November 26, 2012

THANKS so much for your amazing emails Mom and Dad. I am doing a lot better and I know that your prayers have helped me so much. That was SO cute about what those people did to your car while you were at the temple. That´s the cutest idea ever and I will have to do something like that when I get home. All I know is that when I get home I want to serve, serve, serve. I will never stop serving my wonderful brothers and sisters! I am doing a lot better. My stomach feels better and I got to see Hermana Creel today so that was cool.
We are being very successful and we actually have 4 people getting baptized this Saturday. I am not positive yet if they will all follow through but with many prayers and faith things will work out how they should. We also have a baptism on the 15 and then one on the 29 right after Christmas. Are you guys doing ok? I hope so. I am so glad that my worthy parents were able to go to the temple together and pray for me. Thanks so much. And guess what!!! I got a dear elder today, a letter from Chan!!!! (which by the way thanks so much Chan! I laughed sooooo hard the whole time, you are a great friend to me! thank you! ) And then I got a package but I have not opened it yet because I need to open it once I get home but it says that it has cds and candy in it so we will see! I am SO excited. But we are doing good in our area and I am much happier. I do not like the ward here as much because they are not as friendly but what do you do. You cannot complain when the Lord is blessing us so much. I am so proud of Lauren and her talk and Mom that´s awesome about playing the organ. I am sorry that your eye has been hurting and giving you headaches but that is great that you always have such a good attitude. I cannot wait to call home for Christmas. Less than a month! And yes, the mission goes by super fast. We have changes on the 19 of December. It´s going soooo fast. Yeah I cannot believe it. It sounds like a lot of people are going on missions. That´s great.
So I forgot to tell you that I got bit by ANOTHER dog. Yeah... long story but that was my first week here and I was just like is this really happenin? I think that in every area I will need to get bit by a dog. Because that is just tradition for me here in Nicaragua. hahahaha. These crazy canines. But it wasn´t as bad as the last time so no worries. So happy Thanksgiving! I got the letter from Thanksgiving from everyone and it was so great to get that wonderful card. I just started tearing up because I was so happy. And mom, yes. Super funny that before I couldn´t even ask for some ketchup but now I am just in Nicaragua doing the Lord´s work. It´s so great and I am doing great. Thanks for all of your prayers. How is school going for everyone. I got little Nathan´s letter. Thanks so much! Yes, Nath we are allowed to take showers here. I am glad that football went well for you. How is Josh´s arm doing? I hope that all is well. Love you so much!!!!!! Hermana Parker

November 19, 2012

So this week was very interesting! I had my first changes as you know and now I am in Managua... the hottest city in all of Nicaragua but yeah... hahahahaha it´s fine. I had a very hard adjustment because I just could not say goodbye to all of the members and people that I love there in Diria. But here I am. The morning that I got to my new area, I opened up my Thanksgiving package. ahhhhhh!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you! It was so wonderful to receive and I was so happy. I was just smiling so big. It was just what I needed. But I just sent a letter off to a few people and to you guys, so be prepared to receive it. hahah I didn´t have an appetite or anything for 4 days while I was here but now I am gettting into the hang of things and now I am happy again. It was just hard to let go of all those people. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL PACKAGE!!!! Cannot wait for Christmas, to talk to you all.
Tell Kenzie and Tyler congrats. That´s so awesome. The mission really is so great. Thanks so much for the support. Tell Sister Hall thank you and tell her that I said hi. My new comp is cool and so things are going great. I am glad that I have her. She is from Nicaragua and she is 26. She hits her year mark very soon. I heard about Taylor in his earthquake... how crazy is that. hahahaha. So I heard that Sister Creel is in my zone so that´s exciting . I got 2 dear elders from the family and they were so great. Then I got letters from my old mtc comp and then Kev, Nat and Fro. It was so good hearing from everyone. I loved the turkey and it´s up in my room right now. I love it all. It was so great getting it. There is an elder in my district who is from Holladay. He said that he might be in Grandpa´s stake. His name is Elder Seastrand. Who knows if grandpa knows him, but maybe. I just am so excited to hear from you guys on Christmas. 
Time is going by so fast. Managua is hot. Super hot. But there are a lot of good things about it. At first I wasn´t looking for those good things because I was comparing everything to my old area. But now I am appreciating things more. It´s always good to hear from Cottam. She´s so great and she has her homecoming talk this Sunday with her twin sister. That will be super fun, huh. Thanks to all of you for being great examples to me. I love you all with all the fiber of my being. Dad, thanks for your email too. I love reading your emails, they are so great. Thanks for all. I loved the owl notepad soooo much! And all of the goodies. It has been so great seeing how much I am loved. I know that I am loved and I am so grateful to have an eternal family. Sorry that this email is so short but I need to get going. Know that I am doing great and that the mission is the best thing in the world. Teaching about Christ is a blessing. Also, before the age changes for the mission they were receiving 400 applications per week. Now they are getting 4000 per week and over half are from the sisters. CRAZY! Super fun. we are preparing. Love you allll soooo much! love Court

November 12, 2012

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am doing great. Thanks! So first. I want to tell you I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants yesterday in section 75 and it talks about the roles of missionaries. And it talked about the families of them serving will be blessed and I felt this overwhelming joy and I was super happy. It was great. So yeah. Right now I have mixed emotions because I am leaving this Wednesday to my 2nd area and my 2nd district leader and I am nervous and excited and sad and everything. But my Spanish is progressing. I can see a huge difference in it and I can say almost everything that I want to. Also, I was reading in my blessing and it said that I have parents who have loved and taught me the gospel and things that I need to do to have success and joy and I just started raining... ya know, out of my eyes and I was like it´s sooooo true. They really have been there for me through everything and I love them so much. Thanks so much.

Yesterday we had the primary program and the children did such a good job. I was so proud of them. They have been working really hard. We have had a lot of success and we are working really hard. I am excited for my comp to be training and they will have a lot of success. Yesterday we taught this family and they were just so confused about Joseph Smith because they didn´t understand why we only talk about him and we explained and I felt the spirit a ton. It´s always when we share the restoration when I feel the spirit so strongly. We found this man who is 35 and married with 2 kids and he was super receptive and we taught him the restoration and he is READY and I am so pumped because I know that he will get baptized. I can feel it. He said that once when I prayed my whole body went cold and it felt like God was there with me. I told him it was true and that that feeling is the spirit and only through baptism we can have Him with us always. Then when I talked about the first vision he started crying. He was like, wow through your faith I want to know this for myself. If this is true it´s what I have been wanting to believe for my whole life.

Then on Thursday I was just sitting at noche de hermanamiento with my convert George and wow is that man powerful. He´s amazing and I was just so happy seeing him, talking to him and knowing that I was able to help his life through the gospel. He is super strong in the church. And Cottam sent pics and he was soooo happy to get a picture of his baptism with me and Cottam there. He loves his missionaries. We are having my going away party tomorrow night at 7 and I will be bawling the whole time for sure. I will miss everyone sooooooooooo much. I cannot describe my love for them.

So it sounds like everything at home is going great. I hope so! Glad Brian is doing ok. Still praying for him. And yeah I was sad about Romney, but it´s true... if something happened to our country everyone would try to blame the Mormons. Which is sad but true. I know that he isn´t president for a reason. I heard about the earthquake and no I did not feel it but when I heard Mexico did, I flipped out, but then they said it wasn't dangerous over there so I felt a bit better. How is the family? How is everyone? I hope all is well. I heard I have letters waiting for me in Granada so I´ll let you know next week what I received. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! EVERYDAY A BLESSING. love Hermana Parker

November 5, 2012

Wow, reading my parents emails this week brought tears to my eyes. You are two of the most powerful and spiritual people that I have ever known. Thank you so much. Yes dad, I have a fridge and we have a nice bathroom too. We do not have healthy running water but I have a filter that I use. Mom, I am glad that you like your new job. How fun that would be to work with that beautiful smiling face.

Ok so this week I have a lot to talk about. First, last sunday we went to one of the elders investigating families to visit them and we all just felt for some reason to go over there. We heard someone crying but knocked on the door and the husband answered and we were like um, hi can we come in and teach you something and he said um hold on. Then he left and then the little girl ran out and said my dad was hitting my mom because she wants to get married and baptized but he doesn´t want to. So then we left and the next day she called the elders and said right when we knocked he had just started beating her but then we knocked and he quit. If we hadn´t had gone she would have been badly hurt. What a blessing to have the spirit in our lives. So then on friday I had the lesson for district class and it was so good and I didn´t even have to use my notes. I just taught and my spanish was fine!!!!!!!!!!!!! It´s coming for sure.


So then Saturday us 4 ( the elders and us) set up a huge activity called the Book of Mormon experience. And it was super awesome. I will send pictures next week, I forgot my cord this week. But it was super awesome. We made a tunnel of time and then we all dressed up and we had King Laban and Lehi and we had a liahona and we all played parts. They made boats, we made a fake fire and we had a water balloon fight for the war with Captain Moroni. It was all really planned out and we worked all Saturday. It was a great success and a ton of people showed up. Then on that same day we had to go get something in the house but my companion left the key in the house and it was POURING rain and we were getting completely soaked and then I was just out there with my umbrella which didn´t work because it was windy too and I just closed my eyes and said please Heavenly Father, help us. We are wet and cold and tired. Please help us get into the house because we need to get back to the church for our activity and then not even joking 5 seconds later our neighbor, who shares the yard with us was like come in come in. And we were able to get into our house. I knew that it was an answer to my prayer. I was so happy and I know that my prayers are heard. So yesterday I decided since it´s my last fast sunday here in Diria that I needed to give my testimony. It went super good and everyone in the crowd was crying. But yeah today we found out that my companion will be training so on the 14 I will leave this area. It´s really sad because I will miss everyone a lot but it´s part of the mission. I love you all so much! Thanks for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep moving forward and remember to always choose the RIGHT! Love, Court

October 29, 2012

Hey familia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I sure felt that earthquake. It was a little like the last one, just like the feeling of being on a sailboat. Haha it´s weird, earthquakes everyday like it´s normal or something. Super funny that you and Nat were laughing about it. I love it. Also, something weird, I was getting my clothes out of my suitcase because I was about to shower when I literally watched a cockroach fly onto my back. That was cool. NOT! I flipped out, especially because they are HUGE here. Super funny. But then my comp was just laughing cuz I was dancing around trying to get that thing off of me. FUNNY!
So I am writing super late today and this is why... we had a huge only sisters p-day with President and his family. It was super fun and we got shirts and learned how to sew really well and do buttons and we made earrings. I made like 5 pairs and then we got to know each other more and watched the "Errand of Angels". I can totally relate to that movie now more than ever, now that I am actually out here. 
Ok so can I just tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST PACKAGE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahahahahahahah I loved loved loved it. I have been walking around to all of the members just whipping out my pictures and showing them to everyone. I loved all the halloween pictures, the cute owl that I sleep with (which by the way I will NEVER be sick of owls, I love them so much) The stickers are soooooooo cute I love them. The shirts, that I wore yesterday and the day before. Which good choice because I like them a lot and they match with my clothes. It was all sooooo thoughful. And then the notebook and the matching pen. I was just laughing so hard because I was so happy to receive it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it all, thanks so much. I love you all and I am so grateful. Thanks!!!!!!!!!! Mom, the dear elders that you wrote just were exactly what I needed, so thanks. I know you are always so intuned with the spirit. So thanks for being you. I started bawling like a little baby when I heard the story about Nathan going to Walgreens and bringing back Josh some candybars when he got hurt. That is THEEE cutest story in the world and I just love the heart of that little sweetheart of mine. Nathan, thanks for being so kind and a great example. I loved Nathan and Josh´s little emails. I love you all so much. Thanks so much!!!!
So, President was telling us that pretty soon there are going to be a TON of sisters in the mission. I am excited. He thinks that this is just preparing even more for the 2nd coming. It´s really cool. Like a huge army of the Lord´s servants! Also, that´s cool about the missionary work that dad did with that guy, I am impressed. When we watched Errand of Angels they were speaking German and I was just in awe that dad learned that. WOW!!!!! That´s incredible. Ok. So yeah you asked about halloween. Yes, they celebrate it. But nothing like they do in the U.S. They recognize it and I think there are a few parties but that´s all. Anyways, have you gotten that stuff from Elder Ewell or not yet. I haven´t been able to send things yet because I haven´t had time but things are surely coming. Also tell mema thanks for her letter it was really sweet of her!!! Hope Katia loves her first time at Disneyland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha well I need to get going! I love you all so much! Talk to you all soon. Love your daughter, sister, and friend. Courttttt.