Faith=MIRACLES!

Hello Everyone!

The weather is starting to cool off here and the leaves are starting

to change! I can't believe fall is just about here! What a week it has

been! Sister Quezada and I have been so blessed and we are witnessing

many miracles. I don't even know where to start!

When I first got into the area we started working with a less active

who had not come to church for a long time due to some health

problems. We did a lot of service for her and started to establish a

relationship with her. One of the things she had stopped doing was

reading her scriptures and saying her prayers. We invited her to start

doing those things again... Many many spiritual experiences later.. We

invited her to receive a priesthood blessing to help her recover so

that she would not be in so much pain. The elders came over and gave

her a blessing. This week she called us SO HAPPY, and that we needed

to come see her as soon as possible. We rushed over there and she was

standing and walking and was a whole new person!! It was an experience

I will never forget. She said that she will be back at church, and

going to the temple, and she is just so grateful to God that she is

healed. Her exact words, "this is the only time in my life I have been

able to pinpoint and exact answer to prayer. This experience has

strengthened my testimony and relationship with God." It truly was a

miracle brought forth by her faith.

On Wednesday everything seemed to just fall into place. Sister Quezada

and I have been praying SO hard to find PREPARED people to teach.

Heavenly Father is blessing us so much. We got a new investigator this

week and had an amazing lesson with her. When we first arrived she

started telling us about her love for Jesus Christ and how strong her

faith is in him. She is SO SO faithful and studies from the bible

everyday. She said she has gone from church to church searching for

the truth.. But just hasn't found it yet. Deborah prayed to God to

tell her where to find the truth and then she was lead to contact the

missionaries. We had a POWERFUL first lesson with her... The spirit

was so strong, I don't even remember what I said.. She cried tears of

joy the whole lesson. When we introduced her to the Book of Mormon and

read moronis promise she looked me in the eyes and said... I already

know this is true. My testimony of the Book of Mormon grew 100x in

that moment and the spirit was so strong I could not deny it. I KNOW

without a doubt in my mind the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and

there are so many people who are seeking for the truth. Deborah was so

grateful to know there is a prophet of God on earth today. Her cute

little 9 year old granddaughter was there for the lesson and at the

end she asked..."can I get one of those books too?" She has a big

family, and she said next time we come over we can teach them all!

Probably one of the most tender experiences I have ever had was when

we started explaining how families can be together forever.. And she

started crying again... And she said, you mean I will get to see my

baby daughter again who passed away? It was a blessing to have born my

testimony to her that yes.. Because of Jesus Christ, we all will have

the opportunity to live again. I cannot deny the spirit of God in this

work. I am merely an instrument in his hands, and it is the most

rewarding work I have ever been a part of.

This weekend was UNFORGETTABLE. Sister Quezada was sealed to her

family! A special experience as a missionary! We drove up to meet her

family on Friday afternoon... They were all in tears because they

missed her so much and it was a sweet reunion. I left her with her

family and I stayed with some sisters in the area (sister Stevenson &

sister Green). We had such a great time and taught a lot of people

Friday night. Saturday morning we went to the temple and had the

opportunity to do an endowment session before the temple sealing.. I

was in the celestial room with sister Quezadas parents right before

the sealing. They were both in tears. It was such a sweet experience.

I can only recall a few times where I have felt the spirit so strong

in my life. Seeing the Quezada family kneeling across the alter and

being sealed together for time and all eternity was a surreal moment.

I can testify that the family is the central unit of eternity... And

that families are forever. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had

to attend the temple. So many of my personal prayers were answered. I

know that there is no greater power in the world than to bind families

for time and all eternity.

Sunday was amazing. Deborah and her granddaughter came to church!!

Deborah was enthralled the whole time and kept saying that she only

had one regret "not coming to this church sooner." She kept talking

about how she kept seeking for the right church.. But the right church

wasn't a specific building. She was looking for the true followers of

Christ.. The gathering of the saints. Deborah has such great faith.

She has been reading from the Book of Mormon and already has a

powerful testimony of it. Sunday school was all about baptism she had

so many questions. We had a luncheon after church and she bonded with

the women in the ward.. And tonight we are going to have dinner and

FHE with Deborah and some of the ward members! I am so excited for

Deborah and her new journey. The Lord is ever so aware of his

children. I love this work. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be

a part of it!

Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Parke

Temple day for Sister Quezada with Sister Stevenson &

Sister Green

So super happy for Sister Quezada and her family!

Pictures from their sealing day!