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.
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