Saturday, February 18, 2012

Hilary's Second Email

This was our second email received from Hilary on Feb. 15th, 2012.
-Hannah


Hello family!
Okay so I actually wrote down an outline of what I was going to say - so sorry if it's super scattered and such. PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS GOING ON MY BLOG BECAUSE I WRITE THIS WITH EVERYONE I LOVE IN MIND. Okay great thanks.
ALSO THIS IS IMPORTANT AND A SUPER BIG DEAL: So I need everyone I know if you're planning  on writing me this week to write Elder Fisher or Elder Knobbe in my district instead. We had Elder Clarke of the 70 come and talk to us last night, and he recommended we do this if our companion isn't getting mail. Elder Knobbe is from Idaho - he's built like a tree and works out like a machine. He is a convert and his family is super unsupportive of him serving a mission. He's our district leader and doesn't get hardly any mail and no packages and has to see that for himself when he picks up the mail and package slips. Elder Fisher is from Layton, Utah. He's adorable and we love him so much. He is really quiet, but whenever he speaks, it's super insightful and great. We love him a lot. So please - if you're writing me this week, please write them instead. Or first :) Whatever. It would mean a lot to me. Elder Knobbe's address is the exact same as mine except address it to Elder Mark Knobbe, and for Elder Dallon Fisher write the St. Louis, Missouri Mission instead of AZ-PHO or whatever mine is. The MTC mailbox and 0221 is the same.
So yes! We leave next Tuesday at 5 in the morning. I can't tell you our flight plans (cough Tracie cough) but we get into Phoenix around 11 am or so on Tuesday.
Thank you so much for the Valentine's package and cute card!!!!!!!!!!! It was adorable. Trenton and I both got packages from the Joneses too which was super sweet.
Please tell Tracie that I'm trying to write her a letter, but for some reason it's taking a long time and I'm having trouble finishing it. Hopefully I will today.
When does Sister Beck come and visit? Dad, did you finally track down some flat screen TVs?
How is my blog coming? Ah I wish I could see it.
Mom asked about our teaching style I think. Most of what we learn is trial and error honestly. We go in and teach people, and then in our next lesson we learn the better way to do it and practice some more. Sister Crandall and I are not very good at planning because Sister Crandall loves going almost exclusively by the Spirit. So I guess we do a really good job at loving our investigators and showing that, but we're not great at our purpose which is bringing them unto Christ because we're never able to share all the doctrine we feel the investigator needs to make them happier. So yeah. We're working on it. But we always say a prayer before we begin and try to afterward as well. It helps us feel the Spirit so much stronger and help us know what the Lord would have us teach rather than what we think ourselves.
I haven't heard anything about bikes sorry - our elders are convinced that since we're sisters we won't have to ride them, but based on our letters from President Taylor, we're almost positive that we'll have bikes. So yeah concern.
Waking up is hard. Going to bed is the greatest thing ever. But the latest we've ever slept in which was an accident was 6:40. Usually I try and be awake by 6:20 because we have to be dressed and ready for class and in class at 7:00.
Dad keep up the journal writing! I would forget everything that's happening to me if I don't write at least one sentence in my journal every night. It's been a super big blessing already.
Our dorm room is actually slightly bigger than most dorm rooms which is nice. The four of us in our district share it with a sister going to Hungary and another going to Albania. We all go to church together. We're super blessed to love each other a lot and get along really well. We need to figure out where our "Narnia hole" is like the elders did and see if the sisters before us left us anything good.
It snowed all day Sunday but melted by Monday. It's pretty cold - I always wear my purple coat and can't believe I thought about not bringing it. And I love my tights (mostly because it means I don't have to shave every day hahahaha).
I'm getting a haircut today - hopefully it works out okay. My hair is just being really stupid so I guess it's time.
Mom - I have more than enough food. Seriously. Don't worry about it. And I forgot 10000000000000000 things so don't worry about that either. Unless you want to send me my Book of Mormon which has my amazing scripture marker in it (sorry Taylor, but guess what?! My entire district has those pens - we love them) and my glasses screwdriver if you can find it.
My glasses did make me dizzy the first couple of days, but they're fine now. I wear them a lot and everyone laughs at how nerdy the transistion lenses are, but I like them enough. The only downer is that they stay dark for a long time after I walk inside. I'll be excited to try out contacts when I get home in August 2013.
I give Trenton a hug every single time I see him still which is anywhere from 0-3 times a day - mostly in the cafeteria. My district loves watching as I scramble out of my seat and greet him like I haven't seen him in years and how everyone still freaks out when we hug.
Hey so Brother Pace was telling me Romney won Florida or something. I need to know when I can vote so I can figure out who I'm voting for. I don't even know who's in the real runnings. Elections are so crazy. They seem way more complicated than they should be.
Has anyone gone swimming yet?
My classes are all the same - we have 2 different teachers for 3 hours blocks usually twice a day and learn the fundamentals from Preach My Gospel which we then practice on each other and then on investigators.
I love you all so much. I miss you a lot. I only have 12 minutes so I'm going to send Hannah a short note. I'll have to send a handwritten letter or something aaaaaaahhhhh.
Also, I still love my district so much. We eat our meals together and have gotten so close that we eat off each other's plates all the time now hahaha. It's hilarious. Like seriously sometimes I still get overwhelmed by how much I love them.
Okay the thing that I read this week in the Book of Mormon was in Alma 26:16 and is exactly how I'm feeling - especially the last part. In fact, that whole chapter was pretty amazing.
I love this gospel. I am so grateful for this gospel, for the Atonement, and for how much overwhelming love I feel from my Heavenly Father and my Savior who are doing everything they can so that I can live with them again. I love this! The Book of Mormon is true - I've seen miracles already on how reading it with investigators helps them feel the truth of it.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. Please write Elder Mark Knobbe and Elder Dallon Fisher. Thanks
Love,
Sister Parks

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