Here is the update, sports fans...
She is a happy misionera. We spoke with her via Skype, with a good connection so were able to see and hear much better than our Christmas conversation. She apparently researched broadband options and was in the home of investigators (Joel y Eda) where the connection was perfect. Her face is sun-drenched with permasmile, and her long brown hair is as cute as ever. Hna Ruiz was awesome! She speaks like a typical Bonaerense (she's from Buenos Aires) with beautiful intonation and rhythm. These girls could be sisters. At the moment, Christine's greatest fear is being transferred from Talara.
We also spoke briefly with Joel. I never imagined that I would speak with one of my daughter's current investigators just a few days before his baptism from thousands of miles away. We live in a fun time in the history of the gospel.
Here is our (wife Tracey and my) take on having our offspring on a mission. We grossly underestimated the happiness we would feel and overestimated the longing to have her home. Sure, I'd love to give her a hug, see her hold an Arabesque, or enjoy hearing her play Claire de Lune on a Sunday evening with her graceful yet lightning quick movements on the keys. Yet I find myself wanting nothing more than to watch her thrive as a missionary in Peru.
Many blessings for the family of the missionary.
--Hno. Parks the daddy blogger
A few photos for this week:
FHE with Presidente Aguilar and his fam and the sister leaders at consejo de lideres!
With President and his wife!...not sure why I´m awkwardly to the side, ha. And sweet Hna Howell!
Mother´s Day fest in Talara! With mama Celina and mama Eda :)
Mother´s day lunch with familia eche -- and us with mama eda for our skype!
us hiking the ¨mountain¨!
Me and cute Hna Spainhower...it was a little windy, haha. And Hna Ruiz and I made mother´s day cards for our mamas de villa talara!
when I get tired of holding it, the BOM goes on my head, ha.
example A of the virgin statues all over the place, ha
Sunset
and yes in fact you can fit 4 hermanas in a moto taxi
Family!!! So awesome seeing your cute faces yesterday. It was honestly weird speaking in English, and I ran out of things to say, haha. But I love you all so so so much! I didn´t even recognize Seth´s voice -- so low, haha and Rach looks like a full-on teenager! Crazy how time flies.
It was half depressing knowing that that was the last time I´ll see you guys before it´s in person. The mission is way too fast -- it´s not fair.
Anyways, not much to say this week. Walked a lot, ate a lot of rice, and went to Piura for leadership council! This council´s topic was about the power of prayer (for us personally, our companionships, and our investigators) and teaching the role of the Spirit in the first lesson. A survey the mission did said that most missionaries have forgotten to pray on their knees with investigators, inviting the head of the family to say the prayer, in the first lesson. So we repented, and we´re going to be implementing that from now on.
Hna Ruiz and I presented on this topic for zone meeting. We started out talking about what brought us here on the mission -- or better said, what brought about the Restoration of the gospel. If you think about it, this all came about because a young boy knelt in prayer in a forest and asked God a question. He did it humbly, and on his knees. What kind of miracles could we see in our missions (and our lives) if we kneel humbly and often in prayer seeking the will of God? Lots and lots.
Then we knelt in prayer as a zone seeking revelation for the questions we had brought to the meeting.
It was so cool.
Love you all,
Hermana Parks
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