Like a Boss!

April 29, 2013

 

It turns out we have as much email time as we need. We learned that from Sister Taylor at interviews last week. Kind of interesting. That only means I will need to be even more disciplined though! Hope all is going swell in Bountiful. I will tell you a few things about life in El Mirage..

Dear Family,

Arizona is fun! the mission is shaping me every day. I think you would be proud of me :) Like I said, we had quarterly interviews with President last week. They were awesome. I just love seeing President and Sister Taylor every chance I get. They are inspired and so so loving.

I learned a few pretty cool things at interviews. One was when we were all sitting in the Relief Society room and a random guy walked past the door, poked his head in, and said that he wanted to learn more about this church and how could he do that. It kind of made me laugh a little bit in my head. Well, he went to the right place at the right time and a pair of Elders (who are serving in the area that he lives in) got his information and made plans for him later that evening. I was so happy for the man that walked in, but I was almost surprised at how happy I was for those Elders. I was not jealous at all; I was so excited for them to bring this soul unto Christ. Later that day I kind of applied what I learned and made more sense of it. It is up to us to be clean, worthy, and diligent every single day and then we leave the rest to the Lord! We hear a lot to be "instruments" of the Lord; as a member, and especially as a missionary. I figure a physical musical instrument doesn't do anything without the user. That's how we are with the Lord. We need to be worthy of Him using us to do His work. This realization has brought great peace and comfort to me. I do not need to waste time with the what-ifs when I can just do all that I can do and let the Lord use me how He pleases!! Whomever the Lord blesses us with to find, teach, and baptize, sobeit. I will give it my all and find peace that this work is the Lord's work, that this work is much much bigger than I am, and that the Lord is literally down on the Earth working with us as it is said in Jacob 5.

I also learned through my interview with President and by his counsel to me that I need to slow down, be patient, and have a good perspective and scope on my mission. It reminded me of when Brother Muir told me after my farewell that his only worry for me is that I will tire out my companions over these two years haha. But in all seriousness, President was right. I find myself getting so caught up in my day-by-day growth, having every investigator progress, being a perfect missionary every day, and really small and unimportant things like speaking perfect Spanish. I need to relax. I need to remember what Elder Holland said at conference that made everyone laugh: Don't you think the Lord gets pretty impatient working with imperfect people all the time? I need to look at my mission as a whole. President also talked to me about the importance of crossing paths with people at a certain point in their journey to accepting the Gospel. Everyone is at a different point, and if I, by the help of the Spirit, can move everyone I come in contact with along just a little bit, then think of how many "small and simple things" I can do as a missionary! I have found much peace in this also. This applies to everyone though. Don't get caught up in the detail of your lives. Focus on doing one more good thing today than you did yesterday, focus on doing better at one thing than the day before, and do it! Pray one more time than you did yesterday. Just some thoughts I had!

A little about the baptism we had on Saturday.. It went really well. The service was smooth, and very spiritual. None of our investigators showed up which stunk, but the two most important ones took the big step toward the Kingdom of God and I know they won't be turning back! Mario and Glenda Sanchez were baptized and when Hermano Soriano was baptizing Mario, the Spirit filled my body. It sounds cliche but that's exactly how it happened! The Spirit told me that they are ready, and that they will remain. What a blessing it has been to be a part of this. What a joy they are in my life as a missionary already. The only joy that exceeds this as a missionary for me up to this point is finding someone prepared. Finding Hilda in Peoria last transfer, second day of my mission, was pure joy because I got to watch her grow from the start. But she doubted herself and even God a little bit so that ended sad. But Mario and Glenda are strong. and we are going to be over there a lot more because Their daughter, Cassandra, is eight and we did not feel she was fully prepared so we are going to teach her to her baptism by her dad Mario this May 18th! It has been a real treat. I bring her Legos every Thursday we come and we just talk. Very simply we cover the doctrine and talk about the Gospel. Yesterday we were over there talking about Priesthood and she didn't want to forget the word so she wrote it down phonically (Preesthood) and repeated it like 50 times. It was so sweet. We looked at a picture of the first vision and she said "weren't they as bright as the sun?" It was so awesome. She is a neat girl.

I will finish off talking about mi companero a little bit. He is a blast. He has some great Brazilian dances, songs, and chocolate, he loves his fiance haha, he is obedient, and he knows how to be a great responsible missionary and be fun about it. I am working on being loose. He is helping me with this. I want to balance enjoying my mission while still being exactly obedient. I think this doctrine was lost somewhere in my first transfer. I was a little too stressed. Elder Pollmeier was spectacular and I wouldn't trade the times I had with him, but I am learning how to be happy. A lot of this goes back to what I said about putting my mission into perspective. Anyway, the work is moving on and I am improving every day as long as I remain accountable of my efforts to myself, Elder Cardoso, and the Lord :) Elder Cardoso is great though. He speaks very suave Spanish, all the Spanish people we talk to love him, and he testifies in Spanish LIKE A BOSS (That is something he would say haha). He really does though. Did I tell you about the inactive family that went to Church for the first time in two years the same day as our first Sunday in the branch after we had visited them? Elder Cardoso pushed the Hermano into letting him give him a blessing that he would have the mental strength to ask his boss to let him have Sundays off. That is textbook boldness right there. I am working on boldness. Boldness and love. What does it mean to be wise yet harmless? That scripture is in Alma 18 I believe. It is talking about Ammon. It all has to do with boldness. Elder Cardoso is bold. Now the Estrella branch is happy the Sarmientos are back at church and they know who did it! Well they think it was Elder CArdoso and me, but it was the Spirit and Elder Cardoso! My two senior companions.

Whenever I read Missionary emails before I came I may or may not have gotten tired of only hearing so much spiritual stuff! I testify to you that that is the only way to email! I love being accountable to all you at home by showing you what I have learned and experienced. Keep on keepin'. I love the mail and thoughts of home. Just like all your mail to me, I am sorry I don't say much about what you tell me, I just love my mission too much!

Oh and don't worry about me--it's getting into the 100s here. We got home from church yesterday at 5:00 and walked into our 85 degree air conditioned apartment and it felt sooo good haha.

Love you unconditionally, Elder Parry