Happy For Sam

Man! That was a crazy week. Not going to lie, as I was reading the email and seeing all the pictures I was kind of dying to be there.  That looks like the most fun Sam has been a part of since I have been gone. Do you remember when us dudes had our own fun in the basement playing video games, watching movies, and just staying up late and having great conversations? I hope to have the same kind of fun with y'all when I return. Seriously though, I would have died to be out in that man pile on the field there. I am sure Aaron felt like he was 16 again too (as opposed to his usual 18) when he was in the man pile. I always love to hear about Boog's  joys and experiences. I am happy for you all. Funny thing is I had some fun dreams about baseball this week. I woke up part way through one right before I was getting up to bat, I was disappointed so I hurried to try to go to sleep. I did and then got a base-hit! I was re-living the pirate days. I got some good goosebumps seeing that great array of pictures; thanks mom. I think the gbs were the Spirit telling me that it was a freaking awesome moment!

The week over on my end is business as usual: wild, tiring, fun, jam-packed, hard, rewarding, and wild too! We had some good successes this week with some of our investigators! President Taylor leaves super soon. I feel like this is the calm before the storm. I don't know what will happen with transfers in 8 days, but I assume it will be a little wild for me. I am probably wrong and not much will change though. This week my gut has been telling me that Elder Ramos and I will be doubled out of the area! We will see. All in all, I just hope and pray that for some reason I will be able to go to the transfer meeting for RST's final firework hoedown! We will see. This area is a lot of fun. Leo said he knows the BOM is true and that he wants to be baptized, just in his time. It is okay though, he is hanging out with Jessica and her family a lot so they are a lot of good pressure. We are going to institute with them both this week! Mariana came to church for the 6th straight time. Ernesto has been caught up at work.  We are seeing them tonight with Hermano Murrietta and they are buying
the license tomorrow and getting married on sunday! After 40 years of co-habitating they will seal the deal and make the first step to eternal stardom! BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA (marriage music). We will try to send y'all an invitation to the reception. It will probably just be in the church gym with a couple dozen members who aren't too tired of church all day to stay. Probably not worth the drive though. We will save some galletas for you. Also- The Noris family is going in the right direction. Let's just say that taking them out with us to meet Mariana and talk about getting married, repenting, and getting baptized was the best thing from them
to hear as they were undercover "helping us teach," but actually being there so they could be inspired to repent too. The mom and dad talked to the Bishop this week. Johan (the kid) is ready for his baptism. He wants to invite all his nino friends. Hopefully mom gets baptized too after RM dad works everything out with Obispo. Elder Ramos is suffering! Man, his sickness was the worst this week that it has been since I got here. We got some more bodily function tests this week and
will hope to have some results soon. He is so strong. Understand this family-- He is so strong! He would never hurt a fly, but he is suffering daily. I eat so much chile, so much meat, so many veggies,
and everything I am given in the dinners and he just eats the little fruit he can. He doesn't mind though.. The Patinos fed us like kings this week. I went on exchanges with Elder Andrus there and he said that it was the best dinner he has had in his 22 months out here! There are pictures of us eating it on Facebook! Elder Ramos is chugging along. He is really trusting in God. That was the theme for
our District this week; trusting in God. A General Authority came to our mission not too long ago and talked to some of the leaders of the mission. President Talor relayed to us what he said. He said he was doing a Church-experiment among the missionaries to see what the difference between those of today and those of Woodruff's and Heber C. Kimball's day and he said the big and over-riding difference is that we do not trust in God like they did. Rarely do missionaries wade through swamps of England slapping at hordes of flies while suffering from Malaria like President Woodruff did. If we had more faith and trust I feel like we would! What is holding us back!? It is so frustrating. Why can't we just put things in the Lord's hands better?  I am working on that. Also a mission-long fight for me has been that to figure out how to have the peace to know the difference between the things I can control and the things out of my control. It is a good balance we all need. This week was so fun and so fast. There is a lot of work going on and not a single thing has been done without the Spirit's help. I have learned that; we are nothing without that Guide!

Love you family. Happy Memorial Day!

Peace. Elder Jacob Karlos Parry