Hermana Parry in Houston: 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!