This time around it was ten times worse than norm. First off, the tensely-awaited text took FOREVER to be sent......
11am......1pm.......3pm.......
pm.....
"Ah! Finally!!"
"You will NOT be receiving a transfer call to tonight"
GLORY HALLELUJAH!!
Yea, well.....life's not that simple. 5 minutes later....
"You WILL be receiving a transfer call tonight"
WAIT, WHAT??
Way to kill that party. And instead, we start panicking. Only one thing left to do: frantically call the AP's and demand an explanation. Good plan.....until they don't answer their phone.
So we sit there, staring hopelessly at each other, wheels turning, palms sweating, tears forming, with NO idea what to think.
Then the phone buzzes again........half terrified we read the text: "Sorry about the confusion. this is the real thing: You will NOT be receiving a transfer call tonight."
GLORY HALLELUJAH!!!
But.....not so much. 5 short-lived minutes later.....
"The real deal: you WILL be receiving a transfer call tonight."
WHAT ON EARTH!? My life is a lie. After being mind-wracked and question-tortured, and TEN YEARS LATER......the assistants call to apologize for the confusion and to tell us we will NOT be getting transferred!!!!
That, people, is the only way this story could have ended well:)
So yea!!! I'm staying in North Shore 1 for at least 6 more weeks with 11 investigators, two on date for baptism, and with the best companion ever!
LIFE IS GOOD.
The only downer to transfers is that we have to move apartments because of some re-arranging conflicts. BLAH. So.....despite staying in the area, we're moving.........
JOY
We're actually downsizing from one of the largest apartments in the mission to one of the smallest. Oh well. Good thing Sister Teare and I have reached that point in our relationship........hello, close quarters. Hahaha!
(Btw, it's CRAZY how much stuff we girls collect in only a few short months:)
Have no fear, though. Sis Teare and I had quite the adventure this week with moving are now experienced in the process. We arranged for a couch that Yolanda didn't want any more to be given to Margaret our
other investigator (who's on date for baptism!!!!). Being the capable sisters we are ;) we were able to swap cars with the Chi 1 district leaders so....
I GOT A TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yep. My country-loving heart was BEYOND STOKED!!!! Driving that beauty was out. of. this. world.! Doesn't take much to make this cowgirl happy:)
Heads up, Chi-town, these girls done gone and got themselves a truck!!! Yehaw!
So anyways, after finally getting the heavy bulky couch out of Yolanda's house (oh, and we found out half way through the awkward process that it originally took 4 guys to move it IN......#sisterskillz!) and loaded into the truck.......and despite "compliments" from the construction guys across the street.......we
were on our way to deliver it an hour later. Whew. Best yet to come, though. After unloading the couch and getting it half way up two flights of stairs, we realized that it was too big to fit around the corner right before Margaret's apt.
OH SWEET MERCY.
Back out the door we go......all the way around to the back of the building, in a last attempt to get it up the somewhat wider back stairs. 20 pinched hands and fingers later, we managed to finally get that pain-in-the-neck mammoth couch into Margaret's apartment. All that work, effort, pain, and sweat though, was ALL worth seeing the happiness and gratitude on Margaret's face!! Service like that makes. my. DAY!!!!!
The only misery that day was having to give the truck back:( I just about cried. This is why Sis Teare and I need to be the first sister District leaders so we can drive the truck all the time! Haha! Jk:)
We were eventually able to go back and teach Margaret a lesson as well. She is such a sweet woman! She's had a lot of struggles lately and throughout her life, but it's incredible seeing the difference the gospel is making in her life. She's happier. She's hopeful. And she's at home!! The gospel is changing her life for the better! How lucky I am to be a part of it!!!!!!!
Abass is making great progress too!! We taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ this week, and watching his dark eyes sincerely watching us and listening to everything we say is absolutely p.r.i.c.e.l.e.s.s.! At the end of our lesson, Marie (his mom) said, "So, Abass, you think someday you'll teach this to other people? Be a missionary?" His answer sent happy chills all through me....."YES!" That beaming white smile and bright eyes of his was proof enough that he knows it's true and will be an incredible missionary one day!!
This week also consisted of the dreaded APARTMENT INSPECTIONS. duhn, duhn, duhn....
In the past, the senior sisters who inspect the apartments have showed up at least a half hour late so OF COURSE when Sis Teare and I decide to go all out and deep clean e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. they show up right
on time, with us still in our cleaning grubbies, no make-up on, and frantically trying to do last minute cleaning with them on our doorstep. At the end if the day, though, our apartment passed with flying colors. WHAAAAAAAAT:)
Last night, following our dinner appointment, we were about it go home to finish packing, when I felt a strong impression to visit a certain potential investigator, Dawon. We'd had difficulty getting a hold of
him since first running into him, so it seemed like a vain effort, but.....off we went. Sure enough, he was home!!!! He came down into the entry way to talk with us. We asked if he'd had a chance to read any of the Book of Mormon (which he was holding) and he said "Yea, I've read a little of it. Sorry, I haven't read much, but it want to keep reading." He stepped closer to show me his bookmarked page: CHAPTER TWENTY of 1ST NEPHI!!!!
Dude, you're doing great!!! Hahaha!
He's so sincere and curious......we've found an ELECT!! We're meeting with him this coming Saturday and he wants to come to church with us as well!!!! Does happiness like this exist anywhere else?!!? NOPE.
So, we're pressing on! Our mishaps for the week include accidentally leaving our cooking dinner in the oven while we ran out to a teach (luckily we didn't burn the complex down, only our kitchen. Just
kidding, mom:), me hobbling around for days after doing 100 calf raises during my morning workout (oh sweet soreness!), and being road bullied by a guy who saw me changing lanes in front of him as an attack on him, his family, and his dog. Narrowly escaped that one, thanks be to our personal Spiritual Security agents.
The joy to be experienced as a missionary is UNMATCHED! Yea, it's tough, yea it's long, yea it's tedious, yea it's demanding......but it is ALL WORTH IT!!! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't, in some way or another, count myself so blessed to be a missionary!!
I'm including an object lesson (re-drawn in my journal:) that our district leader shared with us on Wednesday. Hopefully it'll make sense, if not.......email me (I've gotta find you reasons to write me,
see?;)
I believe that it's lessons can apply to any aspect of our lives, when we are searching for greater peace and happiness. Let me know what you think!!!
I love you all!! Miss ya lots, and know that your prayers are felt out here!!!!
Onward and upward!
Sister Anna Parker
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| (Hope you can read my writing....and enjoy the hot pink and zebra border......my fav;) |
