Christmas!

Como estan familia?

Just hanging out in basketball shorts at the Dysart/Greenway building sending you emails with my District and the Lord's iPad! Pretty cool. We just got word that we can go to the Gilbert Temple Open House with recent converts or investigators so Hermano Covarrubias said he would take us before transfers (Jan. 29). We are excited for that. Christmas was way fun. We studied, opened presents, did the Skype call--you all look great! Sam hulked it and has grown up a lot since I last saw him. I think I would have more fun with the old immature Sam I know so don't mature too much please :D-- we then went and had lunch with HErmano Handley. He is the coolest guy and made us a fantastic meal even though he isn't very well off and sells cacti for a living so it was really nice. We were the 8 missionaries who visited from Surprise. We drove our district up and our roommates drove ahead of us. We sang some Christmas songs, ate Taco soup, and talked with President and Sister Taylor. I love them! Then we came back and played basketball for a few hours to end the night. That was awesome. Elders Hancock, Nelson, Jones, McMillan, Fife and I just shot (I have been out longer than anyone in the District! It is weird) for a couple hours. I felt like I was back in High School for an evening. It was pretty relaxing. Then our whole apartment got sick the next day. It was actually kind of funny. Everyone coughed, sneezed, grumbled, had trouble sleeping and the whole spectrum. Elder Fife was actually fine and I wasn't too bad--I had to stay in to do a 3 hour nap but I was good other than that afternoon--so it was fun being with the suffering Elders. We don't know what we are doing for New Years. I just want to hang around the apartment. I think the last time I hung around a whole day and did nothing was with Big Rich at BYU. That is what I want to do. We will be inside at 6 on tuesday and all day wednesday. I am not very focused at all emailing like this so I will try to scrounge some more out... Saturday was a great day. The Rama Estrella has really continued with their missionary work. I have seen this place transform since I have been here. Yesterday Rosa, friend invited by Ignacio and Luz, enjoyed all three hours and told us to come over to Ignacio's house to watch and explain the Restoration DVD with her. She enjoyed it and committed to praying and truly searching! It was sweet. We knocked on Hermana Lopez' house and she took us to her next-door neighbor's house and we talked to him, Edebeto for an hour. The Dominguez family who is "less-active" have handed out 3 copies of the Book of Mormon this Christmas. People are catching the wave and seeing the vision of the Hastening of the Work of Salvation here! We hope to keep that going. The Rama was also very very giving and loving for the 4 Elders in the Branch. We got like 5 pounds of cookies from the relief society president. There is a lot of food and sweets in the apartment so we are going to ENGORDAR.

I am learning and progressing a lot. I really feel the influence of the Spirit out here. I feel like I am getting better at communicating with my HEavenly Father out here. Following the Spirit is something I have been working hard all Mission. It takes courage to follow most the time, but I feel like I am. I feel like the first half of my mission was a very successful one. I was looking back on it today :/ I am usually pretty hard on myself, but I feel like I have worked as hard as I can in every aspect. I feel like I have put my whole effort into what I have done and learned so far and The Lord as sure filled in on what I need specifically to grown and learn. I have already learned so much to apply to the rest of my life. I love this work and want to be a part of it in whatever way I can for the rest of my life. I love Arizona and I love this people, no matter how frustrating some people can be at times! I love them and want them to learn how they can feel their Savior's love. See you in a year!

Love, Elder Parry

Find Your Role However Small

Things are going really well in Surprise! One thing that I have noticed about Christmas so far this month is that we are teaching a lot of lessons, the other Elders are teaching a lot of lessons too, and we are teaching a lot of FAMILIES! It is something that I hold near and dear to my heart this month. I am very grateful for this special opportunity. The Lord has put genuine, loving, sweet, interested, prepared families into the area that we are being 100% led to. Mainly by members! We got 2 Mesa Temple light referrals this week of families that signed up to learn more. We taught one (Jorge, Armando, and Patti) yesterday. We taught them about prayer and committed them to doing a family prayer every night. They said yes! They also fed us dinner on the spot, sent us home with more, and used a plant in their yard to help with some blisters I have one my hand! You will hear more about them soon. A LOT MORE! They are cool. Yesterday we taught the Restoration to Lala, her daughter, and her granddaughter. A family found by Hermano Puente. We SPIRITUALLY PLOWED through that lesson--I say that because the Spirit was there, we covered every point, we helped her with a lot of doubts, we did our best to teach to understanding, and we taught PEOPLE and not lessons. When I say we I say Elder Fife and I did out best to follow the lead of our senior companion THE SPIRIT. My testimony of the Spirit grew very large this week. I KNOW for a fact that the missionaries can't do it without the Spirit. The Spirit helps them keep commitments, listen, ask questions, be taught, understand what is in it for them with this Gospel, and to feel the love of God. I have been in lessons where I have felt like everything is on my shoulders and it is up to me. They were bad lessons... Bad. When we go in, with confidence and faith in the Spirit, and do our best, and LOVE these people. Things go well. I need to work on not trying to change the whole world in one lesson. God knows how to help these people. We must enlist His help. We also taught Madai, Genado, and their 3 kids this week. They missed church which was sad but they said yes to baptism--just not soon. Hermana Armida bore powerful testimony of her own baptism and how they need not fear or worry. The Lord provides the preparation they need. They are the sweetest family. They may not be the best and doing the things we invite them to do but I love them so much! They are so sincere and grateful and willing to change. They have a lot of those "unchecked" baptism qualities that will really get them there. I say unchecked because it is the stuff written in DandC 20 and Mosiah 18 that we can't check off in an interview, but things that will take them to baptism and eternity with our Heavenly Father. They are humble and have the broken heart and a contrite spirit. The Covos family is kind of dragging along. We are not giving up. The Spirit isn't either because I feel it when we are there. We had a great lesson on Monday with them. Hermano Handley was bold. I followed his lead. He bore strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and why they need to be more diligent in reading. I learned a lot about being bold, loving, and reflecting the seriousness of these things we need to be doing to learn and grow. It has been a great blessing in my mission to see so many families. The Lord is preparing hearts. Another family (Virginia) finally got home from Mexico and said they would come to church, but didn't. We are going to keep teaching them. They live in Waddell so it is a 20 minute road trip every time. How fun! Alejandra and her two kids didn't come to church either but we will see them there soon. They are a prepared family.

 

I have seen some of the most growth in Elder Fife as we have taught together. I am doing better at not being such a chatterbox in the lessons and he has more opportunities to teach--especially in English when we have them. We had 3 invitations from the 12-week program for him to take the lead in a certain part of the teaching and he did ALL 3 TIMES. He did it twice yesterday! He is becoming a great missionary and his potencial is through the roof. I want him to keep pushing himself--and he can get little pushes from me too :) 

 

We taught a lesson to a less active couple that got baptized in Mexico 45 years ago. My testimony in teaching less-actives is weaker than I thought... She said stuff like "It shouldn't be the church of Joseph Smith," "there are just too many hypocrites at church," and "I am fine worshipping God how I am." I thought of a billion things to say to her, not many of them were very nice though. The lesson with them just sent me on a giant mind race as I was thinking about everything to be done and what could possibly be done to help them. I know that love is the answer. I know they love us because they love missionaries and we love them too and they know that. So we just need to keep inviting and visiting. In the lesson I got out of my comfortable, apologetic sphere to tell them that they need to go to Church because they are losing blessings of the Priesthood and the Sacrament. We told them it wasn't okay not to go because it was a commandment to go. I wanted to tell them that it really shouldn't matter if they have been offended (See Elder Bednar "and none shall offend them" EPIC TALK. I think that talk made him close to my favorite apostle....) but I did not. We left with our love. Hay que tener PACIENCIA!

 

Yesterday in my journal I was writing about all that I have learned from the Rama Estrella members. Hermanos Zayas, and Covarrubias, and President Aguirre have taught me more than anyone else in my life about how the church should be run (how it should be lived? No, of course not because of the home I grew up in where I learned that; but as I have paid attention to callings, administration, working together, and all the good church stuff there is to learn on the mission that blesses us for the rest of our lives, I have learned how it should be done by watching their examples.) This branch may be small in numbers, and even smaller in willingness to help at times, but the leaders want to get it done right, and it took until my mission to actually see the sacrifice and 24/7 work put into callings and running a branch down here. The Surprise, Arizona Saints have taught me so much about the church and the work of Salvation! I really admire them. These Saints have such strong faith and diligence here in the Estrella Branch! Brother Hammond ("returning-member") spoke on God's physical nature and the Spirit really hit me; I never really understood the importance of explaining that. That means that we are like God? We have the same physical characteristics as our all-knowing God? How could we compare? It was some interesting thinking.

 

Jennifer and Janet (Jocelyn's sisters) were baptized this weekend! It was very special and it went really well. The Spirit was strong there and at their confirmations. Elderes Jones y Nelson finished up the teaching and did the baptizing. It was a great team (Spirit, Missionaries, family) effort for it to happen. Jocelyn spoke (2 month recent convert) and gave a great talk. Seeing growth; now that is one of the most fun parts of the mission!!!

 

I love you and know you are all doing great things. Mother- Hang in there! You are doing a great work for the family.   Thanks for the mail--in all its forms. I am really feeling the love and support of my family from all over as I enjoy the time here on my mission thank you. PS-Stacey's letter was very very funny. I have loved them all. Does Grandpa know his was the longest? Haha I joke, but really thank you Grandpa-- it was inspiring and informative. Brought the Spirit. I have had some very nice things sent my way. Tell Grandma I have worn the Red and Green Tie she got me 4 or 5 days in the past two weeks! 

 

The Lord is opening up the hearts and preparing millions! Find your place in this great Work of Salvation. Did you know it is not even called missionary work anymore? This is the Lord's great work that is only speeding up because there is a lot to do before it is done. I know it is real because I feel it every day. It is so much bigger than each one of us, but we all play key roles. Families are becoming more united and the cream of the crop is raising to the top! All the Success in baptisms we are seeing are coming because of members' efforts, the hastening, and families being open to the Gospel. This work is so much bigger than Elder Fife and I and everyone else. Find your role however small :) Love you. Merry Christmas.

 

Elder Parry

Staying in Surprise

Dear Family,

 

I will be hanging out with the Surprise buddies for six more weeks! Elder Elliot is getting transferred out of out apartment and Elders Fife and Bangerter are staying. We all kind of guessed it would happen like this so we are doing great. After this transfer it will be nine months for me here, Oh nelly!

 

This week went super great. Going to Mesa was the time of my life! I didn't see any former companions at my conference but it was a really special day. I really enjoyed what Sister Taylor was saying about angels. I got pretty choked up when she talked about guardian angels. Actually, I felt the Spirit really strong as my whole body was tingling then the tingling really converted into a powerful heat. I don't know how to describe it--just that it didn't make me sweat or too hot but it heated up my whole body. Anyway--at that moment I pretty much knew that I have had guardian angels out here--living and past. I know they are all-around me to bear me up. I don't owe it to any specific event other than that moment at conferences and that I just know people are looking out for me on the other side of the veil. It was very special. The Spirit works! The conferences were so awesome. The Mesa Temple was beautiful. The session was really powerful. We got to hug Sister Taylor in the Celestial Room. I felt like we were one big family. I get some major motivation and love kicks whenever I do sessions! I know my Heavenly Father is looking out for me. The Commandments rock. Oh, and I got to drive out to Mesa too! :)

 

The investigators are doing okay. Yesterday Elder Fife and I did splits for the first time so he is getting more opportunities to take the lead. I went with Brother Handley to the Covos. Hermano Covos is a tough man. He wants to know everything before baptism and, like most of the mexican investigators, seems to keep asking questions about stuff we have already taught and repeated. Maybe I am not a great teacher? We read Jacob 4 with him. We were going to teach Word of Wisdom but they just need the BOM in their lives. We both testified of the BOM and the Spirit came strong. It was a good moment to feel the Spirit. That is when I know I am doing my job :) Madai, Genaro, and their 3 kids came to church! Their kids love mutual too! If anything, those kids are keeping the parents coming to church. It is perfect. Hermana Guzman was leaving the chapel and inviting the kids to primary as she went and they jumped and cheered. It was such an OHYEAH moment for us. We had a family night with the Hammond family last night too! They are a couple (RM that went to Peru and Peruvian wife) that started at the Estrella Branch 4 weeks ago. They said they want to be active again and go through the temple. We invited Chilo (invesstigator) to the family night and he brought his brother in law, girlfriend, and two of his kids. It was fantastic. We have been teaching some fun lessons these past few weeks. We taught Hermano Puente's friends on Sunday too! She has come to lots of activities and we shared a Christmas message. We have taught over a dozen Christmas lessons the past week so it has been a lot of fun. People may be busier during the holidays, but the Spirit is touching the hearts of many as they strive to remember the birth of the SAvior. This thursday and Friday we are having two 3-hour tri-ward Christmas parties that are VERY missionary-oriented. We will be singing in Spanish at them and many other things so we are excited. The member-missionary work is really moving forward in the EStrella Branch. The Calendar is serving its purpose. Did I tell you that Jocelyn's two younger sisters will be baptized this Saturday too! I love serving in this branch. I think if I keep saying that though I will serve here all mission! 

 

We had a cool activity in District Meeting this week. We read 2 nephi 31 together and the best way to be able to know how to teach a concept or a principle is to be able to understand it as if you were a 9-year-old. We read it together and all acted like investigators that had never read the BOM before as we went. We all asked basic questions and raised our hands when we didn't understand and taught it to each other. It was a cool experience. Remember that true intelligience is to be able to understand even the most profound of subjects then to break it down so that a nino could understand.

 

All the stuff from home is great. I commend you on the Christmas card. It was very classy. Just wait until I send home my sun-stained clothes! Thank you for all the letters and the packages. I opened the one you sent, and Grandma's too! Christmas in the apartment will be fun. I am sure the new Elder will be fun too. Elder BAngerter has a special assignment with him so it should be a tight-knit group. We will be picking up the other Spanish Elders and Skyping at the Church then bringing them back to play some cards probably. I will probably call between 10 and 2 haha. I will let you know.

 

I am happy things are going well at home. I haven't been homesick for a while so I am happy out here. I miss a lot of stuff at home and occasionally stuff comes into my head, but I am enjoying it out here. It is going too fast to really long for home too much. I miss you all and wish I could be there for all the band-thieving, car-driving, snow-plowing, and church-goeing fun with the whole family. BUt I know I need to be here and I need to be with President Taylor and I need to be serving. I don't feel obligated about any of this either. I feel like I am on vacation from the world but working hard at the same time. I have seen so many connections as I have learned what Heavenly Father has taught me through members, investigators, missionaries, my studies, experiences, areas, my Patriarchal blessing, President Taylor and so many more things. I love it here.

 

Merry Christmas! Love you all very much!

 

Love,

Elder Jacob Parry

SUPER COLD

This week has been great. We had three meetings this week. I love meetings but I think for the first time in my mission I got kind of sick of them! It threw me off a little, but I learned a lot from them and am excited to apply what I learned. In the first one, we did an obedience activity. Everyone filled out a simple obedience evaluation on note cards and turned in the cards anonymously. For one of the questions President asked how many of us had stayed up after 11:00 in the past week. Elder Brothers (standing up for someone else who had filled out a card that he had) was the only one standing. President asked him why he was up--he gave about the best response he could possibly muster. Then President told us that Elder Brothers was actually standing up for someone else in that room who had been disobedient and he tied that in with the Savior. Think of the Savior standing up for us and being accountable for our wrongs. Our Heavenly Father loves us infinitely but he could not provide mercy if it weren't for His Only Begotten's Atonement. What if the Savior wasn't willing to pay the price or if His Father did take the cup from Him? The fact remains, Christ did perform the Atonement, but what can we do to accept it? To show gratitude and see that we haven't added unnecessary weight to His cross when He carried it. It was powerful. President Taylor also cried twice. It was really powerful and the first time I have seen him do that and testify and talk about experiences he's had in His life with a trembling chin. He is the man. 

 

We had a trainer/trainee meeting too. Very useful! the 12-week program is inspired. Zone meeting was the third one. That one was sketchy! I felt very uncomfortable for part of it. The conversation during the accountability portion deviated to a very "number-dominated" discussion. Missionaries said some things that I disagreed with. Openly too! Success numbers  is not a result of obedience. Our areas are not directly blessed by our obedience or faith as missionaries. If this were so then missionaries would go home and only pay their tithing because they know the Lord will help them make ends meet financially every time! Missionaries would go home and keep the Word of Wisdom so they could train to be star athletes! These are extreme examples, but the fact is that obedience and faith DO NOT BRING INVESTIGATORS, LESSONS, OR BAPTISMS. That is what I have learned. Obedience and faith cultivate within you a love for your Father in Heaven and our Savior, Jesus Christ if you put your Faith in the right things (people) and are obedient for the right reasons! Success as a missionary is based on your COMMITMENT to find, teach, and baptize. I try not to judge unrighteously, but I feel like I see false perspectives on the mission that are going to get people in trouble for after. The meeting helped me to remember to put my faith, hope, love, commitment, obedience, and diligence in the right things. What are our motives? Why are we obedient to the Gospel? Why SHOULD we be? Do we keep the commandments for "blessings" or even actual, heavenly, and deserved blessings, or do we keep them because we are converted and love our Heavenly Father? Sounds like an Alma 5 exam haha.

 

This week... We taught a lesson to a deaf man using the Ipad! It was so LEGIT!!! It was a referral from an investigator of his "inactive/nonmember" family. We knocked (later realizing that we had no idea how he heard us knock on the door; unless he was moved by the Spirit to do so!) and he let us in and sat down with us. We exchanged a conversation together typing on my Ipad. We talked about Heavenly Father; copy and pasting the monthly scripture to the lesson dialogue, asking him questions and receiving answers, and later acting out a bible story (Noah's Ark) with Elder Fife before we left. We had a blast teaching and getting to know Emmanuel. He is a very cool guy. He is a actually already attending church in a deaf ward but he needed a lift that night. Technology rules!

 

Saturday was fantastic! You know why? I went on exchanges to ESTRELLA SUR! It felt good to be back home. I was with Robin (Elder Nelson). We realized that we lived about 100 yards away from each other for one semester at BYU and that he was one of 4 non-Budge3200 guests who came to our hall slip'n'slide! Go figure! Him and I get a long well. We will have a boss companionship when we are together one of these days. Anyway, I probably street contacted more that day than I have all transfer since I was back on bike for the day. It was awesome--and SUPER COLD! Very cold. This week has been cold. Right now it is like 56. cold huh? Haha. I honestly feel used to the heat because it wasn't that hot at the end of the summer (accustomed) and now it is very cold. The area was fun though. Elders Jones and Nelson are doing some great things and the Lord is blessing the people in their area in new and different ways. I saw Clemente at the Ward Christmas Party over the weekend. It was the first time in over a month. I hugged that man so hard! That family is still progressing little by little... Until the perfect day! They will get there. I saw Melina again too. I taught the Valadez family, the Torres, Hermana Jenkins' mother, and some others again. It was fun to be back. The Sun Valley Apartments are good too. They have Wifi. That is the new "must" in the mission: wifi. If you have that, your life is fun. We don't have it in the Reems apartment. The other 2 Elders have been trying to get me to ask all our neighbors for their passwords. No luck. One of the Elders is exactly like Richard haha. I wouldn't say they are openly distracting but they may make things hard to get done at times whether on purpose or on accidente haha. By the way- I am going to get a Skype account. We can have a 40-minute call/conversation on Christmas Day. It can't be any longer though. I don't really know when. I can imagine we will just have a couple dinners on Christmas and nothing else. If there is a time that works best for you, just let me know and we can plan ahead. If not, I will just tell you when we have dinners and we can do it in between, before, or after. Elder Fife (feefay) took over the area on Saturday with Elder Jones (very young). Elder Fife did a very good job! I have a lot of confidence and faith in him. He knows how to do things. I need to let him do things rather than doing things myself. I would like to learn more from him than let him learn from me. Sounds selfish huh? Haha. He is doing well and loves being a missionary. Friday at the party we shared a Christmas thought, us 4 together, to all the members and nonmembers (a lot!) it went very well. Elder Fife is fearless and shared wonderful things. The Branch is still fun as ever. I very very much admire President Aguirre. He is such an example of humility to me. He lets everyone teach him. He takes suggestions from us as missionaries as if we were sent from the Stake President or the General Authorities. God sure was thinking when he put him here in this spot with these people. I really feel like we are all working hard together in the rama Estrella. 

 

Christmas conferences this week! I am soooooooooo pumped. It will be good to get my big behind back in the temple! I have heard nothing but 10 star reviews of the Mesa Temple lights. 1 of 5 temples in the world that does lights! I got both packages so far. They are very nice. I love them. I have opened a couple letters and the package. I know that must've taken a lot of time and thought from a lot of people. Thank you all very much. Last night: I got the Santa Beard from Aunt Sara, the hat and glasses from the package, and sang some old songs off of Matt and Celeste's letter and the other Elders filmed it on the Ipad. Elder Bangerter, who has been out 21 months, said it was the most he had laughed his mission. It was a blast. Things are going well and you don't have to worry! Just keep scolding me so I can stay on track :) Love you all very much. The Church is true.

 

Love, Elder Jacob Parry

Thanksgiving

 

 

Dear Family,

 

The cops getting called was kind of a normal thing for J. and C.  and their family. They were investigating the church for three years and J. was finally baptized two months ago. We are still teaching C.. They could not make it to church yesterday because apparently C. robbed a house so they had to go to court. President bringing the invitations was perfect timing. Just more tools in the calendar tool belt for the members!

 

The Jenkins are crazy! I love them though. They came by on Friday night to give me a "present." It was a picture of them in front of the house. I had seen them like three days earlier so it didn't make sense. Apparently, they wanted to go to Flagstaff to see some snow before the holiday then come back. They decided to drive north up to Utah. So they went to Temple Square--no lights, and looked up my address in the white pages--no family. They took a picture and left haha. I asked if they said the same creepy things to all of you that they say to me and they said no because they don't want you to know what they're all about! I said that you wouldn't care haha. They are great.

 

Thanksgiving was fantastic. Kind of hectic and busy--but it was nice. We had dinner with the Matas, Sanchez family, and the Covos family. We had lots and lots of meat and food at both places. I overate big time but it was fun to be with everybody. It was kind of a dinner tour because we took the other Elders with us. We did weekly planning and studies in the morning then we played phase10 for a couple hours at night. The other Elders are so funny so it was great. One leaves this transfer so I will miss him. He is obsessed with baseball and is going to play college when he gets home and he came out to the field with me so we are good friends. He is the one eating the Donut haha. We had two turkey leftover dinners the next day too. EL DIA DE PAVO!

 

The Area is doing fantastic. I still feel like we don't have our feet completely under us, but we are trying to work effectively. We are getting a lot of member help and a lot of member excitement for the holidays, calendar, and other things. I have handed out a few BAM ties in the branch and people keep asking for them but they can't have them yet until they do something missionary! --Thanks Sister Perkins!!--We were expecting four families at church yesterday. The Covos couldn't come, among their friends (two of the other families)-- but Alejandra came and brought her two kids. She loved it. Her kids loved it too. We gave them copies of the Book of Mormon including a kids' copy before they left. They will be baptized soon!

 

I might send more. I will see. Today is busy and trying to send pictures with the Ipad is a pain lol