Hello!!
What a great (and slightly overwhelming) week!
First of all, Nathan got baptized!! It was so amazing. He has such a strong testimony of the gospel and he is such a great example to me. He had our ward mission leader speak on baptism and then the girl who introduced him to the gospel spoke on the Holy Ghost. Then after he was baptized, he wanted to give a speech. He wrote up this 5 page paper on his conversion experience and then read it. Man it was powerful. Lets just say, there was not a dry eye in the house!
We also set a baptism date with one of our other investigators, Reagan! Reagan is one of the sweetest girls I know and her testimony has grown so much since I got here. She has always been very hesitant about baptism because her family is very anti-Mormon. This is a very common concern for A LOT of the people we teach. They come off to college and they can finally have freedom to practice whatever religion they want to, which is often different than the religion they grew up with.
So anyways.. Reagan decided that she wants to move forward with baptism, whether or not her family is supportive. She knows that this is the right choice and that the things we have taught her are true and she doesn't want to wait any longer! She plans to be baptized in 2 weeks on April 23.
Sarah went home this weekend and planned to tell her family that she wants to get baptized but she couldn't get up the nerve to do it. We saw her last night and she was really disappointed in herself. She is so scared to tell her family and then have them ridicule the things she has come to know are true. She also doesn't want to ruin her relationship with her family.
These situations are so hard! As a church, we value family relationships so much and its difficult when investigator's families are not supportive or accepting of the gospel. As much as we value family relationships, we know that Sarah and Reagan's relationships with Christ are much more important. Please pray for Sarah and Reagan and their families as they prepare to tell their parents this week!
I love this area so much and everyone that we get to teach! I love my mission, especially on weeks like this where we get to see the fruit of our labors. Seeing souls come unto Christ through baptism is the most rewarding thing I will probably ever be a part of. The work of salvation is real. The Lord is preparing people to hear and accept the gospel.
I love my Savior. I love all of you.
Until next time,
Sister Park
This is Nathan's speech that he read at his baptism:
You two truly went above and beyond your calling as missionaries. I'm grateful for your assistance. I've heard it said that in any calling, that you must first love your subjects and let them know it and feel it. I have felt from you two a Christ like love. You've made me feel welcome and have helped me to find the happiness of the gospel. Thank you so much.
Baptism Testimony
Thank you all very much for being
here today on a day that is important to me.
I wanted to take this opportunity to say what I’ve
experienced and then explain what these experiences have led me to believe.
In this last year, I’ve experienced odd
coincidences and the power of the Holy Spirit through strong emotion or peace.
I no longer believe in coincidences, but now I
see them as clues to let me know that I am supposed to understand something. I
don’t think it was a coincidence that I was spared from a devastating rocket
attack in Afghanistan. A very large missile had hit my building. The shrapnel
damaged almost everything. The lights were knocked down from their fixtures.
The blue concrete walls were pocked throughout with grey craters, all except
for in a circle around where I was standing. I was later approached by several
people with the same message. “If you’re not a man who prays, you need to
start, because there was an angel in there with you.”
I don’t
think it was a coincidence that I was to meet my friend Erin last October. See
we met on a plane, one that the airline was trying to kick me off of. It was
between my intermittent refusals to depart from the craft that Erin and I began
to speak of the Gospel. If I hadn’t delayed that flight so dramatically, I’m
not sure we would have become friends. And if we weren’t friends, we couldn’t
later have lunch in Fort Collins where she would give me the Book of Mormon.
I don’t
believe it was a coincidence that I came to visit Idaho last September. I was
struggling greatly with PTSD. I wasn’t sleeping for days on end. I had
flashbacks, panic attacks, tormenting pains of depression periodically briefed
by frightful worry for my life. I also don’t think it circumspect that my
suffering began to ease upon a visit here in Idaho. It didn’t take me long at
all to realize that I wanted this to be my home.
It was also oddly assuring that after starting the Book of
Mormon, and praying intently, the pain I had endured for years left me
completely.
I personally
believe wholeheartedly that the power of the Holy Spirit worked in me to help
me and guide me. Earlier this year I still frequently had difficult days, where
mental anguish from my experiences in Afghanistan stayed with me. I would read
the book of Nephi, which gave me faith. It gave me enough faith to believe that
when I prayed, I was praying to God. In these dark days I would pray that the
Lord send the Holy Spirit to help me, because I needed it. Not immediately, but
within 20 minutes my body would fill with a warm glowing feeling. I would then
feel at peace, almost euphoric. After just a short time it felt as if the
spirit left. I no longer felt radiance about me, but it did not take with it
the comfortable sense of tranquility and rest. Sometimes this comforting peace
would stay with me even into the next morning. Now I no longer need to pray for
reprieve, but I pray in thankfulness.
Not only has
the Holy Spirit talked to me in weird coincidences, and the gift of relief, but
it has also used strong emotion. Erin encouraged me to pray for a testimony to
know the book of Mormon is true. I received an answer twice, both from Holy
Ghost. The first was when attending a YSA face to face meeting with Elder
Holland. In his closing speech he said “Wonderful wonderful things are in store
for you. [That] if you could see your future, you would be more ecstatic than I
would be able to describe or that you would be able to contain”. During this
speech I felt what I understand to be the Holy Spirit come over me with a
strong force. I cried for almost twenty minutes.
At another
time later, I was struggling with doubts about the church, the book of Mormon
and Joseph Smith as a prophet. I prayed again. My struggle with these doubts
caused me to feel horrible. I felt guilty and lost. Like before at earlier
times in my life, I believed in God, but I was so confused about all the rest
of it.
In Institute
class my teacher, brother Whitney asked if I had been struggling. I denied because
I was shameful of my doubts and my struggle and I didn’t want to say it in
front of the class. After class he explained to me that the adversary it going
to make it hard for me just before my baptism. I asked him for a blessing. As
he laid his hands on me and began to pray, I felt immediate relief from my
worries and my doubts. I felt warmth pouring down from his hands as if oil was
being poured over me. The tears streamed down my face as the pain dissipated.
Testimony
Here’s what I know now. I know that there is a God. I know because of the
beauty our creation and this world. I know that Jesus Christ our savior and God
are loving and merciful, because even after all the wrong I’ve done, after
turning my back to them and having a dark heart, they went out of their way to
help me. They sent an angel to save me in that explosion. They put me in that
plane to start me on a path that led me here. They Holy Spirit healed me
completely from my suffering. I know the Lord responds to my prayers and that
he loves me. Through his actions to help me I know it, and in my heart I can
feel it. The Holy Ghost gave me a testimony of the validity of the prophet
Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints. The Holy Spirit told me that Elder Holland is a true Apostle of Jesus
Christ. Therefore, I know that because he is a true Apostle, the church is
true. I know the Priesthood has been restored because of the blessing I
received from Brother Whitney. If Joseph Smith hadn’t been given the restored
power of the priesthood and passed it down, the blessing I received would not
have worked.
From
the bottom of my heart I thank you Jesus Christ for your love and kindness. I
am undeserving of everything you have done for me. I will do anything you ever
ask of me. I owe you my life, my sanity, my love and devotion. Thank you so
much for your patience. Thank you for your mercy. You truly saved me. I am forever grateful. In the name of Jesus
Christ, Amen.
