Hello To The Natalie!: Week 59

The Baptism, The Boda, And the Butterfly Glasses

Well this has been quite the week. It started out pretty crazy as I got food poisoning on Monday night and was down for the count on Tuesday. I often wonder how many times the Lord has saved me from dying from bad food on my mission and I think that it really has to be lots and lots of times because I have eaten some pretty sketchy food. I think that this time he saved my life, but let me get food poisoning instead of death. But really, I may have picked death! But I am feeling worlds better now, Thank Heaven!

We got to go to the temple on Wednesday and every time that I get to go to the temple I am reminded of what a blessing it really is, especially as a missionary, to get to go. I know that there are LOADS of other missionaries that have to wait two whole years to go to the temple and I am indeed grateful for the chance that I have to go every transfer. Speaking of transfers, we get calls this Sunday! Can you believe it?!?!? I cannot! I dont know where all the days and weeks and months and transfers have gone. They have gone far to quickly for my liking.

It is officially HOT here in Arizona! We hit 90 this week and I nearly died! I am not used to the heat, I dont think you really ever get used to it, and I am not looking forward to 120. But, asi es la vida! I did recieve a sweet package from my Bishop and his family that had some pretty sweet butterfly glasses in it, that reminded me that there are some places in the world that are celebrating springtime and flowers and the like. So whenever I start to miss spring time, I put on my butterfly glasses and imagine that I am laying in the grass in 74 degrees! Jajaja.

The real craziness of this week started on Friday. Hna Baldwin's daughter got married on Saturday and so we were recruted to help set up on Friday. Oh my, it was pretty crazy and it brought me back and reminded me why I never wanted to help with another wedding again! There were so many chiefs and not enough indians as you say. But it was really fun. Lemon and I took paper lantern duty and just ignored all of the aunts(on both sides) and put them up the way we wanted to. And they turned out awesome and Vanessa (the Bride) liked them, so go us! We were guided by the spirit I think. Jajaja.

But really it took a lot of our day to do, but we were blessed to hang out with a lot of non members and less actives from our ward and to build some friendships with them. Really just proof that Heavenly Father can use us in whatever situation. We later had dinner with the Hna Baldwins family, the part from Peru, and it was so fun! I am really grateful to the chance to be a spanish missionary! The people are SO warm and amazing and I have been truly blessed to meet the people I have met.

Saturday was another big crazy day! So in my english ward, as most of you know, I am serving with a family that I knew when I was like 15, the Christensens. Well their son, Damon, got baptized on Saturday and Karrin thought it would be cool if "a missionary who knew him as a baby" spoke at his baptism. So of course I said yes, even though baptism talks still make me nervous. So I had asked Karrin if any of her family was going to be driving down for the baptism, because well, I have ALOT of stuff and there will be no way that I can fit it in my suitcases in a few months. Well, she told me no, but that in June The Speirs (my close friends and neighbors and Karrins inlaws) would be coming down. So anywho, I walk into the baptism and who do I see? Well it is the Speirs of course! They had been planning all along to come down but wanted to suprise me. It was really nice to see them and to chat with them about life. We had lunch after the baptism and it was really fun to talk to the teenagers, as well as the adults about missions and how great they are. Especially special for me to talk to these kids that I remember as 4 and 5 and now they are 14 and 15 and are getting close to being able to serve. It was truly a blessing, and I was also able to send some stuff home...so bonus!

Then later that night it was time for a Boda!!!! So we were invited to the wedding dinner as well as the wedding. Oh my, I love latino weddings! They are the greatest. Well anyways we were there to help eat the food that we spent all that time preparing, but as usually happens in my life at weddings, I got roped into to helping with the serving and the clean up and all of that stuff with the dinner and not so much of the eating. But it was ok, because I really love this family and when you love people it is FAR easier to serve them. We had lots of fun back in the kitchen and got to know a lot of the Tios better. The rest of the wedding was lovely. And then there was the dancing! Latinos love to dance and it was delightful! I have never been so sad sitting on the sidelines! We just got to watch everyone else dancing and that was lame....but it is ok, I will dance at the next Baldwin wedding!

So there you have it, that was my week! I was jam packed and LOTS of fun! I am continually grateful for all of the people that I get to meet on my mission. People that truly love me and welcome me into their families with open arms. I am grateful that I get to serve here and really to serve at all. Being a missionary is the best!

Love Hermana Parry

Butterfly Glasses