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!

First week, done!

            Well, not going to lie, I have not had a change in a really long time so it was so weird to have a new companion and to set new goals and to learn how to work with each other. Good thing I love her!  One thing I am very grateful for is that we have been working really well together with our teaching! Especially for being comps for the first time. We are flowing really well with each other in teaching and things, and we are talking more Dutch. Everyday this week (and the rest of the mission) we are speaking only Dutch when we leave the apartment, and I love it because I can feel a huge difference in feeling more comfortable with it. I love her! She is pretty funny too. We sometimes do these improve skits randomly, where we talk in different voices and try to be different people in a situation. Like yesterday; we got home and she just started saying "Tomorrow, we are leaving. 4 am. No questions." and then I go off from that. Most of the time we pretend we are from the south. It is pretty funny we always break characters and laugh. It was her birthday and we went to this restaurant and they came out and sang to her for her birthday (I told them it was her birthday) and she was all embarrassed.
           This week was really busy it felt like. We had a couple of lessons that were so cool. One was with a member, and we could both just see that we were not the ones teaching her but that the spirit was. I loved it. You can see that she was really thinking about what we were saying and what the spirit was testifying to her and what she felt. Another lesson was at a recent converts place and we talked about experiences that we had with God, and each time when we shared our experience it reminded her of one she had and she was all excited to share it, that spirit was so strong in the lesson! It was a good week! We are excited for this transfer and to work together because this might be are only chance to be together!
          I love the mission sooo much! I love seeing people change and I love the people here! I am so excited to start a new transfer and just WORK!
Me lobi uw!
Liefs zuster Parker

Decided to go contacting in the cemetery and ended up getting a tour by the guy....

Transfers!!!!

Well this week was amazing! As is almost every other week.
            Well President Egbert came into the country! That is always a good time. We had an amazing zone conference! I am more pumped to just give these next 6-7 months my all and just focus on the work and how I can use the lords time best. We also got transfer calls.......and president told me mine. Well sad and happy news; sad news is that they are splitting up the A.P's! (me and zuster ashcraft). We have served together for 6 months. I loved every minute of it! We have had no problems and we have grown so much together since the first time we were put together. I love her to death! Zuster Ashcraft is leaving the area, and I am staying in Rainville/Parimaribo branch. This will be my 4th transfer in Raineville and my 7th transfer in this branch, when I am done with this transfer I will have been in this branch for 9 month! But I love them soooo much! They are my family! So the good part about the transfer calls is that I am staying, and.......I am going to be with zuster Vernes!!!!! Oh man we are so excited to be together. The thing here is there are only 4 sisters. So we are all best friends and know each other so there is no going wrong in getting any of them as a companion. I am so excited to start a new transfer and just work harder than I have ever worked, and to be with zuster Vernes! Her background  besides the fact that she is awesome is that she is originally from Germany (knows  how to speak German), but moved to England when she was 16 for school (knows English), and her dad is from Holland so she is half Dutch (knows Dutch), and her mom is from Curacao. She is hard working and very obedient! So it will be good! She reminds me a lot of my sister Jessie in what she says and her mannerisms. and the funny thing is that she says the same thing about me with her sister!
              Also another amazing thing this week! 8 people were baptized in Suriname! None from me and zuster Ashcraft, but it was so cool!! Funny story!! So one of the people getting baptized was dikkie dikkie (fat) and tall and the guy baptizing her when he lifted her up from the water after just putting her under the water her and saying the prayer; he grunted sooo loud!! It was soooo funny!!!! They also had two guys baptize this guy with one leg so that was cool! We taught Milinda and James. James is the 100 yr old guy. Milinda is his granddaughter, she is older though, and she keeps saying things like how she is thinking the lord has sent us to them and how he is directing her to this church, it is just amazing! I know she was prepared by the Lord. Now we have to help her! But I know she will get baptized. I do not know too much about James, he is old and very converted to his church so we will see, but it would be cool to baptize him too!!
              Anyways I love you all! Remember there is always a better choice in how you are living the gospel. Always choose the better way!
Lobie!
Zuster Parker

Met geloof is alles mogelijk.

Zuster Ashcraft

Amazing experience this week!!! I will have to try and shorten it; So this Philipean couple were living in Trinidad, but their work permit expired so they could no longer stay there, but everyone was telling them they never check and will not hunt you down. However she is a RM from the 80's, and super strong in the church, so she said that in this church it says to obey all the laws of the land. They had left everything to come here, to wait for their permit. They know no Dutch, they know no one here. They ran into the elders on their way here because the elders were coming from Trinidad for visa arrangements, and they told them their story. BTW: her husband was very inactive before this all. Now he is active and they are working on their temple sealing! We were able to talk to them because they are staying in a hotel till Monday, and then they do not know where they will go. It was in our area however and we got to see them. Now because of her strong faith, they might have found a house! I am totally down playing this whole story, but they are inspiring! We got them a ride to church and they were a huge example to everyone there! Truly amazing! 

Cool story was that I was on exchanges with zr. Vernes and we went contacting, and we found the coolest old man! He is 100 yrs old! Will be turning 101 in December and was still working up to 6 months ago, till he fell and broke his hip, but he is strong! 

Something me and zr. Ashcraft have been doing is just really 100 percent focusing on our mission: during lunch, any free, we time to tink about our area, and people for the next day, making sure we are always a day ahead and a few days ahead with our member present lessons. We just do not want to give us any time to have trunky thoughts or think about anything but the mission. I love her so much! We have a feeling that this was our last transfer together and so this is our last week. Super sad. We hope not but it might be. I love you all! and you are amazing!!! 

Lobi

Zuster Parker

Zuster Vernes

Belgische wafels, Lekker!

The Narjodas

Suri Zusters












At the New Amsterdam Museum




There was a cool festival thing

It's not just a story, it's real.

So I am getting to the point where my life is not that exciting anymore so I do not have as much to write by the end of the week. But we had a lesson with our investigator Josh. We asked him about Jesus Christ, and who he is for him. He talked about Jesus Christ's life, and said, "It is not just a story, it is real." I loved that, compare it to movies (because I love movies, so why not). If we watch a movie and we know it is obviously "just a movie", it is not that meaning full. But if you watch a movie that is based on a true story then it has so much more emotion behind it, and it will impact you a lot more. Why? because it actually happened. The same is with Jesus Christ, He is not just a story. His sacrifice for us actually happened, His life and his experiences are real, and we can feel of their reality through His atonement, through repenting, through our prayers, through our scripture study, and when we take the sacrament. I am so grateful for him!
I am sorry this one is short, but I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing week!
Lobie!
Zuster Parker

A little wet....

Pit stop from the storm

Oma Abdulhamid, one of our investigators.

Elder Christiansen giving our investigator a ride back home from church, this is Josh the one I talked about in my email, and my arm on the side, haha

Keepin the Temple as a goal.

Hey!! It is still weird to think we are half way done with the transfer! Well we had some difficulties and set backs this week. One was the toilet...... well it stopped working (thankfully we have 2) and then the next couple days we saw there were some ants in our room, and here in Suriname ants are almost everywhere. But they have never really been in our room. At least not this much, and we were like woah they have a line of them on our wall by our beds. and then they are also in our beds! So everyday this week we have had to look in our covers and under our pillows to kill the ants. I am pretty sure we have eaten like a ton in our sleep. Haha! But the worst past was going into the bathroom that same day......and there were A TON of ants!! All by the drain of the shower. It was just black because all you could see were ants, and there were all sorts of ants to, the big dark black ones. the small brown ones. and the small black ones. Not going to lie I just wanted to give up on life at that moment. Haha but now we got it all under control. One thing i am not going to miss is ants when I go home. I mean they are nice and God's creatures but I don't really want to sleep with them.

Well now for the spiritual part. We taught Serkan and, like always i havse something cool to say from it. He is so great! So we have been trying to get him to pray. Well....he did!!!!!! He said it was super short and it felt weird but also felt relieving. He said "I almost texted you once I did it but it was too late". Ohh man!!! We were so happy!! He then was saying how he wants to get married in the temple, he has the temple as the goal. He sees baptism as just a step to get there. Which is perfect!!!! He is so cool! Still calls us his angels!

Nothing really crazy this week! I am just grateful to be a missionary here! I love you and all of your support!!!! Oh I remembered something! Sunday I had to translate from Dutch to English to this guy who also is Brazilian, and knows really good English and he translated to Marillian, an other Brazilian from English to Portuguese. it was crazy! Haha we had like a translating train going on. lobie!!!! zuste parker

Us at the American embassy because Nate(a rm from Utah on an internship) lives there and he just left to go back home.

For his birthday!!!! 82!