Happy Birthday mom! Our neighbor talked to us today
and brought up the super bowl as we were washing our car. I totally had
forgotten about it. The house is going to be quite different when I get back.
Nobody had made mention of Bailey going to Peru. Maybe she can convert Cusco,
Pacha, and Kronk. The R Family is doing ok, but they are losing their steam a
little bit. They need to get married, but they say that they are having
relationship problems. They are reading a little bit more now though. They were
struggling with that for a while. Today we had an all Trinidad sports day. From
the 13th of February to the 15th we are going to be hiding in our apartment. We
got some more new investigators this week, and 2 of them came to church. We had
an area conference for all of the Caribbean, broadcast from Salt Lake City.
Elder Holland and President Packer spoke. This week I had a cool experience as
I took Moroni's challenge again. I was praying and asking again if the Book of
Mormon is true. I think that I was expecting to have some big rush of feelings
swoop over me, but then I remembered that the Spirit is the still small voice,
not the big wave that comes with great force. As I pondered on this, and then
did all I could to just be still, I felt the Lord confirm that The Book of
Mormon is true and everything else that goes along with it is also true. Tell
Sarah I missed her email this week. She needs to give me the scoop on her
missionary work. Love you lot's!
Monday, February 9, 2015
2.9.2015
This week was pretty good. We had to drop the R Family until they
get married. Despite that, the Dad still came to church. The Mom and the kids
went to take care of her mother who is sick. We have also been doing a lot of
member work lately. I have realized that member work is an investment, but it
definitely pays off. This week, we were teaching a lady named C. We met her
because of a formerly less active sister from Guyana, named Sister P. C lives
just above the P Family. Meeting her was one of the fruits of member work.
Another fruit I saw was that we got to take Brother B out teaching with us. He
is an awesome priesthood holder and married father of 4. Over the past few
weeks Elder Horsely and I have done some service for the B family and we also
visited them a couple of times. After showing our love for them, they were more
inclined to come teaching with us. It's difficult for Brother B to come out
because he has MS and extreme temperatures make it difficult for him. Never the
less, Brother B came with us in the evening when it cools down. Near the end of
the lesson with C, Brother B was sharing his testimony of the Book of Mormon.
As he explained how he came to know for himself that the Book of Mormon is true,
the spirit came very powerfully into the lesson. Each of us knew that what was
being shared is true. That was just one of the lessons I learned about member
work this week. I also started to recognize how strong the spirit comes as we
share about the first vision. It is becoming one of my favorite things to
teach. As far as transfers go, I think that I will be getting moved here pretty
soon. I think that I will stay in Trinidad for much of the rest of my mission,
but who knows. This upcoming weekend is Carnival so we will be hiding away and
I might not be able to email on Monday.
Monday, January 26, 2015
1.26.2015
All is well this week. We set 6 new baptismal dates this week! We got 9 new investigators too. It sounds like things are going well at home. I can't believe that my friends are almost all out on their missions. I was thinking today about how quickly time has gone and how little time I have left. I feel like I got a bit a second wind this week. I got to do companion study with President Mehr this week. Something that he talked about that stuck with me was a story he shared from the old testament. Actually it was two, that illustrated the same principle. There was one about King Hezekiah, and also about Gideon versus the Middianites. In both cases as these great leaders of ancient Israel followed the council of God, they miraculously came out victorious. So what I learned was let the Lord fight our battles for us. I have been trying to pray as well as I know how this week for Heavenly Father to bless our area with more new investigators who will be progressive and also for more baptismal dates. It was amazing. I felt like the apostles on the fishing ship when the Savior calms the winds and the sea where the apostles ask "What manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea's obey him?" I know that Jesus is the Christ and that when we supplicate with the Father in His Son's name we are blessed, but even so I was in awe. It also made me feel like Moses when he recorded that he knew man was nothing, "which thing he had never before supposed." Wow. I'm trying to keep "digging deeper". I can't wait to hear about my friends experiences as they go out to serve. Let the Lord fight our battles. He will win them. Hurrah for Israel!
Love, Elder Parker
Love, Elder Parker
Monday, January 19, 2015
1.19.2015 (Picture)
This is our investigator Bobby. He is overcoming some
long time addictions. The other Elder is Elder Benjamin Westra from Holland. He
was with me for a few days before he went home. He served most of his 2 years
in Suriname. In answer to your questions, Bobby came to church and so did the
Ramroops. They had a solid wedding and baptismal date set until we found out
that the Bishop will be out of the country to get away from Carnival the
weekend they were supposed to get married. As a result, their baptismal date is
also up in the air. We are waiting because we need to teach them a lot because
they understand things very slowly. They are basically starting at square one
because they are coming from being Hindu. Elder Horsley and I are getting along
pretty well. He gets stressed some times, but he is diligent and obedient as
can be, so I have no qualms with him. My permit expires in August, so I think
that I will be here until then and then I think that I will finish my mission
in Guyana. Elder Ferrin (one of the AP's) and I have been doing a lot off
tracting lately. Our only consistent investigators are the Ramroops and Bobby.
They both also happen to be member referrals. Coincidence? I think not! The way
that we have been trying to find people is by just talking to them on the
street, but it hasn't yielded much fruit. I think we are going to have to start
working with the members a lot more. Member referrals are so great, but it such
a bother when members tell us that they don't have anybody to refer us to. I would
rather be turned down by their friends then get no referral at all. I just
started the Book of Mormon all over again so I am in 1 Nephi 16 right now. I
just counted and I have read the Book of Mormon 12 or 13 times in my life.
Today I studied, went shopping, went to a store that is owned by Costco called
Price Mart and I also paid my first ever traffic ticket! I went down a one-way
street that normally is a 2 way street. It just so happened that at the time I
was driving, it was a one way. I also am at the Francoms apartment playing card
games with other missionaries. The best part of my mission so far has been
seeing people have more light in their lives. I just got an email last week
from one of my recent converts in St. Vincent, Micron, and he is now the
1st councilor in the Branch presidency! He was one of those people were kept
from the truth only because he knew not where to find it. The Ramroops have
changed so much and they are a closer family now then ever before. I might have
told you around Christmas, but what the mom told us was that this most recent
Christmas was her favorite because there wasn't fighting this year. Bobby, who
has been addicted to everything under the sun is a completely different man. It
is so amazing to see the changes that people have in their lives as they learn
how to let the Atonement work in their lives. One of my other favorite parts of
being a missionary is the opportunity to have the spirit with me in a much more
recognizable way. Or I guess it's more of I am more in tune with the spirit so
I feel Heavenly Father's love for me, and those I get to teach, much more
often. An important catalyst for all of this is the Book of Mormon. It has been
key in my feeling the sprit and others being changed and sanctified by the
gospel. One other thing is that the new assistant to President Mehr is Elder
Dallin Christensen. He played football with Brad's younger brother Dallas. It's
been a good week.
Love, Elder Parker
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