Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Transfers plot-twist, CONFERENCE, my companions dying (going home), chicken feet, etc.

President gave me the heads-up during interviews Tuesday. I´ve received the call to be sister training leader again while finishing Hermana Kelley´s training! This is going to be.... a really busy transfer. 3 out of the 4 companionships of hermanas in our zone are training! And it´s an hour bus ride to both Chulucanas and Tambo Grande... I already told Hermana Kelley she´s in for a fun transfer! She´ll definitely have to lead the area a few times as I´ll do probably 2 exchanges with each companionship. President called today to give me the assignment to speak at leadership council. AH. The Lord sure knows how to challenge me -- but overall I'm thrilled to learn and grow through this new assignment! ¨Forget yourself and get to work¨ as President Hinckley´s dad counseled.

It feel like I was just immersed in the spirit this week with interviews and GENERAL CONFERENCE (we´ve had a count down for weeks) . First off, interviews. I had a prompting to ask President a question this time around. 

¨President, you deal with an incredible amount of stress in your calling -- and even before the mission you´ve always had so many demands on your plate, how do you do it?¨ He said it all comes down to the relationship that he has with his Heavenly Father. He has let God guide his life. When he comes to the Lord through scripture study, prayer, and temple worship, he essentially gives up his will and seeks for guidance. The Lord has made much more out of his life than he could have on his own. 

WOW. Such an awesome example. It basically comes down to prayer -- speaking of which, I´m pretty sure like half the talks at conference were on prayer and repentance, am I right? It´s been nice to self-evaluate in those categories and.. we´ve got some serious work to do! (although I can definitely see the progress I´ve made since I got here). 

My favorite talk that comes to mind from conference is President Nelson´s talk on JOY. Justamente, we read Alma 26 in district meeting this week and JOY appears too many times in that chapter to be a coincidence. And what is the source of Alma´s joy? He sees the conversion of others... and he remembers the great things the Lord has done for HIM. He sees the success of his brethren, and remembers the greatness of God! Ditto that. Missionary work is full of joy, which swallows up any stress or trial. I challenge myself, and all of you, to find joy even in trials! We were created for that purpose, as President Nelson describes. 

Our investigators are doing great! Francisco is in Mosíah already in his reading and preparing for the 15th to be baptized, Claudia will hopefully overcome her fear this week of water, and Mark loved conference! We had another investigator there, José Luis. Interesting... we found new investigators through a contact in the panadería and contacting the hamburger guy on our street. Our cravings are paying off, haha. 

And we were invited to participate in a Catholic prayer circle (?) for a woman with cancer this week... we were able to share our way of praying and a little bit of the Plan of Salvation! (and a scripture in DyC about our afflictions being but a small moment...little do they know where that book of scripture is, haha!) 

Lots of love,
Hermana Parks
 
Sunday best & ready for conference! Hermana Dionicio slept with us for the weekend since she had to travel down from Tumbes before going home! Really bittersweet.... 


Las zonas Algarrobos y Miraflores para la conferencia general! 


lunch with las hermanas de tambo grande when they came down for conference and....

hermana kelley experiencing the delicacy of roasted chicken feet for the first time. hahaha it was so funny.  


 
Our theme this past transfer ... WE FEAR NO MAN.

And what better example than Dan Jones standing up on a box in Europe proclaiming in the BOM?

 
 


ok you can´t see very well, but this is the elders preaching on the bus back from district mtg in chulucanas! they contacted like 50 people in one swing. next time it´s our turn! (even if people get annoyed at us haha) 

trying to stage a book of mormon scene ... it didn´t work out so well.

back story: we always give Elder Ballero a hard time for complaining a lot so we told him he´s Laman, and Elder Richards is Lemuel for complaining a lot too. then we decided Elder Ortiz is Lehi because he´s the oldest and wisest in the district. Elder Chambi is Sariah since he mostly follows Elder Ortiz.. I´m Nephi for my great faith obvs (ha!), Hermana Kelley is Sam since she mostly follows me :) and the Hna Sepulveda and her comp are Ishmael´s daughters since they don´t even live in Piura and they always have to travel out to the ¨desert¨ to district meetings... haha it works! 

stir fry peruvian edition with the classic platano maduro. 

service project at a member´s house and holding their...duck?


sanding the walls... by hand because third world country! 



my cute comps getting cake frosting smeared on their faces today! Last lunch before heading home ... :(
 

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