Secret Agent Looks Good on Us

Sis Green and I woofed down our lunch in under 20 minutes one day (ok, it's more like every day:) this week, so we could catch a legal 15 minute power nap in our remaining lunch time. We'd just set our alarm and closed our pretty little eyes when we heard our next door neighbor start arguing with another woman. We both tried to nuzzle deeper into our pillows to drown it out, but it got worse.....real fast. Every "choice" word in the book started flying.... LOUD .....and Sis Green and I eventually turned to each other wide-eyed and open-mouthed as the f-bomb came floating through the wall over 10 times in 2 minutes.

Well....so much for a nap.

We tried "politely" knocking on the wall but when nothing worked, we finally gave up on the idea of a few extra winks, and blasted our Bible Videos instead:)

#howweroll

That same day, we went to visit Patti and felt impressed to share Elder Holland's Mormon Message, "Testimony of the Book of Mormon." Ok....when is Elder Holland NEVER a  good idea?? :) So it shouldn't have surprised me when we got into the lesson, shared some scriptures, and then introduced the video. We started it, and the spirit came flowing in SO strongly! And then came the killer line, "They. would. not. do. that." (and he pounds the pulpit....gahah!!) Man, gives me chills every time! In that moment, my heart was SO full of gratitude for the miracle and blessing of technology to share the gospel! There was NOTHING like that feeling that that short video brought, and it could have only happened through the blessing of these ipads! The Lord is SO wise in the way He works:)!!

After it was over, Patti just kept nodding and nodding. Sis Green then asked her, "Patti, do you believe that the Book of Mormon is true?"

Just one week earlier, Patti had avoided that same question, and said she only believed some of it was true. She'd been less than committal, and we weren't sure if she would progress.

However, after that 3 minute video, she had a very different answer for us.

She took the next 5 minutes bearing her testimony to US of the Book of Mormon!! I then got the prompting......like THE prompting. So I went for it, "Patti, would you consider considered being baptized?"  "Yes," she said, "I'll consider it. I have in the past, and I still have a lot of questions, but I feel like it's just a matter of time before I know it's right for me."

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! We got out of that lesson STOKED!!! The spirit is SO amazing and I am SO grateful for the power of technology (AND Elder Holland, let's be honest:) to assist us in this work! It's working!!!!

And now......for Sis Parker's crazy new idea of the week.....

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. OPERATION: HASTENING.

This is going to end up in Clayton Christensen's next book, called "The Power of Everyday Creative, Off-The-Wall, Borderline Crazy, So Incredibly Fun, Possibly Insane Missionaries." hahaha

I'm SOO PUMPED:)!!!! Ok, so back story, one day this week during personal study, I was getting down because I still didn't know my purpose here, or what I was meant to do to make a difference in this area. The promptings came so clear, 

"Use your creativity. Make it fun. Focus on members with families."

They say creativity loves constraint and that was enough for me. The ideas came flowing and here's what we got: drop off Top Secret packages to members' homes, weekly. Inside is a top secret mission, designed to help families take 7 steps towards finding the missionaries someone to teach. They complete the mission, fill out the "Report" and their package is retrieved and replaced with the next mission.

And we're going all out! And the ward is getting excited too! In the days that have followed since I've devised this plan, our ward mission leader, members, other missionaries, and even President Woodbury has brought up ways that we need to improve in this area as a ward, and this new project seems to be just the thing to do it! I. can't. wait.!!!

And the district is pumped for it too!! It's uniting us as missionaries and it's getting the ward united in their efforts to share the gospel as well! On top of it all, I'm finding my place and my purpose here. I LOVE LOVE LOVE working with members, getting creative with the work, and finding the fun in .....well.... everything:) So I feel like the Lord is showing me how to use my abilities and put my talents to good use here, and it's giving me the peace and assurance that I so desperately want! And it feels SO good:)

We launch it next week, so pray all goes well!!!

Well....the other highlights of the week included finding out that our church building has an attic AND a basement (where seminary used to be held.....yeaaaaaa......talk about creepy:)! hahaha! And yes, we got a tour of both. So legit.

Got asked if we were police officers while trying to contact some investigators. 

"No." 

"FBI?" 

"No." 

"Undercover agents?" 

"No."

 "Ok.....you can come in then..." 

Gee thanks:) See??.....secret agent? I could totally pull it off:)

I also got to see the Robisons from BG this week!!!! AHHHH!!!!! Talk about a highlight!!!:D We got to go keep Bro and Sis Robison "company" while Richmond was in surgery at a hospital in our area!! Let's just say it was like 2 of the best hours of my life:) I miss them SOOOOO much!!!!! It was like seeing family again, and it was SO hard to say goodbye! Let's just say that I'm a firm believer in tender mercies, though, and that was definitely one of them:)

Tracted into a guy with a 180 POUND BULLDOG. Seriously....that thing looked like a mini elephant!! haha! best news though: the guy wants to learn more about the church and seems really solid, so Chopper and I are going to get better acquainted:) It's suuuuuuuch a blessing I'm a dog person on the mish:) haha

And last but not least, we had interviews with President this week! Ah! I love that man with all my heart! He really has become such a father and a role model to me here on the mission. I find myself wanting to do nothing more than to be worthy and successful in his eyes. It gives me a taste of what my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would be like if they were here. He's such an inspired man, and I'm truly blessed every day of my mission to work alongside him!

Physically, I'm doing ok. The fainting and seizure-like episodes (yea:/....had a few of them this week) are getting more frequent again, but I'm being strengthened ((and so is my companion to deal with it:)) so I know it's in His hands. He truly is there, walking alongside me every day, and I find so much comfort in that!!

The blessings of being a missionary are incredible, the work is difficult, but our faith is growing stronger!

Onward and Upward,

Sister Anna Parker

Expect the Unexpected

I turned to Sis Carroll in the car this week with,

“I would do ANYTHING right now for some Bing Crosby Christmas music….”

*** no response ***

“You do know who Bing Crosby is, RIGHT???”

“Umm….I know who Bill Cosby is……”

Oh heck….what is this world coming to. Family: I need Bing Crosby Christmas music ASAP….if not for my sake….for Sis Carroll’s:) Our Christmas collection of Josh Groban, Pentatonix, and Michael Buble just isn’t complete:)

On with the week:

THANKSGIVING………was the b.o.m.b.

No joke…..probably THE best Thanksgiving I’ve EVER had!! We kicked off the morning at our ward mission leader’s (the O’briens) house who invited us over for some “service”…..decorating their Christmas tree.

I could’ve cried.

I was SO happy.

Stuff like that means the WORLD to missionaries who sometimes feel so far flung from the festive scene. So YES. I will GLADLY decorate any and all Christmas trees… just hit me up. We spent the rest of the afternoon helping them with dinner preparations….which again….(IF I can’t be playing in the turkey bowl with the guys:)….there’s nothing else I’d rather do on Thanksgiving than delve into the party planning and prep. And gotta say…..I make a MEAN dish of parmesan garlic mashed potatoes;)

 #readyforwifelife

…..Yea not really….but ANYWAYS…..

The O’Brien’s neighbors then came over to join us for dinner! The husband, James, is from Ghana and his wife, Gigi, is from Hong Kong…..and they came with two of T.H.E. most adorable boys (ages 2 and 4) in tow. I could’ve smothered them right then and there. Needless to say, it was a constant conflict of interest loving the “adult” conversation at the table but meanwhile arm-wrestling the cutest 4-year old of a kid that I’ve ever met.

#thestruggleisreal

By the end of dinner (after I’d introduced to cranberry “jiggle” and olives the perfect size for sticking on fingers), James and Gigi began asking us questions about our missions and the work that we do. The spirit became SO strong as James asked us, “What is it that keeps you going when you’re down, or rejected, or even if you feel like you don’t want to continue anymore?”

It was SUCH a sweet experience for me to testify to him of the Atonement, of my relationship with my Savior, and of His ability to heal all my pain, heartache, sorrow, and struggle. I told him the truth—that there are many moments when I wish I was home, that I could be free of the difficulties I face as a missionary, or even that I could lay down and sleep FOREVER because I’m so exhausted. BUT….what keeps me going?? I told him: the knowledge I have of what my Savior did for me. When I think of what He’s blessed me with, how He never gives up on me, and how I know He’s always there for me when I need Him……that knowledge makes me want to do nothing more than give back what little I can give.

The look in his eyes when I testified to him of the Savior’s infinite power and love, and of my conviction that He will strengthen, support, and help me through any trial that I—or anyone else—will ever face……AH!! That is a moment I will never forget! You could see it in his eyes that he was thinking about what was said, and I knew—I knew—he’d felt the spirit! The rest of our evening together was absolutely amazing, and at the end of the night, James and Gigi took our number and said they’d be interested in calling us for some service or “just to drop by” sometime! There is so much potential there and I’m beyond excited to see where it goes!

After dinner, we hit the road….this time….to some unexpected places;) Yes…..we ended up at the ER…. and the police station……AND the fire house.

 I swear, it’s not what you think it is;)

So REWIND: about a week before Thanksgiving, I’d been thinking about ways to capitalize on the holiday season in this area. The idea came to me to drop of goodies at the ER, fire house, and police department and to thank those working there for their service, especially on such a family-oriented holiday.

So off we went.....

We managed to hit up 2 police departments, the Emergency Room front desk and security department, and 3 fire stations......all in one night. The responses we got from everyone were SO incredibly heart-warming!! I seriously was having “warm fuzzy” highs:) Each reaction of surprise and gratitude that we got from the recipients just about MELTED my heart! Here we are…..two 20 year old girls….hundreds of miles away from home and family….on a Thanksgiving night…..delivering muffins and hot chocolate…and yet having the time. of. our. lives. making others’ Thanksgiving night more pleasant!! I can’t even describe how happy each of those visits made us!!! Service like that just makes my WEEK!!

It felt SO good to be able to give back in a small way to people who dedicate their lives to helping other people. Cause honestly that’s NOT a job I could do (I learned that real quick from dating a firefighter back in the day….WAY back in the day:). I’ll stick to my proselyting;)

By the end of the night, Sis Carroll and I were singing all the way home and practically floating on cloud 9 we were SO giddy happy. It made for an INCREDIBLE Thanksgiving Day…..the best I’ve ever had!!

(even though we didn’t get to play in the turkey bowl…….2015……it’s going DOWN:)

Speaking of police departments…..we also got to help out with the Mundelein Police Department Turkey Drop-off this week too! Oh my FUN. We showed up and got assigned to distribute food to 20+ baskets of thanksgiving dinner goods and then hauled each basket out to the parking lot (along with dozens of turkeys) where we loaded up our cars with the food.

Side story: as we were arranging our caravan with the officer who was leading the group, he offered to put all the food in his car, instead of ours, and then offered to let us ride in the back of his squad car so we wouldn’t have to spend gas and miles in our own car.

sweet mother

There are times when being a missionary and keeping missionary rules is REALLY hard and yea….that was DEFINITELY one of them. I have always wanted to ride in the back of a cop car….BUT because of rules, my companion and I had to decline the offer. Oh well. One day.

#suchakidsometimes

On the flip side, though, it ended up working out well because he had to tally the food supply of each car before leaving, and we happily popped our trunk where six frozen turkeys were snuggled up to Resoration DVD’s, Plan of Salvation pamphlets, and stacks of Book of Mormons.

that’s one way to do it

Our drop-off adventure turned out to be GREAT though! It was a lot of fun and seeing the reactions of those we were giving the food to was such a special experience (AND….because we were with a cop the whole time, we got to park in No Parking Zones, cross four lanes of traffic all with a hand wave, AND SPEED….. #mykindofjob #i’mwithhim #legalrebels:)!!!

Ok last miracle…and then I swear I’ll end this:) So we were in the library this week doing our online proselyting and as we were leaving to go, an Indian guy (like the dot…not the feather kind….please tell me you get this;) came up to us and began asking us why we were always at the library and what “two nice young ladies” were doing with nametags on. We got to explain to him our roles and missionaries, gave him our card, and the address for the church and invited him to come. He told us he’d try and that he had an active interest in learning more about other religions.

We didn’t think much of it until Sunday afternoon when he called us, “Parker…I was there….at church…in the back. I didn’t see you so I left after the first hour. Maybe I come next week…and see you there…”

wait what??

Yea, he legitimately showed up to church, sat through all of sacrament meeting, “enjoyed himself,” and then left when he didn’t see us afterwards. Oops. We were sitting up front with some other investigators and therefore didn’t see him after the meeting which made us feel HORRIBLE. However….when we ended up at the library later this week, he was there and sat down next to me with, “Hi Parker….I like your church…very nice. Maybe I come again and see you this time. Oh….and I have a friend….he’s interested in your church too. Here’s his number…call him anytime”

CAN DO

I took the number from him, and planned on calling his friend, Harry, later. However, the next day rolled around and before we could call him…..we got a phone call FROM him, “Hi, Parker? Yes….my friend Peter said you are missionaries, nice ladies, and that your church is good. I want to come, and also meet with you and talk about religion, Ok?”

>> twist my arm<<

Sis Carroll and I got off the phone and just about starting SCREAMING!!! This was truly a miracle that God placed right in our laps! Just the night before, my companion had been struggling with feelings of discouragement and depression, and I’d felt prompted to testify to her that when things get really rough on the mission—when we reach those lows of lows—there is ALWAYS something the Lord has in store to bless us with if we remain faithful.

That’s been a constant pattern of my mission and it happens over and over and over again. When I bore that testimony to Sis Carroll and had some doubts myself and just prayed that something would turn up that would lighten her spirits and bring us success. Sure enough…..it didn’t take Him two days to answer our prayers!

Harry came to church this Sunday!!!!!!

We were SO excited!!! He told us before we sat down that he’s never been to church before in his life, but that he was ready to try it out! He was attentive during the entire meeting and afterwards said that he thoroughly enjoyed the talks and our champ wardies flocked him afterwards, introducing themselves and welcoming him to our ward.

that’s my ward

We’re gonna keep em:) Harry told us he was so impressed by the warm and friendly attitudes of everyone at church and told us he felt very welcome. He also took us out to the parking lot after sacrament meeting to give us four coffee cakes to thank us for letting him come to church! Ah!!!!! We’re already obsessed with him;) He’s anxious to learn more and is meeting with us tomorrow night! He’s humble and willing to be taught, so we’re SO excited to see the gospel start to take root in his life!

This whole experience again reminded me of God’s goodness. He truly is mindful of each of us. Sometimes, we don’t know why we struggle, suffer, or even feel abandoned by God. BUT…..if my mission has taught me one thing….it’s that GOD is ALWAYS THERE! He knows what we need…and He also knows when to give it. If we but trust in Him, His timing, and His wisdom…..He’ll lead us to where we need to be. He’s always willing to reach out and bless us with those tender mercies—those answers to unspoken prayers—that bring the gentle reminders that He is always walking with us.

Always.

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

yea.....showed up for a "dinner appointment" at the bowling ally with some investigators and members......do you know how hard it is to bowl in a skirt???  #sisterswag 

yes.....we dropped our phone in a pile of wet leaves....and didn't find it until it'd rained for 3 hours. Minute rice came to the rescue;)

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

ACCA-scuse me??

Some things never change.......like the fact that I H.A.T.E. going to the dentist. It's just awkward and painful all around. Now try going to the dentist on a mission when you're in the sister missionary bubble…...arms-length from every male...... and in talkaholic mode, trying to spark gospel conversation......

It. Doesn't. Work.

So about 4 months ago I had another one of my old cavity fillings pop out (the SAME day I had the other one filled.......shoot me), and I'd put off going in to get it fixed (ain't nobody got time for that) till it started getting sensitive, so I called up one of our favorite wardies, Bro R--, who happens to be a dentist (in addition to almost as big of a tease as I am), and got an appointment.

I walk into the office on Tuesday morning, and right off the bat, the receptionist calls me Sister Parker. Ok this is weird. Turns out, Bro R--'s done a tooth or two for missionaries in the past and the nurses know the drill:)

I finally get in, get x-rays (hate those too), and then Bro R-- comes in, checks out my massive cavity (the thing was HUGE) and then pulls out the anesthetic needle (and knowing that I'm a pansy when it comes to needles) he starts waving the thing in front of me, squirting and flicking it, and getting a good laugh out of me coming apart in the chair. Sometimes being a tease comes back to bite chya:)

Half way through getting that sucker filled, Bro R-- casually mentions that my companion is waiting in the "massage chair room".....

ACCA-scuse me???

Sure nuff.....I get done with hands, needles, drills, and even freakin LASERS (yea, no joke) in my mouth, to find Sister B chilling in a massage chair waiting for my appointment to be over.....

Gawl…....... some people have it rough.....

So now I'm trying to pump Sister Bishop with candy and sweets so she can end up in Bro R--'s op chair and I can take a turn getting pampered…….#dope. I spent the rest of the day feeling like half my face was going to fall off…..and definitely discovered the far-reaching effects of ibuprofen…… wooooooo….

 That same night we headed over to a near-by park to help out with another community even that the Mundelein Police Dept. had invited us to. We show up, ready to work, and the officer in charge comes up to us and says,

“How good are you at tie dye??”

Oh, ya know…..summer camp champ, right here……

Yea not really. But despite not having a clue what we were doing, we got sent off with 5 buckets to fill with water at the local MCDONALDS downs the street. Luckily, they sent two of their officers with us so it made for the perfectly awkward procession walking down Main. YOLO.

Eventually we got the buckets filled, hauled them back to the park, poured blue and red dye in the water, and set up camp, prepared for the 100 KIDS that were expected to come…..

NBD

We spent the next two hours tying aprons on kids, bobbing for sunk t-shirts in buckets, and getting splattered with purplish water from kids who just happened to wring out their sopping wet shirts…..on my shoes…..

Yea…I’m jake with that….

When we were close to being done, a woman and her kids sat down at one of the tables and recognized my companion’s name tag. She asked, “Oh, Mormons, right? Yea, my husband’s a member of your church…but he doesn’t attend…”

Ya don’t say….

So we obviously start chatting with her, and she tells us that they’re “on-the-side Catholics,” but they welcomed us to stop by and visit their family.   Deal.   She even gave us her number and address and best time to come over. ….even better.

The Lord really does put people in our path when we’re out working and serving. It’s incredible to see how He orchestrates everything, especially when we’re not looking for it. Right time, right place=good stuff.

After the event finished, the officer came up to us, thanked us for our help, and asked, “So, you guys are like nuns in training, right??”  Ehhhhhhhh…….kinda not. We got to explain our role as sister missionaries more, and pulled the whole Mormon card…..oh wait…..we do that every time…..and then told her we’d love to share more about our religion with her.

Lez just say she’s getting a BoM dropped off at her place this week…….#stylin

We also tapped into our genius side (wasn’t sure if we had one previously haha) this this week, plotting what to get our ward mission leader and his wife who both had birthdays on the weekend. We finally came up with the idea of a a CANDY BAR POSTER and went bonkers in Wal-Mart picking out a dozen candy bars.

Yea, we should’ve gone incognito….it totally looked like one of us was going through the WORST breakup e.v.e.r and needed to chocolate spree it out……..awko taco….

Whatever. Turns out, they loved it and had never gotten one before……tragic. Aaaaaand…the elders have yet to one-up us (which they insist they will……who are we kidding;)

Now for the big dawg news……Wonder got baptized on Saturday!!! It was one of the most b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. baptismal services I’ve ever been to!!   6 of her 13 siblings got to attend and they all showed up in their lava lava’s and seeing them all back together was SO sweet!

They sang together at the service one of their traditional Samoan hymns and it BLEW ME AWAY!! They all just glowed, Wonder especially, and the Spirit was so strong!!

I was reminded again just how powerful and unique this gospel is. It brings families together like nothing else. And the blessings that the Lord has in store for us when we embrace the gospel are not bound by time or age.

Those blessings can be ours if we but reach out and accept them.

Being a missionary can be SO hard sometimes. But it’s teaching me to look for and embrace the blessing of the gospel more fully. The Lord always has more to give us, if we but ask in faith, and trust His will.

Keep on keepin on!

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

the finished product....

<3

towel #7;)

luv me some free stuff....even if it means going to the dentist :P

dentist office haul