Training

Dear Family,

 

So it sounds like Isaac will only cheer for the Sox make it to the WS? Can someone clarify that? That would disappoint Sox Nation if it lost one of its most avids. And I guess no one can make fun of him for being chubby or anything of the like anymore. Nice job bajando peso. Got then pictures from the Court of Honor and the family reunion. The backyard looks SOOOOOOOOOO Good. Wow. It looks like a lot of work was put into that and it looks like a lot of fun too. Major props to Mom, and Mr. Moneybags too. Glad to hear that football is starting; I loved football, and that Evan is working for the BYU team. That would be A LOT of fun for me to come back and watch while I am at school, if I don't join the Air Force (I changed my mind from the Navy)... Grandma is free from cancer!!!!! Yes!! That is like #3 to overcome cancer in the Parry family since I have been alive. Right? Good stuff. And G-Dawg- is she turning into ironman? She would be a good one. Hope that surgery goes well. I didn't forget your anniversary this week Mom and Dad. Did Dad forget it? Haha Just kidding. I didn't send you anything but I was thinking about you. 12 years and still going strong. Good to hear. By the way- I am glad you got the pictures of me in the Scaffolding outfit. One of our investigators does that for a living and insisted that I wear that stuff. I decided just to give the wife your number. I would suggest that you don't text her back for anything haha.

 

Man... This week... This week was eventful, and pretty tough. Training is no walk in the park. Elder Dodd is super awesome and not hard to be the trainer for, but I just feel like there is a lot of responsibilty right now...

 

Saturday I asked the Soriano family if we could have Sunday dinner over there and they were so willing that they put together a huge dinner of one of my favorite foods that I had over there last time. Hermano Soriano made Panvasos!!! They are so delicious. It is a huge plate-sized circle of bread filled with cheese, salsa, potatoes, sausage, lettuce, and chili and then it is folded over and covered in more chili rojo. They are gigantic. The last time I went over with E. Cardoso I had 4 (For the rest of the evening my feet hurt because the weight of the 4 Panvasos pushed me down so hard haha). I had 3 and a half yesterday and went up to Hermano Soriano and said that I was so sorry, I couldn't eat 4 this time. Everyone laughed. Three other families from the rama came over to so the company was A LOT of fun. It was the happiest I had been all week.

 

So The assistants were supposed to tell Elder Miller to pack instead of me so that was kind of inconvenient for us both. The APs are pretty new so oh well. So Elder Miller went back into his car (of which him and I used WAY too many miles with for the first ten days of the month, not my problem haha) and he is training as well. We are both in the branch. I am still in Youngtown/El Mirage. Still staying in home sweet home :) Transfers was actually super fun! I saw Elder Cardoso again. That made me so happy. He is doing well in La Joya. He has facebook and his new ZL companion is Elder Hughes so that was funny. Being my fourth transfer meeting I am starting to know a lot more missionaries so it is cool to see old friends and actually know some faces. This week has been a rocky transition overall though- I am planning the days out by myself for the first time, I popped a tire, I am training, we have half the investigators we had the week before, and we are on bike. On Saturday we were riding between 1:00 and 4:00 and it was 114. It was the hottest I have ever felt in my life. My face felt like it was melting. Ah man haha I don't even know how to describe it but it was good. Fun to be able to say we overcame it. Elder Dodd was so hot too. He barely survived. Kind of a tough third day if you ask me haha. That day we got into Lou's house. He is formerly from the Italian mafia. Did I already talk about this guy? He said he used to own $100,000 in weapons and that he used to carry hand grenades on his person around town. He seems pretty hard. But he was baptized six years ago and sold all his guns. He is currently a returning member and will be coming back to church soon. His family aren't members and we have a lesson tomorrow planned with them so that will be great. He calls missionaries "winged knights." That is rad. We got a Ward Mission Leader!!! He definitely outshines the previous 2. He has had the calling before and is a high priest who was been a strong member for a few decades. He is the perfect example of one who acts out of love. He knows how to help people and how to reflect Christ's love for them. I desire to learn a lot from him. In our meeting yesterday with the Presidency and him some people were kind of upset/confused until at the end Hermano Cervantes (WML) just calmly talks about how we need to be patient and loving with the members and with the Lord. Everyone calmed down and the Spirit rushed into the room. At church yesterday I was kind of showing Elder Dodd around to everyone and it really wasn't until yesterday that I realized how much I love these people. I said "they are my favorite members" for seven different members. I couldn't decide! I settled with three tied for first (Covarrubias, Sanchez, and Jenkins.) Church was awesome. The investigators just came without warning this time. Clemente came after about a dozen weeks of not. That blew our minds. It was good. Investigators are progressing pretty so-so right now. We need to find more people-- we just got our cascoes (helmets) back so that is good :)

 

Elder Dodd is great. He is a super talented music guru (I am not positive what he does exactly but he mixes and records music and will be going to BYU on a scholarship and plans to be a music producer when he grows up.) and has met bands like Owl City, the Fray, Imagine Dragons, Christina Aguilera, and the Lumineers. I am pretty jealous. It is stinking cool. He is from Highlands Ranch, CO. This is interesting- He and Elder Miller's trainee were companions in the MEXICO MTC. They were part of the first White/American district to ever go to the Mexican MTC. We are both pioneers because I was in the first 6-week program for language-learning in the MTC. He said Mexico was wild; no traffic rules, people selling bananas and candy in the street, lots of theft, lots of cockroaches, lots of rain and stuff like that. I can't wait to go to Mexico someday!! Elder Dodd has an amazing desire to learn, push himself, help other people, and be the best he can be.

 

Training is tough- I feel pretty inadequate and humbled but I am trying to help Elder Dodd reach his full potencial and I want us to be good friends always too so we are working on having fun. I know the Lord trusts me and has confidence in me therefore- I have decided to have confidence in myself! Don't really have a whole lot of Spiritual stuff to say this week. I can barely keep my mind straight: Training, the heat, and planning have melted my mind into mush. Check out the revelation message in the Liahona for this month! Good stuff to learn and really good tips on understanding the "burning of the bosom." Keep me updated on the Infinite Atonement that you are reading!