Expect Miracles!

Us sisters with a little girl from Laos.  We are teaching her
family right now.  We just love them!

This is the rest of the family.  They are so cute!

 

We had a good week but it went very fast and right now I seem to be having a mental block so I am trying to remember what happened!
Our teaching pool is very small. New Iberia is pretty much 90% hard core CATHOLIC. I might as well be in Rome! We have to do a lot of finding. That is part of the reason why we are riding bikes. We have to stop and talk to everyone we see. I like talking to the black people who barbecue outside and love life. They are my faves! We are teaching a lady named Miss Pat. She is a black lady with bright red hair like the color of a fire truck. She loves relief society activities! She said Sister Maxfield and I are feisty missionaries; but sometimes you have to be a little bold to get people to commit to things. Different sisters have been working with her for a long time and now we finally have her reading the book of Mormon as of 2 weeks ago!  She said that since she has been reading it, things are getting better in her life!

We also regularly visit a cute old man who is a returning member. I LOVE HIM! He always gives us raisinets. He has a stash of them.   He started coming  back to church in December after not going for almost 40 years! He came back after his wife died. They got offended about something years ago and never came back.  Anyways at lunch the other day he ordered Sweet Tea.  So I said, "Stanley, mormons don't drink tea." He just laughed at me and finished drinking it; but later he thought about it and told us he is completely done with tea.  He is replacing it with orange juice!  He loves us because he is so lonely. I love that just visiting him and being there to listen to him makes him so happy. 

Last week I went to Opelousas! I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see. I only got to see two people but it was fun. I went on exchanges with Sister Tangarhanthem from Thailand. She is also a Temple Square sister. She is Sister Faulk's new companion. She will be Sister Faulk's fourth companion from Temple Square. I was a little sad going back there but it wasn't too bad because I have grown to love the people in New Iberia too.

We rode bikes this week and I wore the wrong skirt so I was having some issues. I was so focused on fixing my skirt that I wasn't watching where I was going and we had to go through a narrow space but I didn't realize it sooooo..... I crashed into a tree and then the tree led me to crash into a ladder and that led me to the cement. I have battle scars and bruises on my knees and legs.




battle scars

We were laughing so hard! We still laugh and I am so proud of it. I think that was one of the highlights of my week.  The elders were glad that I fell because I tease them everyday about how they always fall off their bikes. One of them crashed his bike into a mailbox and then rolled into a ditch! Then this morning I was on the phone with one of them while he was riding his bike and he crashed into a bush.  So I guess it was my turn.  Don't worry though because I wear my helmet!



Don't I wear it well?
 

On Saturday we had MLC which is Missionary Leadership Counsel. All of the zone leaders and sister training leaders attended.  Elder Kopischke from the quorum of the seventy was there to speak to us. He spoke in General Conference last April. His talk was entitled "Being Accepted of the Lord."  Everyone should read it because I read it this morning in my studies and it was excellent. He spoke to us about our callings as leaders and how to help the other missionaries. Sister Maxfield and I are so excited about our missionary work and we're ready to go crazy on New Iberia! I love being a missionary! It is so fun!

Today for P-Day our district is going to Avery Island where they have the Tabasco plants and make Tabasco sauce! I  LOVE TABASCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They even have Tabasco ice cream and we get to sample all of the different sauces.

We went to go visit the Park family last night and Brother Park and I figured out that we are distantly related.  He is a convert like Grandpa Park and is the only member in his family.

In our lesson last night, we discussed the ten commandments and Brother Park said he believes in them but he only keeps the bad ones like coveting and adultery.  I laughed and reminded him that it's kind of bad to break all of them... that's why we have them.  He loves that we are related and told me I have family protection in Louisiana.  He said that if anyone messes with me they have to deal with him.  

Elder Kapischke also spoke to us about miracles and how we need to expect them. That goes for everyone. We need to expect that good things will come. That's faith! If we're being obedient and living up to our covenants then we will see miracles.

Miracles are all over the place in the scriptures.  But the small private miracles are just as important as the big ones.  As missionaries we try to recognize the small ones.  They happen everyday.  When an investigator gave me a bike- that was a miracle.  Coming here to teach someone I am related to- that is a miracle.  We see them daily.  We expect them because we are doing the Lord's will.

Sister Macy Park