Pictures from the MTC

Dad,
I am glad to have the opportunity to serve as the Zone Leader, not for recognition, but for service. I feel like I know what the newer elders went through the first few weeks, so I am a big help for them I believe. I am trying to make the most if it here. The spirit is so strong, and I actually love this place! But I am more excited to go to Mexico!! Thank you for the scripture and the advice!! Thanks for the update on the olympics, wish I could have watched them, pero esta bien.
I know the language won't come all at once, and that it takes time. So I have been a lot more positive on that part.
Thank you so much for everything, and for preparing me for this Mission. I couldn't have done it without you.
Also, way to bless the sacrament at church. I miss doing that, but hopefully I can soon, in spanish that is.
I love you Dad!
Love Elder Parker

August 10, 2012

Hey mom!! That is so awesome that you and dad are in Hawaii!! I am so jealous, but I am so happy for you!!! It sounds like you are having a blast, making many good memories, and meeting new people!! I think I might send home my card on my camera so you can see some pictures and i recorded a few videos so you can watch those also!!! THis week has gone by so so fast!! I have some good news for you, but you will find out when you watch the video that i am sending you!!! I am glad you met some missionaries and talked with them. I saw Jordan Bozarth here from snow canyon basketball, konnor murdock from pine view football, he asked if i was going to play with him at suu, he was really nice. Then I see Boston and Kyler and Josh a lot!! I got to see both of their parents like you already know!!! So thanks for the yellowstone package, my whole district loved it so much!!! It was nice to get some things from yellowstone, made me feel like I went. So we celebrated hump day two nights ago, because we are more than halfway done with the mtc. We had been saving up like 40 bags of chips and then that night we ate them all and drank some soda! It was really fun, and just a good night. We have had two new districts come in already, and one last one coming in this wednesday. Then we will have a full zone again, because one district is leaving next monday. I was able to go to the temple again today, that was such a neat experience, the spirit is always so strong there!! I never take it for granted. I just barely got Courts email you sent in the mail along with the ant story! Thank you so much, that is a neat story about diligence. I am glad Court is doing good, we email every week! Which is a big help to me because we both know exactly how each other feels. So we got a new investigator last week. His name is Gabriel from Chile. During our second lesson, he bore his testimony of prayer. He told us a story that goes something like this, when he was working one day, his son had severe pain in his legs and arms and they didin't know what was wrong with him. Anyways at work, he heard the spirit whisper, go home your son is sick take him to the hospital. So he listened and took his son to the hospital and he had cancer. They said if he wouldn't have brought him in that time that he would have probably died soon after. He started crying during this story, which surprised me because he looks like a really tough guy, which in turn made me cry. I then bore my testimony of how prayer is so powerful and with the poder del espiritu santo anything is possible. I told him how much i love mi familia and how this gospel can make our families become even closer and we can always have that love. It was such a spiritual experience. I just love being here so much!!! Sunday and Tuesdays are probably my favorite days here. Because they are both so spiritual and we have devotionals on those days. Sunday nights, we watch videos, like this sunday i watched the testaments video. It is nice to have a break, and watch some movies. Wow I love you so much, I am so blessed to be in this family of ours. Thank you for preparing me for this oportunidad to serve Dios!! Estoy agradecido por mi familia!! Thank you so much again, and I love you!! Don't you ever forget. Brother Jones who is in our branch presidency, his wife reminds me of you, not looks, but just how she is always happy. She gets really excited to see me every night they are here. She comes up to me and says with a smile, its our favorite Quarterback missionary!! She asks how I am doing and I say really good, which in return she said of course, you are always happy and always have a smile on your face :) I just love it so much. Seeing the wives and women just remind me of you and being at home, which brightens my day. I love you so much, and hope you and dad are safe in Hawaii!
Love Elder Parker

July 30, 2012

Hey Mom!!! How are you doing? I am so glad that you were able to go to Yellowstone and have fun!! I am having a really good time here! It feels like just yesterday I was writing home. The days here kind of go slow, but the weeks go by really really fast!! Last night we sang "God be with you till we meet again" to the two districts in my zone that left this morning. I will miss them so much. They were so loving and were good examples to me. They lived on my floor, and I always talked to them. There was an Elder from Lone Peak who walked onto Byu, he is a big linebacker. His name is Elder Newman. He is such a cool Elder. Then his companion played basketball for Weber State he is 6 10. And their other roomate is a swimmer for Byu and then another elder was a professional surfer. They left this morning!! I have been staying busy learning the language. In one of my lessons with our investigator, I had the impression to bear my testimony about oracion (prayer). When i started bearing my testimony to (Waldina our investigator) I started crying because I know we can receive answers to our prayers. The spirit was so strong in the room, and she started to cry. It was such an amazing experience!! I know have 4 investigators that I teach. So it keeps me really busy preparing lessons and practicing them in Spanish. But i wouldn't have it any way. One of my investigators might actually not be a member of the church. I find out on Tuesday if he is or not, which I hope he isn't so that way we can teach him about the gospel and help bring him unto Christ. This week has gone by super fast and has been filled with so many spiritual experiences. Elder Jones in our district had his birthday on Saturday. His mom sent us cake and snacks, it was a fun night!! We got a new district last Wednesday and will be getting one this wednesday also. So now my district is the second oldest in the Zone now . Elder Taggart, who is in my room, his mom sent us district ties, so we all have matching ties. It is funny to wear them and see how people react. I hope the family is doing good!! I miss you all and love you so very much. I hung some pictures up of our family and relatives which is nice. Everyone says I have a cute family, and they say i have cute sisters hahaha. I'm used to that by now. So this afternoon we get to go to the temple for the first time being here!! I am so excited, it will be my first time in the Provo Temple. When i get back from my mission I want to go to every temple in Utah, which by that time will probably be 14 I believe. I love being here, because the spirit is always so strong and I will never take that for granted. Trevor Nelson leaves the mtc tomorrow, he is going to Florida. I was able to see him and say goodbye!! I see jeff staples a lot, he has changed and I love talking to him. Thanks for all the letters, and for the doughnuts you sent me!! They were so good and I loved them. So it really just depends on when I write my emails home. Because we now have temple schedule on pdays so sometimes i feel like doing it in the morning while my laundry is being done, or sometimes i feel like doing it after. So sorry if i ever keep you waiting or something. There has been rumor of a shooting in colorado at the movie theatre and Dwight howard got traded hahaha. We hear lots of things through letters and emails. Well just want you to know all is well here!! Thanks for helping me to prepare to come out here. It is a lot different than what i thought it was going to be like, but that isn't a bad thing at all!! Well I love you and let the family know how much I love them!! God be with you till we meet again!!

Love Elder Parker

July 23, 2012

Hey Family!! How is it going? This past week has been really really good!! There have been some hard times, but the good times outweight the bad times by far!!
So guess what.. Yesterday I was made District Leader!! I am so excited to help provide and serve my district. I am really excited!! So i saw Elder Mckeighan from Desert Hills basketball team last year!! Him and I talked for like 15 minutes, he is a really awesome elder. Yesterday i saw elder Wilstead from pine view, he came
up to me and was like elder Parker!! We talked for a few minutes. I see Jeff Staples a lot!! Jesse Bettridge gave me a book the other day called "The Book of Hurricane" Corey started it and it gets passed around to the people from hurricane here at the mtc. It is a funny book, but has very spiritual sayings and testimonies in it.
So far Corey, Colton Barney, Taylor Frost, and Jesse Bettridge have written in it! I will pass it on to Jeff Staples. So I was able to consecrate oil, that was a neat experience. Then the next day, Elder Gooden was sick and needed a blessing, so I gave him one, my very first one. It was really spiritual, and it worked!! I know i will be giving so many more blessings in my life. Mom, thank you so so much for the package of new shirts, shorts, and new socks, and all that pirate stuff!! My whole district loved it we got a picture with our eye patches on!! Just dont feel like you have to send me things, or if it costs too much money, I will be fine. But I really do enjoy receiving packages and it makes my day. :) so thanks!! We went to a fireside yesterday and brother Alan talked to us. He talked about the song Come Come Ye Saints. It was so spiritual, he talked about the pioneers and how we will be okay. "All is Well" He had us sing it like 3 times through, and it meant a lot to me. After we watched the Joseph Smith movie. Sundays are really spiritual here, but also, every day is!! I now have two investigators I am teaching in spanish. Two elders from our district are leaving tomorrow for Peru. The other two haven't received their visas yet. Our district has really come together. During gym, since basketball court is closed, we go play sand volleyball outside together. That has been so much fun, plus i abosolutely love sand volleyball. Me Kizzy and Stacey would always play it.
How is the cabin?? I bet you are having so much fun, but don't worry, i'm having more fun here :). Tell all the relatives hi for me!!
I have now gotten used to the schedule and things like that, so nice it is much easier throughout the day. Yesterday we went to the temple and took a lot of pretty pictures. I think next p-day we will be able to go in the temple :) I sure hope so, because i miss the peace, spirit, and comfort the temple brings for me.
I miss you all so much!! And i just want to tell you how much I love you and appreciate everything you have done for me!! Please do not worry about me, I am doing totally fine!!
The Lord is here with me, I have no doubt I am being blessed and being led by the Spirit. I am so blessed having this experience to be a missionary of the Lord!! I will not let Him down.
I want to do everything so that when I get to Mexico I can invite them to come unto Christ and receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentence, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and to endure to the end. We are so blessed to have this gospel in our family. Please never take it for granted!
Dare to be a Mormon,
Dare to be alone,
Dare to have courage,
Dare to make it known.
I love you all so much!! Y estoy agradecido por es experiencia!!

Amor, Elder Parker aka Taydog!!

Hey Mom!! Thanks so much for the letters and package! I just sent you a few letters just barely. I am so glad that dad's talk was good, and really spiritual!! That does not surprise me because dad has always been so strong in the church and lived a life where he can always have the spirit with him. So have you though!! These past couple days I've realized how blessed I am to be in our family. We truly have the best family I could ever ask for and I will never take it for granted. Thanks to you and dad for raising us like you two. So I am getting more and more used to the MTC now. Sleep is hard sometimes, because we don't really get enough I think. I saw Elder Trevor Nelson from football. He is from Snow Canyon and he has a twin, Tavish. I talked to him for a while. I also saw Jeff Staples here!! He said he was looking for me everywhere for 4 days then I finally saw him and we talked. Thanks for sending me the watch and debit card. And the package with bears!! We have been doing p90x workouts at night with my district! And perfect pushups! It has all brought us closer and is fun to just work out. So last Sunday an elder was feeling really homesick. He was crying that night, and our district decided to give him a blessing. It was the most spiritual moment ever. I started crying in the blessing, and the spirit stayed there in the room for 30 minutes as we all bore our testimonies and said how much we loved each other and that every thing will be okay. This last Thursday, I was frustrated about the language. That night I prayed for the spirit. I asked why I wasn't learning the language fast enough. Then, this Sunday, a miracle happened. Elder Jones our first counselor in the branch presidency came up to me after Priesthood meeting and asked how I was doing. He then asked how is the language. I said good. He said really? But then I finally said, it is going alright, coming really slow. Then he told me of his experience and how he didn't get the gift of tongues until 6 months out on his mission. He told me to not worry one bit, and to not compare myself to others learning the language. He said my time will come. That Heavenly Father has a reason for how fast the language comes and when it comes. Everything happens for a reason. That was not a coincidence that he asked me about the language. I know that he has inspiration. And he is the expert on Spanish now. So I have much faith that everything will work out in the end!! So there are 12 of us in our district but 4 leave next week to the mtc in Peru! I just bought a new backpack today. I saw some, but they weren't too good. So I just waited and some nice ones came in today, so I bought one for 45 bucks. Nat told me to let you know if I got her letter, which I did. Tell her thanks. It has been raining here for like 3 days, which is wonderful! So. yesterday for the devotional Jenny Oaks Baker came, which is the daughter of Elder Oaks!! She graduated from Julliard and was nominated for a grammy award! She played us songs on the violin. It was so spiritual and she played the violin better than I have ever heard anyone play it, no joke. Then she had her kids play I am a Child of God. They were between 10 and 5 years old. There was four of them, and they all memorized the song. It was incredible!! You should see if you can look some of her songs up on the computer. Well I love you and am so excited to be here!! Don't worry about me, I am in the right hands :) Love you
Amor, Elder Parker

First Email from the MTC

(In a letter written by Tay the first day in the MTC)…July 5, 2012

Hey Familia,
It’s my first day in the MTC! My companion is Elder Gooden. He is from Peachtree City, near Atlanta, Georgia. He turns 21 in November. He is a really cool guy. He did ROTC and went to BYU for a year. He wants to be a marine. Today was very busy and it has been super hot. I saw Colton Barney, Jesse Bettridge and Elder Watson from Desert Hills. The spirit is already so strong. I love my District. The food was good! I will have p- days on Mondays. We are sharing a room with the DLs. I got a bottom bunk. I’m excited for tomorrow and gym time. I met the soon to be district leader and he was from Lone Peak in 2011 and walked onto BYU! He played outside backer. Everyone is so friendly.
I love you guys! Thanks for everything. I will be totally fine. I am in the Lord’s hands!! 

Love, Elder Parker

Mom!! My p- day is today on Monday. It has been a really busy few days!! but the spirit here is so strong!! I hope you got my letter, I sent it the first night. Wow!! Zach is going to my same mission? I had no idea!!! That is such a miracle, because it will help us both so very much. I love Zach. That surely is a blessing that you can now get packages to Courtney. I now kind of understand what she went through. Thank you so much for the package and food and letters, that really made my day. I really like it here. My companion talks a lot but he knows the language pretty well, so he has been helping me out with it. We have already learned how to bear our testimony and greet someone and say a prayer in spanish. We have learned so much. We already had our first little meeting with our investigator. I told him we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was really scary. But we talked for like 5 minutes in spanish. The days are really long. But my district is amazing. Elder Stevenson from Cedar City is in my district. I saw Colton Barney the first day I was here. Since then i've seen Preston Root from Snow Canyon, Elder Nelson, Elder Watson, and Elder Forbes from Desert Hills. Myles Anderton, Jesse Bettridge and Jacob Wilson from Hurricane!!! Yesterday was the most spiritual day here so far. We listened to a fireside from the admin. direc. Brother Heaton. Then we listened to that talk you showed me by Jeffrey R. Holland. The one about the road to salvation goes through Gethsemane. It was way spiritual. That same day we were able to walk around the Provo Temple. It was such a beautiful temple. Don't worry about me here. I will be fine. It is hard at times, but that is only normal. I am so blessed to be here! I love you!!