Only 17 More Months "and I don't like thinking about it"

Last pday while waiting for the greenies to come in we watched Ephraim's Rescue! And mom you said I wouldn't be watching movies! First time I had seen it and then I went and read all the stories that you have given me dad! I love family history and vow to get better at it when I come home.  I love their sacrifices and hope people will be reading about me in years to come.  So next Tuesday we go on tour and everyone buys soccer jerseys here. We can get our names on them.  Should I get some for the boys and send them or just buy stuff in Bolivia before I come home? We did a service activity and we had to clean the bathrooms, ok Latinas shed like crazy! Guess who had to pull the hair out of the drain. Yes it was gross but we had gloves that went to our elbows! 

 

We do TALL everyday and it stinks. One of the 6-weekers told us to listen to music on windows media.  It helps the time fly, but then we got caught. Apparently that is against the rules.

Here at the CCM we have fake investigators. Our lessons are going well and we have committed them to baptism and it is comforting to know that my Spanish can't get worse. So I can still teach, just not as well as I would like. Keep praying for me!! 

 

My hair is growing out and all the Latinas ask about my natural color. I guess you can tell!

We got a new teacher because Barrios is getting married.  This one jokes with me, he has some vendetta against me I guess, it's all fun and games though. 

 

We had a temple prep class and I loved it! We watched five different talks.  When I have kids, every night while putting them to bed, after story time, I vow to share my testimony of the temple and the Savior, along with hanging pictures of them in the house!! I learned that the garment is an outward evidence of an inward commitment.  I gave my too tight sweats to a Latina. She seemed so grateful. 

So when we hit the volleybvall over the fence we all stand on it shouting Äyuda me!  It is really funny and people come to help.  Probably thinking, what are these crazy gringas doing in a nice prison? Every night i fall asleep to car alarms and airplanes. Seriously though, if you touch a car the alarm goes off. We set quite a few off when the volleyball hits them.  At the temple two days ago I was looking at the picture of Jesus and the Lamanites.  I want it framed super big in my house. I made up stories about all the people in the picture.

 

So yesterday the cooks made us a wonderful Thanksgiving meal! What sweethearts.  They went out of their way to get turkeys because people don't eat that here.  Elder Bednar also gave a devo live from Provo. Maybe it is online! That night we walked outside and Christmas lights were up! It made me so happy, I just miss the snow.  Then we watched Meet the Mormons! Can you believe it!! 

Read Alma 26,27 it is wonderful! Also Mosiah 12,5 that one taught me to let things go, otherwise I will appear as a donkey.

 

I am back in a threesome until Wednesday when we get out new companions.  Its all good though. They each talk to me about the other. Haha I'm in the middle of a gossip circle.  Yesterday Elder Bednar said, If you do the simple things you must do your faith will be sufficient.  Even though the other girls don't go to bed or get up on time I do. We must be obedient in all things!!

 

Forgot to mention, we do that one hand snap thingy, and I can do it now, when there was flirting in the movies.  It was irreverent but funny.  So . . . when I talk to Elders the Hermanas would think I was flirting and they would start it!! hahaha.  This Elder, Elder Hicken was in my mission prep class at BYU!! So we have talked about that a ton.  When I get home I am watching my segment looking for him!! Also I really want to read a novel on Emma Smith.  She is amazing.  Mom find one for me and put it in my room, along with a picture of Christ and the Lamantines.  I only have like 17 months left, which is crazzy and I don't like thinking about it. 

Already Saying Good-byes

Next p-day is Friday.  Finally you are having surgery, I was just waiting for that. Why put yourself through pain cause you don't want to be on crutches? Doesn't make sense to me haha. So we had a challenge to find the six one-by-one phrases in the scriptures and I found them all. I got nine chocolate bars with stickers that are the currency here. I now have up to 15! We also have to read the Book of Mormon in six weeks and I hope I can do that! The cookies and cream ice cream tastes like coffee so thats awful. We had a great relief society lesson, all the latinos bore their testimonies and I cried during my friend, Violoria's. She came up to me and thanked me for being her best friend and said that she loves me. I may never see her again, she's from Venezuela.  All the 6-weekers left at 3 AM and it was harder than I thought! The CCM is so small here that we really all became great friends! One in particular I was sad to say goodbye to but I have his email so maybe I will write him in a couple weeks! I do love it here and I am learning a lot! We only have four weeks left! We go prostyling next Thursday and I can't wait! Hopefully it won't rain, it rains a lot but the tempertature is fine.  We just got back from the temple and a lady asked me and my comp for American money so she can get to America, I didn't have any with me and what I have I want to give to someone I feel impressed to give it to.  The food here is bland and I am sick of it so yea for me! I just can't wait to get to Bolivia!! Only four more weeks and they are starting to fly by!!  Honestly the days here are just, class, food, gym (I still cant play volleyball) and more classes.  Tonight we are watching Ephraim's Rescue though because we are getting 20 Norte Americano Elders here.

More next Friday!

Hermana Parry

She Hasn't Changed...

I've survived my first week in the MTC and the keyboards are bad.  We went to the temple and it was so pretty.  I am surprised I didn't die driving there.  We listened to the session in English with headphones but parts were in Spanish and I did fine.  At gym everyday I play volleyball and it is so much fun.  The elders love me and the other three girls here because we are the first North Americans they have seen.  My companion Hermana Hermansen came and I love her so much!   The CCM is smaller than my high schoool choir! My district is so much fun and there are eight of us in it! We get along so well and I will have an 8-pack from laughing so hard.  We get stickers here that are the currency and I have mooched 15 off of elders.  In your scripture study compare DC 4 and DC 31 in your next study.  Look at when they are written.  We heard a devo from Elder Holland, it was an MTC devo from May 2014 and it was sooooo amazing! Go listen to it.  I won't ever want to come home after listening to it.  Elder Evans from the 70 came and gave us a lesson.  The Latinos were all starstruck.  I can pray and bare testimony and do a lot in Spanish.  It is going well, could be going better but it could also be worse.  I am so happy and I love it so much.  Nothing has gone wrong so don't worry.  The food is just rice and meat, and I ate at Panda Express in Atlanta.  I also met my mission presidents because they came for a seminar.  Now I can't wait to get out! Four and a half weeks left!

Hermana Parry

 

PS  Dude there is no caffeine here  It stinks.  We have apple soda though that is pink.  I also can't ever finish my meal--they give us way to much.  Go feed starving children.  And everyone does this one hand snap thing here, pray I can do it.  I sort of have it, practice makes perfect

She Made It!

AHHHH sounds like a pretty solid day.  So where to begin.  The flight was fine, I sat by some elders and talked to them, drew pictures, listened to my music.  It really wasn´t bad at all.  There were 16 of us.  13 elders and three sisters, including myself.  I am in a trio with Hermana King and Hermana Lowmax.  Both wonderful girls and I really like them! We are in a tiny room, I hit my head on my bed this morning when I woke up, I also lost two buttons on my skirt already.  Yes, I am talking to all the boys, they are just a little bit more exciting then the girls sometimes, some are pretty cute but that is not important right now I guess.  I am so happy to be here.  Everything is going super well.  I can´t complain about anything.  Me and the other two sisters, are the only North American sisters here.  There are a few Latinos, which is great because I have been using my Spanish.  Don´t be sad, just be happy.  There is nothing to fear or worry about.  I am fine and in the Lord´s hands. 

I can´t send pics today because cameras aren´t allowed.  I was maybe going to.  We also had a short lesson today on D&C  4 and I loved it so much.  So far I have all I need and well, I'm fine.