Hermana Parry in Houston: one year older and wiser too!

HER BIRTHDAY WEEK!! THE BIG 20!

Hello family!!! (I am proud of this 20-year-old girl of mine - I love her faith and humility)

Such an interesting week. First off I just want to say thank you for all the treats. I don’t know how you don’t expect me to gain a million pounds from it all! Seriously though. It was out of control. I definitely felt the love.

On Saturday I had exchanges and I went up to the Woodlands area. That was the BEST birthday present/ tender mercy ever!!! I went with the Sister Training Leader- Hermana Driessel. She is so similar to Aunt Amy. It was a breathe of fresh air. We had a stellar day. I felt like a missionary. It was a powerful day. There was one point when Hermana Driessel just turned to me and said; Hermana there is a power that comes when you speak. Everyone in the room just looks at you and they can feel your energy. She started crying when she said that and then said, look, the spirit is even confirming what I am saying. We both laughed. But honestly, that was probably the kindest thing I have ever heard. I have been struggling so much this past transfer just feeling like I am really helping this people so that definitely made me feel so good. I love Hermana Driessel so much! Also it has been raining like crazy here. There were floods up in the woodlands area- hence the pictures! They are awesome right. That is the life of a real missionary. Apparently earlier that day, the water was up to people's necks. Insane right?

A couple of weeks ago we were at a member’s house and we were talking about pupusas. I told her that my birthday was on the 22nd and all that I wanted to do was learn how to make pupusas. So she invited us back to learn. Surprise! When we went back to her house yesterday, she made some of her favorite food from su pais- El Salvador. It was so sweet. We had yuca, oreja, and chicharron. If you don’t know what that is, it is pig ear and skin on top of this potato type thing. I just prayed that I would be able to swallow. I gagged on my first bite and I knew that I was a goner from there. By some miracle she let me take it home after I had eaten only half and everyone else had finished. But then she got me a cake and a stuffed animal puppy. I have my own CREW now. I slept with it last night because I was really missing my family. But I think that it was really something special for Hermana Morales for me to choose to go to her house yesterday because she usually doesn’t like to have a relationship with the missionaries because she doesn’t like to get attached! She kept saying how happy she was that I loved her and wanted to be with her. So that made me really happy that I could share my birthday with her. That was the best part of the day.

Another birthday miracle was that Emilze found a ride to church in 4 minutes! She also said how much she loved it and wished that there were more classes. She is doing so well. I sent you my journal entries home about her so you can get all the details.

Teresa passed her baptismal interview and everything is set for this Saturday at 10! She just never stops smiling.

This week we had interviews with President. We talked a lot about the atonement. Just about how to really understand and develop gratitude about the atonement. It hit me that we can literally put all of our fears, guilt, inadequacies, etc. on His shoulders and He will in turn give us strength. That is how it works. We just need to search for Him with our whole heart and then we will find Him. I am supposed to gain a really deep understanding about the atonement and how it works in our lives on the mission. I am especially learning it with my companion right now. We are very different people and I do not like how we are. We have comp inventories everyday. (Learning the importance of communication, and you would be surprised to know that I am the one who starts and leads the discussion- I'm confronting things, who would have thought?)

Another insight this week, if you want to be a good missionary, you have to stop praying about being a good missionary and pray for those you serve and are around you.

Everyone have charity. Everyone keep smiling.

I love you all!

Wish I could write more and that this could all be organized a little better but I hope you get the jist of it all. I am happy and working hard.

We are all in the refiners fire and trying to becoming perfected. Trials are blessings. I am so grateful for everything that I am learning. I am grateful for the example of Jesus Christ. I am so far from perfect but I know that I am a lot better than I was at the beginning of my mission. I am grateful for this opportunity God has given me. He can definitely do this work without me but the fact that He chooses to let someone so imperfect as me is humbling. There is a reason. The mission helps us become who we need to become.

mucho amor,

Hermana Parry

PS remember how we had thanksgiving in Houston one year... I forgot to tell you that I think that hotel is in gulfbank! Crazy huh?!