6.22.2015

Happy Fathers day. 

Love Elder Parker

6.29.2015

The mission split won't be effecting me that much. 

Love, Elder Parker

6.15.2015

There is a father and a daughter that we are teaching named P and L.  I think I have emailed you about them before. They are doing well. They have come to church several times and are doing great. L found some anti-mormon stuff online, but when we talked about it she didn't seem phased at all by it. She feels that this is true and she really likes how we always invite her to pray for herself. I think that is why she didn't have any problems because she prays about it for herself. They should be baptized in the next couple of weeks. The hardest thing for people here to understand is the importance of coming to church.  There is also a sister that has been reactivated - she has an interview with the branch president to say that she is coming back to church. It has been really cool to see her go from pretty gloomy the first time I met her, to much happier now that she is coming back to church. Her name is Sister S. That is the best part of missionary work. Seeing the light of the gospel come into peoples lives, or return to their lives. Love you too!

-Elder Parker

6.15.2015

This week was good. We had zone conference and my last interview with president Mehr. I asked him about how he has become so consecrated to the work of the Lord. What he said surprised me at first. He said that as he has studied and applied the Atonement in his life,  he has become more consecrated, or rather converted. Consecration is a fruit of conversion. My testimony of the Savior has increased a lot this week. I felt the spirit very strongly as I read in 3 Nephi 11 this morning. I know that He is the Christ. Love you lots!

-Elder Parker

6.8.2015 (Picture)

This week was ok. It wasn't as organized as last week, but we still had some good lessons. R and M were in a place called San Fernando for the weekend so they didn't come to church this week, but their Book of Mormon reading has improved. We finally got a less active sister to come to church this week. We had two great lessons with her that invited the spirit well and awakened her from her slothful state to a remembrance of her guilt and the way to get rid of that guilt. Her name is Sister T. The house looks nice. It looks like Gabby hasn't lost much flexibility.   

This last week was something called mission leadership conference. It's where all the zone leaders and sister training leaders get together and are instructed by the AP's and President and Sister Mehr. President Mehr taught about fasting. I learned a lot about the great blessings that are available to us as we fast, and also about the law of the fast. Then I got to apply the things I learned this past week, and I definitely noticed a difference, especially in receiving revelation.  This is my companion, Elder Grimm.

6.8.2015

The mission splits on the 20th of June.  We still have some good progressing investigators. We should have some baptisms coming up. It's a feeling I haven't had in a long time. Zone leader responsibilities are going well. It's a great opportunity to learn. I have learned a lot about the importance of first having charity before being able to give counsel that will be listened to. 
Love you lots.

-Elder Parker

6.1.2015

I can't believe that Brendon is back. I hear that Whitney Merrill is going to Russia. We have 3 very solid people coming up for baptism this month. Pedro and his daughter Latifah are doing great. He is a world class saxophone player, and his daughter is super cool too. She is 23 and they have come to church 3 times now. They really loved it this last week. Our member work has been awesome with them also.

My new companion, Elder Grimm is from St. Louis Missouri.  He is 19 and attended BYU, summer term, 2013. We had one of the AP's with us this last week.  He taught me a lot about the importance of reverence and humility in inviting the spirit. (These lessons were learned more through observation than through being specifically spoken to). I have been enjoying the presence of the spirit more and have been trying to do more to keep the spirit with me. I hope Grandma is doing well. I got to go spelunking today. I had bats flying in my face and giant nasty white cockroaches at my feet. It was very cool. A member took us there as part of visiting an old plantation.

Talk to you next week.

Love, Elder Parker