All You Need is LOVE

Thursday morning, our phone rang and we picked up the call from our zone leaders, "Hey sisters, how would you like to get a foster kid?"

*awkward silence and confused comp glances*

"......a mini missionary, sisters....a mini missionary." Oh that:) We hung up all jitters excitement because just two days before, I'd been telling Sis Green how much I'd love to host a mini missionary before the end of my mission. God answers prayers:)

The next day, we drove down to Chicago to pick her up and she spent the next two days with us! And it was AMAZING! We joked that it was like getting a new pet......we had to pick up her bed (an air mattress from a member), go shopping for her food, and we teased her about getting a new leash:).....I know...we're mean;). Elli, our mini, was a lot of fun, and we spent most of our time together sharing laughs and finding the fun in our work. 

And we WORKED! We had more teaching appointments in those two days, than the entire first half of the week combined! Our first night, we went over to a less-active's home to drop off some frozen meals, spent some time with the family, and then returned to our car. Right before we were about to drive away, a man came walking down the street, and the conversation in the car went as follows: 

"Whoa....that's a HUGE wad of cash he's carrying..."

"Oh gosh....I think that other guy saw it..."

"Wait....is he stopping to talk to him??"

"Oh my gosh...are those....??"

And then our mini yells,"Oh my gosh! It's a DRUG DEAL!!!! Drive! Drive! Drive! Oh gosh....don't make eye contact! Oh gosh...I just made eye contact! AH! He saw me!! Guys!!"

Sis Green and I couldn't stop laughing!! Man.....it was by far one of the BEST moments of that exchange:) We were half a block down the street before she stopped gripping the back of my seat and ended up laughing along with us!! hahaha! 

Welcome to Chicago.......

The actual highlight of our week, though, was our lesson with the Villegas family. The father and his brother are members, though the wife isn't and we decided to stop by to get to know them better and invite them to church. Our initial visit went well and they invited us to come back the next day to do a "refreshers course" on the gospel for them since they readily admitted that they've drifted far off the path. 

When we came back the next day, we shared the Plan of Salvation with them, and they asked a lot of questions (including REALLY deep questions like "is there progression or repentance within the three kingdoms of glory?"). We did our best to give them answers, and ultimately the spirit took over and they began opening up to us about their desire to return, to find relief from guilt, shame, and the results of sin, and to find peace--true and lasting peace--in their lives. It was one of those moments where my heart just ached for them.

Here we were, sitting a smoke and weed-stenched room, across from two men with multiple piercings and gages and a woman stamped with tattoos, with beer and alcohol bottles on the floor, and yet I LOVED it. I loved them. The look in their eyes as they asked, "Can God really take away my sin?" was a look I will NEVER forget! Everything in me just wanted to take away that pain, and the love that came into my heart from Him, I wished more than anything that I could somehow convey to them. 

I took the opportunity to look straight back into their eyes, and promise them that God had His hand outstretched to them still. I promised them that they could become clean again, find peace of mind, and return to Him and be welcomed back into His arms. Ricardo, the brother, sat there with his brows furrowed, but after I'd finished testifying to him, he sat there for a few moments and then responded, "I believe you."

We got back to the car after that lesson and just looked at each other, smiling. That was one of those lessons where you know that the spirit was there, and that they felt it. I knew that they were touched. The Spirit had witnessed to them, and though perhaps small, they'd taken a step to come closer to Him. AHHH!!! This gospel is SO true.....and it is SO badly needed in the lives of EVERY ONE of God's children!! I was filled with gratitude that night as I knelt to pray, for the opportunity to bring His message of peace, hope, and love to the Villegas family and ultimately to every person I meet!! It's just like the white handbook reads, 

"How great is [our] call!" 

The rest of our week consisted of NOT staying up until 12am on New Years Eve (I second what a zone leader once told me: "late nights are for losers...at least on the mission"......yep, that's our excuse:), painting a 78 year old woman's nails for service, being out-numbered in a game of teenage mutant ninja turtles with three little boys in the ward and coming home with multiple bruises (it's ok though... it was totally worth it;), challenging another investigator to baptism and her ACCEPTING our invitation(!!!), and dropping more cookies off at fire departments where the guys ask, "Yea, can we get a stack of your cards? We'll give them out to the whole house!" 

Well, I guess:)

(And then they gave us a tour of the entire station.....and accepted the invitation to visit mormon.org.......but that's another story:)

All in all, it's been a good week! The Lord is definitely blessing us and we're seeing His hand in our lives daily! Thanks for your prayers and love! Till next week!!

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

(and here's pictures as promised....you're welcome:)

(some of these are old....but better late than never, right??)

Christmas packages waiting to be opened!!

Santa socks from the Green family:)

Christmas selfies.....don't ask me what my companion's doing:) lolz

caroling at the Kris Kringle market......ok at this point we're actually NOT singing,.......we're taking selfies, but it's whatevs:)

photo break from singing

Christmas with Sis Silski!! We put together mini cardboard chapels......that's how we Christmas;)

Our FOSTER KID!!!! (a.k.a. Elli, our mini missionary:)

Yep....we made it a special occasion and made crepes, bacon, and eggs.......#domesticpride

How to School Satan

"30 pounds of cookie dough!"

Our investigator placed a massive pan piled high with cookie dough in my arms and sent me off to the kitchen table with half a dozen cookie cutters and enough wax paper to wrap a mummy, before flipping on Beyonce Christmas and dancing out of the room.

Mmmmmkkkkkkkkk.

We'd asked our investigator to "help" us make cookies to give out to ward members, people in need, and some friends for Christmas, in hopes that we could spend some "quality time" together and warm her heart with some service. 5 hours, 30 pounds of dough, WAY too much "sampling" of the goodies, and a whole sink full of dirty dishes later.....we sat down in front of almost 150 cookies, ready to then be decorated. 

Our investigator picked up the first cookie, started drizzling on the icing, and then announced, "And, girls, the fun doesn't end here! We still have the cheesecakes, the cake pops, and the brownies to make after this!" 

My stomach just about FLOPPED. 

Luckily, we'd arranged to go caroling as a district that evening, so we were "forced" to cut out early, but not before we'd loaded our entire trunk full of cookie bags.....AND our investigator proved that night that she'd make a GREAT RS Compassionate Service Coordinator. All we have to do is get her baptized now.... ;)

Speaking of caroling, we all went out that night, chose a member to visit, and then decided to carol to a few of their neighbors as well. We grabbed cookie bags and then hit up their neighbors across the street. We began singing, and after a LONG wait, an older woman came to the door. She waited till we'd finished a rather rough verse of "Hark the Herald Angel Sing," before opening the screen door and snapping, "Who are you?!" Sis Green extended the bag of cookies and said we were just wanting to bring some Christmas cheer and asked if she'd like some cookies. The woman retorted, "Nope! Can't have them!! I'm not interested! I suppose you guys think you're pretty....pretty....  what's the word you all use now days?? 'Awesome'....yea, awesome. All that means is that you think you know everything.....and you don't. So no, I'm not interested! And that goes for your singing too!" and slammed the door (which....I should mention, had a bright red banner reading "JOY" hanging across the front.....I'm confused;). 

.....Well....Merry Christmas anyways....

We all walked away kinda stunned, not sure if we should laugh or cry. Instead we just visited house after house until an adorable African American couple opened their door, came outside, and started singing along, swaying, and praising God (Baptist style:), till we'd finished our performance and then gave us an enthusiastic applause. AND....they actually took the cookies:)

>>Fist-bump<<

Christmas was another adventure:) On Sunday, the widow in our ward who was going to host us Christmas day, came up and introduced herself to me, and then added, "Oh...and did Sis Green tell you?? We're going to have a jammy party on Christmas Day!"

.....I'm sorry, what??.....

She continued, "I'm 76 years old....and I've never had a jammy party....so on Christmas Day, be sure to wear your best jammies, because we're going to make a day of it, ok??"

Yep. On Christmas Day, I had a "jammy" party with a 76 year old:)! hahaha! It was unforgettable to say the least! She was so grateful, though, to have us over since this is her first Christmas as a widow and it was so rewarding to see the impact it made on her holiday. I really did feel like we were serving the Lord that day, as we sat there and she shared pictures and stories with us about her life, her late husband, and her family. 

We also got to SKYPE HOME!!! AH!!!! It's still SO weird to think that the next time I see them, I'll be walking off the plane (as an oh, so awkward RM:)!! I was already awkward enough over Skype.....especially when meeting the new in-laws:) Yea, sorry Zach and Rachel....I'll try and make up for it in person;) hahahah! It really was SO good to see everyone's faces and to reconnect, though. I miss family a lot out here, so Christmas Day and Mother's Day mean the world to me:) love you fam!! 3 months....3 months!!

The Lord's also been blessing us with people to teach this week as well. On Monday, as we were sitting in Panera writing friends and family, one of the waiters came up to clear our table, and as he turned to go, he read my name tag. "Sister?? Are you from a church or something??"

That's our cue.

We told him who we were, and started giving him a brief explanation of what we believed and why we were out serving as missionaries. He'd listen for a little bit, then excuse himself to go back to work, then he'd come back ten minutes later and ask more questions, and back and forth until finally, we asked him if we could meet sometime to talk about religion. He agreed, gave us his phone number, and accepted a Book of Mormon. I'm now a firm believer in Panera. That's the second investigator I've found on my mission by eating at Panera:) We're meeting with him this week, and praying that he accepts the invitation to be baptized!!

Our other....unique.....lesson of the week was with our investigator, Norine. She's a hoot:) She's around 50 yrs old, has fiery hot pink hair, and when I first met her, she went off for over 15 minutes about her recent appearance on Judge Judy where she sued her granddaughter......and won:)

Yeeeeaaaaa;)

We finally got to the lesson portion of our visit, where we'd planned on showing her the Restoration DVD. We started by introducing her to various scriptures in the Bible (her father was a Baptist minister so she knows her Bible well) that prophecy about the restoration of the gospel. We hadn't gone far, when we heard moans and rustling noises coming from the nearby bedroom. The door was open and we could see the foot of the bed, where a man was lying. Then, almost out of nowhere, we heard him turn over and start violently puking off the side of the bed into a trash can. 

Sis Green and I just looked at each other, tried to focus again, and continued, until Norine yelled into the other room,"Willie!!! You wanna go to the hospital?!?!" We just sat there awkwardly while he brushed her off, and she turned back to us with, "That's my brother-in-law. He's REALLY sick, girls. Sorry.....continue..."

.......Ummmmm.....ok......

We managed to get past the scriptures and introduced the video. She popped it in and pretty soon the First Vision scene was starting. I swear.....Satan does E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. he can to ruin that moment....and therefore, disrupt the spirit. Kids getting hurt, pets making noise, the phone ringing, gunshots firing outside, spouses barging in, the fire alarm going off.....yep, seen it all. It's actually an unusual experience to have the First Vision read, recited, or watched without something--anything--in someway or another becoming a distraction. THIS time around, though....it was a whole new ballpark. The closer the "humble kneeling, sweet appealing" moment got, the harder I started praying for 3 minutes.....just 3 minutes....of break time before the hurling began again. 

BUT.....that didn't happen.

RIGHT before the heavens opened, Willie's stomach decided to do so first. Just as the Mo Tab started swelling, so did his dinner from the night before,  and it was by NO means quiet. Sis Green and I just sat there praying for divine intervention and trying our best to focus on Norine and the movie. Norine, without breaking focus on the screen, but clearly aware of the background bedroom noises, picked up the remote and FLOORED the + volume button. 

That brought back the spirit soon enough....the whole complex probably heard it:) hahaha! 

Whatever works, right?? Sis Green and I are still getting lots of laughs over that one:) By the end of the film, Willie had rolled over, and we enjoyed the last 10 minutes of our visit without distractions, as we asked her, "Do you think a boy--Joseph Smith--could have been visited by God and Jesus Christ?"

She thought about it for a moment, and then smiling, responded, "Absolutely! God can do anything!!"

Satan......SCHOOLED.

Sis Green and I definitely walked away from that visit, with a firm testimony of the Spirit's ability to testify......despite all odds:)! Norine was touched by our message and agreed to come to church, read from the Book of Mormon, and pray about it's truthfulness!! 

The work is working:) Our area is difficult, but Sis Green and I are setting goals and making plans to find and teach more. We're enjoying the companionship of the Spirit on a daily basis, and it is carrying us through. This week of Christmas prompted me to reflect on the gift of my Savior, as the feelings of loneliness and homesickness became harder to ward off. As I thought about Him, His birth, and the lonely circumstances in which He was born and lived, I was reminded again that He knows my situation and my struggles perfectly. The scripture in Moses 6:34, where the Lord beckons, "Walk with me" came to my mind as I laid in bed Christmas Eve, missing home and family. 

I've felt Him extending that invitation to me many times this week, as I've allowed my thoughts and feelings to drift inward. He's reminded me to walk with Him....and in doing so, I find myself turning outward. And it is such a sweeter experience! I truly do have the opportunity and blessing every day of my mission life, and beyond, to walk with Him as I choose to walk the path He wants me to walk. It requires effort and sacrifice, but I see evidence of His appreciation and love all around me as I do so. It is rewarding! And the relationship I'm developing with Him because of it.....I wouldn't trade for the world!

Onward and upward,

Sis Anna Parker 

(pics to come soon........these library computers won't let me upload:/)

Staying Alive

Bishop got up in sacrament meeting yesterday, and announced, "Brothers and sisters, just as a reminder, starting at the beginning of January, our meeting time will change from 1pm to 9am with leadership meetings being held before church."

*you've got to be kidding me*

I knew it. I knew this was going to happen....I'd get transferred from a ward that met at 9am to a ward that met in the afternoon, just to have it changed at the beginning of the year back to 9am. Called it:) I guess I'll never get my wish of being able to "sleep in" till 6:30 on Sundays, so in the mean time, I'll just appreciate the fact that I'm an early bird:)

This week has left me brain fried and bone tired, but I made it:) Leaving Buffalo Grove was one of the hardest things I've ever done on my mission. I cried myself to sleep that last night, feeling like my heart was breaking and wishing more than anything that I could just stop time and never leave. But, the Lord has a plan and with that plan He gives us the strength to overcome and achieve. I've felt Him so near--SO near--as I've taken every day since leaving BG, one step at a time.

I still miss it. I can't see an Oregon ducks bumper sticker without thinking of the O'Briens. I can't drive past Harding st. without thinking of the Kumars. I can't hear a Georgian accent (or visit the hospital:) without thinking of the Robisons. I can't pass Bass Pro Shops without thinking of the Kuffers. I can't notice Taco Bell without hoping for a reunion with the Eyres. And when we were at the mission home this week, and President Woodbury offered me an "amazing Austrian cookie from the Lex's," I just about cried.

Those members, those investigators, those people.....they have my heart! And it hurts to be so far from them. I wondered as I sat in church yesterday, surrounded by people I didn't know and who didn't know me and feeling sorry for myself, how I'd ever be able to let go of my old area, those relationships, those memories and to move on. Almost immediately, the spirit reminded me of a letter Pres Woodbury had written to the missionaries a short while ago. He wrote about receiving a new heart from the Lord (Ezekiel 36:26) as we turn over our hearts to Him: "He will give it back to you new and refreshed, full of hope for good things to come and full of love for Him and all mankind."

I realized in that moment that I didn't need to forget.....I didn't need to forget those people I loved, those memories I cherished, or those relationships I'd formed. Those will always be close to my heart. All He asks of me now is to continue to love even more. That loves never runs out, and I DO have more to give, because He'll fill my heart with love for these new people as I strive to be His hands here in Westchester.

*Keep Calm. Love On*

That's what I'll do:)

This area is a 180 from Buffalo Grove. I'm back to buzzing buzzer boards, smelling weed in almost every apartment complex we visit, ignoring the cat calls and whistles while walking the streets as the only two white girls around, and....of course....life isn't complete in Chicago without getting honked at every time we change lanes or the light turns green.

>>TBT to the Evanston days<<

We're having fun though...and every day is an adventure......like when the elders texted us Saturday evening asking us if we could go to the church building THAT night and find a baptismal dress for their investigator who was getting baptized the NEXT day. Nothing quite like cramming at the last minute, elders:) So we naturally head over there, and Sis Green goes to open the baptismal closet only to find that it's locked. Well....only one thing to do. While Sis Green starts scrolling through the phone to locate someone to open the closet for us...

.....I pulled a credit card out of my wallet.......

Hey, ya gotta do whatchya gotta do sometimes:) I explained to Sis Green later that at college, it was easier for me to pull my student ID out of my pocket when I got back to my apartment than to go digging for my keys in my dark abyss of a backpack. Sooooooo....i got pretty good at the push-and-slide technique. You never know when stuff like that is going to come in handy.....just saying:)

AND...the elders' investigator had her outfit pressed and ready for her by the next morning.

Mission accomplished. hahaha!

On Wednesday, we were invited to gather as a zone downtown at the Kris Kringle market to carol and give out hot chocolate. After an hour of driving and another half hour of trying to find a parking spot, we finally started off on foot to walk about a quarter mile to where our zone was caroling. Before we'd gone very far though, we stopped in at a CVS to use the restroom, but before we'd even made it to the back of the store, a man bumped into us, saw our name tags and said, "Mormons!" We were a bit surprised, but told him that's who we were to which he responded, "I need to talk to you."

Well ok....

He escorted us out into the metra food court and sat us down at a table. Then, for over an hour he talked and talked and talked.....all about his life, serving in the Vietnam war, his struggle with PTSD, giving us life advice (including how NOT to "run off after our missions and marry the first guy we meet":), his relationship with God, and a million other topics (not the least of which was his view on physical fitness, how "beautiful and angelic" our faces were, the ingratitude of younger generation "yuppies," and the corrupt politicians of America). In any other circumstance, I'd have been totally creeped out, eyeing the closest exit, and possibly speed dialing the elders. However, as we sat there with him, the spirit prompted, "Just listen."

Our zone was waiting for us, we were already half an hour late, and it was getting dark, but the spirit spoke, so we sat there. Honestly, I couldn't take my eyes off him; I was totally intrigued by this perfect stranger sitting in front of me, telling me all about his life and struggles. He fascinated me, and though we didn't say hardly two words during the whole hour we "visited" with him, I knew that's where we were supposed to be. He began wrapping up, talking about how he was haunted every night by the memories of his time in Vietnam. His eyes clouded as he told us he'd wake up in cold sweats, see the faces of those he had been forced to kill, and hear Vietnamese phrases screaming in his dreams. "But, he said, there's nothing you or I can do about it. I've asked God to take it from me and He hasn't......so that's the way it is."

Immediately, the spirit spoke directly to my mind, "PROMISE him, right now, that his PTSD will be taken from him if he reads the Book of Mormon and pursues this course." I was taken off guard. I've always wanted to have an experience on my mission where the spirit directed me to promise a specific and....let's be honest....impressive…blessing to an individual. However, when the prompting came, I instinctively questioned it. "I don't know the ins and outs of PTSD. If doctors and psychologists can't help him, how am I supposed to make this promise to him?? I don't want to get his hopes up. Maybe this prompting isn't from the spirit, it's just wishful thinking."

But that prompting kept coming and coming, until I KNEW that it was undeniably given by the spirit. I finally spoke up, "Dave, you said just a moment ago that we couldn't do anything for you....and to a point that's true. But I KNOW that your Savior, Jesus Christ can and will." I testified to him of the divine mission of Christ to administer to those in need, and to save us from our pain and suffering. Then, I extended a Book of Mormon to him and said, "As messengers of Him, I can I promise you that if you read this book....and follow its teachings and continue to progress towards Him...your PTSD will be alleviated."

I'm sure my companion was a bit shocked, but once the words left my mouth, I knew they were meant to be said. He just looked at me for a second, his eyes bloodshot and teary....and then said, "I'll give you my word, I'll read it tonight." Before he walked away from us that night, he told us, "I can't tell you enough what this has meant to me." We hadn't solved all his problems, given him every answer to all his questions, or even taught him earth-shattering doctrine.....but we had LISTENED. We'd loved. And through the spirit, we'd promised him a blessing that only God could give.

I walked away from that conversation, so deeply grateful to the Lord for giving me the opportunity to be His servant.....His messenger....to a man who needed two young girls to just listen. It took an hour long drive into the city, a half hour of driving in circles to find parking, and a quarter mile walk on foot, for the spirit to bring us to him.....but he did. And there's no better feeling than knowing you were in the right place at the right time, for the one person that needed you. How grateful I am that I was the one given that incredible opportunity!

   

The rest of our week consisted of an amazing (and much-needed) trip to the temple, a Christmas lunch and uplifting devotional at the mission home, a beautiful blessing and interview with President Woodbury, and a lot of introductions to investigators, members, and ward leadership.

I'm exhausted. But I'm alive:)

Quick health update: all the tests are in, and still no answers. After a lot of prayer, I've felt that the Lord's will for me is that I endure these challenges for these last few months I have left. It's frustrating to not feel at my best all the time, especially when all I want is to go fast and hard till the end, but the Lord has a plan, and for now, I'm putting it in His hands. I've decided to put further tests and doctors appointments on hold until I'm back home, and to instead just take it a day at a time, trusting in His strength to pull me through:)

Thank you for your love and prayers! They work miracles out here!! This work is hard and demanding, but it is oh, so rewarding!

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

i saw santa in his.....honda..... #theregoesmychildhoodfantasy

our missionary christmas tree:)

TEMPLE!!!!

Take It Away

Take aways from the week:

- My birthday is in two weeks

- Apple released the iPhone 6......without me

- It is SO wrong for temperatures to be in the 30's in September

- My companion told me I "laugh WAY too much in my sleep"

- Living across the street from the High School during football
season is t.o.r.t.u.r.e.  #sportsjunkie

- Now that I'm past my year mark, multiple ward members are setting me
up with post-mish "potentials".....like the eternal type....YIKES.

--- CHRISTMAS IS IN 100 DAYS!!!!!! i. can. not. wait.---

So we showed up at a member’s house this week to help her prep for a birthday party she was having for her son, and she asks us to take food to the tables. We take the pans of tamales, fajitas, and tortillas (yep…it was a Hispanic partay) down to the serving table, and then her non-member daughter in law hands us two lighters and tells us to light the under-pan oil burners to keep the food warm.

Shouldn’t be too hard, right??

That is….unless you’ve never smoked a cigarette in your life and therefore have had no need to use a lighter. THAT was awkward. #mormonstatus

After several epic fails, trying to spin, click, and spark with no success….we finally had to ask her to show us how to do it with, "well....we clearly don't smoke...."     Yeeeeeeaaaaaa. 

Moving on……

The only thing less sacred to a missionary than their testimony and the gospel is SLEEP. Staying up till 1 or 2am at college and then waking up at 6 to go to class was somehow WAY easier than going to bed as a missionary at 10:30pm and waking up at 6:30am. SOML.

First off, we got asked to teach D&C 4 in seminary this week (which meant getting up at 5am......not gonna lie....I don't miss those blurry-eyed and sub-degree weather days;). We had a blast with the
youth though! And then I realized that I was like 5 years older than them......#feelingancient #tbt

Then we had the first (and maybe only) mission-wide conference with Elder Hamula visiting from the 70!! We got up at4:30am and carpooled down to Wilmette (yea...my old area!!) and we showed up just as early morning seminary was getting out. AND guess who was there????

ABASS!!!

Ah!! I have missed him SO much and my heart was SO happy when I saw him for the first time since I left 5 months ago!! He came out of the classroom and both of our faces LIT UP!!! AH! He's growing so strong in the gospel and told me, "I'm going to serve a mission!!!" There is nothing in the world that could've made me happier than to hear him say that! He's apparently studying Preach My Gospel and going out
teaching and serving with the elders in the ward! AH!! #immaproudmama

After he left for school, we all (like ALL the missionaries in the mission....all 200+ of us) filed into the chapel for our meeting. And THEN.....Sis Bishop walked in!!! Oh. my. gosh.! We went screeeeeeaming at
each other, laughing and just about crying, and hugged more times in 4 minutes than we did in the 4 months we were together! haha! Gosh, I miss that girl!!!! It was SO good being back together again!

If that reunion is anything like heaven's going to be.....I'm all in.

The conference went really well....we got called to repentance to have more faith, reach our goals, and improve ourselves....and lez just say, we're "recommitted!" I'm excited to see the change in myself and
the mission now!

After that 6 hour meeting, we then all carpooled down to another meeting in Hyde Park (yep.....south side……whaaaaat:) for investigators, less-actives, recent converts, and their missionaries. All of our peeps from Buffalo Grove cancelled on us, but we still got to attend the meeting. Before it started, though, we had half an hour to kill so we decided to go contacting near the chapel and pull people in off the streets. It seemed like a long shot, but we went for it. The first two or three people turned us down, but then we got a woman who unexpectedly and readily accepted our invitation!!! MIRACLE. The rest of the people we contacted brushed us off with, "no thanks ladies....we drink, we smoke, we fornicate, we cheat...."

*blink blink*

ok ok didn't need to know that......

So anyways......the meeting went really well and the testimonies of the converts who shared their stories were phenomenal!! (Gosh I just love being a member of this church:). We finished the day on a spiritual high and then drove home late, getting back to the apartment at 11pm......#legalrebels:) 

more lost sleep.....but so worth it!


We also went on exchanges this week and I got to be with Sis Michelson who came out with me....and gosh, I love that girl!!! Our day together was a B.L.A.S.T. and it was so good to be able learn from and relate to each other! The night of our exchange, we offered to cook dinner for a member of our ward, so I decided to make thai coconut chicken (a Parker family favorite.....SO bad for you but oh SO good:).

We had to run out and get cream of coconut which.....turns out.....is used as a margarita mixer SOOOOO.....we had to go to the wine ROOM (yea.....of all the grocery stores we could have picked to go to ..... we happened to end up at the one with one of the biggest wine rooms......#smooth) where......they even have "wine specialists" walking around helping customers select wines.

joy

We tried using hair, purse straps, and hands to cover our tags while dodging around isles avoiding the wine specialists and frantically looking for the cream of coconut. Yea.....all those rounds of lazer tag in high school....they payed off. We finally found it, and managed to slip around corners till we were out of the wine isles........

#ninjmormons    #missionpossible



That same day, we got a call from one of the office missionaries, telling us that we'd been "prayerfully selected" to be personally interviewed by Elder Hamula.

GULP.

Suuuuure…..no problem. That's not nerve-wracking at all.

YIKES.

Sis Carroll and I spent the next two days sweating bullets, not sure what to expect, until we finally got into our interviews and realized just how special this opportunity was. It was incredible being there with such a powerful servant of God, just talking with him about our missions and getting to ask him questions about the gospel and missionary work! You could just feel the love and testimony he had for this gospel and it was contagious! I left feeling uplifted and committed to give my best to this work! It was definitely a priceless experience!

I got to ask him about the meaning of grace....a topic he'd touched on lightly the day before at mission conference. He and I talked for a while about how God is the creator of the Plan, Christ makes the Plan possible through the Atonement, and yet the Holy Ghost is the one who administers the power and effects of the Atonement in our lives. I sat there, in awe of the spirit we were both feeling, and know that the Lord was aware of me! It's truly incredible....the love He offers me!! 

I stand all amazed!!! 

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

Me and Anna, our soon-to-be baptized 8 year old:) 

getting our paint on.....literally;)

service with a smile :D

driving back from hyde park.....the only legal late-nighter on the mish;) lol

making "BOYFRIEND" cookies for service.....mmmmm.....add that to the dating application;)

reunion with Abass!!! <3 that kid!

#tbt.......sorry, i didn't post this picture back when.....we had a YW basketball tourney on a P-day..... #ballersgottaball