July 27, 2015 - Training Week

It has been another week of trainings. We started the week with President, the wife of Pdte, the assistents, and the leaders of the 2 zones in the coast in a small leaders meeting. Then on wednesday we had our zone conference with everyone in the coast and that was a really special meeting. We did some practices where the only objective was to feel the spirit, then talk about how we felt the spirit and why we did and what happened to invite the spirit. It was super neat to talk just about the spirit and how it works. It helped me remember the importance of the spirit in all that we do, especially in the lessons, instead of just teaching to teach.

Other bit of good news. We are going to move! We found a house that is much nicer than the one that we are in right now, and this week we are going to move. I am most looking forward to having quiet, peaceful study sessions. :) haha

And to finish the week off, I came to Quito with an elder in my zone that got an infection in his foot from a bite that he had from a bug, I think. And we are currently still in Quito. So it has been a weekend of some pretty good study sessions for me haha. 

Being in the coast has made me realize how valuable our time really is. We have to go home an hour early than normal for the safety, and it just makes our day seem super short. So I have been learning and practicing a lot how to make the most of every moment of the day. I have loved everything about the coast. Even the hardest moments. I have learned to see the good in everyone and everything, especially the moments that seem like there can be no good. The Lord has greatly blessed me with this opportunity to serve a mission and to represent Him in this time to serve the people and other missionaries. 

Thank you all for your support and prayers.

Love,  Elder Parker

July 20, 2015 - The Atonement

So we had our mission council this week with all of the ZL y Sister leaders and it was an awesome experience. We talked a lot about the atonement and enduring to the end. It strengthened my testimony a lot of the atonement and the love that Heavenly Father has for us.  There was a quote from James E. Faust in the talk that we studied.

  Any increase in our understanding of His atoning sacrifice draws us closer to Him.   

I invite you all to take some time to study the atonement. I promise you that it will change your life, little by little, especially if you do it everyday. 

So we were in Quito all week, We left Monday morning and got back Thursday night. We did not have a lot of time to work, but we were able to get in some good lessons. Then today, we went and ate encebollado, and it was super good! Then we got our haircut, and they gave me like a military cut on the sides, and left it kind of longer on top.. So, yeah.. Not that great. Hopefully with gel it looks better haha :P Ojala. 

The coast is awesome. Nice and hot and humid and sunny with plenty of funny people. There is always something funny that happens every day. Always something new! 

Always remember to enjoy every moment of your lives striving to be more like our brother Jesus Christ. It is the easier way in the end. Thank you for your prayers and your support!

Love, 

Elder Parker

July 13, 2015 - Tender Mercies

This week has been full of tender mercies. I don´t have much time. We are in Quito now for some meetings that we have, but this week, even though it was hard, I felt the love of the Savior. Every day, something happened that we had to take care of. One day the house flooded, other day our phone got baptized and died so we had to take care of that, but the Lord always loves us!

If we do not have fear and trust in the Lord, He will always support us. I have seen it so many times in my mission. 

I hope you all have an excelent week. Thank you for your love and support!

Elder Parker

July 6, 2015 - The Coast

The coast is the best. It is just hot. and our house is super ghetto. But we are looking for a new one! And the food is really good. And I love it! We spend all day walking around and sweating, so hopefully I will keep losing weight! haha And cold showers in the morning and night are just about the best you can get here. And it is pretty cool here because everyone knows us. They always see and greet us by saying "los elderes". Even in the sketchy parts they all say hi. It is super cool being here. The people are so different, but it is way neat. They are super lazy because it is hot, so that is pretty funny too, some of the things we see every day.

We are going to have a baptism this weekend of Jisenia y Scarlet. They are chosen of God. I have met them once so far, but they are so ready for their baptism. And we are in the process of finding more people every day.

We found a guy last night that is called Manuel. He was a reference of a less active and we first met him on Tuesday, and yesterday he went to church and we visited him again. When we visited him, he told us that he had gone to this less actives house to go to church. He took the initiative and actually helped the less active go to church. wow. and he told us that he knows that this church is true, but that he is still going to pray and ask God if these things are true. The only challenge is that he cannot read or write. But we will change that.

I know that this is the true church. There is no doubt in my mind. I am so grateful to be here. The Lord will always bless us if we make the effort to follow Him and search for His blessings. 

Love, Elder Parker

June 29, 2015 - Changes

So I am writing a little bit early because we had changes!! And I am leaving!! And going to the coast. to esmeraldas. So I am going to be traveling all day, and I don´t know if I am going to have much time to write when I get there. But all is well! It has been a wonderful time in San Carlos, and I am excited to see what the Lord wants me to do in the coast.

Love, Elder Parker

June 22, 2015 - Trials

I learned a grand lesson this week about trials and why they happen. I read a talk this week by Elder Richard G. Scott called

"The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing"

Wow. I am changed. But there was one quote that changed me more than any other. “God never bestows upon his people,or upon an individual, superior blessings without asevere trial to prove them.” - Brigham Young,

Wow. That is wisdom and it makes all the sense in the world. This week has not been the easiest one, but this quote has lifted me to another level. Even though there were trials this week, I felt so strengthened to be able to look past them and to be able to look beyond the moment. It helped me so much to be able to have a different vision, a diferent perspective on everything. I know that this is true. I felt it this week and I know that it can be true for all of you as well. 

One other super special experience that we had this week was the opportunity to visit a couple elderly members of the ward. The mom has 90 years, and the son 63. They literally have nothing. The bishop and relief society president get them food every 2 weeks. That is something that I never knew until sunday morning. And it also changed my life. 

They go to church looking super good, all nice and clean, when in reality they have nothing. We read the Book of Mormon with us, and the old sister started crying telling us how we were her heros for what we do and all that we suffer. And I can tell you I have never felt smaller in my life. She and her son are my heros. Nobody knows what they are going through. At church this 90 year old little lady high fives and fist bumps us to greet us, as happy as can be. What an example of love to the Lord. I am rededicating myself to do all that I can for Him. 

Love,

Elder Parker

June 15, 2015 - Family History

A quick email. Sorry.  The people that we have been working with are all going through really hard times right now. But even so we are working hard to help them understand their purpose.

I just want to share my testimony about the importance of family history work. We have been focusing on that in the mission and it is a super important work and one that really brings the spirit. Do it! Fill out the booklet ´´My Family´´ It is super cool!

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and support!

Love, Elder Parker

1. eating shawarmas y arepas

2. teleferico

June 8, 2015 - Time Flies

The time passes really fast, and it scares me sometimes. But I just put that out of my mind and things get a lot happier.  It was a week full of meetings, but it was super spiritual too!

We started the week on Tuesday in the Mission Council, and it was super special to be able to talk about our potential and what we can really do and the servants of the Lord. It is really interesting too, because I have been pondering this topic a lot. Our potential. I have read some talks and been studying in the scriptures too about what we really can do here on earth, and even more as representatives called of God. 

Then on Friday we had our zone conference with president and the assistents. It was super special too and we talked a lot about family history and how important that is. And it really struck me. It really is important. And at the end of everything, we got to raise the Title of Liberty, and it was awesome. 

Today we went to Teleferico again this week and it always blows my mind the wonderfulness of all of God`s creations. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be a missionary and to share His gospel with His children. I have grown so much and am not the person I used to be. And I am grateful for that and for the confidence that God has placed in me. 

I love you all and thank you for your prayers and support!

Love,

Elder Parker