Week 19: A Christian Hug

So this week was...eventful. 

We were in between appointments looking for productive things to so when a random man runs up to us and asked why we never stopped by again. We figured that the sisters before us had talked to him once so we we talked to him for a few minutes. Soon, he started asking us if we were familiar with paint colors...

"uhh...I guess" 

We soon realized that we were not who he thought we were but I know a teaching opportunity when I see one, so we ended up following him to a few houses that he was remodeling and gave him all sorts of remodeling advice! After we picked out the wall colors for the whole house, we sat down and taught the Restoration to him! They were receptive and asked some great questions! As we were leaving he randomly hugs Sister Heger and when we tried to protest he said, "It's okay, because it's a Christian hug!!" and hugged me anyways! 

Walking away from that, we asked each other what exactly just happened. I don't really know, but He's going to have a great looking house and the elders will have a new investigator! Everyone wins! That one encounter was a miracle, spiritual, and just weird, all in one! 

Our mission is having a mission-wide Easter Baptism Day! It looks like our investigator Sandy is going to be a part of that! She has met with missionaries twice before us over the last few years so I am so glad to see that the Lord has prepared her! I love watching people see so much hope in the Gospel! She has read the Book of Mormon a few times and really wants to do this! 

Want to know one of the greatest feelings ever? When 3 investigators show up to church!! YAY! We promised Debbi that if she comes to church every week, reads and prays every day, she will see her life turn around. She is so much happier ever since! Pam is also unbelievably close! She told us that she is a little scared of receiving an answer if Joseph Smith was a prophet. She knows that if that is true, the Book of Mormon and the church is true as well. Basically, if she gets her answer, she knows what she will do and is a little intimidated by it. 

I am so excited for Easter this Sunday! I hope that all of us take time out of our day to think about the Savior and how much he has done for us! 

I love what I do and everyday is a crazy adventure! Remember that God answers prayers! 

Loves and a hug from Kansas, 

Sister Parry

--

Obedience is the price, faith is the power, love is the motive, the Spirit is the key and CHRIST is the reason! 

Attempting sports again! AND I learned how to play rugby!

Let's play a game, what is the weather going to be like today? Sunday=Thunderstorm!!

Week 18

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!!!!!!! And happy anniversary to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I hope that everyone that everyone was blown away by general conference; I know that I was! 

I would be a liar if I said that Conference was not my favorite part of the week. I think that I need to work on being more reverent during conference-I tried to tone down the fist-bumps and "Yeah!". I'm not even kidding. I was excited. 

All week long, we prepped everyone to listen to conference. We challenged everyone to write down a question and listen to it with that question in mind. I have done it for a few years and it works wonders! The Spirit will talk to you if we listen! 

Admittedly, the week had a rough start when an investigator dropped us after an intense lesson. Sad. Thankfully, the Lord ALWAYS has blessings in store for us if we will listen and look for them! When I look back on the day, I see that the Spirit was working in crazy ways!  

We were biking around and in-between appointments, with nothing to do at the moment, Sister Heger remembered about a less-active that lived in an apartment close by. When no one was home, we left a note on the door and I played around on a piano in the hallway and enjoyed a view of Kansas from 4 floors up. We left and just as we got on the elevator the less-active ran out of it! She started to run down the hallway and we yelled, "are you Adelle??" She yelled, "Yes! follow me!!" so we chased her down the hallway and had a great lesson with her! She was able to remember why she joined the church, and I really feel like she has been prepared to come back to church with her kids. Looking back, we realized that if I hadn't played around on the piano and stopped to enjoy the view, we would have completely missed seeing her! 

We have been on our bikes all this week and that always leads to interesting moments..lol. The sad but hilarious moment was when Sister Heger yells, "Sister! I think that I just swallowed a bug!!!" LOL I was almost in tears! I'm such a bad companion! 

Seriously, Pam is SO CLOSE to finding her answer! She wants it so bad! I have never wanted anyone to get an answer so bad in my life before! 

I hope that everyone's week was great! Don't forget what you learned in conference! Remember that
God answers prayers! 

Loves and a hug from Kansas,

Sister Parry

Week 17

HI ALL!! 

Emporia just keeps getting better and better! Sister Heger and I keep having our adventures, this week was on the more insane side for sure though! I don't even know how to tell you what all happened this week! So maybe day by day?

Monday: Pday!! I met an investigator at lunch, got to sit in a 1940's car, and taught a cute 8 year old who nailed me with questions! Also, out of no where, it snowed!! What the?!

Tuesday: An appointment fell through so, we decided to go see a few potential investigators instead. We saw Kenny, taught him about the Restoration, and put him on date for baptism!!! He'll work with the elder's now and he has been so prepared for this! We taught someone named Isaac and I made best friends with his 2 huge dogs who decided that lesson time was the perfect time to cuddle with me! I will forever find dog hair in my skirt from that one lesson! 

Guess who rocks at basketball?!! Not me! LOL, if you want something entertaining to see, try watching me TRY to play 3 on 3 with a bunch of real athletes! 

Wednesday: The weather went crazy this day! It was super windy and rainy earlier in the day. Lucky for us, we had the car this week so we were good. I sort of felt like Sherlock Holmes because we are teaching a lady with not one, but 2 previous sets of missionaries teaching her! Every day, I discover something new that we didn't know before so it's pretty intense! 

The member's that we live with spoiled us by feeding us dinner..all I can say is yummmmmmm! 

Thursday: We did some service at the local assisted living. It was so weird to be there not as a CNA! I will admit right now, I broke a rule, I let an old man hug me. He called himself Big T for Big Trouble! How fitting! haha he told me that he doesn't let anyone pass by without getting a hug, so what could I do?? 

On the way to teach Debbi, we tried knocking on a few doors. We picked a very red house with at least 50 "wishes" on the porch. I figured that this must be where wishes come true, so why not?! We talked for a while with a great young couple who have so much potential! I hope that we get to work with them in the future! 

We gave Debbi a hope lesson to help her stop smoking. A member in the ward hired her and that has changed her attitude about everything! She feels so much more needed and wanted! 

We taught our investigator Pam this night. Pam always grew up learning that Mormons were a cult so lessons with her are pretty intense with some deep questions! She is great though and is praying to find out if the church is true! She has come so far!! 

Friday: The elders gave us a load of referrals to go see so we busied ourselves with that! We also did some tracting and that always is pretty interesting! We had dinner with a member with a baby, Oh my, do you know how hard it is for me to see a baby and not hold it?! The member served a mission and went out with us, although the appointments dropped through, we were able to go see a less-active which was fun! 

Saturday: We woke up early to help out with a bake sale that a member was having. We ended up cleaning off a bunch of glass blocks for a few hours! I'm going to go crazy from scrubbing so many blocks but that's okay if it's for a good cause right?! Later on, I met the coolest, funniest Russian man ever! I gave him a few pass-along cards to "up the value of the house" he impersonated me and did an embarrassingly great job at it, and taught us how to say "I love you" in Russian! 

After that, we drove up to a house and when I opened the car door, there was a huuuge mud puddle! I found what SEEMED like solid ground but nope. I sank! whoops! I managed to get my shoe sort of clean but my socks were gonners! 

Did anyone watch the Women's Conference?? I hope so, because it was so amazing! Pam and Debbi came to that which made it even better! 

Sunday: We were in choir practice before church when KENNY walks in the door! He actually came!! Immediately, he was absorbed into the ward! He was asking and answering questions, serving members and everything! I even got a little emotional when we were all singing a hymn and he was trying to sing along too! I cant believe him! He has been so prepared for this! I can't wait to see how he progresses! 

This week has been so busy but so much fun! I was humbled every day by the Spirit teaching me things about how critical it is to have Christ-Like love for everyone, and that we are all on the same team! The Lord's team! If someone makes a goal, it really isn't ours, it's the Lord's. I challenge you all to prepare for General Conference by pondering a question and writing it down, and then listen to conference for your answer! I promise that it really works! 

Remember that God answers prayers! 

Loves and a hug from Kansas, 

Sister Parry

Week 16

What's crack-a-lakin?!

So, I made it to Emporia! It's smaller than Salina and it's so fun! Sister Heger is the coolest person ever! She is so funny and awesome. We live with members who are the sweetest people ever! 

So, guess who is riding a bike part time now....yep! Good thing I am so balanced and coordinated(jokes, jokes) The good news is that Sister Heger almost was hit by a car ONLY ONCE so far, I'm counting my blessings! 

It is pretty weird to not be in Salina anymore but the ward is so welcoming! We have an investigator on date who has a lot of health concerns and is trying to quit smoking. She had a moment of sadness when we were over there and we tried to encourage her. This week, I am going to fast for her and we are going to have a big lesson on hope. She is a fighter and I love her already!

The fun moment of the week was probably either saving 2 birds or rocking out to primary songs all the way to Topeka. It must be a missionary thing to love MoTab so much! 

I have also discovered something new! Sister Heger says that all this week, I have talked in my sleep!! WHAT?! The first night here, I even walked! I am sort of wierded out! Well, you learn something new every day I guess! 

I really feel the Spirit here in Emporia, I know that Sister Heger and I have a lot of work to do here and I am excited for the challenge! Is anyone else PUMPED about conference?!?!!!! I am so stoked! Only 2 more weeks!! 

Well, I hope that all is going great with you all! I love you hear from you! Keep reading those scriptures, praying and going to church! Remember that God answers prayers! 

Loves and a hug from Kansas, 

Sister Parry

Week 15

My fate has been determined! 

*drumroll* I am being transferred to Emporia Kansas!! I am going to serve with Sister Heger! Don't know who that is but I am excited! Although, it is going to be so sad to leave Salina, this is all that I have ever known. I had a feeling that I would be leaving though because I was starting to get comfortable here. 

So we had a bunch of craziness regarding miles but in the end, we did a lot of walking this week! Thankfully, the weather is really looking up so it was fun. 

We were cleaning up a yard and an elder asked me to clean up the lawn and handed me a broom. Let me repeat myself, a BROOM. What on earth am I supposed to do with that?! Fine. I responded with, "I'll get this lawn cleaner than your kitchen floor!" It was great. 

We had an awesome lesson with Emily this week. She is so receptive to the spirit! It testifies to me that I am not teaching her anything new, I am simply reminding her of things that she has already learned before this world. Ah, remember Melissa that walked into church last week? She is still so solid! She does not want a date yet but seriously, she has been so prepared for the gospel! 

The best part of the week was having the mini-missionaries over for 2 days. Remember Alexia who got baptized in January? She was one of our mini-missionaries! Oh my, it was so great to spend 2 whole days with her! I hope that she liked to see the other side of missionary work. 

Salina has been so good to me. The work just started to REALLY pick up so it will be super sad to leave. I know that the Lord has a plan though and I can't wait to see what he has in store for me. I love this gospel. I learn so much about it and myself everyday. I encourage everyone to always read, pray, and study your scriptures. It makes a huge difference! 

I love this work that I get to do everyday!

Remember that God answers prayers! 

Loves and a hug from Kansas, 

Sister Parry

Week 14

Hi friends! 

Okay, to call this week INSANE would be a big understatement! I don't even know how to go about talking about it, but I'll give it a go:

Shelley is doing so great! She called us up and told us that she is so proud to be Mormon! It was so sweet and reminded me of my purpose. Things got hard on her and we spent a while on the phone with her later on encouraging her. She is so strong! I was so happy to see her this Sunday, and her teenage son showed up to church as well! He even knows 2 of the young men in the ward! ;)

Also at church yesterday, we had a miracle! A woman walked in, told us that she has been reading and praying about the Book of Mormon, and wants to be baptized! WHAT. This just does not happen! I am so excited to work with her. Also yesterday, a less-active that we have been working with came to church! I was so happy! 

So, funny story; as we were walking into the church, I realized that I forgot to put on my name tag!! I felt empty without it! So, I wore one of Sister Prince's and only one person asked about it! :D 

The highlight of the week was definitely when DAVID A. BEDNAR came to the mission. Yep, definitely my favorite part of this week! Every missionary came and he spoke to us for 2 hours! The best part? When we got to have a question-answer session with him!! Also, he is HILARIOUS!! I will probably never laugh so hard with an apostle ever again!

This week, I am looking forward to having two mini-missionaries spend 2 days with us! We are going to party it up missionary-style! Staying up till 10:30, drinking OJ you know, life on the edge...;) 

Missionary life is the best! I wake up everyday and love what I do. Hard things are worth it. I love and miss you all! Go talk about the gospel with someone and be an example! I cannot count how many times people tell us all about the Mormons that they have met! Make that experience a good one for them, and plant the seeds! 

 Remember that God answers prayers!

Loves and a hug from Kansas,

Sister Parry

Week 13

Happy 3 month anniversary!!

I hope that everyone's week was great! 

The highlight of the week was definitely Shelley being BAPTIZED!!! That was so amazing! There is nothing quite like watching someone you taught and worked with enter the waters of baptism! She is so solid and I just love her! 

This week was full of sister missionaries! First, there was a Sister's Conference. That was fun to meet 1/2 of the sister's in the mission and run into some old MTC buddies! We also learned how to hula, and in case you were wondering, it is no easy task! I'm sure it was a sight watching all of us trying to figure out what on earth we were doing! Rest assured, I probably won't become a hula-master anytime soon...

We also adopted 2 sister's for a day and attacked Salina! We got so much done, it was insane! We felt pretty cool tracting in the snow and even got a few potential investigators from it! Success! We went to see a less-active. As we were leaving, I asked her grandson for a high-5 and instead he gave me a hug, Connor melts my heart! Kids have the light of Christ so strong! In fact, we are teaching a 10 year-old Emily who wants to be baptized! Her and Sister Prince are attached at the hip! She even brought a friend to church yesterday! What?! 

So, what do you do when you wake up to frozen pipes...AGAIN??! Yep, we don't have any running water....nothing. How many water bottles can we use? I'll find out and let you know! Luckily, the ward is so nice and lets us do laundry and such at their homes :) 

This is such a short email even though this week was pretty intense! Sorry! I hope that you all are having a great week. Remember that God answers prayers!
Loves and a hug from Kansas, 

Sister Parry