Manacanau, Brazil - enjoy every. single. last. moment.

:,)

It´s so strange to be here. My last week on the mission. It´s really hard to believe. So many feels. I´m very anxious. I think I´m losing weight. Ha…. whoops. No, I´m good. I´ll eat more. No, but I seriously will because I RECEIVED DAD´S PACKAGE!!!!! WOW! I loved it – thank you so much!!!! Cookies for days. Seriously though, I loved it! And I´m sharing it with everyone!

This week Daniel was finally baptized!!!!! I've known him for a long time! He´s best friends with Lucas and Gabriel who we baptized, too! He took a little more time but as of yesterday, he´s baptized!!! Man, so many things were going wrong that I almost thought it wouldn't happen – the water ran out in the church! Bathrooms, water fountains, and of course, the baptismal font. Our leaders tried everything but we finally went to the other chapel nearby and did the baptism there because the font there was already filled and ready to go! The sisters who are in the other ward and use our building too went with us and they had their baptism there too too haha. Nearly panicked BUT it all turned out okay :)

So, I´ll still be able to email next week so it´s not the last email just yet ;)

Today we had training to be self-sufficient today. We learned a lot about how to get a job and stuff like that haha we even did practices haha but I learned a lot! I'm still a little nervous for the future but now I have lots of tips and resources to use and put into practice. Next Monday I´ll head to the mission office around 5 pm and as y'all know... head out Tuesday.

But my mission isn't over yet! President Leite said to make the most out of our last week in the field. Be 100% exactly obedient, hit your goals every day, share my testimony with everyone, and work HARD. The guy who gave us the training said that maybe we won´t have a baptism but if we share our testimony with everyone, we´ll touch their hearts and other missionaries will baptize them because they were touched by OUR testimonies. Which is true. We have a lot of people that we´re teaching who I, unfortunately, won´t see be baptized. But that doesn't mean I can´t leave a memory with them. I can share my testimony, I can invite them to follow Christ, and they can remember how they felt when I taught or bore my testimony of the Savior. 

I can´t even put into words how much my mission has changed me. I may come back with my same smile and jokes and humor like I always had, but inside, I have changed 100%. I will be forever grateful for my mission. BUT AH I STILL HAVE ONE MORE P-DAY! I´ll stop now :)

Love you guys :) Thank you for EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Sister Parks

P.S. Oops I forgot! Rodrigo, Wellington (my recent converts from Messejana), Tamile, and Boneca (members) from Messejana all visited me yesterday! They surprised me in the gospel principles class which we teach. We had just started and I was really stressed that morning for some reason and when Rodrigo and Wellington both walked in smiling, I started to cry! Wellington designed the Mockingjay pin for me and my name underneath and I totally forgot to take of a picture of it! Gah! But y'all will see it shortly. Anyways, it was really special to see them again :,) they´re going to be there in the airport too to see me off :,) so yeah, I sent pics and some are with them :) The pic with the class was gospel principles. I feel so blessed. Almost everyone there was my recent converts and I don´t mean that in a prideful way! Wow I'm just so blessed to have met them!!!!!!!!! I love them all so much :) I am so proud of all them!