First I'll share what I just found out today: I'm being transferred!!!!!!! I won't find out till Wednesday but I'll be in a new area with a new companion!! AH! I thought I'd be staying here since I've only been here one transfer (six weeks)!! Literally this week I just really fell in love with this area and the people. I kept saying I don't want to leave this person or that person!! And now I have to say bye to all of them!!!! I'm so sad!! Also I could be put with a Spanish sister in a Spanish area like Sister Kirkendall! AH! So pray for me on Wednesday! I also don't know till then if I'll be in the Provo or Orem mission!! Oh yeah, I keep forgetting to tell y'all! Provo is splitting! Orem is going to be its own mission! It won't go into effect till July 1st though. So if I get put somewhere else in the Orem mission I'll have 3 missions!! And our mission president will be released too so there will be a new mission president for Provo and obviously the first new one for Orem, so I'll have 4 mission presidents over the course of my mission! So crazy, right?!
But wow this week has been the best!! We had 26 lessons this week! The mission standard of excellence is 25, and we usually average 12-15! But we had 26 this week! It DID seem busy but it was fun running around kept my mind off other things and I just got to focus on the work!
So the best part of this week was Marie! She's 53 and grew up Catholic. Her mom is less active because of back problems. We actually got a referral for her like a week ago and we went and she was like "No thanks, I'm Catholic" and closed the door. Then we got a call from another pair of sisters telling us about her saying she was interested and was in our area so we contacted her again via the phone and she was like "yes can we meet tonight??" And we were like "sure!!" Then she was like "we can't meet at my apartment though because my mom's dog bites people!" So we were like "okay no problem!!" Then we kinda panicked because we had to find a member that would be a good match for her and wasn't busy that night to have the lesson in their home! So we're calling people, leaving messages, and no one's getting back to us so we're like well we can probably have it at the church? So we go to her church building and I look around at the houses next to the church and LIGHT BULB (quick what movie??)!! I saw one of the houses we had had dinner at with a couple in their 50s/60s who are awesome and super fun and I was like what about them?? Totally from Heavenly Father!! We didn't see their cars but then a second later their son (who also lives there with his wife) pulls up from work!!! So we run over and ask if they're possibly free and they were!!!!!!!! So that night we went over and Marie came with 2 of her friends who are members and her mom who is supporting her and we taught the Restoration and I committed to her to baptism and she didn't even hesitate to accept!! She's on date for July 11th and now I'm so sad because if I stay in the Provo mission I won't be able to go to her baptism!!!! She's literally golden! So what prompted this dramatic change in her you may ask? She had a dream on Monday and she saw her dad in her dream who has passed away and he told her she needed to join the Mormon church!! How incredible is that?! So then she contacted her friends who searched for her missionaries and went through like 3 sets to find missionaries in Marie's area and finally found us and we met that night! So fast forward, we met there again the next night and taught the plan of salvation, then had a church tour the next day and she really felt the Spirit and she says, "I'm not resisting now. I know this is my path, this is where my life is supposed to go." She's so awesome, I'm so sad to leave her so soon!! But the most perfect part about the Soane family (whose house we have the lessons in) is Brother Soane also grew up Catholic and I had no idea when that impression came to my mind so he's been awesome in comparing things in our church to how they do things in the Catholic Church! He's been so great! Then she went to church yesterday for all 3 hours and we're meeting again with her tonight!!
We also got a referral for a guy named AJ who's 21 and engaged to a girl who's becoming pretty active and really wants to be married in the temple and at first we thought he was doing it for her but last time we met he had done the commitment we had extended to him the first time and he told us he really wants to gain more faith. I'm sad to be leaving him too!!
AND THEN! We teach this awesome dad Brother Reynolds who's in his 40s I'd say and reminds me a lot of my dad! He has pictures of John Wayne up in his house and the first time I went over I was like I like your picture! And he was like, you know who that is?? And I was like heck yes! My dad taught me well! Haha so he likes me for that. But Brother Reynolds is great! He's been trying to quit smoking and at our last lesson his wife joined us for the first time!!!!! She smokes too so we're trying to get them both to help each other with quitting and doing things like praying together too! I'm so sad to leave them!! I love Brother Reynolds! And I was so excited to teach him and his wife!!
The girl we committed to baptism we haven't been able to see again so she's not on date or anything yet. Her family is not very active so she may take longer so get baptized but we hope to see her again soon!
But yeah, this week has been so good! Miracles have been happening everywhere! I'm so sad to be leaving everyone!!!!!! Seriously all week I was like I don't want to leave this person!! Heavenly Father definitely has a sense of humor!
Yesterday was the last time I saw Sister Kirkendall till I go to Brazil! She left this morning! I'm sad she's gone but I'm so excited for her! I got pictures from my MTC district of them all together at the airport! So cute!
It has been pretty warm here!! I already have an awesome hair tie tan line and a shoe tan line! My toes are like white and the rest of my foot is tan hahaha
Little spiritual thought for y'all: I was reading Ether 12:27 again and it's so great. It talks about how Heavenly Father gives man weakness so that we can become humble, and when we become humble, He turns our weakness into strength. And I have definitely seen that in this first transfer of mine. It was super hard at first being here and having to be in this waiting period where I don't know when I could just up and leave, but I've truly humbled myself and learned to be where I am and to serve and love everyone and I honestly don't want to leave anyone here because I love them that much!! I wish I could take them all with me and teach them my whole mission!! He's turned my weaknesses into strengths and I'm so much happier because of that! Because of Him! Last Monday was really hard but He blessed me because I was learning to be where I am and love the people, and He blessed us with 3 new investigators! I'm sad to leave them, but I know they'll do just fine! I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and I finished it last week and I can tell you, it is true! It gives us guidance, comfort, and peace. It is truly from Heavenly Father. It is a gift to us from Him. It is ANOTHER testament of Jesus Christ and we can learn more of Him and grow closer to Him through reading and praying about it. I love this gospel, and I'm grateful to be here and to be a missionary!!
Can't think of anything else but I'm doing great! Pray I'll love my new area and companion! Can't believe I'm already being transferred! Crazy!!
EU AMO VOCÊS!!
- Sister Parks
Look how fancy?!1?!?!?
District selfie after bubble balls!
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