PHOENIX PROPER - September 24, 2012

Hello lovelies!
HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY MOM! I'm scared I'm going to forget it next week so just in case. Make sure Elder Parks doesn't forget.
I got to speak in my first ward yesterday haha. So Hannah we could have been speaking at the same time! Wow!!!!!!!!!! I read your talk - it's adorable. You're so cute. I'd send you my talk, but it's a lot of random notes because I don't have a computer to write my talks on anymore hahaha.
My new companion is Sister Pilcher. She is a realist from a little town near Sacramento. She's just a transfer ahead of me. She and Sister Murdock got along really well. She's tall and nice.
Yes we have a car. We have just a few miles less than my last area, so Sister Pilcher says they usually end up riding bikes a few days every month to keep the miles within our limits.
Oh and then I guess there's an odd number of English and Spanish sisters because Sister Follett (this ADORABLE sister who was serving in the retirement community of Sun City) was transferred to be with Hermana Garcia. They'll be a hybrid companionship covering Manistee Ranch and Solano (the Spanish ward). I think they'll do really well together. Sister Follett will be perfect for Manistee Ranch and she knows some Spanish too which will really help haha.
I love my new wards! Oh my gosh they are so great. Inactivity is really high (like really high - like 60/70%) so we'll be doing a lot of getting to know the ward and bringing people back to church and happiness and keeping covenants! Oh yeah! We have really great support and a huge variety of people. The members are very involved and we have great ward mission leaders. And people will give other people rides all the time! It is so great! And our area is literally the southern and eastern boundary of the mission (we're right next to the Mesa mission). In fact, we go grocery shopping in the Mesa mission. It's hilarious.
ALSO PLEASE DON'T SEND ME ANY PACKAGES. ESPECIALLY NEXT MONTH. I spent way too much money shopping in Glendale. Then, as I hung up my new clothes here in Phoenix I had that embarrassing moment when I realized that as much as I always feel like I need more outfits, I should probably be happy with what I have. Please don't send me anything more. I feel so bad. My last Pday in Glendale we went to this store for like 30 minutes (we had no time to do anything other than email family, go shopping there really fast, and MOVE out - I didn't start packing until like 9:00 that night) and the lady totally talked me into cute clothes that I never would have spent that much money on. Oh my gosh I was mortified. So yeah. And my tennis shoes are falling apart, so I'll go get some cheap ones. Oh my gosh and socks probably too. Basically don't send me anything. I'm so embarrassed at my materialism.
My back bike tire kept going flat and we realized it was because the valve was off just enough that the pressure kept making it go flat. The tire itself should be fine. We had our district leader (who's on bike) fix it on Sunday really fast so it should be fine now. Gah if you feel like you should buy tires, here are the measurements: 54-559 or 26x2.10 or other stuff. I honestly didn't get it.
WHAT FISHER IS ENGAGED AGAIN?! sweeeeeeet.
Life is good. Personal study has been so great lately just being able to feel the Spirit and see needs met. I'm getting my feet here slowly but surely and it's so great. I know I'm being blessed well beyond my own abilities. I'm working a lot on not comparing myself to other missionaries and what would you know but it makes me so much happier! I'm really grateful to have been blessed with the ability to just go up and talk to people and be genuinely excited to meet them. Sunday was super fun meeting two new wards!
Also, my goal in life is to one day be Brother Salisbury's opening speaking when he's a high councilor still when I'm home (that better happen!). Remember when he asked me like twice or thrice and I couldn't any of those times?! UGHHHHH. Haha it'll be great.
Okay sorry we have to go to the chiropractor. HEY BUT I LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING.
Bunches of oats,
Sister Parks

TRANSFERRED - September 19, 2012

WASSSSUPPPP
Okay I was transferred literally just down south to Sister Murdock's old ward - Bethany Home. hahahaha it's so great. I'm with a really tall great sister named Sister Pilcher. She's great! We're over two wards right by the mountain. North Mountain that is. My old area is now a hybrid companionship (well still a hybrid companionship) with Hermana Garcia and Sister Follett who speaks a little Spanish. She's way more optimistic and happy than me, so she'll be great.

New address:
6148 N 16th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85015

THANKS LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH IT'S RIDICULOUS.
Love, Sister Parks (your favorite sister missionary - DENY IT IF YOU DARE. And deny also that you're the Shropshire Slasher!!!!!!!!!!)
hahahahaha I love life
P.S. I got to see President Taylor after transfer meeting and he asked me how I'm doing and I just finally asked, "President, did I fail?" and he said no and that I should never say that. He just knew how stressed I was. Oh dear.
More news Monday. Love ya lots

THANKS!!!!!!!!! - it's short Elder Parks - maybe you can read it! - September 18, 2012

What a great week! A great week indeed! Letter from Lizzie, email from Kyle, package from Taylor.
Oh and I'm being transferred. That I wouldn't include in my great week moment. I think I've been in a state of shock for the past 8 weeks. This just adds to it. Hermana Garcia is staying, and we have no idea what will be happening to our area.
Hermana Graves left for the mission home yesterday and flew home today. We have 24 new missionaries coming in today and will be in a LONG transfer meeting tomorrow as we'll get to meet all of them haha. Finally some English sisters coming in! 3 of them! We're happy to have them. And thankfully I am not training. I hope my time in Glendale has not made me look like a failure.
These are pictures essentially from like the last 4 weeks from Hermana Garcia's camera and mine. This one day we all accidentally walked out in salmon hahaha. And we stayed like that all day hahahahahahahaha. Oh wow. Missionary jokes. Wow it was funny though. And then it was over 100 again (it actually gets down into like the 80s at night sometimes!) and so Hermana Garcia thought she might try cracking an egg and frying it in a parking lot. It didn't work... But it was still pretty funny.
Okay so I only have like 13 minutes left aaaahhhhh - I spent too long writing President, looking at pictures, and watching the newest Bible Video. Wowsah.
But last night we only had Spanish appointments and Hermana Garcia was SO nervous to be by herself. So we were praying really hard that I would have the gift of tongues. It was a really good night! Hermana Garcia and I have struggled a little bit in getting along - she is very strong and bold and I'm not and then she and Hermana Graves got along ridiculously well. Anyway but we prayed a lot and went into our lessons and I understood so much! It kind of was a miracle. Hard to explain I guess. But it was actually really amazing. And so I got to be like nodding along and contributing and Hermana Garcia wasn't having to explain things to me in English. Not that I understood every word, but I got the gist of it! It was so great. A nice finish to my time as Hermana Parks.
We've been teaching a man named Jason who was a "devout Atheist" when we met him a few weeks ago. We've finally be able to start teaching him the past couple of weeks, and as we left a lesson Sunday he said, "well, it looks like I'm an agnostic now because I keep letting you come back" hahaha. It was so great. I'll miss him. He really did feel the Spirit but just didn't recognize it. The plan of salvation really hit some tender spots with him.
Well 6 minutes left. I'll probably be able to send a short email tomorrow with my tire measurements and OH YEAH where I'm being transferred to. Today is going to be crazy.
HEY FAMILY I LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR THE EMAILS AND FOR THE PRAYERS AND FOR LOVING ME NO MATTER WHAT. You have no idea how much that means to me.
Love love love love love love love love
Sister/Hermana Parks
P.S. hahahahaha Lizzie told me that Shealyn Moon (who is serving Spanish speaking in Virginia) calls herself Hermana Luna now hahahahahaha I LOVE HER
P. P. S. Well if my email on the 27th didn't alarm and depress you, this email will just make you think I'm CRAAAZZZZYYY. Yeah transfers tomorrow will be a rollercoaster of emotion. Per usual.
P. P. P. S. LOVE Y'ALL!

September 10, 2012

Had an interesting experience Wednesday because we had an extra Hermana with us - Hermana Zidek who's just a few weeks out. Her trainer needed to go to a meeting like all day so Hermana Zidek and I spent morning studies together and then went out on bike. Hermana Garcia came and relieved Hermana Zidek around 3, and then we got her back to her normal companion around 6. What a day! We were super late to the meetup and biked across town a lot faster than I've ever biked before. It took us like 40 minutes to get across town! What a difference it makes to be in a car! But it was a good experience. I only got lost once and didn't feel like I was dying (I honestly thought I was in El Mirage on exchanges a few weeks ago).
Overall it was a pretty good week. There are some rumors going around that we'll be in a hybrid companionship for another transfer just with 2 English sisters instead of 2 Spanish sisters. Please pray for me. Hopefully President will be talking to us soon.
We finally found an Arabic translator for this darling family we're trying to teach from Iraq. They have a very strong desire to learn more about God and to be baptized despite the very hard language barrier. The translator lives over in Surprise though so we'll have to figure out how exactly we'd like to make that work. Maybe the family can move to Surprise? Don't know. It just feels wrong taking someone from their own ward. Phew it looks like more people need to speak Arabic hahahaha.
We're going bowling with the Elders in our zone soon which will be fun.
The pictures are from when we went to the temple. The sister with us is Sister Sullivan from the Manistee Ranch Ward. She's great for last-minute splits. Love her! She is a really great ward missionary and sacrifices a lot for others. Sorry the sunrise picture turned out blurry. Just know that it was beautiful.
This week I ate a real Mexican meal of meat right off the bones and beans. With no silverware - just tortillas. Yum! My fingers were very messy but I cleaned my plate just like I should have :)
The weather is cooling off just a little! It's in the low 100s to 90s which has been a lot nicer. I even wore a cardigan all day Friday after our zone meeting! Yay! We had a really good zone meeting. Our zone leaders had us watch a video of the importance of missionary work and loving our investigators. Then they led us into a room where they had the white jumpsuits that people wear when they're baptized. Each jumpsuit had a name written above it - all people that the zone is working with that are progressing towards making their first covenant with God. Then our zone leaders, Elders Young and Weston, bore testimony about the importance of missionary work and how everything we do affects the progression of these wonderful people that we love so much. It was actually really powerful and very spiritual. It was a very good meeting.
I'm slowing getting to know my area a little better. We're going to try and be on bike more this week (maybe) and that will help even more. Our ward mission leader should be taking over splits this week which takes a huge load off.
It's super surreal that I'm a missionary still. It's been especially weird with elders and companions that I know going home. Elder Keele, Elder Nelson, Elder Anderson, Sister Falke, Sister Graves and more. It's a definite reminder that this time is short and precious. This week I've really felt the strength of the Lord in helping me to overcome the feelings that often overwhelm me. I feel calm more and accept that some things are simply out of my control.
Haha these past emails have been lame, sorry. Love you all very much.
Sister Parks

Happy Labor Day! - September 4, 2012

Bah sorry. Right after we left the library I realized my email was super negative and felt really bad. I almost asked Sister Taylor to call y'all and tell you that I was okay. But Matt knows so that's good :)
Labor Day is so funny. Yes Mom everything was the same for us except that the library was closed so we get to do emails today instead of yesterday.
Last night was pretty fun. At the conclusion of Pday I hadn't found anyone to go out with me on splits, so I went with my companions to a whole bunch of Spanish appointments. For the last part (so like the last 2 appointments of the night starting at 7:30) we got on our bikes and met up with a recent convert, a 17-year-old named Eddie. It was so funny all 4 of us riding around the neighborhoods in the dark. It was a lot better riding just for a couple hours and at night. Haha maybe I should tell Sister Jewkes.
Also something that was really great and humbling last night was just realizing why things have been so hard lately. The beauty of missionary companionships is that there are two people knowing the area, the people, and everything else. But it hasn't worked out like that in this companionship for a lot of reasons which I won't go into at this time. Basically after a lonely planning session last night, I really poured out my heart in prayer before I went to bed. And the experience that I had was really miraculous really. At the very beginning, I started receiving all this insight as to why I feel the way I do and why it's happening. Without going into too much detail, I know that this experience is something that will affect the rest of my life. The things that I learn now and the way I am able to just get over myself and overcome the feeling that I'm alone and incapable will affect future callings and responsibilities. It was really amazing honestly. I went to sleep peaceful and determined. My prayers today have been so much less of desperation and rather of a humble plea for strength. I've been much more calm today. Not perfect, especially as I have no splits lined up this week. But better. Much better. And this morning during personal study I received a lot of insight as to how to help encourage my ward. Now I just have to do it.
Sisters Training was crazy. When we got there, President Taylor greeted us and then talked to me. He asked me how everything was working out. I said fine and then he said, "Sister Parks, I asked your leaders how you were doing. They said you were doing fine but that you seem to think that you need to learn Spanish." Here he paused and then said, "You don't have to learn Spanish. That's not what I want." I'm pretty sure I teared up then. I had no idea it was stressing me out so much until he took the burden from me. So phew that was nice. The rest of the day was SO GREAT. I got to play that hymn arrangement of "Nearer, My God to Thee" for my companions as they sang. I totally beefed it up because haha I never have time to practice, but it sounded pretty good overall. They sang it in Spanish and it was very beautiful. See Mom! I got to do some real accompaniment. And I'm the only missionary in my district who plays piano so I get to play every week at district meeting too. I always think of Mom when I'm playing. And then for the rest of Sisters Training we had "classes" and oh my gosh were we awestruck by them. Apparently sisters get more stressed out than elders (go figure) and so our classes consisted of making memory boxes, learning massage therapy (and receiving massages), making scarves, and getting a pedicure. I'm not kidding. My toenails are red right now. It was so funny and very needed. Sister Robinson was really excited to see me and was telling me about all the people in Prescott which was good. And then she had the nerve to say that it was too cold up there hahahahahahaha. Oh my gosh I laughed so hard. My district leader, Elder Burden, had told me that being trained in Prescott had made me weak for the Phoenix heat, but it looks like the Phoenix heat has made Sister Robinson weak for the 67 degree mornings in Prescott. Crazy eh? I told you it was like a completely different mission up there.
President's email this week addressed the fact that we haven't been getting very many missionaries coming in (we're down like 30 or 40 from our standard number) and how a lot of changes have been made (missionaries leaving areas, missionaries covering more areas, companion changes in the middle of transfers). It helped me to realize that duh I'm not the only one going through this and that duh there are always people that have it worse than I do. Wow.
Also, in the 5 hours of Spanish last night I realized that it's much easier to understand what they're saying when the Spirit is there. There were points during the night where I literally had no idea what was going on, even when they used phrases I should have known. It was really weird. But then we'd start a lesson and pray and I would be able to understand so much more. Pretty amazing huh? People should seek the Spirit when they're learning a new language. It helps a lot. But I'm sure everyone knows that. It just never meant anything until I was able to apply it to me.
I went on splits with a really nice YSA girl named Indago who's right in the middle of submitting her paperwork. We were out together for 2 and 1/2 hours! It was really great - she had some key missionary experiences. We got to randomly help a lady move, teach a couple lessons, and contact some members and potential investigators. She said she really felt the Spirit the whole time and really enjoyed herself. So that was nice to be a part of. A less-active that Sister Bailey started working with felt comfortable to come out with us on splits as well. That was really good too. Splits ended up being pretty successful last week - I went on splits 7 times in 6 days. I need to prepare better for them.
AND WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhh. I had never even seen the Mesa temple before. I forgot my camera, but we took some pictures of how it looked with the sun rising behind it (we had to leave at like 5 in the morning). It's not as big as it looks in pictures, but just as beautiful. We were able to do an endowment session. Wow. There is such peace in the temple. It was so lovely.
We are teaching a family that speaks mostly Arabic and very little English. They're from Iraq. We almost had to drop them because we weren't sure if there was going to be a translator and our mission leaders had told us to stop teaching them. But the stake actually really got on board and is actively seeking for someone who can translate. And then President Taylor sent out a text to all the missionaries to see if anyone knew anyone who spoke Arabic. So hopefully that should work out! They're a really lovely family and they really want to be baptized. They have great faith in God and the firm belief that He will help everything to work out and for them to understand all things.
So yep just working on it all. Still breathing. Still happy. Still grateful to be here. Still incapable of writing short emails. My goodness. I guess Trenton has literally no idea what's going on in my life then. Sad. Poor kid. He's missing out!
Next week emails should be on Monday but then the week after will be transfers and so I'll email Tuesday with news. I seriously doubt I'll be leaving because this area is in shambles and I need to fix it.
ALL MY LOVE
Sister Parks

Here Elder Parks - it's short - August 27, 2012

So you had better read it.
Yeah Elder Parks I'm a trio with Spanish sisters.
This week has been crazy.
Today has been crazy. We still haven't gone grocery shopping and Pday ends in 30 minutes.
Also, one of my greatest fears is that y'all will call the mission office to complain or ask about me or something. Please don't do that. Everything is okay.
Hannah - I need some updo ideas please. Really easy stuff.
Numbers have been awful the past week because literally there is like no work. It's been a little frustrating and I feel really alone and inadequate a lot. But I received a powerful and simple blessing on Tuesday. I still need to work on keeping my end of what I can do for myself.
We have a special sisters training on Wednesday which will be really great. The last one we had was like back in March.
Any word on how Shea (sorry - Hermana Moon) is doing? And Caleb?
I'm working this week on being bolder with the members of the Manistee Ranch Ward in asking them to come out to lessons with us or even just to go on splits with us so we can get some work done. It's hard dividing time between the two wards. I feel pretty worthless in the Solano Ward since oh yeah I don't speak Spanish haha. I've finally been able to pick up the phrase, "Does she speak Spanish" to which I answer "No" and also, "Oh you have a new companion!" to which I say, "Hola! Mi llamo Hermana Parks. Estoy aprendiendo Espanol y comprendo poquito (or nada - whichever I feel like)" which means that I'm learning Spanish and understand only a little or nothing. And I can also tell people I'm from Texas. Everyone is super nice and supportive though, and I can read in Spanish fairly well. I just have no idea what I'm saying haha. Boy. It's a trip.
We went on exchanges this Friday so I was over in Surprise for the day with Sister Jewkes. On a bike (they don't have enough miles to use their car every day). I got a beautiful burn on my arms haha and the Spanish people we saw on Saturday and Sunday told me I was cooking hahaha. It was a good experience though - a lot of good teaching opportunities and great chances to say hi to people on my bike. And Sister Jewkes loves to cook. A lot of opportunities to share my testimony. Riding a bike was really hard - I won't lie. I was in agony. But somehow saying hi to people while I thought I was going to die made it easier. I'll probably be sent to a bike area after this hahaha. Sister Jewkes said only the first 3 days are bad.
I have a lot of support from my companions of course and also from my district and district leader. That has been very helpful. I want to sit down with President Taylor on Wednesday too and tell him to stop ignoring me haha.
I think I'll quit now so we can go. And so Elder Parks has no excuse not to read haha.
Love you all so much. Thanks for the emails! Hope Hannah's first day of school went well. I can't believe she's a senior!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My little sister. So cute.
I know that it's in the depths of our sorrows and tribulations that we truly have the opportunity to know God and to rely on the Savior. I wish this trial wasn't as much for me as it is, but for some reason it's really overwhelming me more than I'd like. So I'm learning a lot about myself and a lot about the Savior. I'm also learning more about God's plan for me. Sometimes I wish I knew His reasons, but I'm sure that will all come soon. I just have to work harder, be more obedient, and look outside myself. Should be easy right? Right.
Please keep up the prayers. I feel them.
Talk to you next week.
Love, Sister Parks
P.S. These very belated pictures are of exchanges with Sisters Fluckiger and Follett, saying goodbye to Sister Falke and Sister Robinson, real puddles, and my new companions (Hermanas Graves and Garcia) with our Texas crackers that Mom sent me.

HERMANA PARKS - August 20, 2012

Okay not really. But basically.
So the big news is that I am back in a trio. Sister Falke flies home
today to get back in time for school (so she's going home just 4 weeks
early) along with some other missionaries but she was the only English
sister so she's the only one that really affects me.
OH AND I FOUND TRENTON'S MORMON.ORG PROFILE. OH YEAH!!! He's so cute.
But yeah so President called Sister Robinson and I Friday and told her
that she was going to Prescott to be with Sister Culler (massive sad
crying face here because I miss Prescott a lot still haha) and that I
was going to be paired with the two Spanish sisters that are in our
zone. SOOO I don't really know what's happening. Okay well here's what
we know: I am now in a trio with Hermanas Garcia and Graves. They are
both super amazing, but I'll go into that later. We are covering both
wards - so my ward, Manistee Ranch, and then the Hermanas cover half
the Spanish ward (they split it with Elders because the ward is the
size of the stake). So we're covering both wards and living together
somewhere (last night we stayed at my home but that might change).
We're driving the Hermanas car and I just got a call that I'll have to
give mine up to the Spanish elders :( Anyway so this should be the
situation for the next 4 weeks until we get our next batch of English
sister from the MTC come September.
I KNOW IT'S TOTALLY CRAZY. I AM STILL KIND OF FREAKING OUT. So
yesterday we made the change and last night I sat through two lessons
completely in Spanish that I didn't understand at all. Yeah. So
thankfully we get an hour every morning to do language study. So my
companions are going to be teaching me Spanish. Last night I learned
"muho (mucho?) gousta" and this morning I learned the alphabet and
vowels. I made the sad discovery this morning that I can no longer
roll my r's with ease. I really have to work on it. So basically the
past like what 20 hours have been pretty intense and crazy.
We met Sister Culler and Sister Falke at the mission home, and Sister
Robinson got to drive the truck back while I went with our member back
to Manistee Ranch and waited for the Hermanas to pick me up so we
could continue with our day. It was really great to see Sister Falke
again - I had no idea how much I really appreciated her as a
companion. As crazy as she is, she made me laugh all the time and
encouraged me to be my best. And she let me take things out on her
sometimes which really helped.
Also I'm pretty sure Elder Parks' emails are so short because he
spends all his email time reading my emails (right?!).
So yeah I'm in a hybrid trio. Apparently this hasn't happened since
President Taylor got here 14 months ago. I sometimes wish God didn't
have so much trust in me because I keep having waves of panic. I think
I'm going to ask my district leader for a blessing soon because I need
so much strength beyond my own right now. I need to learn
Spanish!!!!!!!!!!
When President called us he said something along these lines, "Sister
Parks, I've been kind of ignoring you because I don't know what's
going to happen. But the Spirit finally gave me some direction and I
think you need to stay in Manistee Ranch. Can you do that?" Though
uncomfortable, I laughed a little and said, "Well if that's where the
Lord needs me, of course." He then told Sister Robinson that she was
going to Prescott to be with Sister Culler. And then he explained to
me how I was going to be with the Hermanas. I immediately felt very
peaceful about that and that this truly was an inspired decision.
There is a reason for this big and difficult change.
For the next 3 days we didn't have a lot of communication or answers.
We had to go up a ridiculous line of authority with each level knowing
only slightly more than the next and leaving most of the decisions up
to us anyway. We didn't even know where we were staying last night
haha. So yeah we'll have a lot of figuring things out today and
tomorrow and every day probably for the next 4 weeks.
I don't know why God would have me learn Spanish at this time. I
think, knowing my personality, that this is something that could
really make me or break me. So now I'm back to a trio (which is
comfortable and yet difficult as always), need to learn Spanish, and
honestly am pretty alone in my ward which means I'll need to be
relying and pushing the ward to provide sisters to go on splits with
me so that, as a companionship, we can have the most time in the wards
we're assigned to as possible.
Bam. So that's the big news I've been waiting to tell you for 4 days
now. Pretty crazy right? I know.
So to answer some questions: yes, I've been in a couple dust storms,
but they're never that bad. It mostly just gets dirty windy. Does that
make sense? I think the worst ones come at night or something because
oftentimes our car will be really dirty and dusty when we go out in
the morning. It has rained a bit, but lightly and obviously evaporates
soon - except once which was really exciting and we woke up to puddles
outside!!! Next week when I have my camera cord I'll send you
pictures. Gah I keep forgetting that.
Zone Conference was really good - I kept going back and forth between
moments of really good motivations for our area that we've honestly
been struggling with a lot and then moments of like drowning in all
the things we're not doing. It was a big wake up call. Our plan of
action for the ward is to really utilize this opportunity we have to
NEED member help with allowing me as much time as possible to be
working in our ward. Granted, there's like no work here (seriously -
right now there's not), but the members are the key to making that
happen. We are all going to whipped into shape together. There are
people here in Manistee Ranch that need help. And we're going to help
them.
So I'm still technically assigned to the Manistee Ranch Ward only -
it's a 1 1/2 by 4 1/2 rectangle block that includes downtown Glendale.
I get to travel with the Hermanas though as their area is much larger
than mine.
My companions have already been stellar examples to me. They are
ridiculously diligent, and Sister Robinson and I were totally slacking
off. They are both very spiritual and very smart and fast-paced. I
have been humbled many times already by their example. I have not
grown to love and understand my area as I should have, and now I'm
supposed to help my companions learn this ward and love it as well. It
is very humbling. Very. I read Mosiah 4 today about beggars and how we
all beg and owe everything to God. It gave me great comfort as I
considered how Christ never allows our suffering to be in vain. I know
that He'll be here for me in this particular time of need. I will be
begging Him for quite a lot.
It's funny. I spent so much of my life avoiding my own furnace of
affliction that now God has thrown me into it all within 8 weeks. I
need it. My leaders keep saying how much they trust the 3 of us and
how great this will be, and I know that God obviously trusts me enough
to not completely ruin this part of His vineyard.
But hey isn't it great that both Elder Parks and I will be speaking
Spanish on our missions?! And we're still in the states so it's not
too expensive to send us packages. Oh yeah!!!
Um I could use more shirts. My 3 that I use for everything are too
tight to wear by themselves and are wearing thin and getting holes. I
definitely have enough skirts (yay!) and almost all of them are pretty
and patterned. But some solid, pretty colored with nice-looking
necklines would be great. Does that make sense? Kind of like the
modbes. I'm good on black shirts. I could use another white one, a
navyish one, a gray one, and maybe like pink or red and such. And I
wear mediums now :( Gah I never make sense. Good luck! Maybe I'll just
go shopping. I guess just keep an eye out. And short-sleeved
jackets/cardigans are always great. Solid colors again. I can do
anything with solid colors - it's wonderful. missionary.lds.org is a
GREAT resource on what missionaries wear. Loose, pretty, and nice. Now
if they would just have links to where they bought them!!!
I think I might buy new soles - the ones I got from the orthopedic are
wearing out, and my tennis shoes are really old and could use new
ones. So I might do that.
Oh and I was looking at the stake directory and saw that Omar
Contreras has a mission call - is he out already? There's no way he's
old enough to be a missionary hahaha.
Anyway this email, as usual, as been ridiculously long. I LOVE Y'ALL
SO MUCH IT'S RIDICULOUS. But seriously. Thanks for the emails - they
always make me emotional hahahahahaha. It's great! I love it so much.
I promise to send pictures next week. Maybe life will be silghtly more
normal then too.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
Sister Parks
P.S. Lyndsey and Aanika wrote me recently and it was SO SWEET! Love it.