Not much this week.......

For Easter I made little baskets an put kinder eggs inside. I also made potato salad and deviled eggs. My companion liked the deviled eggs.

 Friday here was interesting because hardly anyone was in the street and there weren´t any buses running. We had a zone conference and had to ride with the elders of Petapa and a member from their ward. It was rainy and kind of dark and throughout the day I was looking at my watch and remembering the hours in which Jesus Christ was brought to be judged, when he was nailed to the cross, and when he died. It was strange to think of everything in that way.

Last Tuesday we played sports with zone Villa Hermosa at the stake center.  Thursday I did much praying and received much revelation from things such as a little game to how to help an investigator. It was fantastic. The weekend was quiet. Friday we had a zone conference. Sorry, I don´t have a lot to write this week. We didn´t have a successful week. Hopefully this next week. I love you and testify that the church is true. Stick to it and it´ll stick to you. Love Hermana Destinee Park

Hermana Park said: "Hermana Gaitan (is) awesome and says she´ll show me one day to make gallopinto, the traditional food of Nicaragua.  Last week, Monday was training for the greenies, tuesday was our meeting and internet, Wednesday I showed hermana Gaitan the market (mercado) and we cleaned the house and she slept for a couple of hours.

I don´t know about the traditions here,(for Easter) but Sunday there were fireworks. This week is the Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Many will be leaving, there will be more fireworks, and processions. I don´t know what else. This friday we will have a zone conference. This will be the last zone conference that President and Hermana Baldwin will have here. They leave in June with half of the mission. I will let you know about that next week"

And her email:

Family and all,

So with that, it may be possible that my shoes will be worn down at the end of the mission. I run, walk, sometimes get jabs of rocks in the bottom of my shoe that hurt my feet. Ouch, but still my shoes are living. Just my feet feel hot sometimes with all of the blisters and pricks of pebbles.  It is fun to hear about all of the adventures you all are having. Here there are adventures, but sometimes I wonder if they nearly kill me. For example, this week all went well. Friday we had a zone meeting and at the end played a game called animals, which is like the game signs. If I remember it, I´ll have to show you all. It is funny because each person has the sign of an animal, like elephant, frog, crocodile, flea, giraffe, and so on. If someone messes up in the rythm that goes with the game, they have to be a chicken in front of everyone. It was funny.

 

I am not the only one I´ve discovered that has had the protection of dogs. Other missionaries have said that while walking through dark places there are dogs that will walk along until they reach a safer place. It comes to show that each missionary has angels attending them daily, but sometimes they come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they come in the shape of dogs. 

 

With those beautiful experiences, the weekend came, and I am pretty sure that I have never had a more stressful weekend in all of my mission. We walked and walked, and hurried and hurried, and waited and waited, and gathered and gathered to bring people to church Sunday, but our attendance was less than any other week. Sunday we went to gather several people in a half an hour in two separate sides of our area, and waited for one of the families for more than a half an hour. We were late to Sacrament meeting and missed the Sacrament, arriving in time for the last talk and closing hymn and prayer. And after we had set appointments so there was no time to rest really. 

Then later we visited some recent converts which have had troubles lately and I realized that perhaps I am better off and shouldn´t give up. I also thought of (my friend) and her trials, which she wrote about in a letter to me and I came up with a poem (writing poetry helps me often). Here is the summary of my mission in poetry form that each person can apply to their own life as well.

 

They told me that I´d never be great, but I took the climb

They told me I´d never reach the top, but I made it up just fine.

I grew breathless at a couple of points but I enjoyed the sights,

At times it rained until I was soaked, and I didn´t sleep well each night.

My muscles were sore and I felt ill. I nearly wished to give in,

And it made me discouraged to think about how their faces would each hold a grin.

Their mocking and laughter would bring me to tears as they tell me I shouldn´t have tried,

And they´d point and laught at my attempt as I stood there and cried.

With a prayer in my heart I remembered all that God wanted me to be.

I put one foot in front of the other and ignored all that could happen to me,

And with a smile on my face I kept walking. Determination played on my mind.

Though it was painful I kept hiking and I continued trying to make the climb.

I honestly tell you that it was hard. I wanted to give up many times.

But though they said I couldn´t do it, I indeed made the climb.

 

So there is my poem, no one steal it, ha ha. For each of us there are difficulties and problems, trials and pains, but I know that if we place our trust in God and remember who we are, we will make the climb at the end and God will give us the determination to finish what we´ve begin. I love you all and testify that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and living, that we have a prophet, and that our Heavenly Father loves us. Hasta Ver, or Hasta escribir,

Love Hermana Destinee Park

Dear Family,
For the changes, Hermana Elvir left for Antigua, San Pedro, with the house that is very pretty because it's like a large cabin with mirrors all over, a nice patio, huge beds... Yeah, I know it. I received as companion Hermana Gaitan, who came from San Pedro. She has 5 months in the mission, a twin sister, and there is no one but she and her twin who are members of the family. She is from Nicaragua, Managua. There were two missionaries that left for their houses: Elder Romeros and Elder Tux. Nearly one half of the mission was there in the changes it appeared, and President Baldwin shared with us of the anniversary of the church, or rather the organization of the church. The Church began with 6 members and now, as I looked around in the meeting of changes, each of the many missionaries represent a family of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is beautiful to see and receive insights like that.

Thursday when Elder Musick called us and I answered he said, "Que tal, Hermana Parquecito?" He said the same thing last night also. Funny funny. Well, at the end of this week I felt ready to crash. Due to this and minor illness we took a break sunday for a couple of hours to rest. 

How have things gone for everyone? I received some dearelders and a card today. I will send letters tomorrow, hopefully. Oh, we are writing today and had our meeting today because yesterday there was a training meeting for the new missionaries. Tomorrow will be our Pday. 

We haven't heard anything else about the mareros... but this reminds me of something funny. The sister that cooks our lunch told us that all of the stores by the main street have been bothered by the mareros, that the mareros always go to those stores to take money. After this we stopped at the store within our residence. I said to the young man of the store, "did you know that the mareros have bothered the storekeepers on the main street?" He misheard the first time and said, eyes growing wide, "Mareros? Donde?" We assured him there weren't any nearby and then repeated the question and if they had bothered him before. Within the residence the people are safe from the mareros it appears.

Well, I really can't think of much more to write... We don't have any baptisms prepared for this week, maybe for the week to come. I really would like to see a baptism each week.

I know without a doubt that this is the Church of Christ. He is the head of the church and has called a prophet to guide us. I love you. Write to you next week, and have a fun week. Love Desty



 

No email from Destinee today. I will post it as soon as I get one.  Hopefully tomorrow.

I indeed enjoyed conference. All of us north americans went to a separate room to watch conference in english. It was fun because several experiences happened, which were funny, especially when applying the talks. For example, one of the elders had cut pictures of girls from the liahonas and then we listened to Elder Scott´s talk, in which at the beginning he said missionaries should not waste time in idol pursuits.

That is so weird that kiana is nearly 16. Happy Birthday Wednesday Kiana! 

I have been sick as well with a cold. The weather changes terribly. In the night there is wind and it is cold, during the day it is super hot. I have been suffering here, but not in vain because I have been working. We found 8 investigators this week.

San Cristobal wasn´t too bad. We walked a lot. Before going there, I took part in a zone meeting of the zone Mariscal. 

Changes might affect me, well our companionship rather. Hermana Elvir has 4 changes here or 6 months, so she might have changes, but we´ll find out tonight. Who knows... Well, other than these things... Conference was fantastic. I´ll write some of the things I learned.

1) Sacrifice all that is bad to feel good and live better.

2) Be humble. Jesus comes first.

3)Take small steps on the path to discipleship. It is better to arrive late than never. 

4) Through Christ I can do all things.

5) I need to be self-reliant so that I can help others, especially those that suffer.

6) It is usually through others that God answers our prayers and meets our needs.

7) Our Heavenly Father always answers our prayers when we have faith but in His time and His way. We have the responsibility to keep pressing forward in faith and remain worthy to receive personal revelation.

8) What would I sacrifice to go to the temple?

9) We are many times ´cut down´ so that we´ll be what God wants us to be. God directs our course. 

10) Teaching is more powerful and effective than punishing. 

11) We should be like President Monson and let nothing get us down. 

12) Live the hightest law. This is not your way but His way. 

Well, that´s it for the writing part. Now I will be sending photos. I love you all. I testify that this is the church of Jesus Christ and that we have a prophet to guide us. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and can help us receive answers to our prayers. Until next week.

Love Hermana Destinee Park  

And a picture from the mission blog: