What I Wished I'd Known Before Coming Home

Ok....the title says it all. As promised....here's everything I'd wished I would've known before coming home .....and other tips, suggestions, and things I just happened to get right my first go at it:)

Some of these are things I did before I even left the field and some are things I did (or wish I did:) during the 3-9 weeks months of limbo following the awkward see-the-family-for-the-first-time-while-coming-down-the-escalator-but-can't-go-any-faster-to-meet-them moment.

Admit it...we've all thought how awkward that 12.8 seconds is.....

:]

So here goes:

WHAT I WISHED I'D KNOWN BEFORE COMING HOME

(Before leaving the field)

- Start eliminate unwanted or extra clothing/items 2-3 weeks before you go home...it cuts down on packing (aka STRESS/CRAMMING) time towards the end 

- It's ok to feel tired;)...it means you're working hard! (Read about Alma and Moroni's "rest" after their hard efforts)....just know that your rest comes later...work hard NOW!

- Satan will try hard those last few weeks in EVERY way...don't let him win! Work hard, be obedient, stay focused, pray harder than you ever have before, and give it ALL to the Lord!

- Send on packages home if need be/possible 1-2 weeks before coming home. I sent home bulky items/mission keepsakes in a box to save on luggage space and avoid fees at the airport. 

- Mission debit cards for departing missionaries are loaded based on the number of days in the month (vs the whole month's worth) that you have left to serve. So for instance, I came home on the 16th so I got 16 days worth of funds (about $5 a day). Budget out your last cycle's worth of mission funds in case unexpected expenses come up as you start planning to go home. 

- Because it's practically impossible to say goodbye to everyone (esp converts) from old areas (or even from you current area) before you go home, consider writing "farewell" letters to them before you leave the mission. 

- Ask to bear your testimony your last Sunday (or take advantage of Fast and Testimony meeting) on the mission in your last ward! Trust me, it's an AMAZING experience!!

- KEEP A JOURNAL. Seriously...write down EVERYTHING you can! Those last few weeks are filled with some of the most precious/interesting/life-changing/

- Building off that last one...in your last interview with your mission president, remember everything you can and then the minute you get out....WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING YOU REMEMBER!!! Trust me......you're going to want/need it later...more like forever:) 

(When you get home)

- The ABSOLUTE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE ANY RM: KEEP THE MORNING SCHEDULE!! I can't stress this enough. At first, I didn't really think it was that big of a deal, but now I realize that it's CRITICAL. Rise up early, exercise, put the Lord first and really study your scriptures. Ponder, pray, and have your personal time with the Savior. 

- Have a plan before coming home. Plan on getting a calling, a job, starting school, volunteering in the community....ANYTHING. Just get busy doing the RIGHT things. You know where I'm going with this..... "be anxiously engaged in a good cause:)" 

- Write down everything. Yes.....I'll say it again....KEEP A JOURNAL. It will keep you on track, close to the Lord, thinking things through, and aware of the guidance of the spirit in your life. Just do it...ok....trust me:)

- Stay connected with investigators, LA's, members, etc.! Write them, message them, connect with them on social media, call them, FaceTime them! You will ALWAYS be their missionary! Don't EVER give that up!! 

- Stay involved with missionary work!!  That badge on your heart NEVER comes off! Go out with the missionaries, always keep a BoM and mormon.org cards on you to give away, post mormon messages on social media, build your own investigator pool of friends and neighbors, get a calling and work with less actives! 

- "You don't have to lose [the spirit]!" One of our AP's told us that the last night in the field and it has totally stuck with me. When you come home, you DON'T have to lose the "spiritual high"  everyone talks about if you don't want to. And it is ABSOLUTELY true. It is completely up to you. If you put in your work, time, effort, desire, and heart....you can keep that spiritual high. The Lord will NOT take that away from you!!

- Re-find "investigators" (family members, youth, friends, neighbors, etc.)! This work doesn't stay in the field! The world is your field!! (you've just been re-located:) 

- Get a routine down. I HATED routine before the mission...but now I can't live without it. Get your own post-mish routine down and stick with it. 

- Elder Perry visited our mission the week before I left and told us, "If I ever meet you after your missions, I'm going to ask you if you're using a calendar all the time to effectively budget your time.....and if you're not than you are wasting the knowledge and training you have received here on your mission!" USE A CALENDAR!! BUDGET YOUR TIME!! 

-  Give yourself time to adjust. Don't feel like you have to rush it, but also don't feel like you have to take it slow. Just let things happen the way they happen, and as long as your close to the spirit, let yourself get back into your hobbies, relationships, interests, etc. 

- BREATHE....don't take life too seriously at first...it'll all come with time:) 

- My mission president told us, "Elders and sisters, going home from a mission isn't death...life goes on;)" Yes.....yes...it does:) Forge on in faith!

And now for some 10 second summary advice.....just remember to put your relationship with the Lord above ALL ELSE in your life. He is your best friend and will be at your side through it all if you will stay next to His. Yes, it will take time, and yes, it will take effort. Coming home from a mission can and will be a bit rocky at first. It's not the most graceful experience of your life. but hey....it's all part of the ride:) 

Really, though, if you can keep your faith firm and your hope bright, everything else in your sometimes tailspin-of-an-RM life will come together. Dedicate yourself to your spiritual life, first and foremost. Those spiritual muscles have been worked day in and day out for the past 18-24 months and yea, they might be bone tired.....but you DO NOT want to wake up one day and realize that all that strength...all that power...that might...and that conviction...that was so painstakingly built and fortified, has been lost due to negligence and apathy. 

Your work life, your school life, your dating life, your family life, your financial life, your social life....it will all work together for your good and the Lord will be at the helm to guide you if you will but put your SPIRITUAL life FIRST. 

STUDY your scriptures daily. 

PRAY always.

Attend the temple.

Fast.

Ask for priesthood blessings.

Serve faithfully in your calling.

Continue to share the gospel.

Counsel with the Lord in EVERYTHING.

The so-called "adjusting" back to "normal" life should NOT be a spiritual one!!! 

Maintain the spiritual practices, habits, and gifts you've developed on your mission. Don't slack off! It can be SOOOO tempting sometimes, but don't even think about it:) Keep your sights high and remember that you're not alone....the Lord has promised, "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88)

That promise doesn't end at the completion of a mission! 

He is with you.....ALWAYS!!!

Onward and upward....you got this:)

I'm Dying in Westchester

(ok ok...i know i know....i forgot to post my last two weeks worth of letters. what a jerk. sorry. but they're up now...so go enjoy all three posts:)

I’m dying in Westchester.

We got transfer calls on Saturday, and it’s official: I’m staying in Westchester for my last 6 weeks. Basically…...I’m “dying” here.

p.s. I really don’t get why missionaries call it that. Like why can’t we call it “getting translated” or “receiving exaltation” or something cool like that?? But no…instead I feel like I’ve been black-listed.

#missionaryproblems

And members and missionaries are now continually asking me if I’m getting TRUNKY. I just refer them to my companion who can tell stories about me randomly bursting into tears, having anxiety attacks, and manically tripping head over heels when I realize I don’t have enough time to do everything I need to do before I get thrown back into the “real world.”

SOML

(confession session: the only time I got trunky for 1.4 seconds this week was when a member texted me last night, “Your Patriots won the Super Bowl. Congrats!” Yep…...there it is:)

Honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my pretty little mind around the fact that this is MY last transfer. It doesn’t feel real. So I don’t try to think about it:) Instead, we’re determined to get CRAZY busy, work like our lives depended on it, and leave it all on the field:)

See you in the locker room.

On to our week!

-        February entered with a bang by dumping over a foot of snow on us in less than 5 hours. I’m having PTSD moments to last winter here……it’s bad.

-        We found a community food pantry to volunteer at every week and ended up hauling cans, boxes, bags, and birds the size of my head out to people’s cars for 4 hours and being asked if we were nuns, if we were planning on never marrying, or if we were from “The Sisterhood” by Lifetime TV. Gosh, I know I shouldn’t say it…..but I get so tired of explaining the whole “we’re not catholic” thing….that sometimes I wonder if it’d be easier to just say “yes…I’m a nun” haha! jk;)

-        We were snowed in yesterday, and per suggestion from our mission president, decided to try baking cookies for service. We were shy a freakin 1 ingredient for EVERY recipe in the book, so I got “creative” and……yea, we all know how that ends every time. Our neighbor dropped by to sample the goods, took one bite, and said, “Um….do you have anything else I could try?” Thanks, Jamie. Hahaha!

-        I’ve been feeling for a while that I should actively brush up on my signing skills more and then…..we show up for a dinner appointment this week……and lo and behold, she’s deaf! I was in ASL HEAVEN. What a nerd;) Turns out, she (the member) has had other members type what’s being said for her every Sunday for all 3 hours, but she’s been praying that an ASL missionary would be sent to her area!!!! As soon as she found out I was an ASL missionary, she just kept signing, “Really?? Really?? I’ve wanted this for so long!” By the end of the night, she enlisted me as her Sunday interpreter and yes….I’m TERRIFIED…but also excited! The Lord has a plan:)

-        One night this week when we didn’t have a dinner appointment and had endured a long day, we decided to go all out for dinner and chose a hole-in-the-wall Puerto Rican restaurant. After we’d finished, Sis Green and I turned to go, but before we left, Sis Green gave the typical thank you we usually give to members, “Thanks for having us over!”……[hand slap to forhead]…..gosh, what a missionary:)! I’m still not letting her forget that one…hahaha!

-        We met with Sherman this week and OH MY GOSH!!!! “Golden investigator” got it’s name from him!! We got a call from him Thursday night, and he explained, “I know….we’ve tried to arrange to meet now for the past month and that devil, Satan….he just doesn’t want us to meet! But that’s it! I’m not letting him get away with it! We’re meeting tomorrow, and that’s a promise that Lucifer himself can’t break! Well alright then. We showed up, and come to find, he’d waited at the library for 3 hours previous, “just to be on the safe side.”

Oh my gosh. I love the guy.

We sat down in a study room, and he immediately extended his hands to us, “Let us pray, and start this scripture study off with the Lord’s blessing.” He then opened the bible and book of Mormon we gave him and we began teaching him. He ABSORBED it, asking us lots of questions, nodding, taking notes, and then when we’d finished, he said, “I have an idea. How bout you give me weekly reading assignments out of the book of Mormon so I can learn more from it, I can come to your church it that’s alright, and if the Lord tells me to join your church, I will.” We were BLOWN AWAY by how prepared he was!!! He said he’s active in his church, but recently he’s been feeling some “discord in his heart” about going there. He then told me, “I’d actually been praying that the Lord would bring me more of His word, and then you two young ladies came into Panera the very next day. I think God has a part in all of this!” AHHHHHHH!!!!! He’s basically the most legit investigator EVER and he’s rekindled my testimony that God is actively preparing people to receive the gospel! We CAN’T wait to meet with him again!! Please pray that he’ll receive of witness of the truth as we teach him!

Our mission impossible program for the members is coming together and we are SO excited to see it take off! I’ve included pictures of our first “Secret mission” (see below). It’s SO rewarding to see members become engaged and not only that, but excited about sharing the gospel! The Lord is hastening His work, and it’s most powerful and achievable through the members!! We’re out to convert, and we’re in this together!

So here’s to my last transfer. Sis Green keeps slipping “Anna” into normal conversation to “help me adjust to non-mission life” and yes….it just about gives me a heart attack every time. I’m gonna be the most awkward RM….fair warning.

So until then, I’m living up these last 6 weeks, recommitting daily, getting creative, working hard, loving lots, and trying not to think about the moment when I’ll be asked to take my tag off…..oh gosh….here I go…..about to cry in the library…..again. Ok, not gonna think about it….

Onward and upward till the end,

Sister Anna Parker

Our winter blizzard........

Make Me a Match

Sooooo…….

Got my first brother-in-law this week.


No biggie. JK it was kinda a huge deal (check out my other blog www.sandandsunshine2.blogspot.com for more on this later!:)!

So yea....my sister has graduated to wife lyfe......and it still blows my mind that my best friend is actually MARRIED......(btw, trying to wrap your mind around that as a MISSIONARY is ten times harder than trying to do it in real life....just sayin......#lockyourheart #preskimball;). Congrats Julia and Zach! You two deserve the best!!

After helping out at an investigator's house for a couple hours this week, packing boxes, moving furniture, etc.  we got ready to head out the door, when our investigator showed us to the door where a brand new pair of UGGS were sitting, and said, "They're too small for me......want 'em?"

Is that even a question??

Basically, I'm most definitely serving in Libertyville (where else to people hand out Uggs for free??) and service most definitely brings blessings:) haha! #spoiled #luvourpeeps

Our next service project was actually more packing and moving....and yes, it all happened on the same day. This time, we showed up to a member's apartment, and one of the first thing she says is, "Ok girls....how good are you at playing Romeo and Juliet??"

Uber confused.

All I was thinking was, "well....i'm pretty good at the whole fainting thing....but the kissing thing....eh.....a little outta my league right now..." Sis Carroll just looked at me REALLY confused, so we just kinda did the awkward laugh and, "Uhhuh....what??"

She took us out to her balcony and explained, "So rather than taking all this stuff up and down the stairs to the car, I was thinking we could just lower everything over the balcony, Romeo and Juliet style."

  

Good thing I do push-ups in the morning. hahaha

We actually pulled it off surprisingly well, despite really weird looks from the neighbors, and we even managed to give away a mormon.org card in the process. #likeaboss

As I was about to take down a box, our member opened it to find why it was so heavy and found their spare change jar. She then grabbed my purse, with, "Here! open your bag!" before dumping nearly $40 worth of coins into my already too-full Coach purse.

Ummmmmmm. ok.

What she didn't know was that trying to get quarters to do laundry here can be such a pain, and now Sis C and I are are set. for. life. Yep.....service brings blessings;) (even though it took me a day and a half to dig through my purse get all the coins out:) haha! we love our members<3

On Saturday night, we carpooled with Ally to a district bonfire testimony meeting at a member's home. All the missionaries in our district invited less-actives and investigators to attend and we hoped that it would give them an opportunity to share/discover their testimonies in a more intimate setting. We showed up, ate dinner (a.m.a.z.i.n.g. homemade pizza.....mmmlicious:) and the elders headed out the door to "start the fire."

After 20 minutes or so, we followed wondering why it was taking them so long. We walked up and........let's just say my scout master dad would've been appalled. I'm no Boy Scout......but......i know for certain that's NOT how to start a fire.....#tomboy #noshame #comesinhandy

So I stood there, wondering what to say, while the elders kept devising ways to torch the pile of sticks. Yea.......guess where this is going.

GASOLINE

of course

The member hosting the bonfire, Bro K., came splitting through the ring of onlookers with a gasoline tank, DRENCHED the wood before anyone could say anything, and then one of the match-happy elders struck up and......yea.....we just about ALL got our eyebrows singed.

 And.......of course.....the fire only burned for under 2 minutes before going out with a poof. Next idea? The elders WOULD have Axe cologne in their car, now wouldn't they. Yep.....that came next. At this point, I feel like Sully watching Boo's costume going through the trash machine. Shoot me.

What are they gonna think of next??

The Axe-and-lighter technique only went so far before we heard an engine buzzing and turned to see the member walking over with a leaf blower. This is getting out. of. control. But no......in comes the leaf blower, and the fire lights up, THEN the leaf blower turns off, fire dies down, AND leaf blower goes on, fire goes up.....and so on and so on.

this is going NO WHERE

Finally, after 45 min of trying to get a fire started, one of the women of the group went to her car, pulled out a packaged fire log, and shoved it into the dying fire. ONLY then did the fire perk up and stay lit so we could manage to have our testimony meeting around an actual fire. Geez laweez.

Luckily, the testimony turned out to be fantastic!! The spirit was so strong and while Ally didn't bear her testimony, on the way home from the bonfire, she opened up to us on why she wants baptized! In her own special way, she was bearing her testimony to us--just us--for the first time, and it was SO incredibly heart-warming! I love that girl with all my heart and felt like a proud mama seeing her identifying her testimony for the first time! #priceless

We had another miracle moment this week, when we decided to do more leaf raking for those who needed it. The elders chose an investigator to serve and we showed up to help just as she was walking out the door. We told her why we’d come and asked if we could be of service. She stared at us for a moment then said, “What have you guys been taking??” This just got awkward. Fortunately, she laughed, and continued, “How did you guys know to come? Today was one of those days when everything is going wrong, and I was about ready to just cry! Then you all show up, and my day is completely turned around!!  You guys must be heaven-sent!"

tru dat

It was one of those moments when you’re like, “Yes! I’m doing my job!”  We got to talk for a while, and after serving her, the elders were able to teach her and she’s accepted the invitation to be baptized!! Service=miracles

Sis Carroll and I got creative with the whole service thing and decided to drop cookies off to some of our investigators, but make it anonymous.  Ok……well actually…….we rigged it so it was kinda like “I’ll bet I can guess who left these cookies on my porch, so maybe I should think of coming to church to thank them” type of deal.  I know. Brilliant;) hahaha! Either way, Sis C and I had fun swaggin our ninja costumes (black leggings and inside-out sweatshirts;) while doorbell ditching with treats (see below for pics…..they about sum up our lives;) haha

And last but not least, we had a prompting to drop by a potential investigator this week, and we walked up the driveway to find Dave (our investigator) sitting outside with a friend, Dan. Dave came up to us and we had a really friendly conversation about missions, what we do as missionaries, and why we do what we do. Dan sat quietly to the side, not really talking much, but clearly listening. After we’d shared with Dave a bit more about ourselves and missionary work, Dan got up, came over and said,

 “I wanna serve a mission. How do I do it??

*blink blink*

Come again??

He handed over his number, said to call him, and when we started talking about other kids he might know from the High School, he became even more interested and kept saying, “Yea! I guess I just need something more in my life.” Even Dave nudged him and said, “Yea, Dan, meet with these girls….they can help you find a path in life.”

Well, y’know Dave, we could do that for you too;) hahah! We left feeling SO grateful that the Lord had put us in the right place at the right time. This work is truly inspired. The Lord is clearly leading us to those that need us, and it’s hastening!

(Ok....so I know.....this email is getting REAL long....but just wanted to send a shout out to all my blog readers;) I love getting your letters and messages! They keep me going and I LOVE LOVE LOVE hearing about how it's helping you decide to serve and join in the work! <3 ya peeps)

Keep on keepin on!!!

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

Ok....so we had a girl's party at our apt on P-day with the sisters in the area.......it was definitely a pinterest-worthy party......minus the pinterest:) #missionarystatus #missmypins

this pic just looks like it BELONGS on pinterest;) 

YES. We did donuts on a string. Mom...you should be proud;) the other sisters weren't down....so.....we made fools of ourselves on our own;) lol 

Yep......bout sums us up:) lol

We got into an intense convo with the elders this week on whether or not ghosts are real. Don't ask. Day after, we found this in the library. PMG should add this to "questions of the soul" cause apparently the elders think they're legit. #boys

We then took these photos and told them we'd actually caught a ghost in out apartment.....#immabeliever

.....i do pretty good as a ghost....

isn't this kid just the living end?!?!?! AH!!! Never wanted a kid more in my life:) haha! #heartbreaker #futuremissionary

Love me a BIRTHDAY

Gosh.

It's been a week. The big 2-1 crept up on me.......and apparently now I have to officially act like an adult. crap. No promises there. I was reminded by multiple wardies, though, that I can now be legally arrested and imprisoned.........

mmmmmkkkkk......gtk

FYI, birthdays on the mish are TOTALLY bizarre. Especially if you're turning 21. Every other normal 21 year-old in the world on their birthday, is out drinking, hanging with friends, partying hard, and playing it loose.......

And then there's me……

dang straight and stone sober

waiting for birthday packages in the mail

awake at 6 am

taping up hand-drawn paper balloons to the wall

and wondering what to make myself for breakfast in bed

…..living the dream……

In all honesty, though, my birthday celebration lasted a whole week thanks to my champ wardies. On wednesday night, we had our weekly missionary correlation meeting, and after we'd finished, I was asked to go to the garage with one of the ward missionary's wife to see about a future service project. Then randomly, we wrap up the toolbox tour and I'm taken back inside to find a

SURPRISE PARTY

Yea. talk about speechless. I haven't had a surprise birthday party since i was 16 and thought I was going over to babysit the neighbor kids.

I felt SO loved and remembered.......two things that are sometimes hard to come by on the mish! They even brought me gifts and the cake was to. die. for. By the end of the evening, I suggested we get a photo, so I set my ipad to video (since there's no timer option.....Apple, take a hint) and after a few awkward poses and "1-2-3-cheese", someone (who will go unnamed) had the brilliant idea of

…..smashing my face in the cake…..

Yes, it's on film.......No, you can't watch it now. I'm saving it for the awkward RM slideshow:) March 2015.....be there.....it's goin down.

Lez just say it's pretty epic tho. lol pretty sure they picked THE most greasy thick frosting to smother me with, btw. It took like 3 lather-rinse-repeats of Pantene and a whole lotta Bare Minerals face wash to get that stuff off.

#sweetmercy

Hahaha! still love the wardies<3

On my actually birthday, three days later, I woke up SICK....yes.....AGAIN. And on the b-day of all days. So basically my birthday morning went something like this:

Wake up after a miserable night of heat packs on my head and Nyquil that DIDN’T work

Clamber out of bed…...barely able to breath and sounding like a heaving rhino

Find my birthday package in the living room

Manage not to kill myself slicing the packaging with a pair of scissors….

dig dig dig: …chocolate…..shirts…..flashdrive….goodies…..letters……

TISSUES and EMERGEN-C!!!

Never been more happy to see Klenex in. my. life.

 I got one inspired momma;)

We then rushed out the door to go to a service project called Be the Match (helping people register to be bone marrow donors). We got there, set up camp (all the while I'm downing airborne and ricola drops like nobody's business), and then work the table till noon when the fire and police department showed up to barbecue lunch for the donors.

Needless to say, the elders were the first to drop shift and get food. They came back with pulled pork, ribs, and brisket (yea like wow), sat down, started eating, and then the elder next to me pauses and says, "Sis Parker...try this sauce [pointing to the bbq sauce]."

I leaned over, sampled the stuff and just about d.i.e.d......hecka NASTY.

He smiled a bit then asked, "know what that taste is??"

uuuuuuummmmm......don't tell me it’s......dude are you serious?? Yep.

WHISKY

....straight up whisky...

I didn't believe him at first, but after trying it again, i was ready to puke. Gosh, there's times I'm SO glad I'm mormon. Who on earth would voluntarily choose to drink that stuff?? ugh. come to find, the cops had put the sauce on AFTER cooking the meat, so none of the alcohol had been cooked off. Basically......it was more than just "flavored" with the stuff.

and THAT'S the closest i got to drinking on my 21st.

YOLO

For the rest of the day, we helped donors fill out forms (which required reviewing medical histories.....yea.....it's all fine till the elders get assigned to work with a woman on birth control......and they don't know what to do or say.....yea awko taco) AND we also got an earful from one of the organization directors that she thought it should be required by law for "all juvies and inmates to become bone marrow donors"..................uuuuuuuhhhhhkkkkkkkkkk.

THAT would put a spin on Orange is the New Black..........

hahaha

Ok so anyways....we eventually finished off the birthday with dinner at Portillo's with one of my fav member families......AND.....half the women in the ward were there for pre-women's conference dinner so it turned into party #2 for the week. AND because I was sick...the same member went out and bought me a birthday package of cough drops, chicken noodle soup, and herbal tea.

#bigelowblessing   #cantbebeat   #bestwardieaward

Yea....I was like a 2 year old with Christmas candy....but instead.... a 21 year old with Hals.......no shame.

The women's conference that night, though, was an absolutely perfect finale to the birthday!! Ah! I can't get over Pres Uchtdorf. Every time......he nails it.

Future hubby......I expect you to be all that when you're 75.

Just before heading off to women's conference, though, we were invited by a ward member to drop by the home of one of her friends who she'd met at the grocery store (member missionary much??:). We went in to find a frail 67 year old French woman who's eyes were red and filled with tears. Turns out, her son--who she's given all her money, time, and attention to--has decided to cut off all communication with her (for whatever reason).

She was absolute HEARTBROKEN and told us she didn't know if life was even worth living now.

The member turned to us and asked us to share a message. THAT’S when all your preparation, study, learning, understanding, practice, testimony and reliance on the spirit HAS to come into play.

And it did!

I opened the scriptures and read to her Alma 26:37 and then boldly testified to her that God was aware of her, that He would never leave her side during her difficulties, and that He was ready and anxious to hear her prayers. The spirit was strong and tears streamed down Fransoise's face.

When we eventually turned to go, I took the opporunity to wrap my arms around her small frame and told her, "We love you, Fransoise!! And God loves you too!" She struggled for words, but wiping her eyes, eventually whispered back, 

"Thank you! Thank you for loving me!"

Fransoise wasn't able to attend the women's conference with us, but sitting there hearing President Uchtdorf's address, I was reminded again just how much God loves each and every one of his daughters! His message was a powerful reminder to me that I'm not alone. That I'm not perfect, but that God still loves me. I have purpose, value, and potential.

And that while I may not understand everything, I can understand that He loves and cherishes me no.matter.what.

Sometimes, as a missionary you find yourself being taught by yourself as you're teaching you’re investigators. I felt that as we listened, love, and testified to Fransoise of God's love for her. I was filled with love for her--almost a complete stranger--and in that gift of that love, I re-discovered the Lord's love for ME.

His love is real. It's unconditional. And it's empowering!

Go out and love someone.  In doing so....you'll find how much God loves YOU.

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

more from our comp photo shoot.....

before.......

and after........

saying goodbye to our district leader, elder pavlovsky, who just got his visa! You'll be missed brother!!

best we could do at a district selfie;)