Staying in Estrella

 

Hello Family,

 

Glad to hear Japan went well! Isaac didn't get poisoned and Evan is home for good. Good stuff. Anaheim this week!?! My goodness. Was the family always running around the globe like this when I was there, or have things changed? Go D-Backs!

 

This week, like all the weeks previous haha, was crazy! I'll start with transfers: Half of our zone was on the transfer list; including me, Elder Cardoso, and Elder Hughes which means that, as of now, the Estrella Branch will be getting three new missionaries. BUT I could be staying. No one really knows--it is kind of annoying. I'll find out tomorrow morning at the meeting. I was not happy to see the text though. I wanted to stay here so bad. Elder Cardoso and I reassured each other numerous times that nothing would change. The Branch is on fire right now. It really is. And the chances are that I will remain here, but I am really going to miss Elder Cardoso. We had a very memorable, exciting, busy, and even miraculous 12 weeks together. I am sad. The Lord has a purpose in everything though and we will see where I end up tomorrow morning. My guess is I will stay in the branch, change apartments, and serve in the Estrella North car area. We will see. Regardless, I will definitely reflect on these last two transfers with great apprecation and gratitude.

 

I understand the temperatures were very high this past week! President said Pheonix was 119, a top-5 record. A member told us that it will be cloudy for a couple weeks, somewhere in the 90s, and that it is monsoon season. That's fun! In all honesty though, it has not been bad. We were biking around all over the place Friday and Saturday and it was extremely hot but it is amazing how much the Lord sustains us out here. There have been no problems. I don't even have sweat lines on my shirt--such is the result if your entire shirt is soaked in sweat! Really though, do not worry because we are getting so much water and we have enough lessons and contacting to keep us inside. It's fun when we come back home at 9:30 and it is chilly in our 85 degree apartment haha.

 

The names are the same for our planners: Omar, Clemente, Maria, Valerie, Rene, the C. family and Jose? (not in that order because Omar is still 150% Christian but for some reason is still reading the BOM!) The only people I would add from this week are the G. family (yet another sister of Glenda and Melina; we keep finding more from this family and they all are receiving us well!). I feel like all these investigators are moving along, slowly but surely. I really don't understand fully how some missionaries are able to set dates with investigators so quick and get them baptized on that day. It obviously depends on a lot of things, and primarily on their preparedness I would think. All these people are moving along, but not very fast. It's all in the Lord's time though. Jose has been off coffee and beer for a week. He is golden. He wouldn't accept a baptismal date but he said he knows he will be baptized. He would like to talk to his wife first. I guess that is a good thing haha. Melina has a date for the 27th! That shouldn't fall through. She is accepting everything and reading the BOM. Rene has been difficult because of his work, but he reads everything we give him and he loves church. Maria doesn't have the "ganas" to be baptized. This just means that she needs a little more motivation. We think prayer will do that for her. Clemente.. Man.. out of all our investigators I think I want the Gospel most for him and his family. He is still letting us come over Tuesday and Thursday mornings but that's about it. He is off track for the 27th too. It is tough to get them to come to church or read the scriptures. But there have been a lot of miracles in his process so far! Last Tuesday was exchanges. I went up to Estrella North and Elder Cardoso handled things down here. They TORE IT UP. I wished I was there haha. But anyway, Elder Cardoso and Elder Hughes went over to Clemente's and he wasn't there so they talked to his wife and her sister. They said that Clemente usually drinks a beer a day and that the last one he had was four days ago and he took a few sips and said it tasted bad and then threw it away! Ay Carai! That was awesome. I felt the Spirit right when Elder Cardoso told me that, so I know there are unseen forces in Clemente's life. Keep praying for him.

 

Estrella Sur really is on fire. It has been a blessing to be here when the Lord needs missionaries here. We taught five lessons to investigators yesterday. There is a lot going on. Also yesterday--we street contacted into a part-member family, and a couple that hadn't been to church since they moved four years ago and they said they want to start coming back. This was in the same complex as the 10-minute knocking experience last week. I am really going to miss this place if I have to leave, or really feel way in over my head if I am leading the area. It has been good to me though.

 

Well I am probably missing something, but that is what is going on here. Don't worry about me. I have never felt so healthy and full of energy out here serving! The heat isn't that bad; it's kind of fun! Oh and enjoy the Red Sox, I will be doing "weekly planning" between 6 and 9 on Thursday night (July 4) haha.

 

Love, Elder Parry

 

PS  You can send stuff to me at Sun Valley. President just called us. Elder Cardoso is going back to the ward he served in for nine months to be a ZL. He is really stoked. And I am staying at my apartment, Elder Miller is moving in with me to be my companion for six weeks and There will just be one Estrella Area again. Same investigators and members for both of us. This is because the mission lost more than half of the Spanish Elders to Tempe, six from the APM left, and only one is coming from the MTC. I am really stoked too because I will be staying in the Branch, and Elder Miller and I are companions. We now don't have to coordinate members with another set of Elders! Elder Miller and I entered the MTC the same day and came to the field together. We have learned on exchanges that we have a lot in common and that we teach really well together. It will be a blessing for us both also that we don't know Spanish that well. More opportunity to learn. President said it will more than likely change in six weeks again when more Spanish speakers comes out. We will probably be in car for this area. There will be the added challenge that both sets of companionships have been very busy. Now the work is combined. But there is not a more fun and rewarding challenge!

 

You may not have cared about all the specifics but I told them anyway so I would remember them. I am happy with everything that has happened. So far I am 4/4 on good missionary companions and I continue to work where I am!!!

D-Backs Fan Now

The Broadcast was awesome! If anything, I felt the Spirit the whole time during all the videos, clips, talks, and testimonies. My favorite part about it: there was nothing big/new. No distracting announcement to make the headlines. They talked about how to improve member-missionary work through the Bishop, WML, and the Ward Council. Every talk was awesome! There was a very strong Spirit of the hastening of the work as five apostles and the Prophet all shared thoughts. Make sure you go home and watch it when you get the chance! And keep in mind that even in the MP5th there are several missionary opportunities! The heavens rejoice equally both when one accepts the Gospel for the first time and when one comes back to the fold. AND there are several around us who are not active in their TESTIMONY of the Gospel. Help them understand the four easy-to-live principles! Also--have an open mind to the broadcast in what it can teach you in general. Out of the whole two hours, the part that stook out to me the very most was when Elder Nelson was talking about LOVE. That talk was an answer to my prayers because I am having trouble with love out here in the field. Everything we do needs to be out of love. We need to love everyone. I need to love the investigators, members, and other missionaries and see them through the eyes of God. We need to be bold in all that we do, but it HAS to be out of love. It's something that I really feel like I can't do right now! I am learning how though. I am learning that if you love the Savior, have confidence that your message can help others, and see what others can potentially become then it is easier. Elder Nelson advised us not to worry about offending our neighbors or friends with an invitation to learn more about the Gospel; he promised that if we do it out of love for them then they won't be offended. It was a powerful promise to all the nervous members and missionaries out doing missionary work.
 

So the line between what members and missionaries do should have been completely erased last night! I am looking forward to building off the added energy to missionary work. Elders Cardoso, Hughes, Miller, and I are praying every day for the Rama. Hopefully the broadcast got some of our members excited. For me it was something else that got me excited to return home and be a missionary there. Haha. Is that bad?

Elder Cardoso and I are really hoping we have one more transfer in us together here in the Estrella Branch (we'll find out next Tuesday). For us, the work has REALLY moved forward. We have been so busy. We proselyted through our dinners and lunches several times this week. We are finally getting regular meetings with our investigators and we are continuing to find more to teach! On Thursday we planned to knock doors for about ten minutes (our first time knocking doors together) at a piece of an apartment complex that Elder Cardoso felt good about. Do you know where this story is going? Haha. Well the first door we knocked--Now do you know where it is going?--Haha--The first door we knocked the lady offered us water and said she was baptized 16 years ago and her three kids hadn't been baptized. We invited her to church and set an appointment to come back. It was a perfect example of how the Lord guides His missionaries. On Friday our member dinner canceled and the member, Cesar Zayas, felt bad so he said he would bring something by. He brought like $30 worth of food from Red Robin. It was a dream come true. There was mayonnaise on the burgers, which Elder Cardoso is allergic to, so I had two American burgers. It was the first time in months! It was nice to be back to some real restaurant burgers! HAha. Oh and did I tell you that Cesar moved to this Branch from the Ward I was serving in before? It was good to see him again. One more non-spiritual experience- We set up a lunch with a member and a dinner with an investigator on Saturday and ate a few pounds of carne asada at both places. At dinner we left at 9:20 because the lesson hadn't ended. We biked three miles in ten minutes to get home before 9:30. It was awful. The meat somehow stayed in my stomach--but my stomach and legs were so shocked that I couldn't walk the rest of the night haha.
 

We have been busy though! It has been awesome to have so many lessons and even have invited some members to come along with us. We are still teaching Omar, Maria, Clemente, Valerie, the C. family, Jose, Rene, and some others. Did I tell you about Rene? He came to church again, went to the broadcast, and has been reading the Gospel Principles Book. We are trying to set an appointment with him and have spent the least time with him out of everyone and he is progressing the fastest. Haha. Really cool. As for Clemente--It is a long process with him right now. We have regular lessons but he has a hard time reading the Book of Mormon on his own and coming to church with his family. I feel like he is so close to not caring anymore... but I KNOW there's still some fire left in him. We are praying so hard for him. He needs to faithfully read and pray sincerely in order to know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. He needs to do his part and I KNOW he will get an answer. He prayed last lesson--very sincerely--to know if this was the right path for him. No distinct answer. He needs to faithfully continue. I know he'll be fine. It is taking work though.

I don't know what else to talk about.. I read Mormon 9 this morning. It surprised me greatly the amount I had missed from that chapter in my unfocused reading of it before. Moroni talks about principles of all four missionary lessons and what he says about prophets in verses 7-10 and the resurrection right after that is very powerful. Read Moroni's stuff. He's the man.

The Arizona Phoenix Mission is the most obedient mission there is and I am honored to be a part of it! I have learned, in the recent weeks, one of the reasons of me being called here and that is because of the high level of obedience. It has been cool to discover that as I have served here and strived to be more obedient each day. Whether I see obvious blessings from my obedience or not, it doesn't matter because I know they come and that I enjoy them every day because of the level of obedience Elder Cardoso and I strive to maintain.

Be sure to tell Grandma Parry thank you for all the letters. I really love and appreciate them. They are proof that length does not matter, because I get excited every Friday to receive those and hear how things are from Grandma's perspective. Thank you :)

Sounds like Japan is a blast so far! I am jealous you got to go in the Tokyo Temple, visit Evan and Dad's old friends, and watch the tuna auction. And the story of Dad going to the Dodgers game made me laugh. both accounts of the story haha. As we cross the bridge from El Mirage into Youngtown every night there is a TV-billboard that posts D-backs scores so I see them often. Go D-Backs!

Still here. A Missionary. I am really working on Love right now. Like I mentioned above. Let me know if you have any tips. I am really working on being a happy, loving servant of the Lord. Love you all so much! That much I do know :D

Love, Elder Parry

"We Wear a Helmet"

Hello Family!

I am doing fine! :D The heat is not that bad and EVERY person that we contact offers us water. We go through 6 or 7 bottles a day just from others. I am doing fine; I am drinking a lot. Please do not worry. Thank you.

The investigator pool is Very much and up and down process. This week was both of that. On exchanges, Elder Cardoso basically contacted every single Potencial/High potencial/somewhat potencial/and down the list haha. He said it was a long bike day. I was in car and Elder H. was making the decisions because it was his area. So my day was boring. It was nice to be back in Estrella Sur the next day. But we had some ups! Maria came to church; she believes Jose Smith was a profet and that the Book of Mormon is true; she believes EVERYTHING. But she says she's already been baptized... So we are focusing on Priesthood authority. Rene came to church and he is a stud! He took the Principles of the Gospel book home and said he wants to read it. Also he asked us a question: "If I become a part of this church then am I too far behind to learn all that I need to know at this point in my life?" It was a fun question for a missionary to hear!! In my personal study I found the second-to-last verse in JSH. Check it out! It answers his question perfectly and it is really cool. We had two super awesome lessons this week. 1st Jose: He is so prepared. He loves going to church and learning and reading and listening to us. But his wife wants nothing to do with us. We haven't met her yet. But on Monday Jose told us that He believes God has a purpose for everyone. He believes that he decided to move from San Diego (take that Elder Hulet hahaha) to here 30 years ago so he could meet us! We have only met with him like give times and he loves what he hears. And then he told us that his wife will see his example once he accepts these things and then she can accept them too. That was music to our ears. We have been praying for the heart of Maria to be softened since we got to this area. It will happen. Jose will be baptized. It would be a privilige and an honor to be here when it happens, but we will do all that we can do and see what the Lord's timetable is. Our other lesson was with Joyce. First of all this is how we found her: Glenda's (recent convert/very fired-up family) mom broke both her legs and has been in the hospital. We kept bothering them to let us go in and give a blessing. She finally figured out a time when it would work. We went with President Aguierre and gave it. The mom was crying. She felt the Spirit! But Glenda's two sisters were there too and they said we could go over and visit them. So we visited Joyce, Glenda's sister, on thursday with Hermano S. Joyce is PREPARADA. Wow. She accepted the baptismal invitation and just loved everything we had to say. The Spirit was strong and Elder Cardoso and I applied everything we have learned from PMG into that lesson. Everything happened at the right time. But there were a few downs: Jose's AND Joyce's mothers-in-law BOTH died over the weekend. They both couldn't come to the church Father's Day dinner (another mexican party we had; pictures to come haha.They are such great missionary opportunities!) and they both couldn't come to church. The Lord works in mysterious ways.... We are praying that this event softens Maria's heart. We think this is just the thing and the reason our dinner with her and Jose was canceled on Friday. It is weird how things happen like that. But as we do all that we should, and just trust in the Lord, he allows things to play out exactly how they should. That is what happened. And for Omar and Clemente: It has been difficult to meet with Omar. He has a lot of work and he very much likes his Christian church haha. We invited him to church and he said he couldn't go because he has church at the same time and then he invited us to his church... haha. But we are working so hard on a testimony of the Book of Mormon. That will answer every question he has. He still can't accept most of what we tell him but for some reason he is reading the BOM and doing it slowly so he can "understand all that he is reading" as he would put it. There has to be some doubt in his mind and a little more than just curiousity in the church to be reading as much as he is. We will see. We extended July 20 as the Baptismal invitation for Clemente on Tuesday. It was intense because we were lovingly bold and were trying to help him with all his doubts. Elder Cardoso was doing a lot of it. I compared him to Nefi and the member and I to Laman and Lemuel who could not touch Nefi unless they wanted to get struck haha. Finally, Hermano H. told him to pray fervently about that date. He said he would. I love that family SOOO much. Deseret, Ann-Jolie, JC, and Clemente. They didn't come to church--which was devastating. But I want the Gospel for them so bad. I feel like we are trying so hard. See if you could have Clemente and his family, and Jose and his wife in your prayers. I love them so much!

Sorry this is so long! It took until now to realize all the miracles I have seen this week... One last thing on finding: Elder Cardoso and I keep joking around about how his 15 months of biking will be over next transfer when President makes us Zone Leaders of the EL MIRAGE ZONE (5 square miles) and that he will be taking us truck shopping. We make ourselves laugh. The reason we joke about that though is there are SO many people in El Mirage who accept prayers, who let us in, who accept return appointments, and who become investigators! We found 10 new inv. last week. It is a finding miracle here in El Mirage. We schedule appointments every hour because in between them, we contact the world. It is very effective. It helps that literally 9 out of 10 speak Spanish too. The District leader (co-serving in Estrella Branch) asks us how we find and we say 'Pusimos el casco sobre la cabeza' (we wear a helmet). The Lord is doubly preparing people to accept this message because of the new flood of missionaries and the opening up of new areas. It has chanced upon us that we are able to see the fruits of this in the specific mission and area where we are serving.

This week was miraculous. Every week is miraculous! Nightly planning last night was tough because we couldn't think of anyone to visit or teach tonight but I have all the faith in the world that we will see three hours of miracles then too! It is great to be a missionary :D

Love,

The Eldest Elder Parry

The Testigos

Jake titled this picture "Bob, Dog and Hot Tub"

 

Dear Family,

 

 

Honestly, I gave myself a hard time for a couple days this week. I say that because I couldn't stop thinking about Evan and the family for a bit this week. Wednesday morning I had a hard time concentrating during studies. I was praying a lot, but it wasn't until I talked with Elder Cardoso during lunch that I could relax. Then, through more prayer, him, and added recommittment, I was happily able to focus 100% on our investigators for three hours of weekly planning! It really was a miracle. Also--that night I had a dream. I think I've had dreams every night since entering the MTC--and they're all weird haha--but this night was the FIRST one that actually meant anything. I dreamed that I was home in Bountiful running around town asking everyone if they remember anything that happened after the first six months of my mission. I remember feeling very desperate and worried. No one, nor I, knew anything about it. As I thought about it during exercises I realized that too much time is being wished away and too much is being looked forward to for when I get home--even if they are very righteous things! I need to live in the now and look for happiness as it is here right now and all around me as President Uchtdorf taught. I love my mission! I am working hard every day. And I work hard every day to not wish away this precious time. There's so much left to do! The dream, and my recommitment this week, were a nice wakeup to me.

Elder Cardoso and I have had a TOUGH time with Jehovah's Witnesses here in El Mirage. MAN....They are frustrating. And they make me sad. We do not bash with them, look for them, or even try to talk with them. But they cross paths with us and in the worst way too. We have taught and run into some families where the kids have been taught by the Testigos. It is heart-breaking to hear them tell us everything wrong about us and everything they believe to be right about the Testigos. These kids are like 9, 10, 11 years old! It is awful :( We street contacted into an inactive family (the ward didn't know who they were :-/) and set up an appointment. At the appt. the 11-year old girl told us she didn't remember her baptism and that she believes Jehovah is God and she doesn't want to go back to church. It was horrible. I don't know what my Heavenly Father wants me to learn in this because it has happened a few times to us. I don't know why it happens either. Why don't they accept the Joseph Smith story and memorize every name from the Book of Mormon instead of all those Bible names? Why have these kids turned off the light in their life? It has been tough to witness. I have also grown a great love for children so far in my mission so it makes it harder to see them not accept us. We have taught some pretty sweet children. On Saturday we met a family with six kids and talked to them all about church and faith and Heavenly Father and they got so excited they convinced their parents to take them all to church the next day. What a miracle. Sunday night we taught a family with a 9-year-old girl and, out of nowhere, she told us that when she closes her eyes and prays she can see angels. WOW. Children are so close to Heaven. It is sad to see some of them so swayed by the world though.

 

 

What do I think they will talk about in the meeting? Everyone here who knows about it are almost positive it will be member-missionary work. I think there will be a combination of inspiring and motivating as well as a few actual new commitments that will be applied everywhere. I personally think and want it to be big haha. I feel like the members are all pretty into missionary work, they just need a spark to light the wick. I
will tell you all about it.

 

 

Thank you so much for the package! It was very awesome and exactly what I needed.

 

 

I cannot believe Evan is home! That is so cool. I wish I could see him; see how much he has grown, hear all his stories, and hang out with him and the family at home. I am doing fine though and have a lot to do here. The Lord puts a lot of trust into his missionaries, and I'm sure Evan knows that, but there's a lot of work to do in the Estrella Sur area! Keep it real and choose to be anxiously engaged in a good summer rather than a slothful one!

 

 

Love, The only Elder Parry

Expecting Big Things in Surprise

Dear Family,
 

Just remember that it is unlawful to turn down anyone at the door requesting a drink of water. So it is easy for us to get water throughout the day and say a prayer in the process. There are four households of active members in our area so it would not be wise to find members for water haha. But yes, it is hot here. The past few days have been the first "real" hot days so far in the mission. But it was cloudy all weekend so it definitely wasn't the worst haha. It is heating up but I have decided not to think or talk about it because that doesn't help me at all. I am drinking a lot and pray for protection from the heat every day and I enjoy the extra added challenge which is unique to the missions down here! So I won't be talking a lot about the heat anymore. But I am staying hydrated always. I try to drink a gallon or more before I go out and 1-2 gallons while I am out. It is really difficult because I need to use the bathroom a lot and we don't have enough lessons in the day to be able to do it haha. But if you sent more drink mixes that would really help! I have one of those a day and it would save room if you took them out of the boxes.

 

 

I do appreciate your Spiritual happenings in your emails too. That is crazy about your encounter with the person who thought those bad things about Joseph Smith. I hate arguing. It doesn't sound like you were arguing at all; just talking, but I am having a hard time being bold here about what I believe in. I don't really know how to improve on that either. I will pray for boldness and confidence, study the Atonement more, and maybe testify to the mirror or something.

 

 

Thanks for the Arabic BOM! I am surprised it was hard to track down, sorry. Elder Cardoso and I are really really excited to give it to a family from Iraq that we met. There are no Arabic speaking missionaries in the mission so we figure it is okay for us to do :) And could you send some quarters if you get a chance? I could get them myself, but since you're asking... We have to pay like $3 a week in quarters for wash.

 

 

This week. This week. I don't know how to describe it fully. June is here and the Surprise Zone is expecting big things. 33 people are on date for the zone this month! Sadly, it was 36 before Elder Cardoso and I had to take Leticia and her two sons off date. It is really unfortunate. They went to California on a whim so we couldn't talk to them for eight days, then when we finally found them home Saturday, Leticia did not want to talk to us. She said she was too busy on her computer. And she didn't come to church. I don't know if I told you or not, but Hilda from my last area wasn't taken away to Mexico like we thought. She just avoided us. So this has happened to everyone we've had on date. It is really sad. Leticia definitely isn't denying the witnesses she has experienced, but she sure isn't acting on them. I thought for sure that those witnesses meant that she was prepared and that she was ready to accept our message. I am trying to learn what this all means, why it happened etc. We aren't done going over there, but we will see. We have one other on date (16-year old daughter of the S family; we are working on them one person at a time haha, but a lot of work needs to be done still), so we hope to be able to help with one baptism for the June goal.

 

 

We have begun teaching a man named Omar. He is REALLY Christian. I don't know if I told you about him yet, but it has been crazy. Elder Cardoso and I are really learning how to teach in these lessons. He has A LOT of questions/disagreements and doubts. It is useless to try to prove him wrong with scripture or answer each specific question so we are working on a raw testimony of the Book of Mormon--something that he feels if he accepts he will be damned as it says at the end of Apocalypsis. The last time we saw him, we left the invitation to read and pray. After much testifying and discussing, he accepted. He said he would read and pray to God that "whatever You want me to know, help me to know it" or something along those lines. I think that is enough for an answer. He needs to do it sincerely though, and he will! But we fasted for him yesterday just to be sure. Omar is so key though! He is such an awesome person that when he receives a witness he will turn full-circle on his beliefs as a Christian into a strong LDS member. I know he will! But he needs that witness. It has been cool with him too because I am finally starting to genuinely love the investigator. Him and Clemente.

Clemente is a non member and his wife is not active. They have two beautiful small kids and want like six more. Our lessons with them are in English. I had a great testimony builder in my Spanish skills last week in a lesson with him: I was having a hard time communicating what I felt or what I wanted to ask. It made me realize that when I am teaching in Spanish I am not lacking because of the language, but rather, my teaching! It made me happy and confident in my Spanish, but in a somewhat disappointing way when I found out that I am not a very good teacher. Teaching is hard. But I am working hard every day. And we teach by the Spirit. That is the ONLY way. Clemente is so awesome though. He will be holding the priesthood definitely before I leave this area and he will be able to bless his whole family and branches of families will be the result of it.

Have Clemente and Omar in your prayers if you can remember. I want the best for them sooooo bad. They will be great Priesthood holders if they can feel the Spirit telling him that what we are teaching is true.

Keep on being awesome. Always try to do better and never forget to pray!

Love, Elder Parry

Working Tirelessly

May 28, 2013

Hello Family!

The work continues here in the Sunshine State. We have been hearing from other missionaries and President about the boundary changes:  Elder Cardoso and I have lost a few friends to the Tempe Mission but we are here to stay. I am very happy to remain here in the new APM Hood: El Mirage.

We are still excited about all the changes to be made to missionary work in this historic time. Keep in mind that the Church is experimenting with different types of technology that have never been used by missionaries to better accelerate this work. Responses are being made to the influx of missionaries as well as the modern time that we live in now. Really cool stuff is happening. GO TO THE MEETING ON JUNE 23rd! It should be broadcast in church buildings (in Utah it may just be on TV or something). But figure it out because President Monson AND President Packer are speaking!

I have been working tirelessly. We have an hour less of studying in the morning since I am not being trained anymore so we are out the door at noon just about every day. Most zone meetings and activities with president are behind us now too and neither Elder Cardoso nor I have any assignments so we are just focusing on the work! It is very tiring. We are saving the church a lot of money being assigned to a bike area, but it is tiring haha. So this first week of this transfer has been a lot of work. It has actually been kind of disappointing too I am sad to say. Not a lot of success at all. We have been doing a lot of visits and stop-bys because no one commits to a lesson. This culture is really starting to frustrate me actually. We set a goal for eight investigators at church but only one came because six of them (three different families) went on vacation to California on a whim! Just like that! And it was three different families! AHHHHHHHHH. And we get members some nights when we call them but we just waste their time on visits! It is tough. The Lord is challenging me with this. Elder Cardoso says this is pretty normal to the mission, and culture, etc. It is hard. We are looking for people who are really prepared. Mario and Glenda were prepared and made the necessary sacrifices. We are looking for the next people.

I read about what Elder Oberg's opportunity to baptize his mother before he was released. As I was reading the letter I had it reaffirmed to me AT THE VERY MOMENT the realness of that ordinance and covenant with God. I know this Church is true. I know that it has been restored to the Earth and is being led by a prophet of God. I know that Baptism is the way. I know that everyone who spoke about it and everything else in the Libro De Mormon are VERY REAL PEOPLE. I am understanding the teachings of that book more and more every time I read them as I continue to know how real they are. They all exist and are looking to us today in this time to continue and conclude the work of the Lord. Stay strong all. Keep reading the Book of Mormon.

Love, Elder Parry

And So We Left Her With a Book of Mormon and Went On Our Way

May 21, 2013

Dear Family,

 

I am here in the Arizona Phoenix Mission to stay. The boundary changes with Tempe did not affect me. I wasn't on the transfer list. So I have to endure at least six more weeks with the Brazilian haha just kidding. But we will be losing a lot of Spanish speakers tomorrow to the mission so that is crazy!

This week was WILD! I am so grateful to have seen the Hand of the Lord in so many ways in just the past few days.

I will start by talking about the Zone Conference we had last Tuesday with President Taylor. He is one inspired man. We talked about a few things that Elder Nelson shared with 70+ Mission Presidents in the Southwest a few weeks ago. We talked about the Gathering of Isreal. The Book of Mormon is a literal sign that the gathering has begun here for the last time in the last dispensation and is, thus, coming to a close. CRAZY!!!! Also- Ephraim and Manessah were promised the American continent as their land of inheritance and we are bringing the Book of Mormon back to this people (Ether 12:25)!!! I am getting so fired up about it. This work is literally so huge. SOO BIG. I did not think that my whole life growing up. SO BIG. The hastening of the work is so huge too. And has the hastening stopped?? No. President also told us about BIG THINGS to happen this coming June. Big things in the church and in Missionary Work. June 23rd is the date of a big church conference that 'all interested church members' have been invited to watch. Presidents Monson and Packer and others will be speaking. It will be HUGE. It is titled "Work of Salvation." President assured and reassured us to expect big things. For members and missionaries. The work is exploding right before our eyes. And it is up to us to BE A PART OF IT. Please don't sit back and watch. Now is the time that thousands of prophets before us have prophesied of. It is safe to say that Isaiah and Mormon are rolling all over in their coffins about right now (was that sacreligious?).

This Saturday was the baptismal service for the 8-year-old Cassandra Sanchez. Miracle after miracle took place in this process this weekend. Because we delayed her date after her parents got baptized so we could teach her a little more in English, she became the responsibility of the ward and was not a number for the missionary cause. We didn't care at all. She is the cutest person! She was so ready to be baptized. We put a lot of work in putting together the program. Elder Cardoso and I asked ourselves why we were using so much of our time and effort for this when it doesn't really help us accomplish anything for the missionary cause, but we really wanted it to be a special day for Cassandra. And it was. the Primary sang a special song, two very great talks were given about Fe and the Expiacion (The one speaking on the Atonement thanked us after because she really needed the Atonement right now. She was almost in tears. Who doesn't need more of the Atonement in their lives?), we watched the first vision, and Mario (Cassandra's Dad, who was given the priesthood an hour before the service) performed the baptism! Once again, the spirit confirmed to me that this ordinance is real and yes, Cassandra was ready.

I got to be in the circle for Hermano Mario Sanchez' Priesthood. The Priesthood is REAL. This is the actual power of God on the Earth today. There is not a doubt in my mind of that. I have felt it and seen it my whole life and on my mission as well.

On Sunday Hermano Jenkins from the ward told Elder Cardoso that I would be confirming Cassandra. I was a little scared at first and then said, "we should just leave it up to Cassandra." Elder Cardoso inquired of her, and she picked me. Soooo It was me. WOW was that special. I was nervous at first about the Spanish then I decided that is not what I should be feeling and to just let the Spirit take over, and He did. I said everything scripted right and then the unscripted part, just came right out. The Spirit definitely worked through me to her and my words. The Holy Ghost is real.

Thursday was not that fun. Thursday was off. The reason I say this was because I just felt sad and down at the end of the day and hoped for a better Friday with more fulfillment and 'success.' That is exactly what happened. On Friday we knocked a door of a referral. It wasn't the referral we were looking for but it was a SPANISH couple who invited us in to have dinner with them and talk. OF ALL THINGS, we talked to them about baptisms for the dead. They are interested. They are definitely in the search for the Gospel. Then we left that house for Youngtown for the rest of the night. On our way there we met a man who needed help getting the cap off his gas. I tried and tried to no avail. Elder Cardoso popped it right off. We got his information and left. Then we saw a car on Grand that needed to be pushed to the gas station. We helped push and got their information. At the gas station we ran into the guy again with the gas cap problem and a Catholic offered to by us drinks because he really respects us. We accepted and talked to him for a bit. A few minutes later an old black lady opened her car door and yelled and asked if we were Jehovah's Witnesses and if we had anything to give her to read because she likes reading their stuff. I said we aren't. Then she said Okay bye! Then I said "But we have something better for you to read!" She said "Bring it here!" And So we left her with a Book of Mormon and went on our way.

The Lord is in the fabric of our missions and lives. Success isn't just member present lessons and getting people on date; it is being the tool the Lord would have you be and being worthy of His Spirit to guide you. The Lord put people in our path. Are we going to teach any of them? No. More than likely we will never see them again nor hear whether they accepted the Gospel or not. But God knows where they are and he helps them through us. It was a magnificent day.

Well I finished being trained on Sunday night. It is kinda crazy. Four months in my mission.... You should know that I know exactly what to do! NOT. Haha. I still do not know what I am doing, but I am learning every day and trying to be humble so as to be worthy of the Lord's teaching. The mission is tough but I am patiently learning and trying to improve. I still have a lot to do and learn, and I am trying not to get stressed about it.

Sorry it was so long this week, I think I forgot a couple things too.

Love you all.

Elder Parry