8.25.2014 (picture)

Linda was baptized yesterday and then both Linda and Micron were confirmed yesterday. It has been a really good week, but also a very difficult week. Just like Lehi said in 2 Nephi 2:11, there is opposition in all things. We found a cool new family that we are teaching that live up on the same hill where Tristan and Micron live. It's been a great place to go teaching. Micron has read all of the Book of Mormon except Mosiah, Mormon, Ether and Moroni. He is such a great addition to the branch. I got to feel like an EMT again this week when our oldest member (89), Brother Ceaser, passed out in sacrament meeting and then fell onto the tile floor. Thank goodness he wasn't standing. It took 45 minutes for the ambulance to drive what takes us 20 minutes. I didn't even get anyone when I called 911. The phone just rang and rang until the call ended. Thankfully somebody else already had a different number for the hospital and then things worked out fine. Brother Ceaser is now doing well, and is back at his house. We have such a nice medical system in the US. Transfers are in 2 weeks.  That's a bummer to hear about Ben. I have been praying for Sarah and Gabby a lot this week. I was looking back through some old planners and I found that I have been teaching Linda since the second Thursday I got here, way back in February. She has been really fun to teach. I think that I have told you before, but my best memory of teaching her was when Elder Gordon and one of our members (Sister Fisher) went to teach her about how the gospel blesses families. The spirit was strongly felt and I remember being so excited when Linda finally accepted a baptismal date! Then yesterday at church, when we talked about confirming her and especially her receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, her whole countenance just lit up. I have never seen somebody so excited to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost before. Looking forward to another great week!

I would love too get a bike so I could run. I hope my next companion will run with me. I think I'll be getting transferred.

Love, Elder Parker

8.18.2014 (pictures)

Micron's Baptism 

8.16.2014  

This is me and my MTC companion Elder Clark on the northern part of the island today.

8.18.2014

8.18.2014

This week has been awesome, but it has also been challenging. Micron was baptized and I sent you a picture of that. That was great. He has such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and it was great to hear him share his testimony after the baptism. When Elder Gordon and I first started teaching him last transfer, the first thing that stood out was that he had seriously started reading through the Book of Mormon that Elder Jacobson and I had given him several months before. He understood everything in our first lesson with him and his family. He talked about how the message of the restoration was perfect for him and it answered so many of his questions. He has been great to teach for the whole time and we are going to go see him tonight. He loves church and talks about how he learns so much there. The Book of Mormon has been key in his conversion. It goes really well with some counsel that President Mehr has given to the mission about flooding the West Indies with the Book of Mormon. I'm currently re-reading the Book of Mormon for the 4th time in a year and I learn new things everyday. I'm praying for everybody each day. Now its in the Lord's hands. Can't wait to get that Birthday Card. I hope it doesn't take as long to get here as a package my Zone leaders (who we interact with almost daily) picked up last week. It had been sitting in the post office for three years and lets just say that the cereal in that box was very stale. We have another baptism this next week for Linda. I'm especially excited for her because I have been teaching her for the entire time that I have been here. Love you all! Hurrah for Israel!

-Elder Parker

8.11.2014 (with picture)

Let me say that I sure do feel like I am in paradise. This picture was taken from the church looking west at the sunset. What a view! Everything is going great! I feel like I am working hard and it is a rewarding feeling. I know what you are talking about. You basically summed up an experience I had yesterday. Elder Gordon and I were out tracting for a little bit and we met this guy named Mr. Huggings. He wasn't mean or seemingly evil, but he just had a gray countenance and had an air of despair about him. He lived in a very nice neighborhood and had many worldly possessions, but he simply wasn't filled with joy. He rejected the message we had to share and basically said he doesn't do the whole religion thing because he feels like church people are all hypocrites. We gave him a Book of Mormon and then bore testimonies about it and then left. As we were heading back from meeting him, we met one of our investigators, Allecia, who has a very low standard of living. She has been reading through the Book of Mormon and it was amazing to see the stark contrast between somebody that has decided that they want to remain in darkness and somebody who is accepting the restored Gospel into their life. Allecia (who doesn't even have enough money to pay her water bill) is begging to fill her life with light and hope, while Mr. Huggins is stewing in confusion and ignorance. No earthly possession can bring the happiness that is found in the gospel. Michron is going to be baptized this Saturday and Linda will be baptized the following weekend. I'll keep the whole family in my prayers and I'm glad to hear that grandma is back safely from Utah. Love you lots! Seth

P.S I will be anxiously looking forward to my birthday card!

8.3.2014 (picture)

This was a service project we did this week. We played sports with a bunch of struggling youth. It was really fun and the Kingstown missionaries got a lot of contacts from it. All of us in th picture came out together. The 2 standing by me are from my MTC group. Elder Malyon is on the far left and is from England. He will be in St. Marten this transfer.