Well it is officially my last week here in Mexico City. It is crazy for me to think about where I will be heading next week at this time. Although I definitely do not know the doctrine or language perfectly, I have grown in unimaginable ways these past 6 weeks, and I must say I am qutie excited to get into the mission field. On Saturday, one of our teachers had his last day and expressed his testimony to us about the need to be mautre missionaries. He explained that our next companions are probably praying right now for God to send a good missionary to help them, someone willing to work, find people, and touch lives. He told us we need to be that missionary. I really appreciate his testimony because his comments have motivated me to have the desire to work with all my might, to use my time wisely and effectively, and to be obeidient in every way possible. Saturday our district leader invited all the people in our district to join in a special fast specifically for extra endurance and strength to focus and work hard this last week in the CCM. As all the members of my district joined in this special fast, I felt the comfort, strength, and love of God especially throughout our meetings on Sunday.
In Relief Society, Hermana Pratt explained that I hold in my hands the happiness of more people than I can imagine! Every day I make decisions and each one of these decisions determine whether I will leave a heritage of hope for my future children and posterity to follow. I learned that I must do all that is required of me to be sure I am not the weak link in athe chain of my generations. WE studied the talk Keep the Chain unbroken, by President Gordan B. Hinkley at a BYU devotional. He shares:
As I sat in the Celestial room, I thought of my great-grandfather, the first in my family to join the Church. Then there was my grandfather, who was baptized in Nauvoo and who subsequently crossed the plains in the migration of our people. Then came my father who became president of the largest stake in the Church with more than 15,000 members.These three good men represent the three generations of my forebears who have been faithful in the Church. Reflecting on the lives of these three men while I was seated in the temple, I looked down at my daughter, at her daughter, who is my grandchild, and at her children, my great-grandchildren. I suddenly realized that I stood right in the middle of these seven generations—three before me and three after me.
In that sacred and hallowed house there passed through my mind a sense of the tremendous obligation that was mine to pass on all that I had received as an inheritance from my forebears to the generations who have now come after me.As I sat in the celestial room of the temple pondering these things, I said to myself, “Never permit yourself to become a weak link in the chain of your generations.” It is so important that we pass on without a blemish our inheritance of body and brain and, if you please, faith and virtue untarnished to the generations who will come after us.God bless you, my dear friends. Be faithful. Be true. Be loyal to the great cause of which you are a part. Never become a weak link in the chain of your family’s generations. Do whatever you are asked to do, and do it with a glad heart.
Before I coming on my mission, i had the opportunity to attend the temple with my grandparents, parents, siblings, and otehr relatives. As I looked around the room my feelings were similar to those of President Hinkley. I felt as though I caught a glimpse of what it will be like in the Celestial Kingdom, and felt a deep appreciation for all the people who have led, and guided me throughout my life so I can continue the chaine of a faithful posterity. During personal study I came across D&C 137:1-4. This is such a beautiful description Joseph Smith shares about the Celestial Kingdom. I want to be with my family forever. I want to be one who enters those beautiful gates and with my family enjoys the blessings of exhalation, and I know that if I want this it is up to me to choose now the course I will take. I must live a higher law, find more ways to be obedient, bring more people to Christ, and continually serve others.
If you are interested in reading The Rising Generation by David A. Bednar, it is a great talk! https://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/06/things-as-they-really-are?lang=eng start at the part titled The Rising Generation
He says people of this generation have been blessed with greater capacity to be obedient than any other generation. I have a strong testimony that Christ lives and God is my loving Heavenly Father. As I obey I know I will be blessed tremendously.
Thank you all for your love, support, and endless kindness. I feel your prayers and am grateful for the strength they bring to me. The next time I email I will be in Chilie! I hope you all have a wondfeful week .
con mucho amor,
Hermana Parkin
P.S. This week someone called me by my first name in the comedor, and guess who it was? Jace Taylor! Also, currently all the girls in my spanish calss at BYU who are going to Chile are here... kind of crazy!