Ministering of Angels

Hello Everyone!!!

So much has happened this week! I think I raked more leaves this week

than I have in my entire life, but the weather has been so beautiful

and I enjoyed every minute! I absolutely love fall! I am nervous for

the wintertime! Well, I'll just jump right into the week! We had a

training all day Tuesday... It was wonderful and we talked alot about

courage and being bold. Our mission is focusing a lot on contacting

people and we now have set times of every day were we need to be out

FINDING people. This is quite tricky in our area because people are at

work and school most the day and then it gets dark at 4:30! Soooo this

means we have to get creative and follow the spiritual promptings we

receive exactly! Sometimes it becomes discouraging... Buuut work

without faith.... Is dead! So we are keepin the faith and we know the

Lord will place people in our path whose hearts are being prepared to

hear the gospel.

So Katy's baptism was on Saturday... And it was wonderful!! She was so

happy! The miraculous thing was that her sister attended and decided

she wanted to learn more too! I love attending baptisms... And it's

not just because I am a missionary! What a great reminder it is to

remember the sacredness and importance of baptism. Maddy was able to

attend Katy's baptism... And the spirit just touched her. She started

crying, and told me she was so excited for her own baptism and how

special it will be. Back in September when Maddy decided to push her

baptism date back, I was a little disappointed at first. However,

looking back it has been such a blessing. Maddys testimony has grown

so much over the past few months and waiting to be baptized has given

her the time to truly strengthen her testimony and understand the

sacred covenants she will be making.

On Friday evening we had an awesome lesson with Maddy and we talked a

lot about the story of Esther and having courage. We also testified of

the importance of prayer and fasting. Just as Esther, Maddy is asking

us to pray and fast with her that her parents hearts will be softened

and they will support her decision to be baptized. Maddy has such

great faith and I know as she acts on that faith Heavenly Father will

bless her! I believe her parents will come around to the idea of her

being baptized. I absolutely love her parents and we get along great!

On Friday after the lesson Maddys mom talked with us for awhile and

then started playing the piano and we all started singing Christmas

carols together about baby Jesus. It was a really neat experience.

Patience in the Lords timing.... They will someday come around.

So really cool story! Since brother Kappelman just went through the

temple last month,   Sister Kappelman thought it would be special

experience if they went back to do sealings together as a couple as

they prepare for their family to be sealed. Sister Kappelman said that

this is the first sealing session that both her and her husband had

ever been through... Here is the cool part. The family they were doing

proxy for had FOUR children named, "Niels, anders, annaclara, and

Soren." THOSE ARE THE EXACT NAMES OF THEIR CHILDREN. A coincidence?

Absolutely not. Brother Kappelman is into family history work and has

decided that before they are sealed as a family he wants to do his

mothers work so that they can all be sealed on the same day. I'm so

grateful for the blessings of the temple and the knowledge we can be

sealed together forever with our families! ❤️

Has some fun experiences tracting this week. On Saturday evening

sister Plomgren and I had about an hour before our dinner appointment

and I still needed to get 3,000 more steps to hit my daily goal... So

of course I recommended tracting to go and find some people. Sister

Plomgren seemed a little reluctant since... It was cold... And getting

dark... But being the super amazing companion that she is... She came

with me! So here we are walking down the street knockin on some

doors... Meeting people from all over the world, and no one wants to

talk to us. Which is sad, but it's okay we just sang some hymns and

tried to stay up beat. Well that lasted for a while longer... It

started to get dark... And we were cold and hungry and not to

mention... Tired. So I told sister Plomgren... Let's head back. She

wanted to stop by one last house, this time I was reluctant and may

have murmured a little. Sister Plomgren is awesome and she said, "when

you don't feel like doing it... That is when you know you must do it."

So we walked up to this door and knocked... A woman answered and we

introduced ourselves and asked to share an important message about

Jesus Christ with her family. She urgently welcomed us in. Sister

Plomgren and I both looked at each other... Thinking... Did this

really just happen? So she sat us down on her couch and gathered her

family. We told them about the restoration of the gospel and bore our

testimonies of Jesus Christ. Turns out they are content with their

current beliefs and religion... But it brought hope. Hope that their

are people who will be willing to listen to us and accept the glorious

message we have to share. That woman was a tender mercy of the Lord

for sister Plomgren and I. The Lord may not always give us exactly

what we ask for... But he will always place reminders of hope...

Little flecks of gold to remind us that he is there... Watching over

us.

I have a personal testimony of miracles.... There are so many miracles

that go unnoticed each and every day because we fail to acknowledge

them. I am on my last few chapters in the Book of Mormon and was

studying Moroni chapter 7. This is easily one of my favorite

chapters... Full of guidance and direction of how we can follow the

example and light Jesus Christ and how he answers prayers. As I was

studying verses 24-32 the phrase, "ministering of angels" stood out to

me. The lord says he will use the ministering of angels to bring forth

and "declare the word of Christ, unto the chosen vessels of the lord,

that they may bear testimony of him." I am a personal witness that the

ministering of angels is real and is one of the most important parts

of missionary work. I feel of gods uplifting love and power each and

every day, it as if angels are round about helping to bear the heavy

load. I testify, when we go through hard times, and it feels as if we

can go no further, the lord will bless and provide a way. My

ponderization scripture for the week was D&C 6:36 "look unto me in

every thought; doubt not, fear not."  Heavenly Father knows each and

everyone of his children individually. He loves us... So much that he

provided a plan of salvation made possible through the savior Jesus

Christ so that we May return to live with him again. I encourage each

of you to share HIS gospel. Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of

our faith. He is the atoner. It is his gospel because he paid the

price. What a privilege to be a missionary and declare this glorious

message. I know this is gods work. The feelings of inadequacy are

real. But the lord knows what he is doing... He always will provide

the way.

I love you all so much. I am grateful for the mercy of the Lord and

his love and patience for all of us. All things are made possible

through him!

Philippians 4:13

Love,

Sister Parke

P.s. Here are pictures of Magdalene's baby... Benjamin. Is he not the

CUUUUUTEST baby you have ever seen?!? He melted my heart. So so sad

that I can't hold a baby as a missionary! Her husband went to Ghana

the next 4 weeks so she is all alone here with no family with the

baby. Sad right? Sister Plomgren and I are going to spend all day with

her today for Pday! HE IS SO ADORABLE.