Out With the Old, In With the New

This week seemed a little long. To start it off, my companion decided to take a chance and bike across these two wooden planks over a little poop water trench. I did not follow, I was not to sure it was a good idea! The next thing I knew her front tire slipped off and then into the water and she went all the way forward and then her back tier followed and then she was all in the water. Kind of like when a camel stands up they go all the way forward and then all the way back. I looked at her and her face! Priceless! She was still in bike position just hanging on the the handles, so funny! I immediately started laughing and thought I should get a photo of this, but then I thought I should probably help her, so I did. All the pamphlets we had were just soaked, her dutch bijbel, soaked! We decided she should probably take a shower so we went back home. So funny!!! I was dying that whole day just thinking back to that moment of her in the water!

This week was New Years, and here they go all crazy for new years. If you remember last year the whole week it is fireworks! We went to bed at 10:30 and the fireworks were already well under way. A while later I wake up to just huge loud fireworks! It literally sounded like a war and it felt as if they were setting them off on our roof!!! I was so confused because I forgot it was new years and it scared me for a second, but then I looked at the time and it was 12:03....Happy New Year! I  tried to go back to sleep but it took some time though. 

Speaking of the new year, we are focusing on a new year's resolution; we are inviting the members to pick their gift to Christ this year. I read about this in a book my mom sent me.it tells about a Christmas tradition where they would pick a gift to Christ for that year and look back on the old one from the previous year to see how you did. I like this idea and thought it would be perfect for the new year season! Some members said their resolution would be to go to church every Sunday and some said they will be more kind to others. I chose one myself; to be valiant in my testimony in Christ, to stand up for it. I want to keep my beliefs and standards no matter what people may think or say. I want to be brave and be valiant in my testimony even if I might be the only one standing. I will never really be the only one, I have my brother Jesus Christ by my side and my Father in Heaven on the other side. 

I have also started something new. It is something an elder said in our leadership meeting that the sister training leaders and the zone leaders and district leaders meet up and plan for our goals that transfer, and one of the zone leaders said he started writing the moment he felt the spirit after each lesson. So I have started to write down what made me feel the spirit in the lesson. and it has helped me have a good attitude and always be happy and positive! I love it! 

I love being here on a mission and serving the Lord. I hope you all have an amazing new year ahead of you! 

Lobi!

Zuster Parker

Celebrating the New Year

Found a pretty butterfly on our window after church

Our district presidents baby, she is the cutest!

This frog was chilling on my skirt during the lesson.

Little kids love my comp!

When your comp falls in a poop trench....and all our stuff was soaked...

Christmas Contacting

Well this has been a fun weekend! We had a contact activity on Saturday in the city, It reminded me of when I was working at the visitor center in Mesa because I was standing outside the church and inviting people to hear our message and passing out Book of Mormons. We did it for quite a while and I felt so good! We contacted so many people!, my voice kind of hurt at the end because I was talking so much, it was fun! 

Later that day one of my past investigators got baptized and I got to go to that! I almost cried because I love her so much and I was just so happy to see her take this step; finally, coming closer to Jesus Christ. She has a special place in my heart! 

After the baptism we went to the Crawfords (the senior couple) to go to the christmas party. it was so fun! We had dinner and everything was all decorated and then we had a live nativity scene. Me and zr. Vernes were supposed to sing a duet! I was so nervous! We sang Stars Were Gleaming and it did not sound to bad. I wish I got it on video but I was so nervous I completely forgot! 

The next morning we had church, got to say "vrolijk kerst" to everyone since it was christmas. We got to skype the families and had a classic Suriname dinner. It was a good time! 

Now we are looking forward to this weekend with all the fireworks. Hopefully we can get some sleep. They go crazy here for new years. 

I love being out here on my mission. I feel like every day I am working harder and harder, well trying to, and I am becoming a better person. Yes, I am not perfect but I am trying, and I am trying to do my best and have God help me, because He is the one who will help me change and see any sort of success in my life! 

I love you all so much and I am grateful for this gospel and I am grateful for Jesus Christ! 

Have an amazing last week of the year! 

Lobi,

Zuster Parker

Mini Transfer call

So there were 2 zusters who went home a week early so they could be with their families for Christmas, and so me and zr. Vernes were split up to be with their companions. So for this week, and maybe next transfer maybe not.  I am companions with zr. Baker. She is awesome! Pumped to work, super fun and an awesome girl! She is from Mesa Arizona! Where I served for my Visa waiting! So that is awesome! I already love her. I am also in the other branch now. In Tamenge and in another area;  Kwatta. Apparently in a week we will be moving out of this apartment to a different one because this one is located where it is is not the safest area. So I am living out of a suitcase. Cool experience. 

Me and zr. Vernes were contacting one night and we looked up and saw only 1 star in the whole sky and it was so bright! We immediately thought of the new star for Jesus Christ. It was a sweet moment. 

Another night we were out  contacting and we decided to go caroling. Well people here in Suriname do not know what caroling is; they all rejected our singing... super sad. We did not sound that bad. 

We were at lesson with zr. Salik. and we were talking about the first vision. I could feel the spirit so strong. We were talking about how grateful we were for the question Joseph had, and zr. Salik bore her testimony about it and about how she is now with her husband forever. Because of him; Jospeh Smith. and there was a moment when I was testifying I could feel the spirit so strong, another clarification of how true this church is. I am truly grateful for Joseph Smith and his desire to act and his faith to receive an answer. Now we all have the opportunity to ask if the church, the Book of Mormon, and the prophet are true. I am truly so grateful to be here on a mission I love it and I know this will not only help me in my life but others as well. 

I love you all so much, I am excited for a new year and I am excited to be here during Christmas, and I invite you all to find ways on how to be the light of the world, and share the light to the world! 

Have an amazing christmas! 

Lobi!

Zuster Parker

This rich guy has these out by his house everyone comes to them, the prettiest lights!

Playing with lights!

Sorry, niet zo veel....

Well.. not so much happened this week to be honest. We have an investigator that me and zr. Ashcraft and Zeegelaar found when we were together in April that we are teaching and we have her set to be baptized on the 24th! I am so happy because it is cool to be able to have the chance to teach her almost the whole time from the beginning of her experience and see the change. 

We also have another investigator on date for the 28th of January. He is progressing so well! He is in the end of alma!! He received the Book of Mormon not even a month ago! Crazy cool! He loves the Book of Mormon. He said that it is always drawing him in and calling him. He knows that it is more than just a book. Super cool! 

We found the hugest snail in the world!!! it was about the size of my palm! Zo groot!!! Gek! Maar ja!

I am sorry I do not have a lot to write. We have cool fun plans for Christmas but I will tell more about those next week or when they actually happen. 

I love it here with zr. Vernes and I love this branch. 

There has been a lot of rain...the usual Suriname. I just hope it doesn't rain on Christmas or Christmas eve. 

I love you all and invite you all to draw closer to Jesus Christ this month. Remember to light the world!!! 

Lobi

Zuster Parker

Zuster Vernes and the Giant Snail

Investigator of ours who is almost done with the book of mormon! In less than a month!

This week just flew by! We did something we would never have thought we could in suriname....WE GOT TO SPEAK IN PAPIAMENTU!!!! And they understood us! They are brazilians. Turns out brazilians can understand papiamentu. We were so excited that day! We got to use it twice in a row. We were contacting and came across a brazilian lady, and then right after that another one! We contacted them in papiamentu. They only could speak portuguese and understood us! Really fun! We have been contacting more here,(not as much as in curacao).
The most embarrassing thing/funniest thing happened to me and zr. Vernes. Ok, so it is a new rule for us to wear these neon yellow vests when we are biking at night......I am not the happiest camper about this but you know, obedience. So we get to an appointment and we have our vests and helmets on and we stop at his driveway, say a prayer, and then kloop in and while we are waiting me and sister Vernes are making up christmas songs, the words and the tunes, and we were getting really into it. Well sister Vernes was going and then it was my turn, and I am singing and getting really into it, and I throw my hands out to the sides of me and I am at the high peak of the song and just giving it my all when.....all of a sudden we hear softly "jullie kunnen mooi zingen". and I still have my arms out to the sides and I slowly look behind me at the next door neighbors and a guy was watching the whole thing!!!! He heard us and saw us!!!! We broke out in laughter! Oh man...so embarrassing. Of course we tried to contract him but he was not interested in the message,  more in us...so we did not give him our number but a pamphlet.
I love Suriname! I really do! I have never felt so at one with nature before. In a lesson yesterday night we were sitting and all of a sudden I felt something land on my hand, it was cold and slimy. I instantly thought oh man a bird pooped on me! Then brother Parabeircing started freaking out and I looked it was a cute little gecko! I was not even freaked out or scared I was like oh! Cute! Then br. Parabeircing was shewing him off me, and we all continued with the lesson like nothing. Kinda funny when I look back on it.
A couple days ago we contacted a lady and she totally rejected us. Then yesterday we passed by her house and we waved and she waved and signaled for us to come to her so we did and she apologized for being so rude and how she was not feeling too great at that time but was praying that we would pass by again so she could meet with us! super awesome! It is cool to see how the lord works! I love you all! I hope you are all getting ready for the christmas season!!!!
Lobi!

This is how we have to bike now at night!!

S U R I N A M E

So,  we made it back in Suriname! and I am staying with zr. Vernes as my comp again! I am so happy for that! I love her. We are in Parimaribo North in a new apartment. It is relaly nice. I have been in this area like my whole mission hahaha. It is my 7th transfer in this area and branch. Haha crazy! I love it because I am taking the person who I am (which is better than before) and have become from my time in Curacao and putting it all in this area. I am excited! We are blanking the area, but I now have developed all my contacting skills, so I am prepared for this transfer hah. It was so great to see all the members again. I am happy to be back. Really sad to have left Curacao, but also happy to see familiar faces again. I love these members and me and zr. Vernes are just so pumped to work and meet new people! 

We had to stay in trinidad for 4 or 5 days because our flight got cancelled to Suriname. So we spent Thanksgiving there....and we did not do anything special. We actually forgot it was Thanksgiving till an investigator said oh happy Thanksgiving, and we all were like...oohhhhh yeahh! Todays thanksgiving! Ha totally forgot. But it is ok we were doing the work, that's all that matters.

I love you all!! 

I attached more photos this week! 

I wish you all the best! 

Lobi!!! 

zuster Parker

Below are pictures from my last days in Curacao, a lot of saying goodbye to best friends!

Saying Goodbye to my Curacao compas, our last dat together

Ouch, my blister!!

Saying Goodbye to some awesome members in Curacao

an awesome member who I absolutely love!

An awesome member and his best friend (who is our investigator!)


Me and Sister Taylor eating McKroket!!

EMERGENCY TRANSFERRED AGAIN!

Well I got a call a couple nights ago..and I am going back to Suriname! I have a mix of bitter sweet emotions right now. I am excited to go back to my home country (I like to call it that:) and see the other members and missionaries. But also super sad because I have to say goodbye to all the missionaries and members here! :(. But that is life as a missionary. Constantly saying goodbye. But! you are also constantly saying hello! Meeting new people, so I am grateful for that otherwise it would get pretty sad out here if we were just saying goodbye. I am so grateful to have served here in curacao! I learned so much and I grew sooo much as well! I will miss my companions! They are not only beautiful!!! but amazing missionaries. I knew that I would not have been able to get through this past transfer without them and they have helped me to be a better person and and a better missionary. They have a place in my heart, always! 

We got rejected hard this week. Literally doors slamming in our face and people yelling at us...hahaha but it builds character right? 

Sorry i can not write as much I am in a little bit of a time crunch I have a lot I need to do before I head back to suriname tonight!. 

But I love all your support!!!!