Amanda to Mom; Amanda to Dad 8-26-13

The reason we get two separate responses is because I (Donna) usually am composing my email to her late on Sunday night and by the time I'm half-way through John is asleep, and John usually uses his voice texting to compose his letters on his phone during commercials of "Longmire."

Dear Mom:
The mission is great. I got stared down by a skunk and have been working on a crazy big map for our area since we cover the entire stake for the singles ward. I love the ward, they are so pro-active on getting nonmember friends to activities. It's really encouraging since we don't have any investigators at the moment. We've been sharing an apartment with another set of sisters and its been loads of fun, but its 20 minutes out of our area and we already have a lot of driving we have to do in there without tacking on going back and forth for dinner. However I think we're going to start getting more dinners. We told the guys in the ward that they can't feed us unless they take us out or they have another girl there. We are now an excuse for a date ;D They tell the girls they offered to feed the Sister Missionaries but they can't do it unless the girl is there. Some guys have set up double dates already. ^-^ The ocean is beautiful everytime I look at it. I took a lot of pictures but I forgot my camera so I'll just have to send them to you next week. How is the medco thing going? I'll send you my perscription recipts this week. I hope there's money in my bank account because I'll be out of medication on thursday so I'll need to get a refill. Fortunately Dr. Vincent gave me 2 refills on the bottles. I love you Thank you for taking care of me.

Love Sister Park

PS. How is Johnny?

Dear Dad:
It's been crazy, I've been moved from an area where people would stop and listen to what we had to say, even if it was only for a moment, and now I'm in an area where we're lucky if we can give them a passalong card. We don't knock on doors, we just talk to whoever we see out and about. We're over just a single's ward now so anyone who's interested who's married or not between the ages of 19 and 35 we have to hand off to other missionaries. We've started to run into some real odd ones too. Fortunately our ward is fantastic and is really gungho on doing activities that will get their nonmember friends out there and interested. I haven't given a real lesson in almost 3 weeks and I miss it so much. I love teaching and when people just wave you by it's hard to keep up your spirits. but thats one thing that I am set on doing. keeping my spirits up. I'm trying to be happy no matter what and talk to everyone I see. Sometimes I fall short but Sister Wickham and I have agreed to start over this week and really go at it.I wish I had remembered my camera to send you some pictures. I'll send you some next week. I can't believe its already almost September! Time is flying so fast!! I love you so much! and I love reading your stories! I share them with my companion and my roommates all the time.

I love you and miss you loads!

Sister Park

Amanda to Mom 8-19-13 The new assignment

Just got white washed into a YSA ward in Del Mar. One investigator might have potential, but I haven't met her yet and the former investigator that we could find and still lived here isn't really all there. She's kind of a hippy and she just sort of floats.

But the craziest thing! One of the guys from my YSA in Park City, who we all thought had moved to Chicago, apparently moved into the Torrey Pines YSA two weeks ago, the ysa I just got transfered to! It's nice to have a friendly face.

I have to admit though, this place is beautiful. I'm taking pictures all the time. The only down side is the hills I have to run (I swear they're 85% angles), the mosquitoes, and the wildlife. We got stared down by a skunk last night just around the corner from our church! The owls we saw the other night were pretty epic though ;) Here are some pics of my new area.

I've just been transfered from the hottest part of the mission to right by the beach. I get to see the ocean every day! It is the most amazing thing! no matter how many times I see it, it's always beautiful :) I'm now in charge of a young single adult ward and I have no one to teach yet but my new companion and I are working super hard on changing that. this new change is going to be great!!!

8-12-13 - Amanda to Daddy

Note:  Some of her responses refer to John's recounting of his mission to her.

That's so cool! Did you go into Switzerland a lot? I don't envy the stair climbing. They didn't make you run a half hour every morning too did they ;P I wish we could have motor scooters, that would be so much fun!!! Why did they faze them out? Guess what, I'm being transfered. I'm leaving Murrieta tomorrow to get my new companion and new area. And funny thing, the other day, I reached into the back seat and grabbed the cd case and a little lizard ran out from underneath it! I think I accidently left the car door open one time and a lizard snuck into the car! It was awesome! We chased it out just because we didn't want it to get stuck anywhere and die, but I wish I'd had my camera with me so I could have grabbed a picture of it. It was only about 2 /2in long. And there's been a gorgious fog that settles in in the mornings so we get to go running in it. Tomorrow I'm going to take my camera and send you some pictures next week. The most amazing thing is that I saw a fog rainbow this morning! I'd never seen that before. The fog had arched itself into a perfect rainbow shape....Why do I never have my camera when I need it?!?!

I love you so much! Thank you for the mission story, I love it and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Amanda

8-5-13 - Short but sweet

By the way, P-day has been moved back to Monday. Nice to know that you wait till the last minute to email me ;P Love you.

Hey Dad, I was wondering if you could tell me more about your mission. I'm curious to know where it covered, your transportation, your prostilitizing styles...stuff like that. I didn't really ask before I left, but lately I've been wondering. And how are all of your projects coming along? I hear a lot from mom.......not that I don't love you, mom.....but I want to hear for you too.

Next week is transfers and I'm not really sure if I'll still be in Murrieta or if they'll move me somewhere else in the mission. It's going to be exciting to find out.

I love you SOOO much, I'll talk to you next week.

ps. by then I'll be 24 ^-^

July 25th

 

 

 

Hi Mom and Dad,

 

I've had an amazing week.  We've been praying for this recently reactivated lady's daughter and her husband, that he would get stationed here in the States.  Since she lost her dad just a few months ago, she's really been needing her husband who's been stationed in Japan.  We just found out on Monday that he's staying here.  We are so happy about it!  And now that he's staying they're both probably going to start taking the lessons and going to church.  I'm so happy we can help to try and bring this family together, they are just amazing.

 

Also, this other member's husband that we have been teaching, he knows everything in the church is true, he just has a problem with the Word of Wisdom, had an amazing breakthrough on Tuesday.  None of the Sisters before us ever took a member with them, they just counted his wife.  This time we took one of the brethren and taught about Priesthood.  The Spirit was so strong in that lesson, we asked him if he would want the Priesthood, and he said "yes."  Then we asked him if he'd be baptized and he said "if he prayed and got an answer that this was the true church, he would be baptized."  His name is Kurt, will you pray for him?

 

A couple of weeks ago I did this amazing thing where I left a Harvesting Blessing with an awesome family.  There were about 10 people there.  A Harvesting Blessing is something like a Priesthood Blessing except I can have it by my virtue as a missionary.  I have never done something so fantastic for someone before.  there are six daughters, most of them inactive, two of them getting married to non-members.  One of the fiancees was there and he's not really interested in the church, but when I said the prayer, addressing each of their needs individually, everyone was touched by the spirit.  i didn't know I could do something like that.

 

After last week I've changed my outlook on things and how I've been going about everything.  Since then I've seen so many blessings.  with Gracie and Ian, that coupe I talked about at the beginning and with Kurt.  With how we are received by people when we're contacting.  Even with how Sister Grover and I have been dealing with each other lately.  I was having a really hard time putting up with her for awhile, but we finally really got out everything and talked it out.  Now I'm opening up more and she's working on being less controlling.  She's half-Italian so it is that and mood swings...and not a lot of facial expression.  But I think we're both learning from each other which is very helpful.

 

Oh, by the way, an update on everyone (except Jessica, who keeps me informed) would be appreciated.  And I can't tell you how much I'm dying for musical soundtracks like "Oklahoma," and "Singing in the Rain," and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."  I need something to sing along to in the mornings and while I'm running.

 

It's kind of irritating being the only Sisters in the Zone because any time there's a service project or something, even if it's out of our district and there are plenty of people there to help, the Elders always invite us because they want the girls to be there.  The Spanish Elders are the worst offenders.  they always try to make excuses to spend time with us.  I do laugh every time they ask, though.  Elders are obnoxious sometimes, and sometimes they're extremely helpful.  I'm glad we have them.

 

I miss you, I love you.....Sister Amanda Park  

 

Morning Hike

Sis. Grover's awesome but we don't mesh the best so we probably won't be together after this next transfer. I don't know who will be transfered, but one of us will be.I love her to death but some things just don't mesh.

On a chipper note. We went on the best hike this morning! It sucked waking up at 4:00 am but the outcome was totally worth it! You should have seen it last night! The mother of a family that was just moving in went into labor so no one would be there to unload the truck at 8:30 at night. the call went out through the Elder's Quorum and when we got there I swear half the ward was there. It was awesome! We've seen so many miracles with the ward and potential and progressing investigators. I love this, I'm so glad I'm here! Here are pictures of the hike.

 

NOTE from Donna:  For some reason, an amazing picture of a spider web won't copy, so I'll try to get it on later

From Amanda's Email 7-23-13

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I love the pictures! (She's referring to the pictures I sent her of the family reunion) Thank you! Thank you for taking such good care of me while I'm away from home. You are amazing! I'll send you a letter soon. I'm going to write it today. Sister Grover is great by the way. She's half Italian and likes to hog the lessons, but that's good because it's getting me to be more outgoing. I'm sending you pictures. I love you so much.

You guys would love it down here, it's quiet and safe. The only problem is the prices. Fortunately we're fed every night so I don't need to worry about buying enough for three full meals a day. I'm starting to cut back on everything I buy, only to the things I know I'll really eat or use.

I love you here are some pictures,

Love, Amanda