10.20.2014

Our investigators are doing well. The Hindu family is doing well. We have taught them about faith in Christ and we are going to go see them again on Thursday. They love the missionaries and we will also be doing some service for them on Friday while the dad is still recovering from another surgery. It's been kind of difficult getting people to progress lately. We have been doing a lot of finding, searching for those who truly are the elect. I know they're out there, we just need to find them. We did not get to the beach today. We had breakfast at the Francom's apartment. They are a super cool senior couple. Sunday was great. Since conference I have been trying to make Sundays more meaningful and yesterday I was able to do that. Before church I was feeling a bit down, and frustrated with myself. As I went to church and partook of the sacrament, I was able to let my frustrations go and find comfort from the Lord. It made me think back to Sundays at home, where I would feel the spirit very strongly on Sundays. I don't think that I recognized it then, but I do now. I could use some new shirts. I tried to buy some here, but their generalized sizes don't fit too well. My neck is a 15 1/2 M sport or fitted shirt. I might need some new garments, but other than that I think that I have everything.  

This week in church, the lesson was about families and I thought about how I should thank you for all the things that you have taught me and the love you have shown me. I reflected back on how way back when we lived in Utah you would play cars with me, then about how to be patient with Sarah, Gabby and Ben, and how to work hard, especially by getting me into running.

Love, Elder Parker

10.20.2014 (picture)

 Lennox decided to be in the picture. He comes to church every Sunday.

10.14.2014

The Hindu family is temporarily halted because the dad was back in the Hospital this weekend. We went and visited him on Sunday after church though and he was very glad to see us. The Singh Family is doing great. Elder Hatch and I had a great lesson about pre-mortality with them and we set a baptismal date for the family on November 8th! We had everybody draw out what happened in pre earth life and they enjoyed the lesson and the spirit was felt very strongly. I remember leaving feeling so happy because this family was experiencing the incredible and often indescribable feelings that the light of the gospel brings. The mom and dad came to church on Sunday even though Donny, the father, was sick. The kids stayed at their grandparents for that evening. I can't wait to teach them again. 

I bet "Meet the Mormons" is awesome. I've been able to watch a preview of it and it looked like a great opportunity to do missionary work. I haven't been to the beach here yet. We might be going this next week. 

I had a cool experience with prayer this past week. I came home from a lesson feeling like my teaching was not as good as it once was. That evening as I was praying on top of my bunk bed, I asked Heavenly Father what I was doing wrong. I immediately received an answer. "Forget yourself". This experience also reminded me of the promise all throughout the scriptures where it teaches that if we ask, we shall receive. What a great promise that is!  

I miss you guys, but I know I need to be out here. 

Love you!   

Seth 

 

10.6.2014 (picture)

This is the Port of Spain building in between sessions. I guess napping after the morning sessions is a tradition even down here. I am also developing a love for currie.

10.6.2014

This week was good. We had a few interesting lessons. We taught a guy that looks like an Indian war chief, and he taught us all about human organs, among other things. We had some great lessons too. There are 2 families that we are currently teaching. One is a Hindu family that came to church and loved it, and the other is a member-referred family that is more than happy about meeting with the missionaries. We watched conference at the 2 church buildings in Arima and in Port of Spain. The power went out for the first Saturday session in the middle of Elder Christopherson's talk, but we got to watch the rest of them without any hiccups. I learned a lot during conference. Some things that I learned that really stood out to me about families is daily scripture reading, daily family prayer, making the sacrament meaningful, family home evening and temple attendance all protect us from the adverse effects that the world can have on our families if we aren't in the right "current". We also watched priesthood session at Elder Ray's apartment, with some of the other Elders and President Mehr. I can't believe that Zach is already out. Sarah said that Andrew and Carson came back and Andrew is pretty fast. At the Sunday morning session of conference there was this crazy vagrant that has been coming to church for years named Lennox. He has no teeth, is in his 50's and is way crazy. It wasn't a lesson, but it sure was interesting. Ha Ha.

Love you lots! 

Elder Parker

9.29.2014 (picture)

​This was taken up in an apartment complex where we have found a whole bunch of prepared people. The sunset was nice too. 

9.29.2014

I haven’t had a full day with just with my companion this transfer. We have always been in temporary trios. Because of that I have only been able to run once. We did 1.25 miles in about 9 or 10 minutes. I don't remember exactly how fast, but I think that it will take some getting used to once I get back home.  President Mehr doesn't have any specific exercise thing that we must do. But I get to play soccer every Saturday.  Elder Rowley played soccer in high school so he's pretty good at it.

I have done one split with the AP's about 3 weeks ago. It was cool to go out and teach with Elder Telga from Martinique. I really admire the spirit that they constantly have with them. It is something that I want to have with me too.

Our teaching pool right now is rebuilding. From the sound of it, in the previous few transfers, very little finding occurred. These past 3 weeks we have been doing a lot of tracting.  We have 3 people with baptismal dates, Richard, Nekiesha, and Racquel. The first two are preparing for Oct. 18th and Racquel is preparing for Nov. 15th. The ward here is nice. We have been fed a few times already. It's awesome to be in a ward with married people again. There is this other family that we are going to start teaching this week that came to church this past Sunday with a member from Venezuela. The dad for the family was having a surprise follow up surgery after being shot in April of this year. We went and gave him a blessing at the hospital just before surgery and it has positively impacted the family. The mom's name is Victoria. Our most prepared investigator is Nekiesha. She has a great fellow shipper in Sister Susan Warner. There is also this mission legend about a vagrant that lives around the church named Lennox, who I met Saturday. You'll definitely have to meet him. He is hilarious. Bishop Ramdhani is way cool too. His son is serving in this mission and he will be coming home in 2 transfers. Trinidad is a nice place to serve.

Love you lots.

Hurrah for Israel!

Love, Elder Parker