100 New Investigators

Hello Family!

 

This week was wild! My last rodeo was on Wednesday and let me tell you how cool it was! It was very anti-climactic haha. It was about and hour shorter than usual (60 minutes exactly). There were 1-2 transfers per zone. I have also decided that I don't know like 80% of the missionaries in the mission now. Time to go I guess!

 

This area, and the zone, are absolutely exploding for this upcoming month. I remember writing a letter home about how I was disillusioned about numbers and key indicators. Well, I have learned a lot about them out here and I finally feel like I am getting a grasp on how to use them for our good. We set a goal as a zone to find 100 new investigators in the month of November and we have found 82 so far!!! We need to find 18 by the end of this Sunday and we should be able to do it. Our zone is the highest populated geographical area so we have been going crazy talking with everyone. Elder McCuch and I contacted in a park for an hour yesterday and we talked to 4 families! I was feeling off before we left the car so we prayed to have a little confidence to talk with strangers and it worked! Kind of cool. A New Christmas initiative just started called "He is the Gift." It is very legit. They are doing more NYC advertising and they are "taking over" Youtube for a day on December 7th. Keep your eyes peeled and watch the video when it comes out the day after thanksgiving. Currently, we have 19 people set to be baptized in December. WOW! The West Maricopa record is 14. WE CAN DO IT!!! We are working hard, staying consecrated, making sacrifices, and praying like it all depends on how fervent we pray! I am excited. It should happen. Our area absolutely exploded this week. Sebby and Alexa passed their interview and are very excited for Sunday. I think the entire La Joya ward will be going. They are ward favorites. Yahira, Jennifer, and Angel all accepted to be baptized in December too this past week! Actually 2 of them were yesterday. Angel is from Cuba; he doesn't know anything about Christianity, He hasn't heard about the church, and communication will be limited between him and his family while he is here. HE called his wife and she was very excited to hear about the church and what he is learning here. It is cool to see. I feel like ANgel is bringing back eternal life to his family who have, and forever would, live in darkness if it weren't for him coming here and finding the Gospel. The Restoration makes perfect sense to him. HE is prepared and guided by the Spirit. We really hope he gets baptized the 14th or at least some day in December. Anah (Sebby and Alexa's mom) really wants to get married and should this month! Then she will be baptized. Big things are happening and we are going to do everything we can to see it all happen!

The La Joya ward is awesome. I am having so much fun in it too. These members are sooo cool.

Well that might be it for today. I am eating Turkey dinner with the Garcia family (they own a Mexican sushi restaurant) and the Toledo family. Hopefully don't get too stuffed! We are staying super busy so the time is flying. Love you all very much.

 

PS it is freezing down here! Have you seen the temperature in the mornings?

 

Love, Elder Parry

Phoenix Temple Cultural Celebration & Dedication: Epic!

Dear Family,

Definitely one of the best weeks of my mission. WOW. It was
incredible. I will start with the not-as-cool (but still really cool).
Last week we had our first WebEx meeting. It was a revolutionary
moment in missionary work! President Griffin, the Assistants, and 16
other companionships in the mission met together wherever we had wifi
to be in an internet chatroom. We had an hour long meeting and saved
much time and miles. It was epic.

So.. My last rodeo is tomorrow! Thankfully, I am going to the rodeo
and will be coming back to the same area with Elder McCuch. He is only
my second companion of 3 transfers and I am most definitely excited
for it. He is an incredible example to me and the work that we can get
done in 6 weeks to bring souls to Christ and prepare for future
reaping. Alexa y Sebby are getting baptized in 2 weeks! We have a few
others that are pretty hesitant. Angel (Our friend who is visiting
from Cuba) said he moved from 31% sure to 50% sure. He said he got his
answer about the Book of Mormon. He is LEGIT. Hermano Carcamo, his
friend, is the man. If he doesn't get his endowments before I go, I
want to come back and do it with him! This transfer will be WILD!
Tomorrow is my last transfer meeting, then Thanksgiving in a week,
then the last meeting with PResident and zone meetings, then Christmas
Conferences in Mesa again, then Christmas, then the Berrellezas go
through the temple, then I come home. All about a week apart from each
other. I am very excited for this transfer. Most of all, and this may
sound cliche, I am just excited to get to work. There is a lot to do
and a lot of potential during the Holiday season. Elder McCuch and I
have a lot of momentum having been together for 2 learning the ward
together. Yesterday we had a slight wake-up call haha.. We woke up to
exercise in FREEZING wheather (55 degrees; who knew that was freezing!
haha). It was so cold. Our jog made us super sick so we were inside
most of the day for like the first times in our missions. We got
better after sleeping, but don't want to have that happen again. It
felt very raro! Lots of work to get done. For the second time in a row
our zone only transferred one person out of 28. And I thought
President Taylor didn't transfer people very often. Speaking of that
man. WE SAW HIM AT THE CELEBRATION!!! He is looking good. He gave us
all hugs with tears streaming down. President Griffin convinced him to
just say hi to all of us #clashofstyles. He said that he is a Branch
President in the MTC. I love that man so much. It was good to see him.

The Spirit was very very strong at the Cultural Celebration. It
definitely fired me and all of us up when we began marching on the
track singing Called to Serve. The Sign Language/Be a Light was also
very powerful. The strongest impression I got all day was that of
happiness for a new temple. I truly felt like I was part of the
celebration of a new temple closeby. Even though I am not an Arizona
native I felt legitimately part of the group 0f 4300 youth and their
leaders. I felt like I have grown close to the wards and people out
here that I could legitimately be a part of the celebration. It really
was a sweet feeling to be there. We were there like 9 hours practicing
and doing a lot of hanging around too. I hung with Elders Fife, Jones,
Nelson, Ramos, Miller, a bunch of other missionary friends and I swung
by the Estrella, Estrellita, and La Joya ward tents to see all the
members. It was such a memorable day. President Uchtdorf had some
great things to say to us and all the General Authorities seemed to
love it. I was high-fiving every youth I could after the celebration.
Needless to say, I was elated all weekend long. The dedication was
powerful. So, keep this on the DL, but our Obispo gave Alexa, sebby,
and Anah tickets to the dedication. They were probably the only
investigators in the mission who ended up seeing it haha. They
absolutely loved it. The Prophet spoke. Our Stake President gave a
prayer and the Temple President (from our stake) spoke. I think I will
move to this stake so they can give me a more permanent calling here
haha (by Dec 30 it will be 11 months here). The meeting was very
spiritual. They talked about dedicating our lives to the temple. I
don't ever need to hear that more than once to know it though! I think
I want to get married in this temple. I feel very attached to it,
especially the past few weeks.

We did temple service! TWICE! It really is quite a blessing to be a
part of this whole thing. My appreciation has really grown for those
preparing a new temple. There was a lot of work put in; a lot of
behind-the-scenes work. Thursday we went up with 8 buddies from the
zone to create a platform and put down carpet for the dedication. The
platform was up against the edifice so that the Prophet and others
could walk right up to the cornerstone and put the mortar in. So we
saw the platform we made on TV during the broadcast! That service was
a whole lot of fun! The members in charge really trusted us so we just
cut carpet, stapled it in, painted, and did random chores on our own
together as missionaries. It was fun. Sunday night after the
dedication we PUT IN THE FURNITURE! There was a gigantic concrete
wharehouse in the basement just stuffed full of very nice temple
furniture. We would go to it to grab pieces then we distributed them
to the various parts of the temple. My contributions to the Celestial
room were a really nice lamp and one really flowery armchair haha. It
was truly something I will not forget. I was roaming around the temple
for a couple hours, carrying stuff and seeing all the features of it
over and over again. That is one exceptionally beautiful temple. We
got to sneak in the bride's room. It was very pretty too. The whole
weekend was a neat experience. INOLVIDABLE! I am very happy for all
the wonderful members of the church here in the Phoenix Valley. They
will enjoy very much the blessings of a temple nearby.

I love you all! Keep going to the temple!!!

Love, Elder Parry

Momma's Boy :-)

Another great week in the work of The Lord! So, don't get me wrong, I
miss you all very, very much. Especially mom, cause I think I am a
momma's boy. But I don't feel like I have been out here that long. I
feel like I should be out here a year longer to have a mission as hard
those of other missionaries in the mission that share their struggles
with me. Anyway, I will be home December 30th. I am excited for my
Christmas present! Can you not put candy in it? I ate ice cream for
the first time today in weeks and it made me sick. I am eating well.
It must be that Montana rancher and his steel-cut oats that is helping
me eat better.

Life in La Joya is pretty chill. Once again, I was wrong to think that
I wouldn't love another ward as much as I loved the previous wards.
This place is awesome! It might've been my last Sunday in the ward
considering that it is the temple dedication next sunday in place of
the regular service. Saturday is the Cultural Celebration!!! It will
probably be a day I never forget. Should be pretty exciting. Do you
have the broadcast information? If I am one of the lucky ones, I will
be going directly to the temple after the celebration to move
furniture into the building until 2 AM!! I went on exchanges into the
Estrella Ward finally. Can you believe it has been 4 months since I
was serving there!? Anyway, I love it there. I talked to the Berelleza
and Noris families again. Get this, the Berellezas are the legit
Recent convert family we were working with. They have been trying to
get to the temple for like 6 months. They FINALLY got all their
interviews and picked the date: DECEMBER 27th!!! I am Totally going
haha. I am really, really excited. Speaking of saving ordinances,
Alexa and Sebby (the kids of Gerardo and Anah) are REALLY excited to
be baptized. We decided it is not worth it to wait for them to get
married. So we are baptizing the cute little nine-yearolds. It was
such a sweet lesson with Hermano Ruiz last night. He is one of the
most converted men I have ever met. He went with us to the Toledos
(Gerardo and Anah). Alexa said she is so excited to get baptized that
she felt like a "chiva loca" (crazy goat). It was the cutest thing. It
was actually a full house at church today. Many people came. Many
people came that hadn't been in awhile. The Temple does miracles. When
you involve the temple in the work it will work mighty miracles. It
has been instant re-activation for many people who weren't presently
attending. It has been a fun week. Elder Johnson (my roommate and
former companion)'s girlfriend and her sister are getting baptized in
a month!! It was pretty exciting news for us today in emails. I don't
know how she hid from the missionaries in Logan for 19 years of her
life, but oh well. The work is hastening.

WOW. What a work for you all! I can't say that it would be better for
us that Caroline stays home because blessings will flood into our
family and her posterity because of her decision to serve. She will do
so well. I love her attitude in that little letter I read: something
about not worrying about me, I am happy and not worrying about
anything. That makes me feel like a really chump and baby as I
remember my first week in the MTC hahahaha. That is so vintage
Caroline. She is such a strong person. The Lord is going to put her
with spiritually challenged and emotionally unstable companions her
whole mission because she will help them so much! Sounds like football
has been a whirlwind too. You can never get enough Coach Wall! I can't tell you how often in my mission his cheesy, repetitive, yet very true and inspiring quotes have popped in
my head since I have been out here. Lately I have been hearing a lot
of; "let it all hang out (his always-inspiring line for the last brave
quarter of the day)!"

This past week I am seeing and feeling the fruits of studying the
doctrine very thoroughly. President Griffin is turning this mission
upside-down in how we do things. We are all focusing really hard on
the doctrine in our studies. He wants us to spend an hour of our 3
studies studying nothing but the lessons and the scriptures listed. He
wants us to take a month a lesson until we have it just locked in. I
have had the best studies of my mission the last week. Him and Elder
Corbridge, and the writers of PMG are right about putting the doctrine
in their exactly how it should be taught (with one exception/trump
card: The guidance of the Spirit). The only sin or mistake we ever
could make is one made because of misunderstanding of the doctrine we
know and strive to live and love.

I can't really think of anything else. Just feel like chatting with
y'all today. Peace out!

Love Elder Parry

More Temple Visits

It was as splendid week! For Halloween me and 5 other Elders just
worked out in our apartment complex haha. I didn't really want to so I
just took pictures of all of them. But I am still working out okay. I
am running three miles and Hermana Zelaya (missionary) told me today
that I look skinnier in the face and I feel skinnier so I am going to
keep working on that! Elder McCuch is a ruthless trainer. We went to
the temple twice more this week! I got to go at night with Lupita so
that was neat. She is the bomb. She asked many many questions and had
a memorable experience. I think I went the busiest night of the month.
It was a 40 minute line to get on the bus and it was start and stop
inside the temple. A lot of people. The Temple President is in our
stake and he said that 170,000 people visited it in three weeks. Elder
McCuch and I went Saturday morning with our cuban friend, Angel, and
the Peruvian member, Carcamo, who feeds us a lot of food. Some
miracles really came to past this last weekend so three less-active
members came with us too. One of them I had never met before after
having passed by her house 8 or 9 times. We just messaged her randomly
on facebook and she came the next day! It was a sweet ending to a
frustrating three weeks because we organized a lot, but a lot fell
through. But a few very wonderful experiences were had at the temple
:) We should be hearing plans soon about moving furniture into the
building.

Stake conference was a blast. I love the West Maricopa zone. It was
kind of funny too. I feel like I know half the stake just from
exchanges and getting to know the missionaries and their members and
investigators. I said hi to a lot of random Spanish and English
people. I joked around about how they were going to extend me a stake
calling at the conference. They didn't. But they probably will when I
move back. It got me excited to maybe getting transferring. I imagine
it will happen actually. We will see in 2 weeks! The Temple Dedication
is in 13 days and the celebration is in 12! It is coming fast.
yesterday for Stake Conference President Uchtdorf and Elder
Christofferson spoke to us and 96 other Arizona Stakes by broadcast.
We are getting a lot of prophetic instruction lately. They talked a
lot about being great parents and families. Elder Christofferson said
some cool things about how the Gospel needs to be an interior
influence and not an exterior one. President Uchtdorf said he got his
endowments taken out at the Mesa Temple! He also talked about the new
temple and reminded us that "the temple is not for perfect people; if
that were so, not only would no one be able to come in, there wouldn't
be anyone on the other side of the door to open it!" Elder Foster of
the 70 said that every time we say brother or sister to one another it
is testifying to that person of the eternal nature of the family of
God and that He is our Father. Good stuff! As always, the Work of
Salvation night session was phenomenal. Our stake leaders are very in
tune with the Spirit and give very captivating talks. I enjoy this
place.

So Elder McCuch's and I's hearts were hit hard last night when Anah
told us that she won't know if she can be married or not until two
months from now because of her citizen stuff. I feel like I have met
and worked with so many prepared people out here but this whole
marriage mess is changing everything up for the worse! Oh well, I know
they will be married and baptized. I just wish we could all have a
little more faith! Elder McCuch and I were talking this week; none of
us really have faith anymore. People don't take steps into the dark
like they used to. We DON'T TRUST GOD. If we had a little more
knowledge of what He is like and what He is willing to help us with,
or even just a belief in that, or even just a DESIRE to believe, then
we would be able to see so many more miracles. Oh well, we all fall
short of the glory of God and we are all working on it. Caution:
Perfection Pending for all of us. Gerardo is staying very close to the
Spirit though and is drawing closer and closer to God.

Other than that, our area has had a tough week. A lot of meetings,
temple visits, Elder McCuch was a little sick, Halloween and other
stuff. It is getting freezing down here! Maybe Elder McCuch and I will
bike a little this week. His Dad is doing great by the way. He will be
finishing tests soon then he will just be on medication for a bit.
Thanks for all the prayers.

I love you all! T-minus less-than-24-hours until Caroline is off! I
promise it will only be about 8 weeks of having more than one child
away from home! Only 7 more emails I will be sending you! Say hi to
Troy, Dallin, Alec, and Brit for me too please. And pray that I can
make some progression out here, lest I return home the same goof I
left out as.

Love you! Elder Jacob Parry