Memories and Meth

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


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

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

KOOLAID

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

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

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

L.O.L.

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

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

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

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

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

DOLL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twist my arm.....

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

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

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

Oh well, what are you going to do.

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

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

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

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


We're not in this alone. 


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


Walk with Him. Take His hand.


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

'

Onward and Upward,




Sister Anna Parker

post-part prep photo shoot:) #noshame

the james special..

mmmmmmmmm...

red velvet goodness

All Rad, No Bad

Planning day rolls around......on the very day that the weather is b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l....... 

And rather than stay cooped up in our apartment for four hours.....we grabbed blankets and sunglasses and hit the back lawn. 
 
#funinthesun 
 
We've been going at it for about an hour, when two neighbor guys come around the corner on bikes and "stop to chat".....about the BoM obviously..... 


No, for reals.....we sat them right down and started teaching the Restoration. Turns out, one of them is the brother of our whipped-cream-game friend from last P-day. It's a sign.......;)


Eventually, another guy from the block comes swaggering over and......restoration discussion #2 takes off.

10 minutes later.....another guy....and another guy....and another.....and they just keep coming. No joke...Sister B and I taught 5 restoration lessons in an hour, took multiple trips back and forth from our car to get more Book of Mormons and mormon.org cards.


By the end, we were all sitting around a rickety old picnic table.....two white chicks and a slew of guys.....talking about ancient americans, prophets, and heavenly visitations. 


It doesn't get better than that....we made 5 new friends and found a family to teach outta that party.......I call that a good day:) 


On Friday, we stopped-by Yung's house and OMG........I. love. her.!!! She waves us in, saying, "I not see you.....long time......GIRL! GIRL! Come here! [handing me her address book and a pen] write name...address.....telephone number...I call you. You come. You my friend....I miss you....last week, you no come.....I cry, cry, cry!"

 HEARTBREAK 

When we dropped by last week, we knocked, but no one came to the door, so we got to work in her rose garden, and missed seeing her. Turns out......she missed seeing US.......more than we realized:) soooooooooo......we've decided to adopt her as our grandma.

#asianpersuasion                      #sisterversion 

Before we left, we sang her "Nearer My God To Thee" and the whole while she clapped her hands and rocked back and forth.....letting out the occasional Yung-special ......giggles.....while we sang....GOTTA LOVE HER. 



Feed My Starving Children was another party we hit up this week.......and this time, we brought James' brother, Prem, with us! We had a B.L.A.S.T.!!!  It's an amazing experience having an investigator come and do service with you.......filling up bags with rice and vitamins somehow makes the spirit 10x stronger;) lol 



With transfers happening this week, Sis B and I found out we're still hanging for another 6 and the elders of the ward............are getting...........WHITEWASHED. Meaning......both old elders left...and two nubes came in. 

And they're a.m.a.z.i.n.g.!!!! Love em! In less than a week of being here, they found multiple people to teach and are setting the previously bone-dry area ablaze. Whhhhhaaaaat?!?! We're stoked for this coming transfer, working alongside them. It's gonna be epic;) 

We've been busy with the uge......cloud making;) 

We show up to help out and the decorating director (the member of our ward) introduces us to a new best friend.....SPRAY ADHESIVE. Yea............ Like the aerosol oh-so-much-easier-to-use-than-hot-glue-guns, and in-a-spray-can version of glue. Applying quilting batting to chicken wire has never been easier.......we can now mass-produce. 

Watch for us on SHARK TANK.........cloud-making = millions 



After finishing the clouds....we got to drop them off at an old high-school where everything is being stored before being moved to the main high school for senior's night.

This decrepit old building put the CREEP in CREEPY.   

And yes.....I  l.o.v.e.d.  it.......felt like we were in a movie.....creeping through dark hallways with ceiling plaster all over the floor, peeling wallpaper, broken glass, rats running through the walls, and lightbulbs hanging from their sockets...... 

JEEPERS

word

Kinda bummed it's getting torn down. It would have made for the perfect Alfred Hitchcock film set .......   #mysteryluvr     #4lyf 



On Saturday morning, we headed out bright and early to go visit a new investigator, Greg, who we met at the library one day (be in the right places at the right time.....and things happen;). He stopped us, asked what we did as missionaries, and agreed to a visit and a copy of the book of mormon. 

Cool beans. 

We met with him, and taught him the restoration.....he's accepting of what we teach, but not really commital. Y 'know....the old "I can accept the Book of Mormon as true, but that doesn't mean I have to become Mormon" deal.              Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaa, bout that......... 

Oh well. 

 On to better things....... 

BIGGEST OF BIG NEWS: Bethany's on date for baptism!!!!!! We're so pumped!!!! She's decided on June 28th for her big day and we couldn't be HAPPIER!!! We can't wait for her to receive all these blessings and the happiness coming her way!   

(Annnnnnnnnnd.......we've also planned a reunion road trip for when we all get back to Utah.......and when she's my roommate at BYU......and dating some cute RM;).....#partyinprovo



Lastly....my favorite line from this week: 

7 year-old boy in the ward: "Yea, I know someone I can share the gospel with." 
Me: "That's awesome! Who's that?" 
Boy: "My friend A---......we talk about church sometimes" 
Me: "You do! That's great! What have you told him?" 
 Boy: "Well...we talk about the gospel.....the Book of Mormon.....and a lot about conspiracy theories." 


Mmmmmmmmmkkkkkkkkkkkk.      hahaha!


 L.O.V.E. that kid!!!!



We're going strong, loving the spirit, having fun, and remembering to SMILE...... 


I'm learning more and more the longer I'm out here just how aware God is of me. He loves each of His children more than I can even comprehend, and as a missionary, we get to feel that love SO powerfully both for those we meet and for ourselves. 

I've never felt so loved and able to love so strongly in my life!!!  It makes me wanna go out and share that love with others more......so here goes;)



Onward and Upward,



Sister Anna Parker