Hellooooooo!! So here's what I know about me traveling next week: NOTHING! JK I know a little bit. We called the mission office to see if they had my itinerary and they said that they have been emailing every week but they still are waiting to hear back from Brazil MTC and that I'll either be traveling the 20th or the 21st so I'm just like ugh please let us know asap!! I know they're working their hardest though so I will be patient. I'm thinking I'll probably get it Friday or Saturday like how they did the weekend before I went into the MTC.
This week we've had some crazy rain storms but Heavenly Father has really been looking out for us; every time we're about to head out, it stops raining! And it's been like intense rain! One of the trees outside lost a limb! Also people here water all the time, and it drives me crazy!! I guess Texas isn't in the drought it used to be in though with all the floods. Are there still water restrictions?
Also, I realized I have yet to tell y'all about the lady we live with!! Her name is Sister Taylor. She's 75 and she's a great grandma and she is the funniest, feistiest, sassiest and cutest little thing you ever saw!!! haha but omg I love her so much she's the funniest thing!
Who's ready for the most shocking news ever? This is probably more shocking than me getting my visa.........I like salads!!!! YOU HEARD ME! No, actually, I love them! I get EXCITED when I see we're having salad at our dinner appointments!! Who am I, right?! What has happened to me?! I am just as shocked as you are. One family we had dinner with this week we made our own CALZONESSSSS!!! (Parks and Rec shout out!!) I was probably as excited as Ben is when he makes them (lolol who remembers the episode where he made the 1 second clay-mation movie and thought it was really good?? Lolol) SO we made calzones and then we had a salad (!!!!) and it was so. good. And then I got the best news ever...... it was from a bag!!!!!!! So I'm buying ten today. Okay, fine, 5. But I'm stoked. Okay, salad love rant over!
Kirra got baptized this week!!!!!!!! I will send pictures! She was sooooo nervous and HATED the jumpsuit and was so embarrassed to be seen in it but she did wonderfully! I spoke on the Holy Ghost which was also great except I had to keep clearing my throat but it wasn't enough so my voice sounded weird lolol but the message still got across! But they started taking the lessons from the courage of a home teacher who asked if they wanted to take the lessons and now look to where it's led! Don't be afraid to do missionary work! And do your home/visiting teaching! The home teacher's relationship with the kids is the cutest thing! He even confirmed her a member and choked up in the middle of it and I was just like I love Brother Slaugh!!!!!
One of our investigators George is getting baptized this week!! He will be my first baptism that I saw through from start to finish! Pretty exciting!
So we talked again in a sacrament meeting yesterday, and we were speaking before the high counselor who's over the missionary work so we know him really well and he's the bomb and right before I'm about to go up he leans over and tells me I should bear my testimony in Portuguese! And so I'm like AH what?? So I get to the end of my talk and I tell the congregation he suggested it and also to bear with me because I suck now (not actual words haha) and I totally butcher my testimony!! And I'm just thinking, I'm positive someone here has served in Brazil so I was even more embarrassed and then lo and behold, a guy comes up after sacrament and said he served in Brazil and I just apologized for my horrible testimony haha but he was very nice but ahh it just made me super grateful I'll be going to the Brazil MTC for a few weeks to refresh and get back into speaking it. I really miss it! My accent was complimented though so at least I still have that.
So I've been reading in the New Testament and have been learning a lot about Christ and His service that He did while He was here on earth and His compassion and His charity and His love and respect for Heavenly Father. One verse I came across this past week was in Mark 10:27 which says "with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible" and I just love that verse because I've always heard that saying but I never knew where it came from, and I'm sure there's other verses too that say it similar to this one, but I was happy to have come across this one. What Jesus says here is true, we can't do things just by ourselves. Everything is possible only through Him and Heavenly Father. We can accomplish anything we set our minds too if we rely on the Lord to help us through it. We can get through the toughest times if we turn to Him in our trials. He is only one able to comfort and lift us. And that is all because of the Atonement. Because of His suffering for us in the garden of Gethsemane when He took upon Him all our pains and sins and feelings, He KNOWS exactly what we're going through at all times because He has felt it too. We are never alone in our trails and if we turn to Him, we can feel His comfort and His love. He is able to bear our burdens for us when we cannot bear them anymore. I know these things are true because I have experienced it myself, and I have seen Him do for those that I have met. He is always there for us. Turn to Him! :)
These past few weeks I just kept saying I wish I could stay here longer!! Which I literally never thought I would ever say here in Provo! But I truly love it here. I love this mission! I love all the missionaries, all the people I've taught, all the love we receive, everything! It was a super hard first transfer [her first six weeks in the field] but then, I just threw myself into the work and I started to love my area, love the people, and love the mission! I'm going to be so sad when I leave! I know I'll love Brazil, though! Just hard to leave here because I love it now!
Hope you all have a wonderful week! I love and miss you all so much!!!!!!!!
Eu amo vocês!!
- Sister Parks
Marching in the 4th of July parade and seeing Sister Diuguid
The zone with the new mission president and wife
Kirra's baptism
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