MUST READ THIS!

Remember how I told you last week that Hermana Burnham and I knew that this was going to be a stellar week. Well, it was.

A few days ago we were going through our teaching records and we picked a few names of people that we were wanting to go visit and try to pick back up. They were really old names (from 2007-2010ish). We set some time aside on Saturday to go and contact these people. That evening we went to this man named Florencio. He opened the door and just started crying. He kept saying how he wants to change and that this is his time to change and that he knows we are the only ones that can help him. He kept calling us angels and kept saying that we just look different. He can feel it. He told us he has a really bad drinking problem but how he wants to be better and change. He wants to become a more dedicated servant of our Lord. He invited us in but his wife was in Mexico for a wedding so we just told him that we would come back tomorrow. So on Sunday evening we go back. The wife, Maria, opens the door and says pasanle. We sit right on down at her table and have a little small talk before she goes to get her husband. Her husband and her sit down and join us and the first thing she says is, "Quiero ser bautizada en la Iglesia de JesuCristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias." My companera and I just look at each other and are like what that is amazing. I was lost for words, and everyone was just crying. She continued to tell us that she knew Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. She had met missionaries when she was 12 years old in Mexico and just knew that there was something different. The sisters that made her teaching record 4 years ago were transferred out of the area right after they met each other and no one had visited them since. But she has been waiting since she was 12 to be baptized into this church. She is now 66 years old. She knows without a doubt that this is the time for her and her husband. She has been praying and praying so hard that missionaries would come back to her and help strengthen her and her husband. They asked us what they needed to do to be baptized so we read D&C 20:37 and then committed them to get baptized June 22nd. They wrote it down on their calendar and are going to be prepared to get baptized that day. However, this is the other miracle part! He does not work on Sundays and they are already married. Everyone here works all day, every day so it is impossible to get investigators to church! But they said that they will for sure be there. They are not going to make any other plans on Sunday so they can for sure attend the service. Also in Latin culture, everyone just lives together and no one is married BUT THEY ARE! They have been married for 11 years. Can we just talk about how prepared Florencio and Maria Gomez are? We have been working so hard, being rejected left and right, but when you are obedient and perseverar, miracles happen and God leads you right to the people he has been preparing. Another cool aspect is that we will both still be on our missions when they can go through the temple and get sealed... AHHHH!!!

That is not all that happened this week, once p-day ended at 6 on Monday, we went to this street Kaylyn that we had tracted twice the week before. The first time we went there we say this cute lady who we wanted to talk to but the timing just didnt work out so we werent able to. We went back 2 days later and her son was sitting on the pourch and said his mom wasnt home but we could go inside if we wanted. We thought that was really weird and just said that we would come back another time. So we went back Monday at 6- 4 days later. The husband was mowing the lawn, the kids were playing futbol, and the mom was inside. We werent quite sure who to approach. We were super awkward about it. But luckily the husband can up to us and introduced himself as Leo. Let me tell you a little about Leo, probably the most amazing man I have ever met. He is so incredibly kind and totally in love with his wife and family. He told us to follow him into his house because He knew that we were sent to God to see him at this time because his mother had just died 4 days prior. He said missionaries dont really come here that often because their house and street is kind of hidden so he truly knew that we were there by God's wisdom. He sat us down and showed us family pictures and asked us why we liked are church so much. We breifly told him that is it because of the emphasis of family in our church and that families are eternal. He was so curious and is really excited to learn more. He says that the next time we come over, he is going to have his kids sitting in here listening as well. The crazy part is that his wife, Vacenta, lived with a mormon for 10 years! We also talked about the Book of Mormon a little bit and they loved that. We are really excited to teach them! They are also married which is just an added bonus.

We also met this kid named Ronnie this week who came here from Guatemala 2 months ago. He was one his phone when we walked past him so we only waved but he quickly called us back over because he wants to come to our church and learn more! We told him that we would come back the following day because we had another appointment. We returned the next day and he wasnt there. We were so bummed. But as we were leaving, this other man came up to us and said "Hi Im Mormon too" In the best english that he could. He told us that he met Hermana Perez and Hermana Donkin 3 or so years ago and was baptized. He continued to share with us his favorite story in the Book of Mormon which is Lehi's dream and the love of God. He said he has been inactive because he doesnt know where the church building is but he wants to make things right and get back in the swing of things. It was awesome to meet someone who Hermana Perez taught and baptized. She was a teacher in the MTC in my zone!

This week was interviews with the President and wow. He is inspired. It was ironic that after such a hard week last week we met with him on Tuesday- right at the beginning of this week. He just said how he felt so strongly to tell me how proud the Lord was of me and my efforts and that the Houston 5th ward has never been in better shape. He also said to Hermana Burnham that if all the missionaries were like us, then the manual would only need to be 1 page. We both laughed at that because that is so not true. He also sad that the experiences that I am having now are so important for my future. It is amazing everything I have already learned. I know that thats so true.

God has a plan for all of his children. He is working right along side us in this work. If I didn't know that before, I sure do know that now after this week. Everyday we had miracles. We are definitely protected too.

I guess I should tell you that this week we had a break in at our apartment. It was yesterday after church. We had just gotten home from the service and were getting a quick bite to eat before our first appointment. We left the door unlocked because we were only expecting to be 5 or so minutes. I sat down on the couch to eat and Hermana Burnham was on the other side of the living room. All the sudden I see this man opening our door. So I scream and run to shut the door. He was halfway in apparently. I honestly dont remember this much because I was so freaked out. But that is what Hermana Burnham tells me. There were 2 guys when I looked through the peephole. We are totally okay but we stayed the night at the mission home just in case. We thought it was weird because it was so fast after we got home. We were scared that they were watching us or something. But all is well and we are safe!

Also we had quite the encounters with dogs this week. It is seriously like Mexico here. DOGS EVERYWHERE! And they are not nice. Hermana Burnham and I ran for our lives this week. I swear angels lifted us up and carried us ontop of cars because I have no idea how we were able to outrun these dogs. We would have been eaten in a heartbeat.

This is a really exciting email huh?? I hope you enjoy it!

The mission is great! I cant believe this is the last week of my 2nd transfer in the field. It is going by fast.

I love you all so much!

Adios,

Hermana Parry!

Just chill in at the club

Us on top of a car trying not to get eaten by dogs

Me straight thuggin

Unwearingyness

I think that it is safe to say that this past week was easily the hardest week of my life. I am so grateful for everything that I learned because I am even more ready and prepared for what is coming this week. I truly know that there really are trials and problems designed for us individually because it is only through those specific trials and problems that we develop the attributes and characteristics that we need in order to become the person we are designed to be.

Anyways, with that being said. HELLOO!!! I miss ya'll lots but that is so awesome that Bishop Marin was at our house. When he showed me the pictures, I really could not believe it. I still cant believe it! Sounds like you all had a great time. I also cannot believe that you let him record my wisdom teeth video!! Seriously, Im mortified. The only positive that comes from that is, stay away from drugs!

This week we helped Jaquelin move out and away from her abusive relationship. While we were there, there was a knock on the door and we all just stopped and looked at each other, afraid that it might be Antonio. Thankfully it was just her neighbor who made us pupusas. That was a blessing because I was starving- I seriously kept praying for food and then, BOOM, it was at our door. God really does take care of his missionaries. But back to Jaquelin, this whole situation just made me so thankful to be a citizen, have family in America, and a place to live. Jaquelin called us the night that she finally had enough of Antonio and just explained that she had absolutely no where to go. He had controlled everything and she had no one to even turn to except for us. Of course, Hermana Burnham and I just wanted to take her in. Believe me, if it wasnt against the rules, we would have. It broke our hearts that we could not do anything for her. I have never felt so helpless. However, we did all that we could and testified of what we know to be true. We had a great chat with her about prayer too. She knows that there is a plan for her and that God will help her find a good husband where she can have a family. She also knows that her son in Hondurous is being watched over while she is here in Texas. She has so much faith! It is hard when you have trials after trials. I remember when we first met her she asked why we have trials. We said it was to help us grow. She totally agreed. Jaquelin just keeps going. She never ceases to amaze me.

If you havent found Bishop Scott in the Ensign yet, you probably should because you need to read Uchtdorfs talk- which just happens to be on that page. It is the one from priesthood session. It just reminds us that we are enough. There is one quote that I just love, it says "Perhaps it is true that we are weak, Perhaps it is true that we are not wise or mighty. But when God works through us, no one and nothing can stand against us. This is why you are needed. You have your own special contribution to make and God can magnify that contribution in a MIGHTY way... Your opportunities for service are endless. If you are waiting on the sidelines, I encourage you to get in the game." You cannot possibly tell me that you are not wanting to just jump out of your seat and just give your all to the Lord right at this very instance when you read that!!

Also this is kind of interesting. Maybe you have already thought about this but I never had until yesterday and it just made me change my attitude real fast. So John 14:27 is the famous scripture "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world givesth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Also in Matthew 14:27 we are told to "be of good cheer." I never thought about how it is a commandment to not let our hearts be troubled nor afraid but rather be of good cheer. Everything goes back to His atonement. He died and felt everything so that we could be happy and have peace. What kind of person are we if we are not turning to Him but rather staying in our sorrow and fear? We need to be happy! So awesome.

I also learned a really, really valuable lesson. This lesson comes from a lot of regret but at least its learned and I am never making this mistake ever again. On Saturday we had to run into a Fiesta because we had been walking all day and needed a cold water. When we were checking out, this cute 30 year old lady stood right behind me. She immediately said in her best english, that we were beautiful. We bashfully said thanks and left it at that. But 10 seconds after, she asked where I was from. I told her California and then asked her. She turns out to be from El Salvador. So of course I said one of my good friends is serving there right now. She thought that was wonderful! She was saying how we are doing the Lord's commission in Mateo 28:19-20. I kind of shyed away again after this- ugh just typing this makes me so mad- but anyways, I shyed away and only gave her our number and tarjeta. I should of been like HECK YES! That is exactly what I am doing!! I am here to tell people that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the Lord's true and only church and has all the keys that enable us to live with our families forever. I am seriously so bummed out because I didnt sieze that opportunity! Biggest regret of my mission! But you can bet your bottom dollar that that will not happening again. Is that not the most depressing story you have ever heard?! Its in the past though and I am making a more conscious effort to become my purpose. Do not ever let an opportunity slip through your fingers like that to share the gospel. I am praying so hard that she calls because I just want the opportunity to bare with her everything I know to be true. This will probably haunt me my entire mission. 

Really awesome update. Irving passed the Sacrament yesterday!! He was wearing a cute soccer tie and a great big smile. I accidently made him mess up though because he looked at me and I gave him a thumbs up and he thought that I was motioning for me to have him come over so I could partake of the bread. It wouldnt have been so bad if the line didnt leave withouth him. Whoops. I guess I also learned to be more reverent. I just couldnt help it! I just about cried. He was passing the sacrament with his cousin who gave him the priesthood too which was just the cherry on top of the cake.

I guess this got a little long. I hope it makes sense! I kind of just went on a rampage haha

Great things are coming this week down here in Gulfbank. We can feel it! We are excited. We are working so hard and we know that the Lord is working right there with us. He wants great things to come to pass.

I will just leave you with this quote that was in that Holland book you sent because I think it sums up everything this week. "I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are the church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and he is our great eternal head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him."

This is definitely not easy but it is worth it.

I am so happy. Other than my terrible experience in Fiesta. But I'm working through it!

abrazos y besos,

Hermana Parry

PS. My companion is seriously the best and loves the gospel so much. You all really need to hear how she talks about the Book of Mormon. It will make you want to read it ASAP.

She is working so hard she is exhausted!  We are so proud of her and so is Heavenly Father.
I love this picture - it just makes me miss her.  LOVE THIS GIRL..

GULFBANK AREA

TRACTING

LOVE GETTING MAIL!!!

HOUSTON TEXAS TEMPLE TRIP

ALWAYS HAS A SMILE

THEY ARE ENJOYING BEING COMPANIONS

THE 5TH WARD ACTIVITY

Remember how Kayla doesn't read my emails?

Monday, May 13, 2013

Well Hello again!

It was so great to see you all yesterday via Skype. Y’all are beautiful. Seriously I love you so so much! After we hung up Bishop admitted to me that they were all just hiding in the master bedroom listening to our conversation, laughing the whole entire time. They loved when we were all howling with Crew. We are embarrassing but that’s ok. Also I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard as a I did yesterday. It was fun to tell you some of our tracting stories. That shower one is by far my favorite. How awkward right? Hermana Burnham and I have so much fun. As you could probably tell from yesterday.

I honestly don’t know how I forgot to tell you yesterday but IRVING GOT THE PRIESTHOOD yesterday!! He was so stoked. We also had 180% attendance at church yesterday- which is unheard of! There were so many people visiting their mothers yesterday and they all decided to spend their morning at church. It was awesome! But back to Irving, we went to his house last night to watch the restoration video with him and he loved it. It is amazing the changes that has come into his life over the past 2 months that I've been here. I love seeing him grow and really hunger after the gospel. I think about the day that he was baptized often just because I know that there are so many other people that can be just as happy as he was that day. Like Sara Barreras who has a date set for June 8th! Holler!! It is amazing how 4 years ago this wouldn’t have been possible but how the Lord really does work miracles. Everything really is in his hands and according to his time. It just makes me think about the investigators that have dropped us or we have had to drop them and that potentially in a few years, or maybe even in a few months, the right set of missionaries will find them and it will be there time to make this life changing decisions.

So new favorite chapter in the entire book of mormon is Alma 36. If you read the conference talks by Craig A. Cardon and Elder Bednar from the last conference, it is so powerful. For some reason it just really hit me again how REAL the atonement is. Here you have Alma talking about how he was so "racked with torment" but after he "cried within his heart" his joy was as exceedingly great as his pain. There were two parts of the talks that stuck out to me when I read this chapter: 1. That the degree and intensity of the repentance process truly must equal the gravity and characteristic of the sin and 2. Christ really does want to forgive. The sin does not limit His willingness. He is always there. It is so powerful. You just see how the burden is really lifted off Alma and he becomes so happy. It is also awesome how right after that happens, he wants to tell everyone "that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste." I love it so much. So grateful for God's mercy and love for each of us that He gave us hope- Jesus Christ.

I just feel so extremely blessed. I know that God desires me to rise up and face the challenges here in Gulfbank because they are designed specifically for me to grow and learn. I am learning so much everyday and I am working so hard to increase my faith. I am learning that I know what I need to do even when I think I don't. You learn the principles and then your govern yourself. I am like my own little investigator. It is awesome. Following Christ is a life-long commitment and I constantly have to rededicate and increase my faith. Also something interesting, you know how people always say that God will not try us more than we can handle. That in a sense is not completely accurate. In Alma 13:28 It talks about how we have to first humble ourselves and call on His name and only then are we promised that we wont be tempted or tried above that which we can bear. Its a blessing that comes from trying your hardest- not a free gift.

Oh forgot to mention. We went to the temple this week! Love it so much. Hope you enjoy the pictures. It was actually I really sad day just because this is Elder Crane's last transfer before he goes home and so that was the last time for him. He is by far one of the most amazing missionaries I have ever met in my life. En serio. I wish I could be half as good as him. Hope he never sees this. haha Also I just need to tell you how adorable Hermana Negrete is. We called her to see if she could come to a lesson with us and she said she couldn’t because she was washing her car so that she could go to the temple! She is 88 years old and she was washing her car so she could go to the temple. We all need to have that kind of dedication!  

I love you all so much and I hope that you all are still laughing from yesterday. I know that I still am. That was the best. Only 7.5 months until we do that again! The scary thing is that that is going to go by so fast and then I will only have 7 months of my mission left. AHHH! Where is all the time going! There is so much to do...

Cuidanse!

Hermana Parry

(or to the majority of the people here Party)

PS after this weekend I might be wanting a Mariachi band at my wedding. haha

MOTHER'S DAY SKYPE SESSION

"I cannot say the smallest part which I feel"

Ok so to start out let me just tell you all how absolutely amazing Hermana Burnham is. She is 19 too and I swear all these little ones are so ready to work! It is absolutely incredible. I am just so excited about Gulfbank right now because we seriously just walk and talk with everyone. We are so sore because we have been tracting basically all day and every day this week. Luckily there were not any more rainstorms so we stayed pretty dry. But really, it is awesome! We have seen so many miracles this week because of the diligence we are trying to have everyday. Its not always easy, especially when you have days when you have absolutely nothing to do, but the scriptures reminded me that if we are patient and long-suffering in all our afflictions, we will be instruments in God's work here in Gulfbank and help bring about many miracles.

Some of the miracles being that we have found one of the tens of thousands that is being prepared here in Gulfbank. This was on one of those days where everything fell through so we were just trying to find service or anyone outside to talk to. We had the feeling to go to apartment 259 in "sesame street" (we call it sesame street because of all the colorful apartments there) and there was a woman named Maria Teresa Rico there. She basically just talked for the first hour but she said how she could just tell we were people of God and that she we were sent there because God had told us that she needed us. I honestly cannot tell you everything that she said because Spanish is still pretty foreign to me but boy. The spirit is good. I felt that we needed to sing- Mas cerca Dios de ti, so very randomly i suppose, I asked her if it would be alright if we sang for her. After the first two words she was all tears. She just explained how she could really feel the love of God in the room and that she loved that feeling. She was all excited to join us at church on Sunday because she knew that that is a place where she would be able to feel those feelings once again. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to come to church but next week we have a cita with her and she invited 2 other families. Do you guys realize all the potential that is? We are talking about future relief society presidents, primary presidents, young men leaders, ash!

Keep praying for the missionary effort because this is only possible with the prayers and faith of EVERY single member worldwide. Missionary work is so hard but it is SO important. This is eternal salvation. I cant even express to you all how much this work means, not only to me, but to our Heavenly Father. He wants all of his children to return back to them and the only way they can do that is through fe, arrepentimiento, bautismo, el espiritu santo, y perseverar hasta al fin.

Also we met two of the cutest little girls ever. It was really late at night and we were tracting and this sassy 10 year old opens the door. I told her we were missionaries and asked if her parents were home. She said no but quickly responded that "yall can talk with me because I love talking about God." We wiped out el libro de mormon por los ninos and shared when Jesus Christ blessed all the children when he appeared in the Americas. They loved it so much. We left but at 10:25 that night, we got a phone call from them and they both were asking when we were going to come back to talk more about God. How tender is that? We have tried going back multiple times but have had no luck. We hope that they will always remember the spirit that they felt and that they are special daughters of our Heavenly Father.

I read "A Consecrated Missionary" by Elder Todd Callister this week. If you can get your hands on that, READ IT! It does not just apply to missionaries but every single one of us. It is probably one of my all time favorite talks. It talked about laying everything on the line for one's salvation. For me that means my many insecurities and my pride for not wanting to speak Spanish because it is not yet perfected. I have come a long way. Last transfer I let my native speaker comp do everything. But this transfer there isn’t one person that I don’t say hi to because this work is just THAT important. Elder Callister really helped motivate me to give all that I am to God. Not just now on the mission, but always. I am so grateful for the atonement and the enabling power of the atonement because I mess up everyday, I am weak. But because of the atonement, the possibilities are endless and I can truly do all things according to my faith. Just look at the scriptures. You have Nephi. His brethren tied him up and he couldn’t escape. However, he prayed to God for the strength to break the bands, which bound him, and then he twisted and nudged some more to break the bands and boom, he was free. God does not take us out of our afflictions, but rather, the strength to overcome them. How beautiful is that! It gives me the hope that I can overcome anything in my life when I rely on the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Anyways, that’s all for this week! I love you lots and can't wait to talk to you on Sunday. That freaks me out that it is already that time. Love YALL!

brazos y besos

Hermana Parry

PS. Funny story, so this morning I was studying in Alma and when I went to sign on to my email, I went to go look at Matt's emails and he was telling me that I need to go read this certain part of Alma. Funny part is that that was the exact spot that I read this morning and I had made a goal to more fully incorporate those verses into my missionary efforts this week. I just thought it was so great because here we are so far apart yet still on the same wavelength.

Bishop Marin's Home

Roads in Gulfbank

We are having fun

Tracting our area all day everyday...