The Best Kinds of Gifts

Hello! 

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! Thanks again to everyone that sent packages! I felt very loved :)

We had another amazing week here in ID! Being a missionary in Idaho at Christmas is seriously the best. The members take such good care of us and make sure we have everything we need for the holidays! You should see our house! It is filled with so many treats and candy that we will never be able to eat all by ourselves!

I've come to learn on my mission that Christmas is not about the material gifts we receive. It is about Jesus Christ and trying to Light the World like he did. The most meaningful and special gifts I received this year were not new clothes, new technology, or even food! They were gifts of seeing people come closer to Christ, gifts of love and family, gifts of eternal significance.

Here are just a few of the magnificent gifts I received this year:

1. Maddy got baptized! Friday night, Maddy was able to be baptized by her uncle and it was really good! She wanted me to speak on the Holy Ghost and I just got to share some of the blessings that come from having that gift. Then she got confirmed on Christmas day! 

2. We met with Mallory a couple days before Christmas and had a good lesson and afterwards, she gave us our Christmas presents, which were bracelets that symbolized "unexpected miracles". She told us that we were her little miracles that helped her come back to Christ and become a better person. Her mom was there also and she thanked us for all we had done for Mallory too. It was just a really rewarding moment to know that we have helped someone return to the gospel! 

3. We are also teaching this in-active couple, Ron and Debie, who are some of my favorite people in the world. We've been meeting them for probably 4 or 5 months now and they have come so far! Debie has never been active in the church and she just barely finished (within the time we've been teaching her) the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. And shes halfway through the Doctrine and Covenants. We had an awesome lesson with them this week and they did the same thing Mallory did, just thanked us for everything we have done for them and we all just cried. It was so sweet. And then, the grand finale: they came to church on Christmas for the first time in like 20 years!! It was so awesome! 

4. I got to talk to my family! It was so much fun to see them and talk for a little bit! Its crazy to think I'll be able to see them in person in just 7 weeks! 

So things are good here! Still loving my mission so much. I am so very grateful for the miracles I see everyday and the gifts of love and happiness I get all year long.

I love you all so much! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Until next time,

Sister Park

Christ-Centered Christmas

Hello and Merry Christmas! 

Thank you so much to everyone who sent me Christmas packages! I seriously can't express enough gratitude.

It has been literally freezing here!! I am so grateful for gloves and a nice coat because I would die without them! 

We had an amazing week this week! We taught more lessons than we ever have in the history of our companionship! And they were good lessons too! 

We set a baptism date with Elaine! Granted, its for March but we are so excited that she has finally committed to be baptized! Maddy is still doing good too and her baptism is all set for the 23rd! She is so excited and her family is too! 

We didn't get to teach Kevin again because he was sick this week but he came to church yesterday and it was crazy, the sacrament meeting talks were like meant for him. The main speaker was a kid that was returning from his mission in Philadelphia and he told this story of a guy that he taught on his mission who's life was literally Kevin's life! This guy he taught had been in the military and then had a knee injury and he was really struggling financially because he couldn't get another job. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO KEVIN!! Then he talked about how because of this guy's decision to get baptized, he was better able to handle the trials in his life and the Lord blessed him for it. It was so crazy and I know it wasn't a coincidence that Kevin happened to be there and that this kid just happened to be inspired to share that story. It was amazing! Hopefully we can teach Kevin again this week! 

It has been so fun going to all the ward Christmas parties, getting and giving Christmas presents, and doing the Light the World service thing everyday. I love the Christmas season so much and it is just filled with so much joy!! But the thing I love the most about Christmas on a mission is that it is so Christ-centered! There is no better way to give Christ a Christmas present then to serve him and teach others about the Reason for the season. I will miss mission Christmas's so much. They are truly the best ones I've ever had. 

I am so grateful that 2000 years ago a baby was born in a manger in Bethlehem. His life has made all the difference in mine. I know he really did live and is the Son of the Living God. 

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful, happy, Christ-centered Christmas. 

Until next time,

Sister Park

*Its cold! 

*At our Christmas mission conference :)

Happy Holidays!

Hi! 

Hope y'all are having a merry holiday season! This really is the greatest time of year. 

We had a lot of ups and downs this week. Sister Reupena was pretty sick a couple days so we had to stay in but it was actually really good for me. I had some time to take a self inventory of how my mission experience is going and some things that I need to change. 

We had a pretty slow week but we had a really good day yesterday teaching some of my favorite people! We had an awesome lesson with Mallory and her family about the Atonement and the spirit was super strong.

Sadly our lesson with Kevin fell through. Everything was set up perfectly and we even called to confirm with him a couple days before but he didn't answer when we came by. We are really hoping that he's still going to let us teach him! Please pray for him! 

Maddy and her family are doing great! I seriously love their family so much and I know I'll be friends with Erin (Maddy's mom) for a long time. She is such a sweetheart. This week she helped us do some crafts and make Christmas gifts for people. Shes super talented with that kind of stuff. 

It been super cold here but the holiday cheer really does make up for the chilly weather! We are staying warm in our hearts even if its freezing outside! 

I hope you are all involved in the Light the World initiative. It has been such a good experience for me to try to be more like Christ this holiday season and try to be His hands on the earth. 

Love you all! 

Until next time,

Sister Park

No Regrets!

Hello my dears! 

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season and are staying warm wherever you're at! We are sure trying to in the 10 degree weather here! 

We had a great week! First of all, our lesson with Kevin was bomb! I was on an exchange with Sister Tenney and we taught Kevin the Restoration lesson. He kept the commitment we left him to read the intro to the Book of Mormon and he had lots of good questions about it. At the end of our lesson we asked him what his expectations were for our visits and what he was hoping to get out of meeting with us and he just said, "I just want to be forgiven of my sins." We shared a scripture about how through the Atonement of Christ and living His gospel we can be cleansed from sin, and we invited him to follow Christ by being baptized. He said yes! He is seriously so prepared and I love him already!  

We also had Maddy and her family come to church yesterday and it was so awesome! They are progressing so well and Maddy is super excited for her baptism on the 23rd. I love their family so much and we are probably going to spend some of Christmas Eve with them. They met with the bishop this week and are getting really integrated into the ward already. Its been great! 

I've had some pretty good studies this week and I just thought I should share some insights with y'all. I've been reading a lot of the book, Jesus the Christ, by James E. Talmage since its my goal to finish it before I go home. I've been reading about Christ's apostles and their commission to take the gospel to all the world. I have just been filled with so much awe and gratitude that I have that SAME commission. I am called to preach Jesus the Christ to the people of Idaho, just like the Apostles were called to share his gospel thousands of years ago. I know I have worked hard on my mission but as it nears the end, I can't help but look back with some doubt and regret. Am I really living up to the magnificent call I have? Have I given it my all? Could I have done more?

I was listening to a speech given by Elder Holland this morning, called "Remember Lot's Wife". He talks about not looking behind you, but always looking forward and using everyday to become a little better. I realized that those questions that have been weighing on my mind are holding me back from working hard right now. So I've decided to put the past behind me and do a little better, push a little harder, give a little more everyday. Yesterday is over so all I can do is press forward and give these next two months to the Lord. I want to leave with NO REGRETS (and make my grandpa Fabrizio proud)! 

I will be eternally grateful for my mission experience and for my call to preach the gospel and declare the truth with boldness. I know that my Redeemer lives and I am humbled to be His servant. 

Love you all so much

Until next time,

Sister Park

*Santa came to visit G-town! 

*We got to see a giraffe! A lady we are teaching went on an African hunting trip and shot this! She also got a couple zebras too! It was crazy!