Getting Dates, Rejected and Chased

     So this week we have been doing a lot of first lessons; how to begin teaching and God. We have been focusing on finding the elect. We have given out baptism dates the first lesson, and it has helped us to know if they are ready. We put them on date the second lesson,  it has helped them to know why we are here. In a sense it helps them understand our purpose more, and it is great! 

    We have found one investigator through it. his name is Atillio, and we only taught him one lesson (how to begin teaching and God), invited him to be baptized, he said yes, and he came to church before our second lesson! He even brought his Book of Mormon to church! So cool right! He is from Venezuela. Now we have him on date! We can feel the spirit with us in the lesson so strong with him. So, if you do not mind; please pray for him to that he will be able to be baptized, if it is the Lords will, November 12th. 

     I love these two hermanas! We get along! Poor Hermana Watson has been sick but she is getting better. We are trying not to overwork her,  but we are basically blanking this area. There is another investigator of ours who is hilarious! His name is Carlos, and he is such a spaz. One of our favorite people! He talked about how he is scared to pray because of paranormal things happening when he tries. He told us he records it. He told us "I will show you". and pulls out his phone,  he is 100% serious this whole time, and pulls up a picture of a goat.........we just bust out laughing!!!! so random! the goat was just standing there. Carlos looked confused, but we all could not hold it in! We were crying laughing so hard! It was soooo funny! We love him to death, he is from Colombia. does not speak English (figures),  so I have no clue what he says, but my amazing companion translates for me. Except she does not quite understand him. Not because of the language, but HIM. He doesn't make any sense sometimes. One thing he has said was I have so many beautiful amazing thoughts right now. He is funny. 

    Also on our way home one night these guys started to chase us, some were running others were biking, and one was grabbing under my seat and I quickly sped up! They were trying to steal our lights! While we were biking!!!!! We biked so fast! It was an adrenaline rush forsure. After like 10 min we finally lost them. All in all though,  it is a lot safer here than in Suriname. I love it here! 

Love you all. 

Hope everything is great!!!! 

Lobi!

Zuster Parker

New Companionship!

So hermana Taylor is now with us! and I love her! She is from St. George, and super funny! We instantly clicked! However, I feel like a giant with my 2 compas! They are both super small! I feel like they are my babies. Sister Taylor is super positive and happy and excited for missionary work! I love it! Helps me a lot! We all three work together! Oh man let me tell you how our teaching lessons go; if they can speak or understand Dutch I talk to them in Dutch, then hermana Taylor talks to them in Spanish or Papiamentu, and hermana Watson talks to them in English or a little in Spanish, if they only speak Spanish and Papiamentu, then hermana Taylor translates everything we say! It is crazy! But it works! These people here can switch in a conversation no problem from english, dutch, papiamentu, and spanish! It is crazy! I am focusing on papiamentu, because it is easier than spanish. so; hopi bon! We have been focusing a lot on finding the elect, and we have been contacting a ton! we got 33 contacts this week!!!!! Very crazy! But awesome! We have found some super awesome people who say we have been sent to them from God, and are totally open to the spirit and it is amazing! 

I love missionary work! 

I am so happy to be here! 

I love you all!! Have a great week!!!! Lobi!

Zuster Parker

I got kissed by a dolphin!!!

Transfers/General Conference.

So transfer call: Hermanna Watson is going to stay with me and hermana Taylor is coming with us from Aruba and hermana Ramirez is going to Aruba. So in total hermana Taylor will be my 12th companion. 

Then we got a so called"hurricane" and had to stay inside all day on hermana's bday! So sad!  And it was not even bad! I was so mad! Anyways. I do not have a lot of time, I am going to get a dolphin kiss woop woop!! 

I have a lot of photos though! 

Also general conference was great!!!!!!!! 

I loved what the prophet said! 

Lobie!

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