8.24.2015

This week went well, but with a lot of appointment cancellations. A good week consists of about 27-32 lessons, but this week we only had 24. WE did see some great successes with a reactivation of Brother S. We have been working with him for a little bit and he is excited to be back at church. N is also doing well. She came to church and is progressing towards baptism on September 12. We had to push it back a week from September 5 because she consistently comes a little late to church so she misses the sacrament, but she comes to church none the less. There was also another lady that Elder Grimm and I met while contacting named K. She recently moved into the area and was really taken back when we offered to help her do some yard work for free. I think that she thought it was a little weird that two people she had just met would want to help her out. We had a great lesson with her and a member about the restoration and she understood the blessings and clarity that would come from having living prophets. She accepted a baptismal invitation for September 19!  She was supposed to come to church on Sunday, but she got a really bad migraine where she could barely walk so hopefully she comes next week. We have a couple other people that are showing some good promise, but those are the most progressive people we are teaching right now. I gained some more light this week while reading the Book of Mormon in a lesson. We were reading 3 Nephi 12 and the beatitude that stuck out to me was blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. I have been thinking about enduring to the end and how to successfully endure. One of the things that I learned is the importance of the Holy Ghost and how enduring is not the same as just hanging in there. Enduring is a forward and upward motion that requires constant improvement. Being anxiously engaged in a good cause is essential to enduring. Anxious engagement in good causes can also be described as hungering and thirsting  invites the Holy Ghost to be with us.

8.17.2015

Our investigators are doing well. N went to church in Port of Spain since she was over there this weekend, so she is still progressing towards September 5th. She is doing well, and I can see that she is being changed. Her priorities are shifting more towards the things of eternal significance. She is reading the Book of Mormon a lot and we have good spiritual lessons with her. The L are also doing well. P came to church. L was sick, but she woke up her dad to make sure that he came to church. Elder Grimm and I had a great lesson with P this week as we read Alma 32. The spirit was there, and I'm excited to see him continue to progress. I think that his heart has softened enough so that he will accept a new baptismal date. This week showed me how effective reading the Book of Mormon is with people. It invites the spirit so that they learn the lesson they needed to and it leaves minimal room for mistakes since we are just reading instead of talking. Micron should be receiving his mission call soon. I'll let you know when that happens. Other than that I don't know too much about what is happening there. I have been enjoying the work a lot lately and I  believe that it has to do with my increased obedience and really trying to help bring about real growth. Not just having lessons to fill in my schedule, but to help others come closer to Christ. It is those details that make the difference. I believe that the Lord sends his prepared people to his prepared servants. Sarah seems to be having a hard time adjusting. I look forward to having so many temples so close to home.

8.2.2015

Our investigators are doing well. Our most progressing investigators are the ones that don't have baptismal dates yet. The investigators that come to church are also the ones who do not have baptismal dates. I have been concerned that I haven't had a baptism in nearly a year. Our member work this week was the highest that I have ever had on my mission with 12 member lessons. We don't often eat at members homes, but this week we ate with some recent converts to start and end our fast. Sister Huggins made it the whole 24 hours,but her father and husband didn't quite make it, but they have been improving. The next zone conference will be in either august of September, and it will be in the mission home. I think that I will be in Trinidad the rest of my mission. I did have a cool experience this week with a Sister S. We hadn't been by her in a while and her phone broke so she wasn't able to get a hold of us through the phone. Elder Grimm and I decided to go and visit her. We had a good lesson with her and she told us about how she had been hoping to have us come by but she didn't know how to reach us. She decided to pray and ask Heavenly Father to send us by her. The next day we went by and she told us that we were the answer to her prayers. The L’s had a BBQ that ran very late into the night so they did not come to church this week, but a family that we have taught only a few times came to church and enjoyed it. There is a larger family to which this family belongs to that all live in board houses very close to one another that we have been teaching. Hopefully we will see some successes there. Love you lots! -Elder Parker

8.9.2015

When you first told me about the move, I thought about it a little bit. Most of my friends will be at BYU so I'm not too bummed out. It will be sad to be leaving, but as I have learned more about the importance of eternal families, I am excited to be moving closer to the rest of the family. I think that it is kind of funny that you guys are moving on the same day as transfers. Elder Grimm and I will be staying together as zone leaders for another transfer and then he goes home. A lot of our zone is getting moved around. There will be 2 areas that are getting blanked and 3 brand new trainees along with one sister missionary who will be finishing up her training this transfer. Our investigator pool has gotten better this last week. One investigator, N, is moving along well and is planning on being baptized on September 5th. We had a really good lesson with her last night that originally was going to be on the plan of salvation, but it turned into a lesson about the Atonement and how we apply the atonement by living the gospel. She talked about how she feels lighter when we come over, and then there is a darkness that settles in again when we leave. We explained to her that this is the spirit, and through living the gospel she can have the feelings of light all the time as she lives worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. L and her 19 year old brother L came to church yesterday along with their 2 other younger brothers. That was exciting, since they haven't been in a little while. P was doing something to his refrigerator. N didn't come because of a shoulder problem. I feel a lot better about our teaching pool now than I did a week ago. I was just reading my patriarchal blessing this morning and I was reminded about the direct link that obedience has with power. I recently renewed my resolve to be exactly obedient, especially with a mission leadership council that was on obedience. I know that the Lord will bless us as we obey his commands with exactness. I'm glad that Gabby was able to have a spiritual experience receiving her patriarchal blessing. I hope she writes down her thoughts about it. That is something that I wish that I had done. I'm excited for Sarah and Gabby to have a good season and a good start to school at Alpine High school? Also the mission office will need our new address and Stake info. Otherwise things are going well.

Love, Elder Parker