America ?!?

So real quick, Ana still wants to be baptized, she just won't set a date quite yet. But she came to church yesterday and Elder Christoffel Golden Jr told us that if you can get them to church, then they are basically on their way to the waters. She is progressing though so we are all really happy! I think that right now we have the most progressing investigators I have ever had! And that is really exciting.

Also I meant to take a picture of my grey shoes for you this week because they look like REAL missionary shoes now. There are holes and everything!!! Its kind of cool to see some physical evidence of all the hard work we've been trying to do here.

Something I forgot to mention last week is the we got a new Ward Mission Leader! It was sad to see Benito go but this was a very, very necessary change. Our new leader is Hermano Antonio! Let me just tell you a little about the Antontio family. They are the most humble and charitable people I have ever met. They are one of those families that you meet and you have immediately been changed. They also love the gospel so much. They are both pretty recent converts and Hermana was actually baptized when she was pregnant with her first child. She is amazing. I try to be like her. She is the primary president right now and she has taught me so much about how to be a good mom one day. Anyways, we went over to their house this week for dinner and correlation and wow, H5 is about to change big time. He has already set up days when members are going to meet us at the chapel and then we are all going to split up to find, teach, baptize/reactivate. He has also set the goal for each family in the ward to go out with the missionaries at least once for the month of August. He is getting everyone involved in the work- as they should be- and it is such a blessing for us missionaries. He is implying everything from the Work of Salvation broadcast!! It’s amazing!!! There is finally going to be some growth and progress in the ward. I was reading in the first couple of chapters of Alma this morning and I feel like that is kind of what is happening with our ward right now. Hermano Antonio is leading by his example and bearing such a pure, strong testimony to the members about missionary work and the importance of our message and calling as members. He's a rock star.

This week we met with Alex and we were all excited to extend a date to him. For the first 30 minutes that we were there, we had a really good discussion about the apostasy and authority and baptism. We were using 2 Nefi 31. We talked about how Jesus walked 40 miles to John the Baptist because he was the man who held the priesthood to baptize. Bottom line, things were going really well. Then all of a sudden his friend Olevia showed up. She goes to a non-denominational Christian church. So right when she got there she wanted to know everything that we believed and why we were different. Right away we jumped into the Book of Mormon. She was immediately intrigued. We then just decided to read 3 Nefi 11 when Christ appeared to the people in the Americas. She was astounded and loved it. After we were done reading Alex said you learn something new everyday and she was like, "I know right. AMERICA.... Jesus was in AMERICA." She kept saying how her mind was blown. Oleva is one of my new favorite people. She is so funny. We also learned that you can really tell how prepared someone is by how they receive the Book of Mormon. According to her reaction, she is bien preparada.

So once again, great week proving that the Book of Mormon really is the keystone of our religion and the word of God. This week we had zone conference with President Pingree. He proposed that one of the focuses on our mission right now is that we need to seek to know how to use the Book of Mormon effectively in proselyting for each individual area. Hence, my study of the Book of Mormon has been changed. Isn’t it great how the Book of Mormon is literally the answers to all of our problems, needs, and questions? I think it’s pretty awesome. I feel like I do not have enough study time on my mission because I just want to read that book all day and gain every possible thing I can from it. Post-mish, that's all I want to do. And be an MTC teacher.

Last night we met this man named Mario and I can already tell that he is something special! I am so excited!! I hope that next week I have stuff to tell you about him.

I am so thankful for your love and support! I am happy and healthy!

con amor,

Hermana Parry

PS go read my comps emails because they are SOO funny!!! Hermana Koch always says how happy she is that God gives you best friends and your mission and I’m stealing that saying right now because it is seriously so true! I love it. My companeras are the best!

TRIO COMPANIONSHIP

BISHOP MARIN'S HOME

I AM SO GLAD I'M THE DRIVER

WATER FIGHT WITH THE KIDS 

ZONE CONFERENCE

EXPLOSION