Mission date: 10 November
We aren't riding bikes much because we cover an entire stake. Two of the units are about an hour away. I am exercising in the morning though and have lost a little weight too. I think it's because I'm eating bigger breakfasts and smaller lunches. That, and I'm not snacking as much either.
My companion, Elder Aguilar is from Mesa Arizona. He's hilarious and a great missionary. I enjoy serving with him. There aren't too many Hispanics up here so we are working in English too, but my companion and I talk to each other in Spanish.
There is no WalMart or KMart for hours. We go to a local market called Ridley's. It’s WAY expensive, but I don't worry. The members here feed us well and they give us a lot of food to take home and cook too. Most of it is hunted animals: elk, antelope, mule deer, etc. Good stuff. Right now we don't have any set-in-stone plans for Thanksgiving, but we have NUMEROUS invitations to dine with other people that day.
Missionary business is going good as usual. I think it's getting better because I'm deciding to be more positive. Things are slow, but we still work hard. We've got a couple of people set for baptism, and one of my old investigators in my last area got baptized. I called her the night of to see how she was doing. She's way happy! Also, she and another baptism that I had about 4 weeks ago are both going out to help the missionaries and to bear their own testimonies. It's interesting how a missionary’s joy increases as a convert takes steps. He's happy when they’re baptized, but it gets better when they get the priesthood. It gets even better when you hear them bear their testimony to others. It gets even BETTER when they go to the temple to be sealed and/or receive their endowments. As they go throughout life, the joy continues to grow. I love it, and hope that I will be able to see some of my converts go to the temple. That'd be amazing.
I don't have too much time left, but I want to share a spiritual thought with you that I've shared several times at dinner appointments. In Mosiah 2, the last verse teaches us that those who keep the commandments are blessed both temporally and spiritually. They are happy. Before the mission, I used to obey in order to avoid the consequences. Is that bad? No. But there could be a better reason for obedience. As I have served, I learned about the law of blessings, and started to obey because I wanted the blessings. That's a much better reason than just trying to avoid punishment, but there is still a better reason. The best reason to obey is because we love the Lord. We want him to bless us so that we can use those blessing to bless the lives of his other children. We want to assist him in His work. When we have this mindset, THEN we can be happy. THEN we can be able to return to live with him. I kind of wished that I had learned this before, but thankfully I know it now.
I love you very much, and hope that all goes well with you. I know that if you all are doing what you need to be doing, the Lord WILL bless you. Its a promise, and you know that he can't break his promises. Take care and be happy!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Newsflash: "Mormonator" has been sighted in Ely, Nevada
My apologies to those who actually keep up with this blog...lots of things on my plate in addition to procrastination.-Jan
Mission date: 9 September
Mission business is busy. My companion and I have had two baptisms (one was Yolanda) in the last three weeks. We've got 3 more planned this Saturday. And another companionship has one. I'm way psyched!
We are teaching a man who wants to get rid of his alcoholism. He has other addictions too, but that's the only one he mentioned.
Anyway, the poor guy was tied up by his brothers and father and they beat him up something awful. They took a glass beer bottle and banged it over his head. I didn't see him because he called me, and told me what happened. His friend told me that his face was pretty cut up. I felt so bad for him. Even though he probably brought it on himself, no one deserves to be treated like that, especially from family.
I've been working on bikes for a while and I figured out how to work some things out. There's still a lot for me to learn, but I think I could actually get into biking when I get back home. It's great exercise, and a TON of fun.
I've been reading Jesus the Christ recently by James E. Talmadge. If you haven't read that yet, you should. I've gained a lot of insight on how Christ handled different situations and how the nature of God is. Because missionaries are literally representatives of Him, I've been thinking about how I can change and be more like Him. It’s an excellent book.
There most definitely is a Gospel principle in your story about the pool losing so much water from that very small hole. This is what I see:
Let's say we have a problem that has started small yet caused HUGE losses. Because it seems like a small problem, we think that we are able to handle it ourselves. After one or two tries we realize we can't do it, so we have two choices: go seek help from professionals, or continue in our own efforts, thereby letting the problem get bigger and allowing more losses to happen. Here's the application. Let's take a problem like pornography. The problem seems small… “It’s only photos”. Then after a while we see how much of a loss of the Spirit one has suffered. After trying one or two times to fix the problem by oneself, there is the realization that it has not been successful. There are now two choices: seek priesthood leadership help, or continue in one’s own efforts to stop, even though there is a realization that there probably still won’t be success which means there would be even more of a loss of the Spirit. Either way, one continues to lose the Spirit, or suffers more loss of the Spirit compared to if we initially went to priesthood leadership. This is what I see, but I'm 100% sure (another way of saying "I know") that there are other gospel principles that can be learned from this.
We took Luis Lopez to the temple grounds for a lesson (he's one of the 4 getting baptized this Saturday). Quite a spiritual experience. He said that he could immediately feel the difference of peace of the temple and the discord of the world. He opened up a lot to us, and asked us some profound questions. "How can I feel the love of God, and how can I share that with others?" Wow.... what a question. It made me think of what made me feel the love of God. I immediately told him about the Family Reunion Testimony Meeting we had last summer. I remember that even though the week was full of fun activities and cool things to do, when we sat down and listened to each member of the family talk of the blessing they've received from the Gospel, I really felt the love of God at that time. The family that was in that room was a happy family, founded on the Eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ, nurtured by the hope that we will be a family forever. As I related the experience, we also told him that once he feels that love, he can share it with others by being a kind person, setting an example, teaching those who need council, etc. After words, he told us how it's been hard to not have smoked for a while (he's giving up smoking). He's been succeeding, to which he says, "It's hard man. Like, I don't want to do it." Then he started talking about something else. Most people want to give up one bad habit at a time. "Oh, I think I want to give up smoking right now. That will be good." Luis specifically said that he want's to stop sinning. Period. I've never heard anyone express that desire before. He says he hates how he feel when he sins, and then he wonders why he does it again. My companion shared the scripture in Nephi when Nephi exclaims "Oh wretched man that I am!" Luis is a great man, and he'll make an even greater member of the church. We've been working with him for a long time, but now the fruits of our labors have come forth.
Mission date:16 September
Thanks for the happy birthday. I feel old now - but I know that I've still got plenty of time left. I wish I could respond to all those who have written me. I honestly just don't have time to write back all the time. By the time I finish all the letters, others letters arrive and I don't get to respond to them. I want to, trust me, I just can't fit it all in. I will keep trying though.
The temperature is going down though... low 90s now. It feels even better in the morning too.
Elder Meiners and I are staying in the area again for 6 more weeks. We've got some more baptisms lined up and I'm way excited. The Los Feliz ward is blowing up now. I am getting a little worn out though in the area. Everyone is too busy now that school is in session and we don’t get many street contacts.
We didn’t have 4 baptisms last Saturday but we did have two. One of our investigators FINALLY got her warrant situated. She received no punishment at all. She told her public defense attorney that she did NOT want to take the easy way out. She told him that she simply wanted to make up for what she did. The judge told her she could go-with no punishment, but he made it absolutely clear that if she did anything else, she’d be spending time in jail before she knew it. Quite a miracle if I say so myself. She's now set for the 9th of October. We're really excited for her. She's been being taught ever since I arrived.
I am close to “The Strip” and have driven right by it (the I15 goes right past). It's hard to imagine how much wickedness goes on there though. That's why we're here - there are PLENTY of good people here waiting to be taught the Gospel.
*(on-going "Zombie" dialogue w/ Jim) Keep being awesome and don't worry about any tanks. I stashed a box of pipe bombs in the attic. All you have to do is press the button on top and the tank will go for it. Make sure you clear the neighborhood though... it's radius is pretty big. I tested it out here and I took out half of the Strip.
Mission date: 23 September
Being 20 is crazy. I'm technically an adult now, no longer a teenager. I can't go back. I've past the point of no return now.
We've been focusing on the Doctrine of Christ recently. Read 2 Nephi 31and pay attention to the last verse. It says that there is "no other way." This is His doctrine. He is the only way. If we can remember this, we won't have fear when inviting our friends to listen to the missionaries.
Yes, the Carlitos in the picture is the one and the same. Our area was split and we were given the area that he was not in but he did ask me to baptize him and I was honored to do so.
I learned something very important just today before arriving at the email place.
I was in bathroom for a couple minutes when my companion left the apartment. When I came out, I noticed the whole apartment was dark. I shouted his name, but no answer. I got really worried. I went outside and tried to look for him. I called the other elders that live in our apartment complex to see if they had seen him. They found him going past a trailer park. They called me and we met up. I've been very patient on my mission, and have really improved on my temper, but when I saw him, I just lost it. I yelled at him and made him feel a little bad. I didn't call him names or anything, but I let him know that I was very angry. When we got back to the apartment, I apologized to him and told him that I loved him, and that that was why I was looking for him. He was very good about it, and he apologized for leaving. He thought that I had left him to go with the other elders to go shopping. I told him I would never leave him alone like that. I then instructed him on what to do should any of his companions ever go missing. The contention didn't even last 6 minutes, but I still felt that I could've handled the situation better. As I was pondering, I remembered something that my patriarchal blessing said to the effect, that when I am a father that I should be careful not to lash out at my children when upset but ask them about the situation, listen to them, and quietly help them see what other decision they could have made
This really sunk into me. While I'm only a Dad in a missionary sense, I still could've handled the situation just like that, like a real Dad. I hit me hard. I realized that the way I should correct and counsel my future children is how I should correct and counsel my companions, my fellow workers, my spouse, whoever it will be. It was quite an experience.
Mission date: 30 September
Things are going well in the mission. My companion and I are getting along perfectly fine. He's doing better in his Spanish and so am I. I'd go ahead and say that I'm fluent now, but I still can improve...my accent is a little shaky. I'm working on saying the words like an actual native- I speak with a Mexican accent.
The doctrine of Christ has excited missionaries so much that we have doubled the amount of investigators with a baptismal date. It's awesome, and if members can understand how important it is, they will be more willing to help. One thing more that I've learned is that if we let them know there is promised blessings for obedience to a commandment, they will be more willing to follow through and be obedient. I know that missionary work has given me a purpose in my life. For people who haven't served a mission, all they have to do is try it out and they can know the joy it brings to be a part of someone else’s salvation. If you have time, go with the missionaries. Mom and Dad, you both have such a strong testimony - put it to use. I know that you'll find happiness.
We have been teaching Luis and Arlene and they are still doing awesome. We also had a street contact with someone that had been trying to get in contact with the missionaries for some time. We found him because we happened to be in the right place at the right time. Little miracles are filling the mission. I've also started to find joy in the success and accomplishments of others. This is a great time to be in the mission right. We're all working hard to accomplish our vision of 1200 baptisms. W have over 800 so far. it's awesome to see how the Lord has been blessing us and the people we teach.
No worries mom; I ALWAYS wear my helmet (mi casco). It HAS saved my noggin more than once. Thanks for letting me know what happened with Grace. I'm super happy that she is fine now.
I'm sorry that emails are getting shorter. I'm trying to keep my computer time under an hour (which is what we should be doing). I'm out here working and I know that if I'm obedient, you all receive blessings. In fact, there have been some parents jokingly say, "President, can you keep my missionary for a couple more months?"
"Why?"
"Because we need more blessings."
Love you all very much!
Mission date: 7 October
Conference was awesome. I decided to prepare a question this time and sure enough, it was answered. I really enjoyed Pres. Monson's talk on the 3 R's of agency and Pres. Uchtdorf's talk on pride. Pres. Ballard's talk on addiction was awesome as well… I like how he likened it to fly fishing.
The field is still great. I’m still focusing on the work. It was hard at first to miss “certain” people. I don’t want anyone thinking I don’t care but I cannot allow myself to be distracted and then waste my time AND the Lord’s.
So here's an experience for ya. We went over to Zayra Beas's house (she's a convert whose husband left her because she joined) to give her a blessing. I think she said that she had a busted vein in her hip and that it hurt her a LOT. We gave her a blessing and she said that the pain immediately subsided. To think that she had THAT much faith that she was relieved as soon as we finished the blessing. She's still relieved of the pain as of today, so I'm quite touched.
Thanks for continuing to take care of me even though I'm far from home.
Mission date: 14 October
Things have been looking up in our district. We come to the close of another transfer. We'll be having two baptisms next Saturday. The other two companionships are planning two baptisms as well. If everything goes the way it should (and I have faith that it will), we'll have six baptisms next Saturday. That'd be WAY sweet. We only serve in one ward and there are six of us assigned to the ward. There are some car missionaries in the zone, the sisters and the zone leaders. We're still on bike. I'm starting to gain a little weight. I've got to maintain my good eating habits. I'm not eating unhealthily, I just need to not eat so much. It doesn't help that we have a Tongan in our apartment though.... He LOVES to eat. lol
Thank you for your prayers and faith Mom. I love you dearly, and hope that you have the physical and spiritual strength that you need to carry on. I love you very much. Take care and be happy!!!!!
Mission date: 21 October
We've been focusing a lot on receiving revelation during these past few months. Of all of the many things that I learned, one of the most important ones to me is how revelation isn't always a concourse of angels singing a glorious message from God. I think that too many times we tend to think of revelations as great and glorious, when in reality, that's hardly the case. One example: my companion and I both have prayed a few times to know if a certain investigator (with some serious problems) would be ready for baptism on this weekend, or the next. After a short prayer, we both sat and pondered. We both came up with the same answer, both times. It wasn't an earthquake or anything, just a still small voice. I explained to someone that revelation is when the Lord "reveals" heavenly knowledge, and there are many ways he can do that.
Hearing from you guys each week empowers me with new resolve to work harder for you. Jotty told me a little bit about all that you have had to do to the house. I'm so glad you taught me how to work. One of the members was really impressed with me when we helped him move gravel into his yard for landscaping (something I'm all too familiar with). He said that by the time he had smoothed out the rocks I dumped, I was already back with a new barrow-full of rocks. It's kinda funny to hear him talk about it.
We've got two baptisms this Saturday and transfers are also next week. I've been here in this particular area for 6 months so far, and president said I might be here for another transfer. We shall see what time has in store for me.
I'm already starting to lose a little bit of the weight that I recently gained. The tough part is doing low carbs - Mexicans eat a lot of carbs.
Be happy. Remember that even though times can get rough, Jesus Christ "has descended below them all." (D&C Section 122- my favorite section). Take care!!!!
(more “zombie” remarks to Jim)Don't worry about the Boomers Dad. They ended up being easy targets in the rain. It flooded a little bit out here, so they just floated like buoys. Easy kills.
Mission date: 28 October
Wow.....the pictures of the house looks great!!!
It's a lot colder up here in Ely, but I'm managing. It's dry, so I'm doing good. The people here are very nice…it reminds me of back home. Ely is 3 hours south of Elko, but 4 hours north of Vegas. It was snowing when we got here. We're about a mile above sea level here in Ely, so the elevation is a killer. I noticed that I get winded easier up here than I did in Vegas. My companion and I cover an entire stake here. We have certain days where we go to different towns…sometimes we're on the road for 45 minutes. One of these days we'll be traveling to a town that is 90 miles away to visit a less active member. There are no other elders here except for a senior couple who work on a ranch. All other missionaries live at least 3 hours away in all directions. We really should be grateful that in Enterprise we have two missionaries assigned to the ward. These people don't have that kind of blessing here. They love us though. The work is slower too.. The towns are small and not too many people but there are baptisms. We normally work off of member referrals. Actually, member referrals are one of the most effective ways to work, so that's why Elko zone is called the Promised Land of the Las Vegas Mission.
My companion, Elder Aguilar is a native speaker, but he speaks both. We're both excited to have a companion that speaks good Spanish. I'm still getting compliments on my Spanish. After studying Spanish for so long, and thinking about it, I might actually want to major in linguistics instead of vet medicine, but we'll see about that after I get back.
Luis got baptized last Saturday. He invited his family and his girlfriend and her family too.
Arlene has to wait until this Saturday. I won't be able to go down for the baptism, but I'm still very happy for her. She has an actual testimony, so I know that she's not converting for the missionaries.
There aren't too many Hispanics here, but we’re teaching a couple. We are hoping to organize a Spanish branch, but we'll see how that goes. Also, to let you know, we cover two Shoshone colonies and a Shoshone reservation. I thought you might find that interesting. Remind me again of my American Indian heritage? I know I've got blood from both you and Mom, but I'm not sure what and how much. People still can't figure out what ethnicity I am. I love it.
All in all, I like it a lot here. It's cold, it's quiet, it's friendly, and it's snowing. I just got called as district leader here. It was a surprise call too. Normally they call you a day or two in advance, before transfers, to tell you. I found out as soon as I got here. It's not a big district: me, my companion, and the senior couple. I still enjoy preparing trainings to help the couple out. They have questions on how to teach well, or how to handle certain situations. We'll be preparing training to help them from here on out.
(more Zombie talk)The zombies are a little more prominent here, but it's like back home here. Everyone hunts, so everyone has a gun and knows how to use it, so even though there are many infected here, no one worries. They even have Zombie Season out here. I've seen some pretty cool taxidermied ones. People aren't scared to bother them down here. They say that all the moping and crying they do scares away all the deer, so they take them out first. One guy even has a “tank” trophy in his garage-it's huge!
Mission date: 4 November
Things are good here mission-wise. We just had a mission wide conference call with the president. We talked about the mission goal of 1200 baptisms, and right now, we have 935. We are going to begin a fast on 6:00 this Saturday night, sacrifice something for the next 8 weeks, and go to work. It's going to be hard, but I know President Christensen is an inspired man, so this will work. I'm very excited right now.
Most of the missionary housing in this mission is with members, but not all. Right now we’re in a house that’s a spare house owned by a member.
Wow.... I've already been out a year. This time has gone by very fast. I'm kinda bummed … I don't have much more time left. Before you know it, I'll be home, 21 and a return missionary. I hope that I can do what I need to do in the time that I have left.
We have a bunch of people that are getting baptized. Most of the work we do involves members, and it's working. It goes to show that the people who are most likely to accept the Gospel are our friends.
Sorry about the knee Dad. I hope the new drugs will work. If not, just hold out until I get back and then you can retire. I'll go to work for you. I've learned how to effectively hunt zombies while out here in Ely, so maybe I can start a zombie extermination business down there. Of course, you can take part in it too if you'd like. I'd put you as lead producer of new anti-zombie weapons. In all seriousness though, I hope that when I get back and start working I can lift some burden off of you and mom.
Love you very much. Take care an be happy!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Mission date: 9 September
Mission business is busy. My companion and I have had two baptisms (one was Yolanda) in the last three weeks. We've got 3 more planned this Saturday. And another companionship has one. I'm way psyched!
We are teaching a man who wants to get rid of his alcoholism. He has other addictions too, but that's the only one he mentioned.
Anyway, the poor guy was tied up by his brothers and father and they beat him up something awful. They took a glass beer bottle and banged it over his head. I didn't see him because he called me, and told me what happened. His friend told me that his face was pretty cut up. I felt so bad for him. Even though he probably brought it on himself, no one deserves to be treated like that, especially from family.
I've been working on bikes for a while and I figured out how to work some things out. There's still a lot for me to learn, but I think I could actually get into biking when I get back home. It's great exercise, and a TON of fun.
I've been reading Jesus the Christ recently by James E. Talmadge. If you haven't read that yet, you should. I've gained a lot of insight on how Christ handled different situations and how the nature of God is. Because missionaries are literally representatives of Him, I've been thinking about how I can change and be more like Him. It’s an excellent book.
There most definitely is a Gospel principle in your story about the pool losing so much water from that very small hole. This is what I see:
Let's say we have a problem that has started small yet caused HUGE losses. Because it seems like a small problem, we think that we are able to handle it ourselves. After one or two tries we realize we can't do it, so we have two choices: go seek help from professionals, or continue in our own efforts, thereby letting the problem get bigger and allowing more losses to happen. Here's the application. Let's take a problem like pornography. The problem seems small… “It’s only photos”. Then after a while we see how much of a loss of the Spirit one has suffered. After trying one or two times to fix the problem by oneself, there is the realization that it has not been successful. There are now two choices: seek priesthood leadership help, or continue in one’s own efforts to stop, even though there is a realization that there probably still won’t be success which means there would be even more of a loss of the Spirit. Either way, one continues to lose the Spirit, or suffers more loss of the Spirit compared to if we initially went to priesthood leadership. This is what I see, but I'm 100% sure (another way of saying "I know") that there are other gospel principles that can be learned from this.
We took Luis Lopez to the temple grounds for a lesson (he's one of the 4 getting baptized this Saturday). Quite a spiritual experience. He said that he could immediately feel the difference of peace of the temple and the discord of the world. He opened up a lot to us, and asked us some profound questions. "How can I feel the love of God, and how can I share that with others?" Wow.... what a question. It made me think of what made me feel the love of God. I immediately told him about the Family Reunion Testimony Meeting we had last summer. I remember that even though the week was full of fun activities and cool things to do, when we sat down and listened to each member of the family talk of the blessing they've received from the Gospel, I really felt the love of God at that time. The family that was in that room was a happy family, founded on the Eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ, nurtured by the hope that we will be a family forever. As I related the experience, we also told him that once he feels that love, he can share it with others by being a kind person, setting an example, teaching those who need council, etc. After words, he told us how it's been hard to not have smoked for a while (he's giving up smoking). He's been succeeding, to which he says, "It's hard man. Like, I don't want to do it." Then he started talking about something else. Most people want to give up one bad habit at a time. "Oh, I think I want to give up smoking right now. That will be good." Luis specifically said that he want's to stop sinning. Period. I've never heard anyone express that desire before. He says he hates how he feel when he sins, and then he wonders why he does it again. My companion shared the scripture in Nephi when Nephi exclaims "Oh wretched man that I am!" Luis is a great man, and he'll make an even greater member of the church. We've been working with him for a long time, but now the fruits of our labors have come forth.
Mission date:16 September
Thanks for the happy birthday. I feel old now - but I know that I've still got plenty of time left. I wish I could respond to all those who have written me. I honestly just don't have time to write back all the time. By the time I finish all the letters, others letters arrive and I don't get to respond to them. I want to, trust me, I just can't fit it all in. I will keep trying though.
The temperature is going down though... low 90s now. It feels even better in the morning too.
Elder Meiners and I are staying in the area again for 6 more weeks. We've got some more baptisms lined up and I'm way excited. The Los Feliz ward is blowing up now. I am getting a little worn out though in the area. Everyone is too busy now that school is in session and we don’t get many street contacts.
We didn’t have 4 baptisms last Saturday but we did have two. One of our investigators FINALLY got her warrant situated. She received no punishment at all. She told her public defense attorney that she did NOT want to take the easy way out. She told him that she simply wanted to make up for what she did. The judge told her she could go-with no punishment, but he made it absolutely clear that if she did anything else, she’d be spending time in jail before she knew it. Quite a miracle if I say so myself. She's now set for the 9th of October. We're really excited for her. She's been being taught ever since I arrived.
I am close to “The Strip” and have driven right by it (the I15 goes right past). It's hard to imagine how much wickedness goes on there though. That's why we're here - there are PLENTY of good people here waiting to be taught the Gospel.
*(on-going "Zombie" dialogue w/ Jim) Keep being awesome and don't worry about any tanks. I stashed a box of pipe bombs in the attic. All you have to do is press the button on top and the tank will go for it. Make sure you clear the neighborhood though... it's radius is pretty big. I tested it out here and I took out half of the Strip.
Mission date: 23 September
Being 20 is crazy. I'm technically an adult now, no longer a teenager. I can't go back. I've past the point of no return now.
We've been focusing on the Doctrine of Christ recently. Read 2 Nephi 31and pay attention to the last verse. It says that there is "no other way." This is His doctrine. He is the only way. If we can remember this, we won't have fear when inviting our friends to listen to the missionaries.
Yes, the Carlitos in the picture is the one and the same. Our area was split and we were given the area that he was not in but he did ask me to baptize him and I was honored to do so.
I learned something very important just today before arriving at the email place.
I was in bathroom for a couple minutes when my companion left the apartment. When I came out, I noticed the whole apartment was dark. I shouted his name, but no answer. I got really worried. I went outside and tried to look for him. I called the other elders that live in our apartment complex to see if they had seen him. They found him going past a trailer park. They called me and we met up. I've been very patient on my mission, and have really improved on my temper, but when I saw him, I just lost it. I yelled at him and made him feel a little bad. I didn't call him names or anything, but I let him know that I was very angry. When we got back to the apartment, I apologized to him and told him that I loved him, and that that was why I was looking for him. He was very good about it, and he apologized for leaving. He thought that I had left him to go with the other elders to go shopping. I told him I would never leave him alone like that. I then instructed him on what to do should any of his companions ever go missing. The contention didn't even last 6 minutes, but I still felt that I could've handled the situation better. As I was pondering, I remembered something that my patriarchal blessing said to the effect, that when I am a father that I should be careful not to lash out at my children when upset but ask them about the situation, listen to them, and quietly help them see what other decision they could have made
This really sunk into me. While I'm only a Dad in a missionary sense, I still could've handled the situation just like that, like a real Dad. I hit me hard. I realized that the way I should correct and counsel my future children is how I should correct and counsel my companions, my fellow workers, my spouse, whoever it will be. It was quite an experience.
Mission date: 30 September
Things are going well in the mission. My companion and I are getting along perfectly fine. He's doing better in his Spanish and so am I. I'd go ahead and say that I'm fluent now, but I still can improve...my accent is a little shaky. I'm working on saying the words like an actual native- I speak with a Mexican accent.
The doctrine of Christ has excited missionaries so much that we have doubled the amount of investigators with a baptismal date. It's awesome, and if members can understand how important it is, they will be more willing to help. One thing more that I've learned is that if we let them know there is promised blessings for obedience to a commandment, they will be more willing to follow through and be obedient. I know that missionary work has given me a purpose in my life. For people who haven't served a mission, all they have to do is try it out and they can know the joy it brings to be a part of someone else’s salvation. If you have time, go with the missionaries. Mom and Dad, you both have such a strong testimony - put it to use. I know that you'll find happiness.
We have been teaching Luis and Arlene and they are still doing awesome. We also had a street contact with someone that had been trying to get in contact with the missionaries for some time. We found him because we happened to be in the right place at the right time. Little miracles are filling the mission. I've also started to find joy in the success and accomplishments of others. This is a great time to be in the mission right. We're all working hard to accomplish our vision of 1200 baptisms. W have over 800 so far. it's awesome to see how the Lord has been blessing us and the people we teach.
No worries mom; I ALWAYS wear my helmet (mi casco). It HAS saved my noggin more than once. Thanks for letting me know what happened with Grace. I'm super happy that she is fine now.
I'm sorry that emails are getting shorter. I'm trying to keep my computer time under an hour (which is what we should be doing). I'm out here working and I know that if I'm obedient, you all receive blessings. In fact, there have been some parents jokingly say, "President, can you keep my missionary for a couple more months?"
"Why?"
"Because we need more blessings."
Love you all very much!
Mission date: 7 October
Conference was awesome. I decided to prepare a question this time and sure enough, it was answered. I really enjoyed Pres. Monson's talk on the 3 R's of agency and Pres. Uchtdorf's talk on pride. Pres. Ballard's talk on addiction was awesome as well… I like how he likened it to fly fishing.
The field is still great. I’m still focusing on the work. It was hard at first to miss “certain” people. I don’t want anyone thinking I don’t care but I cannot allow myself to be distracted and then waste my time AND the Lord’s.
So here's an experience for ya. We went over to Zayra Beas's house (she's a convert whose husband left her because she joined) to give her a blessing. I think she said that she had a busted vein in her hip and that it hurt her a LOT. We gave her a blessing and she said that the pain immediately subsided. To think that she had THAT much faith that she was relieved as soon as we finished the blessing. She's still relieved of the pain as of today, so I'm quite touched.
Thanks for continuing to take care of me even though I'm far from home.
Mission date: 14 October
Things have been looking up in our district. We come to the close of another transfer. We'll be having two baptisms next Saturday. The other two companionships are planning two baptisms as well. If everything goes the way it should (and I have faith that it will), we'll have six baptisms next Saturday. That'd be WAY sweet. We only serve in one ward and there are six of us assigned to the ward. There are some car missionaries in the zone, the sisters and the zone leaders. We're still on bike. I'm starting to gain a little weight. I've got to maintain my good eating habits. I'm not eating unhealthily, I just need to not eat so much. It doesn't help that we have a Tongan in our apartment though.... He LOVES to eat. lol
Thank you for your prayers and faith Mom. I love you dearly, and hope that you have the physical and spiritual strength that you need to carry on. I love you very much. Take care and be happy!!!!!
Mission date: 21 October
We've been focusing a lot on receiving revelation during these past few months. Of all of the many things that I learned, one of the most important ones to me is how revelation isn't always a concourse of angels singing a glorious message from God. I think that too many times we tend to think of revelations as great and glorious, when in reality, that's hardly the case. One example: my companion and I both have prayed a few times to know if a certain investigator (with some serious problems) would be ready for baptism on this weekend, or the next. After a short prayer, we both sat and pondered. We both came up with the same answer, both times. It wasn't an earthquake or anything, just a still small voice. I explained to someone that revelation is when the Lord "reveals" heavenly knowledge, and there are many ways he can do that.
Hearing from you guys each week empowers me with new resolve to work harder for you. Jotty told me a little bit about all that you have had to do to the house. I'm so glad you taught me how to work. One of the members was really impressed with me when we helped him move gravel into his yard for landscaping (something I'm all too familiar with). He said that by the time he had smoothed out the rocks I dumped, I was already back with a new barrow-full of rocks. It's kinda funny to hear him talk about it.
We've got two baptisms this Saturday and transfers are also next week. I've been here in this particular area for 6 months so far, and president said I might be here for another transfer. We shall see what time has in store for me.
I'm already starting to lose a little bit of the weight that I recently gained. The tough part is doing low carbs - Mexicans eat a lot of carbs.
Be happy. Remember that even though times can get rough, Jesus Christ "has descended below them all." (D&C Section 122- my favorite section). Take care!!!!
(more “zombie” remarks to Jim)Don't worry about the Boomers Dad. They ended up being easy targets in the rain. It flooded a little bit out here, so they just floated like buoys. Easy kills.
Mission date: 28 October
Wow.....the pictures of the house looks great!!!
It's a lot colder up here in Ely, but I'm managing. It's dry, so I'm doing good. The people here are very nice…it reminds me of back home. Ely is 3 hours south of Elko, but 4 hours north of Vegas. It was snowing when we got here. We're about a mile above sea level here in Ely, so the elevation is a killer. I noticed that I get winded easier up here than I did in Vegas. My companion and I cover an entire stake here. We have certain days where we go to different towns…sometimes we're on the road for 45 minutes. One of these days we'll be traveling to a town that is 90 miles away to visit a less active member. There are no other elders here except for a senior couple who work on a ranch. All other missionaries live at least 3 hours away in all directions. We really should be grateful that in Enterprise we have two missionaries assigned to the ward. These people don't have that kind of blessing here. They love us though. The work is slower too.. The towns are small and not too many people but there are baptisms. We normally work off of member referrals. Actually, member referrals are one of the most effective ways to work, so that's why Elko zone is called the Promised Land of the Las Vegas Mission.
My companion, Elder Aguilar is a native speaker, but he speaks both. We're both excited to have a companion that speaks good Spanish. I'm still getting compliments on my Spanish. After studying Spanish for so long, and thinking about it, I might actually want to major in linguistics instead of vet medicine, but we'll see about that after I get back.
Luis got baptized last Saturday. He invited his family and his girlfriend and her family too.
Arlene has to wait until this Saturday. I won't be able to go down for the baptism, but I'm still very happy for her. She has an actual testimony, so I know that she's not converting for the missionaries.
There aren't too many Hispanics here, but we’re teaching a couple. We are hoping to organize a Spanish branch, but we'll see how that goes. Also, to let you know, we cover two Shoshone colonies and a Shoshone reservation. I thought you might find that interesting. Remind me again of my American Indian heritage? I know I've got blood from both you and Mom, but I'm not sure what and how much. People still can't figure out what ethnicity I am. I love it.
All in all, I like it a lot here. It's cold, it's quiet, it's friendly, and it's snowing. I just got called as district leader here. It was a surprise call too. Normally they call you a day or two in advance, before transfers, to tell you. I found out as soon as I got here. It's not a big district: me, my companion, and the senior couple. I still enjoy preparing trainings to help the couple out. They have questions on how to teach well, or how to handle certain situations. We'll be preparing training to help them from here on out.
(more Zombie talk)The zombies are a little more prominent here, but it's like back home here. Everyone hunts, so everyone has a gun and knows how to use it, so even though there are many infected here, no one worries. They even have Zombie Season out here. I've seen some pretty cool taxidermied ones. People aren't scared to bother them down here. They say that all the moping and crying they do scares away all the deer, so they take them out first. One guy even has a “tank” trophy in his garage-it's huge!
Mission date: 4 November
Things are good here mission-wise. We just had a mission wide conference call with the president. We talked about the mission goal of 1200 baptisms, and right now, we have 935. We are going to begin a fast on 6:00 this Saturday night, sacrifice something for the next 8 weeks, and go to work. It's going to be hard, but I know President Christensen is an inspired man, so this will work. I'm very excited right now.
Most of the missionary housing in this mission is with members, but not all. Right now we’re in a house that’s a spare house owned by a member.
Wow.... I've already been out a year. This time has gone by very fast. I'm kinda bummed … I don't have much more time left. Before you know it, I'll be home, 21 and a return missionary. I hope that I can do what I need to do in the time that I have left.
We have a bunch of people that are getting baptized. Most of the work we do involves members, and it's working. It goes to show that the people who are most likely to accept the Gospel are our friends.
Sorry about the knee Dad. I hope the new drugs will work. If not, just hold out until I get back and then you can retire. I'll go to work for you. I've learned how to effectively hunt zombies while out here in Ely, so maybe I can start a zombie extermination business down there. Of course, you can take part in it too if you'd like. I'd put you as lead producer of new anti-zombie weapons. In all seriousness though, I hope that when I get back and start working I can lift some burden off of you and mom.
Love you very much. Take care an be happy!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Sunday, September 5, 2010
August 12th, 2010
Time's gone by pretty fast. I've been out here for about 9 1/2 months, and yet I remember clearly being in the MTC with the Dork Dot on my tag.
Things are going awesome with my new companion. We've got two baptisms coming up; Pablo and Yolanda. They both have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and they both believe that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration. They are rock solid. Yolanda was investigating some time ago, but stopped for some reason (this was before I got here to this area). We finally found her and had an appointment with her. We set her for baptism and we've got some ward coordination going on. We're still working with Arlene. She's not getting any support from her parents. She has been progressing though.
My Spanish has been improving a TON. I've been speaking a lot more and I can understand a lot better too, though I'm still not 100%. It bugs me at times, but I try not to let it get to me. My companion is asking me questions on how to say things, so that keeps me on my toes. We've been talking to a lot of people too. Quite funny experiences. There was this one time where we were getting back to our apartment for the night, and we said hey to this one woman who was pressing the button for the walk signal. I believe the conversation went along the lines of this:
Me: "Hey! How are you tonight?"
Her: “ ^%$# you!"
Yep..... I'm pretty sure that's how it went. I just laughed, said okie-dokie, and went off. I don't know why people do that, but I guess she was just having a bad day.
The weather is starting to get a tiny bit cooler... not too much though - It still gets over a 100 degrees; but we've been weathering the weather. hahaha. My bike got a couple flats. There are these little things called “goat head“… a little ball with 5 or 6 long spikes that go right through.
I hope that all is going well with you, sounds like you've been pretty busy. Just remember to have fun while you work. Take care and be happy! I love you lots!!!!!!! Thanks for your love and support.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Aug 19th
Thanks for sharing that spiritual experience with me. I think it's interesting how the spirit will fill our minds with ideas while we are asleep. That happened with a mission president’s wife in Chile just before that big earthquake happened. She got the prompting that the missionaries needed to prepare for an earthquake, and so they did. When the earthquake hit, nothing happened to the missionaries.
I also had a spiritual experience: We have an investigator that talked with the bishop. The missionaries have been teaching him for quite a while. He never wanted to accept a baptismal date until recently. The bishop helped him resolve his doubts and helped him prepare for baptism. He wanted to get baptized this Saturday (Aug 21). We felt that Saturday was too soon, but we knew that he could be baptized with a little more preparation. So, my companion (the greenie that I'm training) and I knelt down and had a prayer. We prayed to know when Luis should be baptized...then we sat and listened for a while. Then the Spirit told me September 11th. I asked Elder Meiners if he was feeling any prompting from the Spirit. He said the same thing- Sept 11th. We talked with Luis about it and he agreed to prepare himself for this date. How cool huh?
So, Pablo is getting baptized this Saturday, and Yolanda and her husband are set for the 4th of September. Luis is for the 11th and we might get to baptize Arlene on the 11th. It depends on some stuff she needs to take care of.
I'm still trying to eat healthy. I'm trying to lose a little more weight and gain some more muscle mass. It's SOOOO hard to exercise in the mornings. It's not that I don't want to exercise, it's that I 'm so sleepy. The willpower isn't there.
I heard that someone broke into your van this time. Man...that really stinks. I kinda wish I could come back so I could set a trap. Wouldn't that be awesome? Catch them and then call the cops. bahahahahahahahh............... ok. I'll go ahead and close before my imagination runs too wild. I love you guys!
I love you lotz!!!!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Aug 26
Don’t worry about the flats, I can take care of them. The bike is still so AWESOME. It rides really smooth. I named her “Diamante” (Spanish for Diamond - the bike is a Diamondback brand)
We baptized Pablo last Saturday. It was my companion's first baptism. I confirmed him the following day. He is quite a strong convert. When we first met him (he had already been taught two or three times by other missionaries), I asked him if he had a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet and if he believed the Book of Mormon was true. He said yes to both of them. As we taught him the rest of the Doctrine of the church and the commandments required for baptism, he accepted everything we taught as truth. Having a testimony of the restoration and the Book of Mormon really helps one understand and gain a testimony of everything else.
I've been reading “Jesus the Christ” during personal study lately, and I've begun to have a better understand of how Christ worked. He really took His calling seriously. It made me think of how I need to take MY calling seriously too, since I am His representative in this area. I also noticed how he had a perfect balance between boldness and softness in His teaching. I also learned something in the temple today: Service is an eternal principal. Heavenly Father did so much for us... He created the world, gave us a Savior, to create the plan, and STILL He works to serve us and to help us. No wonder He wants us to learn how to serve others. There's no way we can be like Him if we don’t know how to serve.
Thanks for teaching me how to work hard. It's really been helping me out here in the mission. I love you!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Sept 2
Sorry that the emails are getting shorter. It is hard though like you said, I do have a lot of emails to write.
The mission is getting even better! The transfer is almost over, and we still have 3 more baptisms to do. Luis (our baptism for next week) has a problem with smoking, and is trying harder than ever to quit. If you wouldn't mind, could you remember him in your prayers? He'd greatly appreciate it. So, we have two people getting baptized on this Saturday and one more next Saturday. If there's one thing I’ve learned while serving here, it was patience. I can see how work is always worth the effort, even though you don't see the blessing come immediately. They do always come, but only in the Lord's time. I did feel like giving up on a couple of investigators, and I really did want to leave this particular area for a while. But now, I see the fruits of my labor. It's kinda like Abinadi; he actually had no idea that he had touched the heart of Alma, and he died not knowing of the "small" success that he had. But what did Alma do? He ended up raising a whole nation to the Gospel, and gave birth to some of the world's greatest missionaries, who in turn, converted nations of Godless people to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I talked with the Bike guy in the stake, and he said that my problem could have been was that my tires were under inflated. I've only been putting in 40 pounds in my tires, but my I'm actually supposed to put in 65 pounds. No wonder I've been having problems… duh. hahaha
I did thank Anna already for the camera she‘s sending. I have such cool sisters…but they get it from you Mom. BTW Mom, your way of teaching is actually how missionaries teach. We always ask questions because it gets people to teach themselves. Christ asked TONS of questions. You are following the Savior's example as a Master Teacher. You are amazing- don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
I didn't read the email from Jotty yet, but I'll get to it after this. From the looks of it, if Jotty continues to prepare, he will be a better missionary than I am before he leaves on his mission. As for my mission, thanks for your prayers and love.
I'll write you first next week so that you'll get a bigger email, ok?
I can't think of anything for my birthday right now. Lemme get back to you on that one next week. Take care and be happy!! I love you all!
con mucho amor,
Elder Miles Parker
Time's gone by pretty fast. I've been out here for about 9 1/2 months, and yet I remember clearly being in the MTC with the Dork Dot on my tag.
Things are going awesome with my new companion. We've got two baptisms coming up; Pablo and Yolanda. They both have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and they both believe that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration. They are rock solid. Yolanda was investigating some time ago, but stopped for some reason (this was before I got here to this area). We finally found her and had an appointment with her. We set her for baptism and we've got some ward coordination going on. We're still working with Arlene. She's not getting any support from her parents. She has been progressing though.
My Spanish has been improving a TON. I've been speaking a lot more and I can understand a lot better too, though I'm still not 100%. It bugs me at times, but I try not to let it get to me. My companion is asking me questions on how to say things, so that keeps me on my toes. We've been talking to a lot of people too. Quite funny experiences. There was this one time where we were getting back to our apartment for the night, and we said hey to this one woman who was pressing the button for the walk signal. I believe the conversation went along the lines of this:
Me: "Hey! How are you tonight?"
Her: “ ^%$# you!"
Yep..... I'm pretty sure that's how it went. I just laughed, said okie-dokie, and went off. I don't know why people do that, but I guess she was just having a bad day.
The weather is starting to get a tiny bit cooler... not too much though - It still gets over a 100 degrees; but we've been weathering the weather. hahaha. My bike got a couple flats. There are these little things called “goat head“… a little ball with 5 or 6 long spikes that go right through.
I hope that all is going well with you, sounds like you've been pretty busy. Just remember to have fun while you work. Take care and be happy! I love you lots!!!!!!! Thanks for your love and support.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Aug 19th
Thanks for sharing that spiritual experience with me. I think it's interesting how the spirit will fill our minds with ideas while we are asleep. That happened with a mission president’s wife in Chile just before that big earthquake happened. She got the prompting that the missionaries needed to prepare for an earthquake, and so they did. When the earthquake hit, nothing happened to the missionaries.
I also had a spiritual experience: We have an investigator that talked with the bishop. The missionaries have been teaching him for quite a while. He never wanted to accept a baptismal date until recently. The bishop helped him resolve his doubts and helped him prepare for baptism. He wanted to get baptized this Saturday (Aug 21). We felt that Saturday was too soon, but we knew that he could be baptized with a little more preparation. So, my companion (the greenie that I'm training) and I knelt down and had a prayer. We prayed to know when Luis should be baptized...then we sat and listened for a while. Then the Spirit told me September 11th. I asked Elder Meiners if he was feeling any prompting from the Spirit. He said the same thing- Sept 11th. We talked with Luis about it and he agreed to prepare himself for this date. How cool huh?
So, Pablo is getting baptized this Saturday, and Yolanda and her husband are set for the 4th of September. Luis is for the 11th and we might get to baptize Arlene on the 11th. It depends on some stuff she needs to take care of.
I'm still trying to eat healthy. I'm trying to lose a little more weight and gain some more muscle mass. It's SOOOO hard to exercise in the mornings. It's not that I don't want to exercise, it's that I 'm so sleepy. The willpower isn't there.
I heard that someone broke into your van this time. Man...that really stinks. I kinda wish I could come back so I could set a trap. Wouldn't that be awesome? Catch them and then call the cops. bahahahahahahahh............... ok. I'll go ahead and close before my imagination runs too wild. I love you guys!
I love you lotz!!!!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Aug 26
Don’t worry about the flats, I can take care of them. The bike is still so AWESOME. It rides really smooth. I named her “Diamante” (Spanish for Diamond - the bike is a Diamondback brand)
We baptized Pablo last Saturday. It was my companion's first baptism. I confirmed him the following day. He is quite a strong convert. When we first met him (he had already been taught two or three times by other missionaries), I asked him if he had a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet and if he believed the Book of Mormon was true. He said yes to both of them. As we taught him the rest of the Doctrine of the church and the commandments required for baptism, he accepted everything we taught as truth. Having a testimony of the restoration and the Book of Mormon really helps one understand and gain a testimony of everything else.
I've been reading “Jesus the Christ” during personal study lately, and I've begun to have a better understand of how Christ worked. He really took His calling seriously. It made me think of how I need to take MY calling seriously too, since I am His representative in this area. I also noticed how he had a perfect balance between boldness and softness in His teaching. I also learned something in the temple today: Service is an eternal principal. Heavenly Father did so much for us... He created the world, gave us a Savior, to create the plan, and STILL He works to serve us and to help us. No wonder He wants us to learn how to serve others. There's no way we can be like Him if we don’t know how to serve.
Thanks for teaching me how to work hard. It's really been helping me out here in the mission. I love you!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Sept 2
Sorry that the emails are getting shorter. It is hard though like you said, I do have a lot of emails to write.
The mission is getting even better! The transfer is almost over, and we still have 3 more baptisms to do. Luis (our baptism for next week) has a problem with smoking, and is trying harder than ever to quit. If you wouldn't mind, could you remember him in your prayers? He'd greatly appreciate it. So, we have two people getting baptized on this Saturday and one more next Saturday. If there's one thing I’ve learned while serving here, it was patience. I can see how work is always worth the effort, even though you don't see the blessing come immediately. They do always come, but only in the Lord's time. I did feel like giving up on a couple of investigators, and I really did want to leave this particular area for a while. But now, I see the fruits of my labor. It's kinda like Abinadi; he actually had no idea that he had touched the heart of Alma, and he died not knowing of the "small" success that he had. But what did Alma do? He ended up raising a whole nation to the Gospel, and gave birth to some of the world's greatest missionaries, who in turn, converted nations of Godless people to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I talked with the Bike guy in the stake, and he said that my problem could have been was that my tires were under inflated. I've only been putting in 40 pounds in my tires, but my I'm actually supposed to put in 65 pounds. No wonder I've been having problems… duh. hahaha
I did thank Anna already for the camera she‘s sending. I have such cool sisters…but they get it from you Mom. BTW Mom, your way of teaching is actually how missionaries teach. We always ask questions because it gets people to teach themselves. Christ asked TONS of questions. You are following the Savior's example as a Master Teacher. You are amazing- don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
I didn't read the email from Jotty yet, but I'll get to it after this. From the looks of it, if Jotty continues to prepare, he will be a better missionary than I am before he leaves on his mission. As for my mission, thanks for your prayers and love.
I'll write you first next week so that you'll get a bigger email, ok?
I can't think of anything for my birthday right now. Lemme get back to you on that one next week. Take care and be happy!! I love you all!
con mucho amor,
Elder Miles Parker
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Aug 5, 2010
Yes. I got both packages. Thank you and tell the Todd's I said thank you too. You guys sent a load of stuff. I didn't have to buy much today. Just some milk, tajin powder, T.P., and Mexican candy. Mexican candy is weird, but I like it. I think it's an acquired taste.
People in the ward treat us nicely, but that's about it. Spanish people are a little too nice to say no, so they say yes (to whatever it is they say they'll do) and then bail out at the last minute. I still like them though. Some of them are mega-awesome members.
Well, welfare problems are over, but thank you for the help. I understand it a lot better now.
It's funny how you mentioned that now that I've been out this long (8 months), I'd start getting leadership positions. Well.... now I'm training a new missionary that just got off the plane. His name is Elder Meiners. He is from Maryland, and from a family of 8. I'm a Dad - hahahaha. We got off to a really good start, and he and I get along very well. He has a really strong desire to serve, has a great heart and is a hard worker . His Spanish is pretty good too, cuz he had 2 years in high school. I'm glad I got a good “son“. I was really worried that I'd have to put up with a hard-headed, immature missionary. But this guy is nothing like that. He is the man.
To answer your question mom, my last companion was Elder Berkey. We got along really well. He’s from Gary, Indiana, but didn't like it when people would start singing the Music Man, so he said he was from Chicago, (which is technically right..he was only a short drive away from Chicago). He really helped me get over smaller things and how not to worry and stress out.
Yes, I am wearing sunscreen, but only on certain occasions. I don't wear it every day, but I don't get burned either. The bike helmet shades my face, and of course I'm wearing slacks. I thought it was pretty strange that the sun is extremely strong over here, very bright, yet I don't get burned. I think it's because I've been gradually getting used to it. My legs are REALLY white but my face and arms are tan. Just to let you know that although the weather is awfully hot, is not that bad. Humidity is the worst during the heat, and because we have negative humidity (not really, but it is REALLY dry here), I can take the heat despite sweating a lot. (yucky)
It's good to hear that all is going well, even though you are busy. I appreciate you guys continuing to email me every week. I love you very much and I hope that you are able to have the strength to do what you need to get done. I'm glad for the example that you've set for me. Take care!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Yes. I got both packages. Thank you and tell the Todd's I said thank you too. You guys sent a load of stuff. I didn't have to buy much today. Just some milk, tajin powder, T.P., and Mexican candy. Mexican candy is weird, but I like it. I think it's an acquired taste.
People in the ward treat us nicely, but that's about it. Spanish people are a little too nice to say no, so they say yes (to whatever it is they say they'll do) and then bail out at the last minute. I still like them though. Some of them are mega-awesome members.
Well, welfare problems are over, but thank you for the help. I understand it a lot better now.
It's funny how you mentioned that now that I've been out this long (8 months), I'd start getting leadership positions. Well.... now I'm training a new missionary that just got off the plane. His name is Elder Meiners. He is from Maryland, and from a family of 8. I'm a Dad - hahahaha. We got off to a really good start, and he and I get along very well. He has a really strong desire to serve, has a great heart and is a hard worker . His Spanish is pretty good too, cuz he had 2 years in high school. I'm glad I got a good “son“. I was really worried that I'd have to put up with a hard-headed, immature missionary. But this guy is nothing like that. He is the man.
To answer your question mom, my last companion was Elder Berkey. We got along really well. He’s from Gary, Indiana, but didn't like it when people would start singing the Music Man, so he said he was from Chicago, (which is technically right..he was only a short drive away from Chicago). He really helped me get over smaller things and how not to worry and stress out.
Yes, I am wearing sunscreen, but only on certain occasions. I don't wear it every day, but I don't get burned either. The bike helmet shades my face, and of course I'm wearing slacks. I thought it was pretty strange that the sun is extremely strong over here, very bright, yet I don't get burned. I think it's because I've been gradually getting used to it. My legs are REALLY white but my face and arms are tan. Just to let you know that although the weather is awfully hot, is not that bad. Humidity is the worst during the heat, and because we have negative humidity (not really, but it is REALLY dry here), I can take the heat despite sweating a lot. (yucky)
It's good to hear that all is going well, even though you are busy. I appreciate you guys continuing to email me every week. I love you very much and I hope that you are able to have the strength to do what you need to get done. I'm glad for the example that you've set for me. Take care!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Monday, August 2, 2010
Last 2 weeks of July
Jul 22, 2010
The bike is doing awesome, even though I got one flat already. I got it patched though.
(in response to some silly thing Jim wrote him about) Yes, Dad, I HAVE noticed a fewer number in the zombie population. I haven't had to carry as much ammo with me which is great because ammo prices are going up, and I don't have enough funds to keep it going. Maybe I'll purchase a melee weapon and use that as I bike past them. :)
I can't believe Jotty's going to be an Elder already. That seems so odd. Having the Melchizedek Priesthood really has been a blessing for me. I've been blessed with the opportunity to magnify my priesthood by giving blessings. I've felt the spirit speak through me, and what an amazing feeling it is. I really liked Elder Oaks talk last General Conference about priesthood blessings for the sick and afflicted. It's really helped me NOT worry about how the blessing will go.
Glad to know that Youth Conference was a blast. I have to say I wasn't very impressed with it last year (you know me. I'm tired of the same youth getting 100% of the attention).
No, I haven't met any famous people out here yet. But I have heard of some missionaries eating dinner with the Osmonds and Liberace's old house is out here too.
I'm glad to hear that the kids are getting better at swimming. From the looks of it, it seems that you’re getting a lot more company than usual…good to see the pool getting used.
I have faith that God has a great blessing in store for me after my mission. Because I have that faith, I've been able to work all day without thinking about the future too much. I'm still working on losing myself completely, but I'm getting there.
Well, the only spiritual experience I can think of is something that happened last night. We were trying to go through a hole in a brick wall to take a short cut when I heard something very faintly. You know me mom, sometimes I'm a little hard of hearing. The bugs in a tree next to me were EXTREMELY loud, but I still heard something. I turned around to see another guy across the street. He got our attention and we started talking. Mom, I'm telling you, this guy is one of the Lord's elect. He started reading the Bible a week ago, and said that he's just looking for "truth." The spirit opened my ears to hear his faint call. I love it when the spirit works through me.
I appreciate the love and support you have continued to give me (and the cover fire too. I didn't know you were handy with a sniper rifle Dad). Take care and be happy!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
PS: I wanted to let you know that there was a missionary who went home some time ago that served his WHOLE mission in the Vegas Valley (Henderson and Las Vegas). He never left the valley his whole mission.
Jul 29, 2010
This email isn't going to be too long. We've been on a real time crunch today.
Things are getting a little negative around here. It's pretty interesting working in Spanish wards, because they see us as the priesthood leadership. My companion likes to sometimes say, "Alright then, time to go into Bishop Berkey mode." We've had a lot of people do their ranting with us. It's gets annoying after a while, especially if it's about something the Bishop needs to handle. The Bishop is a great guy and very missionary-minded.
Thanks for helping me out with that welfare question Dad. I will say a prayer about the job too. That'd be great if you could get that. Sorry that this email is so short. As I said, we are a little limited on time this week. Plus, Kira had a question for me and I need to email Jotty still. I'm sorry. Take care and be safe.
Love you all,
Elder Parker
The bike is doing awesome, even though I got one flat already. I got it patched though.
(in response to some silly thing Jim wrote him about) Yes, Dad, I HAVE noticed a fewer number in the zombie population. I haven't had to carry as much ammo with me which is great because ammo prices are going up, and I don't have enough funds to keep it going. Maybe I'll purchase a melee weapon and use that as I bike past them. :)
I can't believe Jotty's going to be an Elder already. That seems so odd. Having the Melchizedek Priesthood really has been a blessing for me. I've been blessed with the opportunity to magnify my priesthood by giving blessings. I've felt the spirit speak through me, and what an amazing feeling it is. I really liked Elder Oaks talk last General Conference about priesthood blessings for the sick and afflicted. It's really helped me NOT worry about how the blessing will go.
Glad to know that Youth Conference was a blast. I have to say I wasn't very impressed with it last year (you know me. I'm tired of the same youth getting 100% of the attention).
No, I haven't met any famous people out here yet. But I have heard of some missionaries eating dinner with the Osmonds and Liberace's old house is out here too.
I'm glad to hear that the kids are getting better at swimming. From the looks of it, it seems that you’re getting a lot more company than usual…good to see the pool getting used.
I have faith that God has a great blessing in store for me after my mission. Because I have that faith, I've been able to work all day without thinking about the future too much. I'm still working on losing myself completely, but I'm getting there.
Well, the only spiritual experience I can think of is something that happened last night. We were trying to go through a hole in a brick wall to take a short cut when I heard something very faintly. You know me mom, sometimes I'm a little hard of hearing. The bugs in a tree next to me were EXTREMELY loud, but I still heard something. I turned around to see another guy across the street. He got our attention and we started talking. Mom, I'm telling you, this guy is one of the Lord's elect. He started reading the Bible a week ago, and said that he's just looking for "truth." The spirit opened my ears to hear his faint call. I love it when the spirit works through me.
I appreciate the love and support you have continued to give me (and the cover fire too. I didn't know you were handy with a sniper rifle Dad). Take care and be happy!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
PS: I wanted to let you know that there was a missionary who went home some time ago that served his WHOLE mission in the Vegas Valley (Henderson and Las Vegas). He never left the valley his whole mission.
Jul 29, 2010
This email isn't going to be too long. We've been on a real time crunch today.
Things are getting a little negative around here. It's pretty interesting working in Spanish wards, because they see us as the priesthood leadership. My companion likes to sometimes say, "Alright then, time to go into Bishop Berkey mode." We've had a lot of people do their ranting with us. It's gets annoying after a while, especially if it's about something the Bishop needs to handle. The Bishop is a great guy and very missionary-minded.
Thanks for helping me out with that welfare question Dad. I will say a prayer about the job too. That'd be great if you could get that. Sorry that this email is so short. As I said, we are a little limited on time this week. Plus, Kira had a question for me and I need to email Jotty still. I'm sorry. Take care and be safe.
Love you all,
Elder Parker
Sunday, July 18, 2010
July 15th, 2010
Thanks for the update on all that's been happening. I'm glad that you've all been enjoying the pool. Make sure you do a little splashing for Elder Parker who can't swim, and is in the desert. lol
The bike is awesome! It really does ride well. Steve Gines (Mormon bike guy for this area) came over to take a look at it. He said that the bike that they got me (a Diamondback Edgewood) is a really good bike. I'm psyched to have it! It's very comfortable and it rides smoothly. Thank you for letting the Todd's help me. I know the Lord will bless them for the service.
We finally set someone for baptism! We got a text referral for a younger couple. They were a little standoffish at first, but they are extremely friendly. We taught them a couple times and invited them to church. Mom, I'm telling you that they absolutely LOVED it. We told some of the members that they were coming. When they came, we introduced them to some of the members of the ward. It makes a world of difference when investigators are welcomed into the church on their first Sunday and other Sundays after that.
I'm glad you sent me that part from Stefanie's blog. I've actually been thinking about humility in the past week. In the last Zone Conference, the main point was about being master teachers (a different one from the King Benjamin one). President Christensen pulled me aside ( he could tell that I was a little down -I doubt my abilities as a teacher) and told me that I was an amazing missionary, and that he doesn't know what he needs to do to help me see it. He told me that I can't be too hard on myself. I wrote him that P-day with an experience that I had while studying humility. This is what he wrote in response:
"Elder Parker, I'm sending this clip from your email back to you because I want you to read it every Thursday for the rest of the transfer. It is inspired.
Love
President Christensen"
(what I wrote in the email):
"I get down on myself a lot, and sometimes I don't try to see what I'm doing well. I think I get that from my dad. He said that sometimes he is his own worst enemy. That's how I think about myself at times. I remember though, something that I learned while I was studying humility. I realized that TRUE humility is seeing yourself as God sees you. Bragging about yourself is trying to put yourself higher, and beating yourself up only brings you lower. Both are symptoms of PRIDE, because you are trying to change your true value. Not once did Christ speak low of Himself, nor did He try to make Himself higher than others. He taught humbly that He was the way."
This is something that I've learned about humility. We can't be humble and beat ourselves down at the same time. By doing so we put ourselves at the top of the "natural man" list. (Pres. C. told me that). We need to humbly accept that we are not a lost cause and that we CAN do it. The Lord CAN strengthen us. NOTHING is impossible for Him. Like Stefanie, I too had a problem with the language (I still do). I wondered if I was only hindering the work. But my district leader, Elder Pinto, talked to me about that. The Lord used people like Moses and Enoch (who were "slow of speech") to prove that he can take an imperfect and talentless boy, and turn him into a powerful, humble, and faithful man, worthy to work miracles and teach with power and authority from God. I don't know if I'll perform miracles on my mission, nor do I know that I'll receive visions from angels, but I DO know that God can take this imperfect, obsessive lad with Tourette's and turn him into a master teacher. It's really hard to keep confidence at times, but I know I can do it.
Take care and be happy. Don't let the small things get hold of you. Take things one step at a time. Diane sent me a letter and in it she said that "worrying is like rocking a rocking chair: you have a whole lot of motion, but you don't get anywhere."
I love you!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
The bike is awesome! It really does ride well. Steve Gines (Mormon bike guy for this area) came over to take a look at it. He said that the bike that they got me (a Diamondback Edgewood) is a really good bike. I'm psyched to have it! It's very comfortable and it rides smoothly. Thank you for letting the Todd's help me. I know the Lord will bless them for the service.
We finally set someone for baptism! We got a text referral for a younger couple. They were a little standoffish at first, but they are extremely friendly. We taught them a couple times and invited them to church. Mom, I'm telling you that they absolutely LOVED it. We told some of the members that they were coming. When they came, we introduced them to some of the members of the ward. It makes a world of difference when investigators are welcomed into the church on their first Sunday and other Sundays after that.
I'm glad you sent me that part from Stefanie's blog. I've actually been thinking about humility in the past week. In the last Zone Conference, the main point was about being master teachers (a different one from the King Benjamin one). President Christensen pulled me aside ( he could tell that I was a little down -I doubt my abilities as a teacher) and told me that I was an amazing missionary, and that he doesn't know what he needs to do to help me see it. He told me that I can't be too hard on myself. I wrote him that P-day with an experience that I had while studying humility. This is what he wrote in response:
"Elder Parker, I'm sending this clip from your email back to you because I want you to read it every Thursday for the rest of the transfer. It is inspired.
Love
President Christensen"
(what I wrote in the email):
"I get down on myself a lot, and sometimes I don't try to see what I'm doing well. I think I get that from my dad. He said that sometimes he is his own worst enemy. That's how I think about myself at times. I remember though, something that I learned while I was studying humility. I realized that TRUE humility is seeing yourself as God sees you. Bragging about yourself is trying to put yourself higher, and beating yourself up only brings you lower. Both are symptoms of PRIDE, because you are trying to change your true value. Not once did Christ speak low of Himself, nor did He try to make Himself higher than others. He taught humbly that He was the way."
This is something that I've learned about humility. We can't be humble and beat ourselves down at the same time. By doing so we put ourselves at the top of the "natural man" list. (Pres. C. told me that). We need to humbly accept that we are not a lost cause and that we CAN do it. The Lord CAN strengthen us. NOTHING is impossible for Him. Like Stefanie, I too had a problem with the language (I still do). I wondered if I was only hindering the work. But my district leader, Elder Pinto, talked to me about that. The Lord used people like Moses and Enoch (who were "slow of speech") to prove that he can take an imperfect and talentless boy, and turn him into a powerful, humble, and faithful man, worthy to work miracles and teach with power and authority from God. I don't know if I'll perform miracles on my mission, nor do I know that I'll receive visions from angels, but I DO know that God can take this imperfect, obsessive lad with Tourette's and turn him into a master teacher. It's really hard to keep confidence at times, but I know I can do it.
Take care and be happy. Don't let the small things get hold of you. Take things one step at a time. Diane sent me a letter and in it she said that "worrying is like rocking a rocking chair: you have a whole lot of motion, but you don't get anywhere."
I love you!
con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Monday, July 12, 2010
Miles emailed, I didn't update...
June 10, 2010
Awesome experiences this past week and I've been feeling very happy. I'm not sure if we're getting any baptisms this transfer, but definitely next. I've learned to accept the Lord's will since I arrived. I remember that Preach My Gospel says that our success is NOT based on our accomplishments or number of baptisms. Rather, it is measured by our diligence, faith, and obedience to the mission rules and the Spirit. I've been trying to be obedient, so I think that's why I feel so great.
Speaking of Preach My Gospel, do you know if it's being used by the members in the stake (or the leaders at the least). I know I've told you before, but Preach My Gospel is amazing, especially if you read the scriptures and answer the questions. Even start as a family. Of course this is just an idea, but I know that if you all read and study as a family (just like reading the scriptures) you'll find yourselves better tools in the hands of the Lord. There is NOTHING more satisfying (at least for me right now) than seeing someone change their life for the better. As you study it, you'll learn what you can do to help out with missionary work. As you help out, you'll find that the Lord will bless you more than you can think. You'll develop the Christ-like attributes a lot faster than if you were to do anything else.
I showed a member the picture that I have with the entire family during the reunion. They were impressed. President Christensen was impressed too (he saw the calendar that I have). I really miss you guys, but I'm glad I have the opportunity to help people feel the love that I feel when I'm with you guys. I'm glad I have the opportunity to help other people build celestial families.
Mom, I'm glad that you're enjoying your new calling. That activity sounded WAY fun. I've always been impressed with how creative you are. I've been trying to tap into your creative gene at times to help out with lessons and trainings that I give.
There's been a stomach virus going around here too. One of the sisters in our district got sick with it, as well as a couple of members. I'm good though. Remember, I was a Blue Knight, and we can CHOOSE when we want to be sick. (so says Jamal)
I've been having a great time. I'm so glad that you taught me how to work hard. It's really helped me out a lot out here.
My companion and I have been teaching a girl named Arlene. I think I told you about her, but to be brief, she's quite awesome. She has been reading and praying almost everyday. She's been keeping ALL of her commitments. She used to smoke and drink, but now she turns it down. If her friends or family are offering it to her, and she feels like she's gonna cave, she'll separate herself (run just like Joseph of Egypt) and call us for help. One of the most recent things she gave up was her tongue jewelry. As soon as we told her, she took them out, but then she put them on the table. We asked her if she could get the others, and she brought out a used mint container that contained her tongue piercings. Then she set them on the table and stared at them. She started to cry a little as she explained that they reminded her of "good times" and that she didn't want to give them up. It was so interesting to see how something so small, could take an hour of convincing to give up. We talked to her about her scheduled baptism and how she feels when she feels the Spirit. We mentioned to her that she is leaving behind her old life, so that she can start a new and happier life. It was a little hard; the TV was on, her parents were talking, it was hot. My companion asked if we could offer a prayer. So he prayed and then we waited. After a minute, she sighed, a tear rolled from her eye, and she handed us ALL of her extra piercings. Since then she's kinda missed them, but she's doing fine now. The love of God and the power of the Atonement of Christ are real. She's testified to us of how this Gospel has helped her change her life around. She's happy for the first time in her life. This is why missionary work is so enjoyable. To be a part of the conversion of others is an honor bestowed by God to us as missionaries. As we teach and help others, our own testimonies and spirits grow. I love mission work!
I'm going to be sending the SD card off to you this week. There are a few from a ward Family Home Evening… they have one every first Monday of each month. I'm sorry that there aren’t many pictures. The camera is breaking... you'll notice some pictures have lines cuz something is wrong. I'm not sure what though. I've been taking good care of it too.
Thought I'd let you know, it's summer now, and it's really hot but I have yet to get burned. Also, while it is hot, it's quite dry, so I'm able to withstand it better. I do miss the breezes we’d get at home though. Here, the winds are hot as well, so it's like turning on a blow dryer.
June 17, 2010
I don't know if you know what a 7-11 is, but we have them ALL OVER Las Vegas. They have Slurpee cups from the biggest movies that are coming out. I have to say that “A-Team” looks pretty cool. Who plays B.A Barracus? Whoever it is, I pity the fool if he doesn’t do a Mr. T. - rated job.
Several people told me about Diane's baptism. YAHOO!! *jump-in-the-air* The only other baptisms I think might have had that many people is Stefanie Barker's or Amber Fessler's (now Amber Salmon). As much as I would've LOVED to be there, I know that this is where I need and want to be. I don't think there is any place I'd rather be right now than right here. I'm glad that you and the other Enterprise families were able to go. I cannot express how grateful I am to all those who are a support to Diane. I look back on how things have been going on at home since I left and I know that my service is blessing you all back home. I don't mean to sound proud, but knowing that my family and friends receive blessings keeps me motivated even when work is slow. I absolutely love being on a mission, especially here in Las Vegas.
My companion and I are doing great. We get along amazingly, but transfers are coming, and he's been in this area for a while, so he might be leaving. We're not getting any baptisms this transfer either. It's been hard to go for so long without any baptisms. In half a year, I've baptized two people. Now, I know that success isn't determined by the number of baptisms, but sometimes it's hard to think that you are a successful missionary when nothing shows for the efforts that you put in. I just gotta have more patience is all.
I don't have much time for extra letters today because we climbed the mountain next to the temple. I'm also out of ink on my typewriter, so I'll have to handwrite my letters until I can get some ink cartridges.
We had an awesome day yesterday, a Spanish conference. President took all of the Spanish-speaking missionaries and we had a conference on how Spanish missionaries specifically can work harder and better. Spanish and English cultures are EXTREMELY different...... just in case you didn't notice. It was a spiritual experience, and many goals were set. I'm trying a little harder, I just hope I can have the energy to do all that I want.
I'm sorry this is a little short. Just know that I truly am excited and that I'm not homesick. I'm happy to see how my service is blessing my family AND friends. I love you very much and thank you for your words of encouragement. You needn't worry Mom. I'm not homesick at all.
June 24, 2010
I'm kinda frustrated right now, to tell you the truth. My P-days are ALWAYS crammed with stuff I have to do and I have SO many letters to write. It seems like one little thing just piles up on another. The pile of stuff I have to do is so high it seems like I'll never get it done. Plus, I have to call for a whole bunch of rides, and the members here are not very helpful so we end up calling the same ones over and over again. We also have nothing here in our area. No Walmart, no post office, no bike shop, nothing. Well, we do have a mini Walmart with food and cleaning stuff. I guess I'm just really upset about my SD card disappearing in the mail. I had a lot of pictures on that thing. I can't get any duplicate pictures - no one else has them. My first companion did, but he's back home in Mexico.
I hate to think that P-days are more of a hassle than a blessing, but that's the way it seems right now. I just wish I wasn't so rushed.
I’m sorry…I realize how selfish I am being. I'm sorry for ranting on like that.
Nevada is DEFINITELY sunny. It's about 105 degrees or something like that, but it's a dry heat, so it's not that terrible. As for wildlife, there's not much that lives out here. I have seen a rabbit - well I guess it's actually a hare since it's the desert. I've also seen a road runner running across the church parking lot one time. I wasn't quick enough to get the picture though. The one thing that IS plentiful here is pigeons. ugh.......... I HATE pigeons, they are ALWAYS in the way.
My Spanish is still coming along, the biggest difficulty is understanding what people are saying. As for zone conferences, they are great. President Christensen really knows how to run one. Each one has been a spiritual feast for me. They've helped me set goals to make myself a better missionary.
I'll try to share one spiritual experience that happened yesterday. As we were biking, we came across this one man. We asked if we could share a message with him, and he was kind of stand-offish as he told us he was from a Baptist church. I explained to him that the message that we share was unique because we teach that we have a prophet and another book of scripture. We continued to talk to him and he mentioned that he could feel the Holy Spirit as we talked with him. He said he could see an illumination in our eyes. He liked how we were happy as we talked with him. We got his number and we're gonna try to send the English missionaries over. After all was said and done, I thought about what Mom told me some time ago; that the spirit changes our countenance. I guess that's what happened yesterday. Whatever the case may be, I'm glad that I was worthy to serve as a vessel for the Spirit. So that's my spiritual thought. It was pretty cool in my opinion. It made me feel really good.
Take care, sorry for the negativity.
I love you!
July 1, 2010
Thanks for understanding my attitude last week. I got better later on. It's really hard to forgive yourself though....I really am my own worst enemy sometimes. I'm so glad that the Atonement is real.
Our leadership here in the ward is awesome. I was thinking about it, but maybe I was also sent here to Las Vegas to learn more about leadership, besides just serving a mission. I know I have a long way to go, but I am anxious to use the stuff that I've learned out here, when I get back home. I wish that we could always remember that sacrifice is what moves this work. Sometimes we start thinking about now and what we want. Being on a mission has really helped me learn how to put me LAST.
Right now I am serving in Sunrise, which is a Stake of Las Vegas. I'm not in Paradise anymore, which is also a stake and not a city, but you did hit the nail on the head. There's really not much I can do to fix my bike while I am here. I'm riding a borrowed bike right now because mine it out of commission....... again. Elder Berkey (my new companion) said that Satan and Bikes are missionaries' worst enemies; LOL. Then the ink ribbon for sure needs to be special ordered. I can do it at Office Depot, but we don't have one. I'll send you the box with the ink ribbon in it so you can see what type it is. Just to let you know about the bike, the things that I need for it are: new brake pads, new brake cables, new tire, a new rim for the back tire (very expensive) new shocks, and a new chain. The only thing worth keeping on the bike is the frame and the seat. Let Jacob know, maybe he can tell me how to fix at least one of these things… as I said, my bike's rim is out and I noticed yesterday that my back wheel was wobbling and scraping against the brakes, so I stopped and inspected it. The tire was bulged and had ripped the metal lip on the rim. When I saw it I got off and as soon as I did..... pssssssssssssss. There went the tube too. lol. I was actually a good sport about it.
So I'm on the “Elder Cox diet“, which is nothing that has above 3 grams of sugar. It's really hard. I've been doing it for about a week. All I'm drinking is water ( I normally do anyway), no soda, no juice, nada. I'm also not eating cereal. I've been able to maintain my weight out here on the mission…actually lost 4 lbs.
Here's a spiritual experience for the week: Two days ago, we tried to contact a referral that we had received a couple days prior. We found the building, but the referral didn't give the letter of the apartment in which they lived. So we decided to knock on all the doors in the apartment complex. When we knocked on the first door, a child opened it up. It wasn't the person we were looking for, but we did see the father in the kitchen and he told us to come in. We talked for a while, and the couple told us how they didn't really feel right in other churches. The mother and father had both been through a lot, but were both extremely friendly, and there was a very warm and friendly spirit that presided in that house. We taught them the first lesson yesterday with a member, and it went pretty well. The member even invited them to church. What made this spiritual to me is this: If the text we got for this referral had the apartment number on it, we wouldn't have knocked on that door. We would've missed a great opportunity to teach a wonderful family. This has Divine intervention written all over it.
Well, there are others waiting to use the computer. I love you lots!
Jul 8, 2010
Wow. Too bad your email got spammed and you had to change emails addresses Dad. I even got an email from your old account that sent me a link to a site for Canadian viagra. Luckily, that was the worst that was sent.
Yes, Sunrise Manor is the same as Sunrise. If you happen to take another look at the map, my area is from Linn in the East to Sandhill in the West, and Lake Mead in the north to Washington in the south. The temple is in our zone too. Unfortunately, we won't be able to go this transfer because they'll be cleaning the temple on our assigned date. Bummer.
So, I like the name for the new kitty. I laughed a lot.
Mission work is going a little slow, but we are working. We've got a couple of people that have potential to be baptized. Arlene has not been baptized. She still has some thing that she needs to clear up. She's also getting worked on really hard by Satan. She's starting to let fear set in, so we're trying to help her out.
Thank you so much for asking the postmaster about the SD card. I was really upset. It's interesting though, how it was recovered AFTER I decided I wouldn't let it bother me. I'm learning to just let small things go. My companion is helping me out with that. In fact, my companion (Elder Berkey) was introduced to the mother of an elder who was going home (one of his previous companions). He told her, "Mom, this was one of my companions, Elder Berkey. The sky could be falling, and he'd be cool with that." He really has helped me to not worry and to just do what you can.
Okay, for my bike measurements: My height is 6'3", my weight is 252 and my stance height is 36 to 38 inches. Just front suspension will be good enough. I’m embarrassed to be asking for so much, but I guess I should just accept it. Who am I to withhold blessings from others? Just make sure you tell the Todds, that I love them a LLOOOOOOOTTTT!! I will pray for them. I am extremely grateful for what they are doing.
I hope I'm not being too much of a burden. Also, Mom, I wanted to say sorry for not recognizing you enough. I'm thankful for all the little things you send me and the emails and bits of news you send me too. I'm sorry I've been a little whiny the past few weeks too. I promise I'll do better. Thanks for all the updates and stuff. Make sure you take care of yourselves. I love you!!!!!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Awesome experiences this past week and I've been feeling very happy. I'm not sure if we're getting any baptisms this transfer, but definitely next. I've learned to accept the Lord's will since I arrived. I remember that Preach My Gospel says that our success is NOT based on our accomplishments or number of baptisms. Rather, it is measured by our diligence, faith, and obedience to the mission rules and the Spirit. I've been trying to be obedient, so I think that's why I feel so great.
Speaking of Preach My Gospel, do you know if it's being used by the members in the stake (or the leaders at the least). I know I've told you before, but Preach My Gospel is amazing, especially if you read the scriptures and answer the questions. Even start as a family. Of course this is just an idea, but I know that if you all read and study as a family (just like reading the scriptures) you'll find yourselves better tools in the hands of the Lord. There is NOTHING more satisfying (at least for me right now) than seeing someone change their life for the better. As you study it, you'll learn what you can do to help out with missionary work. As you help out, you'll find that the Lord will bless you more than you can think. You'll develop the Christ-like attributes a lot faster than if you were to do anything else.
I showed a member the picture that I have with the entire family during the reunion. They were impressed. President Christensen was impressed too (he saw the calendar that I have). I really miss you guys, but I'm glad I have the opportunity to help people feel the love that I feel when I'm with you guys. I'm glad I have the opportunity to help other people build celestial families.
Mom, I'm glad that you're enjoying your new calling. That activity sounded WAY fun. I've always been impressed with how creative you are. I've been trying to tap into your creative gene at times to help out with lessons and trainings that I give.
There's been a stomach virus going around here too. One of the sisters in our district got sick with it, as well as a couple of members. I'm good though. Remember, I was a Blue Knight, and we can CHOOSE when we want to be sick. (so says Jamal)
I've been having a great time. I'm so glad that you taught me how to work hard. It's really helped me out a lot out here.
My companion and I have been teaching a girl named Arlene. I think I told you about her, but to be brief, she's quite awesome. She has been reading and praying almost everyday. She's been keeping ALL of her commitments. She used to smoke and drink, but now she turns it down. If her friends or family are offering it to her, and she feels like she's gonna cave, she'll separate herself (run just like Joseph of Egypt) and call us for help. One of the most recent things she gave up was her tongue jewelry. As soon as we told her, she took them out, but then she put them on the table. We asked her if she could get the others, and she brought out a used mint container that contained her tongue piercings. Then she set them on the table and stared at them. She started to cry a little as she explained that they reminded her of "good times" and that she didn't want to give them up. It was so interesting to see how something so small, could take an hour of convincing to give up. We talked to her about her scheduled baptism and how she feels when she feels the Spirit. We mentioned to her that she is leaving behind her old life, so that she can start a new and happier life. It was a little hard; the TV was on, her parents were talking, it was hot. My companion asked if we could offer a prayer. So he prayed and then we waited. After a minute, she sighed, a tear rolled from her eye, and she handed us ALL of her extra piercings. Since then she's kinda missed them, but she's doing fine now. The love of God and the power of the Atonement of Christ are real. She's testified to us of how this Gospel has helped her change her life around. She's happy for the first time in her life. This is why missionary work is so enjoyable. To be a part of the conversion of others is an honor bestowed by God to us as missionaries. As we teach and help others, our own testimonies and spirits grow. I love mission work!
I'm going to be sending the SD card off to you this week. There are a few from a ward Family Home Evening… they have one every first Monday of each month. I'm sorry that there aren’t many pictures. The camera is breaking... you'll notice some pictures have lines cuz something is wrong. I'm not sure what though. I've been taking good care of it too.
Thought I'd let you know, it's summer now, and it's really hot but I have yet to get burned. Also, while it is hot, it's quite dry, so I'm able to withstand it better. I do miss the breezes we’d get at home though. Here, the winds are hot as well, so it's like turning on a blow dryer.
June 17, 2010
I don't know if you know what a 7-11 is, but we have them ALL OVER Las Vegas. They have Slurpee cups from the biggest movies that are coming out. I have to say that “A-Team” looks pretty cool. Who plays B.A Barracus? Whoever it is, I pity the fool if he doesn’t do a Mr. T. - rated job.
Several people told me about Diane's baptism. YAHOO!! *jump-in-the-air* The only other baptisms I think might have had that many people is Stefanie Barker's or Amber Fessler's (now Amber Salmon). As much as I would've LOVED to be there, I know that this is where I need and want to be. I don't think there is any place I'd rather be right now than right here. I'm glad that you and the other Enterprise families were able to go. I cannot express how grateful I am to all those who are a support to Diane. I look back on how things have been going on at home since I left and I know that my service is blessing you all back home. I don't mean to sound proud, but knowing that my family and friends receive blessings keeps me motivated even when work is slow. I absolutely love being on a mission, especially here in Las Vegas.
My companion and I are doing great. We get along amazingly, but transfers are coming, and he's been in this area for a while, so he might be leaving. We're not getting any baptisms this transfer either. It's been hard to go for so long without any baptisms. In half a year, I've baptized two people. Now, I know that success isn't determined by the number of baptisms, but sometimes it's hard to think that you are a successful missionary when nothing shows for the efforts that you put in. I just gotta have more patience is all.
I don't have much time for extra letters today because we climbed the mountain next to the temple. I'm also out of ink on my typewriter, so I'll have to handwrite my letters until I can get some ink cartridges.
We had an awesome day yesterday, a Spanish conference. President took all of the Spanish-speaking missionaries and we had a conference on how Spanish missionaries specifically can work harder and better. Spanish and English cultures are EXTREMELY different...... just in case you didn't notice. It was a spiritual experience, and many goals were set. I'm trying a little harder, I just hope I can have the energy to do all that I want.
I'm sorry this is a little short. Just know that I truly am excited and that I'm not homesick. I'm happy to see how my service is blessing my family AND friends. I love you very much and thank you for your words of encouragement. You needn't worry Mom. I'm not homesick at all.
June 24, 2010
I'm kinda frustrated right now, to tell you the truth. My P-days are ALWAYS crammed with stuff I have to do and I have SO many letters to write. It seems like one little thing just piles up on another. The pile of stuff I have to do is so high it seems like I'll never get it done. Plus, I have to call for a whole bunch of rides, and the members here are not very helpful so we end up calling the same ones over and over again. We also have nothing here in our area. No Walmart, no post office, no bike shop, nothing. Well, we do have a mini Walmart with food and cleaning stuff. I guess I'm just really upset about my SD card disappearing in the mail. I had a lot of pictures on that thing. I can't get any duplicate pictures - no one else has them. My first companion did, but he's back home in Mexico.
I hate to think that P-days are more of a hassle than a blessing, but that's the way it seems right now. I just wish I wasn't so rushed.
I’m sorry…I realize how selfish I am being. I'm sorry for ranting on like that.
Nevada is DEFINITELY sunny. It's about 105 degrees or something like that, but it's a dry heat, so it's not that terrible. As for wildlife, there's not much that lives out here. I have seen a rabbit - well I guess it's actually a hare since it's the desert. I've also seen a road runner running across the church parking lot one time. I wasn't quick enough to get the picture though. The one thing that IS plentiful here is pigeons. ugh.......... I HATE pigeons, they are ALWAYS in the way.
My Spanish is still coming along, the biggest difficulty is understanding what people are saying. As for zone conferences, they are great. President Christensen really knows how to run one. Each one has been a spiritual feast for me. They've helped me set goals to make myself a better missionary.
I'll try to share one spiritual experience that happened yesterday. As we were biking, we came across this one man. We asked if we could share a message with him, and he was kind of stand-offish as he told us he was from a Baptist church. I explained to him that the message that we share was unique because we teach that we have a prophet and another book of scripture. We continued to talk to him and he mentioned that he could feel the Holy Spirit as we talked with him. He said he could see an illumination in our eyes. He liked how we were happy as we talked with him. We got his number and we're gonna try to send the English missionaries over. After all was said and done, I thought about what Mom told me some time ago; that the spirit changes our countenance. I guess that's what happened yesterday. Whatever the case may be, I'm glad that I was worthy to serve as a vessel for the Spirit. So that's my spiritual thought. It was pretty cool in my opinion. It made me feel really good.
Take care, sorry for the negativity.
I love you!
July 1, 2010
Thanks for understanding my attitude last week. I got better later on. It's really hard to forgive yourself though....I really am my own worst enemy sometimes. I'm so glad that the Atonement is real.
Our leadership here in the ward is awesome. I was thinking about it, but maybe I was also sent here to Las Vegas to learn more about leadership, besides just serving a mission. I know I have a long way to go, but I am anxious to use the stuff that I've learned out here, when I get back home. I wish that we could always remember that sacrifice is what moves this work. Sometimes we start thinking about now and what we want. Being on a mission has really helped me learn how to put me LAST.
Right now I am serving in Sunrise, which is a Stake of Las Vegas. I'm not in Paradise anymore, which is also a stake and not a city, but you did hit the nail on the head. There's really not much I can do to fix my bike while I am here. I'm riding a borrowed bike right now because mine it out of commission....... again. Elder Berkey (my new companion) said that Satan and Bikes are missionaries' worst enemies; LOL. Then the ink ribbon for sure needs to be special ordered. I can do it at Office Depot, but we don't have one. I'll send you the box with the ink ribbon in it so you can see what type it is. Just to let you know about the bike, the things that I need for it are: new brake pads, new brake cables, new tire, a new rim for the back tire (very expensive) new shocks, and a new chain. The only thing worth keeping on the bike is the frame and the seat. Let Jacob know, maybe he can tell me how to fix at least one of these things… as I said, my bike's rim is out and I noticed yesterday that my back wheel was wobbling and scraping against the brakes, so I stopped and inspected it. The tire was bulged and had ripped the metal lip on the rim. When I saw it I got off and as soon as I did..... pssssssssssssss. There went the tube too. lol. I was actually a good sport about it.
So I'm on the “Elder Cox diet“, which is nothing that has above 3 grams of sugar. It's really hard. I've been doing it for about a week. All I'm drinking is water ( I normally do anyway), no soda, no juice, nada. I'm also not eating cereal. I've been able to maintain my weight out here on the mission…actually lost 4 lbs.
Here's a spiritual experience for the week: Two days ago, we tried to contact a referral that we had received a couple days prior. We found the building, but the referral didn't give the letter of the apartment in which they lived. So we decided to knock on all the doors in the apartment complex. When we knocked on the first door, a child opened it up. It wasn't the person we were looking for, but we did see the father in the kitchen and he told us to come in. We talked for a while, and the couple told us how they didn't really feel right in other churches. The mother and father had both been through a lot, but were both extremely friendly, and there was a very warm and friendly spirit that presided in that house. We taught them the first lesson yesterday with a member, and it went pretty well. The member even invited them to church. What made this spiritual to me is this: If the text we got for this referral had the apartment number on it, we wouldn't have knocked on that door. We would've missed a great opportunity to teach a wonderful family. This has Divine intervention written all over it.
Well, there are others waiting to use the computer. I love you lots!
Jul 8, 2010
Wow. Too bad your email got spammed and you had to change emails addresses Dad. I even got an email from your old account that sent me a link to a site for Canadian viagra. Luckily, that was the worst that was sent.
Yes, Sunrise Manor is the same as Sunrise. If you happen to take another look at the map, my area is from Linn in the East to Sandhill in the West, and Lake Mead in the north to Washington in the south. The temple is in our zone too. Unfortunately, we won't be able to go this transfer because they'll be cleaning the temple on our assigned date. Bummer.
So, I like the name for the new kitty. I laughed a lot.
Mission work is going a little slow, but we are working. We've got a couple of people that have potential to be baptized. Arlene has not been baptized. She still has some thing that she needs to clear up. She's also getting worked on really hard by Satan. She's starting to let fear set in, so we're trying to help her out.
Thank you so much for asking the postmaster about the SD card. I was really upset. It's interesting though, how it was recovered AFTER I decided I wouldn't let it bother me. I'm learning to just let small things go. My companion is helping me out with that. In fact, my companion (Elder Berkey) was introduced to the mother of an elder who was going home (one of his previous companions). He told her, "Mom, this was one of my companions, Elder Berkey. The sky could be falling, and he'd be cool with that." He really has helped me to not worry and to just do what you can.
Okay, for my bike measurements: My height is 6'3", my weight is 252 and my stance height is 36 to 38 inches. Just front suspension will be good enough. I’m embarrassed to be asking for so much, but I guess I should just accept it. Who am I to withhold blessings from others? Just make sure you tell the Todds, that I love them a LLOOOOOOOTTTT!! I will pray for them. I am extremely grateful for what they are doing.
I hope I'm not being too much of a burden. Also, Mom, I wanted to say sorry for not recognizing you enough. I'm thankful for all the little things you send me and the emails and bits of news you send me too. I'm sorry I've been a little whiny the past few weeks too. I promise I'll do better. Thanks for all the updates and stuff. Make sure you take care of yourselves. I love you!!!!!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Monday, June 7, 2010
Not "green" anymore!
April 29, 2010
The Desert is getting hotter and hotter. It hit 95 a couple of days ago, but at night it is really nice.
Speaking of elders and being "green"; next week, I will officially not be green. Can you believe it? I'll have been gone for 6 months next week. The time is flying by so quickly. They say that once you hit your 1 year mark, the time goes by even faster.
Also, are you guys giving referrals to the missionaries? Gordon B. Hinckley said that mission work is most successful when the members are involved. When members accompany us to lessons, when they invite investigators to their houses, or when they refer their friends to the missionaries, baptisms rise. If you guys will pray during family prayer every night to know which of the friends are ready for the Gospel, God will let you know. As you become involved in missionary work, you'll find that things at home and in your personal lives will go a lot better. I promise you.
Teaching lessons is going better. I still have a lot of work to do on my Spanish. As for retention, I think its up to 50%. This is another reason why having members at lessons is so important. Preach My Gospel says that there are two types of concerns: doctrinal and social. We as missionaries are responsible for taking care of the doctrinal concerns, but members are responsible for taking care of the social concerns. Why is that? Oh, thanks for asking. I'll tell you why. It's because missionaries have no life. We are not normal. IE: We don't have to worry about school, work, money, politics, gas, cars, girls, etc. But members are the ones that can befriend, help, and work with our investigators. In all reality, if a convert of member goes inactive, it isn't the missionaries' fault. It's the ward's fault. That's why every member is a missionary.
We've also found some awesome investigators. One of them is set for baptism too. Her name is Linda. She's and older woman of 65 years. Her husband left her 20 years ago for another woman. She's diabetic, and her legs aren't doing well either. She's been humbled by the Lord. The first day that we met her, she told us that her goal is to join the church. She came to church last Sunday and boy did she enjoy it. The sisters in the ward were extremely supportive of her.
As for relations, we're doing really good with the obispo (bishop). It's really hard though to get the other auxiliaries active though, especially the relief society president. I think she gets mad at us ‘cuz we expect her to do her job.
Diane is taking the discussions? That's awesome!!!! I'm so flippin' happy for her! Shelby wrote me a letter not too long ago and told me that she's been bringing Diane to church too. I'm eager to know whether or not she's being baptized. She's got a good head on her shoulders. That's why I went out with her. :)
Amber and Russell????? WOW!!!! I totally didn't see THAT one coming. Russell and Amber are going to be great together. They’re both strong in the Gospel and they both are just great, all-around people. I'm uber excited for them. Randall Winters too. What’s his fiancé’s name?
Writing emails is getting a little harder now because we are using computers in a timed library.
I'll let you guys know the details on the Mother’s Day call later. Although I'd like to call when everyone is there, just know that it may not be that way. If the mission pres has rules as to when we can call, I'm going to follow them. Just remember, the more obedient I am, the more blessings YOU ALL receive.
Thank you (as always) for your love and support. I love you so please take care. Be safe, and be happy. I'm looking forward to the call home in a week.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
May 6th, 2010
I think it's nice that Royal and Elizabeth kind of named the new baby after you. You deserve it mom. Remember that I love you too.
Yes I did get the box. Thank you very much. I especially liked the wasabi peanuts. I love wasabi. I actually have a funny story about wasabi. As you may know, wasabi is green. Recently we went to a Chinese buffet. My companion found some "guacamole" and put a lot of it on his plate and then put some of the chicken in the "guac", took a bite, and the rest, as they say, is history. YIKES! what a surprise!
I am able to get most of the things that I need. I DO need some stamps though. And I think I might need my camelback canteen. It's already in the 90s, and it'll only get hotter.
I'm really excited that you got a new calling. I know that you'll do your best to fulfill your calling-- I'm glad you taught me to work hard. It's definitely paying off as a missionary.
Just to let you know what's going on. This Saturday is a baptism. Do you remember Carlitos (I don't remember if I told you about him) We were teaching him until they
re-zoned us. The elders who took that part of our area continued to teach him. Now he's getting baptized this Saturday and he asked me to baptize him. I feel honored.
Also, last night, a woman came up while we were at the church and asked us for a blessing. We went into a classroom and it was decided that I was to give the blessing (THANKFULLY it was in English). As I started to give the blessing, the words flowed from my mouth. I started to remember some of the words that I heard Dad say whenever he gave me blessings. I told her that Heavenly Father loves her and that he knows what she's going through (I didn't know squat about what was going on). I talked to her about the Atonement and how she can pray to receive help. I also told her to seek the scriptures and to talk to her family (her father was a bishop). I don't know what her problem was, but she started to cry as I began the blessing, and when I mentioned that her Father in Heaven loved her, she cried harder. The Spirit filled the room, and I could tell that what I was saying was what the Lord wanted me to say, and that it touched her heart. I'm grateful for the Priesthood, and also for the Holy Ghost, who told me what to say. Being an instrument in the Lord's hand is truly an amazing experience. Both the receiver and the giver of the service are edified, and testimonies are strengthened.
I try to respond to everyone. Is there someone that I didn't respond to? You need to tell me if you hear of someone I need to reply to. P-Day isn't as relaxing as some make it out to be. It can be, but because we have to take two other elders with us (they are on bike), I don't get as much time to write letters. We have shopping, cleaning, emails, laundry, and other things to do. It's EXTREMELY difficult to find the time to respond on time to the letters that I get. I try to keep up but things keep piling up, and I can't get them done. I'm not allowed to write letters on any other day than on P-Day, so I can't write at the end of the day when I have a little bit of spare time, before I go to bed
Oh! As for the plan on the phone call, I plan on calling at about 6:00 pm our time. The guidelines say that you should have what you want to talk about planned out. I don't know if I've ever planned out a phone conversation before but I've only got 40 minutes. It can be a little longer if needed, but nothing like 2 hours. I'm really excited to talk too.
I love you very much.
Con mucho Amor,
Elder Parker
p.s. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
May 13, 2010
It was really good to hear from you all on Sunday. Dad, I hope that the advice I gave you about member referrals and retention will help you out. Maybe a couple of trainings during stake meetings might help. Also, leave them with a commitment (the people at the meetings). Preach My Gospel says that "rarely, if ever, should you talk to someone without leaving them with a commitment." If you leave the people with a commitment, and follow up with the leaders on how well they are keeping it (or "if"), your results will be much better.
I loved your stories about the “Knights of Marlboro“ too. I think you should also tell Brice and Cian the stories about your childhood that you used to tell us (of course, change the names to "protect the innocent").
Oh! I got transferred yesterday. I'm in the Sunrise Zone now. I'm actually in a bike area too, so I'm pretty excited. The zone that I'm serving with in is pretty cool. I’m sorry to say that I need money to repair my bike. My bike chain is going, and my brakes are worn...... Let me know by next week if you can help.
I'm sorry this isn't too long. We have a member picking us up in a little bit, so I gotta hurry. This P-day didn't go as planned.
Love you all!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
PS: Mom, thanks for talking with Diane. :)
May 20th 2010
Before I begin, let me tell you that I'm sorry that the emails will be short. I was transferred to a bike area, so we have members to come and pick us up each P-day to do email and shopping. So if there are certain things that you'd like to know, make sure you ask questions.
I think it's interesting that you told Jotty that he should give a talk on how seminary preps for a mission, ‘cuz that's EXACTLY what I told him. I think it'd be good for some students to see a youth who is focused on serving and preparing for a mission. I don't think serving a mission is stressed enough in the stake.
Before I close, I'll share something that I've learned from the Book of Mormon. In my personal study, I've just finished up the book of Helaman. I noticed how bold Samuel the Lamanite was as he preached upon the wall. Just yesterday, we shared a scripture with a family whose son had just finished arguing with his girlfriend. We shared 3rd Nephi 11:27 with them and explained to them what contention was. We also explained to them the difference between contention and boldness. We explained that sometimes boldness may come across as being contentious, but when we are bold, we are loving, and we are trying to help people repent. If we are not bold, they will not recognize their mistakes, and if they don't recognize their mistakes, they won't repent and come unto Christ. Samuel the Lamanite was the perfect example of boldness. He didn't fear what man would do. He taught his message so that the people couldn't misunderstand what he was saying. Because he was bold, many people were reconverted to the Lord, and many people found the source of Salvation and everlasting happiness.
Once again, I'm sorry that this isn't too long. Know that I love you more than you think. Until next time, take care!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
May 27, 2010
Yeah Dad, I like the idea of the vertical thinking. I'm glad that we get that drilled in our heads as missionaries.
Something I forgot to tell you about. About a month ago, I ran into a "Sergeant" Richard. He was a homeless guy who fought in Vietnam. I told him about you and about Daniel and the whole experience. He started to get a little teary, then he said "Come here you little $%^%$! Gimme some!" He gave me a high five and pounded my fist. I thought is was funny. "Your dad is a great man." he said. He also said that he wanted me to give you a hug and a kiss from him. I think I'll skip the kiss, but when I get back, remember that my first hug is from me and the second one is from him OK?
Work is going better. We've got an interesting area. One of our investigators just got off probation, and two others are recently in trouble with the law. Interesting eh? What's even more interesting is that these three people are the most prepared to join the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be baptized.
As for my bike: I'm pretty sure that I can fix the bike myself. I'll see what I can do. Thank you for understanding.
Speaking of cameras, mine is actually going; however, one of the members in our ward is giving me her old one. They do a LOT for us. I want to bring you out here after my mission so you can meet some of these people. The members here are awesome! President Christensen is as well. I know I haven't mentioned much about him. I all can say is that he DEFINITELY has the spirit with him.
Well, I gotta go. I'll start thinking about spiritual experiences the day before. I'm sorry I'm not doing too good on reporting things. I'll do better. I love you very much. Take care and be happy!
Elder Parker
June 3rd, 2010
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm super excited for Diane and Kim. Kim's been writing me about the guy that she's dating. I made the prediction she’d be engaged soon. As for Diane, I'm way excited for her being able to be baptized. She kept her promise.
Wow..... were you at work or at the house when the car was broken into? Did you file a police report? That kind of makes me angry too. All they took was your Sirius radio? Stealing is pretty big here in Vegas too.
Oh, by the way: In the Sunrise area where I am, I'm actually a bike ride away from the temple. Well.... a long bike ride, but still a bike ride. I think I could get into biking, even when I get back home. I really enjoy it and it’s a great way to exercise. In fact, I learned a couple of tricks too. I tried riding a wheelie just yesterday. I got it really good, but then I fell backwards. Pretty funny actually. I just need a little more practice.
Things are going really good right now. It's a little hard getting LTMs, but we're still making progress. My Spanish is improving steadily. Also, we've been making progress with a girl named Arlene. She's a 17 year old mother who my companion and his previous companion contacted last transfer. To put a long story short, they knocked on her door, she answered, and now she's ready for baptism. It's been amazing to see her progress.
She's been reading and praying. She's also been coming to church. She's extremely diligent in keeping the commandments too. Just a couple days ago, she gave us her "sin box." for us to throw away. In it was a razor and the last of her cigarettes. She told us that she is serious about this, and that if she's going to do this, she's going to do this right. I kept thinking about what mom would say, "do it right, or don't do it at all" (at least I think I heard her say that). Arlene has also called us to keep from falling into temptation. She's ready for baptism now, but she's got one more problem that she needs to solve before we can give her a date. It's amazing to see the happiness that comes from changing from a "natural man" to a saint of Christ.
Well, that's all I have right now. I'm really enjoying serving in this area. I've met a lot of great people. Take care. Remember to keep a positive attitude and remember to take things one step at a time (that's one thing I'm learning out here on my mission). I love you lots!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
The Desert is getting hotter and hotter. It hit 95 a couple of days ago, but at night it is really nice.
Speaking of elders and being "green"; next week, I will officially not be green. Can you believe it? I'll have been gone for 6 months next week. The time is flying by so quickly. They say that once you hit your 1 year mark, the time goes by even faster.
Also, are you guys giving referrals to the missionaries? Gordon B. Hinckley said that mission work is most successful when the members are involved. When members accompany us to lessons, when they invite investigators to their houses, or when they refer their friends to the missionaries, baptisms rise. If you guys will pray during family prayer every night to know which of the friends are ready for the Gospel, God will let you know. As you become involved in missionary work, you'll find that things at home and in your personal lives will go a lot better. I promise you.
Teaching lessons is going better. I still have a lot of work to do on my Spanish. As for retention, I think its up to 50%. This is another reason why having members at lessons is so important. Preach My Gospel says that there are two types of concerns: doctrinal and social. We as missionaries are responsible for taking care of the doctrinal concerns, but members are responsible for taking care of the social concerns. Why is that? Oh, thanks for asking. I'll tell you why. It's because missionaries have no life. We are not normal. IE: We don't have to worry about school, work, money, politics, gas, cars, girls, etc. But members are the ones that can befriend, help, and work with our investigators. In all reality, if a convert of member goes inactive, it isn't the missionaries' fault. It's the ward's fault. That's why every member is a missionary.
We've also found some awesome investigators. One of them is set for baptism too. Her name is Linda. She's and older woman of 65 years. Her husband left her 20 years ago for another woman. She's diabetic, and her legs aren't doing well either. She's been humbled by the Lord. The first day that we met her, she told us that her goal is to join the church. She came to church last Sunday and boy did she enjoy it. The sisters in the ward were extremely supportive of her.
As for relations, we're doing really good with the obispo (bishop). It's really hard though to get the other auxiliaries active though, especially the relief society president. I think she gets mad at us ‘cuz we expect her to do her job.
Diane is taking the discussions? That's awesome!!!! I'm so flippin' happy for her! Shelby wrote me a letter not too long ago and told me that she's been bringing Diane to church too. I'm eager to know whether or not she's being baptized. She's got a good head on her shoulders. That's why I went out with her. :)
Amber and Russell????? WOW!!!! I totally didn't see THAT one coming. Russell and Amber are going to be great together. They’re both strong in the Gospel and they both are just great, all-around people. I'm uber excited for them. Randall Winters too. What’s his fiancé’s name?
Writing emails is getting a little harder now because we are using computers in a timed library.
I'll let you guys know the details on the Mother’s Day call later. Although I'd like to call when everyone is there, just know that it may not be that way. If the mission pres has rules as to when we can call, I'm going to follow them. Just remember, the more obedient I am, the more blessings YOU ALL receive.
Thank you (as always) for your love and support. I love you so please take care. Be safe, and be happy. I'm looking forward to the call home in a week.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
May 6th, 2010
I think it's nice that Royal and Elizabeth kind of named the new baby after you. You deserve it mom. Remember that I love you too.
Yes I did get the box. Thank you very much. I especially liked the wasabi peanuts. I love wasabi. I actually have a funny story about wasabi. As you may know, wasabi is green. Recently we went to a Chinese buffet. My companion found some "guacamole" and put a lot of it on his plate and then put some of the chicken in the "guac", took a bite, and the rest, as they say, is history. YIKES! what a surprise!
I am able to get most of the things that I need. I DO need some stamps though. And I think I might need my camelback canteen. It's already in the 90s, and it'll only get hotter.
I'm really excited that you got a new calling. I know that you'll do your best to fulfill your calling-- I'm glad you taught me to work hard. It's definitely paying off as a missionary.
Just to let you know what's going on. This Saturday is a baptism. Do you remember Carlitos (I don't remember if I told you about him) We were teaching him until they
re-zoned us. The elders who took that part of our area continued to teach him. Now he's getting baptized this Saturday and he asked me to baptize him. I feel honored.
Also, last night, a woman came up while we were at the church and asked us for a blessing. We went into a classroom and it was decided that I was to give the blessing (THANKFULLY it was in English). As I started to give the blessing, the words flowed from my mouth. I started to remember some of the words that I heard Dad say whenever he gave me blessings. I told her that Heavenly Father loves her and that he knows what she's going through (I didn't know squat about what was going on). I talked to her about the Atonement and how she can pray to receive help. I also told her to seek the scriptures and to talk to her family (her father was a bishop). I don't know what her problem was, but she started to cry as I began the blessing, and when I mentioned that her Father in Heaven loved her, she cried harder. The Spirit filled the room, and I could tell that what I was saying was what the Lord wanted me to say, and that it touched her heart. I'm grateful for the Priesthood, and also for the Holy Ghost, who told me what to say. Being an instrument in the Lord's hand is truly an amazing experience. Both the receiver and the giver of the service are edified, and testimonies are strengthened.
I try to respond to everyone. Is there someone that I didn't respond to? You need to tell me if you hear of someone I need to reply to. P-Day isn't as relaxing as some make it out to be. It can be, but because we have to take two other elders with us (they are on bike), I don't get as much time to write letters. We have shopping, cleaning, emails, laundry, and other things to do. It's EXTREMELY difficult to find the time to respond on time to the letters that I get. I try to keep up but things keep piling up, and I can't get them done. I'm not allowed to write letters on any other day than on P-Day, so I can't write at the end of the day when I have a little bit of spare time, before I go to bed
Oh! As for the plan on the phone call, I plan on calling at about 6:00 pm our time. The guidelines say that you should have what you want to talk about planned out. I don't know if I've ever planned out a phone conversation before but I've only got 40 minutes. It can be a little longer if needed, but nothing like 2 hours. I'm really excited to talk too.
I love you very much.
Con mucho Amor,
Elder Parker
p.s. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
May 13, 2010
It was really good to hear from you all on Sunday. Dad, I hope that the advice I gave you about member referrals and retention will help you out. Maybe a couple of trainings during stake meetings might help. Also, leave them with a commitment (the people at the meetings). Preach My Gospel says that "rarely, if ever, should you talk to someone without leaving them with a commitment." If you leave the people with a commitment, and follow up with the leaders on how well they are keeping it (or "if"), your results will be much better.
I loved your stories about the “Knights of Marlboro“ too. I think you should also tell Brice and Cian the stories about your childhood that you used to tell us (of course, change the names to "protect the innocent").
Oh! I got transferred yesterday. I'm in the Sunrise Zone now. I'm actually in a bike area too, so I'm pretty excited. The zone that I'm serving with in is pretty cool. I’m sorry to say that I need money to repair my bike. My bike chain is going, and my brakes are worn...... Let me know by next week if you can help.
I'm sorry this isn't too long. We have a member picking us up in a little bit, so I gotta hurry. This P-day didn't go as planned.
Love you all!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
PS: Mom, thanks for talking with Diane. :)
May 20th 2010
Before I begin, let me tell you that I'm sorry that the emails will be short. I was transferred to a bike area, so we have members to come and pick us up each P-day to do email and shopping. So if there are certain things that you'd like to know, make sure you ask questions.
I think it's interesting that you told Jotty that he should give a talk on how seminary preps for a mission, ‘cuz that's EXACTLY what I told him. I think it'd be good for some students to see a youth who is focused on serving and preparing for a mission. I don't think serving a mission is stressed enough in the stake.
Before I close, I'll share something that I've learned from the Book of Mormon. In my personal study, I've just finished up the book of Helaman. I noticed how bold Samuel the Lamanite was as he preached upon the wall. Just yesterday, we shared a scripture with a family whose son had just finished arguing with his girlfriend. We shared 3rd Nephi 11:27 with them and explained to them what contention was. We also explained to them the difference between contention and boldness. We explained that sometimes boldness may come across as being contentious, but when we are bold, we are loving, and we are trying to help people repent. If we are not bold, they will not recognize their mistakes, and if they don't recognize their mistakes, they won't repent and come unto Christ. Samuel the Lamanite was the perfect example of boldness. He didn't fear what man would do. He taught his message so that the people couldn't misunderstand what he was saying. Because he was bold, many people were reconverted to the Lord, and many people found the source of Salvation and everlasting happiness.
Once again, I'm sorry that this isn't too long. Know that I love you more than you think. Until next time, take care!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
May 27, 2010
Yeah Dad, I like the idea of the vertical thinking. I'm glad that we get that drilled in our heads as missionaries.
Something I forgot to tell you about. About a month ago, I ran into a "Sergeant" Richard. He was a homeless guy who fought in Vietnam. I told him about you and about Daniel and the whole experience. He started to get a little teary, then he said "Come here you little $%^%$! Gimme some!" He gave me a high five and pounded my fist. I thought is was funny. "Your dad is a great man." he said. He also said that he wanted me to give you a hug and a kiss from him. I think I'll skip the kiss, but when I get back, remember that my first hug is from me and the second one is from him OK?
Work is going better. We've got an interesting area. One of our investigators just got off probation, and two others are recently in trouble with the law. Interesting eh? What's even more interesting is that these three people are the most prepared to join the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be baptized.
As for my bike: I'm pretty sure that I can fix the bike myself. I'll see what I can do. Thank you for understanding.
Speaking of cameras, mine is actually going; however, one of the members in our ward is giving me her old one. They do a LOT for us. I want to bring you out here after my mission so you can meet some of these people. The members here are awesome! President Christensen is as well. I know I haven't mentioned much about him. I all can say is that he DEFINITELY has the spirit with him.
Well, I gotta go. I'll start thinking about spiritual experiences the day before. I'm sorry I'm not doing too good on reporting things. I'll do better. I love you very much. Take care and be happy!
Elder Parker
June 3rd, 2010
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm super excited for Diane and Kim. Kim's been writing me about the guy that she's dating. I made the prediction she’d be engaged soon. As for Diane, I'm way excited for her being able to be baptized. She kept her promise.
Wow..... were you at work or at the house when the car was broken into? Did you file a police report? That kind of makes me angry too. All they took was your Sirius radio? Stealing is pretty big here in Vegas too.
Oh, by the way: In the Sunrise area where I am, I'm actually a bike ride away from the temple. Well.... a long bike ride, but still a bike ride. I think I could get into biking, even when I get back home. I really enjoy it and it’s a great way to exercise. In fact, I learned a couple of tricks too. I tried riding a wheelie just yesterday. I got it really good, but then I fell backwards. Pretty funny actually. I just need a little more practice.
Things are going really good right now. It's a little hard getting LTMs, but we're still making progress. My Spanish is improving steadily. Also, we've been making progress with a girl named Arlene. She's a 17 year old mother who my companion and his previous companion contacted last transfer. To put a long story short, they knocked on her door, she answered, and now she's ready for baptism. It's been amazing to see her progress.
She's been reading and praying. She's also been coming to church. She's extremely diligent in keeping the commandments too. Just a couple days ago, she gave us her "sin box." for us to throw away. In it was a razor and the last of her cigarettes. She told us that she is serious about this, and that if she's going to do this, she's going to do this right. I kept thinking about what mom would say, "do it right, or don't do it at all" (at least I think I heard her say that). Arlene has also called us to keep from falling into temptation. She's ready for baptism now, but she's got one more problem that she needs to solve before we can give her a date. It's amazing to see the happiness that comes from changing from a "natural man" to a saint of Christ.
Well, that's all I have right now. I'm really enjoying serving in this area. I've met a lot of great people. Take care. Remember to keep a positive attitude and remember to take things one step at a time (that's one thing I'm learning out here on my mission). I love you lots!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Sunday, April 25, 2010
March and April letters (lots of update)
March 4th, 2010
Yes... I am journaling a lot. I’ve probably missed 7 days since I've left in November. It really does help me find a sense of identity. I can also track my progress too. If you ever hear someone (mainly teenagers) say that they are "trying to find myself" tell them to keep a journal… it helps.
I am in the same area, same apartment. My new companion, Elder Gonzalez, is awesome. I especially like how he tries to raise the bar every now and then. The other two baptisms, Carlos and Carlos Jr.,had to be postponed until March 27th. Do you remember Daniel (the husband of Gloria)? We set him for baptism on the 20th. I don't know what was different this time, but after a year of not listening, he decided to take the lessons. We're also planning on setting three others. Salamon (whom we found on the street) and Ramon and Rhonda. Ramon had been contacted in Boulder City 5years ago. Rhonda (who doesn't speak Spanish) studies religion. They have a baby boy (HUGE baby boy, not even two years old and he's bigger than Cian) named Elisha. She was barren, but through God, they were able to have Elisha. All three of those we’re teaching ask very good questions, and have a real interest to learn more. I just hope we can get them to make the changes.
Don't worry Dad, I'm getting fed quite well. The Hispanic culture has mastered the culinary arts!
I've heard about the earthquakes too. Revelations talks about terrible earthquakes in diverse places. It's starting to seem like more and more of the signs of the times are coming true.
Regarding that changed traffic sign you missed Dad…just another reminder that we ALWAYS have to pay attention: Kind of like in the gospel. We can't afford to miss a ‘raising of the bar’ in the standards, or let up just a little bit because we’ll allow Satan to pull the wool over our eyes.
I love you all and Mom, I miss our looooong midnight chats. You'd be happy to know though, that Pres. and Sis Christensen treat us like their own children, so I'm not parentless right now. Our zone conference on Tuesday was AMAZING!!! The topic was on revelation. You'd love Pres Christensen…he's extremely spiritual.
March 11th
It finally dawned on me that I've been gone for 4 months. I can still remember the day I entered the MTC as if it was yesterday. It's really bizarre how some days kind of drag, but the weeks seem to zoom by. It’s like time is going at two different speeds at the same time.
We use both car and bike. Surprisingly, my knee hasn't bothered me one bit while I've been bike riding. Either the surgery worked after all or it is one more way I have been blessed.
We had interviews with President Christensen yesterday, and he asked that I e-mail you something that we talked about: Yesterday, he asked me "What are three things you've learned on your mission so far?" I thought for about a minute. The first one I said was Sacrifice. I love in the hymn, "Praise to the Man" where it says that "sacrifice brings forth the blessing of heaven." I've found this to be true. Ever since I left, things seem to have been going good for all of the family and even for some of my friends. Mom, you were able to afford to fix your hearing aids. Amry took a stand for the standards of the Church. JaNae lost her job but that allowed her to take time to spend with the kids, and more time to study for her classes. Jotty’s friend has listened to gospel discussions and things have even been looking up for Diane--she's started family home evening in her house, her Dad let her apply to BYU, and he's let her start going to church. The more I sacrifice, the more blessings my loved ones have received.
The second thing I said was “obedience with exactness“. I've learned that in order for us to successfully serve the Lord, we need to be worthy to receive inspiration and revelation from the Spirit. In order to receive help from the Spirit, we need to be obedient. Every morning, we follow the schedule of exercise, personal study,breakfast, and companionship study “to the T“. We get up on time, and we leave on time. We plan every night, and we have weekly planning every Friday. We don't start anything late.We don't stay in bed until 6:31;we are up and out of bed by 6:30. We make sure that we study for at least one hour, nothing less. As we obey the morning schedule, and adhere to the other rules, we are open to the revelation and inspiration that the Lord has promised to give us,
thereby allowing us to fulfill the purposes of God in bringing his children, our brothers and sisters, to Him.
The third thing that I learned (and you'll like this one, mom) is the
importance of having a “positive mental attitude“. As I have tried my hardest to look on the bright side of things, I have been able to avoid anger and contention. Some of the drivers here are crazy, but I simply smile and say, "Maybe they're having a bad day." As I try to think about how I can improve myself and do better, I am able to have faith and confidence in myself so that the Lord can use me. It helps me to enjoy the time that I am out here. I wish that I could have learned this before I got out here. I wish I had listened to you Mom when you kept telling me to be happy. I'm sorry for not listening.
March 18th
Wow.. Brice is 7 and Cian is 5....... I'm getting old. Oh man! I'm gonna miss Daniel's baptism this year, and Brice's baptism next year. Darn.
Thanks for sending Dale's address. He is going to Mexico City, I'm pretty excited for him. Dale is a quiet example of kindness and obedience. Luckily, missionaries are allowed to e-mail each other. Can you get Stefanie's address too?
I’m glad you are taking the summer off Mom. Speaking of having summer off, did I tell you how hot it gets here in the summer? 110 degrees on a normal day. I'm hoping Pres. C. ships me off to Elko (the northern most part) for the summer. Of course, knowing how things sometime work, he might send me further south. Well, what's life without a little fun eh? Gotta keep a PMA (positive mental attitude). Pres Christensen told me that if I decide at the beginning of each day to be happy, that will help me out a lot, and it has.)
This last is an email from one of my MTC teachers that I thought you’d like:
“SABAHH IL-HEER Elderes y Hermanas (good morning in Arabic)
One thing that has pressed my mind the most this week (DC 128.1) is the question, what are we saving people from?
We are saving them from Babylon (or the world).
Here are some facts about the world:
Of the 6 billion people who live in the world right now, 4.5 billion live below the poverty line
25 million people are displaced by wars
50% of the world's countries are ruled by dictators
There are 300,000 child soldiers in the world
27 million people in the world are enslaved
854 million people are going hungry
1 million child will be sold into the sex trade this year.
Pornography is the largest hit on the internet
These are some things that we are saving people from. The fight is real. Our obedience to the covenants in the temple is what will set us apart as disciples of Jesus Christ and endow us with His power to represent Him in cleansing each other of sin and evil. As I have said before, moral men cannot not save this world; only a God can, and that God is Jesus Christ.
I sat in a class last Thursday while a visiting professor to the college said one offensive thing after another. One could see on their faces that the students were uncomfortable and offended. Yet, no one, not even the teacher said a thing. I finally raised my hand, countered his comments and he stopped. We spoke very fondly of each other after class. My point is, we must stand. Too many disciples stand by and merely squint at evil without taking a stand and combating it. STAND.
We are to represent Christ in fighting evil and sin. Roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches and co-servants in the faith. Have a good week.
Abrazo,
Hno Coles”
March 25th
First of all, Mom, I know you’re really busy from the costuming for Music Man so it’s okay that you didn’t get the email to me in time. I'll give you a quick update on what's been going on.
We aren't having any baptisms this transfer, and three people dropped getting baptized. I told dad about one named Luis. It's been pretty rough this transfer. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really helping out in the effort here…sometimes it seems like I'm more of a watcher than a doer.
I’ve lost a little weight, and hope to continue losing some more. I've been eating much healthier; I've been snacking on grapes and carrots and bananas. I've also eaten everything that the members feed us for dinner. The only thing I have declined was papaya, but I DID try it.
I'm still in the Paradise area in Las Vegas. I haven't transferred out since I arrived. Things went bad and good this past week. Good because we got a lot of work done. We got 16 lessons with member present (LTM) and 38 other lessons. We got one of our investigators to start coming to church and we finished teaching him all the lessons. His name is Salamon. He has a baptismal date for the 27th of April.
Now for the bad news. We got a new companionship in our district so now we have six instead of 4. That’s not a problem, but because they moved in, they had to rezone our area and we lost ALL of the investigators we had, including Salamon. We got to keep a couple but 98% now belong to the other Elders. Something our zone leader said gave me hope. He said that the "Lord has people prepared to hear the gospel in this area" and that made me think: our area isn't new, it's just smaller. We never focused much in this area because it was farther away than the other parts. Maybe this is the Lord's way of saying, "You've done enough in this part. Let the other elders take care of the rest. I want YOU to work in this area that you've been ignoring. I've got some people prepared. So go and find them my son."
My Spanish is coming along better. My companion, Elder Gonzalez, speaks Spanish much clearer than my first companion, so I'm understanding a little better. When I return, I will gladly start accompanying you to work to help you out Dad. Maybe I could get a part time job as a translator. I know my old boss would want me back too because he has several Hispanics working for him.
I love you very much and miss you too. Luckily, Pres Christensen has been a great help to me in helping me overcome my trials. He and his wife remind me a lot of you, because they’ve told me some things that you've both told me before. BUT, they don't replace either of you.
April 8th
I'm pretty jealous that the family there gets to see “The Music Man“. I also think its great that they have started community theater in Enterprise. I’m sure Jotty's doing great in it, and that mom is doing a good job too. She’s always done a marvelous job with sewing and costuming. 9,000 yards of thread? Wow....... have you done more costuming before or is this your record? Hope someone did a video of it. I have been EXTREMELY jealous that you guys get to do this, but I'm happy that you’re having fun.
I got to see all the sessions of General Conference. It was amazing, but taking notes made it even better. Elder Holland's, and Elder Oaks's talks and Elder Bednar's talk on helping your children recognize spiritual warnings were the ones that stuck out to me. I like how Pres. Monson talked about the hope we have for the resurrection. All in all, it was a great conference. I enjoy conference and understand more since I came out on my mission.
I noticed also that a lot of it was focused on family and the duties of the parents. While I thought that that was nice, I noticed that the conference also focused on missionary work. In a different way, we missionaries are the "parents" of our investigators. It is our responsibility to nurture them in the Good Word of God. It is our responsibility to tell them that we KNOW that the Gospel is true. It is our responsibility to give them blessings when they need it. They are infants in the Gospel, and without our help (and the help of members--they play a key role) our investigators will be swallowed up in the evils of contemporary society and spiritually die. Indeed, this conference was a conference for the parents; parents of children and investigators.
Regarding your comment about the New Testament; the New Testament is hard to understand because the culture is extremely different. Many comparisons were made with the culture and customs of ancient Jerusalem. Institute and seminary manuals are a God-send for understanding it better. The apostle Paul’s teachings are some of the best.
It’s interesting how children tend to say things that are either really funny, or really profound. Not too long ago, my companion and I were at a family home evening with a new member. She held up a picture of Christ and the little children and asked "Why are the little children looking at Jesus?" Her 6 year old son said "‘Cuz they want Him to make them better." I immediately thought, wow.......why do we look at Jesus? Are we even looking at Him? Are we anxiously studying his words and looking towards His example? We look to Jesus so that He can make us better, so that He can comfort us, and so that He can teach us how to be happy in this life, how to be like Him.
April 15th
I’m kind of bummed this week. I think I told you that they split our area. The area we have is middle class, and there aren't too many Hispanics here. We went knocking doors yesterday for two hours, and not one new investigator. I'm not enjoying it too much. The joy I feel is when we actually get results, and we aren't getting any. When I get back at our apartment, I feel tired and stressed. I'm not sure what we are doing wrong…we're working our butts off, but to no avail. Not that I am going to stop working, but I'm not sure of what else we need to do. I'm sorry for being a little depressed. I'm trying to be positive, but when we review at the end of the day, sometimes it 's really hard to stay positive. Thanks for reminding me about P.M.A. Sorry for complaining. Thanks for continuing to love and support me. Despite the hardships, I'm glad that I'm here serving the Lord.
My health is going good. I'm sleeping better now, and I'm eating a LOT healthier (wish I had done that back home). I’ve come up with some rules I'm going to follow to keep my eating habits in check. We are riding bikes, so I'm getting my exercise in as well.
Speaking of the kids that go wayward, I'm glad that you were a mother who taught us to obey the gospel, and that you did what you could, even if it DID tick us off, to keep us in the right path. I wouldn't have come on a mission if you hadn't taught me like you did. Thank you again for being a wicked awesome mother!
April 22nd
I don't have much time on this timed computer; but know that things are going much better! In the past week, we've been able to renew our resolve and we've found more investigators to teach. We had interviews with Pres. C, and I told him that I think I had started to focus on numbers instead of people. I think that is why we weren't able to do so well. But no matter, that's in the past. We have found some people to teach, and we are going to work.
In response to your question about teaching investigators: if they want to gain a testimony about the restoration and about Joseph Smith, they need to PRAY. They need to be taught what the fruits of the spirit are. There's a scripture in John that says that if we REALLY want to know if the doctrine and laws are of God, we need to DO them. I.E.: If I want to gain a testimony about the word of wisdom, I have to pray AND follow it. My testimony comes from my actions. I know that all these things are true because I have read and done them and seen the blessings that come from it. As you and Mom have strived to live the Gospel, I have seen how it has blessed you and the family. Prayer is just one of the actions we can do to know if this Gospel is true.
Oh yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOTTY!
While I do miss you all, I know that this is where I need to be. This IS the best thing I can do for myself, my family, and the people here. Please pray that I will be able to teach and touch the heart, and that I won't be a burden to my companion and district. I love you!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Yes... I am journaling a lot. I’ve probably missed 7 days since I've left in November. It really does help me find a sense of identity. I can also track my progress too. If you ever hear someone (mainly teenagers) say that they are "trying to find myself" tell them to keep a journal… it helps.
I am in the same area, same apartment. My new companion, Elder Gonzalez, is awesome. I especially like how he tries to raise the bar every now and then. The other two baptisms, Carlos and Carlos Jr.,had to be postponed until March 27th. Do you remember Daniel (the husband of Gloria)? We set him for baptism on the 20th. I don't know what was different this time, but after a year of not listening, he decided to take the lessons. We're also planning on setting three others. Salamon (whom we found on the street) and Ramon and Rhonda. Ramon had been contacted in Boulder City 5years ago. Rhonda (who doesn't speak Spanish) studies religion. They have a baby boy (HUGE baby boy, not even two years old and he's bigger than Cian) named Elisha. She was barren, but through God, they were able to have Elisha. All three of those we’re teaching ask very good questions, and have a real interest to learn more. I just hope we can get them to make the changes.
Don't worry Dad, I'm getting fed quite well. The Hispanic culture has mastered the culinary arts!
I've heard about the earthquakes too. Revelations talks about terrible earthquakes in diverse places. It's starting to seem like more and more of the signs of the times are coming true.
Regarding that changed traffic sign you missed Dad…just another reminder that we ALWAYS have to pay attention: Kind of like in the gospel. We can't afford to miss a ‘raising of the bar’ in the standards, or let up just a little bit because we’ll allow Satan to pull the wool over our eyes.
I love you all and Mom, I miss our looooong midnight chats. You'd be happy to know though, that Pres. and Sis Christensen treat us like their own children, so I'm not parentless right now. Our zone conference on Tuesday was AMAZING!!! The topic was on revelation. You'd love Pres Christensen…he's extremely spiritual.
March 11th
It finally dawned on me that I've been gone for 4 months. I can still remember the day I entered the MTC as if it was yesterday. It's really bizarre how some days kind of drag, but the weeks seem to zoom by. It’s like time is going at two different speeds at the same time.
We use both car and bike. Surprisingly, my knee hasn't bothered me one bit while I've been bike riding. Either the surgery worked after all or it is one more way I have been blessed.
We had interviews with President Christensen yesterday, and he asked that I e-mail you something that we talked about: Yesterday, he asked me "What are three things you've learned on your mission so far?" I thought for about a minute. The first one I said was Sacrifice. I love in the hymn, "Praise to the Man" where it says that "sacrifice brings forth the blessing of heaven." I've found this to be true. Ever since I left, things seem to have been going good for all of the family and even for some of my friends. Mom, you were able to afford to fix your hearing aids. Amry took a stand for the standards of the Church. JaNae lost her job but that allowed her to take time to spend with the kids, and more time to study for her classes. Jotty’s friend has listened to gospel discussions and things have even been looking up for Diane--she's started family home evening in her house, her Dad let her apply to BYU, and he's let her start going to church. The more I sacrifice, the more blessings my loved ones have received.
The second thing I said was “obedience with exactness“. I've learned that in order for us to successfully serve the Lord, we need to be worthy to receive inspiration and revelation from the Spirit. In order to receive help from the Spirit, we need to be obedient. Every morning, we follow the schedule of exercise, personal study,breakfast, and companionship study “to the T“. We get up on time, and we leave on time. We plan every night, and we have weekly planning every Friday. We don't start anything late.We don't stay in bed until 6:31;we are up and out of bed by 6:30. We make sure that we study for at least one hour, nothing less. As we obey the morning schedule, and adhere to the other rules, we are open to the revelation and inspiration that the Lord has promised to give us,
thereby allowing us to fulfill the purposes of God in bringing his children, our brothers and sisters, to Him.
The third thing that I learned (and you'll like this one, mom) is the
importance of having a “positive mental attitude“. As I have tried my hardest to look on the bright side of things, I have been able to avoid anger and contention. Some of the drivers here are crazy, but I simply smile and say, "Maybe they're having a bad day." As I try to think about how I can improve myself and do better, I am able to have faith and confidence in myself so that the Lord can use me. It helps me to enjoy the time that I am out here. I wish that I could have learned this before I got out here. I wish I had listened to you Mom when you kept telling me to be happy. I'm sorry for not listening.
March 18th
Wow.. Brice is 7 and Cian is 5....... I'm getting old. Oh man! I'm gonna miss Daniel's baptism this year, and Brice's baptism next year. Darn.
Thanks for sending Dale's address. He is going to Mexico City, I'm pretty excited for him. Dale is a quiet example of kindness and obedience. Luckily, missionaries are allowed to e-mail each other. Can you get Stefanie's address too?
I’m glad you are taking the summer off Mom. Speaking of having summer off, did I tell you how hot it gets here in the summer? 110 degrees on a normal day. I'm hoping Pres. C. ships me off to Elko (the northern most part) for the summer. Of course, knowing how things sometime work, he might send me further south. Well, what's life without a little fun eh? Gotta keep a PMA (positive mental attitude). Pres Christensen told me that if I decide at the beginning of each day to be happy, that will help me out a lot, and it has.)
This last is an email from one of my MTC teachers that I thought you’d like:
“SABAHH IL-HEER Elderes y Hermanas (good morning in Arabic)
One thing that has pressed my mind the most this week (DC 128.1) is the question, what are we saving people from?
We are saving them from Babylon (or the world).
Here are some facts about the world:
Of the 6 billion people who live in the world right now, 4.5 billion live below the poverty line
25 million people are displaced by wars
50% of the world's countries are ruled by dictators
There are 300,000 child soldiers in the world
27 million people in the world are enslaved
854 million people are going hungry
1 million child will be sold into the sex trade this year.
Pornography is the largest hit on the internet
These are some things that we are saving people from. The fight is real. Our obedience to the covenants in the temple is what will set us apart as disciples of Jesus Christ and endow us with His power to represent Him in cleansing each other of sin and evil. As I have said before, moral men cannot not save this world; only a God can, and that God is Jesus Christ.
I sat in a class last Thursday while a visiting professor to the college said one offensive thing after another. One could see on their faces that the students were uncomfortable and offended. Yet, no one, not even the teacher said a thing. I finally raised my hand, countered his comments and he stopped. We spoke very fondly of each other after class. My point is, we must stand. Too many disciples stand by and merely squint at evil without taking a stand and combating it. STAND.
We are to represent Christ in fighting evil and sin. Roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches and co-servants in the faith. Have a good week.
Abrazo,
Hno Coles”
March 25th
First of all, Mom, I know you’re really busy from the costuming for Music Man so it’s okay that you didn’t get the email to me in time. I'll give you a quick update on what's been going on.
We aren't having any baptisms this transfer, and three people dropped getting baptized. I told dad about one named Luis. It's been pretty rough this transfer. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really helping out in the effort here…sometimes it seems like I'm more of a watcher than a doer.
I’ve lost a little weight, and hope to continue losing some more. I've been eating much healthier; I've been snacking on grapes and carrots and bananas. I've also eaten everything that the members feed us for dinner. The only thing I have declined was papaya, but I DID try it.
I'm still in the Paradise area in Las Vegas. I haven't transferred out since I arrived. Things went bad and good this past week. Good because we got a lot of work done. We got 16 lessons with member present (LTM) and 38 other lessons. We got one of our investigators to start coming to church and we finished teaching him all the lessons. His name is Salamon. He has a baptismal date for the 27th of April.
Now for the bad news. We got a new companionship in our district so now we have six instead of 4. That’s not a problem, but because they moved in, they had to rezone our area and we lost ALL of the investigators we had, including Salamon. We got to keep a couple but 98% now belong to the other Elders. Something our zone leader said gave me hope. He said that the "Lord has people prepared to hear the gospel in this area" and that made me think: our area isn't new, it's just smaller. We never focused much in this area because it was farther away than the other parts. Maybe this is the Lord's way of saying, "You've done enough in this part. Let the other elders take care of the rest. I want YOU to work in this area that you've been ignoring. I've got some people prepared. So go and find them my son."
My Spanish is coming along better. My companion, Elder Gonzalez, speaks Spanish much clearer than my first companion, so I'm understanding a little better. When I return, I will gladly start accompanying you to work to help you out Dad. Maybe I could get a part time job as a translator. I know my old boss would want me back too because he has several Hispanics working for him.
I love you very much and miss you too. Luckily, Pres Christensen has been a great help to me in helping me overcome my trials. He and his wife remind me a lot of you, because they’ve told me some things that you've both told me before. BUT, they don't replace either of you.
April 8th
I'm pretty jealous that the family there gets to see “The Music Man“. I also think its great that they have started community theater in Enterprise. I’m sure Jotty's doing great in it, and that mom is doing a good job too. She’s always done a marvelous job with sewing and costuming. 9,000 yards of thread? Wow....... have you done more costuming before or is this your record? Hope someone did a video of it. I have been EXTREMELY jealous that you guys get to do this, but I'm happy that you’re having fun.
I got to see all the sessions of General Conference. It was amazing, but taking notes made it even better. Elder Holland's, and Elder Oaks's talks and Elder Bednar's talk on helping your children recognize spiritual warnings were the ones that stuck out to me. I like how Pres. Monson talked about the hope we have for the resurrection. All in all, it was a great conference. I enjoy conference and understand more since I came out on my mission.
I noticed also that a lot of it was focused on family and the duties of the parents. While I thought that that was nice, I noticed that the conference also focused on missionary work. In a different way, we missionaries are the "parents" of our investigators. It is our responsibility to nurture them in the Good Word of God. It is our responsibility to tell them that we KNOW that the Gospel is true. It is our responsibility to give them blessings when they need it. They are infants in the Gospel, and without our help (and the help of members--they play a key role) our investigators will be swallowed up in the evils of contemporary society and spiritually die. Indeed, this conference was a conference for the parents; parents of children and investigators.
Regarding your comment about the New Testament; the New Testament is hard to understand because the culture is extremely different. Many comparisons were made with the culture and customs of ancient Jerusalem. Institute and seminary manuals are a God-send for understanding it better. The apostle Paul’s teachings are some of the best.
It’s interesting how children tend to say things that are either really funny, or really profound. Not too long ago, my companion and I were at a family home evening with a new member. She held up a picture of Christ and the little children and asked "Why are the little children looking at Jesus?" Her 6 year old son said "‘Cuz they want Him to make them better." I immediately thought, wow.......why do we look at Jesus? Are we even looking at Him? Are we anxiously studying his words and looking towards His example? We look to Jesus so that He can make us better, so that He can comfort us, and so that He can teach us how to be happy in this life, how to be like Him.
April 15th
I’m kind of bummed this week. I think I told you that they split our area. The area we have is middle class, and there aren't too many Hispanics here. We went knocking doors yesterday for two hours, and not one new investigator. I'm not enjoying it too much. The joy I feel is when we actually get results, and we aren't getting any. When I get back at our apartment, I feel tired and stressed. I'm not sure what we are doing wrong…we're working our butts off, but to no avail. Not that I am going to stop working, but I'm not sure of what else we need to do. I'm sorry for being a little depressed. I'm trying to be positive, but when we review at the end of the day, sometimes it 's really hard to stay positive. Thanks for reminding me about P.M.A. Sorry for complaining. Thanks for continuing to love and support me. Despite the hardships, I'm glad that I'm here serving the Lord.
My health is going good. I'm sleeping better now, and I'm eating a LOT healthier (wish I had done that back home). I’ve come up with some rules I'm going to follow to keep my eating habits in check. We are riding bikes, so I'm getting my exercise in as well.
Speaking of the kids that go wayward, I'm glad that you were a mother who taught us to obey the gospel, and that you did what you could, even if it DID tick us off, to keep us in the right path. I wouldn't have come on a mission if you hadn't taught me like you did. Thank you again for being a wicked awesome mother!
April 22nd
I don't have much time on this timed computer; but know that things are going much better! In the past week, we've been able to renew our resolve and we've found more investigators to teach. We had interviews with Pres. C, and I told him that I think I had started to focus on numbers instead of people. I think that is why we weren't able to do so well. But no matter, that's in the past. We have found some people to teach, and we are going to work.
In response to your question about teaching investigators: if they want to gain a testimony about the restoration and about Joseph Smith, they need to PRAY. They need to be taught what the fruits of the spirit are. There's a scripture in John that says that if we REALLY want to know if the doctrine and laws are of God, we need to DO them. I.E.: If I want to gain a testimony about the word of wisdom, I have to pray AND follow it. My testimony comes from my actions. I know that all these things are true because I have read and done them and seen the blessings that come from it. As you and Mom have strived to live the Gospel, I have seen how it has blessed you and the family. Prayer is just one of the actions we can do to know if this Gospel is true.
Oh yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOTTY!
While I do miss you all, I know that this is where I need to be. This IS the best thing I can do for myself, my family, and the people here. Please pray that I will be able to teach and touch the heart, and that I won't be a burden to my companion and district. I love you!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Attack and Analogy
Dear Family,
Yes, I got the package. I introduced two Elders to the boiled peanuts and they both like them.
Thanks for supporting Jotty. He really IS changing. He's got a fantastic spirit and I don't think he's ever been this happy in his life. I'm glad he likes teaching with the Elders.
Enterprise ward had 4 convert baptisms in a month?...wow. I don't think that's ever
happened since I've been there. The missionaries there must be fearsome. Jotty says that he's becoming good friends with them.
Give Bro. Flowers my condolences if it's not too late. I didn't know his son Darell that well, but I definitely loved the Spirit he brought into the room.
Jotty told me about the Rifle Competition in Ohio. It seems like he had fun. I still wish we had gone to Daytona my senior year, but I think it's good that we didn't because I would've been so busy prepping that I would've ignored other things I needed to do. Maybe it was a blessing after all.
No, I don't print up the e-mails here. There's no time limit, so I can take time to read and think about what I want to say. I still try to stay on for only an hour-- maybe a little more. The rules say it's a guideline, not a limit.
Mom, I'm really glad that you're working on family history. I wondering though ... when you've gone so far back on both sides...will there be anything left for me to do? Maybe I'll marry a convert, then I'll work on hers. heh heh.
We're not supposed to get into politics as missionaries, but if you want to send some jokes, it'll be OK. I like the inspirational quotes you sent me.
Quick experience: Just yesterday, we were talking with a lady on the sidewalk. Out of nowhere, this other woman parks her car right next to us, gets out, and starts to "warn" the lady that we were talking to about the "evil, cultist Mormons." She went on for 15 minutes, yelling, cussing, insulting; she told me to shut up when I
asked if we could talk for just one minute,and she reared back to hit my companion when he tried to give the other woman(to whom we were initially talking)a card with our number on it. She claimed that we had a veil put over our eyes, and that we were anti-Christs. When she finished, she got in her car and drove off, still threatening to bring us down, continuing to yell at us while she drove off. Christ wasn't lying when he said that the "Spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil." She wasn't there to warn this lady, she was there to bring us down. But my companion and I rose above the attack, as we heeded to the spirit and decided to let her talk. We didn't argue, and we smiled at her and waved as she drove off. Because we did that, the Spirit of the Lord did not leave us, and in fact, gave us more strength for the rest of the day. We were filled with new resolve, because we knew that Satan noticed us, and he decided to pay special attention to us to discourage us. But if we
rely on the kind, peaceful, yet bold and powerful, Spirit of the Lord,all things are made possible.
Dad, I love the Archie Moore boxing analogy. I know that if we (missionaries) stay down and don't get back up, it's over. Period. No "extra lives" or "save and quit"; can't go back to our body and pick up our old loot like a video game. It's over. If I may, I'd like to add to the analogy...something I learned in the MTC: One of Satan's greatest tools (besides fear, pride, and pornography) is discouragement. Have you ever noticed what happens when a boxer finds an open wound on his opponent? He concentrates on that area, trying to make the wound bigger, until it gets to the point that the opponent can't focus because the pain is too great. Satan too, is looking for the cuts and scratches on our soul, and if he finds them, he's going to dig in and make it bigger. We cannot doubt ourselves. The Lord has called us to do "a great and marvelous work," and we can't do it if we don't have faith in ourselves. So we need to protect these scratches and let them heal.
Also, some people may think, "Oh...it's OK that I like to listen to this music with suggestive lyrics. I don't look at porn, I have high standards in dating, I don't talk dirty, I'm not gonna have sex until I'm married. I'm pretty good. This music is just a small thing. Maybe I'll change later." He's right. It is a small thing. But a small cut that Satan will find, and will attack until it's a gaping hole. No matter how small the cut is, Satan will find it and will bring us down if
we're not careful.
Oh yeah, thanks for the hot sauce you sent. I finished it up this morning, so now I'm using tapatio sauce. It's pretty popular out here...so is a type called Valentina's -- pretty good stuff if I do say so myself.
Thanks again for your love, support and prayers. I love you all very much and yes, I miss you, but it is wicked awesome out here!!!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Yes, I got the package. I introduced two Elders to the boiled peanuts and they both like them.
Thanks for supporting Jotty. He really IS changing. He's got a fantastic spirit and I don't think he's ever been this happy in his life. I'm glad he likes teaching with the Elders.
Enterprise ward had 4 convert baptisms in a month?...wow. I don't think that's ever
happened since I've been there. The missionaries there must be fearsome. Jotty says that he's becoming good friends with them.
Give Bro. Flowers my condolences if it's not too late. I didn't know his son Darell that well, but I definitely loved the Spirit he brought into the room.
Jotty told me about the Rifle Competition in Ohio. It seems like he had fun. I still wish we had gone to Daytona my senior year, but I think it's good that we didn't because I would've been so busy prepping that I would've ignored other things I needed to do. Maybe it was a blessing after all.
No, I don't print up the e-mails here. There's no time limit, so I can take time to read and think about what I want to say. I still try to stay on for only an hour-- maybe a little more. The rules say it's a guideline, not a limit.
Mom, I'm really glad that you're working on family history. I wondering though ... when you've gone so far back on both sides...will there be anything left for me to do? Maybe I'll marry a convert, then I'll work on hers. heh heh.
We're not supposed to get into politics as missionaries, but if you want to send some jokes, it'll be OK. I like the inspirational quotes you sent me.
Quick experience: Just yesterday, we were talking with a lady on the sidewalk. Out of nowhere, this other woman parks her car right next to us, gets out, and starts to "warn" the lady that we were talking to about the "evil, cultist Mormons." She went on for 15 minutes, yelling, cussing, insulting; she told me to shut up when I
asked if we could talk for just one minute,and she reared back to hit my companion when he tried to give the other woman(to whom we were initially talking)a card with our number on it. She claimed that we had a veil put over our eyes, and that we were anti-Christs. When she finished, she got in her car and drove off, still threatening to bring us down, continuing to yell at us while she drove off. Christ wasn't lying when he said that the "Spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil." She wasn't there to warn this lady, she was there to bring us down. But my companion and I rose above the attack, as we heeded to the spirit and decided to let her talk. We didn't argue, and we smiled at her and waved as she drove off. Because we did that, the Spirit of the Lord did not leave us, and in fact, gave us more strength for the rest of the day. We were filled with new resolve, because we knew that Satan noticed us, and he decided to pay special attention to us to discourage us. But if we
rely on the kind, peaceful, yet bold and powerful, Spirit of the Lord,all things are made possible.
Dad, I love the Archie Moore boxing analogy. I know that if we (missionaries) stay down and don't get back up, it's over. Period. No "extra lives" or "save and quit"; can't go back to our body and pick up our old loot like a video game. It's over. If I may, I'd like to add to the analogy...something I learned in the MTC: One of Satan's greatest tools (besides fear, pride, and pornography) is discouragement. Have you ever noticed what happens when a boxer finds an open wound on his opponent? He concentrates on that area, trying to make the wound bigger, until it gets to the point that the opponent can't focus because the pain is too great. Satan too, is looking for the cuts and scratches on our soul, and if he finds them, he's going to dig in and make it bigger. We cannot doubt ourselves. The Lord has called us to do "a great and marvelous work," and we can't do it if we don't have faith in ourselves. So we need to protect these scratches and let them heal.
Also, some people may think, "Oh...it's OK that I like to listen to this music with suggestive lyrics. I don't look at porn, I have high standards in dating, I don't talk dirty, I'm not gonna have sex until I'm married. I'm pretty good. This music is just a small thing. Maybe I'll change later." He's right. It is a small thing. But a small cut that Satan will find, and will attack until it's a gaping hole. No matter how small the cut is, Satan will find it and will bring us down if
we're not careful.
Oh yeah, thanks for the hot sauce you sent. I finished it up this morning, so now I'm using tapatio sauce. It's pretty popular out here...so is a type called Valentina's -- pretty good stuff if I do say so myself.
Thanks again for your love, support and prayers. I love you all very much and yes, I miss you, but it is wicked awesome out here!!!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Second transfer, new companion
Dear Mom and Dad,
Notice that my new e-mail account is miles.parker@myldsmail.net .The Church had to update the myldsmail site so my address changed.
Can you send my other journal? I finished my first one a week or two ago.
Dinners here are amazing. Everyone in the ward can
cook. I never knew that Mexican cuisine could be THIS good!
Weather here is pretty hot--the coldest its' gotten is in the 40s. I am in the desert though. They say in the summer, it easily hits 115 degrees. The cool thing is that the shade actually works. You CAN feel a difference as you walk into the shadows of walls, buildings, and the occasional tree. We had transfers this past Tuesday and Elder Couoh has gone back home to Mexico. My new companion is Elder Gonzalez. He is AMAZING! He's a convert of only two years, and his teaching and testimony are fantastic!
Well, I'm now starting my second transfer. I don't know if you heard, but we had our first baptism last Friday. We're working on two more. The problem isn't that they don't want to be baptized, the problem is that they want to be baptized this transfer. Let me fill you in on this mission. The Nevada Las Vegas mission is the highest baptizing mission in the US (next to Salt Lake) and is also in the top 90% in the world. You wanna know how we do it? LTMs (Lessons Taught with a Member present). This has been the key to our success. Last year, the NLV mission had 1100 baptisms. This is made possible through an increased focus on members present when teaching investigators. It is a good help to the investigators. Also, Preach My Gospel is a very good source. I would exhort you to use it. Start reading it as a family if you haven't yet. It's a fantastic guide to helping us understand the importance of doing missionary work, and also how to do it. Pres. Christensen is an inspired man and I can feel his Spirit strongly.
So here's my spiritual thought. Do you remember Cristina Mendoza--the one who lived with all sorts of people of bad influence? Well, we baptized her last week and she's doing fantastic. She's really happy in her new home, away from the bad influences. She's got a wonderful spirit, which actually brings me to my thought:
We went back to her old place to teach her friend who still lived there. I have to say, I did NOT feel good. When I entered the apartment, I got this awful feeling of bitterness, coldness, and anger. This goes to prove that people, when worthy, can become vessels for the Spirit. Even though the TV was always on,kids running around, and the grouchy old Cuban lady kept yelling every now and then;...when Cristina was in the house, there was a Spirit of hope, love, and peace that presided amidst the chaos.
That's why it's important to live right and be worthy. Not just for ourselves,but for the sake of our homes and families as well.
The reason why emails have been short(despite the whole hour that I have) is because I only have one hour to email all of you, and Pres. Christensen. The computer isn't timed, but I'm trying to be obedient...that's the key to having the spirit with you. I also know that you guys will be blessed if I am obedient as well.
I love you all very much. You are in my prayers.
Thank you for your love and support. Cuidate!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
Notice that my new e-mail account is miles.parker@myldsmail.net .The Church had to update the myldsmail site so my address changed.
Can you send my other journal? I finished my first one a week or two ago.
Dinners here are amazing. Everyone in the ward can
cook. I never knew that Mexican cuisine could be THIS good!
Weather here is pretty hot--the coldest its' gotten is in the 40s. I am in the desert though. They say in the summer, it easily hits 115 degrees. The cool thing is that the shade actually works. You CAN feel a difference as you walk into the shadows of walls, buildings, and the occasional tree. We had transfers this past Tuesday and Elder Couoh has gone back home to Mexico. My new companion is Elder Gonzalez. He is AMAZING! He's a convert of only two years, and his teaching and testimony are fantastic!
Well, I'm now starting my second transfer. I don't know if you heard, but we had our first baptism last Friday. We're working on two more. The problem isn't that they don't want to be baptized, the problem is that they want to be baptized this transfer. Let me fill you in on this mission. The Nevada Las Vegas mission is the highest baptizing mission in the US (next to Salt Lake) and is also in the top 90% in the world. You wanna know how we do it? LTMs (Lessons Taught with a Member present). This has been the key to our success. Last year, the NLV mission had 1100 baptisms. This is made possible through an increased focus on members present when teaching investigators. It is a good help to the investigators. Also, Preach My Gospel is a very good source. I would exhort you to use it. Start reading it as a family if you haven't yet. It's a fantastic guide to helping us understand the importance of doing missionary work, and also how to do it. Pres. Christensen is an inspired man and I can feel his Spirit strongly.
So here's my spiritual thought. Do you remember Cristina Mendoza--the one who lived with all sorts of people of bad influence? Well, we baptized her last week and she's doing fantastic. She's really happy in her new home, away from the bad influences. She's got a wonderful spirit, which actually brings me to my thought:
We went back to her old place to teach her friend who still lived there. I have to say, I did NOT feel good. When I entered the apartment, I got this awful feeling of bitterness, coldness, and anger. This goes to prove that people, when worthy, can become vessels for the Spirit. Even though the TV was always on,kids running around, and the grouchy old Cuban lady kept yelling every now and then;...when Cristina was in the house, there was a Spirit of hope, love, and peace that presided amidst the chaos.
That's why it's important to live right and be worthy. Not just for ourselves,but for the sake of our homes and families as well.
The reason why emails have been short(despite the whole hour that I have) is because I only have one hour to email all of you, and Pres. Christensen. The computer isn't timed, but I'm trying to be obedient...that's the key to having the spirit with you. I also know that you guys will be blessed if I am obedient as well.
I love you all very much. You are in my prayers.
Thank you for your love and support. Cuidate!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker
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