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
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| MOTHER'S DAY SKYPE SESSION |
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