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