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
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