Week 17: "All I need to overcome any trials is the Lord, and I already have him on my side and so, all is well!"

Sister Delight at her baptism

All is well in Mabvuku and Tafara! It's been raining a ton this week and the weather has been funny funny...it'll be ridiculously hot one hour and the next hour it'll be pouring...I've learned to always walk around with my raincoat now but overall, all is well!

I heard Donald Trump is our new president....moving right along..

There's nothing too exciting to report about...mission is so much fun though! I work hard, but I always pull my occasional pranks. But I just realized this week how much of it has added on....as of right now, my ward missionaries think that I was a quarterback for my high school football team (i told them not to mess with me...) and they think that I was a professional chicken hunter back home. When I told them this, they started laughing because they thought it was ridiculous but then we walked by a chicken and I crowed at it and the chicken started clucking back in return. They almost lost it..

Investigators: 

Brother Simon: We had given him the Book of Mormon last week and so when we saw him this week, we asked how his reading went with Moroni 10: 3-5. He told us that he felt so much joy reading it and that he knew the book was true even after reading only verse 3! He said that he had never felt this way and he was almost jumping out of his seat because he was so excited about his experience! In his own words, " the Book of Mormon is powerful. One verse in the Book of Mormon and prayer is all you need to know this book is true!" I've been blessed with investigators like this and I'm grateful the Lord has entrusted me with them...the next step for him is to get his marriage to go through and this will take A LOT of faith and prayers!

Sister Vongai: I have been teaching this mama since I got here and we've been trying to get her married so she could be baptized! Her husband, Kuda, has been a member, but because his job doesn't pay well, he hasn't been able to come up with the money for the marriage license. Most of the money he earns has to go towards paying off lobola and providing for Sister Vongai's family and his own. But, a miracle a truly happened. We went over to a lesson to go read the BOok of Mormon with her and Kuda as we usually do. Lately, I've been quite persistent and asking about the marriage because Sister Vongai's desire to be baptized is so strong! But, this time around, I thought I would lay off of it and just ask about the progress next week. We read 2 Nephi 2 together and as we were discussing about the scriptures, Brother Kuda bore a powerful testimony about how he knew that God was there and that he truly provided miracles...I didn't think much of it at the time. We closed the lesson and then Brother Kuda asked if we would go look in the distribution center for the nice CTR bands because he wanted one. THEN, he said, so nonchalantly, "Yea, I want this band because we should have our marriage certificate by next Friday and I won't be able to have rings for the ceremony..." I just stared, I couldn't believe my ears...it took me like 10 seconds to process that!! The joy that I felt in my heart was unbelievable. We've been trying to get this couple married since the beginning of August, and it might actually be happening now! I literally almost cried in the lesson and I couldn't sit still the entire day...the thought of Sister Vongai finally being baptized would truly be amazing! Now I am PRAYING that no complications arise and that she will be baptized soon soon! When I got in the car, I understood why Kuda had said what he had said in the lesson....the Lord must have provided him with the means of getting the money and I'm interested to hear what exactly happened. I absolutely love this family and hopefully I'll be able to send pictures soon with her in her white jumpsuit!

Sister Luwichi and us in the fields

Our household with kids

Adorable Natti Luwichi

This week we also got to help out The Luwichi Family and we worked in the fields! Because the rains had poured this week, everyone was out in the fields plowing, and planting seeds in the ground now that there was enough moisture. It was so much fun, and it was very relaxing...Dad, this reminded me of whenever we would mow the lawn together, or you'd make me climb trees to cut off branches..it was so nice to be doing like manual labor!! And also the weather was perfect because there was an overcast so it wasn't hot but it was a good time! Since we finished so fast, we helped the other gogos who were out in the field so that they could finish quicker because ah, people as old as they are should be sitting at home in a rocking chair relaxing!!

Farewell to my favorite ward missionaries: Anthony, Larry and Munya

The only reason why I didn't want to be in Mabvuku this transfer so that I wouldn't have to say goodbye to these three, but ah, the time has come. We ate mazondo (cow legs...Dad I think you would like it, it's kind of fatty, but it's nice!), beans and sadza...it was nice! And then they danced and yo, it was so amusing watching all of them dance. It was a good time with them and ah, I will miss these ones.

Steven, one of my favorite ward missionaries

it was so messy but it was good! eating with utensils is going to be kind of weird when i go home!

mazondo!!!

Guys cooking sadza

Later that night, we went over to one of the ward missionary's homes because three of my favorite ward missionaries are leaving for their missions this week! I will truly miss Antony, Larry, and Munya...they all have such different personalities, but they each bring so much to the table. They helped the work here in Mabvuku and they would work with us every single day I've worked in Mabvuku 1st. They are such a good time, but they have such powerful testimonies...the people of Kenya and Ghana are going to be lucky having these missionaries there. They've grown to become like my brothers here in this area. 

This weekend, Sister Delight got baptized! She was all smiles that day...don't mind me because I look like a mess since I came straight from the fields, but she was so happy that day. She has such a sweet and beautiful soul it's amazing. Meeting people like her make mission so joyous! The Lord has prepared so many people here in Mabvuku and I get to be a part of their conversion and experience! The love I have for this people is unreal, and it's weird but I have love already for the people the Lord will eventually place in my path. I have love for my future investigators. 

So like I said, all is well...you guys don't have to worry about me. Every missionary faces their own difficulties, but I know why I came here on mission. I've made sure to have a strong testimony and I work to maintain my faith because we need faith in order to face the unknown. While knowledge pertains to things of the past, faith pertains to things of the future and as long as I trust in the Lord, he will be able to guide me. Faith brings miracles! So I am fine. Teaching the families I've been teaching is such a blessing because I'm reminded every day of the fact that you guys had been in their position before. And look at where I am now....I'm serving a mission! I'm truly grateful every day that you two were humble enough to take lessons from the missionaries so that I could be a part of this gospel. As the scripture in Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong, and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." All I need to overcome any trials is the Lord, and I already have him on my side and so, all is well!

I miss and love you guys!

Sister Park