Memories and Meth

Friday is one of those days that's always kinda rough. The work starts slowing down before the weekend when the "normal" world gets all busy with weekend adventures, chores, and events, while we're in missionary bubble trying to get in contact with people, teach, serve, and not think about up-coming P-day too much.


Sooooooooo....what better way to mix it up than to prank your companion?

Sis B and I are always looking for a good laugh (hey, it's how we role;), so I decided to "make her day"......wink wink...... One word:

KOOLAID

Hmmmmmm........koolaid plus a shower head?......perfection.

Ten minutes before Sis B hopped in the shower, I went and sprinkled Koolaid in the shower head, screwed it back on, and then....of course.....acted all nonchelant walking out. I know....I'm a brat;)  

Five minutes later, I hear the shower go on and..........wait for it........then comes the peals of laughter and "Sister Parker!!!! You're SO dead!!" 

L.O.L.

Yea, that bout sums up our relationship.     #laughterluvrs     #4lyf

Later that week, we went to help Yung again.....HIGHLIGHT. of. the. week. She opens the door, smiling and waving, and then takes us by the hand to her back yard. She points to the water spout where water is leaking from the attached hose.

"LOOK! LOOK! Too much water! Come out! Not good!"

Getting the hunch that she wanted us to fix her leaky pipe, we went over with her to start fiddling with it. Sister Bishop started cranking the handle--the WRONG way--and sure enough, water starts spraying ALL over YUNG. 

Poor 90 year old woman gets water dripping from her glasses, streaming down her face, and splashed all over her clothes....and then turns to Sister Bishop t.o.t.a.l.l.y. speechless. Then out of the blue, she starts seizing with giggles. If vertically rolling in laughter is a thing....that's what she did. The cutest little high-pitched, almost totally-silent laughter, with her eyes squinted tight and her hand over her mouth.

DOLL

She she picks up the mop she was using as a cane and starts spanking us both with, "BAD GIRL! BAD GIRL!" all the time her little frame is shaking with laughter. We were laughing SO hard!! All the while back to her house, as we helped her in, she kept saying,

"Funny girls....you funny girls! So silly! Make me wet.....so funny!" 

Ah! Can't we take her home with us?? She's a gem for sure, and we always come away from visiting her with new laughs and good memories;)

When we visited her on the weekend, she introduced us to her upstairs "friend"/tenant. He walked in and introduced himself with, "Hey, nice to meet you. My name's BRIGHAM."

And you're not Mormon?!?  Boy do we have a religion for you........I've now officially met someone who's named Brigham and who's NOT Mormon...or even heard of Mormons for that reason.       #bucketlist       #check

He agreed to a Book of Mormon and said he'd give it a try........ Wait till he hears about Utah;)

We also got to help out with the $30,000 HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR PARTY...... no joke ......it cost that much to put on. C.R.A.Z.Y. Why didn't my high school have a senior party like that......#feelingjipped

The theme was reality TV so I got to re-live the pre-mish days while tapping up pictures of Ryan Seacrest, painting coral reefs for Shark Tank, writing word bubbles for hick Si, and getting covered in Honey Boo Boo glitter.

Twist my arm.....

The member of our ward who headed all the decorating was glad for our help, and we LOVED our time there......especially since we got to meet some awesome peeps....like probable-investigators peeps......can't get enough of those;)

This week we also met with James and his family for FHE!!! Ah! it was a B.L.A.S.T.!!  James is also a past uber-fancy chef.....so of course.....he made us dinner! Steamed mussles, bacon-wrapped asparagus, white rice and onions, scallops, and a.m.a.z.i.n.g. stake....yes...it was a lot of meat......good thing I have low iron;) hahaha! And for desert, he made red velvet brownies....mmmmmmlicious! Pics below......no worries;)

We've also found more people to teach because of our outdoor planning sesh last week. We met with one of the investigators just two days ago, and we'll see where that goes. We stopped by to visit him only to find that his roommates were higher than haystacks.      #crackhousestatus    #methathon     Good time for a word of wisdom lesson, I guess;)

Oh well, what are you going to do.

The other guys live next door to us, so we run into them a lot......(living right by your investigators REALLY has its perks;) and they're all slowly, but surely starting to show interest...... one by one.......getter done;)

We're seeing the Lord working through us daily, and teaching us how to improve and trust in Him more. The work's been a bit slow, but we're starting to see that the Lord has more in mind for us than what we can see right now.

A friend wrote me this week, and got me on a craving study on Christ' repeated invitation to "walk with him" in the scriptures. To me, that's one of the sweetest messages, especially for missionaries. 

Sometimes missionary work can seem like a lonely road. You're away from family, friends, hobbies, school, dating, and yes......twitter and pinterest.....but reading about the Savior's deeply personal invitation to all (esp his full-time servants), "Walk WITH me" opened my eyes to the power and comfort He extends.


We're not in this alone. 


EVER. As a missionary, you walk with Him--the most powerful and loving Being. It's His work. And you're His child.  His missionary.  His hands. 


Walk with Him. Take His hand.


"You let them know that when they struggle, when they are rejected, when they are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword. They are standing shoulder to shoulder with the best life this world has ever known. The only pure and perfect missionary that ever lived. They have every reason to stand tall and to be grateful that the Savior and Redeemer of the world knows all about their sorrows and their afflictions. And that for a moment or two in their lives, they will understand what He went through for them." (Elder Holland, at a Mission President's Seminar)

'

Onward and Upward,




Sister Anna Parker

post-part prep photo shoot:) #noshame

the james special..

mmmmmmmmm...

red velvet goodness