You Don't Say....

Note to self: Don't believe anyone who says anything is "free" in Chicago. Especially when it comes to parking.....and museums.

We decided on another adventure for P-day this past week, and carpooled down with the Hermanas to visit the "free" science and industry museum together. It took us over an hour to get down there (I swear....rush hour is like a 24/7 thing in Chicago) and when we finally found the place, come to find, parking is $22 an HOUR.

Dad, forget residential real estate.....we need to buy a parking garage in Chicago.

We'll make it RAIN.
Instead, being the broke missionaries that we are, we spent the next half hour trying to find "free" parking and eventually landed ourselves a spot after awkwardly stalking people walking down the street who even looked like they might be going to their car to leave.

<<welcome to my life>>

By the time we got into the museum, it was closing in an hour and a half, and as soon as we get to the front desk, our conversation with the receptionist goes like so:

"Hey, can we get 4 free passes?"
"Sorry, what?"
"Y'know, like the free February passes?....a friend told us all museums in Chicago were free this month....."
"Yea, no. Not this one...."


[if only it was appropriate for adults to throw tantrums.....]

Instead: "Oh ok...well....sorry to bother.....thanks anyways..." (and then awkwardly walk out)

So yep. THAT was our P-day. Lesson learned: Freedom isn't free...and neither is sightseeing in Chicago.



Other than that memorable start to our week, we've been SO busy this week! It's been AMAZING!! Seriously, I'm never happier than when I'm so busy that dinner hour seems like a nuisance:)

#livinthedream

We had a miraculous moment this week, when Sis Green and I were planning and she started trying to clean up our phone (we have SO many contacts in our phone that neither of us know and there's no record from past missionaries on who they are). She started calling everyone and ended up calling a former investigator, Armando, who said he'd met with missionaries a year back and had never really heard back from them, but was still interested. We set up an appointment and met with him on Saturday.

Gosh, is he prepared!!! We were both SO impressed by his thoughts, desires, and his active search for truth! We were about thirty minutes into the lesson, and he was going off about how the universe reflects God's hand and power, when he said, "Here's what I think....we need to ask ourselves three or four simple but important questions:

“Where did we come from?

Why are we here?

Where are we going after this life?

And who created us?"

………….

You don't say.

Yea, that's a moment when I was inwardly having a Buddy the Elf "Santa's coming!!" reaction, but outwardly we're both like, "Mmmhmmm....yea....we totally agree.....uhhuh...."

hahaha! Gosh....mission life:) We extended a baptismal invitation to him at the end of the lesson and he accepted!! He is so receptive to the truth we have to share with him, and it's incredible to see the
light of Christ within him resonate with the message that we have to share! I am just SOOOOO excited to see him start down this path to so much more light, truth, and knowledge!



Last-minute highlights of the week:

-Sister's conference!! I got to see all my comps again!! Sis Bishop, Sis Teare, and Sis Carroll...gosh we could hardly stop cracking our inside jokes again just like old times!! Gosh, have i missed them! Oh
and the messages and workshops were also FANTASTIC!! The elders should be jealous:)

- Taught mutual this week on using Preach My Gospel as member missionaries!!! I get as excited and passionate talking about that as I do about the Red Sox vs the Yankees....no shame. #mytwoaddictions #PMG #sports

- Got "cold quarantined" again this week. Gosh, Chicago. Can't a girl just preach the word for her last three weeks in the mission...?? hahaha

We're sacrificing. We're serving. And we're saving! And I wouldn't have it any other way! I'm becoming keenly aware just how short of a time I have left, and while I'm excited to see family and friends again and forge on with life, I can't help but feel like my heart is being broken.


This is the experience of a LIFETIME. It's exhausting and it's challenging, but it is priceless! I am FILLED with gratitude every night as I kneel to talk with Him--SO grateful for the chance He's given me to take His hand in this work, to walk alongside Him for 18 months of my life, to bear that burden and to feel that joy--the joy of being HIS servant!!



Onward and upward,



Sister Parker

Heading downtown.....we're suh cute....

found this epic mural on the way home..... good ol' chicago  

Aaaaaaaand.....then we passed this:) If drugs weren't illegal before...they are now;)

valentine's day flowers from my daddy!!!  #sweetheart

Cheers....

Question of the century.....did you know that there's a lego comic book edition of the Bible??? Yea, didn't know either until a couple days ago when we were at a members home and their two boys brought it out to show us. They were so absorbed in reading it, that their parents had to keep telling them to shut it and be sociable.

And word on the street has it that there's a Book of Mormon version too.

Someone is brilliant. Expect convert baptisms to soar.

hahaha! Hey...if it works, it works. Those members' kids now know the bible better than I do:)

Anyways....gosh, this week was something else! Tuesday morning kicked off with loud banging on our front door and, "It's your neighbor, let me in!" We opened the door and let our 5 ft african american neighbor, Jamie, into our kitchen. She had her dog in one arm, and a water bottle and ding dongs in the other.

"Girls....i just heard from my agent...and I'm finally going to be able to move into my new apartment! So we're gonna have a toast....with water...since that's all you guys drink.....and then i need to you brush my hair since I'm going out today...."

Mmmmkkkkkkk.

So at 8:15am on a Tuesday morning, we had a water toast, brushed our neighbor's hair (while she kept saying she was "tipsy from that shot so early in the morning":), and ate ding dongs. Hey, at least she now knows how we celebrate Mormon style.

Yep, this is my life.

One of the highlights of my week, though, happened on Wednesday when we were dropping by some less-actives. We'd finished visiting them and made our way back to the car just as I saw a woman walking her dog on the other side of the street.

[Spirit to Sis Parker moment]

.......and I knew I was supposed to talk to her. I drove down the street, still doubting the prompting, but by the time I'd hit the stop sign, I knew I needed to go back. So we flipped around, drove up, and we tried engaging in a conversation, but it ended up not going anywhere. We drove off again, and I was stumped.

Anyone who's been a missionary knows what that feels like....following a "prompting" only to have it go absolutely nowhere and then subsequently feeling confused and a bit defeated. I eventually brushed it off and we went on with our day. By the evening, we had one more less-active to visit, and they turned out to have no interest in the church. As we were walking away from their house, though, the spirit prompted me to go and tract their neighbor's house. I was SO close to brushing it off since it was cold and dark, and I already felt beaten, but at the last moment, I was reminded of my willingness to follow promptings earlier that day, even if they didn't amount to much, "If you can do that, you can knock on this door..."

So I made my feet turn and up to the door we went.

We knocked just as a guy with his 5 year old daughter came to the door. The spirit filled my mouth with words about eternal families, Christ' ability to strengthen those relationships, etc. and Mike, the dad, responded as soon as I'd finished, "I'm actually VERY interested in this. I've been looking for a church for a long time now, and I'm looking for answers and opportunities for my family."

He gave us a return appointment on the doorstep, and promised to read the pamphlet we gave him. We were both ecstatic walking back to the car after that!! As we got in, the spirit spoke to me, "You received that prompting to knock on his door, because you were willing to follow seemingly unfruitful promptings before."

In that moment, I was SO grateful that I had listened to the spirit that day, even when it seemed awkward and even when nothing came of my efforts. Those other promptings were preparing me to receive and follow a prompting that mattered MUCH more.

I believe the Lord was testing me to see if I would follow His instructions, even if I didn't know the results of those actions. Since that first initial contact, we've met with Mike once more, and after answering his many questions and giving him an overview of our beliefs, he looked us in the eye and said, "Where do I go from here? What do I need to do to take this a step further? Can I come to church? Do I need to meet with your pastor or someone? How can my girls get involved too?"

Oh my gosh! We were floored!! We gave him a book of mormon, and he agreed to come to church, and our plan is to extend a baptismal invitation to him next time we meet! By the end, he also told us, "I can promise you guys, I will give this [holding up the Book of Mormon] a sincere try. I really want to know...."

What if I hadn't listened to that prompting?? Ah! I don't even want to know! I am just eternally grateful for the Lord's quiet promptings and for my ability to follow them and show my faith! NEVER ignore promptings! Even if they don't seem to yield immediate results, perhaps the Lord is preparing you for something greater!

Mike is golden and his heart is sincere! We are SO excited to start helping him down this path to find his answers, peace, and happiness with his family!!

Last minute moments of the week:

- My little hometown of Merrimack NH was trending on FB this week for issuing a warrant for the groundhog who said 6 more weeks of winter. REPRESENT. #merrimackhomies #atleastitwasn'ttrendingforsomethingworse:)

- On P-day we braved the transit system with the Hermanas and went DOWNTOWN!!! We visited the Shedd Aquarium and managed to get two potential investigators along the way:) #ballin

- We had a Linger Longer social after church on Sunday, and I'd just sat down to eat when I heard someone come up next to me and ask, "That looks really good. Can I have some??" I turned to see JAMES KUMAR!!!! Oh my gosh!!! No girl was ever more surprised and never more HAPPY!!!! Turns out, he was dropping off his son at his mom's house in Westchester and popped on over to the church to see if I was there by chance! Ahhhh!!!! I felt like I was home in BG again and it felt SO good to reconnect, talk, and laugh like we used to!! That was definitely a tender mercy for me and a HIGHLIGHT of my entire WEEK!!!!!! It's crazy how you realize how much you care about and love people when you see them again after being away for so long!! Ah!!! James told me he's now received the Melchizedek Priesthood and has been made a 7/8 yr old primary teacher and I couldn't be more proud! And then, like good old times, his phone went off when we were talking and of course....his ringtone is Mo Tab:) My convert is still the coolest convert out there:)! hahaha! #feelingproud #feelingblessed

Anyways.....so yes, it's been a week. I still can't believe that my time is running out. It's kinda terrifying actually. But like Elder Holland said, "It's not over till it's over." So here we go.........another week of living the dream:)

Onward and upward,

Sister Parker

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!!!!

Drama Much??

Ok so I’ve never actually played Russian roulette…. (duh)

BUT I can imagine it’s something like getting phone calls as a missionary (that might be a slight exaggeration, but whatevs…). It’s like every time the phone blows up, we panic slightly wondering which investigator has had another life tragedy, why the mission office would be calling at late at night unless it’s an emergency, what teaching assignment the district leader’s gonna slap us with, or which ward member’s calling to cancel dinner……

TRAGIC.

And then there’s the occasional missed call from our landlord, with a voicemail, “I need you to call me back ASAP. We have an issue we need to discuss.”

Good feeling’s gone.

I frantically called her back…..expecting the worst:  I left my towel on the space heater and the complex is now burnt to a crisp…..those nuts I left out for our wannabe pet squirrel has now caused a rat infestation….we left the sink running and our downstairs neighbors are now using all their pots and pans for their non-intended use……or …..yeeeeeaaaaa…….all of those are actually VERY likely;) hahaha

Instead, I call her up and she tells us she has a favor to ask: “So there’s been some neighborhood guys that have been hanging out behind your complex , causing some ‘disturbance,’ and smoking who-knows-what so we’d like you to call the cops anytime you see them out there.”

(0_0)

ummmmmmm………okkkkkkkkkkk

don’t know exactly how I feel about this.

AND of COURSE……the VERY next night….we pull in at 8:58 pm and there they are….just like she said.   GREAT.

(oh and did I mention  that I didn’t see them out there till I  H.A.U.L.E.D.  it across the parking lot and up the stairs to our apartment, holding my purse, dinner leftovers, and a service project change of clothes, trying to make it back by 9pm for curfew……yea, way to make an entrance, Sis Parker…….;)

Anyways…..so we get back to the apartment, spend 5 min debating whether or not to make the call, then call the “non-emergency” 3-1-1 line (WHICH…btw….no one ever answered), then our landlord to get the police dept number, and then finally dispatch, until an officer showed up and the backyard boys went scattering, before the cop even left his car.

And THAT is the extent of mission life DRAMA.

Needless to say, the picnic table behind our complex was “uninstalled” the next day and we haven’t seen the neighborhood band since………

true story

This past Sunday was Invitation Sunday in BG2…. a.k.a. the Mormon equivalent of bring-your-kid-to-work day…..

(btw….. before this all went down, I was totally having de ja vu to jr high when I invited a friend to church and (of course) the YW lesson turned into a sit-down all about the law of chastity…..I’m still surprised to this day that she ended up coming to Girl’s Camp with me after that….:)

Anyways…..Sis Carroll and I ended up playing I SPY from our pew counting all the non-members in sacrament meeting……and ended up with 15!!!  (though there was no answer sheet in the back of the program so there was probably more;) haha

After the meeting, the RS president brought her friend up to meet us, and we struck up a conversation. Turns out, she was scheduled to have brain surgery the next day and we offered to walk her dog while she was recovering. (I’ve never loved dogs more in. my. life. ;). Two days later, we showed up at her house, walked her a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e. puppy, and ended up having a Restoration lesson with her afterwards! It was amazing! She’s committed to pray, read the Book of Mormon, and ask God if baptism is right for her!! She’s golden and was definitely an answer to our prayers to find more people to teach:)!!

Monday, we went to dinner at a member’s home who’s two less-active tween sons are BMX boys…..so of course…..first thing I do when we get there is plot down on the couch next to them and they start showing me the entire catalog of pegs, grips, rims, sprockets, and frames.......you could say boys have a special place in my heart…..yea.

#tomboy  #6brothers  #nahmyfault

we definitely made a “unique” connection that night, and by the end of dinner, I’d gotten them both to commit to come to church on Sunday (bribing using Starbursts MAY have happened….but hey….whatever works;)! In return, they filled me in on the newest J-Biebs news……namely that he’s getting 

DEPORTED.

Huh……miracles do happen when you’re on the Lord’s errand. hahaha

We also had a sit-down with our Russian English students this week. We’re reaching that point of I-have-no-idea-how-to-explain-this so we decided to break the news to them that we couldn’t continue lessons (it’s also become a time-consumer, with not a lot of gospel teaching opportunities :/). I thought breaking up with my first boyfriend was bad. Yea……try breaking up with two 60 year old Russians.

 It. Doesn’t. Work.  

Instead, we got a month’s probation. Yep…that’s exactly how it went with the boyfriend too. Geez laweez. So for now, we’re scraping the barrel trying to teach the difference between “complimenting” and “buttering up”……(yes, that was the first question they had come our next lesson….)……and doing our best to sneak sacrament meeting invitations in after each class session.

stylin

And finally…..CONFERENCE.

ok....let's get real.....watching conference on the mission is NOTHING like watching it when you were a kid. You're not allowed to make forts and tents in the living room using every bed sheet in the house.....there's no conference "store" to cash in your "listening points".......no sub sandwiches and Cheetos for lunch between sessions...... and no "name that apostle before their name shows up on the screen" shouting contests.....

#missingthosedays

I officially take back every complaint I had as a kid.

Now throw "adult" as well as "missionary" into the mix of general conference..... and..... well...... it comes down a notch or two. For the first session we crashed the YW's "Prophets and Pancakes" party so we could watch it with our two youth investigators, Ally and Katy. THAT was a good idea....complete with cinnamon rolls and OJ.......sold.

And while we were probably the only ones in the state of IL wearing skirts while everyone else and their dog was at home watching GC in their pajamas.....it was still an amazing session! Both Ally and Katy both said they enjoyed it and they ended up watching more of the sessions from home as well.

Second and third sessions, we watched at the church. We walked in for the 2nd session and the chapel was packed empty. cept for the elders from the other ward. sitting there, we were like "sooooo....this is what it feels like to not have cable:)"

between the four of us....it made for real awkward during the intermediate hymn when you're all not sure if you should sing or not, and if so how loud. the elders eventually just struck up conversations:) haha

#noneofthat #singlesolos #theyretheworse

Luckily, all four of us brought conference snacks to share so we got our few hours of kid status in. It actually felt really satisfying to munch on snacks in the chapel...

#noshame #kid@heart #graduatedcheerios

Honestly, though, conference was my spiritual soak. mmmmmmmm. This round, I was reminded again just how much I love this gospel. It just makes sense. Prophets and apostles are SO critical in today's world. Sitting there, listening to them speak....I've never believed it more. Pres Monson.....I just love that man. Every time he speaks, I feel like he's talking straight to me and it's p.o.w.e.r.f.u.l.

Yea, I’ve heard it before from many people on my mission…why would you choose to follow a man, who claims to be God’s prophet on the earth, but who has no evidence of his divine role?? Why commit your life to keeping commandments, living principles, or sacrificing personal wants, to follow his advice?

How do you know what color is unless you’ve seen it?

You have to experience it to know it’s real. Same with following a living prophet. Believe and obey. God has blessings in store for all of us, and it’s through living prophets that we discover how to unlock those blessings.

I’ve tried it. Living as they direct does bring happiness. It brings security, peace, and lasting rewards from heaven. It takes faith to act, yes. But once you put your faith in God’s prophet…..He’ll never lead you astray.

This weekend reminded me again just how blessed I am to have the knowledge that I do!!

…….Time to go share it with the world………

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

you've got mail!!!!  we did a re-enactment of the best two years...."elder van pelt.....elder van pelt......elder van pelt..."

conference junkies;)

yes.....we went around the block twice so we could toss coins into the fireman's boots........it was TOTALLY worth it;)

watching GC with my peeps<3

we went downtown to visit our ward mission leader who's in the hospital