Elder Collin Park

June 9, 2014

Congo Town (L-R) Elders Park, Godi, Witehira, Montgomery (Transfer Day, June 9, 2014)

Another week in the books.

This week was full of us coming back to the apartment.   It was either because someone was coming to drop something off or they were coming to fix something.  It took a lot time away from teaching but that’s just how it happens in LIB.

A couple weeks ago at Zone Conference, President Kirkham taught us what is called “Pray Now.”  When he first explained it, I was thinking that there was no way this could work, but since he talked about it, it must work.  So what you do is this, when you meet with an investigator and you follow up on the previous lesson and the commitments, especially about the Book of Mormon, if they haven’t prayed or haven’t received an answer yet, we kneel down right then and pray.  Elder Godi and I have tried it few times, but it never really was effective because we didn’t explain how we receive our answers from our Father in Heaven.

On Tuesday we tried it again with Sister Naomi.  We did a good job explaining how the Spirit will teach her, and then knelt down.  We were teaching her outside under an umbrella, the ground was soaked because of the rain but none the less, we prayed.  It was a powerful experience that I am so thankful I was a part of.  Naomi now knows for sure that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God.

Since we are talking about Naomi, she got baptized Saturday!!!!  Holy cow it was awesome!!  But it could have gone terribly wrong….  The baptism was at 10 and at 9 we realized we had no baptism clothes for Naomi… so Elder Godi and I took off to Old Road Branch to get some.  Getting transportation here is so hard…  (I asked him more about this and he wrote:   I had to walk to Peace Island Junction, about a half mile.  From there I got on bike to the Old Road.  I got off and walked inside to the chapel, 5 minute walk, got the clothes ,then walked back to the Old Road where I got bike back to Peace Island junction.  I then walked another half a mile up a hill to the church.   I was covered in sweat).  The baptism started a little late but it was still a great service.  I was also to be the one to baptize her.  It’s a long time since I physically went into the water and baptized someone, but it was such a great experience. We had a lot of support from the members too.  It was just a great day.

Jumping back to Wednesday, I went on Exchange with Elder Montgomery.  This guy is great.  I really enjoyed the day, but a good chunk of it was us at the apartment waiting for Felix to come fix a pipe for us… ( I asked what broke, he wrote:   while a man was cutting our grass he broke the pipe taking water into my bathroom).    We had a very interesting lesson, and then a great lesson about the Book of Mormon with Francis, a 17 year old girl.  She’s great, the whole family is, but since there are a couple things happening, the parents aren’t able to get baptized yet.

On Sunday we had a crazy amount of investigators come!! 7!!!!  It was awesome.  David came which was a total shocker.  George Komoyahn was baptized in 1998, but hasn’t been to church in about 10 years.  We are teaching his family, Sunday he and two of his kids came.  It brought such a HUGE smile to my face when I saw him.  Along with Naomi getting baptized, it was definitely the high light of the week.

This week was a filled with miracles.  Being a missionary, you see so many, you truly see the hand of the Lord in everything.  I am so blessed to be serving Him.

Have a great week!!!

Elder Park
The White African
T.I.A.

P.S.   Transfer news:   Elder Godi and I are staying together another transfer.  Montgomery and Witehira are both training but only Montgomery is staying with us.