C U R A C A O

         I made it!! I am in Curacao now. Let me tell you it is beautiful! Oh my gosh! It is so much like America!! So weird! with a twist of the Netherlands. I have been able to speak Dutch in lessons and with members.  There are a lot of people who know Dutch here but also a lot who do not. I am learning Papiamento, since it is easier than Spanish and I do not have a a lot of time here. I am in a trio with Hermana Watson(who was English speaking in Trinidad but is here like me), and Hermama Ramirez, Spanish speaking.
       We are on bikes, and there are hills here...I died on my first day here biking! It is so much harder, a lot of water and sweat.  I am so happy though that I still get to see zr. Vernes. There is only one branch here so I see her Sundays, Tuesdays and some p-days, so it will be a good time. There are 6 Hermanas here now. 2 Spanish 2 Dutch and 2 English. The sisters had a baptism so that was really cool!
        I gave my testimony at church in Papiamento, and mainly in Dutch. The branch here is really strong so I am thankful for that! I have only been here for 4 days so nothing super exciting has happened. But...I am in Punda (Willemstad) right now, with the famous Curacao buildings. Next p-day I will have a lot more photos of Curacao!

 I love you all!!
I am super excited for general conference! Already got my q's! I hope you all have yours!!!
Lobi!! Mi ta stima boso (I love you all in Papiamento)

p.s. Mom!!!! They have a McKroket here at Mcdonalds!

All the missionaries in Curacao plus 2 elders on exchanges from Bonaire.
Hermana Ramirez, Sister Watson, Zuster Parker, Zuster Vernes, ?, ?
Elder Burr, Elder Shepphard, Elder Walton, Elder Rios.

My Comps and some members.

Super sweaty!!!

Leaving Suriname to travel to Curacao with Sister Vernes, Elder Hardy and Elder Christianson

EMERGENCY TRANSFER

Well I do not even know where to begin. This past week has been the weirdest craziest week. Me and zr. Vernez are being emergency transferred to Curacao tomorrow, for 3 months,  because of visa situations here. It started last Monday we had to go on a 3 day exchange with the other sisters because me and zr. Vernes were not allowed to teach investigators, and that sucked! I was stuck in the other sister's area (glad I was back with zr. Ashcraft for a couple of days), but it was not my area. I did not know the people. I was not allowed not talk in lessons with investigators and we saw quite a few. It was so hard,  I had so many things I wanted to say,  but i couldnt....!  The only time my mission president has told me not to teach. Weird! We finally got back together in our area and then president tells us we are going to have to leave Tuesday to Trinidad for 4 days, then Curacao for 2 transfers (3 months or so). All because the area wants us all to be legit, legal in regards to our visa. Crazy! To top it all off, we will both be in separate trios, and in our trios we have 1 Dutch (me in my trio and zr. Vernes in her trio), one Spanish speaking( the two that were originally transferred there and supposed to be there), and one English (they were serving in Trinidad and the same thing happened to them so that is why they are there with visa issues) I am going to be honest; I do not know how we will teach with three different languages. It will be very interesting! Me and zr. Vernes will not be together but at least the island is small and we will see each other at church and district meeting and p-days.
         Also, we went to email this morning and within like 10 min of emailing the power went out in the whole mall..... so that put a damper in our plans for the day. We have to pack and everything. A little stressful but it is OK. How am I feeling? Well funny thing is when I was on exchanges this week I said I can totally call my last 4 transfer calls. and listed what will happen. There is not a lot of options here. Well shorty after that I found out this curve ball. Leaving the country. Did not predict that! At least it is still in the mission! I am super sad because I have been in this branch basically my whole mission. They are my family and I love this area! I have been here for 6 months. It is crazy! I do not know how I feel. I am sad to leave here but also excited because we get to go to Curacao! The first zusters there from Suriname! So that will be cool. We will learn Pappiamento and Spanish so that will be cool too! I am positive about this. I am little sad, naturally, but I will see these people here again, I will be back here for my last 3 months. So it will all work out. Plus I know the elders in Bonaire, and I will see them for zone conferences and meetings because the ABC island are one zone.  I am super happy zr. Vernes is coming with me! Island trip with your best friend! It is super pretty there! They bike there too but they have hills!!  I do not know if I will be able to survive hills..... a lot of praying on my bike just like at the beginning of my mission! This will be an amazing learning opportunity for me though. Theme of my mission has been, "It is his plan not mine, and I need to trust in his plan."
      On a different note; I got to hold a sloth this week!! We are at a cyber where it eats your photos so I will not send any this week. Next week you will see the sloth! We named it Louie. A member saw it in the tree (wild sloth) and grabbed it and let us hold it! So cool!!
Well I love you all!!
Hope everything is ok!
Lobi
Zuster Parker

Got to hold a sloth!

Paramaribo North zone

E-mail from President Gregory W. Egbert

Dear Brother and Sister Parker,

Your daughter is a wonderful missionary and we love having her in our mission. We wanted to make you aware of a development with our missionary visas in Suriname.

Last year, when we were finalizing document information for her MKV, we were advised by our Area legal counsel in the Dominican Republic, to have her enter Suriname on a business visa. This came about because of the lengthy time it was taking to receive MKV approvals and the desire to have them enter Suriname, instead of being re-assigned for lengthy stays in other missions. This decision also affected three other missionaries.

Last week, the same legal counsel decided that these particular missionaries needed to apply for their MKV's. This necessitates that they leave Suriname, since you can not be residing in the country when you apply.

Our mission also includes the ABC islands. Although Spanish and Papiamento are spoken widely, the official language is Dutch.
I have decided to send these missionaries to the islands so that we can comply to the Caribbean Area Presidency's request. She will be assigned to a Spanish speaking companion and the lessons they teach will be taught in Spanish and Dutch. I am excited for her to have this opportunity and appreciate your support of this action.

My goal is to get her back to Suriname as soon as her MKV has been approved.

Thank you,
President Egbert

POSITIVITY

Zr. Vernes and I had gone through a couple of rough days. I feel like after you are on this spiritual/success high, Heavenly Father brings you down for a bit. We had a few days where everyone was cancelling on us, a little frustrating, even back ups of back ups were not working out. But we were able to be super positive and happy, and still laugh. We laugh so much, which helps make this all not so stressful. I love this girl so much!
        One cool experience we had was when we were forced to contact basically. We locked our bikes somewhere and walked down this neighborhood, looking for people who are outside. Here people just chill on their porch, everyone has a porch/balcony thing. Well no one was interested in what we had to share, a little disappointing. Then we pass by this van outside this house, and I hear some noise coming from the van and zr. Vernes said, "There's a monkey in there!" We looked and saw this little monkey screaming in this car. It was so cute, but we were so concerned for the monkey! We thought that the owners just went home and left the monkey in there. Poor guy! So we kloop at the house and we saw that the house had Chinese symbols on it. I thought oh no the Chinese, they are normally very closed off, and don't know any Dutch or English, just Chinese and Suranan tango..... which we did not know much of. Well a little later three Chinese guys come out and two go into the car and leave and we try to talk to the owner. Well he only knew Surnanan and Chinese. and we tried to contact him. Let me tell you...the gift of tongues is real! I do not know how but I was able to understand him! Not everything though but I could understand the gist of it. We called a member who knew Chinese. and had him talk to him but when they were not able to communicate I was able to understand him. He was super open! And believes in Jesus Christ and thinks it is cool that we are missionaries! We were able to set up an appointment with him and get his name address and phone number! It was an amazing experience. We both have a good feeling about him. That was probably the highlight of the week.
        Oh also the reason why I could not email yesterday was because it was a holiday here and Suriname likes to close everything, except the Chinese people, so no cybers were open yesterday so pday this week is today, Tuesday.
        This experience this week got me thinking a lot at how the Lord really does bless us when we are obedient, doing everything we can, and trying to do his work. I am so grateful for his help because without his help I could not do missionary work.

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!
Lobie!
Zuster Parker

Our investigator Loes

Service!

Service

When I go to start my personal study I open the door to this...

Taught her how to ride a bike! I love Amisha!

Wearing bags on our heads with zr. Salik

Through small and simple things...

So this week was a little discouraging but also faith building, like always. Well there is this investigator that I have been teaching for 6 months now, majority of it has been me and zr. Ashcraft. but he is ready to be baptized. His name is Josh. He is amazing!  We have had him planned to be baptized so many times..and this time we were 100% sure he was going to be baptized on Saturday. But...he is having some conflict with his mother. She is not supporting him at all. Does not want him to be baptized, she doesn't see the need and feels like it will ruin their relationship. She is not willing to meet with the missionaries because she is not interested. It is a little frustrating because if your kid wants to do something you would think you would try to understand. Also he is 24 so he can make his own decision, but I understand how he wants his mom to be there on his side, because she is his mom. So all we can do at this point is pray and fast for her,  and for him to do the same and continue to bear his testimony. It was very disappointing because I just felt that I am not doing anything to help him. But then I read a scripture in the book of Mormon, Alma 37:6-7, and it talks about through small things great things come to pass and I knew the spirit guided me to this because I just felt so much comfort and I know that the spirit was telling me all that I have done for him is for a reason.          
               Sometimes we as humans do not have the patience, and we just need to remember that everything is for a reason and Heavenly Father is so patient that's why the smallest things after a while are what helps in the end. I am so grateful for this!

I love you all!!
Zuster Parker

Making Baccabanna

Me and my beautiful comp :)

Teaching Amisha how to ride her bike.

This house is one of my favorite places in the whole world! I kid you not!