Hey,

It was a crazy week.  We have been running around like crazy because of our baptism.  We ended having to make the program for it, so we were running around all day trying to get it made and then we went to the church to make copies and found out you need a password to make copies so we had to run to the Temple Visitor center across the street to make copies.  It was a stressful baptism.  I gave a talk as well on the Holy Ghost.  I guess it went well, that's what i was told at least.  Will got baptised the guy that Elder Wilde and I were teaching.  It was great to see him go through with it.  He was so excited after his interview!  We were suppose to have another person getting baptised but she called us saturday morning and said she needed more time.  She just disappeared.  We haven't been able to get in contact with her since then.  Her parents don't even know where she's at.  They called us asking if we had heard from her yet, because we left a message with them to give to her.  Hopefully she's fine and just left town for a little bit.  I saw Elder Wilde at the baptism this week.  Man am I glad that I have new companions.  I get along so much better with them.  Good things are happening.  We have 2 new investigators that we are teaching and another one that is starting to progress finally.  All people need to do is read and pray and they will know if its true.  But when they don't even keep simple commitments like that of course they aren't going to know if its true.  Oh well...everyone has their agency all we can do is present the information and what they need to do to find out for themselves if its true.

 

We have exchanges with the zone leaders this week.  It was a good experience to see another person's teaching style and how to do things. I really enjoyed the outcome. 

 

So last week we got close to a car wreck.  It was a little nerve racking I wont lie but nothing too bad.  But our other companion freaked out.  When we got back to the apartment we got out of the car and were walking to the apartment and looked back and Elder P (other Elder) was still in the car.  He hadn't moved.  We went back and he was in shock big time.  He wasn't there at all. It took us like 40 minutes to get him with us enough to get to the apartment.  He said at one point..."We're not going to die?"  I knew it was bad when he said that.  The kid driving felt so bad.  But our comp just freakes out about everything.  After about 2 hours he was fine.  Also he's got fainting issues.  We think we've come to the conclusion that he has sleeping issues.  He's been tested for everything but sleep disorders.  He's really stubburn and acts like nothings wrong but he doesn't remember a thing that happened on Friday.  Its kind of scary.  President knows about it and is forcing him to go to the doctor.  I'm glad about that.  I really feel like they will find something this time and he'll be fine.  But the problem needs to be addressed.

 

The weather isn't so nice anymore.  Its been raining and cold.  The "mountains" more like big hills here have snow on them.  That doesn't happen much i guess.  There is ice in the morning as well.  Its freezing at night.  I miss the warm.  If its going to be cold it needs to snow.  None of this no snow and cold. 

 

We got to go to the temple this week!  It was so nice to go.  I miss it so much.  It felt like going through for the first time again.  I can't believe how much i forgot of it.  It was really nice to get to go through again though.  I wish we could go every week.  I miss that about the MTC...other than that I like the field more.  Its crazy how fast this transfer has gone.  There is only 2 more weeks until the next transfer.

 

 

Well things are pretty good here.  Still waiting for my visa.  But it will come when its suppose to.  There are a lot of good things happening here. 

 

Love,

Elder Parsons

 

Hey,

The weather is amazing here right now.  It is summer.  It was almost 80 yesterday and it looks like it will be the same here today.  We had to have the windows open in our apartment all night because it was so warm.  Our apartment isn't very good at staying warm or cold.  Its always the opposite of what you want at that time.

A mission is so short.  I'm beginning to see that.  I've already been out for 4 months.  Its crazy to think its been that long.  Time really does fly by.  I'm trying to get a more long term approach to the mission.  I'm getting used to my companions and we are getting along well now.  That is so much of a benefit.  Time is really going by fast now.  I still have to continue to find ways to be motivated.  Its not that i don't work its just harder some days.  I need to get to the want part not the i have to do this stage. 

I'm still hoping my visa comes.  Not so i can go see scantily clad women in Brasil.  I just want to start learning the language and being around people that are nice.  Or at least they are suppose to be nice there.  Americans tend to be a little rude at times.

But there is good things happen here.  We have two baptisms on the 19th.  I'm excited for that.  But who knows if i'll be there or not.  We will see.  We are trying to find more good investigators.  We are teaching a lot, but we only have 2 progression investigators.  The rest are progressing really slow or not at all.

  

We were helping some members move some flooring into a house the other day and the guy was like has anyone every said that you look like Kevin Bacon.  I was like...nope.  I don't even know what he looks like...i guess me :P.  Also i talked to Eva this week.  The one that thinks her husband is a prophet...well she's not interested in meeting with us anymore because her husband had some prophecies about us.  I'm bummed because she was a good investigator but this is what she told me.  Her husband first prophecy was taht the mormon church wasn't true.....but it continues.  She had called like 2 weeks ago and said she couldn't go to church becasue she had a boil in her nose.  And her husband had a prophecy as to why she got the boil.  He said that she had put her nose in places that she shouldn't have (investigating the church) and thats why she got a boil.  God was punishing her.  She was like i cried 5 days and 5 nights because of this and i can't go through it again. Sad but her husband was just getting scared of us.  He knew she had felt the spirit and was serious about joining.  Well nothing we can do now.  Elder Wilde and I had been teaching a man that just came back into the church after 41 years of being inactive. He is a good guy.  His testimony is really strong now.  He has helped alot in keeping recent members active because of his experiences.  He talked about how he let members in the church and bishop..etc drive him away because of things they did and said.  He has now committed to never let that happen again. I'm so excited for him. It's true if we have a strong testimony we wont let others drive us away because we know the truth.  Unfortunately members aren't perfect...sometimes not even nice but the church is true and always will be.  My testimony is growing a lot.  I'm trying to solidify it for the hard times.  We are also teaching this family that is preparing to go to the temple and be sealed as a family.  They are way cool.  They always feed us after as well which is a bonus and not. I'm on a diet.  I only drink fat free milk now and stuff like that.  I don't like being this out of shape.  But anyways at the end we got onto the subject of weight lifting.  He used to compete and trained a pro baseball athelete.  I got some really good information from him about supplements and routines.  It was a good talk.

Well have a good week.

Love

Elder Parsons