Week 44

Dont Shoot The Missionaries! Well everyone, it has been another exciting week here in Arizona. I am sure you are all just dying to know who my new companion is now that Hna Escobar is gone. She got transfered to Yuma, and I am not companions with Hermana Kerr. She is great and we are having lots of fun together already. It is an adjustment having to be in charge of the area and learn a new companion, but we are getting into a flow and having fun doing it. But lets start with before Hna Escobar left...Monday and Tuesday were really rather fun days. On Monday we went to Adriana and Manuels house to help Adriana make mittens for the baby. I dont know why I am always volunteering for stuff like that, fortunately Hna Escobar is a pro and she whipped some out. I can sew, but a lot times I just get frustrated and quit for awhile, but you cant do that when you are helping someone else. Jajaja. Then on Tuesday the Cooper 1st ward asked us to come and talk to the activity days girls. That was really fun. They were so cute and had so many fun questions. We had a little mini transfer meeting and gave them companions, we called them all Sister so and so, and just talked about life as a missionary. They had some really silly questions about why spanish was different and if we liked dogs, but they also asked us some really cool things like what is the most spiritual experience you have had as a missionary. Oh it was fun! Wednesday was transfer meeting and that was really fun because every single Hermana was there! That almost never happens and it made it so that we did not know who was going to go where. It was a lot of fun, and as you know, I got Kerr. She has been out nearly 16 months and has just this transfer and the next one before she goes home...so we are thinking she will die here in Chandler, but with President you never know. I am been a little more stressed than average trying to make sure that I know what is going on and doing a lot of the planning on my own while Hna Kerr learns the area, but that is ok, it is making me grow a whole lot and that is always good. Thursday was a fun day. We had a lot of lessons and Hna Kerr got to meet a lot of our investigators. We went over to visit Sister Kirkby so that we could help her plan her husband Johns baptism (which is this Saturday and we are SO excited. He is such a cool guy who just wants to better himself for the sake of his family. His wife is a member and they have a 4 year old son and one on the way. I dont know why I have been so blessed to get to complete so many families, but it is one of the greatest blessings in my mission to get to say "In one year from today, you get to take your whole family to the temple to be sealed!" Oh it is so sweet!) While we were there Kingston got out all of his toys to show us, well he started to "shoot us" and his mom yelled at him "Kingtson! Dont shoot the missionaries!" It was maybe just the silliest thing I have heard, but so true. :) Friday was a pretty sweet day, we were really able to see the Lord guiding us. We had a bunch of plans but ended up scrapping them as we decided to visit the less actives in the 2nd ward to invite them to the Christmas party the following morning. Well we picked the house of Sis Paula, quite randomly we thought, but when we got there and talked with her we realized it wasnt really random at all. She has been praying that day and just telling Heavenly Father that she was sad and feeling lost and alone. It is such a miracle to make those visits and be the one that gets to answers someones prayer like that. I am grateful to be that tool in the Lords hands. Ok, there are just a few more things that I want to share.... On Friday Hna Kerr talked me into a pizza eating challenge against Elder German. Hna Escobar and I had been denying the invitation for the past transfer, but Kerr then told me it was on her bucket list to eat as much pizza as she could/wanted to....how could I crush a bucket list dream? So Saturday after our ward breakfast, in which we did not get to eat a thing, we found ourselves sitting outside Jimmy and Joes with a 24" pizza and one hour to eat it. Oh man, I did not think i was going to be able to eat it, but at that point I wanted to will the t shirt. I ended up powering through my half in 18 minutes, beating everyone and Kerr and I got the W after 29 minutes. It was so stupid and we felt super sick (especially later that night when we had to eat dinner....worst dinner of my life), but we beat the boys and won the shirt. So it was sorta worth it. Other than that, I havent really got much else to say....but I will leave you with a quote from testimony meeting...this is from my favorite member of the 2nd ward, Sister Anderson. She is from DC and she is black and said we can call her our chocolate grandma, which I fully intend to do....so here it is... "Good morning citizens of Zion! We are in the world, but not of the world. We are citizens of Zion. .......In the name if the Rose of Sharon, the Conquering Majestic Lion of Judah, Amen" She is amazing and I love her! Being a missionary is the best! Thanks for all of your love and support! Love Hna Parry