I had a great experience at my first zone conference, and it really set the tone to get out and get back to work. It was like a whole day of motivational speeches, filling us with the energy to go and share the gospel at our best level. I loved the words of Sister Castro about feasting upon the scriptures. President Castro talked about how we represent Jesus Christ, and especially how important our eyes are. They are the window to the soul, and the sincerity of our eyes can make or break all the difference when meeting, finding, and teaching.

 Now that J---- is baptized, We are trying to focus on his wife and kids.  We had a lesson with them this week inside the church house on Tuesday night, and it went really well. His wife loves us and thanks us for everything we do, and the children love us as well, but his wife still feels like she can't "abandon" her Catholic roots.

We are teaching another lady named M----.  She has had all the lessons and knows it is true and knows she needs to be baptized, but is letting her husband hold her back. We still have not been able to even contact her husband, but she is praying to soften his heart and so are we.

Last week a random man approached us and asked us for the address of our church because he wanted to attend, and then he actually showed up yesterday! His name is J---.  He attended all 3 hours with his granddaughter.  We visited him in the evening and had a lesson, and he really wants to keep coming and learn more. He belonged to a Christian church for 13 years, but said he got tired of all the screaming and yelling they do, and said he really enjoyed the peace he felt at our church. Hermana Coleman and Hermana Linford played "Yo Se Que Vive Mi Senor" on their violins in Sacrament Meeting again like they did at zone conference, and the spirit was really strong.  He said he loved it.

We also have a baptismal date with S--- for the 14th of December, but we found out it has to be pushed back.

R---, a less active recent convert we have been seeing is still battling with his alcohol addiction, and it seems like every time he takes one step forward, the next week he takes 2 steps back. But he has a great knowledge of the gospel and is committed to change.  It is just taking a lot longer than he and we would like.

But everything is going well! I got a flat tire on my bike this week, and Elder Griffin got 2 flat tires and his pedal broke. Elder Griffin was a little ticked, but I was happy, because it was nice to take a break and get to work with my hands and fix all his stuff and teach him how to do it.

What an amazing week! J--- was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday.  I am so grateful to be fortunate enough to be the person he chose to perform the baptismal ordinance. (Secretly, I wanted to do it soo bad, but we thought for sure he was gonna choose one of the members to do it.)  It was my first time, and honestly I was more than a little nervous!  I've practiced saying the baptismal prayer in Spanish with his name like 10 times every single morning in the shower ever since we taught him the first lesson and I felt like he would be the one.  Haha.  Before the baptism, he expressed concern to me how his wife wasn't very excited about him getting baptized and making this step in his life.  We prayed that everything would go smoothly and be ok, and that his wife would be able to feel the Spirit. The whole service went amazing.  Then, when I baptized him, I completely spaced, and couldn't remember his middle name or where to stress the accent on his last name! I stood there with my arm at the square for what seemed like minutes... And then somehow i just started talking... "J---...habiendo sido comisionado por Jesucristo, yo te bautizo en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espiritu Santo, Amen."  Then, I dunked him.  It turns out our ward mission leader didn't quite fill up the font with enough water, and I had to go waaay down, and then struggle to lift him back up using only my back (haha), but it was smooth, and it all was good, and it counted.

When we were changing, I asked him how he felt, and he just took a huge deep breath and said "tranquilo" in the calmest, most relaxed voice I've ever heard.  Aaah, I can't even describe how good it feels.  Elder Griffin and I somehow actually did it.  Then, after the service, the members busted out a whole meal of refreshments and treats, which was completely unplanned (perks of a Spanish branch) and then Elder Griffin and I got the chance to talk to his wife afterward. She said that when he was submerged under the water, she felt something really strong in her chest, and she really enjoyed the entire experience.  The members of the branch did such a good job at fellowshipping her and making her feel welcomed, and they really created a great family atmosphere for their three children too.  As we were talking with their kids about church and baptism, but still trying to be cool (and acting like we know a ton about soccer), the youngest of their kids who is 8 was asking questions like "So I can do the same thing my dad just did in the water too?"  We are really excited and hope that this will be the start of their entire family coming to church and being baptized, as well. His wife is a woman with a ton of faith and already has the great standards of the Church established in her life. But in her husband's words, she is "Catholic to the bones," but I think this could really be the turning point.  It was the best day ever, and words can't even describe how happy we are. Love it.

On Wednesday, I had the great opportunity of serving with Elder Reese for a day in Isla Vista on exchanges. What a great example he is to me. The day was full of miracles, and we were able to teach a guy name R---.  He is actually the guy I met on exchanges with Elder Robison a few weeks ago.  When we first found him on the street, we had an amazing declare that ended with him crying and accepting baptism.  Now, like 5-6 weeks later he has completely changed his life, quit drinking, and is ready to be baptized here in a couple weeks.  We taught the Plan of Salvation, and I can't even believe how much he understands.  Thanks to Elder Reese asking some amazing inspired questions, he was able to basically figure everything out on his own, and we really didn't have to teach him much.  I am excited for zone conference tomorrow!

 Love,
Elder Parrish

Another great week!

We have been focusing on trying to have daily contact with our investigator Julio.  It is amazing to see the difference in him after just one week of contact. On our first lesson, he had so many doubts and questions about the Mormons, and now he is totally into it, with an incredible desire to find pure truth. He accepted baptism for Sunday the 17th of October.  He attended church yesterday for the 2nd time, and said he definitely felt "something" during the testimonies that were shared during Sacrament Meeting. He said it felt like his chest basically melted and dispursed outward. Haha, obviously it was the Spirit! We are really excited for him, as well as his wife and family.  They haven't acted on their faith yet and attended church with him, but they definitely like what they are learning and totally support Julio in his decision of what he feels is right.

 

We spent a lot of time knocking doors this week and contacting people.  The Spirit directed us to a lot of people that were open to our message, and we set up some promising return appointments for this week. I sometimes can't even believe how many miracles we see daily...with our Spanish and with the people. The ward council is starting to really step up and everyone in the ward council is involved with our investigators. I think that is one of the biggest things that has made the difference with Julio. He has gotten the chance to see how the gospel has blessed so many regular people just like him.  It has become a sort of hunger to be a part of it.  I am so happy when I think about Julio, and I pray like crazy for him all day every day.

We are struggling with Marisol, one of our investigators.  She wants to be baptized, but not without her husband, and her husband won't even give us a chance.   We are setting up a carne asada night, where we can invite her and her husband in a members home.

I am so excited to see my Spanish improving.  Elder Griffin and I are doing our best, and the Lord is absolutely covering the rest and making up where we lack.

 

On Halloween, we had to be in our apartment by 7, but we were able to go to the Santa Barbara trunk-or-treat for a little bit with Julio's kids and another investigator. The Santa Barbara trunk-or-treat is a little different than the Brigham City 14th Ward trunk-or-treat.  There are Jaguars, BMW's, all fancy cars with bowls full of one dollar bills instead of candy.  So needless to say, all the poor people and kids from our Spanish branch love it, and all this week the poorer kids just walk around the street trying to sell their Halloween candy.  It is so crazy to see the class difference between the rich people on the hill and the families stacked in 1-room apartments.

 

I saw the big black guy from the "Longest Yard" on State Street! He is the guy that sells McDonald's in jail and is crazy ripped and dunks.  Cheeseburger Eddy, I think is his name. I shook his hand (which was monstrous) and declared to him and he was way cool, but all he wanted to talk about was the World Series and BYU and Steve Young, and he was drinking, but it was still sweet!

 

Love, 

Elder Parrish

This week has been one to remember.  My companion, Elder Griffin is from Provo and wrestled for Provo High, (haha) so we have found connections all over the place.   We started talking about wrestling a little bit and were excited to wrestle around a little bit, but then once he found out I wrestled for Box Elder, he won't wrestle with me now. haha.  I kind of feel bad, but I guess that's just Box Elder's reputation. We do get along really well so far.  He is technically my follow up trainer, but he has only been out 6 weeks longer than me, and my Spanish is actually a lot better than his, because his first area was in Morro Bay in an English area.  So basically it feels like I'm training him.  Obviously, I was more than a little apprehensive about being alone here to do the Spanish work with both of us being far from fluent with our Spanish...like I was stressing a ton.  I was lost, had no clue what do to, where to go, or who to see.  Then, on top of that the Branch President asked us to speak in Sacrament Meeting yesterday.   I was already stressed to the max, and then I had to prepare a talk to give all in Spanish.  I have no clue how we made it through the week, but I'm amazed as I look back on the week and see all the miracles that somehow got us through. This week seriously took a year.

The first appointment we had on Wednesday ended with our investigator accepting baptism. We don't have a date, because she wants her husband to be involved, but everything we have taught has really clicked with her, and she has a really good relationship with one of the members in the branch.  Later that night we met a friend of one of the members in the English Santa Barbara ward.  Honestly, I don't know how they are friends, because the investigator doesn't speak any English and the member doesn't speak any Spanish, so that's kind of weird, but she already had a Book of Mormon that she has been reading and she accepted baptism as well!  Currently she is living in a shelter, but there are plans for her to move in with her friend the first of November, so we are really hopeful and excited for her.

 

Thursday, we taught an 8 year old boy whose mom is a member, but less active.  She wants him to be baptized, but as we have talked to him about it, we are struggling with his comprehension. He doesn't really understand, and his attention span is extremely short.  All he wants to do is play video games and iphone. (Never let Marshall have an ipod.)  Also he doesn't want to be baptized, because he is scared to drown in the water.  No matter how many times we explain it, he can't get over his fear for the water. We are planning to get them one of the Church's DVD's that have a baptism in it, so he can watch it to understand a little more.  I feel like he just isn't mature enough to understand, though, so I don't know.  

 

On Saturday, we had a great lesson with another couple investigating the Church, but he had some questions about polygamy and angels and some other garbage that he found on the internet.  Elder Griffin and I could not explain with our limited Spanish, but he attended church yesterday, and then we had a lesson with them at his house after church with the Branch President.  The first thing his wife asked us was where the heck he was this morning. We told her that he came to church with us. I guess when he was at church with us, she called him on  "facetime" on their iphones, and he didn't answer because he was in Sacrament Meeting with us. But on her side of the phone, some random woman popped up and answered, so she thought he was off with another woman.  Obviously she was ticked, and he was totally innocent.  We had  a really spiritual lesson anyway, and afterward they both said that they feel certain that some how Satan switched the phone lines trying to cause something-anything to cause contention and keep them from hearing the message. Crazy!  But now we all know that Satan is going to try to stop it anyway he can, so that's a little nerve wracking. But this man is really excited to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and says that if this what the Holy Ghost indicates for him to do, then he is "all in" and the whole family will be baptized. His wife is a little more conservative, but is really interested. They both said they like how our religion is not just a place to go on Sunday, but it is a lifestyle. They have 3 kids age 11, 9, and 8. We feel really good about them.

 

Well, last week when Elder Trujillo left we only had one investigator that was close to baptism, and now at the end of this week with 2 white boys with terrible Spanish, we have 8 people that have all accepted baptism and are just waiting on confirmations from the Lord before they set dates.  I'm so confused.  I don't even know how it happened, but its great! :)

Let's see.. this week:

Elder Trujillo got super sick.

We went to the temple.

I saw a guy on a bike get hit by a car.

F--- stood up for us, and got punched by a guy.

We had our first baptism.

It's transfers and I get a new companion: Elder Griffin.

 

My companion was sick in bed for 24 hours and I made him some fancy Ecuadorian tea and beckoned to his every call. We had to stay in the apartment all day, and I read like 50 chapters in the Book of Mormon.

 

The chance to go to the temple this week was absolutely amazing.  I feel so blessed to have had the blessings of the temple in our home growing up.  I can see the difference it makes in our lives when I see those who don't have it here in Santa Barbara.  Sometimes I think If everyone could just go inside the temple, our work would be easy. (Haha.)

 



Los Angeles Temple Visitors' Center

Some guy ran a red light and smashed a guy on a bike.  He just laid there screaming for a few minutes, but was able to eventually stand up and walk away.  We were stopped at the light with Felipe and got front row seats to the whole thing.  We were ready to run in there and raise him from the dead, but it turned out he was ok.

 

We were teaching an old woman, and her son started swearing at us, trying to start trouble.  Felipe just told him to have some respect, and the guy punched him in the collar bone out of nowhere.  So obviously it was time to leave, so as we were walking away the guy swung again and hit him in the shoulder.  I was pumped and hoped Felipe would beat the tar out of him... but of course he's much too Christ-like for that. so we just left.  But if the guy would have punched me... I'm not so sure I would be able to restrain from busting his face...

 

 

Elder Trujillo baptized Alphonso on Saturday, and that was an awesome experience to be a part of, as I was able to participate in the confirmation. 

 

Tomorrow, I get my new companion Elder Griffin. Elder Trujillo is getting transfered to Ventura.  I'm staying here in Santa Barbara, and I'm kind of nervous because basically I'm going to have to take the lead on everything that I have been relying on Elder Trujillo for, because he isn't going to know the people or area.  But I'm really glad I get to stay here, and Felipe is too.  (Haha.)  And I should see Thatcher tomorrow!!!  

 

Me and Roberto

And Ma, we had a lot of earthquakes when I was in Mexico.  I guess one was pretty bad, but it still wasn't nearly as strong for us in the MTC.

 

 

 

This week was great. We have been trying our best to strive for the standards of excellence with the key indicators, specific lessons and things that our planner outlines for us to teach that we set weekly and daily goals for.  (President Castro gives us a standard of excellence that he feels we are capable of.)  At first the standards seemed insanely impossible and exaggerated. but as we just work hard and do our best, I can tell the difference it makes in our success, and just in the confidence that we know we are using our time efficiently and not wasting a minute of the Lord's time. We have plans to set a few baptismal dates this week, specifically with one woman named L---. We are really excited for her.

 

I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Robison on Wednesday, and that was an awesome experience.  We went to Isla Vista on the campus of UCSB.  ENGLISH speaking :) Elder Robison is from Montana and likes to ski.  He was home-schooled, so he didnt play any sports, but he is surprisingly a really normal cool guy for being home-schooled.  I look up to him so much, and he taught me a lot through out the day. It's weird-he reminds me exactly of Mitch, and looks like him too.  There were a bunch of times throughout the day when I had to do a double-take, because it felt like Mitch and I were walking talking and teaching together. Haha, kind of weird.  

 

Our day on exchanges was full of miracles. The very first person we stopped to talk to and declare on the street, we ended up teaching him the Restoration right there on the sidewalk. He was a baseball player, and looks like Mike K. He started crying when he saw the picture in the pamphlet of Jesus with his hands on the apostles.  It was kind of weird to see a 20-something year-old cool college kid just start crying like that in the streets of Isla Vista.  But I guess that is what the Spirit can do to a person. :)  Then, after we told him about the First Vision, he said he believes it is true, and said that no body could make that up. We invited him to be baptized, and he said yes.  I was like, "What the heck, that was so easy!" and Elder Robison said, "Trust me, they don't all go that good.

After that, we went to a lesson with a girl named S---. We taught her the restoration in the Institute building. I still can't believe how prepared she was. She read the entire book of First Nephi, including the Introduction and Testimony of the Three Witnesses the day before, and looked up basically all of our beliefs online. After everything we taught, she just kept saying, "Yeah, that makes so much sense!" She said she will pray and ask to know if this is true, and I invited her to be baptized.  She said "I definitely want to get baptized!"  After she left, I felt pretty positive that Elder Robison just got members that he paid to act like random people for the day, but Elder Robison was just as confused as I was. Haha.  We don't know why everything went so well, but it did.  We went 2 for 2 on baptismal challenges and acceptances and it was so easy, but it was nothing that we did. The rest of the day was full of more miracles.  And we got invited to play beer pong with a fraternity, too, so that was funny.  I learned basically two things.  1- I want to be a missionary just like Elder Robison, and 2- I love English.

 

The Spanish is going rough.  Everyone says I'm really good, but I'm not stupid, I know they're just being nice.  No one's gonna tell me that my Spanish is bad.  I bore my testimony in Sacrament Meeting yesterday in Spanish, and I feel like I can talk ok, but I still can't understand what they say, especially when they ask me questions specifically.  There are 2 Spanish-speaking sisters in our branch, too, two white girls.  I asked them how long it took them to feel comfortable with the language, and they both said 6 months.... sheesh.

 

Mom, they forward packages or send them with zone leaders on their rounds.  And I get to go to the temple on Wednesday!     

General Conference was amazing.  I cant even explain the gratitude I have right now at the close of conference.  I fasted and prayed that I might be able to receive specific revelation that I could apply to me.  Obviously this is something that occurs every time in my studies, instruction from leaders, and especially conference, but I was truly humbled as nearly every single talk said something that hit me hard and touched my heart. There are so many exciting things happening as the Lord is hastening his work, and I am so grateful to have the chance to be a part of it as a full time missionary!

One cool miracle we experienced was as we were on our way to a meeting.  We saw R---...  I feel like I've talked about him a lot, but we meet with him almost every day, and we have seen so many cool things with him.  Over these past 4 weeks, he has gone from a homeless man with no job to a clean-cut working man, who has attended church with out fail.  That is an intense battle with his alcohol addiction.  As we rode past, we saw him enter a liquor store. Our hearts sank.  All the progress he had made, all the work put in, was about to be shattered.  As he came out of the liquor store, we rode over to talk to him as he carried his bag with a bottle inside. He greeted us calmly and said, "Hey elders!" He then pulled out a bottle of water from the bag--just regular plain old drinking water.  We were so relieved and proud. We feared for the worst, but we thank our Father in Heaven for the strength he has given R--- to continue to battle. Even though he is a less-active member, and we don't get to participate in a baptism with him, it still feels amazing to be an instrument in helping him become converted and grow closer to his Father in Heaven.

My birthday was great! It was not quite the same as playing a football game on Friday night and catching the 4th down conversion that set me up to kick the game winning field goal, like last years birthday... But a B-day in the mission field on the same day as conference was amazing! :)  Haha.  I'm pretty sure I had more presents than I usually do at home. 

One of the members, F----, is my new best friend.  He's an awesome, 57 year-old, short, chubby man.  He is going to move to Utah in two years, and were gonna be best friends forever.  He took really good care of me.  He got me an amazing Oreo cake, and the gift he gave me was a digital Spanish-English translator thing with all these learning materials on it.  It talks Spanish to me. It's so cool.  I get mad at him, because he spends so much money on Elder Trujillo and me, but he says he likes to, because the more he helps the missionaries, the more the Lord helps him. 

It's so cool to see how involved the members are here and makes me sad when I realize how tough it would be to be a missionary in Brigham City, Utah. But I'm sure all is going to change with the announcements and challenges of the work of salvation for members. My companion can't eat chocolate, so I ate the entire cake myself, and tons of food and candy that I got too... I'm getting so out of shape. Haha.