Transfer of hard work!!!

Just started another transfer! I am back in Paramaribo. with sister Ashcraft but with a twist! We have z. Zeegelaar, from Suriname who is a visa waiter and might leave mid transfer. We are blanking Rainville (blanking means we are all new to the area and not one who was already there), but wait there is more! We are also working with Paramaribo North! So we have all of that area and all of ours... a lot of people to work with, and a lot...a lot of biking! like whoa! I have never slept sooooo goood before,  and I have never had so much muscle in my legs before! The only part of my body that has muscle right now....not going to lie I have put on a couple of pounds, but it is ok! I'm just giving everything to the mission!
We have amazing people we are teaching! There is this girl from the new area that the sisters were teaching that will be baptized Saturday! She is so cute! Her name is Marry, I think she is 14 and from Guyana. We also have this other really awesome investigator! His name is Josh. We are hoping to get him on date this week. He comes to church every Sunday and he told us in our lesson with him this week:"I just want to really know and understand the book of Mormon". He is originally from Africa, but moved around Asia from when he was 5 to 23. He spent most of his life in China, he knows Chinese, and he is so prepared! This transfer we have a lot more people to work with but because it is all new we have to get familiar with everything. It is going to require a lot more work than before, but we can do it! This transfer is going to be a transfer of working, working and more working! Doing everything we can, and the Savior will make up the rest.
I came across a quote in my personal study, and I thought of all of yall: "No matter if you are  actually a missionary or a member, you are called to the work!!!! "
it is from David O. McKay,
"Ours is the responsibility-greater than ever before:
1. To proclaim that the church was divinely established by the appearance of God the Father, and His son Jesus Christ to the prophet Joseph Smith, and that divine authority through the priesthood is given to represent deity in establishing Christs church upon the earth.
2. Proclaim that it's assigned responsibility [is] to fulfill the admonition of Jesus Christ to his apostles: "go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world amen."
We are all missionaries. We may drop a word here, bear our testimony, be an exemplar by what we do; and, as we accept this call and discharge our duties in the stakes, wards, quorums, and the mission field, our acts will roll from soul to soul and go forever and forever."
I love you all and I know if you share the gospel you will be blessed immensely!
Lobie
Zuster Parker

Comp unity: same moo moos with a candid laughing pic

Comp unity: same pj's

Cutest kids!!

 

Comp unity: we ride the same bike! 

Transfers...and I am moving...again!!!

So, transfer calls happened, and well I knew I was getting a new companion since z. Wood is dying, but I didn't think I would be leaving the Tamenga branch! I just got here! The next transfer we will be going from 8 to 4 sisters! I am going back the Parimaribo branch, they are closing down the area I am in right now, and also the one I was in last transfer. I am going to be in Rainville, and working with the investigators in Parimaribo North as well, so kinda 2 areas. I am going to be in a trio with zuster Zeegelaar who will be leaving in the middle of the transfer to go to her mission in Utah because she is a visa waiter, and will also back with sister Ashcraft. I am excited! It will be a good time! Back in the old branch, at least I know them! I am sad because I really love the branch here, but it is ok it is close by and I will see them often.
Well, amazing Sunday yesterday! First off an investigator came and she is just solid! She had the best experience anyone could have! She felt the spirit so strong in Sunday school she was crying, like sobbing! She could feel the love in Relief Society and she opened up and they all just fellow-shipped her! After she was just talking with everyone! Her 2 boys loved it! I love them two! I have talked about her before but she is was awesome!! I am going to be sad leaving her but I know she is in good hands and I will be there for her baptism!
Also, good news: forgot to tell you that the first person I taught in Mesa AZ, the one who had a baptismal date, well she is baptized! and I am so grateful I was able to be apart of that! I email her now and she is doing so great!!
Sorry not the most time in the world but I just want to express my love for the Savior! He has a plan for all of us, and I can see so many of his plans and see them play out. I am grateful I can have a front row seat! I love you all!!!! tot later!!!!!
Lobie
Zuster Parker!

It's all coming to an end!

So this week I had a taste of what life will be like without z. Wood, because she was in Trinidad for MLC for a couple of days, and I was with z. Vernez and z. Jorgensen. and man did I miss z. Wood! Not that I didn't enjoy my time with the other two. I loved it! Zuster Vernez kind of reminds me of my sister. But I also love sister Jorgensen, it was just having her gone I realized more how much I would miss her. . she has done amazing work here. I had to lead out the area so just getting me ready for when she leaves for real.
I also started to not feeling well when she left on Thursday, my body was feeling achy and I felt pain everywhere, and I got that loopy feeling you get when you are sick. The next day the loopy feeling was gone, but the pain was still there, same with Saturday and my right tonsil was swollen too. Then Sunday I woke up with a rash all over my body, which it is still there now.  Zuster Wood has had Zika and said that I probably have it and she told me to call the mission nurse. The mission nurse said she said i definitely have one of the big three (zika, chikungunya, dangue), bit I think I have zika, because the other two are a lot worse. So i have zika.. . but i am doing as good as I can be, still enjoying missionary life! Hopefully it will start to go down like the nurse said.
We had this awesome lesson with an investigator of mine and z. Woods. she is soo cool! She is a mom of 5 kids and I love her sons!! They are so adorable, especially the two young ones! They are 4 and 5 and they are two little ones cuties!! Sydney  is the 16 year old. I will take picture of them next week. They love spider man, and so when I told them that I hang out with him all the time because he is my brother thye flipped out. Pretty funny! We had brought a member (z. Ebraheim) and it went so well!! They really clicked and Nicole (the investigator) was super into the lesson, asked a lot of questions, and agreed with everything we said. I think she is going to be ready soon!!
Then we had a lesson with this less active of the other sisters area, and he is sooo cool!! But he has had a some bad experiences and now he is less active. Without giving too much of his personal life away he basically lost faith. While we were teaching him it made me think how important it is to always! strengthen our faith, because that is the core. If you lose faith everything will start slipping through the cracks. Always try to increase your faith, especially when you are feeling it slip!
I love you all and I am grateful to have had each of you in my life! and I hope you have an amazing and healthy week!!!!!
Lobi
Zuster Parker

 

 Zuster Vernes with Lepiss

 

 This is called lepiss. it is like a rubbery jello coconut cake. it is goood!

Conference!

Do not have much time but just want to reflect at how amazing conference was. The main thing I got out of it was that we need to remember how much God loves us and also to remember our identity. That is that we are children of God. And if we do this we can improve ourselves and be better and that it all comes down to this! I love you all and apologies for this being short!!
Lobie! Zuster Parker

Me and Z Wood, Conference time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rambutan fruit

All the sister Missionaries in Suriname.