December 31, 2012

Hola familia!! How are you all doing? I am doing just great!! Well my stomach doesn't hurt anymore. I just have a runny nose and my throat hurts a little. My companion and I both have it. I think they call it gripe or gripa. But we will talk to the mission wife if it lasts two more days or so. How is everyone? I loved talking and seeing the family on Christmas. That was the best present I could ever ask for. It was amazing how clear the skype worked. I actually felt like I was there at grandpas house with you all. I will never forget that phone call. Thanks for all that you have done for me.

I went to Walmart today to buy the one a days but they don't have them there. Should I buy a different kind or what? I bought some good food. Well the next transfer is next Tuesday. I will find out next Monday if I am leaving or not. Wish me luck :) I will be getting some 2 packages and my letters tomorrow in my meeting with the zone. Well that is what the zone leaders told me at least. So I am excited for that. Yes, we celebrate the New Year here. We had like 4 member families invite us to their house tonight. But we will be going to two. We are going to work before, so we had to tell the other one we don't have time. We are really excited to eat more food and hang out with the families. One of the families is one of my favorites. Lauren, I am in the works of making a surprise for you. I hope it all works out :)

We had such a good lesson the other night. A man named Felipe. He was a Jehovah Witness before. He studied the Bible very hard and a lot of years. But he later found he wasn't having any happiness. They can't celebrate Christmas or birthdays or anything. So we showed up at his house and started teaching him. He is so hungry to learn more. Two nights ago we asked him a question. How do you think we can become closer to Christ? He said read the scriptures and pray. And we said later on, also baptism. It is the way we can become closer to Christ. He said, what do I need to do to be baptized? I was like, are you serious? It was the perfect question. He accepted to get baptized. So we are just going to finish the lessons with him, and he will get baptized. He is definitely a chosen one. Thanks for all that you do. I wish you the best with the New Year. Yes, there are fireworks going off every day. There are like no rules here. hahha

December 24, 2012

Mom, thanks so much for the wonderful miracles that you shared with me!! I felt the spirit so much, thank you! I love you all! I am stoked for tomorrow. Today we had a zone activity and we actually got to play sports!! I got to throw a football, play basketball, and play soccer. It was so much fun, but I got a little sunburnt. Hahaha Well thanks for all the packages and everything that you sent for Christmas. We will open it up tomorrow. We have been eating so much food over here. It is crazy, the members all of a sudden are giving us tons to eat.

We had two activities this last week. First, we had the stake one. We had 9 investigators show up. It was really neat. There were the wards that each did a talent. There was tons of food after, also. Then we had our ward activity the day following. Us 4 missionaries sang a song, then the Elders quorumn sang a song. The Elders quorum was terrible. Hahah because no one showed up to practive the day before besides us. It was so embarrassing. I just wanted to walk out the door. haha But it was a good memory. Then they had other talents and guitar and all. Then food. It was really fun. Well we also had the Christmas activity with the President this Tuesday. It was so awesome!!!!!! We went in the temple, which was flat out amazing. I understood the first part, it was a miracle, I thought they were talking in English at first. I was truly helped out. Then we had a little conference after and then we ate a ton of good food. We all sang Christmas songs and they gave us a bag of treats. I also received my letters there! It was so amazing. I also got to see my old district. Besides Elder Petersen and Elder Prudhomme. But it was so awesome!!!! Elder Cortina is going to stay another change. He just barely found out, he was going to go home, but he asked the President last week, they just barely called!! Well the other day I was walking and saw like 30 parrots in one tree, there were so many!! Well I don't want to write a ton because I want to figure out a time to call. Love you all!!

December 17, 2012

Hey family!! How are you all doing? I am doing just great! Tomorrow I get to go to the temple at 7:30 in the morning! Then we will have a huge meeting with the President and a big lunch and everything. Then that night at 8 we will be going to a members house because their son gets back tomorrow from his mission, so we will dine with them tomorrow.

Wow, I heard about the shooting actually. A family was telling me about it here. It is so sad... But the good thing is that they can live with their families forever. So I want to call on Christmas day. Is that fine? Around what hour is good for you guys? I need to know. I am way excited for this!!

Wow... this week was such a powerful week for me. I will never forget this week. We had a baptism on Wednesday. It is a man, his wife has been a member for around 6 months. He was Catholic and never wanted to be a member of the true church. During the baptismal service, I couldn't stop feeling the spirit. Because I have been working with this brother for 3 months. When he was baptized, by a convert also, I am not joking, the baptism was in slow motion. It was like a dream. I don't know how it was so slow and graceful. But the spirit was so so strong. And I am about to cry right now. When he went under all the way I started crying. And the brother next to me was crying also, because it is his best friend. It was so powerful. Then we had a testimony meeting after while he was getting dressed. His wife gave her testimony, then Enrique, the brother we baptized, gave his testimony. It was so amazing watching those two converts give their testimony. Because they are enduring to the end and doing what is right. Then my companion gave his testimony. I wasn't going to give my testimony before, but I was touched that I should give my testimony. So I gave my testimony after my companion. I started, then couldn't... Because I started crying a ton. I couldn't talk for about 2 minutes, just standing in front of everyone crying. I finally was able to bear my testimony, with the somewhat decent Spanish. I didn't say much, but I bore what I thought I needed to say. Then after the service ended, a brother came up to me, the one who will receive his son from his mission tomorrow. I was sitting in the corner half crying still, just feeling so happy. He came to me and whispered in my ear. In spanish of course "you are amoros. Your little bit of words are powerful. You are a powerful and strong testimony. I love you. I love you. I love you. I will say it again, I usually don't say things twice, then he repeated it again.. Wow that was such a powerful experience also. I was so filled with the spirit. Everyone during my testimony was crying also. Then on Sunday, after church a lady in the ward came up to me. She can speak English. She said I wanted to tell you this after the baptism but I couldn't find you. She said, ''I loved your testimony. You made me cry. I love when missionaries make me feel good. You always make me feel good. You don't know a lot of Spanish but I can still feel your spirit. Thank you so much.'' That was really nice of her.

I had a lot of good blessings this week. A young man in our ward gave me a Jaguar jersey. from their pro soccer team down here. So I received another package. It is a little smaller, not in a box. I don't know if I should open it or not? I also received some letters! We got a microwave and a table and blender in our house. For the first time we have a microwave!!! So I went to the store, bought some popcorn and popped it!! It was so nice to eat some popcorn. Well I hope all is well at home. Let me know how everyone is doing. I love you all so very much! Look for the blessings we have in our life. we have many. And when you can think and be grateful, you will feel the spirit and know that we are loved. Love Elder Parker

December 10, 2012

Hey family!!! Wow, mom that dream is so awesome, I felt the spirit so strong and got tears in my little blue eyes. I love you all. Thank you for the spirit that I can feel through your stories and experiences. Wow, I miss Tanner Butler, he is a really awesome guy. I had some good experiences with him. Thank you for sharing that with me. How is the family doing? I am doing just great here, I have been really happy this month, because of Christmas I guess. I absolutely love this time of the year. I have been listening to those cds like every single morning and night. Not kidding. Thank you so much for the Christmas tree and packages and presents! We took tons of pictures and are loving it. We opened the present last night. It was awesome. We are both really excited! My companion leaves in January, the 7th or something. Every time I listen to the song "We Can Be Together Forever", I think of our family, and almost half of the time I start crying. Because we are so blessed. We have the best and closest family in the whole entire world.

Last Monday was a day of blessings. First I got to write you guys. Then we were walking home after we shopped at Walmart and an old investigator gave us a ride to our house which was really nice of him. Then we got free chocobananas from this lady, which she has never done that, and we were talking and she used to live in South Jordan. So we will teach her this week. She is really nice and every time they see me they say, we have chocobananas! Because they know I love them. She is going to teach me how to make them this next week. Then, we were teaching an investigator, which his wife is a member. Recent convert about 6 months. Well, he drinks and stuff, and I have been teaching him on and off for about 3 months. The Saturday before, he said have patience with me. Then we had the lesson on Monday night, we were bearing our testimonies like crazy about faith. Finally, we invited him to be baptized, and he said yes!!!!! Wow. It was a miracle. I have no doubt. It has taken him 6 months to agree to be baptized . And he is as sure as ever that he wants this in his life. Then he fed us dinner afterwards. The whole time after when we left his house, the spirit was with me. I probably felt the spirit for 10 minutes nonstop. Seriously. It wouldn't leave me. I had goosebumps and I just kept on thanking the Lord. He will get baptized this week!!

We were at lunch eating some pizza, which is a first. Haha. And all of a sudden my companion starts laughing. There were two jovenes or young kids with us about 18 and 14. Then we all started laughing. We all couldn't stop laughing for about 10 minutes. My stomach hurt after because we laughed so hard. Everyone was crying. It was so funny and a good memory. There is a family in our ward, the two sons love to fish. They are 14 and 12. We visited their house to give a short lesson and they started showing me all their equipment and how they made all of it. They loved it. I told them i used to fish with my little brothers and dad. They thought that was the coolest thing. Now every time they see me we talk about fishing.

This week went by really fast, and I am loving the mission. Of course, there are hard times, but it is possible. This is nothing compared to what Jesus went through. Thank you for raising me to be the person I am today. I owe it all to mom and dad. You have no idea how much you have influenced my life. Words can't describe it. Thanks for all that you have done. How is the family?

Love Elder Parker

December 3, 2012

Hey family!! How are you all doing? Estoy muy feliz en este tiempo!! Estoy muy animado para navidad!!! Mom, I received the other package on friday! So now I have two. I will open the first one today, because I didn't know if I could or not. Thank you so much!! I am excited to see what is inside. I am so excited for Christmas I absolutely love this time of year. Last night we were able to go watch the Christmas devotional. A family in the ward took us and it was so amazing. My companion is from Mexico. Close to the D.F. He is Elder Cortina. This is his last transfer here! He is excited for Christmas but says his family doesn't do much. I feel bad for him, yesterday I said don't worry we are going to have a wonderful Christmas together! He is so excited. He has had some problems in his family I think, that has affected him a little. His parents aren't members, and sometimes they don't write him on Mondays. I feel bad. But we are having good times together! He is happy with me. Well, guess what, we get to enter the temple on the 18!!!!!! Only the Elders in Tuxtla get to enter. And I am one of those!! The others can't!! We are gong to have a huge dinner and a meeting with the President on this day, and have games and stuff.

This week has been full of many experiences. We have a new zone leader, he is from Cottonwood high school. He is a Tongan and is so awesome. We were talking about football and all our experiences. We can relate to a lot of things. Well, we baptized the 89 year old lady on Monday. It was the most spiritual baptism. All her family were there, about 30 people. Afterwards, there were hugs and kisses. I can see how much love that family had. It was incredible. Everyone was crying and I couldn't help but cry too. She loves when we sing hymns for her, so every day or every other we go to her house and sing her hymns. She loves it so much, and always tries to give me hugs but I can't hahah .

I saw Elder Palmer!! My first zone leader! He came to our church with his parents! It was so awesome to see him, he is going home this Thursday! My companion and the other Elder in our ward went to a meeting friday morning, so they left behind the brand new other companion and me. I was the senior companion and we worked in my area and I was in charge. It was so weird. It was a little hard at times actually. But I am growing every day. I still have a lot of work, but that is normal. Little by little. But anyways at the meeting my companion received a letter from Elder Peterson's companion. So I was able to receive it from Elder Petersen this way. It was awesome, because Elder Petersen is always looking out for me, and we are like brothers. I am loving my area! I got a hair cut today :) I hope everything is going alright at home. The idea of the 12 days of Christmas service is awesome!! I bet you all feel so better after that! I love you all, I can't wait to see you on skype! I am already asking the members who has skype or maybe we can go in the church and do it , if the bishop lets us. I love you all. Love Elder Parker