"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

Ready, Set, Fire! No cease it. The missionaries are coming.

Dear Family, Friends, Whoever may read this... or...

To whom it may concern,

(ha ha) Wednesday this past week we ate lunch with a member, like usual, named Hermana Peña. She made us ´´cak´ik´´´, and I am not sure how to spell it but it is a soup that originally comes from Coban. It is made with turkey and tamalitos. However, I call Hermana Peña´s soup ´´cak´ik´´ from Xela because she comes from there and made it different without tamalitos and with vegetables.

Thursday a member wanted us to pass by at 11 AM but we couldn´t because we had interviews with President Broughs. Later we heard from nearly everyone we talked to about how at 11 AM a mother and daughter had been killed close to where the member lives! We´d have gone there if there hadn´t been the interviews.

Okay, and to top it off about this week, here is a journal entry:

July 23, 2011
´´Agony! When your foot is in pain, and there´s no one to help so you think you´re insane!´´
Ha ha, I wanted to create my own line based on the song ´´Agony´´ from ´´Into the Woods´´
Anyway, tonight we had an appointment at 7 PM. Our last appointment was in San Antonio and we were running late for this appointment at 7, which was in Luisa Alejandra at the opposite end of our area. As we arrived to the colony we saw a few police vehicles and then after, ambulances. Then as we approached the road we were going to enter we saw a huge mass of people standing by the entrance of the road. One of the members we found standing there told us that a man had been shot there a half an hour before. We did not have the appointment because we couldn´t pass and we didn´t find new investigators as planned but we were protected, for which I am truly grateful. This week in our area there´s been a total of 5 deaths, and two in Petapa. I´ll be beginning and finishing my time in this area with danger.

Well, there´s our super interesting experience we had this week. The area is a little more dangerous. There were several months of peace. It is kind of like the scriptures in which the people had times of peace, in which they were to prepare, and then came the wars and the afflictions, the pestilences and the famines. The people all this time didn´t want to receive us, but hopefully now. Well, other than this, and even with this, I am doing well and enjoying the ride as it goes. I am happy for the experiences I have had although some are really difficult. I know that our Heavenly Father protects us and loves us and that He provides the way for us. I want you to know that I know this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, that through faith, repentance, baptism, recieving of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end we can return once again in the presence of our Father with our families. I love you all.
Love Hermana Destinee Park   

A littler more information about her foot:  My foot... Well, that´s part of the reason why my week´s been difficult. It still hurts, but now is focused more in two of my toes. I have called the mission nurse and she just told me to keep putting cofal and heat on it and take ibuprofen, but to tell the truth I am sick of taking pills. For me, the pills literally make me feel worse sometimes, so the pain is better, although the cofal does help a bit. The nurse said she´d talk to the doctor but still hasn´t called me back; I have been waiting the call since Friday. The pain is growing worse, but I have to keep working. It sometimes seems that no one understands, and that they expect it to be something smaller than it is, although all the members have been freaking out and telling me that I have to see a doctor. However, although I am suffering a bit, I know I will make it through to the end, with or without this pain in my foot. 

Questions and answers:

What is your favorite scripture of the week? I will get back to you on that because it´s in the Bible... It mentions the temples and what there is inside, like a holy room and the baptismal font. It´s somewhere by 1 Kings, I believe, if not, than the book before.

Any new investigators, cool experiences, fun pday activities, etc… you want to  share??
Um... nope.

What was your best and worst food for the week?
I´ll write more about that in the next email.

What is something new you found out about your companion?
She loves music. We had a music night Saturday night, talking about all the music we like to listen to. It was fun.

We have been born to Preach to the World, the Gospel of Christ and of glad tidings Foretold

Dear Family and all else that read this short letter,
It is amazing how fast time flies. I say it flies because one day it can be Monday, and the next thing I know it is Saturday. There are 3 weeks left of this change and then for sure I will be leaving the area of Margaritas because I will be completing 6 months in this area. It seems just like a month ago that I was entering the area and meeting many of the members. 5 months ago today I was sitting in one of my first district meetings in the stake center of Villa Nueva and Elder Musick kept asking me questions concerning the lesson because I was the new one of the district. I thought my companion was Senior companion because she took control. The climate was really hot for me because I had just come from the mountains, so I was suffering from the heat. Now I am here 5 months later and the climate is nice, and sometimes cold. I have a new companion and a new district leader. I have met nearly all of the members and know them by name, first or last name, and I am familiar with not only my area, but many of the areas in the zone. It is strange to look back on these things and it grants me a glance of something that my patriarchal blessing says about looking back on the experiences of mortality. In some ways, a mission helps one understand the plan of salvation.

I began studying from the beginning of the Bible and I hope to read all of it and the Book of Mormon before the end of this year. I have learned much from reading the Bible. I never have read it before because each time I started I was bored, but like the Book of Mormon we must start reading it little by little. Some parts are difficult to read but many parts are as Nephi says "precious". I have learned how often people forget their God, how often the Bible contains something about breaking the sabbath day, and still many people break the Sabbath Day. Also, there are many names that are names of the Book of Mormon, and there is clear evidence of how the Book of Mormon and Bible support each other. There are many interesting stories. Right now I am in Judges.

Yesterday during Sacrament meeting the scripture D&C 19:17 came to my mind, "But if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I". When we were in Gospel Principles, we talked about the atonement and this scripture was read. Why would this come to mind and so penetratingly? I realized that this is one of the things that we deal with each day of the mission. We invite people to repent, but many times, although these people know what they can do to repent and feel joy and peace, they do not repent. Therefore, this is what Jesus Christ tells us will happen with these people. It is as if he's saying "If they do not want to repent, they will have to suffer. I cannot help them."

So, some interesting things: The traditional lunch here in Guatemala is black beans, guacamole, tortillas, carne asada, and rice. The traditional Dinner is beans, eggs, fried platano, and tortillas. Carne asada is basically like a thin steak with a salsa on top. I'll make it for you all one day. Also, I have been practicing my rr or rolling r's. I can do it now!! After so much time of trying to master it I can pronounce it. I am so happy about that.

I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's true church and that the fulness of the gospel has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon and the Bible support one another and the Bible even testifies that the Book of Mormon is true. My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened even more from reading the Bible. I love my Savior and this work that I have been called to do.

I love you all. Let us keep moving forward together and put our trust fully in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Until next week,
Love Hermana Destinee Park

Also, Hermana Park said her foot is still hurting.  She is going to call the Mission Nurse again to see what else can be done.

Family and Friends,
Just to advise you all, the (Guatemala City Central, not Destinee's) mission blog will no longer be up in function, or however you say that. You will have to receive photos and such only through the missionaries, like me.

Well, this past week... I called the mission nurse last week who told me what to do about my foot. She told me to put something called "cofal" on my foot and a hot pad. We don't have hot pads so I made one with a sock and with uncooked rice. Friday we had an area attack in our area to contact. We received several references from that. There is an elder that can enter into any house he contacts so he gave us many references.

Well, on Saturday I felt terrible. My foot hurt all day long but after a zone meeting we visited less-active members and recent converts, and finally in the house of less-active members I rested in a chair. The hermana gave me a pill to take for the pain but in between the pain of the foot and a bug-chaser thing that was burning I felt groggy and ill. After about an hour of sitting there (while my companion offered service because the family was moving couches into the house) I felt a little better. We did have lessons that day.

We had little success in finding this past week but no one can blame us for that, right? We did all we could but oh well.... The good thing is we are going to find this week. Anyway, I have greatly learned to have patience, and as far as the scriptures go I have learned that the Bible contains a mountain of scriptures about the sabbath day.

I really don't have anything exciting to write about this week to tell the truth. That's it for now, I suppose.
With love,
Hermana Destinee Park

I just got an email!

Yesterday, monday, there was training for the new missionaries and so today we had our district meeting and pday. We couldn`t find a place to write so we had to wait. For this I am also writing later than usual. Right now it is 4:52 PM.

The daughter of the Broughs is going to study in a school here, but she said that her teachers speak English. She is also going to be learning Spanish. They are nice people, the Broughs. Sister Brough doesn`t know much spanish but she tries and is learning it.

Changes... I am still here in Margaritas, Petapa, Villa Nueva with the same companion.

My foot still hurts, so this would be 2 weeks. The pain is inside of the foot and near the toes. I didn`t do anything to it that I know of but it doesn`t seem to want to heal. It hurts less than it did at first, luckily, but it is still hard to walk, especially climbing up or down stairs or steps.

Last night was awesome because yesterday in the morning I had remembered, but in the night I had forgotten. When the district leader called, he, Elder Nielson, and his companion started singing the national anthem. It was awesome.

And from a 2nd email:
Well, starting with yesterday, we found a new investigator. Sunday we had a high attendance and 3 investigator families attended. Saturday we met the family of President Broughs. 17 of the 21 missionaries that entered with me were at the conference. Friday morning there was a service project for family wellfare. All of our zone participated.

Tuesday of last week we played volleyball for pday. Our team won. This week we also played but we lost. Our team today was made up of our district and a companionship of another district. Hermana Gaitan didn`t play because she doesn`t like volleyball. The other sisters of the zone didn`t play either because they didn`t bring clothes. Other than these small details not too much happened.

baptism of  Dulce Morales

Elders that were in our district: Elder Nielson, Elder Wolfgramm, Elder Turcios, and Elder Lagos

Elder Soto and Elder Gonzales, and our cook, hermana Flori

Our district at Taco Bell

Our Zone

No email this week, but

Here is a picture of Destinee's new Mission President

Monte Joseph Brough, 47, and Emily Jane Thompson Brough, four children, Wellsville 1st Ward, Wellsville Utah Stake. Brother Brough serves as a ward Young Men president and is a former bishop, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor and missionary in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission. President/Owner, Rotational Molding of Utah, Inc. Born in Salt Lake City, to Monte James and Ada Lanette Barker Brough.
Sister Brough serves as a ward Relief Society president and is a former ward Young Women president, Primary president and gospel doctrine teacher. Born in Salt Lake City, to LeRoy Briggs and Chloe Jean Rice Thompson.