This area is AMAZING. We are so busy all the time with so many appointments and a ton of investigators. Being busy on a mission is the best. You feel like you are actually fulfilling your purpose instead of knocking on doors and getting nowhere.
So I went on my first exchange with one of the sisters, Sister Kaious! It was kinda nerve-wracking. If you didn't know I'm kind of a perfectionist :). So I wanted to have the perfect exchange and be the perfect STL but then I remembered that perfect people don't exist! And all I really have to do as a leader is to love the people I serve.
So we are having a baptism next week! S and S are two sisters that we are teaching. Their mom (K) has been less active for like 20-30 years and just a couple weeks ago, after the death of her mother, decided to come back to church. Her mom was super active in the church and served 4 missions. After she died, K had an experience that prompted her to come back to church. She knows that if she wants to be with her mom again she has to change the way she is living. So their family has come to church for two weeks in a row and the kids are getting baptized! They are such an awesome family!
I'm finally starting to really love the people here. I never thought I could love any one as much as I loved my Eagle Rock people but I do! Speaking of Eagle Rock people... K and C are getting married on Saturday!! And then K is getting baptized! I am so excited!! I miss them so much and I can't wait to see them again!
Okay I had a cool realization/experience this week that I felt like I should share. While we were on exchanges, I had some neat experiences. First of all, we met this guy, J, who was a referral from someone in his ward. He was super friendly and talked to us for like 20 minutes. He explained that he used to be a member of the church, a very active member in fact. He served a mission, was an institute teacher, and was sealed to his wife in the temple. He explained that he decided to get his records removed from the church about 5 years ago. We asked why and he told us that he was "too liberal and intellectual" to be a member. He didn't agree with women not having the priesthood, the church's stance on gay marriage, and he had a lot of concerns with early church history. He basically told us that he just didn't fit in with the conservative, faith-not-logic-based Mormon crowd.
After we left I thought a lot about what he had said about not fitting into the "Mormon mold". Its really frustrating to encounter people who think that members of the church are just blind followers with the same opinions and ideas as the next person. I probably don't fit the cliche "Mormon mold" either (if there is such a thing). Of course I started to worry and question things. How could I be out serving a mission when I have a lot of the same questions as Jake? I don't understand these things fully either! Should I revoke my church membership?! (I obviously have a serious problem with panicking about EVERYTHING)
Then I got to stake conference. Elder Sexton, one of the general authorities of the church spoke. His remarks were definitely an answer to my prayers of worry and confusion. He spoke about the analogy Paul gives in 1 Corinthians about each of us being a part of the body of Christ. Some of us are the eyes, some are the ears, some are the arms. We are all different but we are ALL needed. The church can't be made up of all legs or that would be one weird looking body! The church needs all kinds of people. Liberal and conservative, male and female, some more intellectual, some more spiritual. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, different interests, and different ideas about some major issues, but we are all united in the body of Christ. We become one with God as we use our talents to build up His kingdom. We are all different and that's okay!!
Anyways, I learned a lot this week about myself. And I was reminded why I'm out here serving a mission. I'm here with the sole hope of making life better for others. I don't have to have the answer to every difficult question to have a testimony of the restored gospel. When it comes down to it we really do have to cling to the things we have faith in. I firmly believe that I have a Heavenly Father who knows me VERY well. He is in the details of my life and He knows what I need. Jesus Christ was in fact a real man who walked this Earth performing miracles and spreading the gospel. And He died for us so that we can live eternally with our Heavenly family. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and it will help us draw closer to Him. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and we have a living prophet today.
Its difficult to describe how I know these things. The Holy Ghost has confirmed these truths to me through experiences I have everyday as I study and teach. I feel happiest and most at peace when I acknowledge and act on the things I have come to know. I feel happiest when I choose to believe.
Well sorry this is so long but I had a lot to share today! I love you all! Please continue to write me and let me know what is going on in your lives!
Until next time,
Sister Park
No comments:
Post a Comment