Elder Ramos is Transferred

Dear Family,

Thank you for all the stuff you have sent! Thank you for the wonderful package of Macaroni and trail mix, thank you for the crystal light packets, the Pres TSM award was really cool thanks Dad, and thanks for the Boston strong bracelet (I am giving it to Sonia Soto, she is a strong returning member that we are helping get to the temple), THANK YOU for the family history stories!!! Those are rad. Thanks for the mail and for the info on the last month of craziness. Sounds like fun. I am trying to keep up on it all. Hope my weekly letters are enough of stuff in return. :)

Me quedo y el Elder Ramos se va! Actually, Elders McMillan and Reid (our roommates) pulled a HUGE prank on us this morning. I was in the shower and they switched their name in our phone with the Zone leaders and sent the "transfer text" 15 minutes before the real one. It said that Ramos and I were both staying and that a bunch of other random things were happening. We were freaking out! Once I found out they were messing with us, I started punching Elder Reid really hard.  Transfers are super stressful for me haha. It never matters to me what happens because I trust God and President Taylor; I just get on-end not knowing what is going to happen. I like to know. Last week Elder Ramos and I found an electric fan for free on the road so we took it. It doesn't have a case so it was a dangerous plastic blade haha. Anyway, the demon fan had been shredding us all week whenever we would bump into it so yesterday, as I was stressed about transfers, I grabbed the phone while it was still running and hit it against the ground several times. It kept fanning. Then it busted.

I am going to miss Elder Ramos. He has a number of spiritual gifts. He has helped me understand how to build a relationship (I know that sounds gay, but here me out). He has not been afraid to tell me what I can do better or what we need to do better. He has put extra focus on our companionship (one of my weaknesses is to focus too much on members, investigators, district, doctrine, and even apartment mates, that I forget serving, loving, and listening to the companion), and he has helped me to slow down and have a good relationship with him. He is my best friend from the mission. No exaggeration, I love him. We have a strong friendship that will last. It is interesting to see the impact of 4 short months spent together versus the rest of our lives that we will be friends because of the 4 months. Good times.

I am excited to meet the new guy tomorrow! I will let you know who it is as soon as I can. I will be here in Estrella though. YES!!! Also- two people are training in the District and one of the sisters is
getting a 3rd companion so things will get busy! I am ecstatic to be able to go to President's last transfer meeting. I am sure it will be very special for him. It will have a powerful spirit I am sure.
Hopefully Sister Taylor, Elder and Sister Rogers (The vehicle people; whom I love so much!), and other office staff and maybe some missionaries. I really am excited tomorrow. I expect it to be very
memorable.

I told Elder Ramos that this was the companionship in which I have felt the Spirit the most. On Sunday I decided that I have felt the Spirit the most testify to me of the hastening of the work. At a
leadership meeting President Taylor shared that the General Authorities trying to make changes through the missions in the world versus through the wards and stakes is the same as the difference
between turning a speedboat in the ocean versus an aircraft carrier. It is very true. Not to say anything negative about wards and stakes; it is just harder. Then President Juchau (2nd counselor in the
mission) came to the zone meeting on friday and shared with us his testimony of how cool it is that we are all as missionaries catching the vision of the Hastening of the Work at this time in the history of the church. He talked about how we are all going to be bishops in 10 years. I don't know about that, but the principle is the same. This isn't to say that there are leadership problems in the church now at all, but the future looks bright. I am excited to serve alongside any APM RM or any RM for that matter. The Church is preparing for the youth to lead the church. There is such a focus on them right now. Our job is to catch the vision and look to the future. Anyway, I felt the Spirit in a stake coordination meeting with Elders Andrus, Dart, Giron, Soper and Brother Slinker of the Stake HC, President Waldron (stake), and President Morris (Mission first counselor). We were talking simply about all the success and movement we are seeing in the work here in the stake and what else needs to be done. It wasn't a serious conversation really. But we all started feeling impressions of hope and excitement for the future and the Spirit was telling me that this is the Lord's work, He is in charge, and (in perspective of His time) it is speeding up SO FAST right now. Think of how fast the work is moving since the spring of 1820 versus the 2 millennia previous to that (Besides Christ establishing the church and His Atonement...)! I may get lazy and offended and leave the church (which I won't), but I couldn't accept any amount of money from anybody to say that this work isn't God's work to save His sons and daughters.

I am so excited for Caroline! Graduation, BYU, and mission call were so much fun for me. I cannot wait to hear where you go Sis! I am praying that the Apostles and the Prophet are inspired to send you where you need to be and that you come to know in no time that it is where you are supposed to be. I also heard a wonderful story about Mother serving the Wood family. Truly an answer to several prayers of desperation AND faith. Isn't it a sweet feeling to know that you were worthy and willing and ready to help be the answer to someone else asking for God's help? I am sure that is a very strong bond to someone's relationship with God, both our family's for being a part of it and the Wood family's relationship with him. There are just no coincidences of the Gospel. Responding to a prompting like that is exactly what President Monson has always taught us. You have also demonstrated that this Gospel is a Doctrine of ACTION; something that every missionary learns is missing in the other churches haha.... Love you Mom. I will pray that your ankle supports you as you party in Europe. I have decided that our faith can make it happen but maybe the pain that you don't have in Europe doubles when you get back; you like to make deals in prayers mother, is that a fair one? Haha.

I had a similar (probably a lot smaller) experience yesterday. Elder RAmos and I visited a less-active we hadn't met before. She wasn't there, she was at the hospital. Without really thinking about it, we
asked for the room number (we knew exactly which hospital) and we went to leave a blessing. Her face lit up when she saw us and said she was praying for someone to come. The whole process of going to visit her at the hospital I knew that she was expecting us. The Lord took us there! Also- The new Tolleson chapel brought in several visitors from the street this week. We just put up 'Open house' signs and people are inspired to come in!

As for the area, every area goes up and down. For Estrella West, I am not even sure where we are because things are so crazy haha, but I think we are headed up because we figured out so many things this week!!! We can't tell you everything we figured out about the Noris family, but just know that we are working with the husband, wife, and 8-year-old son so that they can all make sacred covenants very soon!! We are close with the ward on this effort. Mariana and Ernesto are still on fire; Mariana has been to church 7 straight weeks and Ernesto finally came back after so long at work. The whole ward had missed him. We met their daughter too. She is real cool. As soon as they get married, they will be baptized!! They just need to ponerse las pilas (put in the batteries), and by the certification. Updates to come. We found Karina again and are teaching her!!! Man, she is cool. SHE CAME
TO CHURCH WITH HER BOYFRIEND!!! Yes. Miracles were given to the Estrella West area. The Lord loves His children here. I am excited to get a new perspective on the area from a new set of missionary eyes tomorrow. We will see where the Spirit guides our companionship.

Love you, talk to you again in 6 days! See you in 7 months!

Love, Elder Parry