Tuesday, August 7, 2012

And it's Glendale again! - August 7, 2012


We just got the news that all of us (our entire zone - so like 8
companionships) will all be staying in Glendale for the next 6 weeks.
Wow. Honestly I wasn't expecting to leave, but then when I found out I
really wasn't leaving, I was surprised haha. So we'll see if I can handle
Glendale. I'm sure I can. It kind of made sense that Sister Robinson and I
would stay what with no new sisters coming in this transfer. It's crazy. We
get 3 in September though. And Sister Falke goes home in 2 weeks :( At
sacrament meeting this week, I just felt really strongly that God will
continue to put me in places that force me to reach much much farther than I
think I can, but in reality God knows that I only have to stretch a little
more to reach it. Haha so spiritually I'm growing taller and taller. It has
not been easy, and the challenges that lay ahead for us and Glendale are
daunting to say the least. However, we had a really great meeting with our
Ward Mission Leader (finally!!!) which helped a lot to get a good picture of
the ward and what our role will be in helping them along. Our district
leader also informed us that we're definitely in a rebuidling zone and that
our numbers will be pretty bad for a long time. We've accepted that which is
hard because when you get the numbers that you've prayerfully set as goals,
you know for a fact that you're doing the work the Lord would have you do.
Numbers are a tool to help us be constantly reevaluating our work and the
reaping of the harvest. But we know that the work we'll do here in Glendale
will be to make wards ready to accept those that have strayed from the past
or that are ready to receive the gospel for the first time. And right now
our ward is just not ready for that. Right after our meeting with our ward
mission leader, he went and met with the Bishop who is on the same page with
us. We'll meet together with both of them next week and really analyze what
the goals of the ward can be and how we can help. Sister Robinson and I
called our district leader Sunday night with a lot of trepdiation at the
tasks ahead but with a lot of hope too. Two of our main leaders in the ward
that we work with are totally on board and understand our role as
missionaries. I think we'll still need to work with our Relief Society
President who is pretty stuck in her ways and not too keen on our
capabilities or purpose as missionaries. But that's okay. But anyway the
work we'll be doing will be great. We're going to build trust and save
souls. We had a great experience last night with a returning less-active
named Sister Lee. She's pretty young and served a mission in Minnesota (she
has some crazy stories!!!). She's been feeling really low and so we went
over with one of our ward missionaries and watched President Uchtdorf's
"Forget Me Not" talk. It was really beautiful (I LOVE THAT TALK), and Sister
Lee said she felt very peaceful and had been feeling alone all week but
didn't anymore.
Sister Robinson and I are freakishly similar. We're still getting used to
each other but get along pretty well. I freaked her out a little yesterday
when I briefly fainted, but other than that I promise I've been totally
normal. I've only used my Gollum/Grover voice once. Or twice.
Oh yeah so with Fast Sunday being this past week I guess I didn't recover
well enough (TO CLEAR UP ANY MISCONCEPTIONS - in the Arizona Phoenix Mission
we are almost required to drink water even though we're fasting because, as
evidenced in the next story, we will die without water). Our first
appointment Monday morning was with an elderly couple in the ward, and we
were just outside talking to the wife (she was doing work in her yard). We
said a prayer for her and all of a sudden I felt pretty sick and turned so I
wouldn't be sick on my companion and this sister. Well then I passed out and
Sister Robinson apparently got me down on the ground okay (I think I fell in
her arms actually though I don't know how that happened) and she called
Sister Taylor who talked to her for a little and then talked to me when I
was able to get my words again. Haha I thought about that time I passed out
after donating blood and how I couldn't stop laughing and Taylor was getting
so mad at me. Good times. Anyway so typical to every crisis in my life I
started laughing. But I kept it pretty under control because I was so
embarrassed and humiliated. I'm NOT telling my zone about what a pansy I am.
So everything's fine. I just wasn't get enough electrolytes or something. So
we bought even more gatorade today. Uncle Pat would be proud. Especially
since I walked away with nothing but Rain Berry flavor. Nice.
THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE! I almost forgot. We went to the mission office
yesterday to get a brand new car (oooohhhh yeeeaaahhhh) and I got my package
then. Thanks! It's ridiculous to think I've been out 6 months. Crazy.
We had exchanges this past week in Sun City which is a massive retirement
community. I went up with Sister Follett and we had a blast. It was exactly
what I needed just a week after the emergency transfer. I was able to unload
a little bit and discuss everything with her. Poor Sister Follett. But it
helped me a lot in understanding all the changes that have taken place in
the past couple of weeks.
Oh and we got a new car after we spent like 6 hours Tuesday unexpectedly
replacing the water pump. Yay. We wasted a lot of time getting our bikes
prepped and ready to ride, but then we went on exchanges so Sister Robinson
and Sister Fluckiger rode bikes in Glendale while I went up to Sun City
hahaha. Maybe I'll get through my whole mission without the awful experience
of keeping my skirt down while I sweat out my testimony on a bike. Probably
not.
We had a meeting with our zone this past Friday which was pretty
interesting. We have Spanish sisters in our zone so it was interesting not
being in a trio and not being the only sisters there. I felt very unspecial
hahahaha. But our zone seems pretty great. It's wonderful to have a familiar
face in Elder Anderson. He goes home next transfer.
Also, why do I write these giant epistles when Trenton writes like nothing?
Nothing much else to say. Thank you for the emails, packages, and prayers. I
love them. I think this transfer is going to test me a lot, perhaps in
preparation for the big changes that will happen with new sisters in
September. Perhaps not. Either way, I know I'm becoming a more well-rounded
missionary. I'm definitely learning to complain less and love people more.
In Prescott, it was easy to love people, and I'm praying very hard for
charity here in Glendale. Humilty will be key, and we all know how great I
am at that hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Oh my gosh.
Well I actually have time to respond to some emails so I'll go and do that.
Love y'all lots. A LOT. Thanks for everything!
Your favorite Sister Parks

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