Bowling on Pday

We had a breakthrough lesson with our investigator, J---.  We brought our new ward mission leader to a lesson, who has some connections with other job opportunities, and they are working on finding him new employment, because he is sick of not being able to come to church and not being able to get baptized since he works on Sundays. J--- was super excited and fired up about it, and he went in early on Saturday, so he could finish all his cleaning and then came to church on Sunday! :) 

We see a less-active hermana, named Y--- a couple times a week. She has a strong testimony, and loves it when we come share messages, because she is just spiritually thirsty from being away from the church for about 6months now. Every week she has the good intentions of coming to church, but something always "comes up."   On Sunday before church, we went to her house and she let us know that one of the real reasons she hasn’t been coming to church when she says she will is because since she has been inactive she had oral surgery and they removed a bunch of her front teeth, and she just feels embarrassed and doesn’t want to have to talk to anybody without her teeth! I was able to show her some pictures of me without my front tooth and tell her I had to go through that for 3 years of high school! I explained how I felt the same insecurities and self-esteem issues for a while and didn’t like to talk or smile without it, but eventually realized that nobody cared and everyone just thought that it was awesome and made me look way tougher anyway, and I worried all that time for nothing. It helped her realize that that was a pretty lame excuse for not coming to church, and so she went and got ready and came to church for the first time since I’ve been here!  It was awesome! Everyone was so happy to see her :)

We got to do some good service this week helping our branch president move all of his stuff into storage until their new house is finished, and it built some good trust there with him.  We also helped one of our less active members, V--- build a bunch of shelves in his railroad car container he uses for a shed and he came to church on Sunday!

 

Love, Elder Parrish

Going to do service.

We went on a hike on Tuesday up in San Luis Obispo with the zone and with President and Sister Felix.  

We taught a lot of lessons this week, and for sure thought our 2 main investigators would come to church again. Neither of them came, but randomly after the meeting started we looked over and there was a man named Samuel in the foyer that we found that week who just decided to show up for church! We were all excited and of course grateful for the tender mercy that someone actually came to Sacrament Meeting. As we brought him in and sat down, we looked over to the other foyer and there was another one of our investigators named E-- with his 2 kids! We are definitely making progress with our investigators and teaching pool, though.

Elder Clarkson and I are doing well.  We have come out of this week having learned to be a little more humble, submissive, and meek, and are striving to get rid of pride so we can be more unified and have the Spirit more in our companionship. I think there is more i can be doing to serve him and show my love, so those are my goals!

I have been reading the General Conference Ensign a lot lately and just love the Spirit I get from each talk as I re-read them. They all apply perfectly in one way or another to me individually. I just can’t help but feel an overwhelming gratitude for my membership in this church, where we are so blessed to have 15 men who are prophets, seers, and revelators. It is something I will continue to thank God for every day of my life.  I keep thinking of a couple summers ago when we went to the funeral of Brother Jack Hepworth where President Monson conducted.  I realized that day that the Prophet of God, standing just a few feet away from me was just a normal, ordinary man, subject to sickness and pain and sorrow and memory loss and everything else that accompanies old age just like all the rest of us crazy people. But when President Monson testified of the plan of salvation, and of our loving Heavenly Father and of Brother Hepworth’s faithfulness in the church, I realized too that the great God of Israel magnifies those seemingly normal men he calls, and gives them power and authority to do extraordinary things and be his literal mouthpieces on the earth. I have felt him magnify little ole me. There was no doubt in my mind on that summer day that he was the Lord's Prophet in these latter-days, and there is no doubt in my mind today that he continues to be. The same Spirit that touched my heart that day is the Spirit that I feel every time I read the conference talks. I know that President Monson holds all the keys of the Holy Priesthood and leads the true Church of Jesus Christ today.

For service, we almost finished the laundry room addition of Brother C---'s house. right in time before it rained!

Love,

Elder Parrish

Water was freezing!  Colder than baptizing in the Pacific Ocean. (I would know)  So I hurried and dunked her real good, and then she cried for a long time afterwards, cuz it was so cold......  but then she got baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost and wasn't cold anymore :)

It was a privilege to baptize M--- on Saturday. The water was suuuper cold, colder than the ocean baptism even.  It’s funny how there’s always something with the water and the font or something doesn’t quite work out the way it’s supposed to, but the service was very spiritual regardless.  My favorite part was when M--- sang "I Like to Look for Rainbows" with the hermanas right before we went into the water.  Also, getting to hear Elder Clarkson confirm her a member of the Church and give her the gift of the Holy Ghost was amazing.  It was great for the investigators there.

One more quick miracle: We were driving to church yesterday morning and as we passed a certain block I caught a glimpse of a man standing outside his car.  I was sure it was our part member family investigator J---, so we turned around and sure enough he was locked out trying to unlock it with a screw driver and a wire hanger. Luckily, we have plenty of experience with that from back home, so we were able to get it open after a few minutes.  It definitely was no coincidence we drove by right at that exact time! Then, he came to church and with his entire family all there and it was great.  He will be baptized soon.

Elder Clarkson is great.  He has such a desire to improve and overcome.  He is very strict with himself and works hard. He is great at following the Spirit and I’m really glad he got to confirm M--- for the first time in his mission. The Spirit was incredible.

I know the Lord is hastening his work! As i have studied about my purpose throughout my mission, and especially my patriarchal blessing, as well as the Abrahamic covenant, it is so clear as to why we are here on the earth at this time, even more so as the seed of Joseph, be it specifically through Ephraim or Manasseh. We were foreordained to be born through the lineage of Abraham into these tribes with the charge to gather the lost tribes and fulfill the covenants made to the Fathers. We have no reason, no excuse to be lazy or to pass the buck on to somebody else. WE have to do it, because we covenanted before the world was that we would!  It’s simple, but it’s marvelous. And I just love it when we get to catch a glimpse of the members grasping that as well after so much hard work.  I’m seriously so grateful for our new Ward Mission Leader, and the vision he has of the hastening of the work.  I was so happy after our first coordination meeting, I seriously almost started crying.  The branch is in great hands. 

For service this week, we helped a less active member, who is building an addition on the side of his house for a laundry room.  We put up 4 half walls and cut out the windows. This week we will finish her up!

Couldn't be happier!
Love, Elder Parrish

  

CINCO DE MAYO someday ill have facial hair... :'(‏

Familia,

Maddie told me how she helped out at her friend’s baptism last week!  That’s so awesome!   It makes me one proud big brother to see her understanding the principles of the gospel more and more clearly.  She is much better than I was at her age :)  We all can learn from her outgoing missionary attitude!

We got a new ward mission leader!  I really am extremely grateful for our previous WML and all he did for us and his calling.  I have learned a lot from working with him this short time.  I am also pumped out of my mind for our new ward mission leader.  He is great and really excited to serve with us in the hastening of this great and latter-day work!

We were disappointed to not have our investigators G--- and J--- come to church.  We were sure they would after some awesome spiritual lessons with them this week.  We will need to push their baptisms back, but I know that all is in the Lord's hands and I totally trust Him and His timing.  M---'s baptism is this weekend.  I’m excited for it.

We did have a crazy miracle yesterday evening though when our investigator J--- walked in with his wife to the temple fireside! His wife is an active member, and J--- has been talking to missionaries for yearsss, but never has come inside the church building. He came to the fireside last night, and all the members were pretty ecstatic about it!  It was great and an answer to prayers.

The district is doing really well.  I feel a little guilty - I have probably the best district ever!  I seriously never have to worry about any of them.  It’s not just because they are zone leaders/sister training leaders, but honestly Elder Young, Elder Fisher, Hermana Costilla and Hermana Killpack and Elder Clarkson are all stellar, and very motivated missionaries with a deep understanding of their purpose as missionaries.  Where we all have our own stewardships in the district as well, it is awesome to be able to focus on a lot of ministering and leadership principles during district meeting.  Last Thursday, we had an awesome discussion led by the hermanas on the talk "Jesus the Perfect Leader."  They are all great leaders, especially my companion Elder Clarkson.  He would never admit it, but he has such a great influence on everyone he comes in contact with.

The former temple president of both Vera Cruz, Mexico and L.A. came to the branch last night to give a fireside about the temple.  Attendance was a little smaller than a normal sacrament meeting, but the spirit was SO strong.   Right from the first hymn we sung all the way to the end, it was tangible.  He shared a lot of personal experiences and stories he and his wife have had serving in the temple. I focused his talk on LIGHT, specifically the light that we need to attain to return to live our Father in Heaven.  I know that the temple is such a great symbol of light for me.  If we need to obtain light, and get as much of it as we possibly can. It’s only logical that a good way to obtain more light would be to go to a place that has a lot of it! And what better place than God's literal house! I love the plan of salvation and the sure knowledge I have of it, because the Holy Spirit has confirmed its truthfulness to me.

Service at Catholic Charities is a blast.  We have made good friends with a lot of the workers.  It is the best charity ever. They are such good people and genuinely good Christians.  P.S. You’ll never guess who does service at Catholic Charities!  TOM MUSCIO!  Ha ha, I haven’t met him yet, but hopefully this week I’ll see him.

Love,

Elder Parrish