So
this week was incredible! We had an incredible week visiting many
investigadores to help prepare them for baptism. We also were able to go down
to Girardot and Ibague, two of my old areas for a training. I was able to see
Elder Buhrley and some of my other friends. It was awesome and I am so grateful
for these friends that have made me a better missionary. We also witnessed the
baptism of Carol and Daniela who were SO PREPARED to be baptized. After the
baptism they gave some of the best testimonies I've ever heard. They talked about
how the Book of Mormon gives them peace as they read it, answers their
questions, and helps them learn about the Gospel of Christ. They said they knew
this was the true church, that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God and that
by being baptized, they had become clean from sin. My jaw literally dropped for
a solid 2 minutes as Ifelt the Spirit work through them and testify of these
truths. They were so excited and so ready to be baptized. I am so grateful the
Lord showed us to them and that they could make a covenant with him.
Two other side notes. This week we started to contact using different methods, two of
which were pretty sweet. We went to a mall and started showing families how to
throw an American football. We were then able to offer them a document about families. Many people were very receptive.
We
also made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which was very fun to give to our
neighbors of our conjunto; some of them were very excited to try it and others
were scared because they believe American food is bad. Either way, we were able
to talk to some people about the Gospel of Christ.
As
my mission is winding down and I will have to leave Colombia next week,
many feelings of joy, gratitude and sadness fill my heart. I love Colombia.
Truly I feel that they are my family and that I am Colombian. I love their
jokes, their graciousness, their hospitality, their music, their way of speech,
their food (mojarra frita y bandeja paisa), their music, the dances / salsa) and many other things. More than anything I love their faith in God and their
desire to be with their families.
I am so grateful to the Lord for allowing me
to come to this country and to learn from their examples. I am so grateful to
have known such amazing families and people that have placed God above
everything else in their life. I love their humility to listen to some gringos
trying to share a message. I love them.
I am
so grateful and happy to have been able to dedicate two years of my life to the Colombian people and to the Lord. I felt the Lord guide me at every moment
to share the gospel with someone who needed it. I have never felt so much joy
as to see someone accept that the gospel and to receive the ordinances of
salvation. I am so grateful to have been able to talk, teach, and meet so many
amazing people and help them receive the restored Gospel. I am so grateful that
the Lord has allowed me to work every day preaching the gospel to these people.
He has been my guide in every moment. He has blessed me beyond what I could have
ever imagined.
I am
very sad to leave this beautiful country, to leave these amazing people, and to
no longer be a missionary, to no longer dedicate all my time to the Lord. To
say that these two years have been the best moment of my life would be an
understatement.
However,
I am grateful the Lord was merciful enough to use me and allow me to work with
Him in this part of His vineyard.
I
know that Christ lives, He is the Redeemer of the World, and He loves us
infinitely. He and Our Father in Heaven are watching over us everyday, guiding
us to keep their commandments and to have joy. I know that the Gospel of Christ
allows us to become perfect and that by the ordinances we can return to God's
presence. He called Joseph Smith to be a Prophet of God, Russell M Nelson is the
prophet called of God today, and the Book of Mormon is the most powerful tool
to strengthen our testimony of Christ.
I
invite all to read this book and pray to apply the precepts so that the power
of Christ can flow into your lives and make you happier than you have ever
felt.
Yo
se que Cristo vive.
con
todo el amor en el mundo,
Elder
Parson
 |
| The baptism of Carol and Daniela. |
 |
| Elders Sorbonne, Parson, Card and Monson. |
