WEEK 102 "Just Hold on We're Goin Home"


WEEK 102 "Just Hold on We're Goin Home"

December 2, 2019

Hey everyone! 

Well this is it, my last email. So thanks to everyone who has kept up these past 2 years, I really have grown so much. 

The best part of the last week was the Baptism we had of Sara, we started working with her at the start of the transfer and it worked out perfect for her to be baptized in the last week! It was miraculous how she was able to leave smoking so easy, as I haven’t seen anyone leave it that fast I know God had a hand in that work. As well Sara's best friend Carina is an amazing recent convert who helped us and especially Sara out a lot. It was a great day and lots of people came to the baptism. I love the ward here in Seixal. I'm so happy I got to spend my last transfer here. I'll add a foto from the baptism below. Sara asked for a group of us to sing so we sung at her baptism while Elder Lehnhof played the violin and an Irmão from the ward played piano. 

I had my last interview with Presidente Fillmore and wow it was unreal. He knows so much and I learned some really important things from him that I will choose to keep marked down in my notebook. But as I was talking to him he asked me lots of questions and it was a very spiritual and great talk. One thing I realized about myself is that after my 2 years here I'm the exact same person... personality wise I'm never gonna change but I can see how the Lord enhanced me in every single way. So I'm the same person but I recognize how the Lord completely enhanced me. I'm so grateful for that, and I'm excited to be this better version of me back home in Calgary. 

The good part of the ward here threw me a huge surprise going home party. I wish I could have had more time to serve here but at the same time I trust that God had me there for the perfect amount of time. I loved every second serving here in Seixal, and there was always something to do every day. It was definitely the area in which I knocked the least amount of doors, and made my least amount of contacts, but we ALWAYS had appointments. It was crazy and I'll totally miss it. It was nice to stay busy to end my mission. 

I just want to point out that God is always teaching us because I feel I received an amazing answer I've been wanting for a while and it's on how to follow the still small voice of the holy spirit. Sometimes we may feel that we are not getting an answer at all, sometimes that is the best answer God can give. When we have done our part, and are following Christ's teachings we will gain knowledge of good. God will trust us sometimes to make the decision because he knows of the work and study we've put in to receive the answer. God put us here to learn for ourselves, he won’t give us a cup of water if we already have a cup of water in our hand, he will just let us be free to drink the water. Or in other words if we already have the answer why would he give us the answer, we just need to accept it and trust in the fact that he trusts in us. 

I was asked a question in front of a group of young people about my age who were wondering what happened to my faith since serving a mission and I'll say how I responded. Before my mission I wanted to believe and feel I did in the teachings of the gospel, and I did believe in what my parents had said and their conversions. But it wasn't until I decided to go out and DO it for myself, with a positive attitude believing in everything I was doing that I gained a real testimony for myself and I became a convert of my own. I'm not ashamed to say I am a member of A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias. I know it to be true and there's nothing more satisfying to me than the fact I was able to be given a testimony from God through my own works. Through my studies ever day for 2 years, through my service every day for 2 years, and for choosing to be positive and happy every day for 2 years. These 2 years changed my life, and were definitely the most rewarding 2 years of my life. 

I want to say thank you to my areas and all the members/recent converts living there
1. Braga
2. Carregado 
3. Porto 2
4. Santo André 
5. Queluz/Amadora 
6. Cacém 
7. Seixal 

I served in all the right areas for the perfect amount of time. 

Also I want to thank all of my missionary friends I made out here and especially my companions. I learned so much from every single one of them and I know they were necessary to help in my enhancement as a missionary. I saw how we were able to each other out and learn from each other. I can easily say I am still friends with every single one of them, and will miss them. 

1. Elder Andrew Webb 
2. Elder Bernardo Hernandez (2x)
3. Elder Trenton Baugh 
4. Elder Fernando Fajardo
5. Elder Simão Terra 
6. Elder Felipe Moreira 
7. Elder Dallin Jardine (2x)
8. Elder Jath Mansfield 
9. Elder Brennan Cloes (2x) 
10. Elder Waltir Neto Santos
11. Elder Addison Morris 
12. Elder Renan de Lima (2x) 
13. Elder Steven Lehnhof 

Love you guys. 

I love both of my mission Presidents, especially President Fillmore who I spent lots of time with, they helped shape me into who I am, and the way I look at the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will stay friends with them as I know they are men inspired by God. Their wives as well, especially Sister Fillmore has she helped me with a lot of things and was a mother to me out here for the past year and a half. I'll miss them. 

I have seen how the mission blesses those I love back home. I won’t expand but there are plenty of examples. 

I'm sad to be leaving the country but I understand my time came! I'm also excited for the next chapter of my life. I love this country and the people in it. I hope to return and visit those who I saw change their lives for the better. I'm glad for the inspiration God gave to me here as a missionary and the opportunity I had to be a tool in his hands. I'll miss wearing my missionary tag but I'll keep it where it can remind me who I am and where I've done through the power of God. I won’t forget about it. 

But now it's time to come home! Love you all and see you soon. 

Elder out. 

Mamba out. 

Batismo da Sara

Batismo da Monica (Last week)

Goodbye Party

My beloved son Elder Lehnhof 























Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WEEK 71 A Must Read Week

Image
WEEK 71 A Must Read Week April 29, 2019 Hey everyone! First of all, I'm still on the mission, I just haven't had the chance to send my weekly email through email as of recent. But if you wanna see my past weeks you can look up my name on  Blogspot.com  and I'm pretty sure you'll find them!  http://elderparkslayton.blogspot.com  Anyways this week is a must read as we had 2 baptisms, the mission president came to our area, and my Grandparents came and visited me here in Portugal... what a week, I'll just start it off right now.  23 de Abril, we had District Counsel in the morning and that was great! Our district is so awesome, freakin love the buds. We found this big spider in the church and Elder Cloes was all over catching and setting it free. But Elder Cloes was also feeling super sick during the day so we honestly didn't do a whole bunch other than our long car rides and getting some stuff to prepared for the Baptisms that we'll be having this ...
Read more

Week 99

Image
Week 99 November 11, 2019 Busy week but here are a few highlights: Elder Lehnhof  and  I found a bunch of people this week. I hurt my back mid-week, so I had to stay inside for two days.  We ate at some members' homes which is always great. The members do a good job of taking care of us.  Tomorrow is my last Zone Conference and that feels crazy.  I’ll be sharing my testimony and saying goodbye to a lot of people.  Things are going great with my companion, Elder Lehnhof.  No problems at all there.  Elder Layton parks.layton@missionary.org Elder Lehnhof
Read more

WEEK 100 "0-100 Real Quick"

Image
WEEK 100 "0-100 Real Quick" November 18, 2019 Hey everyone! Well I have officially made it into the triple digit column on weeks that I have been on my mission, and also for the first time in these past 100 weeks, or 700 days if you want, I got sick. I have never known what it would be like to be sick as a missionary, and I was super grateful for that... so this week was a new experience.  On theTuesday we had a Zone Conference, which was great. I love Presidente Fillmore, he always says the things that I need to hear and I've grown so close to him over the span of my mission. When you respect someone so much, everything they say is more inspiring, and you care to listen even more. I feel I have learned some amazing personality traits from him that I wish to continue developing. It was also my last Zone Conference which was pretty weird. I had the opportunity to bear my testimony along with 4 other Elders from my MTC district who are going home at the same time...
Read more

WEEK 97 Hello Seixal

Image
WEEK 97 Hello Seixal October 28, 2019 Hey everyone!  First week of the last transfer down and it was a crazy/weird week. I got my new comp Elder Lehnhof who is from Highland utah. He has the exact same amount of time on the mission as my little brother Blaze! It’s pretty fun for me to think about the face that I have the opportunity/honour to start off someone's mission and that people had prayed for Elder Lehnhof to get a good trainer just like I was praying for my brother to get a good trainer. I'm super motivated to work so hard and just keep grinding until the last day! And that's what I'm going to do! Elder Lenhof is super cool, and super motivated to work so it’s gonna be an unreal transfer.  Our area is called Seixal and it is absolutely unbelievable! We have eaten lunch and dinner with members every single night since we arrived here, which is unheard of, especially since we completely switched the Elders who were here and didn’t know anyone. I ...
Read more

WEEK 41 "Solid Week"

Image
WEEK 41 "Solid Week" October 1, 2018 Hey everyone! One more week until the next transfer! The time has been flyin! But life here is good, we've been doin our best and workin hard! This week I had an interview with President and it was so awesome, he's so chill! But yeah I'll start with the week!  25 de Set, we had a district counsel in the mornin and it went smoothly! But I was feeling sick the whole day, so I took some time to rest in the afternoon. Then we went back to work, I still felt sick but ya know, gotta work hard!  26 de Set, we went and visited Filipe in the morning. Ever since his baptism and meeting us he's been able to have so much more strength. He is epaleptic, and he has told us how much better he's been feeling as of lately! Then we went and worked, actually went up a little mountain and knocked doors on the side of the little mountain. Didn' work out too well, but it was worth a try! Then in the night we bumped int...
Read more

Week 37 "I won bowling by a landslide"

Image
Week 37 "I won bowling by a landslide" September 3, 2018 Hey everyone!! First of all we went bowling today with 2 elders, and 2 sisters and I won in bowling proving that Canada is the best. But anyways the week was unreal, Filipe was baptized and Elder Moreira is a freakin beauty. We only talk Portuguese but it's so fun. I'm helpin him with his English as well. He has sauce, not juice... (Only some of you will get that)  but yeah, this is gonna be a great transfer! It's weird being a District Leader, because now there's even more work I need to do now. But I'm really liking it because I can start to help other missionaries on a more personal level, and service and help is what life is all about!! Let's go into the week! 28 de Agosto, Said bye to my homie Elder Terra, we had a great 6 weeks! The new way for transfers is everyone goes to this one train station and waits for their new comp! In the process I saw one of my best homies out here Elder...
Read more

WEEK 67 RAFA

Image
WEEK 67 RAFA April 1, 2019 Hey Everyone!  the bigger version of this email will come later today, or next week! I'm pretty tired and don't know when I'll have time to fully write out a solid email!! So I'll just tell you about the baptism we had!! On Sunday after church we had a baptism!! Rafa got baptized and the day was just super great! She accepted everything so willingly and really showed she believes in what we're saying. The first time we taught her she started crying, the Spirit was so strong there. We continued teaching, and once we invited her to be baptized, she ran to the other room, screamed in a pillow, and then came back and responded, "Yes please". Seeing her faith, even at a considerably young age, was a great testimony builder. She was so happy the whole day! It was also Elder Cloes' first baptism! He was super excited and he didn't mess up at all when he said what he needed to say in Portuguese. I've really tried to f...
Read more

Week 23 - Um Outro Batismo em Braga

Image
Week 23  May 28, 2018 Hey everyone, another one down for your boy. Was an awesome week, I have learned to really excpect the weirdest things here... Especially here in Braga! But its the best here! This week was awesome, Rosa Maria was baptized. She is the mom of one of my great friends here, Sol Amor. But yeah, the mission life by now is feeling like my normal lifestyle now! May 22 - We had a facetime in the morning with a bunch of missionaries, and the mission president! Then we went out and worked. In one of the more sketchy areas. I saw lots of strange things, as well as a road full of police! Pretty interesting night! May 23 - In the morning Elder Baugh and I went and put up a little banner thing in downtown and just contacted people walking around explaining more about our church, and setting things up for later. Made a killer seafood salad for lunch. Then we went to church and Elder Baugh gave Rosa Maria the baptism interview! Following that we got a call from Se...
Read more