Well, it’s been a year since Thatcher and I got to see each other last at a transfer meeting, because one of us would always go when the other stayed in their area. But finally now that I’m zone leader I get to go to all the transfers :) so we got to see each other on Tuesday and sat together and got to chat for quite a bit about everything!! Oh man, it was so much fun.  I got this strange feeling that we’re going to be companions someday doing zebra work. That would be so sweet. 

My new (old) companion is Elder Griffin again!  We were together last Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, so we are hoping we can pull a repeat! So far, it’s been so much fun!  We have been crazy busy with administrative stuff, and staying up late every night talking missionaries out of going home and all their other problems, but it’s awesome!  We had to come up with zone goals, which was quite the process trying to come up with good ones, but finally got it all settled and we are super excited.  We do 3 goals that all the missionaries will do this transfer, and 3 more that Elder Griffin and I will do personally, and others for how we will establish Zion in our companionship, etc.  

For one of them, all the missionaries will be accepting the invitation from Elder Neil L Andersen last conference to record the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith in their own voices, and listen to it a few times a week to obtain a more divine witness of the prophet Joseph.  Maddie and Marshall, you should do the same!  There you go, I planned next Monday’s FHE for you.

SEE: www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/joseph-smith?lang=eng

We went by to see our investigator, A---- on Tuesday, and followed up on his reading in the Book of Mormon.  He said yes he had read, so we asked if he prayed.  He said yes he prayed, so we asked if he got an answer.  He said yes he got an answer, and that he knows the Book of Mormon is true. Then just like that, our elated spirits came crashing down when he said he got an answer that its true, but then he had a second thought come to him... and he said nope I’m Catholic and can’t change... Man, if I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that one... so we had a little bit of a heart to heart and bore our testimonies and came out of there with a return appointment for 2 days later. We went in, expounded on the apostasy and restoration, and what it truly means if the Book of Mormon is true, and recommitted him to read and pray. True conversion isn’t something I can teach these people. In fact, I can’t teach anything -the Spirit is the only true teacher.  I’m glad to hear that you have been studying Preach My Gospel.  I really know that it is the way we are supposed to teach.  By following the principles in Preach My Gospel, we can create an environment where spirit can communicate with spirit, and we are simply along for the ride.  Please pray for A---- We promised him that his first answer was indeed true and recommitted him to keep reading and praying and have a follow up appointment tomorrow!

Church was awesome, like always. It was the primary program. A couple from the Santa Barbara branch showed up.  You should have seen their faces when they saw Elder Griffin and I together again.  They were so confused. haha. He was our ward mission leader up there, so I gave him a hard time and squeezed out some referrals of people he knows here in the “nard.” (That’s what they call Oxnard).    Our investigator, M--- came to church! She’s golden.  Hopefully, she will be baptized soon.  Also, a less active family we’ve been working with came too.  Another less active guy we reactivated last transfer is doing really well and is now teaching the high priests and doing a lot of missionary work for us! He’s awesome.

OH AND GUESS WHAT!!  Y--, the little lady I baptized in Carpinteria recently got a calling in the Relief Society presidency!!  She has only been a member for 6 months! It’s tough a lot of times for me to be in California, and realize that stuff like this happens all the time in other missions besides Cali, but just her alone makes the whole thing worth it! :)

Love you all,

Elder Parrish.