I could feel the Savior with us every step of the way

Me and Sister Capson

This is just one of those things they have in North Dakota

This is pretty much my view every day

So this week was an amazing one. We went on exchanges with the Bismarck sisters.  Sister Capson went to Bismarck and I stayed in Dickinson with Sumsion.  That day, all of our appointments fell through but one. After the first one fell through we went tracting in the neighborhood. While tracting we met two people, Jumoke and Shawdee, from Nigeria.  Jumoke answered the door and the first thing she said was, "Latter Day Saints? Where is your church located at?" We told her and asked if we could come in and she said yes. So we went inside and taught a lesson and visited with them until Jumoke had to go to work. We gave them some pamphlets and they loved them so much.  We might as well have given them gold.  Sometimes as members of the church we take for granted all the resources available to us to learn about the Savior and about our Heavenly Father's love for us.  We have so much, even a latter-day prophet to lead and guide us. But Jumoke and Shawdee don't have a lot.  They came here from Nigeria to find work in the oil fields.  It feels good to hand someone something as simple as a pamphlet and see how happy it makes them.  They didn't want to put them down.  They are awesome.  We can't wait to go back. 

When our next appointment fell through, we went to go visit a less active lady in the ward.  It was our first time meeting her but she was very nice and invited us in. She is active in heart but her husband isn't a member. Two weeks earlier, he told her he would try harder to go to church with her. The spirit was so strong and we knew that we were guided to visit her that day. We will be doing family home evening with them this week. 

Later in the week, Sister Capson and I were tracting and knocked on the door of a Navajo woman.  She invited us in and right away I could feel she had the spirit with her.  She told us she was from Window Rock and that her last name was Begay.  I told her my Aunt Tricia was also Navajo and her last name was Begay and this woman thought it was so cool.  I don't know why but as missionaries we are very sensitive to the spirit and can recognize it in other people.  I really felt the presence of the Holy Ghost around this woman so I just decided to ask her if she was a member of the church already or if anyone in her home was.  She said, "When I was a little girl I went to live with a Mormon family through the placement program when I was 8.  I was baptized and confirmed that year but then I went back to live with my family the next summer and I haven't ever been back to church since then.  But I always remembered my blessings from when I was confirmed.  It was special."  When we heard this we were not surprised because we knew she had the gift of the Holy Ghost.  She asked us if we would come back and continue teaching her.  We will be referring her to the missionaries in Window Rock when she moves back in a few weeks.

This whole week was amazing.  Mainly because I could feel the Savior with us every step of the way. We got discouraged a few times and He knows when we are struggling.  I know that we are not doing this missionary alone.  I can feel the heavenly help we get every single day.  But in this particular week, we were struggling more than usual and I know that the Savior Himself was helping us.  I feel so humbled to know that He cares about us like that.  He understood exactly how we were feeling because His own mission on this earth was extremely hard- much harder than ours.  I know that not only does He comfort us when things are hard, but He also rejoices with us when we see miracles and witness true conversion. I felt Him rejoice with us this week.  That in itself was probably the greatest miracle we experienced. One of my favorite scriptures is D&C 84:88:

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

I know that this is the Lord's work.  I know that right at this point in time He is hastening His work so that everyone can have a chance to hear it and accept it. The restored gospel is the greatest miracle of our day and I feel so blessed to have access to it.  I know that miracles happen. If you feel like you need a miracle, pray for it. God wants to answer our prayers. They are not always the answers we want, but they are the perfect answers. 

I love you all,

Sister Park