"La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha, na na na na na na na".

I think Hermana Park ran out of time this week.  Here are a few short things she did say:

Toads do not make a lot of noise, cockroaches are giant here in the coast. A normal cockroach is like the size of the top part of your thumb... or well, my thumb. And the cockroaches here are like the size of all of my thumb. Yikes! Never thought I would see them so big.

Oh and here is a photo I stole off her companions blog:

Some information from my (mom) personal email:  

My foot still has problems with aching but I have learned to endure it more or less. We have to travel much by foot because our area is large and we have to walk fast, which causes it to be bothered a bit, but it`s not too bad. 

The people here in the coast are really receptive. There are some that are set in their religions but many more that accept us. 

I have eaten a couple of new things like yellow coconut and icaco, of which I will tell you more about in a later email. The meals we eat are always different. The only thing I have eaten twice is a hamburger but that`s because there wasn`t anything else. There is something we drink called Licuados. They are good. They are basically like milkshakes or smoothies but come in huge glasses. I will take a picture and send it to you.  

I love basically everything here. The weather is hot but the air makes things easier, and also there is a lot of rain when it rains. Our area doesn`t see a lot of rain, but when it does rain we get soaked.

What I do not like is that the cockroaches are huge! They are like the size of a mouse. Also many times I am jumpy because there are always frogs on the ground outside or geckos running along the walls.  The iguanas enter our house because we have open windows. They can climb in. The one I saw was pretty cool.

Dear Family,

I forgot to tell you last week about my district and zone. In the district there are 3 companionships, four elders and us sisters, which includes Me and Hermana Marin, Elder Taylor and Elder Jimenez, and the DL, Elder Toledo, and his comp (It is a bit different so I still haven`t learned the name). In the zone there are about 16 or 18 missionaries, and we are the only sisters of the zone. Also, our zone is the smallest of the mission, I believe. Half of the zone will finish their missions in 6 months or less. 

 

Of the things I have tried this week are coconuts, fresh coconuts, which has a water that is tangy. It is like a natural soda drink. Our neighbor, and owner of the house, cut them down for us. I also tried Icaco, which is like a prune but green outside, and inside is like a wet flavorless cotton. There are always geckos on the walls here and frogs, or rather toads, on the ground. Also, nearer by the water there are cranes. 

 

 

 

I have been applicating the scriptures more. I read from Alma 17 about King Lamoni and Ammon. The missionaries are Ammon, the leaders of the church are the servants, the members are the flocks, and the negative influences are like the bad guys. Now read that chapter and put all of these into the story, and you`ll be able to understand better how I saw it this week. I really am grateful to be here and to experience all that I am experiencing. It is a little hard, I must admit, but I am enjoying it. 

 

Tomorrow we will be going to the ocean so I will have to tell you more about that the next Monday. 

 

Sorry because I thought that this would be a longer email, but I ran out of things to write about and time as well is short. I love you all.

 

Love Hermana Destinee Park

(We haven't seen Jorge for awhile!)

Aloha Oi, Aloha Oi

Dear Family,

WOW! So I had changes, but before I tell you about that, last Tuesday we got together one last time as a zone and the elders played soccer. I would have played if they had said anything about it, but they didn`t so I just focused on writing in the baggys of other missionaries and having them write in mine.

 

Well, the changes were exactly how I thought they would be. I had changes to the Coast! I am now in La Gomera, which is the hottest area of the mission, but it isn`t too hot. It is like Utah during the summer right now but with humidity. It feels nice sometimes and other times it feels too hot, but I am adapting. 

 

 

It is so beautiful here. It is like I am in paradaise because it is pure tropics. Grandma would love it here. There are coconut trees and other trees of strange fruits I have never heard about. I have also seen starfruit trees. 

 

 

The coast is about 3 and a half to 4 hours away from the capital. In our area there are frogs, bats, lizards, geckos (occasionally in our bathroom), and I have even seen an owl. Also there are iguanas. They sometimes enter the house. I have heard that the people eat them but we have never been served iguana yet. 

 

 

We have two areas, which are La Gomera and Sipacate. One can see the ocean from Sipacate, or rather it is by the ocean. I still haven`t seen it but I have heard it. Hopefully I will see the ocean Tuesday. 

 

My companion is Hermana Marin from Washington. She`s awesome. She has 10 months in the mission and doesn`t speak Spanish (fluently), but she always talks to the people and that`s what is important. It`s weird also because we are the only companionship of sister missionaries that have two ``Gringas``, or missionaries from the states.

 

Something interesting about the coast is that Santa Lucia, the zone, does not have a stake, but rather it has a district. Just about every area has branches. There is a possibility to have wards but there are a lot of inactive members. 

 

It doesn`t rain often here, but it`s been raining somewhat since I have arrived and so the weather has been a little cooler. Saturday night we were caught in a huge storm while walking to our house. The streets had rivers that were in some places knee-deep. The lightning was very strong and made huge flashes. We were completely soaked when we arrived home, bu I have never had such a fun experience. 

 

 

I love it here. I know that at first I always said that I never wanted to go to the coast because it was too hot, but while in Villa Nueva I felt ready to go. Now I am so glad that I could come here. There is no place more beautiful of our mission that I have seen and I feel fantastic about the area. I sometimes wonder why couldn`t I have come earlier? Funny right? Really I am so happy. We are always placed where we are needed and when we are needed, and also when we can definitely handle our circumstances. If I had come here at the beginning of the year I would have died of heat and would haven`t felt ready.

 

I still know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints is the church of Christ, the true church. It has the proper authority and the proper prophet. I know that Jesus Christ lives and guides us, and that the Book of Mormon and Bible testify of Him. I love you all.

Love Hermana Destinee Park

 

 

photo of our shower (so cool because it is just a faucet. We shower much faster, and it has cold water only)

And the doctor said,  "Well, the doctor told me that it ´s probably some  bone or cartalage broken around the joint of the toe, and that there is nothing I could do about it except provide more support with cotton and take IBU, but it´s healing well enough."

Questions and answers:

What was the best thing you did this week?
I returned to my first area! Woo hoo. Find out more in next email´s special.

What could have made this week better?
I probably could have served and smiled more.

What little thing did you find joy in this week?
A member gave me an umbrella because he saw how my umbrella was broken. His family is awesome.

What are your goals for next week?
Contact more and work my hardest. With three changes left, I want to make them the best i can make them. Ammon  power!

What was the best thing you learned in Church yesterday?
Trust in God completely. He can play pianos better than I can.

What did you have for dinner last night?
2 little muffins because earlier some members gave us atol and pan dulce.

What is something you learned about your companion?
She has a lot of compassion for those who are suffering.

This week's email:

Dear family and all,

Tuesday I did go to the doctor b ut it was a waste of time to go there because he basically told me that I needed better shoes, reviewed my shoes and found them mission-worthy, and told me to take more ibuprofen. Later in the night while proselyting, we passed by the drinking corner in San Antonio three times and found one of our recent converts sitting, a bit drunken. We talked to him and he said, ´´Perdonenme´´ or  ´´forgive me´´. I felt like crying and knew how his wife would feel. I carried his large heavy bag from work and we walked with him to his house. The bag was as a physical representation  of the burden I felt at that moment.

For Wednesday and Thursday we had divisions. I returned back to La Justo!! The members I talked to still remember me.

This week while studying from the book of Job I learned some pretty good things. Sometimes we do all we should do but all seems to go wrong. It is not that we are wicked but that we are being tried. To be changed from a lovely rock to a strong and beautiful diamond we must pass through the furnace of affliction. Our trials are only a small moment in the span of eternity.

Sunday I played the piano in Sacrament meeting, in front of 138 people and without practicing beforehand. I sure felt a bit of pressure, but I knew I would be well. I missed many notes, but afterward many of the members came up to me and told me I did well and how they were surprised I could play the piano. Maybe the prayers I did beforehand made it not so obvious when I did miss notes. We were disappointed by many recent converts, one of which lied to us, but we talked to ****** into coming, and although he awoke late he arrived to church. 

Later while contacting a woman began talking to us from a higher window across the street. She was crying and continually entered and then returned to the window. She was extremely depressed but there wasn´t anything we could do for her  because we weren´t allowed to enter and talk to her. A couple of times she called out ´´help me´´. It gave me a glimpse of what hell would be like.

Also, we heard of what one of our positive investigators had done. He was waiting for his letter from the first presidency to give him permission to be baptized but he lost hope and began drinking last week. Sunday morning he entered into his house and tried killing his ´wife´, one of our recent converts. His children, ages 19 and 20 tried stopping him but he threw them both. However, the recent convert had the chance to escape and left. I feel much sorrow for them and how they are suffering.

Well, for this week that is all that I have as far as experiences go. I will have to write to you about the changes next week. I still know the church is the church of Christ.

I love you all.  (photos of my 2 broken umbrellas I bought in this area, of our zone, and of the stake center)
Love Hermana Park

 

Water, water, water... no swimming

from a personal email to me:  Mom,I will be able to go to the doctor tomorrow. I talked to the nurse Thursday.  My foot has been hurting less but it could be that i am getting used to it. (I will let everyone know after next weeks email how the doctor's appointment went and what is wrong with her foot.  Thanks everyone for the many prayers on Hermana Park's behalf)

What did you eat for dinner last night?
I ate arroz con leche, a piece of toast, and an egg.

How are your shoes holding up?
My shoes still look pretty new, other than the rubber ones, which are more or less fine.

Are you teaching anyone right now?
We are teaching a lot of people, but not here in internet.(ha ha ha) Our last lesson was with a couple of missionaries during our district meeting.

What could have made the week better?
The week would have been better if the two of us had perfect health and had been able to contact more and find. We contacted, but didn´t find.

What was your favorite thing this week?
The zone conference and Tuesday which you will hear about more later.

What was your least favorite thing this week?
Being a little ill.

What did you learn in Church yesterday?  What were the talks about?
The talks were about the scriptures and how they teach of Jesus Christ. I learned that sometimes our teachers aren´t always correct. The mission leader said that God only calls one prophet at a time, but then after I showed him about two prophets that were around the same time in Esdras 5:1

Dear Family,

For Pday all the missionaries in our zone brought costumes and we did little acts. It was hilarious. After we played a water balloon game, which was like volleyball and with towels. After using up all the balloons, we played volleyball. 

Thursday we had a zone conference, in which I learned some things:
1) We should teach so that even a child will understand. We don't have to use object lessons but we should teach simply and clearly.
2) The first things we learn are often the most important. I need to teach as if I was in the MTC.
3) The contacts we do are references from heaven.
4) All I have to do is talk to people.
5) Faith is to believe and act.
6) The church never fell, only was retired from the earth.
7) I thought of how Peter began to walk on water but then began to sink. I came into the area with a lot of faith but I think in between some changes I began to lack it and became like Peter.
8) Every person on the Earth, if they aren't members, are inactive members of the church because everyone once accepted the gospel when we were in the Great Council with our Heavenly Father.

That day, Thursday, we saw lightning strike a lamp post near the church during a meeting. It sounded and looked like fireworks.

Other than that, I have a cold.  However, I am happy because I did my best (with a certain family she had been teaching) and I'll be able to say at the last day, "I did all that I could do to bring these unto Thee, and they would not." It's interesting to apply the words of Moroni to my life.

I am happy and we have a goal, more or less, to find 11 families this week. It will be difficult to do, and we have never done it before, but I am willing to try. It was more like Elder Nielson asked us how many families we thought we found as a district the past week and I said 11 as my guess, and then after telling us all what we achieved he told us that the numbers we guessed are our commitment for what we will find this week. I don't know how we'll do it, but we will attempt.

Next week will be the changes. Well, That's it for now. I bid you farewell until next week.
Love Hermana Destinee Park