¨You only get one chance to serve a mission. It is your responsability, your duty to use it to the fullest, to give every last ounce of energy until you collapse in exhaustion at the end of it. All the hardships, all the best things youve ever done, not because you enjoyed it, not because you baptized everyone, but because you gave everthing you had, even when you didnt think you could and especially when you didnt want to... come out of your mission proud of what youve done and this experience will guide and bless you the rest of your life¨
This quote from Elder Holland gave me so much strength and peace. I will not lie I feel completely EXHAUSTED, but I am happy because every day as I strive to give all i have I am reminded that the efforts I am making will serve me for the rest of my life.
This week our mission received some very exciting news. Im sure you all have already heard, but the construction of the Concepcion Temple will beging on October 17th!! There is a rumor going around that President Uchtdorf is going to come and that our mission is going to putting together a special choir to sing at the ground breaking. I will probably get to be there!! It has been beautiful to see the members excitement. They are so faithful and have been waiting for this moment for such a long time.
I would like to end with a very special miracle that I saw this week. My first day with my companion I was describing the people we are teaching and we began talking about an investigator named Camila that the Elders were teaching but since their sector got closed we are now taking over. She had a baptismal date for June 27th which ment we had a lot to plan for. I would like to share what I wrote in my journal about it...
¨WE were thinking about the many things we need to be preparing for because we arent exactly sure what she still needs to be taught and finally because nothing was cmoing to our minds we thought, we should just call her. She didnt answer but she always calls back so I figured it wouldnt be long. She called us back and we asked if we could come see her at 7:00 that night. When we went by we had in mind to verify that she is living the commandments and as we began to ask questions it was incredible to see how much she already knows. She downloaded the church app and has been reading The Gospel Principles Book because she just feels so many desires to learn more.
She began explaining how she gets a hunger to keep growing in her testimony and how she misses chruch during the week. She told us how the church app has a place to write in your personal journal and how she has been writing the way she feels and amazing experiences that have happened. She then read us what she wrote today
¨This morning I was thinking about how much I love the church and how I just wanted to hear the word of God, how excited I Was for the special family home evening on thursday, and how I wanted the missionaries to come by. I got in the shower and when I got out, saw that I had a missed call from the hermanas. I quickly called them back and they asked how I was doing and if they could come to see me in the afternoon. I was shocked! I have never had anything like that happen to me before. I know God hears my prayers as is aware of me¨
I have never felt the spirit so strongly as an investigatro was speaking. I am so grateful we were able to follow the promptings of the spirit. It was a blessing in her life¨
I would just like to testify that Christ lives. He loves us and through his atoning sacrifce we have all be given the chace to progress in this life and one day return to the prescense of our Heavenly Father again. I know this church is true and I testify that The Book of Mormon is the word of God and brings power into our lives as we study from it`s pages daily.
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! Thank you for your constant prayers and support.
Con harto amor,
Hermana Parkin