)

Our recent converts are getting ready to go to the temple and receive the Aaronic Priesthood and life is so good. Even when I get frustrated or sad, I am capable of feeling joy all the time! I believe in Jesus Christ :)

I hope that you are all doing well!
It's crazy to think that I will see you soon (but not too soon!)

Love,

Sister Park

P.S. s/o to Wayne for the pictures he took for us at Point Pleasant Park.

Lobster Rolls & Miracles

Hello people :)

This week was miraculous.

Here's some highlights:

- Wayne took Sis. G and I to get raw oysters and lobster rolls for dinner. It was amazing. I actually really love that stuff! Atlantic Canada is killing it in the seafood department.

- Interviews w Presidad. We talked about school and jobs and it freaked me right out. I really love President Pratt so much though, and every time I get to see or talk to him is a highlight. I am grateful beyond words for the blessing he has been to me and my whole entire eternal life. Ok, enough fangirling about President.

- The Holy Ghost is SO COOL. Sister G and I were driving down Lacewood Drive and we see this cute family walking and I'm like "that's a cute family" and then a couple seconds later I was like "TURN AROUND WE GOTTA TALK TO THEM". If you know anything about missionary vehicle rules, turning around is not always a simple task. So after diligent effort, we finally get turned around, but we don't see the family anymore. We keep driving and then we seem them and I'm like "ok park the car let's go" so we prayed quick that we'd know what to say. The family was still a little way off so we had to chase them (not really but kinda) so when we finally got up to them we were trying to act cool, but we were obviously a little out of breath. So I just opened my mouth and said "Hey, God sent us here to teach you about a message that will help your family" and they were like "Cool, come over tomorrow!"

It's a family of 6 and they are from Nepal. We had a great first lesson with them about prayer. We're going over there again tonight :)

- Some slightly devastating news is that my 18 month mark is on Thursday this week...

What a beautiful experience my mission has been. I am so grateful to have had the privilege to witness the Savior's teaching and healing in the lives of so many souls, especially my own. 

I love you all and hope you have a brilliant week!

Love,

Sister Park