Well another week has passed by. I can hardly believe how quickly the time is slipping away.
As far as the work goes, this week a family we are teaching suprised us and said they were all ready to be baptized... on Saturday! We quickly began preparing for their baptisimal service and for the first time in my mission I expereinced an entire family beging baptized. It was such a beautiful experience and wonderful to see the way they glowed afterwards. Yesterday in Church Jorge, the dad, bore his testimony and said ^Not too long ago our home felt sad, but after the missionaries entered and began to share a message of the restored gospel everything changed. I now feel happy and you should all also return to your homes happy because we have the truth and it has changed my life.^ They are such a special family and are going to strengthen our ward in incredible ways.
This last Wednesday I went to a special conference for all of the missionaries who will be ending their missions soon that was titled `finish strong`. President Arrington spoke and explained that these last few weeks of our missions are the most crucial and its time to sprint to the finish line. There is a letter that I received last week from him and I would like to share it with you.
Dear Sister Parkin,
I pray that upon receiving this letter, you are enjoying and taking advantage of these last weeks of your mission. I urge you to continue to work with all your might in bringing souls unto Christ. In doing so, you will serve and bring joy not only to yourself, but also to many other children of our Heavenly Father. Don't let them down! Remember, you are now better prepared and trained for missionary service than at any other time of your mission. You have grown in your testimony, your language skills, and your ability to teach with power. These last few weeks should be the most productive time of your mission! Now is the time to pick up the pace! Sprint to the finish!
Sister Arrington and I wish to express our great appreciation for your hard work and your obedience. We know that you have been strengthened and sustained many times by the Lord and that you will leave with a strong testimony of the gospel. It is our prayer that you will return to your home with a strong desire to continue with your duties as a member of the Church and to fulfill the gospel plan that you have been teaching.
In our conference we talked about the consegration and how the more consagrated we are until the very last minute in the mision field that is how we will stay the rest of our lives. Now is the time to endure to the end and like the letter said use my time more productively then ever before. I am trying my hardest to do just that and would appreciate your help. From now on until I go home i would appreciate if in your letters you could include scriptures have found and spiritual experiences you have been through during the week to help motivate me as I give every last drop of energy I have to the Lord`s work.
Each of us are on a different part of the long journey enduring to the end back the prescence of our Heavnly Father, and I would like to invite each of you to read and meditate the talk Stay by the Tree by Elder KEvin W. Pearson in the April 2015 General Conference, and then pray to know what you can do to keep close to the iron rod and always remain faithful to the convenats you have made. I know it is not easy to endure, but yes we can do it with the help of our Savior Jesus Christ. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastnessin Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love ofGod and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward,feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end,behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
I would like to thank you for all of your support, love, and prayers because I feel the strength that comes from each of you. I testify that God lives and has many blessings in store for us as we faithful endure to the end. I pray that each of you can have the strength to keep on trusting in his perfect plan and the promised blessings that will come. I love you all! Have a wonderful week.
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Parkin