Cowgirls, Couches, and Converts-To-Be

Transfers. THEY DO THINGS TO YA.

This time around it was ten times worse than norm. First off, the tensely-awaited text took FOREVER to be sent......

11am......1pm.......3pm.........nothing.......5pm......nothing.......6pm.........nothing.......7pm.....nothing.....8:05
pm.....

"Ah! Finally!!"

"You will NOT be receiving a transfer call to tonight"


GLORY HALLELUJAH!!


Yea, well.....life's not that simple. 5 minutes later....

"You WILL be receiving a transfer call tonight"


WAIT, WHAT??


Way to kill that party. And instead, we start panicking. Only one thing left to do: frantically call the AP's and demand an explanation. Good plan.....until they don't answer their phone.

So we sit there, staring hopelessly at each other, wheels turning, palms sweating, tears forming, with NO idea what to think.

Then the phone buzzes again........half terrified we read the text: "Sorry about the confusion. this is the real thing: You will NOT be receiving a transfer call tonight."

GLORY HALLELUJAH!!!

But.....not so much. 5 short-lived minutes later.....

"The real deal: you WILL be receiving a transfer call tonight."

WHAT ON EARTH!? My life is a lie. After being mind-wracked and question-tortured, and TEN YEARS  LATER......the assistants call to apologize for the confusion and to tell us we will NOT be getting transferred!!!!

That, people, is the only way this story could have ended well:)



So yea!!! I'm staying in North Shore 1 for at least 6 more weeks with 11 investigators, two on date for baptism, and with the best companion ever!

LIFE IS GOOD.

The only downer to transfers is that we have to move apartments because of some re-arranging conflicts. BLAH. So.....despite staying in the area, we're moving.........

JOY

We're actually downsizing from one of the largest apartments in the mission to one of the smallest. Oh well. Good thing Sister Teare and I have reached that point in our relationship........hello, close quarters. Hahaha! 

(Btw, it's CRAZY how much stuff we girls collect in only a few short months:)

Have no fear, though. Sis Teare and I had quite the adventure this week with moving are now experienced in the process. We arranged for a couch that Yolanda didn't want any more to be given to Margaret our
other investigator (who's on date for baptism!!!!). Being the capable sisters we are ;) we were able to swap cars with the Chi 1 district leaders so....

I GOT A TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep. My country-loving heart was BEYOND STOKED!!!! Driving that beauty was out. of. this. world.! Doesn't take much to make this cowgirl happy:)

Heads up, Chi-town, these girls done gone and got themselves a truck!!! Yehaw!

So anyways, after finally getting the heavy bulky couch out of Yolanda's house (oh, and we found out half way through the awkward process that it originally took 4 guys to move it IN......#sisterskillz!) and loaded into the truck.......and despite "compliments" from the construction guys across the street.......we
were on our way to deliver it an hour later. Whew. Best yet to come, though. After unloading the couch and getting it half way up two flights of stairs, we realized that it was too big to fit around the corner right before Margaret's apt.

OH SWEET MERCY.

Back out the door we go......all the way around to the back of the building, in a last attempt to get it up the somewhat wider back stairs. 20 pinched hands and fingers later, we managed to finally get that pain-in-the-neck mammoth couch into Margaret's apartment. All that work, effort, pain, and sweat though, was ALL worth seeing the happiness and gratitude on Margaret's face!! Service like that makes. my. DAY!!!!!

The only misery that day was having to give the truck back:( I just about cried. This is why Sis Teare and I need to be the first sister District leaders so we can drive the truck all the time! Haha! Jk:)

We were eventually able to go back and teach Margaret a lesson as well. She is such a sweet woman! She's had a lot of struggles lately and throughout her life, but it's incredible seeing the difference the gospel is making in her life. She's happier. She's hopeful. And she's at home!! The gospel is changing her life for the better! How lucky I am to be a part of it!!!!!!!

Abass is making great progress too!! We taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ this week, and watching his dark eyes sincerely watching us and listening to everything we say is absolutely p.r.i.c.e.l.e.s.s.! At the end of our lesson, Marie (his mom) said, "So, Abass, you think someday you'll teach this to other people? Be a missionary?" His answer sent happy chills all through me....."YES!" That beaming white smile and bright eyes of his was proof enough that he knows it's true and will be an incredible missionary one day!!

This week also consisted of the dreaded APARTMENT INSPECTIONS. duhn, duhn,  duhn....


In the past, the senior sisters who inspect the apartments have showed up at least a half hour late so OF COURSE when Sis Teare and I decide to go all out and deep clean e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. they show up right
on time, with us still in our cleaning grubbies, no make-up on, and frantically trying to do last minute cleaning with them on our doorstep.  At the end if the day, though,  our apartment passed with flying colors. WHAAAAAAAAT:)

Last night, following our dinner appointment, we were about it go home to finish packing, when I felt a strong impression to visit a certain potential investigator, Dawon. We'd had difficulty getting a hold of
him since first running into him, so it seemed like a vain effort, but.....off we went. Sure enough, he was home!!!! He came down into the entry way to talk with us. We asked if he'd had a chance to read any of the Book of Mormon (which he was holding) and he said "Yea, I've read a little of it. Sorry, I haven't read much, but it want to keep reading." He stepped closer to show me his bookmarked page: CHAPTER TWENTY of 1ST NEPHI!!!! 

Dude, you're doing great!!! Hahaha!


He's so sincere and curious......we've found an ELECT!! We're meeting with him this coming Saturday and he wants to come to church with us as well!!!! Does happiness like this exist anywhere else?!!? NOPE.

So, we're pressing on! Our mishaps for the week include accidentally leaving our cooking dinner in the oven while we ran out to a teach (luckily we didn't burn the complex down, only our kitchen. Just
kidding, mom:), me hobbling around for days after doing 100 calf raises during my morning workout (oh sweet soreness!), and being road bullied by a guy who saw me changing lanes in front of him as an attack on him, his family, and his dog. Narrowly escaped that one, thanks be to our personal Spiritual Security agents.

The joy to be experienced as a missionary is UNMATCHED! Yea, it's tough, yea it's long, yea it's tedious, yea it's demanding......but it is ALL WORTH IT!!! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't, in some way or another, count myself so blessed to be a missionary!!

I'm including an object lesson (re-drawn in my journal:) that our district leader shared with us on  Wednesday. Hopefully it'll make sense, if not.......email me (I've gotta find you reasons to write me,
see?;)

I believe that it's lessons can apply to any aspect of our lives, when we are searching for greater peace and happiness. Let me know what you think!!!



I love you all!!  Miss ya lots, and know that your prayers are felt out here!!!!


Onward and upward!


Sister Anna Parker

(Hope you can read my writing....and enjoy the hot pink and zebra border......my fav;)

I Found Cloud 9

If cloud 9 was an actual place, it'd be the Illinois Chicago mission. Seriously, this week has been bomb! Probably the most spiritually charged week of my whole mission!

True, it's that time of year when you feel the most homesick seeing all the college students and extended family coming into town for the holidays, Christmas decorations going up, presents being bought, etc. but somehow it's also the best time of year, because you're MEGA involved with helping other people, you don't have time to worry about yourself!

It's also prime hunting season.....on the look out for those with enough pity for two young girls 1000 miles away from home, to let them in to share a message of Christ.   #pityvote    #heyitworks

Tracting one night, we felt impressed to visit this one street with a daily goal to find two potential investigators.  We were totally beat physically. It was cold. It was windy. It was dark. It was icy. It was

M.i.s.e.r.a.b.l.e.

But with a lot of prayer and plastered smiles, we started knocking doors. After about 20 one-day-you'll-know-it's-true doors, we came to a house where a 40-or-so year old guy comes to the door. First thing he says,

"Ooooooooo.....two young ladies on my porch at night....I like it...."

OK, time to run. Turns out he was kidding (sorta;) and told us we wasn't religious (go figure) and instead to try "saving the Jews next door."

GEEZ REALLY??

Unfortunately the only referral we got that night and they were obviously not interested --"happily Jewish" (they all use that phrase....kinda sketch).

OH WELL.

Next house: we got the door slammed in our face only after being forewarned that it was going to be slammed, "I don't usually open the door to people I don't know, so I'm gonna close it now." #doubleslam

Keep pounding them doors......keep getting asked if we are "nuns or nuns in training or something......." "No......noooooope, better than that (we have iPads:)"....didn't say it, but I was tempted;)

And then, of course, the LAST door we knock on, we get a return invite with his really nice guy! #chaching

God is good to us!

We've also been putting our voices to use with CAROLING SESHS!! We've been downtown on street corners, in homes of less-actives, investigators, and members, on porches, walking down sidewalks,singing our hearts out and getting real good at making people smile:) it's SO rewarding!!

#happiness


As an early christmas present, President arranged for each zone to GO TO THE TEMPLE!!! Whaaaaaaaaat! It was by far the highlight of my week....maybe even month:) Being there with all of your best friends, fellow missionaries, was SO powerful! Gosh, we are SO blessed to have a temple in our mission, and to have it so close!

best. mission. ever.

After an amazing session in the temple, we all went to the mission home for lunch, a spiritual message, and a white elephant gift exchange. Of course, by the end of the spiritual message, President had all us sisters crying:) He showed us the Mormon Message, "They Gave Up Their Christmas" (http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-05-01-they-gave-up-their-christmas?category=topics/christmas) and then talked about how each of us is giving up our Christmas to labor in the figurative vineyard of The Lord. That's enough to give ya
chills:)

 It was inspiring and touching, sitting in a room full of young people, many of which have never been so far from home, who are choosing to spend Christmas away from family, comfort, and much more, all to serve The Lord and His children. And then you realize you're one of them! Gah! It doesn't get better than this!!!

Up next was the white elephant gift exchange.......geez laweez. I open my gift to find a blank baptismal record with a note, "GET BACK TO WORK!" stuck to the front. Totally an elder's gift. Sure enough.

OH ELDERS........

In exchange, I gave a plaid Christmas tie that plays "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"... ......CLASSY, I know. Our lucky District Leader got it:)


Our P-Day was also an adventure. Sis Teare and I braved the transit system on our own this time, and despite having to stand on the L-Train next to a man determined to do a squat workout between stations, managed to arrive downtown safely:) Just our luck, we decided to galavant around downtown Chicago, on foot, on the coldest
day of the year thus far.

#FAIL

Soooooo......despite being half frozen, we managed to find a hole-in-the-wall donut shop (that came recommended to Sis Teare by our district leader, who's also obsessed with donuts:), visited the HUGE
Willis Tower Christmas Tree, walked by the Silver Bean again, and strolled (more like power walked to avoid freezing to death:) down Chicago's Magnificent Mile--the BEST shopping street e.v.e.r.!      I LOVE it!

#everygirlsdream

Chicago is beautiful and always buzzing! Its one of the few big cities I actually love. I already know I'm going to miss it when I leave! Guess that means I'll have to come back:)     #itsadate

Our investigators are doing well...slowly but surely wins the race, right? Please pray that our potential new investigators continue to be interested and will start making commitments. Our list of potentials is growing fast, so we're juggling over 20 people right now!! Lots to do, lots of places to go, lots of lessons now to teach.....what could be better?? #bombblessings

Well, I love y'all! Keep them prayers coming! Even better, send a letter:)

Onward and upward!

Sister Anna Parker

The beautiful Chicago River!!!!

Sis Teare (my beautiful comp:) and I at the temple!!    Best. Place. On. Earth.

Diggin the donuts...my comp's obsessed:) 

The Willis Tower MEGA Christmas Tree! Seriously, this thing is HUGE!! I reached about to the fourth ball up.....#shortystatus

These Girls Are On Fire

Oh. my. lanta.

What a crazy week. Crazy good, crazy unexpected.

Bur first.......meet the new comp: SISTER TEARE!!

Gosh, I love this girl!! Off the bat bestie.....woot woot! She's from New Mexico, has a wicked sense of humor, is part Native American, and loves donuts:)

#dunkindate

She's a joy.

Up for the crazies: So the day before transfer meeting, I was at the office with Sis. Stradling, and Elder Taggart (one of the senior office elders) showed me the pictures of all the new missionaries that were coming in. I looked over the list, saw Sis. Teare's pictures, pointed to her, turned to Elder Taggart and said, "That's my new companion."

Sure enough.

At our first planning session (about an hour after getting back to the apartment after transfers), I started us off with the uber long "planning prayer" where we pray specifically for each of our investigators, less-actives, recent converts, PNI's, leadership, members, etc. and as soon as I'd finished the 17 min prayer, I turn to find Sis. Teare's asleep.....yea, my voice has that effect. 

#feelingold

Despite jet lag and culture shock, Sis. Teare is such a hard worker and has jumped right into the rigor of mission life and training.

 I feel like the luckiest trainer on earth! I love Sis. Teare and we're forging forward together in the work!! Couldn't ask for a better greenie:)

A day or two later, we got to go help out at a member's home, making crackers and meatballs for a party. We'd barely got the ingredients mixing, when we realized that the preheating oven was belching smoke from some spilled roast sauce.

NASTY.

Oh well. We kept on cooking meanwhile the whole apartment is filling with smoke. We soon had to break out the fans, crack the windows, and......yep, eventually a fire truck showed up outside, just as we'd cleared the oven and the apartment lost it's fog.

GREAT. Ok who squealed?......

We obviously didn't volunteer ourselves as suspects and eventually they left but it wouldn't be the first time we've had interaction with the Evanston Fire Department:)

#stillhateelevators


The next day we had our ward Christmas party!! It was a blast! We got to help with one of the "story rooms" for the kiddos, where we gave out Books of Mormon for them to give to their friends.

Oh, if only we still reported how many BoMs we gave away each week. We'd be bomb:)

After helping out there, we booked it to a less-active's to help her move to an apartment one floor down.

Hauling heavy stuff up and down two flights of stairs is somehow appealing to me.....#rugbydays  #missionprep #whatcanisay

We were having a good old time till............the POLICE showed up. So.....Sister Teare has a history.........jk:)

Apparently, one tenant called the police on another tenant, who then had to be cleared by a different tenant......OH DRAMA.

Learned that day how to maneuver around two cops and one suspect being interrogated while holding 30+ pounds of boxes, clothing, and furniture, all in a small 5 foot hallway.

#sisterskillz       #dayinthelife


On my next trip upstairs to get a load to haul downstairs, one of the men from the ward hands me a gold container and says,

"Here Sister, this is her (our less-active's) sister. Don't drop her."

I just blank starred at him for a second and then.....click. "I'm holding a URN."

JEEPERS CREEPERS.

Ahgeblegheblahgeblegeh!!!!!!

Felt so weird........TOTALLY out of my comfort zone! That was the longest haul of MY LIFE, but hey, gotta do whatcha gotta do.

Basically, I was praying the w.h.o.l.e. time, that I wouldn't drop it, and in doing so, be scarred for life.

Elevator convo with Sis. Teare:
               Me: "Agh...this is so wired!"
               Sister Teare: [just laughs]
               Me: "And it's heavy too!"
               Sister Teare: "Well yea, it's a whole body!"

GAH!! This just got 10 X WEIRDER!! Hahahahaha!!! Gotta love moments like that:)



Work-a-thon Wednesday was the start to an amazing week together. We set our goals for the week and rest of the month, and they're high! We prayed that night that The Lord would help us reach our goals as we put in the work, and sure enough, He has!!

We were able to meet our weekly goals in only the three short days we had left!! By the end of the week, we had 2 new investigators and 6 potential investigators as well!!

Hit that pavement, pound them doors! We're...

TRACTING.

We love it, we hate it.

It doesn't always yield results, but this week it did!!

E--- and his father, T---, let us in Sunday night to teach them the Restoration (my all-time favorite lesson:). They're from Nigeria and are currently Pentecostal Christians. They were open to hearing our message though. The spirit was so strong as we began to bear witness of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith as a true prophet.

The more I teach that lesson, the more my testimony of this gospel grows. The church is SO true! SO TRUE! And knowing that, gives me such a capacity to love complete strangers and even those who reject our message.

There is power in being a set-apart full-time missionary. It's not always a physical or outward power, or even the power to teach and testify with eloquence and convincing force.

I believe it's a power to love.

To care so much about the welfare of others' souls that you give up 18 months-2 years of your life to save them.

There's no greater work that comes with greater power.

One if my favorite quotes from our District Leader, Elder Gurney (who's awesome, btw!) is,

"I paid 10 grand for this 

small piece of plastic [pointing to the name tag] 

and it's the best investment I've ever made!"

#swagginthetag

True dat. I love my tag. LOVE IT. It represents so much more than just a name badge or even a title.

It represents work. Hard work. Sweat, tears, heartache, discouragement, fear, failure, and constant effort. But it also represents success. Love, service, comfort, joy, prayer, and tender mercies.

It represents the Lord. His Atonement, everything He did for me, all that I owe Him.......it's all found in those few words,


           SISTER PARKER
             The Church of
            JESUS CHRIST
         Of Latter-Day Saints


I love this work! I love the Lord!

This is His true church!! I KNOW it! I KNOW IT!! There is no greater work to be done on this earth than missionary work!

Keep calm. Stay strong.



Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

Easy Come, Easy Go

Transfer week is the full-time missionary version of receiving a mission call...all over again.

Stress levels are through. the. roof.

So we usually receive a text around 10am Saturday morning, telling us whether or not we will be receiving a transfer call. Then, at around 9pm, we'll get the call from President.

Only this time around, Saturday morning rolls by.....no txt.

1 pm........one or two texts from other companionships start popping up: "let us know when you hear about transfers!"

2 pm.........by now almost every compship has sent out a text underlined by paranoia: "has anyone gotten transfer texts yet???"

3 pm...........panic starts setting in and the text messages start flying: "have you heard anything??? What's going on??!!"

FINALLY, at 4:30 pm....."You WILL be receiving a transfer call tonight!"

Stress levels have arrived at Pluto.

Then we're forced to wait for 4 hours for "THE CALL", all the while my mind is going BIZERK.

Possibilities....possibilities....possibilities......

Totally lost my appetite, and resorted to being an introvert for those longest 4 hours of my life.....THAT'S how stressed I was (Sis. Houghton, see where I'm at? :)!

THEN...President called. At 8:30 pm. "Sister Parker.......(and of course, there's a long pause......"ah, you're killing me, smalls!")

"We would like for you to TRAIN ANOTHER NEW MISSIONARY!"

Happiness levels to the sun and back!!!!!!        Yup!! I'm gonna train AGAIN!!!!

With only 17 new missionaries coming in, and so many trainers available who have done this much longer than I have, I have NO idea why they've picked me to train again!

"Well, she failed at it once, maybe we should give her a second try:)" (I know its gotta have come up in SOME meeting!)

Hahahahaha!

For reals though, I'm SO excited to train again! Training really does motivate me to do my best, pushes me to grow, and teaches me to be efficient and hardworking. It's a HUGE responsibility, but I'm excited for the challenge!

So, tomorrow, I become a new momma:)                 #take2                #superstoked

Sis Stradling is going to be transferring to North Shore 2nd where my MTC companion and bestie, Sis Butler is currently serving with her greenie, Sis Raccuia. (They are the closest set of missionaries to us,

and even meet in our same chapel). 

Sis Butler is going home for medical reasons, and my heart is breaking seeing her go!! She has been my best friend ever since the MTC (and even before that, actually, thanks to FB:) and I feel like I'm saying

goodbye to my sister! I will miss her with all my heart, but this is God's will for her, and she has been an inspiration to me of trusting the Lord and facing challenge with faith and hope.

She and I were talking on Tuesday about Chicago accents, and realized that it's spreading to us.....YIKES.

SO....Chicagoans have this way of saying "yea, yea, yea" at the end of their phrases, and sure enough........IM SAYING IT!!!!

#killerrealization             #imbecomingoneofthem                   #headsupbwoston               #chigirlnow

This past Thursday, we got to go downtown [insert raise the roof motion!] for a night of Christmas music that the YSA ward put on. We missionaries were asked to perform for one of the numbers. 

After a painful attempt at coming in together, we managed to get through "Still, Still, Still"  as the last musical number, before joining in with the audience for "Silent Night."

It was all going well till we realized we were singing the the 2nd verse while the audience was singing the 1st and the conductor was singing the 3rd.

SILENT NIGHT MASHUP.                

#inthehouse

We were all so clearly confused, mixed up, and exchanging desperate "what are you singing??" looks that if nothing else, we passed as comic relief for night.

#lol

Speaking of Christmas........Chi town is decked!! Makes me SO happy! I love love love the lights, nativities, and music!!

AND....we got SNOW yesterday!!!! (The elders couldn't resist.....flipping donuts in the parking lot MAY have occurred.......#iaintguilty)

My winter driving, shoveling, and un-stucking car skills are coming in handy with a companion from desert-dry Arizzony:) It's crazy how fast Christmas it coming up!!!! WEIRD!!! EXCITING!!!!

Oh and wasn't the Christmas devotional SO good!!!! Elder Uchtdorf's talk was my favorite.                            

#mormonidol

The Lord has a special way of bringing you to points in your life where you feel like you can't find assurance or peace anywhere....and then an inspired message from church leaders come, and you're convinced that they wrote it just for you.

#SOML

His words totally hit home for me. I left that devotional feeling recharged, comforted, and inspired.

This church must be true or something!!

And now for the weekly health update you've all been waiting for:

My consultation with the EP went well, he was a really good doctor and assured me that there's nothing seriously wrong with my heart. WHEW.  Yea, my heart beats weird, but it's nothing to be concerned

about...that's just the way its decided to tick for the rest of my life.

[insert "Just the Way You Are" lyrics.... (James, don't hate!)]

However, he said I should continue to try and figure out the whole dizziness, shakiness, exhaustion, etc, stuff going on. Sooooooo.........back to the GP I go. More doctors appointments.....

JOY.

For good news though, the heart problems don't seem to be problems any more:) He thinks it could be a brain thing, though, so he suggested getting a neuro consult.

Stay tuned.........

Work wise, this week has been slow. Depressing slow. I feel like all but maybe two of our investigators can be classified as non-bipolar investigators. All the rest, it's hit-or-miss, up-and-down, progressing-to-failing status every. other. week.

It's kinda exhausting trying to keep up with all of them. We're thinking of dropping a few of them to be able to focus our efforts more effectively on new investigators.

#sadday

But, even during weeks like this, The Lord is helping us become better missionaries, breaking us down, so He can build us back up.

Missions are amazing things. They're hard....not gonna lie. But they make and mold you into someone you could never be without it.

There are times when I feel like I've hit rock bottom. Like I can't keep going. Like I've failed. Like I'm not enough.

But The Lord knows that. He knows when we are spent and I'm gaining a testimony of why He pushes us to our limits: because when He pushes us to the point where we can go no further, THAT is when we find Him--on our knees in awe of His ability to take the wheel and lift us out of our pain.

A friend out here texted me this morning after we talked about the difficulties of our lives, 

"Take pride in how far you have come. Have faith in how far you can go. Trust in the work you put in."

I love it.

As missionaries, sometimes we feel like we're expected to be perfect. Perfectly obedient, perfectly dressed, perfectly versed, perfectly successful, perfectly spiritual........it's exhausting sometimes:)

Truth is, we're not. And we'll never be.

But as long as we try our best, learn from our mistakes, have faith in His strength, and trust in our abilities, The Lord will make up for the rest.

I'm so far from being the missionary I want to be. SO FAR. But letting that get to me is a tool of Satan's and is totally destructive.

Let it go. Do your best, leave the rest to HIM.

If I'm doing my best, then I can rest assured that I'm being the missionary The Lord wants me to be.

SIMPLE AS THAT.

Keep it real. Keep it tight. But not real tight;)

(Ok, so now that I've pep talked myself.......hahaha!)

I love you all a million! Letters mean the world to me! Prayers keep me going!

Onward and upward,

Sister Anna Parker

Yea, yea, yea:)