Week 55: Merry Christmas from Kansas!!

Feliz Navidad!

Who's pumped?! I am. I have been looking forward to this coming week since October and it is finally here!!

If I had to choose just one word to describe my entire week it would probably be "joy"....or "insanity". 

The huge news of the week is that Gonzalo Lira is now a priest with the Aaronic priesthood...Who knew 3 months ago that they would come so far?? The Lord knew. They are full force members. They have been promised very powerfully several times that The Lord wants them to be a very active part of his kingdom building and they are taking that seriously! They feed all 8 missionaries once a week, the parents are on team-ups with the missionaries several times a week, yesterday, they drove a few people to a devotional at the stake center an hour away and bore their testimonies at the devotional! If this is how far they have come in just 3 months, I cannot wait to see where the Lord will take them in a few years! 

I gained a testimony about the Lord's timing this week! We went over to a lady's house for the 2nd time and just a few hours earlier, her husband and her decided to get a divorce! She burst out crying and apologizing. The Spirit came into the room so strongly as we testified to her about the Savior and the Atonement. It was powerful. I love moments like that when you can practically see the Spirit right in front of you. 

A few nights ago, I woke up to my companion talking! I was so confused so I looked over to watch her as she sat up in bed and said: "I think that I know what I am doing haha, hold still!"  It was hilarious, now the question is what was she dreaming about?!

Another great moment was during studies, there was a knock at our door. When I answered it, 2 men were at the door and said, 

Them: "Hello, we are ministers for the Bible Baptist Church."

Me: "Hey, we're missionaries too! Have you heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints?"

Them: "Yes we have."

Me: "Really? Have you ever talked to or seen other missionaries around?

They proceeded to give us their card and invite us to their Christmas services-Don't worry, I invited them to ours too! It was soooooooo funny. Now I know what people think when we come to their door! 

Also, guess who I saw this week! Kevin and Kylee AKA Elder Page and Sister Runia! It was so fun to catch up with them but pretty weird to see them again not as full-time missionaries. 

Quote of the week:

"We live next to a LDS church in Lawrence and now we are on vacation from the Mormons"

I hope that you are all enjoying this Christmas week! I challenge you to take a few minutes every day to forget about presents that you have to buy, the cards that you still have to send, the house that needs to be cleaned, and the in-laws that are spending the night. Take at least 10 minutes of your day to look around and to be grateful for the Savior and all the love and blessings that he gives you! I love and miss you all! Remember that God answers prayers!

Sister Parry

Our cute Christmas tree

Kylee and I

Week 54: Surprise!

Happy Monday everyone!! 

I can't hold in the news any longer.......GONZALO JUST GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!! I know. I'm just as surprised as you are..still. So here's what happened: Gonzalo was going to have to wait until March to be baptized, I was so bummed that I was going to have to miss it but excited that he was willing to wait and endure to the end. Last week, the assistant to the ward mission leader suggested that we talk to President Bell again about him getting baptized because EVERYONE realized how sincere he is and how much he wants this! (He has even been going out with the elders!) President Bell agreed to come interview him! He interviewed him on Friday night and he was baptized on Sunday. 

It was one of the top 3 spiritual baptisms that I have ever been to. He has truly turned his life completely around and worked so hard for this. He came up out of the water grinning ear to ear. We all bawled as the talks were about this family preparing to be an eternal family. Sister Bringhurst and I have been talking about it and we realize that we really haven't done much AT ALL. Looking back, we realize that the Spirit took complete control, we just loved them and did what the Spirit told us to. It is amazing to realize that despite our imperfections and shortcomings, the Holy Ghost can work miracles. 

Saturday was so much fun! We went to a training/Christmas party for missionaries. We were all just minding our own business when President Bell announced that we were going to look at everyone's BABY PICTURES?!?! I thought that he was kidding, then I realized that he was serious. I thought that this only happens in nightmares!!! LOL Then we had an ugly sweater contest, I brought a beauty that I found in our apartment closet....that work of art won me a gift card! :) 

Last night after the baptism was so cool! The zone leaders challenged us as a whole zone to find 10 new investigators by the end of the evening. This wouldn't have been too much of a big deal but they just raised the standards on new investigators this week. All of our appointments fell through and we were a little bit at a loss. We decided that Christmas is in full bloom here and we went caroling! The 1st door that we caroled to was interested but the Mom mostly speaks Spanish, so we will let the other missionaries take over that one! Then we tried once more and again the parents only speak Spanish. The 3rd time a super cute family let us in and everyone spoke English........except for the Dad, another family for the other missionaries! The 4th door that we tried spoke perfect English and wants us to come back this week!!! 

Do you want to hear the song that Sister Bringhurst and I are working on? So far, it goes like this:

"No one speaks English in Dodge!

Only the children speak English in Dodge! 

We don't know Spanish....in Dodge!"

It's a work in progress! 

More miracles of the week include:

-A little Ceasars is opening in Dodge tomorrow!!

-I taught Sister Bringhurst how to plunge her 1st toilet

-Sister Bringhurst got her driving privileges this week so now I get to rock it in the passenger seat

I hope that you are all seeing miracles too! I love you and and miss you! Remember that God answers prayers! 

Love, 

Sister Parry

Sister Bringhurst gets to drive now!!!! This is just as exciting for me as it is for her! 

Ugly sweater contest! This work of art won a gift card to Subway!

And then Gonzalo got baptized?! #christmasmiracle

Surprise!! Gonzalo got baptized!!! 

Small acts of service make me so happy

Week 53: Christmas has Struck Dodge!

Hi!

So much happened this week but I am having another writer's block moment! Can I just forward you my companion's email and call it good?? Hold on tight while I explode this week at you!

Last Pday there was a parade to light up Dodge City with Christmas lights! Why doesn't Sandy do that?!  There was tons of people everywhere which made it all the better! We went over to have a Family Home Evening with the Lira's and played Mexican Bingo. I must be really great at speaking Spanish because they kept asking me to pronounce everything. Jokes, jokes.

Tuesday was probably one of the best days of my mission. We had a fantastic district meeting and we walked out of there even more dedicated and stoked to go work! We did things that we have been scared to do, saw miracles left and right, and had a blast! I have been obsessed with keeping up this momentum for the rest of my mission.

I hit my year mark on Thursday.......oh my gosh..........so weird! I'm a mix of emotions right now!!

I got really temple-trunky this week as well. I realized that I haven't been to or even looked at a temple in a year and then some! When I was praying that night, I felt like a 4 year-old crying to a parent about being homesick(home sick for the house of the Lord that is!) I realized that it is so worth it to miss it so much to now see the Lira family and others prepare to go to the temple soon! I feel so blessed! So the next time that you see or go to the temple, say hi for me!

One of my favorite moments of the week was when we got a text from the ward asking all of the missionaries to do a live nativity at the ward party that night! I don't mean to brag but I had the main role! Yes, I was the donkey. One of the highlights was watching Mary try to deliver Jesus AKA try to get the basketball out of her shirt. It took a solid 2 minutes and help from her mom but the show must go on!!

Did anyone watch the Christmas Devotional?? It was amazing! Just so you know! How are you spreading the Christmas love??

I love you all, I miss you and remember that God answers prayers!!!

Sister Parry

Maliegh wants to play the piano when her dad is baptized

1 year.....Can anyone believe that?!?!

Week 52: Grateful

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!! 

I have come to find that Thanksgiving is one of the best and the worst holidays as a missionary! It's the best because people's hearts are softened as they think about what they are grateful for, and there is tons of delicious food. It's also the worst because no one is home, and you always eat way too much. #stretchyskirts

We were lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving with one of the most missionary-minded members that I have ever met. There was TONS of food....TONS. Before we even left the apartment, I challenged Sister Bringhust to see which one of us could gain the most weight by the end of the day, we were too scared to weigh in! :) The best moment of the whole day was probably when Sister Dameron opened the HUGE pot of stuffing and sang "HALLALUJAH!" as stuffing came pouring out! The house turned into a rampage as everyone grabbed something to put stuffing in until Sister Dameron poked it and it all deflated. Maybe you had to be there, but it was hilarious. 

Naturally, there is a controversy about when it is appropriate to celebrate CHRISTmas. Sister Bringhurst and I have been celebrating it full force for a month and a half now but now there is no shame! It is after Thanksgiving now and it's only going to get better! One of our plans is to text a Christ-centered scripture to everyone that we are working with up until CHRISTmas. We are also super excited to do a secret twelve days of CHRISTmas for 2 families that we are working with. The whole thing if focused on remembering Christ and how we can follow his example in our own lives. 

Speaking of Christ, have any of you seen the new video that the church just launched? It's called "He is the Gift" and you ALL need to go watch it and show it to everyone that you know! Here is the link:

http://www.mormon.org/

So this week, I have been doing a study focused on charity and I realize that I need more of it big time! So, I'm coming to all of you for advice. What are stories, scriptures, and examples of Charity?

This is the best time of the year! First, we all focus of Gratitude, then Christ/giving, next we all get a fresh start, and finally we finish it all off with love! I love you all, I hope that you had a fantastic week!

Remember that God answers prayers! 

Sister Parry

The sky is on fire!

 CHRISTmas is here!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is how it has been since Halloween!