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