Wednesday, April 27, 2016

THE AMISH LIFESTYLE #pfop2k16vdc

WHAT UP FRIENDS AND FAM TUDO COOL?!?!?!

This week..... Hahahhaa.... This week.

Not gonna lie, this wasn't my most favorite week ever but Sista Foote and I still did our best to keep kickin' it here with class and sass here in the VdC!! More sass than class. Also not sure how I came up with that phrase.

But basically
   - Due to a little thoughtlessness on my part (y'all already know), we got our phone taken away for a week!!!! HAhahahaha we felt like a) middle schoolers and b) amish people since we have been using pay phones, yes folks, PAY PHONES all week. I honestly thought pay phones were more for decoration but whaddya know, they apparently make phone calls too.
  - This has led to our classic hashtag, #prayforourphone2016vianadocastelo. We have referenced it all week and nobody understands but ya know what fam, #pfop2k16vdc lives on
  - The good news is, before giving said phone away we got down some clutch numbers and, since we didn't have a phone anyway, went ahead and did the resposible missionary thing and prank called a bunch of other missionaries. "Hey is your refrigerator running?? .... You better go catch it!!". They didn't laugh but I did. I really really did.
  - P.S. We did actually get our phone back!! Wohoooooooooo we had our regularly scheduled interviews with Prez this week so we are back and better than ever. Also in case anyone is wondering, Presidente and I are just as good of friends as ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   - Now for the other sad news. Our investigators, Christina and Vanessa, that were progressing towards baptism this weekend, broke up with us last night. They were offended by a member and they don't want to quit smoking or go to church or change. I have really really grown to love them and we feel the Spirit so much in their lessons that is was super heartbreaking. I asked to say a closing prayer before we left, which ended up being a bad idea because I couldn't stop sobbing for like 20 minutes. I know they'll accept it someday, and it must just not be their time, but it's still so hard to let people go that we love so much!!
  - So basically the moral of the story is Sister Foote and I spent the majority of this week just eating tons and tons of ice cream and french fries and re-watching Legacy and crying. Six months to sexy, folks. And the mission life.

Hahaha no but on the realz, I love the mission. I really do. I have learned so so much and made the best friends and have had the most incredible experiences. I love being able to testify everyday to people about my Savior and getting to spread his love. And there's a lot of work to do here so I'm excited to get out and be better and love and serve even more.

Thanks for all the love and support from everyone!! Y'all are the b-e-s-t.

MUCH LOVE

xoxoxoxoxo bjnhs Sis P

Monday, April 25, 2016

WHAT UP FAM

Hey heads up we don't have time today so we'll be emailing tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ATÉ AMANHA FOLKS

Monday, April 18, 2016

Viana Viana Viana

First off SORRY SORRY SORRY to all those that emailed me and I wont be able to email back ily all todos todos but we are in Braga and about to get on a train so SORRY

Second HECKAH YES WE'RE BACK IN BRAGA YOU ALREADY KNOW I CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM MY OLD AREAS. Braga for lyfeeeeeee. Sister Footé had to see Bom Jesus and we had to eat district pancakes and district McDonalds and district ice cream. You know the drill, fam.

Third OMG IT WAS A GREAT WEEK, FOLKS. It always always always is and it especially is when a) you are serving with possibly the greatest missionary that exists HEARTS FOR SISTER FOOTE BC I LOVE HER TO DEATH and b) when you're in the greatest little Ramo in the world.But on the realz yesterday in church I was sitting there and not even being social and within like 7 minutes WE GOT INVITED TO 3 DIFFERENT PARTIES. FOR THIS WEEK. Not sure how slash why but I WILL FREAKIN TAKE IT am I right or am I right. I am seriously loving it here and life is so darn peachy I am happy as can beeeeeeeeeee

So this week
   - ZONE CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prez was bringing out all the stocks and I was as inspired as a person can BE. Seriously though, we are here with a purpose and we are building the church here in Portugal and ITS SO GREAT TO BE DOING THAT. Also it was as fabulous as ever to see all the mission franz and to party it up at, you guessed it, McDonalds. Life is good.
   - We have an investigator, Lurdes, who is basically just our grandma together with our other Portuguese grandma, Filomena, a recent convert. So this week Lurdes was like "hey y'all want to get giant burgers" and we were like "uh obviously do you know us at all Lurdes plz" and she was like "OK FRIDAY IT IS" so we go to get our giant burgers and it turns out the place she wanted to go was like 2 hours away, right on the border of Spain (still our area. Hashtag perks of Viana) and we took a bazillian pictures and partied it up and listened to classic Portuguese song after classic Portuguese song.
   - Sister Foote has been dealing with me all week, bless her. And since we have both been slightly stressed and going crazy we decided to dedicated Wednesday night to eating 8 ice cream cones, listening to Enya and meditating. I have 0 regrets. This is why Sister Foote is my soul sister. Also a billion other reasons that include and are not limited to: equal love of ice cream, hilariousness, and being the best. Not sure how else to describe this bromance but it is REALER THAN REAL
   - Y'all know I'm not really one for talking about invesitigators but we have some really chill ones and IT IS SO WONDERUFL TO SEE THEM PROGRESS AND STUFF. Cristina and Vanessa agreed to be baptized IN THE OCEAN 2 weeks from now so get those prayers up and runnin and I know we will see miracles here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so so so sorry this is literally the most lame an email could possibly be but know that I am safe and sound and partying it up with life here in Viana. LOVE Y'ALL TONS AND TONZZZ THANKS FOR EVERYTHING GENTE

MUCH LOVE

xoxoxoxo bjnhs Sis P


MORE BRAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


Everyone is being really cute in this picture.

And then there's Cahill and I.

What's new am I right.



pictures from her companions blog
Ocean


Good donuts


Cold


This is Filomena and Lurdes (our portugues grandmas)

Monday, April 11, 2016

WHAT UP FAMMMMMM TUDO BEM TODOS?!?!?

WHAT IS UP TUDO MUNDO HOPE EVERYTHING IS CORRERING BEM YALL

This semana was fanfreakintastic as usual!! I love love LOVE Viana with all my heart, já. And I love food and this week was fun of both so WHAT MORE COULD ANY SISTER MISSIONARY ASK FOR
   - So speaking of food, as it turns out "Viana do Castelo" is Portuguese for "has a wonderful, loving branch that hasn't had sisters in 9 or so years so gets really excited and loving towards us" which QUER DIZER approximately 6987354987 member meals a week. Duuuuuuuude. It is excellent and simultaneously ruining my life slash digestive system. I forgot what it was like to get lunch then a lanche then a dinner all in the same day but I was literally crawling home on Friday. 4 months to sexy????? Uhhhhhhhhh
   - The good news (for Mama P) is this means my McDonalds intake has dramatically decreased. We're talking only 2 BigMacs this week, people. The bad news (for me) is that this means my McDonalds intake has dramatically decreased. I'm sentiring the falta, people.
   - Also, THE PEOPLE HERE ARE SO COOL. Not sure how many times I can say that but on the realz I love love love love love this branch!! It doesn't even feel like serving in a brach bc everyone is so loving and supportive and there is SO MUCH FOOD. I also was talking to a branch member yesterday, and as it turns out this branch was only formed 12 or so years ago and had like 4 members. And now there's already 45ish strong, active ones with a bunch more to come and its really inspiring and awesome and basically, I just love it here.
   - Also our investigators are not too shabby either!! We have a family that we marked this week in a SUPER CRAZY powerful lesson. We were talking about baptism and how we get the blessing of being clean and pure, and the daughter, Vanessa, who is 19 and cute as a button, was like "ah I would love to be able to be baptized again and have that" and it literally took everything I had to not jump up and down and just coolly and calmly (let's be real, those are my trademark qualities right there) be like "you can, you can be baptized by authority and have these blessings!!" and she immediately was like "EU ACEITO, EU ACEITO". So cool. We're currently planning her baptism IN THE OCEAN for next next week and I will either cry or jump in the ocean with her. Or both.
   - Zone meeting happened this week and you know what that means, PARTY PARTY SEE OLD FRIENDS AND PARTY. Actually shed some real tears when I saw my old district in Braga, no lies. And it ended up being basically a personally Sister Parkinson tailored zone meeting bc a) we sang a Christmas hymn and b) Elder Sutton gave some crazy inspiring message about the 1980 olympic hockey team which we all know is my FAVORITE FREAKIN STORY and our new zone theme is "você acredita em milagres??" WHICH ANSWERS ITSELF BECAUSE IT IS ALREADY A MILAGRE TO TALK ABOUT THE OLYMPICS AS A ZONE FAM. And c) zone McDonalds afterwords
   - The weather is being a bih this week and last night we got caught in a legitamate hail storm out in the streets. Hashtag pray for the sisters of Viana. Luckily my dear friend Sherrif Ward called right in that moment so we at least got to take advantage of the opportunity and say things like "Aw HAIL NO" and "WHAT THE HAIL IS GOING ON HERE". Concencrated missionaries, folks
   - Speaking of phone calls, we've been cleaning out our phone and calling old investigator's numbers, and then I noticed there was a TON of missionary numbers as well so I was like "uhhhhhh might as well clean these out while we're at it am I right fam" so on Friday I found myself talking to some duplas from the Açores, the Algarve, and MY VERY OWN MTC COMP SISTER SELK in Lisbon. I have never had more fun in my life. God is good people
   - Also in case anyone is wondering SISTER FOOTE IS A GEM. The literal greatest. We spend basically every moment crying our eyes out because we're laughing so hard, usually at really stupid things. #blessed
SPEAKING OF WHICH SORRY THIS IS TAKING SO SO LONG I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS, OKAY?!?!?! But on the way to district meeting in Povoa I wasnt paying attention and I WALKED STRAIGHT INTO A POLE, face-first and then fell over because a) I hit the pole really hard and b) I was laughing so hard I couldnt even breathe. In other words, I am just as cool as ever fam!!!!!!

OK I AM DONE I SWEAR. Sorry fam apparently I had a lot of stories no ragrats?!?!?!?!?

MUCH LOVE GENTE

xoxoxoxoxoxo bjnhs Sis P

Monday, April 4, 2016

ITS A GIRLLLLLLL

Before I start on my crazy weekly rants, I have to take a minute to give some tribute to Grandpa Parkinson. Last Monday Presidente called and asked us to go down to Porto. I just assumed it was another surprise interview because I have those a lot, but it was so that he could tell me Grandpa Parkinson had passed away on Easter Sunday. It was totally and completely unexpected and I could help but cry and cry and cry in his office. I got to talk to mom for a while on the phone which was really great, and Presidente reminded me how blessed we are to know the Plan of Salvation and know that Grandpa is still with us, in a better place, doing the same missionary work that I'm doing here.

So, I love you Grandpa!! It was so great to hear about the funeral and how much of a legacy he left. He will always, always be remembered for being so loving, and caring to all of us. And FUN! I'll never forget the motorcycle rides or the fun-shaped pancakes or the trips out to the canyons to go fourwheeling. And I am so, so grateful to know about God's plan and know that we will all see Grandpa again and that we can all be together forever as a family. The church is true everybody!!

BUT ALSO, it was a crazy wild rollercoaster ride week so BUCKLE UP KIDS cause I have 908520930982 things to say!!!!!!!
   - First, that subject line. That's right, folks. As impossible as it seems, your very own Sis P is now a proud mom!! Alright, step mom. YEP, I'M 2ND TRANSFER TRAINING. Prez pulled me in after my Monday interview and was like "by the way você vai ser treinadora" and I handled it real cool and classy and was like "WOAH A SERIO" and started kinda hyperventalating and he was like "calm down or you I'll change my mind". Not really, but that's how I felt. Ya girl Parks has a step baby!!
   - Second, plot twist of all plot twists, after only 2 transfers in Braga I GOT MYSELF TRANSFERIDA and I'm hitting up VIANA DO CASTELO!!! It's basically Spain and about as far away from Porto as you can get (I see you, Prez) and it's also PERFECT. FOR REALZ Y'ALL. It's by the ocean which I have missed with all my heart (not sure what I'm gonna do when I'm home and land-locked again tbh) and it's the cutest little town and it has THE COOLEST BRANCH EVER. My first branch!! I was a little skeptical about it but honestly, this branch is cooler than most wards out there. And we have a branch goal to turn ourselves into a ward by 2017 so LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOO and everybody start them prayers for the Ramo out here!!!!
   - So Tuesday I took the trek out here and then Wednesday we went down to Porto for a training meeting with Prez!!!! Which basically made me want to pee my pants the entire time but it was also really inspiring and here's to hoping I don't fail at parenting!!!!!
   - Also, speaking of the baby herself, IT'S SISTER FOOTE AND SHES FROM UTAH AND SHE IS THE COOLEST OF THE COOL. THE BEST OF THE BEST. I already luh her tons and tons and tons. And honestly she is basically already trained so I'm not sure what my job is other than to press "play" on the DVD player for the district videos she has to watch. Do one thing, do it well am I right
   - As I'm sure you all were wondering, Viana has 3 MCDONALDS. It was the first thing I asked about when I got here. Also Sis Foote's old trainer was talking me up before she left (shoutout) and she was like "oh Sister Parkinson will challenge you in tons of different ways" and Sis Foote was telling me this and I was like "YEAH DUDE 4 BIG MACS A WEEK CAN YOU DO ITTTTTTT". Its proabably one of these weeks of training, yeah? Mom of the year award!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   - CONFERENCE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE. It was the absolute greatest thing in the whole world!!!! I seriously cried and laughed and felt the Spirit for all 100 hours of it. Also, we watched basically the whole thing in english SHOUTOUT AMERICAN NEWBIE but we did watch one in Portuguese cause we had some pesquisadores (and by some I mean 5. FIVE. Told y'all Viana is the promised land) and I surprised all, especially myself by understanding the whole thing and somehow having turned into a snobby Portuguese person that gets annoyed when the Portuguese is Brazilian. Whaddya know

I'm sure I will have 25098058023 billion more crazy stories next week but that's all I got for now!!! Have a good week fam MUCH LOVE ONE AND ALL

xoxoxoxo bjnhs Sis P

New address

Guess who got transferred again!! Whoot whoot PLOT TWIST!!

I'm in Viana now and it's basically Spain and also really beautiful and super cute and I'm lovin it. It looks like I will probz end my mission here hahaha crazy crazy crazy!!

Here's the address:

Sister Carly Parkinson
Avenida Rocha Páris
nº79 2ºesq frent
4900-053 Viana do Castelo
PORTUGAL