Don't have much time right now so I'll make this quick.

You got it on the first try Mom...Elder Foote and I both have Tourette's Syndrome.
I don't know if Elder Foote takes meds for his Tourette's--I never asked him. Yes, he was in the MTC with me.

I'm really sorry to hear about Bro. McClean. I think he did miss his wife--he changed a lot after her death. Hopefully he is happy right now.

A quick spiritual experience: We finished visiting a less active family and had a little extra time, so we needed something to do. I suggested that we go to the house of one of our investigators (who is set for baptism) to see how she is doing. When we got there, she told us how her friend has been very evil to her lately and had been calling her a "bruja" (witch). Then a man came in to talk to someone else that lives there (she doesn't own the house), and started talking very obscenely and grossly. She started to get upset and frustrated, which led later to tears. Elder Couoh started to comfort her and shared a scripture with her. After a little more talk and support, we left. Elder Couoh said that we were there at the right moment. She needed that support. If we weren't there, we wouldn't have known how bad her condition was at home. The people that live around her are bad influences, and she's trying to be faithful. Through combined efforts with the Bishop and Relief Society, we found her somewhere else to live. She has been an amazing example to me, and has showed an incredible amount of strength and faith. The gospel has the power to change people. I can't wait to have her accompany us as we teach lessons. She will touch the lives of others, just as she has touched mine.

There is much joy to be felt when you teach people about the gospel on your mission. When you teach a single mother who is abused by her ex-spouses about how Jesus Christ has forgiven her sins, and that He knows how to help her; when you teach a young man about how he will be able to see his dead father again; when you teach two little children about how their mother is ok, and that they will be able to live with her for eternity...these experiences have been most rewarding to me.

Dad, that is so cool that you get to meet with Elder Ballard! I love hearing from the general authorities.

I love you all very much. Take care.

Elder Parker

Feb 4, 2010 and...Any guesses?

Aw...I'm surprised no one wants to guess what Miles and Elder Foote have in common-that makes them so unique. Go ahead...guess! (in the comment section at end of this post)

So, from Miles this last week...

Dear Mom (mother, mommy, mammy, matriarch, boss, queen, person, etc.)

This week has been quite eventful. Recently, we've been able to work with the members a lot more. We've also set two other people for baptism. This should make three baptisms for me and Elder Couoh by the end of this transfer.

I'm currently in Paradise Stake, Paradis Ward (Spanish)

I haven't sent anything home yet. I'm gonna go through some of my stuff and find out what I don't need. I'll probably be sending some shirts and a pair of jeans too (not the ones you sent for Christmas-those are nice). As for music, the EFY cd's are alright so I won't send those home.

I'm glad Jotty and you are involved in Music Man. I hope when I return that I can be involved in the community productions. I love to entertain and make people laugh.

I don't have a spiritual experience to share this week. I can't think of any right now, and I'm running out of time. However, our lesson with one of our investigators was fantastic. We felt the spirit very strongly. The gospel is changing her life; I can see it. She's more happy and she looks forward to our visits. One time, she took the bus to come to church, 'cuz she didn't have a ride...she wanted to come that badly. I love seeing this change in her life, and I hope she'll keep it.

Yeah, sometimes we have to eat on the run but not too often. I haven't been eating much either...I don't get that hungry (or bored) like I used to - no time to.

Yes, I got JaNae's e-mail. Tell her I'm sorry I didn't respond to her. Sometimes our time is so short we can only respond to parents. Can you give me her e-mail address so I can try to send her one every once in a while? Sometimes I forget how great of a relationship we have with each other. She's an awesome sister.

I love you too Mom. Take care and be safe please.

Con mucho amor
Elder Parker

January 28th 2010

Dear Family,

We went to the Las Vegas temple today. You would love it. There are a lot of gardens surrounding it, with many different kinds of flowers. I kept thinking, "Man, Mom and Diane would love this." I took some pictures of them too. The Las Vegas Celestial Room is BEAUTIFUL!!! They have these really tall windows on each side. We went in the morning, so when we went in, the sun was shining through on one side. It was so bright, I felt I was actually entering into the presence of the Lord. I love the Spirit of peace the presides in the temple. I don't have any worries when I'm there. Not one. I was able to think about those we are teaching for a little bit. Next time I go, I think I'll go with some specific questions in mind on how to help them. I'm sure the Lord will give me direction concerning those for whom I am responsible.

Anyway, I know the happy birthday was a little early, but we can only email on p-day, so I thought it'd be better early than late.

We had a ward conference last Sunday You know what surprised me? No food. Nope. It's just a southern tradition...I was kinda bummed out. It was a good conference nonetheless.

Yes, I finally got the packages, both of them. Thank you for all of it. Also, I did share my treat and the calendar is fantastic. It's good to see pictures of everyone...especially the page with my friends.

Jotty did not tell me that there were more people from the ward in the play. I think that's awesome...I'm so jealous of him. The "Music Man" sounds so much fun. Especially the part that Jotty has; I would love to be in a Barbershop Quartet.

Had a neat spiritual experience...earlier in the week we had exchanges. I was with Elder Bennet, another fantastic missionary (I'm hoping I get to serve with him before he leaves). We stopped by his apartment to get his planner, and on the way out, he grabbed three copies of the Book of Mormon. I didn't ask why, because we needed a couple of extras. Later on in the day, we went to go contact a referral that we received a day or two ago. When we went there, we had a fantastic lesson. It was two daughters, and one son (all teenagers). The son, Manuel, has a different father, who died some time ago. He doesn't have any friends, and is a really quiet guy. All three listened very closely and participated very well. We decided to give them all a Book of Mormon, and they committed to read the introduction and to pray specifically if the Book of Mormon and our message were true. They accepted. I only had one copy, but where did we get the other copies of the Book of Mormon? Lo and behold, there they were, the extra copies that Elder Bennet had grabbed at the last minute. He didn't know why he grabbed them. We didn't plan on visiting this family. They ended up being a "Plan E". Yet for some reason, he grabbed a couple extra copies. That's why listening and being in tune with the Spirit is important. I think that that was inspiration from the Holy Ghost kind of saying "You are gonna visit a family who needs this message, but you aren't gonna have enough copies of the Book of Mormon. You should grab some right now."

Everything is well with me. We have two people set for baptism and we're planning one more. We taught two families yeseterday and the Spirit was strong while we were teaching. I love this work!

Thank you for the love and support. I love reading every one's letters and e-mails. Take care Mom, and have fun with the play too.

Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker

January 21st

(A compilation of his letters to Jim, Jotty and I):

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!

Yes...That's my companion and he really is that short. But he's a monster of a missionary!

I'm gonna send some stuff home later today. There are a couple of pictures on the SD card from the last week or two in the MTC including the passing of my Death Charge transformer to Elder Claudio. Pass-me-downs are items that stay in the MTC, and are passed down from Elder to Elder. Elder Claudio is the third generation, I'm second, and Elder Mitchell was the first. Also a couple of pictures of my travel group. Then it goes to some pictures of the mission. There's a picture of me with a missionary named Elder Foote. He and I have somthing in common, that no other missionary in the field does. I'll let you guess. bahahaha

I haven't gotten the package yet. I only get mail on Thursdays. Also, you ARE sending the stuff to the mission office, right?

I have a blanket and pillow that I bought out here so, no worries. And yes, I'll put on sunscreen. I know that I don't burn badly, but I still burn. Don't worry about that.

Congratulations on Jotty getting his license. As far as Jotty driving, I think the feeling I have about that is similar to the one you got when I started driving. I'm sure he'll do good. Jotty does have ADHD, but for some reason, he can focus pretty darn hard on certain things. That's why he's so good at Guitar Hero. Take a minute and watch him, notice how his eyes don't move or blink? Maybe he'll be the same way with driving.

I'm glad to be serving here. We have two baptisms set for this Saturday, two more set for February 13th, and we had one just last week. In fact, Jose, the one who was baptized last week, is only 9. He said to me afterwards "I think the Holy Ghost is already with me. When I went to the bathroom, I forgot to flush the toilet, and when I went back it flushed by itself." I just smiled and said, "See? He really is there." I didn't have the heart to tell him it was an automatic toilet. Anyway, the two set for Feb 13 are investigators of ours. They were a referral from a member. When we showed up at the house, a woman opened the door, wide-eyed, and said "Hold on". She went in, grabbed her daughter and a jacket, and said "Follow me." and we followed her to a friend's house. Along the way, she explained how she had met with missionaries before, a long time ago, and how she felt she was ready. When we arrived, inside were 3 other people with an expressed interest to be baptized. I kept thinking, "JACKPOT!!". No, really though, I'm so happy for these people. They are going through a life-changing experience, and they will learn how to be truly happy in this life.

Thanks for the update Dad. I think all the young men in the stake should attend a meeting on how important it is to serve a mission, and the importance of the priesthood. Of course, it's only a couple of units that need work; but I do think a stake-wide Young Men's training wouldn't be a bad idea. Half of them don't even know what meetings they are to attend, or how to run them. Enterprise youth does because we have Bro.Jones who makes sure we know. Maybe you could talk to him about ideas on training.

Anyways, the mission is going good.
I love you guys a lot. You hang in there as well. Let me know if there is anything I can help with at home- as in, if you need ideas on mission work. I've got plenty of ideas. Take care.

Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker

Taken from emails to Mom & Dad - January 14

Hello Dad!

Glad to hear that you're all doing well. I'm doing pretty well too. This first week in the battlefield has been fantastic. But it's flown by pretty quickly though. It seems like yesterday that I arrived.

I actually got some eggnog on Christmas. One of the Elders in my district in the MTC got hold of some, somehow. Oh man, lemme tell you, it was great!

Yeah Dad, a bottle of hot sauce doesn't sound too bad. I think I would like you to send one of those. I had a certain kind of BBQ sauce yesterday on my sandwich. It's called Devil's Spit. I'm going to get some and send it to you. It's pretty darn good.

I love you very much Dad. And I miss you guys too. Don't worry about it though. I'll be back before you know it. I hope this doesn't go by too quickly...this is great!

Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker

Hi Mom!

My companion, Elder Couoh is quite a guy, he's really a great companion. He's only got one more month left so I'm glad I got him. His native dialect isn't that much different. It's the accents that kill me. Spanish is pretty hard... I can speak it pretty well, but you're right about the dialects. There are so many different dialects and accents. I can speak it pretty well (for a gringo). The hard part is understanding it. Some people pronounce the "ll" and the "y" as a J, and some people don't pronounce the "S". On top of that, Spanish speakers are known for their rapid- fire speaking. But I know that the Lord prepares whom he calls, and I have been called to serve in this mission and I have been called to speak this language.

No snow here. Yes, my first area is in Las Vegas proper. In fact, that's where most of the mission work takes place. Elder Couoh has been in the city for 18 months. We get to go to the temple once a transfer. I think we are going next week.

I'm exercising everyday, and I have no time to snack. Breakfast and lunch are small, so I don't think I'll be gaining weight. I'll do what I can to avoid it. Oh, you can send me my meds via mail too -- they said that that was fine.

I agree, emails are definitely a blessing. I'm so happy I can email to you each week.

Oh, before I go, could you email my blog address to my Branch presidency from the MTC? These guys and their wives are amazing. They all reminded me so much of you guys. That's why I loved them. They helped me feel at home at the MTC. Oh, just to let you know though--Pres. Lindsey's wife died two weeks ago, while I was in the MTC. She was a spectacular woman. I'm grateful I got to meet her. She was the one most like you Mom.

I love you Mom. Take care, and please stay safe.
Elder Parker

Vivaaaaaaa Las Vegas

Let me tell you, The MTC was great, but the field is so much better. The Latinos are SOOOOO nice! My companion and I left the MTC at about 5:00 a.m. ( which means that we got up at four). We traveled to SLC airport and got there about 6:30a.m. That's when I called you. Yes,that lady that let us use her cell phone was a member. She was a convert, which is why she let us use her phone. I did thank her, and then she said "Thank you so much for what you do. I'm a convert, so I know what you do. Thank you again." After a one hour flight (I was with a group of 6 people, all going to Las Vegas). We arrived at 8:00a.m. when we got off the plane, it was like the Wizard of Oz, we were DEFINITELY not in the MTC anymore. For anyone that hasn't been to Las Vegas, there's a reason that they call it "Sin City." But that's just the "Strip". Everywhere else is just fine.

When we arrived, we met the mission president and his wife (Pres. Christiansen). What great people. We had a short spiritual thought, and then traveled to their house. We had a group picture with all the new missionaries (some arrived the day before). Then we went over some paperwork, had breakfast and had interviews while we talked about driving safely. The VC (vehicle coordinator) is Elder Mannnion, an awesome senior Elder. Really funny too.
Then we went to one of the stake centers (there are somewhere between 15 to 20 stakes in the East half of Las Vegas alone) and we met our new companions. My trainer is Elder Couoh. He's a Mayan from Yucatan, Mexico. All the other Elders in the Area were saying how lucky I was. I can see why...He's a very simple guy, but a very great teacher.

The first night we had a couple of appointments. My favorite was with the Familia de Valle. There's the parents Alvin and Florecita, and the kids; Jesse, Chelsea, Bryan, and Alvie. Alvie was soo cute. Too bad I couldn't hold him though. We also met the Elder's quorum president, Hermano Reyes. A pretty cool guy, very animated. When we went in, he was watching soccer on the tv. Typical lol.

The next day it was full on mission work. Our total key indicator was: 1 lesson taught with member, 8 other lessons, one contact, one referral, 2 new investigators, and 1 lesson with a recent convert. The two new investigator were contacted right off the street. They seemed genuinely interested and allowed us to make an appointment. They are Alfonso and Guillermo.
We also had dinner with a member family--Hermana Deanda. She made us a Cuban sandwich with homemade french fries. I was hoping to lose weight while I was out here, but I don't know if that'll happen. She almost shoved another sandwich down my throat. It was a delicious sandwich, and I wasn't full, but I knew I shouldn't. After I told her no, she made one for my companion and then split it in half. She offered again. I couldn't refuse this time. It was right there and it was sooooo good. Then she laughed when I took it. The Latinos are so hospitable. Several times I was offered something to drink at different appointments. In fact, the first night, Jesse Valle got my companion and I a drink without us even asking. So did the Hermana Reyes ( the wife of the Elder's quorum pres.).
Later that day we went to Mutual to find some older young men to come with us later that week. I met the Bishop and some of the youth. Mom.... it's a Spanish WARD, not a branch, a WARD. Bigger than ours too. There were so many youth and of course, all were friendly.
After that, we went to another appointment. It was with Daniel and Gloria. Gloria is a recent convert, and her husband Daniel is very interested. WE talked for an hour about scriptures and how to make ourselves better disciples of Christ. Their kids, Chelsea and Daniel, were also quite fun. I talked to Daniel Jr. for a little bit. He just talked and talked about his cinnamon roll that he was eating, or the movie cars, or about his kindergarten class.
Oh, just to let you know, a lot of the Latinos here can speak English, which is good at times. My Espanol is doing pretty good actually, my real problem is listening. Some of them speak very clear Spanish, while others kind of slur their words together. It's not too bad though. I know the Lord will bless me.

I would love a family calendar. I showed my companion the family pic you sent me earlier -he was like "wow".
Yes we are in a bike riding area, but we get 900 car miles a month. And even then, if we bike, the area is very flat. I'm not too worried about my knee.

Te amo mucho Mama.

Con mucho amor,
Elder Parker

Babylon...look out!

Miles is now in Nevada. He left this morning and called me from the airport. It was so good to hear his voice-even though he's only been gone 2 months. A woman at the airport lent her cell phone to Miles and his companion. I hope the Lord blesses the woman for her compassion and generosity.
Miles' email address will remain the same throughout his mission and his mission address --listed on the right-- will remain the same the whole mission as well. As per a letter from his mission president; please make SURE you use his full name when addressing his mail. Generally, First class packages and/or mail is forwarded daily but Parcel Post, FedX and UPS packages are sent out on a monthly basis. Miles will check his email on Thursdays.
He loves mail and so enjoys hearing from each of you. Please let him know you love & support him.
Miles told me he was excited and nervous and soooo ready to get out and teach! Watch out Nevada, here he comes...let the adventures of "The Mormonator" begin!