Monday, December 7, 2015

Service, mission conference with Elder and Sister Godoy, and playing the piano

Well, I´m a little distracted today hearing about my brother Seth´s accident. It scared me to death, but I will say that I know Heavenly Father is protecting my family while I´m gone. I´m so grateful that he is alright and I´m SO grateful for the power of the priesthood and prayer.

So we had a conference with Elder Godoy on Thursday! Half of our mission was there and the other half had a separate conference on Friday. I learned a ton from him and his wife but don´t have time to recap. Our zone was in charge of the musical number but the NIGHT BEFORE they said we needed to change our original plan (Come Unto Christ, the song we did for multizone) and do a hymn since Elder Godoy is a general authority....great. I got permission to use a computer and look up an arrangement of Yo Se que Vive mi Senor. We met up the morning of with 10 missionaries from our zone and with 95% the Spirit 5% us, it turned out to be so beautiful! Hermana Godoy said she was almost in tears and that it´s hard to make her cry :) 
At the close of the conference I accompanied everyone singing A Vencer, our mission hymn, and that was up there as one of the coolest moments of the mission. Everyone was spiritually filled from the counsel we had received and sang with some serious enthusiasm and power. I love getting to just play piano and listen :) Afterwards President said that Elder Godoy wanted to interview the following missionaries..(out of more than a hundred of us): Elder Valverde, Elder Gamino, and...
HERMANA PARKS. 
I was super nervous but it turned out to be such a cool experience! What stood out to me most was the last question he asked me. Äre you happy?¨ I thought about that for a long time afterwards. My life as a missionary isn´t perfect -- there are stressful Sunday mornings, golden investigators who end up not progressing, long days, and feeling inadequate -- but I´ve learned that happiness is a choice and that I need to learn to be happy where I´m at. 

I can say that I truly am happy right now. I´m happy because I get to share the fulness of the gospel that has been restored through a prophet. I know that my Savior lives and that he was born, and lived, and died for me and each and every one of us. His Atonement heals all wounds and stresses and trials and is the way to become better than we were yesterday. 

Some jovenes we contacted in the park

time for service

Relief Society cena navidena - mesa de la selva


Con el Elder y la Hna Godoy

the district

the bishop's family



some of our favorite primary girls

with Deisy and her cute kids


helping to decorate for la Navidad

how we feel about Sunday mornings

No time left! Lots of service this week -- cleaning toilets, cooking, and decorating for Christmas for a few investigators! I´m excited for transfers on Saturday although I´ll miss Ignacio Merino A TON!!! 

Hermana Parks 

Note from dad:
Christine's brother Seth (14) is doing well.  He had a wrestling injury this weekend that landed him overnight in the hospital (concussion, loss of consciousness).  Wrestling career over, but he is recovering.

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