What could possibly go wrong in a small sister missionary's apartment on a beautiful cold Saturday morning at 7:30am?
Oh yea.........that's right. Water pouring through the ceiling.
THAT'S A PROBLEM.
Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaa. And, of course, it happened to us.......only five days after moving in. Lucky us. Why, oh, why do things like this never happen to the elders!?
I was sitting on the couch, watching a Mormon message while my companion was showering, when I became aware of the sound of a steady stream of water. Except it wasn't coming from the shower.....it was
coming from the bedroom.
Uh.......RED FLAG.
Yup. It's amazing how fast I can get from the couch to the bedroom after a realization like that. First thing I see walking in......WATER POURING FROM THE CLOSET DOORWAY.
Soaked floor, wet clothes, oozing walls, and a sour stench.......that was the second thing I noted.
Well this is fun.
Out came the buckets, pots, towels, and even empty trash cans, all in an attempt to save our apartment from complete flooding. Eventually, we scurried upstairs to ask our neighbor to shut off his water, thinking it was coming from him. We soon found out that the water was coming from the 4TH FLOOR!!!! Apparently a pipe had burst since no one was currently occupying the apartment, and all three complexes below were seconds away from building their own arks and piling their families and pets on board!! (Hahaha! Oh gosh......I'm such a sister missionary! Can't help myself;)
We were told the apt management knew about the problem, and we headed back to our apartment a little uncomforted. After walking in the door, I went into the kitchen only to hear another sound of streaming water.
Frantically open the pantry door....NO!!!! Yes.
Water pouring out of our pantry. Soon it spread to our bedroom doorway and ceilings.....water dripping everywhere! Luckily, they managed to get the water shut off before the damage got anyworse.
HOLY HANNAH
Sooooooo.....we're still waiting to hear back from management on if our apt is going to get fixed, but until then, we've mopped up the mess and counted our blessings we don't live on the third floor:)
We also had our fair share of car incidents this week as well. Ahhhhhh....will I ever be free of those?? :)
One day, after walking to the library to do online proselyting, we were coming back and lo and behold, we find a set of keys lying in the middle of the sidewalk belonging to a sweet Mazda nearby.
Hmmmm......sooooo....wanna take a spin??
Hahaha! jk:) Instead, we left a note on the windshield saying we'd found his keys and left our number for him to call us (you guessed it...we wrote it on a mormon.org card......classic strategy:)
About 2 hours later, we got a call and met him outside to return the keys. He was clearly SO grateful and asked, "Is there anyway I can repay you?"
Well....there is one thing.......see this name badge here?.....
Haha! No, we told him we didn't need repaying, but we did say we'd love to meet with him sometime and share why we believe the way we do. He politely avoided that possibility, but instead gave us each a
hug.....awwwwwwkwwwward. Wasn't really a good counter-offer, but whatevs.
Our other car adventure....which was more like a nightmare...was having our engine die....AGAIN. Oh yea, and did I mention? It just HAD to happen while I was on exchanges with one of the Sister Trainer
Leaders.
AWKO TACO
And, what's even worse, my companion accidentally took our phone with her when she went with the other STL downtown. Well this is a fine kettle of fish. Soooooo.....only one thing left to do: walk down to
the public service building and beg for help. Here goes nothing.
We go in and explain our predicament. Same old answer: "we don't help with any auto-mechanic work" but......instead.....they call a police officer from the back (go figure.....the police dept is connected to the public service building. Great. Weekly encounter with the police....check.) to help us find a phone to use. After a million phone calls to different ward members, we FINALLY found one to come and jump us. Took forever, but after parking her car in the middle of the street behind us (there were parked cars on either side of our head-in parked car....just our luck), soliciting the help of two men, having to find longer jumper cables from a stranger, and 30 min of waiting for the engine to charge.......we finally had a running car.
What. A. Pain.
Oh, the joys of sister missionary life.
The rest of the week went pretty well, despite the bumps in the road......(hahaha...get it??:) Our online teaches are BOOMING!! We taught 6 online lessons and the numbers are growing daily! It's incredible being able to use this new form of technology to proselyte! The work is hastening!! One of our online investigators messaged me this week and said, "I want to become a full member of your church, but I just don't know how. Can you help me?"
LIKE YEA I CAN!!!
I'm SO stoked to teach him on FB! This is incredible! M.I.R.A.C.L.E.S.
We've also been back to teach Dawon! He's our favorite:) instead of waiting till we called him to set up an appointment, he texted us Friday and asked if we were still able to come over on Saturday. He then told us he'd spent the day sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and cleaning his apartment for us to come over. He also added, "I'll provide snacks for us too."
GET OUT. Best investigator e.v.e.r.!
Yea, we love him! We went over Saturday night, after multiple events threatened to interfere with our appointment (I was distinctly impressed that Satan was at work, determined to do whatever he could
to thwart our intent to teach him)! Luckily, we finally arrived without harm and sat down to teach him. We taught the restoration and the spirit was so strong as we bore witness of this gospel. He had lots of questions and was very engaged throughout and committed to read, pray, and ask God if it is true. We asked him if he believed God would give him an answer to his prayer and he said he did......good things to come, then! He also agreed to come to church with us the next day and sure enough (thanks to an awesome ward missionary who picked him up) he came for all three hours, dressed in a fancy pink silk shirt and tie, and smiling broadly the whole time!!! We CANNOT wait to see his testimony continue to grow!!! He's making progress!
We also had a total of 5 investigators at church this week!!! What?!?!?! It was absolutely AMAZING!! We had Margaret, Abass, Yolanda, and then randomly, totally out of the blue, one of our former investigators showed up at church after 5 months of no contact with us! Not only that, but he's agreed to start meeting with us again!
NO WAY!!!
We're super stoked. #toomanyblessings #unreal! \
The Lord is preparing people to receive this gospel.....the hastening is happening now!!!
Margaret and Abass continue to make progress! They're learning fast and the light of the gospel is starting to show in their eyes! Keep praying for our other investigators.....pray they start keeping commitments and see the value of this gospel.
The downer for the week was saying goodbye to three awesome missionaries who went home this transfer:( I hate goodbyes. They're the worst. I'm gonna miss Sister McCarrey, Elder Mansfield, and Elder
Poulson! They've been awesome examples to me!! My goal is it to be that kind of missionary for others.
The fun for the week included going bowling as a zone with Elder Mansfield our zone leader. He's a pro bowler (no joke.....like the real deal:) so we all got schooled. Hey, at least I broke my PR: 116.
Don't be hating.
We also discovered why our apt has been so unbelievably cold......one of our windows was broken and was popping out of the ledge whenever the wind blew outside, so yea.....we went a whole three nights with lows of -20 degrees with our window open!!
LETS GET REAL HERE
Hahaha! We solved that issue using every missionary's go-to fix-it-all problem-solver: DUCT TAPE. Camo duct tape at that. Soooooo....it's been a week of adventures, mishaps, and memories:) we're pressing
forward and looking upward!
I've been thinking a lot lately about missions and why I was called to serve. Why me? With so many weaknesses? Why is it that some are called to serve and others are not? What do I have to offer? As I got to thinking about what I'd tell someone considering serving a mission, I came up with a few thoughts:
EVERYONE is called to serve. It's just a matter of finding out for yourself what mission you've been called to serve. It may be a full-time mission, it may not. Whatever mission you've been called to serve, however, DO IT WELL. That's the only thing that matters. If a full-time mission is right for you, go! If not, find out what mission the Lord has in mind for you and.....again....go and do! NO ONE will ever regret serving the Lord.
No amount of preparation can completely prepare you for a mission. However, if the Lord has CALLED YOU to serve, He has PREPARED YOU to serve. Trust that all your life and spiritual experiences will prepare you for what your mission holds for you. Do your best to do everything you can to spiritually prepare, and then leave the rest to Him. Faith, trust, and a whole lot of "willing" dust, that's the key:)
If you were perfect, the Lord wouldn't ask you to serve a mission. The Lord needs imperfect people to do His great work, because those are the ones who rely on Him rather than themselves. A mission is meant to build and shape you, just as much as it's meant for those you teach. Your greatest convert on your mission, will be YOU!! Keep that it mind.
The Lord can change your heart and will, if you are willing. I struggled with my call to serve a mission. It was NOT easy by any means, accepting His will for me. To be honest, I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave the life I lived, I didn't want to give up all the comforts I knew, and I didn't want to take on a daunting task that I didn't feel capable of accomplishing. BUT.....He changed my heart. The day I said, "I'm scared. I'm afraid. I'm nervous. I'm weak. And I don't think I can do this. Please, change my heart. Give me the desire, the will, the want".......He did. It came slowly.....it's still coming slowly....but He's taking the wheel. If you don't want to go, if you feel like you're not good or strong enough to go.......know that He is, and He'll change your heart if you willingly put it into His hands. Accept His will, and let Him mold you to meet that will.
THIS WORK IS POWERFUL! THIS WORK IS TRUE!!
"No unhallowed hand can stop [it] from progressing"!!! Join the ranks! This work is on a roll, and it's not stopping! Keep up the fight, and choose the right!
Onward and upward,
Sister Anna Parker
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Cowgirls, Couches, and Converts-To-Be
Transfers. THEY DO THINGS TO YA.
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
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;) |
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Gettin' Back in the Groove of Things
Never been so glad the holidays are over in my. entire. life.!
'Cause......WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS!!
Seriously. Our town-skipping, family-visiting, vacation-taking, party-hunting investigators are finally back after disappearing to some dimension we obviously don't know about.
SNEAKY.
The past week started out really slow with people only barely getting back into town, but luckily, things started picking back up!
For about three months now (since my first transfer here) I've felt impressed to contact a certain PNI named Paris. I remember seeing her name on a list of people, and it jumped out at me. Over the last weeks and months, I've tried over and over again to get in touch with her and it's taken FOREVER, but we were finally able to set up an appointment with her this week!
After traipsing around in the snow and slush for over a half hour trying to find her apartment, we were turned around and a little annoyed. This random guy passed us as we were looking like lost little kids, and greeted us with "Hello, sisters."
Wait....did he just say "sisters"??
Sure enough. I spun back around and asked if he knew who we were. Turns out, he's a member from out of town, who served a mission in Salt Lake City and was visiting non-member family in the area for the holidays.
Fancy that.
We chatted for a bit and then he said, "Well, my sister (the one who lives in our area) isn't a member, but we're working on it, and when her time is right, I'll be sure to send her your way."
I'll take that as a maybe:)
It's crazy how the Lord works in mysterious ways to put people together and to plant seeds of faith! After that interaction, we easily found Paris' home (go figure) and no longer saw the previous mindless wandering as mindless happenstance:) #miraclesintheworks
We approached Paris' door, and after ringing, an African American woman came around the side of the house, and introduced herself as Paris:
"Hi, I'm Paris, I'll be with you guys in a minute, I'm just trying to get my dog back."
There are three things that can appropriately be know as the Triple Trouble--the 3 WORST distractions e.v.e.r.: phones, kids......and DOGS. Door approaches, Joseph Smith recitations, prayers, whole lessons, basically anything..........if there is any way for Satan to distract, he does it through those three things:
"Sorry, I don't have time right now......my kids just made a huge mess."
"Oh sorry, I gotta take this call....thanks anyways."
"Not right now....my dog's barking too loud and I can't hear you."
"I saw a pillar of light..." [phone starts ringing] "Gah! Seriously!?"
"What would it mean to you to know that God has called prophets again in our day?" [the four year-old smacks the baby and off goes mom mid-sentence]
No joke. Ev.e.r.y. time.......one of those distractions just HAS to come up. Oh frostbite. So....of course, when we heard the word "DOG".....we cringed.
Sure enough, we go around back with her to find her ROTTWEILER PUPPY bounding around the backyard like her tail was on fire, non stop frisking, running, darting, and dashing all over the lawn, street, and alley.
THIS IS GONNA TAKE F.O.R.E.V.E.R.
Just our luck. We tried for over a half hour calling, whistling, bribing, and chasing that dog, while Paris let forth every "choice" word to be said in her frustration with Lady Boss (no kidding....that was the dog's name:)
Just before restoring to calling animal control (that would have been our weekly interaction with the police:), we managed to get Lady chained and on a leash......the little devil.
Take that, Satan.
Luckily, we got to go inside and teach her the restoration. It was one of the most powerful restoration lessons I've ever taught! I could just feel the love Heavenly Father had for her and her son, little 4 year-old Chris. She's in a place where she's looking for a church where she feels comfortable and loved. CAN DO. We're anxious to see her progress and to help her come to the knowledge of this gospel!
We also got to teach Abbas and Margaret this week too!! And guess what???
THEY'RE BOTH ON DATE FOR BAPTISM FOR FEBRUARY 23rd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We could not be happier!!! Miracle moment: I was thinking about them before we taught them and when I considered when we should set their baptism date, the date February 23rd came so clearly to my mind. Turns out that's the exact same day Joseph (my brother currently serving in Samara Russia) set his investigator on date for!! Didn't know that till today!!
We're both going to be witnessing heaven's light that day, brother!!!
We've also had the chance to do service for members of our ward. This week, one night while praying, a certain sister in the ward came clearly to my mind with the direction, "Call her and offer to help her." A few days later we showed up to find that they are planning to move to Georgia, and a lot sooner than planned. Last minute, they decided to take a trip down to find a home, and we caught her at a time when she really needed our help. Obviously, Heavenly Father knew she'd be needing our help even before she or we did!! She commented, "How did you know to call me? I needed this help and the spirit must have told you! You're doing your job!"
That's the best compliment anyone could EVER give a missionary! Yay, we're doing something right! ;)
We ended up helping her pack up Christmas decorations and then despite previous "I'll call the police on you" threats, we decided to shovel their elderly neighbors driveway. Just as we started, it started raining.
JOY
But, despite shoveling thick and heavy snow, being soaking wet, and trying to shovel fast enough to stay warm, we were HAPPY! #servicewithasmile! Though perhaps cold on the outside, we were toasty warm on the inside:) Service is the best.
Speaking of weather.....ahem......on Monday and Tuesday of last week, it was colder here than it was at the South Pole.
GET. ON. OUR. LEVEL.
It was so cold that one of the elders here got frostbite after being out for only 5 minutes without a hat on!! Soooo......the weather quarantine lasted for both Monday and Tuesday which contributed to the slow start to our week. Blah. But, no worries.......today was 50 degrees!!! Bi-polar weather, what's a sister missionary to do?? Leggings, no leggings? Boots, or no boots? Hats, or no hats?
We girls need to know these things. #sismishprobs
Anywhoozies.....the other adventure we had this week was going over to one of the members homes at 6:30 am (do the math...yes we had to wake up earlier in order to get there.....#sacrifices:) to do the very important, highly addictive, majorly successful, extremely satisfying, and incredibly captivating
JILLIAN MICHAELS 30 DAY SHRED
AH......my gym doll genes were going ca-ra-zy!!! Hahaha! It just confirmed for Sister Teare how addicted I am to working out:) I LOVED it!! Being stuck in an apartment to work out at 6:30am in the middle of the winter gets old real fast......Jillian made everything better:)
#digginthesoreness
So last Sunday, one of the bishopric members asked me to speak in Sacrament Meeting, as the......wait for it........
Youth Speaker.
Ok, the last time I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting was at my farewell where I was told I was one of the "adult" speakers, "take 10-15 minutes," etc. etc. etc. and now I come out on my mission and am told I'm the youth speaker. How does that happen??
DEMOTED.
Hahaha! JK! I was glad to only take 5 minutes:) I spoke about the Plan of Salvation and it was precious being able to speak with 3 of our investigators in the audience.
#memberSpresent?
Later that day, Sis Teare and I got to witness Josh's ordination to the Priesthood as well!! Once again, just as at his baptism, my heart was filled with SO much joy and happiness!!! It's unbelievable how much joy you get to experience as a missionary seeing OTHERS become happier! Ah!!! #nothinglikeit
By the end of the prayer, Yolanda, Josh's mom, had tears streaming down her face and watching them hug afterwards was a very tender moment for all of us. This church is SO true!!! There is no greater joy to be found a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. on earth!!!!!!!
Miracle #3 for the day: right before Relief Society was about to begin, a woman who lived near our chapel walked in the back doors and said, "I'm from Korea. I've been going to Korean churches my whole life, but I'm looking for something else. I want to know what you Americans believe."
Talk about a fall-in-your-lap investigator!!! This woman practically walked into us to learn more! #blessingsfromabove
We got her contact info, and she said she'd be back next week in time for Sacrament Meeting!! We're seeing miracles happen out here, people!!
So.....despite battling sickness (again....blah:/), losing our phone in a snow bank at night and miraculously finding it again, accidentally stepping on a bat that fell from the sky right as I was walking (I was raumatized.....that crunch squish combination is going to give me nightmares for weeks!), and almost missing an entire zone conference because of a late-read text........we're keepin' it tight.
This week, my old companion and trainer, sent me a poem that had me bawling my eyes out by the end. No matter what stage of life we're in....be it missionary, student, parent,....anyone......He's been there before. NEVER forget that. He knows EXACTLY what it's like to suffer through your pain, your worry, your stress, your doubt, your fear. He knows. When no body else could possibly know what its like, He does! And He's not going anywhere--He's there for each of us during our longest darkest nights. Though this poem is specific to missionary life, it's message applies to everyone. (It's kinda long, but TOTALLY worth it: READ IT ALL!!)
He's Been There Before (By Elder Troy Whittle)
The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet
I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheets
A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?
It seems like just a second ago, I was able to shut my eyes
The morning activities follow- study, prayer and such
When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much
"We have a super day planned,"
My comp. says with a grin
I lowly utter a faithless breath,
"Yeah, if anyone lets us in."
With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street prepared to
Face another day of humidity and heat
It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through
My champion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do
We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot
Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "air Box"
We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete
The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet
It's past 10:30 p.m. My companion is fast asleep,
Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep
In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray
I need to talk to father, but I'm not sure what to say
"Oh, Father" I begin, "What happened to us today?
I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away
My hands, my aching hands- worn, hurt and beat;
If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street"
"Why on missions are the days so much alike?
The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike
Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me
I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes, it's very hard to see"
"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?
People always laugh at me, and call me stupid stuff
Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack
I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back"
"And what about my family: They don't have much to say
I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day
Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time?
Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind"
"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?"
The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see
Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do
That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you"
My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed
I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead
Sleep start to overtake me, I seem to drift away
Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day
I'm standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice
A man walks to wards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ"
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet
"Arise," He states, "Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak"
My attention's towards my Savior, total and complete
He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me
I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through
In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you"
"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you
At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do
I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet
Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds"
"I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate
I remember when I sweat blood from ev’ry pore, oh the agony was great!
I see you don't like your companion- you'd rather have someone else-
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth"
"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you
I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack
I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back"
"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day
I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way
It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see
I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
"We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see
I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me"
He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love
With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above
I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head
I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed
My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"
I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"
No matter what we go through,
When we feel we can't take more
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ,
He's been there before!
The church is true, and the book is blue!
Love ya all!!!
Onward and Upward,
Sister Anna Parker
'Cause......WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS!!
Seriously. Our town-skipping, family-visiting, vacation-taking, party-hunting investigators are finally back after disappearing to some dimension we obviously don't know about.
SNEAKY.
The past week started out really slow with people only barely getting back into town, but luckily, things started picking back up!
For about three months now (since my first transfer here) I've felt impressed to contact a certain PNI named Paris. I remember seeing her name on a list of people, and it jumped out at me. Over the last weeks and months, I've tried over and over again to get in touch with her and it's taken FOREVER, but we were finally able to set up an appointment with her this week!
After traipsing around in the snow and slush for over a half hour trying to find her apartment, we were turned around and a little annoyed. This random guy passed us as we were looking like lost little kids, and greeted us with "Hello, sisters."
Wait....did he just say "sisters"??
Sure enough. I spun back around and asked if he knew who we were. Turns out, he's a member from out of town, who served a mission in Salt Lake City and was visiting non-member family in the area for the holidays.
Fancy that.
We chatted for a bit and then he said, "Well, my sister (the one who lives in our area) isn't a member, but we're working on it, and when her time is right, I'll be sure to send her your way."
I'll take that as a maybe:)
It's crazy how the Lord works in mysterious ways to put people together and to plant seeds of faith! After that interaction, we easily found Paris' home (go figure) and no longer saw the previous mindless wandering as mindless happenstance:) #miraclesintheworks
We approached Paris' door, and after ringing, an African American woman came around the side of the house, and introduced herself as Paris:
"Hi, I'm Paris, I'll be with you guys in a minute, I'm just trying to get my dog back."
There are three things that can appropriately be know as the Triple Trouble--the 3 WORST distractions e.v.e.r.: phones, kids......and DOGS. Door approaches, Joseph Smith recitations, prayers, whole lessons, basically anything..........if there is any way for Satan to distract, he does it through those three things:
"Sorry, I don't have time right now......my kids just made a huge mess."
"Oh sorry, I gotta take this call....thanks anyways."
"Not right now....my dog's barking too loud and I can't hear you."
"I saw a pillar of light..." [phone starts ringing] "Gah! Seriously!?"
"What would it mean to you to know that God has called prophets again in our day?" [the four year-old smacks the baby and off goes mom mid-sentence]
No joke. Ev.e.r.y. time.......one of those distractions just HAS to come up. Oh frostbite. So....of course, when we heard the word "DOG".....we cringed.
Sure enough, we go around back with her to find her ROTTWEILER PUPPY bounding around the backyard like her tail was on fire, non stop frisking, running, darting, and dashing all over the lawn, street, and alley.
THIS IS GONNA TAKE F.O.R.E.V.E.R.
Just our luck. We tried for over a half hour calling, whistling, bribing, and chasing that dog, while Paris let forth every "choice" word to be said in her frustration with Lady Boss (no kidding....that was the dog's name:)
Just before restoring to calling animal control (that would have been our weekly interaction with the police:), we managed to get Lady chained and on a leash......the little devil.
Take that, Satan.
Luckily, we got to go inside and teach her the restoration. It was one of the most powerful restoration lessons I've ever taught! I could just feel the love Heavenly Father had for her and her son, little 4 year-old Chris. She's in a place where she's looking for a church where she feels comfortable and loved. CAN DO. We're anxious to see her progress and to help her come to the knowledge of this gospel!
We also got to teach Abbas and Margaret this week too!! And guess what???
THEY'RE BOTH ON DATE FOR BAPTISM FOR FEBRUARY 23rd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We could not be happier!!! Miracle moment: I was thinking about them before we taught them and when I considered when we should set their baptism date, the date February 23rd came so clearly to my mind. Turns out that's the exact same day Joseph (my brother currently serving in Samara Russia) set his investigator on date for!! Didn't know that till today!!
We're both going to be witnessing heaven's light that day, brother!!!
We've also had the chance to do service for members of our ward. This week, one night while praying, a certain sister in the ward came clearly to my mind with the direction, "Call her and offer to help her." A few days later we showed up to find that they are planning to move to Georgia, and a lot sooner than planned. Last minute, they decided to take a trip down to find a home, and we caught her at a time when she really needed our help. Obviously, Heavenly Father knew she'd be needing our help even before she or we did!! She commented, "How did you know to call me? I needed this help and the spirit must have told you! You're doing your job!"
That's the best compliment anyone could EVER give a missionary! Yay, we're doing something right! ;)
We ended up helping her pack up Christmas decorations and then despite previous "I'll call the police on you" threats, we decided to shovel their elderly neighbors driveway. Just as we started, it started raining.
JOY
But, despite shoveling thick and heavy snow, being soaking wet, and trying to shovel fast enough to stay warm, we were HAPPY! #servicewithasmile! Though perhaps cold on the outside, we were toasty warm on the inside:) Service is the best.
Speaking of weather.....ahem......on Monday and Tuesday of last week, it was colder here than it was at the South Pole.
GET. ON. OUR. LEVEL.
It was so cold that one of the elders here got frostbite after being out for only 5 minutes without a hat on!! Soooo......the weather quarantine lasted for both Monday and Tuesday which contributed to the slow start to our week. Blah. But, no worries.......today was 50 degrees!!! Bi-polar weather, what's a sister missionary to do?? Leggings, no leggings? Boots, or no boots? Hats, or no hats?
We girls need to know these things. #sismishprobs
Anywhoozies.....the other adventure we had this week was going over to one of the members homes at 6:30 am (do the math...yes we had to wake up earlier in order to get there.....#sacrifices:) to do the very important, highly addictive, majorly successful, extremely satisfying, and incredibly captivating
JILLIAN MICHAELS 30 DAY SHRED
AH......my gym doll genes were going ca-ra-zy!!! Hahaha! It just confirmed for Sister Teare how addicted I am to working out:) I LOVED it!! Being stuck in an apartment to work out at 6:30am in the middle of the winter gets old real fast......Jillian made everything better:)
#digginthesoreness
So last Sunday, one of the bishopric members asked me to speak in Sacrament Meeting, as the......wait for it........
Youth Speaker.
Ok, the last time I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting was at my farewell where I was told I was one of the "adult" speakers, "take 10-15 minutes," etc. etc. etc. and now I come out on my mission and am told I'm the youth speaker. How does that happen??
DEMOTED.
Hahaha! JK! I was glad to only take 5 minutes:) I spoke about the Plan of Salvation and it was precious being able to speak with 3 of our investigators in the audience.
#memberSpresent?
Later that day, Sis Teare and I got to witness Josh's ordination to the Priesthood as well!! Once again, just as at his baptism, my heart was filled with SO much joy and happiness!!! It's unbelievable how much joy you get to experience as a missionary seeing OTHERS become happier! Ah!!! #nothinglikeit
By the end of the prayer, Yolanda, Josh's mom, had tears streaming down her face and watching them hug afterwards was a very tender moment for all of us. This church is SO true!!! There is no greater joy to be found a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e. on earth!!!!!!!
Miracle #3 for the day: right before Relief Society was about to begin, a woman who lived near our chapel walked in the back doors and said, "I'm from Korea. I've been going to Korean churches my whole life, but I'm looking for something else. I want to know what you Americans believe."
Talk about a fall-in-your-lap investigator!!! This woman practically walked into us to learn more! #blessingsfromabove
We got her contact info, and she said she'd be back next week in time for Sacrament Meeting!! We're seeing miracles happen out here, people!!
So.....despite battling sickness (again....blah:/), losing our phone in a snow bank at night and miraculously finding it again, accidentally stepping on a bat that fell from the sky right as I was walking (I was raumatized.....that crunch squish combination is going to give me nightmares for weeks!), and almost missing an entire zone conference because of a late-read text........we're keepin' it tight.
This week, my old companion and trainer, sent me a poem that had me bawling my eyes out by the end. No matter what stage of life we're in....be it missionary, student, parent,....anyone......He's been there before. NEVER forget that. He knows EXACTLY what it's like to suffer through your pain, your worry, your stress, your doubt, your fear. He knows. When no body else could possibly know what its like, He does! And He's not going anywhere--He's there for each of us during our longest darkest nights. Though this poem is specific to missionary life, it's message applies to everyone. (It's kinda long, but TOTALLY worth it: READ IT ALL!!)
He's Been There Before (By Elder Troy Whittle)
The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet
I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheets
A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?
It seems like just a second ago, I was able to shut my eyes
The morning activities follow- study, prayer and such
When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much
"We have a super day planned,"
My comp. says with a grin
I lowly utter a faithless breath,
"Yeah, if anyone lets us in."
With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street prepared to
Face another day of humidity and heat
It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through
My champion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do
We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot
Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "air Box"
We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete
The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet
It's past 10:30 p.m. My companion is fast asleep,
Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep
In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray
I need to talk to father, but I'm not sure what to say
"Oh, Father" I begin, "What happened to us today?
I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away
My hands, my aching hands- worn, hurt and beat;
If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street"
"Why on missions are the days so much alike?
The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike
Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me
I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes, it's very hard to see"
"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?
People always laugh at me, and call me stupid stuff
Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack
I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back"
"And what about my family: They don't have much to say
I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day
Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time?
Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind"
"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?"
The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see
Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do
That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you"
My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed
I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead
Sleep start to overtake me, I seem to drift away
Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day
I'm standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice
A man walks to wards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ"
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet
"Arise," He states, "Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak"
My attention's towards my Savior, total and complete
He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me
I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through
In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you"
"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you
At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do
I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet
Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds"
"I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate
I remember when I sweat blood from ev’ry pore, oh the agony was great!
I see you don't like your companion- you'd rather have someone else-
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth"
"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you
I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack
I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back"
"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day
I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way
It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see
I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
"We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see
I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me"
He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love
With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above
I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head
I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed
My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"
I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"
No matter what we go through,
When we feel we can't take more
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ,
He's been there before!
The church is true, and the book is blue!
Love ya all!!!
Onward and Upward,
Sister Anna Parker
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