Standoff Lesson

Another great week!

Elder McCuch has ran me ragged this week. Literally too! We went on
exchanges and I was biking. The freezing mornings and hot, sunny days,
and some violent allergies made me sick for a couple days. That stunk.
My allergies are bad down here! But please don't worry; I am still
using all the meds you gave me last year. I have been running A LOT
since Elder McCuch got here. We typically run 3 miles 3-4 days a week.
Saturday we ran it in 20:10 and today we ran it in 20:42!!! It is
insane!!! But I am not losing any weight. Probably because a still
load up on frijoles and carne every night. We are running each other
ragged though. I have noticed that it does us well to plan out what we
should do when we have 10-minute drives to do. Haha. Lots to do. I
like it though.

President Griffin is doing work! He is helping us to become
laser-focused on the doctrine that we teach in the Church. He says
that if we have the 4 lessons locked in and we can teach them just how
they are written using scriptures, then that will be how we find new
people and teach them to baptism. Along with what Elder Corbridge
brought to the mission, he is creating a vision for us to know the
doctrine and become converted to it. It was pretty boss at Transfers
when he repeated to us D&C 11:21 about obtaining the word first. Then
he said "Let's bind the Lord to His promise and make Him put so many
people in our path because He trusts us and because we know the
doctrine so well." If things go as planned, this mission will get a
lot of work done, and just like President Taylor, President Griffin
will go down in history as a LEGEND. This 1-2 punch goes down first in
my all-time 1-2 punches in history (barely ahead of Ortiz-Ramirez).
So, we have put aside Conference talks, Book of Mormon reading,
Patriarchal Blessings, and anything not saturated in doctrine for our
study time and have 30 minutes of personal and 2 1/2 hours of comp
study for practice teaching and studying the doctrine. It is rad!

The Temple work is still moving forward with great momentum, and
frustration sometimes haha. It is tough getting people up there and it
takes all our efforts sometimes, but it is all worth it! We sent a
couple investigators up this week and went with a less-active lady,
Dora, to help her understand a little more about baptisms for the
dead. It was sweet. We plan on going twice more this next week before
it closes (fingers crossed that Jim follows-through with me and we go;
I told him anytime of any day!!) Tomorrow we are going with our
Peruvian friend and his Cuban friend, Angel. Angel has read first
Nephi. We taught him last week and I mentioned how Nephi began
building the boat in chapter 17. He corrected me and told me it was
18. It was funny. He is doing great. We hope to get a few other people
up to the temple. Last night we had a STANDOFF lesson with Anah and
Gerardo. It was a powerfully fragile evening. Haha I will explain. The
Spirit was very strong. We taught Moroni Chapter 10 Verses 3-5 to help
Anah pray specifically because she is to Cactholic. Then we told them
that we need to take a short break from them. It was one of the
hardest breaks ever made! But it will work. We need them to read a
little more on their own and get the marriage process moved on their
own. We are praying that the Light of Christ can help Anah's lawyer
see it necessary that they get married and the Anah gets a specific
answer to her specific questions. When Gerardo heard what we want to
do he was saying. "I get it, I get it! They are going to see if we can
progress on their own." And they will. We will see them at church
sunday and set something up then. We are by no means done with them.
They will be fine. We got ties from them and Elder McCuch wanted to
get his tie signed by all of them. It sounded so barbaric because it
made us look like we werent coming back haha. So I told them they
would all need to sign mine when I got back. They are fine.

So be thinking and praying about Anah, her lawyer, and Gerardo! Also I
will be excited to tell you next week about those temple visits and
Saturday night we have Stake Conference again. I am pumped because it
is the Stake Leadership I have worked with for 10 months... And
President and Sister Griffin will come. Who knows, maybe I might just
finally leave this place in 3 weeks!

Lots of experiences out here about following the Spirit and seeing the
Hand of God directing His very own work that He lets us be a part of.
We are not in the work of salvation as much for the work we give
ourselves, but for the growth we get from participating :) If that
were not the case than the Lord would put robots or some much more
capable group of people to get this work done. I am excited for
Caroline to go out and study about, pray for, expect, recognize, and
experiences miracles every day. In following these steps, we will
become one with God in the work. Like Nephi (Helaman 10) we should be
able to do ANYTHING for the Lord's work according to our faith. It is
strung throughout the standard works that we are to ask God anything
that is righteous, in Christ's name, and it is given to us. Humbly ask
for and expect miracles. Moroni (7:37) tells us that the only time we
aren't seeing them is when we are being "wicked." We were made to work
miracles in the service of God and His children. My faith is growing
out here. At the same time, faith is not grown in seeing miracles, but
in obedience to the Gospel. Obedience, faith, then miracles, then more
miracles. I think that is the formula. Miracles should be a daily
occurrence for us all. I love you all and have been glad to hear so
many good tidings from all of you. Way to beat Highland!!!

Love, Elder Parry