Mesa, Arizona!

I got temporarily reassigned to Mesa, Arizona... it is a long story, they made a big mistake and I may or may not have yelled at them...like hard core..I would normally feel bad but I do not..is that bad? Haha oh well, they waited to tell me till 5 days before I was supposed to leave to realize that I do need a visa, when we asked months and weeks in advanced, twice, if I needed one and they said no!

Well in the end I did! So dumb, but I am loving Mesa! We basically live in a mansion! It's awesome! I love it here! I have a car and an awesome companion! Her name is sister Pajaro! She is from the Philippines! She is so awesome! We get along great!

Something cool and awesome that happened this week was that in companion study we were practicing tracting and she pretended to be a young single mom and have a bunch of kids. Then later that day we re tracting and the first person we found was a young mom who had a bunch of kids! It was perfect!! I am so grateful for that practice! It was almost too perfect!! Well the members here are way too nice! I love it! They help out so much!

Funny story! We accidentally washed our phone today! So that was bad but we got  a new one yay!! haha.
But I love it here and I love the people! I am so happy!! I do not have pics this week but I will send you loads next week! Love you all and you all are in my prayers! remember heavenly father loves you and is looking out for you!!

Pictures of your missionary (daughter), another email one from a member in the area

Hello,
My name is Sister Christie A. and your daughter lives at our home.  She just arrived here yesterday from the MTC.  I thought you might enjoy some pictures of her and her companion.
Her companion is Sis. Pajaro from the Phillipines.  She is wonderful.  They will enjoy serving together.
She arrived at the perfect time because it is just cooling down a bit here.  

It was so fun when we first met her because she told us “I think I know your son”.  She asked if we had a son in the MTC and we do.   Our son just arrived at the MTC last week and is going to Sweden.   They were in the same  Zone together because they put the Dutch speakers with the Scandinavian language missionaries.  Our son had mentioned to her that his family in Mesa houses one set of sisters. (and there are a lot of sisters here.)  How fun that she was placed here.  There are so many connections in the church and in the missionary world.

Anyway…
Were excited to have your sweet daughter here in our ward and we know shell be awesome.    Not sure how long well get to keep her.  

Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
Have a great day!

Christie A.

Sister Parker!

Here is a photo of your cute daughter and her new companion Sister Pajaro, who is one of our favorite people! They are assigned to our ward. Your daughter met my daughter in the MTC! My daughter is going to the Philippines and spent the last few weeks before she left working with Sister Pajaro who is from the Philippines. We love Oceanside and visit every summer. Lots of connections here in Mesa, Arizona! Thanks for sharing your sweet girl. She will enjoy Mesa before she leaves for Trinidad!


Dawn Giles

Hello!  Sister Parker has arrived in the Mesa mission and is doing well.
Jane Oldroyd

Arizona Mesa Mission

 Dear Brother and Sister Parker,

Attached are a letter from President Jenkins as well as a photo of your recently arrived missionary daughter.  We love her already!

Sister Risa Udall
Executive Secretary
Arizona Mesa Mission

23 September 2015

Dear Brother and Sister Parker, 

What a joy it was for Sister Jenkins and me to welcome Sister Jacqueline Parker to the Arizona Mesa Mission.   She will be a great addition to the mission and we feel honored to serve together with her.

Enclosed is a photograph of your missionary that was taken just hours after her arrival.  Following a brief “Welcome Meeting”, we enjoyed a nice lunch and some orientation to Arizona Mesa Mission procedures.  I personally interviewed Sister Parker and sought inspiration in order to best match her with her first companion.

The first several weeks in the mission field can be very challenging.  Adjusting to missionary life requires that each missionary learn to manage new and difficult physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual demands.  Each missionary must learn important principles and skills for managing stress.  We will help Sister Parker make this transition as smoothly as possible.  Your help and support is also needed and appreciated.

The frequency and content of your emails and letters to your missionary will assist in this adjustment.  We encourage you to email or write once a week.  It is not wise to include information that will cause homesickness or excessive worry about life at home.  Please focus on subjects that are uplifting, supportive, and encouraging.  Always inspire her to have faith, to be obedient and to serve with unselfishness and consecration.  The quality and quantity of your communications will have a dramatic effect on your missionary either as a blessing or a detriment to her service.

Thank you for your prayers and support in her behalf.  May the Lord bless you and your family for your sacrifice and for her faithful service.

Sincerely,

Kirk L. Jenkins

President, Arizona Mesa Mission

Not Happy

Mom you can not get mad at me because I did ask them if the Dutch passport was ok and I do not need a visa and they told me I didn't. This was like 3 weeks ago. But guess what I get in the mail..... I got reassigned to Mesa, Arizona....I marched right down to the travel office and told them we asked twice and they said I do not need a visa. So why am I getting a reassignment!? And they said well all the travel agents are gone for the day you can talk to them tomorrow morning. Apparently the main one who has been working with our travels broke his back a while ago and the other agents have been supervising our travels. So maybe they might not know you have a dutch passport and they sent in visa info for you. Yeah anyways I can not do much right now. But tomorrow morning I am talking to them right at 8 and I am going to Trinidad Monday! This is not OK. It is their fault not mine and I should not be punished for it.

BATS!!!

                                                           Before choir. We're cute!

 These are the few elders who talk to me in my zone! I love all of them! The far right one is going to Norway and he is from England! Has a cute little accent! The rest are going to Sweden. They all left Monday.

                                                                        My District

 So these elders are in my zone and are of the few elders in my zone who actually talk to me and are friends with me. I love these two! One is from France! Like straight up! He spoke french to me....I died, I love that language! I could listen to it all day! They are both going to Sweden.






Hey!!

I do not know where to start! So thank you!! To everyone who sent me letters!! And from the Young Women!! So nice!! I loved it!!! OMG! Please no more sweets!! My tongue is raw because of all the sugar! I think I am going to get diabetes. Oh well at least I know I will get something out of the mission. Keep sending letters and Dear Elders! I love them!! They make my day! Thank you mom for sending me your conversion story! I loved it!!

So this week I got my travel plans!!! soI leave the MTC at 3:35 am!!! So early! There are 8 of us going to Trinidad but only my district is speaking Dutch the rest are Spanish speaking. I have only met the sister and one elder in their district but I am excited to be traveling with her because she is so nice! Soo mom, dad expect a call on Monday at 5, 6 or 7 my time so it is an hour earlier your time. We fly to Texas, Houston then to Trinidad. We will arrive in Trinidad that same night! So that's awesome!!!

OK so there are bats in out residence!! There were 3 last night flying around our floor of the building! then today there are 3 more! I hope it doesn't get crazier till after I leave the MTC so they won't evacuate us. Haha.

Well ummmm, I realized I need to be more obedient. I stay In bed like a minute or two later and I feel like I should not do that. So I am going to try and have exact obedience!

Also I am super sad that I am leaving my companions. I love them sooo much!! and my teachers!!! I love brother Norton sooo much!! I hope I can be exactly like him when I get home from my mission! Also I am so grateful for all the experiences I have had in my life! I have been able to share them and they have helped in my lessons. Also they have made me the person I am today and I love it! I miss all of you!!


 

Wednesday 9/9/2015 Yo yo yo!

    So let me start out with a super embarrassing story!  So this happened to me this week! In my lesson with Julio (one of my investigators, who is also my teacher); He has three kids, and I was teaching him about families and how God blesses them and instead of saying your kids will be so happy! I said our kids will be so happy!!! Three times and had no idea!! I went into the classroom and he came in and corrected me. We were all laughing!! It was so funny but embarrassing!! yeah!! Haha   
    Also I found out that Suriname has schawarmas!!! I am so happy I almost cried when I found out!

    The elders in my zone are now talking to me and I am becoming good friends with them! But they leave on Monday!! So that sucks!! Oh today two new sisters came in my zone yay!! They are going to Denmark! I will still be a part of my trio which is good because I fricken love them!! I can see the growth in myself from only 4 weeks!! It is crazy!! I hope I can be ready by the time I leave for Suriname! Which is in two weeks!!
    I am so grateful for my family and the experiences I have had! Thank you!!
    And thank you for all the letters and emails!! I appreciate them all!! I wish I had more time!!
    So I get my travel plans Friday yay!!!
    Also there was a french couple that spoke for devotional yesterday! The wife had a beautiful accent! She reminded me of mom! It made me sad! I miss you mom!!!
    Also we had TRC and I taught this old couple who were straight up from the Netherlands and they sounded just like our family back home!! I almost started crying! But I didn't thank goodness! That would have been bad!
    Well I love all of you so much! I feel the lords hand in my work already! It is the best thing in the world! t
Till next Wednesday!!

August 19, 2015 After 11 blisters....

 Hey!! So I made it fine! I am safe!! 
     So I have so much I want to tell you! first off I am in a trio!! There is me, Sister Tester, and Sister Warren, they are both from Utah. But there is a catch. I am a solo missionary. Which means on my tag it has a sticker that says solo on it. Yes I have companions but they are not going to my mission, They are actually going to Cole's! They are going to Salta, Argentina!! Which is awesome, they might meet him! But I am the only sister in my zone! 71 elders then there is me! In my zone we have Dutch, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian.  
    In my district it is me and 3 other elders. They seem pretty cool. They are nice. I have been playing volleyball during gym time which is a lot of fun! Of course I got hurt a little. Don't worry its just a scrape haha. 
    But mom! Those really comfortable heels I have? Yeah those made me have huge blisters... so I might have to send them back. We will see. 
    So the language; I feel like the pronunciation is not hard for me, which is nice, but it is still a little challenging.  They are teaching us here that we need to teach with the spirit, it won't matter if you suck at the language if you teach with the spirit. I was teaching a lesson with my investigator, and I had to teach alone because I am a solo sister. I was speaking Dutch to her and even though I didn't know what I was saying I felt the spirit. It was the weirdest thing but at the same time it was super awesome. The first time I felt the spirit without knowing what the crap was being said haha. But yeah so that was awesome. . 
    So Sunday devotional we had this popular country christian band come play for us and do like a concert. It was awesome and at the same time spiritual. it was also nice to hear good music. I loved it!! I have been doing alright struggling a little bit but I am starting to get the hang of the lifestyle here. I was feeling a little under the weather yesterday but I am better today! I will send you pics later today!!

Wednesday 9/2/2015, Peace....

So I just want to say thank you mom and dad for the package!! I loved it!! My companions were super stoked to because we share everything now! haha. Even clothes! It is really nice!
    So ummm where do I begin. My teacher brother Norton is the bom! I want to be him! I hope I can be the missionary he was because he is so spiritually in tune and knowledgeable about the gospel. He gave me a challenge to memorize 50 scriptures, with their references, background, and principal. So I accepted! I have got to push myself while I am out here!! We were doing role plays and I was teaching him, and then he thought me to help me. (all in dutch) I was the investigator and he was the missionary,  and he said I have to make the scriptures apply to them. Then I said well unlike you I don't know all the scriptures and can't pull them randomly out of my hat. That's is why he gave me the challenge. He has also helped me with my goal setting! He is basically my companion without being my companion. He is awesome!
    The language is getting better! I have learned more in this past week than I have ever learned in my whole life! It just makes me think how much I will learn in a year and a half! I am super excited to leave the MTC...even though it is only 3 weeks away! My teachers tell me I will love the sisters that just left before me. so that makes me happy. It is hard to teach and learn the language without a companion, but I can manage.
    So all the elders in my zone have treated me kinda like the forbidden fruit. The elders in my district told me that the elders in my zone told them they felt like they would flirt with me if they were to talk with me....so dumb! One elder is like the flirting police. There are 2 old zone leaders I am more comfortable with and I talk to them and while I was talking to one of them and apparently the flirting police told him he was flirting or what we say here PG 33! Haha, so dumb!! It makes me mad because I am more close with my companions' zone than my own! There are two elders in their zone, the ones that are in the picture with us, Elder Carter and Elder Willson who are our best friends here! They have made us so happy because they are so funny! They definitely helped with the adapting to the MTC life. They just left us for the field today... I am super sad about it but we all exchanged emails and we are all planning on having a MTC reunion! So that is good!
    So funny thing! In my lesson with my investigator I did not know the word for peace.. so I figured I should throw up the peace sign she will understand! So I did... but then she was like 2? and still didn't get it.. hahah. Oh well haha.
    So elder oaks spoke at the devotional last night! I sang in the choir and it was awesome to sing for an apostle! I was a little disappointing on what he spoke about. He basically quoted all the preach my gospel handbook and talked about what our teachers tell us everyday. I was hoping for something new, but it was still cool! s
    So I don't know if I have put this in my email before but...we have to learn like a dialect language which they have in Suriname called Talky Talky, and apparently over there they do not knock on doors... they stand there and yell "klop klop", which means knock knock in talky talky; yeah weird!  
    Well I am doing good keep the dear elders coming!! Thank you to everyone who sent them they have been so nice and I will try to get back to you as much as I can! Mom if there is anyway could you send me yellow deli chips?
Love all of you sooo much I am doing great things here I can feel it!