March 25, 2013

Dear Family,

  Well I forgot to take my camera out into the field this week, which really stinks because we found the Polygamist temple while working this week!!! It just looks like a normal big white building. No angel Moroni or nothing like that, just a big white building. We also ran into another polygamist family. They're interesting but super nice. We don't argue or anything, we just talk with them and ask questions regarding how our beliefs differ. I also got a pet a horse yesterday! We were walking down the side walk and it ran up to us and hung its MASSIVE HEAD over the fence and just stared at us.
  My trainer didn't come up this week. He's coming in more towards general conference. Speaking of General Conference, we're getting calls this week as to what session we go to. I'm shooting for Sunday Morning but who knows what'll happen.
  So my companions name is Elder Simon. He is from Melbourn and he has been out about 6 months almost. It was cool though, because the MTC takes all international missionaries to the Salt Lake Temple to do a session. To go along with that, he also did a session with all the new missionaries in this mission as well.
  The New Testament reading is going good for me. I'm glad to be in Hebrews right now, because its full of doctrine. Some of Pauls epistles are just plain confusing though. Luckly we have President Miller's notes on what we are reading.
  This week was kind of the same. We got a few referrals this past week at stake correlation meetings, and when we went to visit them, we found out that the english missionaries had tried teaching them before and spoiled the teaching opportunity! So much for that. We did a lot of tracting this past week again. Met a few weird people, including an old lady that is in a house that we though was abandoned. We were terrified when she opened up the door.
  We're still working hard though. I think President wants us to fix up the area so thats what we're going to do.
Love y'all!

Elder Parks

March 18, 2013

Dear Family,

  So actually the internet usage announcement was church wide I believe. We now have the same guidelines that Hilary has, just we need permission to email people of the opposite sex that live within the mission boundaries. No now with more time, and I'm bring my "Something to write home about" card I can hopefully think of more things to write!
  I actually don't get cabin fever, namely because whenever it's bad weather we just can't drive however WALKING is for everyone at anytime! Haha we go walking in blizzards. However, since it's getting warmer we don't have so much of that anymore!
  So an explanation for last week. There was another Emergency transfer last week so I wasn't really focused during emailing so that's why it may have been dull. I honestly don't know what happened in regards to the ET, no leadership called me about what was going on but I know that I wasn't doing anything bad. I'm now right next door to my old area in Riverton! I'm in another branch so it's a little small but its a good branch. The area is fairy slow since there aren't many spanish speakers but I'm not getting down on that. The area is kinda like farm land mixed with neighborhoods. I guess it can relate to Elgin or Burnett. The houses are nice though. Rich white members mostly. We have a car thankfully but it's nice to just go walking when its warm and tract because it's a good looking area.
  Had some fun experiences this week. We tracted into a polygamist group!!! It was so weird but they were super friendly. It was kinda obvious that it was a polygamist area because there were over 4 billion kids...ok more like 30 and thats being realistic. Apparently that is a polygamist temple or something in our area too. Something that also happened yesterday, we went into someones backyard to visit a less active family and they had two massive arctic dogs! They were super friendly. Overly friendly. The jumped up on me and wouldn't stop licking my face! I would run away but they would follow me! I tried to juke them when they jumped at me but I couldn't evade them. So my comp held the gate open and I went running out as he closed the gate on the dogs. Oh yeah my new companion has been out for 5 months total and is from Melbourn Australia. Did Matt serve there? His Aus. accent mixed with his spanish is hilarious.
  Bleh thats all I got. I need y'all to ask more questions, and I need to start writing stuff down again so I can have more to write. I'm so forgetful! Oh my trainer from Colombia is coming up next week and I get to see him!!!
That's all I got for now!
Love y'all!

Love,
Elder Parks

March 11, 2013

Dear Family,

  Haha I'm doing good on notes. It's true though, we have a lot of visitors come to our mission. My trainer said that during the course of his mission, he had seen 10 of the 12 apostles at mission conferences.
  We haven't gotten any news on who gets to go to conference yet. President Miller though just may get tickets for everyone! Since I went last year I may not go this year, but I don't know how the ticket things work here in the mission. We'll probably find out next week though or the week before conference.
  So our plan for today, we're getting haircuts from a nice lady in West Jordan (she does them for free), then at 2 we're having a zone activity at the local institute building and we're having pizza and stuff like that so it'll be fun. Usually when the weather is bad we just play a board game or write letters at our houses.
  I can't think of anything specific that I want for easter, so I'll just say surprise me! And I have been successful in not eating with a tongan family lately. I'm actually starting to get fat though! I wish I could be back on a bike, that made things easier.
  This past week was a little slow just like the rest, but we're picking up though. Some families are coming into play, that we'll start teaching soon. Usually mom, when we go tracting, it's down a specific street that we believe may have spanish speakers. We don't have too many in our area so we gotta look hard for them. At first door approaches, I usually always start off in english. If I notice they have a spanish accent, then I'll ask if they speak spanish and go from there. It's not too complicated though and the people usually help out. They start off by saying 'hi" or "hola" or "not interested" or just a door slam! It's fun though. It's fun to meet such interesting people.
  That's about all I got for now! I'll talk to y'all next week!
Love,
Elder Parks

March 4, 2013

Dear Family,

  So transfer news, I'm still in the same area, same companion, only I'm not a District Leader anymore! I'm just senior comp! Such a relief. However, President Miller told me that now I have to go full-time with leading my companion. So I'm kinda in another situation of helping another missionary. However, he's helping me too so we're all good.
  It was another slow week. What we are doing now is visiting the members and sharing short lessons with them. We also have been visiting less actives and teaching them/inviting them back to church. We've also been finding some new families in the area that don't know which church they go to so we help them get lined up with everything and start coming to our branch!
  The Branch is beginning to pick up the support as well. Yesterday, the entire branch fasted for the missionary effort. The Branch President asked the branch to pray for missionary opportunities and start preaching the gospel themselves. He and our elders quorum president also asked for a list of our former investigators so that they could go visit them! I love the branch. They're so supportive and missionary minded.
  We had another mission conference this past week and Elder Jay Jensen (former 70) gave us a talk on having better study habits of the scripture! He talked for about an hour and a half and gave me a lot of things to improve on! He went through every word in detail like "is" "therefore""wherefore" "yea"...it was a lot of stuff but it's all good because I got the entire talk on my voice recorder! For me, the most memorable part was when he took us through the beginning of section 138 of doctrine and covenants. He explained to us how the revelation was received and what the prophet was doing at the time so he could receive revelation. It was very cool to go through that experience.
  No plans for spring break? Perhaps y'all could go hiking or something. I wish we could go hiking here like we did as a zone last year. Haven't been able to do it again yet but the weather is getting better here!!! I finally don't have to always put on a sweater anymore.
  Well that's all I have time for right now. I love y'all a lot and miss y'all. Can't believe it's been 13 months...
Take care!
Love,
Elder Parks

February 25, 2013

Dear Family,

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! Ripe old age of 52! Hahaha hope you have a good day!
  I agree with you dad on Paul's writings in Romans. He is so confusing!!! President Miller gives us notes that we use to follow along but even with those it's hard to follow him.
  So yes transfers are happening this week. No clue what will happen because a lot of stuff is going to happen. On Friday, we had a mission conference with Elder Clayton in the presidency of the 70. He told us that a new mission will be formed from our mission and the north mission! In only one year our mission will have been divided twice! It's going to be called the Salt Lake City East Mission which will make 5 proselyting missions here in the valley. Pretty crazy huh? We were also told the names of the 2 new mission presidents (our mission and the East mission). The south mission president is a teacher right now up at BYU-Idaho. It's gonna get crazy here by July, I could potentially be in a new mission again!
  Taylor I have been in Scheels. It's in my area and so is that In-n-out on 123rd. Scheels is too nice to go into, and especially as missionaries(or RMs probably) everything is too expensive to buy! Haha we walk in sometimes and just imagine buying stuff.
  Another hard week this. Didn't teach any lessons at all. However we're still pushing forward and looking for those that are ready to receive us.
Hope all is well with y'all!
Love
Elder Parks

P.S I'll get more pictures/send the pictures again. I forgot my camera at home today.

February 18, 2013

Dear Family,

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!! What is Taylor doing for your birthday???
  Thanks for the Blue Bell card and the money! We actually went out to go eat with the money but then somebody covered us so then we got ice cream later on. I did get the box last week with all the candy and I did share the candy with others. The monkey magnets are also up on the fridge!
  While we were tracting we found a chair that was 10 feet tall! I sat in it while my comp took a picture so I'll send it.
  Well, it was another uninteresting week. I'm still working to find fun things to do in the process. Well, one night we got bored so we went to Chik-fil-a and got some ice cream. Other than that we had a lot of people slam their doors to us. Oh well, those doors are still fun!
  I'm glad that y'all are up to date on the New Testament reading! I've loved reading Saul/Paul and his conversion story! He's such a great missionary. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have half of the New Testament! What has been your favorite scripture so far during the reading?
  Well, thats really all I got for now! Talk to y'all later!
Love,
Elder Parks