You're Gonna Miss This

 

 

"There's a country song for that" could adequately describe just about every aspect of my life. Even on the mission, after 18 months of being country music-less I still get those feel-good songs running through my head. This week was no exception. 

"You're Gonna Miss This" has been playing in my mind over and over again as  I am coming to grips with the fact that this chapter of my life is about to close. 

I AM going to miss this. That fact was made even more apparent to me as we sat in a mission-wide conference this week with Elder Zwick of the 70 and were taught by him and other leaders for almost 5 hours. 

Sitting there, soaking up every ounce of spiritual sunlight from that inspired man, I realized just how precious this experience is. The love, power, wisdom, and inspiration that he shared with us, left me feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude for this gospel, for the Spirit, for this work, and for my chance to be a part of it. I'm going to miss this.

And as I realize that this mission of mine is about to all be over, I wonder sometimes if I have done enough. I was wrestling with that thought during the meeting with Elder Zwick and felt like I wasn't receiving much of an answer. However, in his closing remarks, after hours of previous instruction, he said, almost out of the blue, "If you do your best and then get on your knees, every night, sincerely asking, "Lord, wilt thou accept the best that we gave today?" then it will be enough." 

The Lord answers prayers.

President promised us that if we came to that meeting with questions of our souls, actively seeking for answers, that we would find them. I found mine. As my mission comes to a close, I realize that it is enough, not because of my own efforts, but because HE makes it enough. He fills in where I can't. He magnifies me when I'm weak. He accepts all of my offering and appreciates every sacrifice I make for Him. It is enough. And I am SO grateful for priesthood leaders and the Spirit that bring answers from the Lord to each of us!

The rest of our week was kind of a blur. My poor companion was sick for 3 days with a head cold and we were cooped up indoors for most of that time so she could recover. Despite getting a bit stir crazy, it did offer me some much-needed time to think about and process my life and how it's all about to change....and to clean the apartment:). #tendermercies

We also closed out the week with yet another blood drive and this time around it was a huge success! We had multiple non-members and investigators come, some with member friends, and a lot of ward members turned out to support us. One ward member commented, "It's just so good to see the missionaries doing all kinds of things to help out in the community and give us members opportunities to serve as well. This is the kind of thing that makes me realize that missionary work can be fun and creative and well....easy!"

Mission Accomplished:)

I also had the opportunity yesterday to bear my testimony one last time as a full-time missionary during Fast and Testimony Meeting. It's kind of heartbreaking.....so no, I didn't make it through without crying, in case you're wondering:). 

As a missionary, you get to bear testimony so often yet somehow it never gets old. It still gives me a rush every time, because every time I testify, I rediscover just how true, and powerful, and glorious this gospel is! I only have one more week of being a missionary, but that testimony--that conviction--I know, will go with me beyond the paths of this life as a full-time representative of Him, because it has become who I am. 

I KNOW that this gospel and the church is espouses is true. That, in my mind, is undeniable, because I have LIVED it. I have witnessed it, preached it, sacrificed for it, embraced it, acted upon it, and learned to LOVE it. That is the gift given to each of us from Him, who's church this is, if we will but act in faith. He promises that He will manifest the truth of this gospel to us, if we will but ask, and then live according to the knowledge that we receive.

I plan to do that and much more for this last week of my mission, and beyond!!!

Onward and upward,

Sis Anna Parker

 

 

 

 

guess who I saw at mission conference?!?!? #besties

What I do when my companion is sick and I get stir crazy cooped up in the apartment for three days...... :)

What we do in Chicago when the weather gets up to 45 degrees!!! #balmy #doorswideopen

What Hispanic investigators feed us.....after we've already had dinner at another members' home. #getonourlevel #nowthatsatorta:) #SOfull


 

 

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