Hermana Parks in Peru: From Tacalà, with love

I really hadn`t thought about how much time I have left until Hermana Kelley and I started the workout plan she brought from home ... which is 12 weeks long ... and then I counted -- and I have 12 weeks left. It honestly sent me into a panic, maybe that`s why I was prompted to study Hope as my Christ-like attribute this month. I`m believing in good things to come .. this week, this transfer, and even after this incredibly amazing full-time mission experience has to come to an end.

Anyways, this week I had an intercambio with my cute Chileana Hermana Arenas! At the end of the day we were trekking through the sand getting pelted in the eyes by mentioned sand and I asked her what she thought of Tacalà! She said .. well, it`s not necessarily beautiful, but the people make it wonderful! I thought about that a lot. It`s so true. My small area consists of streets of blocks of houses on a flat desert. But that`s not why I`m in love with my area. I`m in love with my area because of the people here! Investigators, members, the kids playing in the street, just everyone.

Like... Francisco! He`s definitely one of the brightest and most eager 64-year olds I`ve met. On our second visit with him he gave us the best analisis I`ve ever heard of the BoM -- seriously, he was sharing things I didn`t understand until like senior year of seminary. And he came with us to stake conference!

We did operation organize the ward directory this week! Our mission is focusing on working with the members so we sifted and organized the ward directory and made a giant list on our wall of all the members in our area (the 2 companionships of Elders have a major part of the ward) listed by where they live. Our goal is to get to know all the members by name -- those active, less-active, and really less active. Have I mentioned that our ward directory has 811 members listed? And about 115 attend. You can do that math ... But I`m really stoked to find teaching and service opportunities using the directory in these coming weeks

Stake conf yesterday was SO awesome because I got to see some of my peeps from Ignacio Merino!!! I definitely almost cried running into Familia Araujo after over 9 months. They are fully active and their white shirts, ties, and smiles show it.

Que les vaya bien en esta semana!

Hermana Parks

street happenings in peru ... a random horse that showed up in our area ... and Señor Cautivo

Exchange with Hna Arenas and ...

Familia Otero`s baptism!! They are the sweetest. The Elders taught them but they have invited us over for cena a few times and one day we had the opportunity to visit Danitza when she was going through a rough time. Their marriage and baptism has been a long time coming! happy day.

Tacalà really loves us ... what kind of members just give you a week`s supply of fruit and ice cream? Well, our ward missionaries do. Theyrè the best.