9.7.2015

This week had its ups and its downs, but overall it was good. My birthday was good. I happened to be at the mission home for a mission leadership council so it was a good way to start of my 20's. The council was about leadership and developing some of the skills that a leader needs, like giving correction and counselling with other leaders. There was a lot that I learned from Elder Hugo Martinez of the 2nd quorum of the Seventy about counselling. He taught from D&C 107:27,29-31 and how the purpose of counselling together is to find out the will of the Lord. When church leaders, husbands and wives, or companionships are unified in their decision, that decision has great power. The key, he said while quoting from the late President Packer, is to have the spirit. So that was what I did on my birthday. While meeting with the Branch President this Sunday after stake conference, I also got a birthday cake. Tell grandma thanks for me please. We had 2 investigators come to church this week. They have come 3 weeks in a row and have come more on time each time! They also are doing great on reading in the Book of Mormon and the tracts that we leave with them. They even read together as a family at night! We are going to teach them about the law of chastity this week to help them get married and then baptised. Our branch President and his wife are planning on coming with us, so hopefully that will be a powerful lesson. Our other investigators understand a little about the sacrament, but we had to drop a few investigators this last week. They had stopped progressing. Tell Grandpa and Dad, happy birthday.

Love, Elder Parker