Old friends at Transfer Meeting

Fam, 

This week was crazy. I had to give a training to all the District Leaders in Oxnard.  I always pooch my presentations. I prep for them so much and they are always good in my head, and then it all comes out like a jumbled hooblagumbo while I am up there sweating profusely. Oh well. 

We have seen a lot of miracles this week, and it has been so much fun here with Elder Herrera. He’s just so cute and innocent:) Our car broke down coming over the Cachuma Lake Pass in the middle of nowhere on our way home from transfers, so he had a great first day in the mission :):) I was laughing so hard. I have these grimy nasty paper cups that I’ve had since my first area that we use to teach the Restoration.  They were sitting on my desk. They have been on hundreds of gross carpets, floors, tables, grass, dirt, you name it. Over the last couple days, I noticed the stack of cups was getting smaller... Finally, I was like what the heck and found all my cups in the garbage. He's been using them to drink out of, because he thought that’s what they were for! hahaha He was so embarrassed. 


Elder Herrera and Elder Parrish

We have 4 progressing investigators. We were able to get back on track with some really good member present lessons, and Elder Herrera stepped up to the plate and invited 3 people to be baptized like he does it all the time!   2 out of the 3 accepted and we set them with dates. He said he was scared out of his mind, but he just went for it anyway and it was awesome! When I was in Oxnard on Friday for the District Leader training, Elder Herrera was back in Santa Maria with another English Elder and teaching Spanish lessons all by himself to our investigators his 3rd day in the mission! And he did great- followed up, answered Q's, taught the whole Plan of Salvation, extended commitments and everything! I was so proud of him. :)

That’s what it was like when Elder Griffin and I were together in my first area. Every day was a struggle and we had no idea what to do. But despite both being brand new missionaries, we miraculously managed to find, teach, and baptize 2 people with our limited experience and poor Spanish. And I learned a million things. I imagine that’s another reason why Elder Griffin and I became such good friends! He finished this week, crazy to think.

Elder Herrera is really sincere and just wants to do his best.  I see so much good in him and even though our personalities, interests, hobbies are almost exact opposites, I love him to death and we get along great! He’s very humble and like I said, is just getting right in the mix of things inviting people to be baptized, bearing his testimony in Sacrament Meeting, etc.

President Felix read L---'s letter at transfer meeting in front of all the missionaries. That was awesome.  It was all I could do not to cry, haha. It is so cool to think they just up and left and officially joined the Saints in Zion! I can’t express enough gratitude to Heavenly Father. I love being a missionary and love getting to learn and serve with Elder Herrera and see as he catches the same fire.

Love, Elder P


E. Herrera jumping with both feet in the mission!

Acting hard with Elder Clarkson -
Last Monday, we went on a few mile hike with the district above Pismo Beach.
The trail spits us out right at this sweet cave over looking the water.
All I can say is it's gonna be nice to go on hikes by myself again,
and not have to stop and wait every 10 minutes for the hermanas to catch up. 

‘Sup folks. I’m staying in Santa Maria and I’ll be training a new greeny!!  I never thought I was going to train.  I was ok with that, because I didn’t want to ruin a greeny by pushing him too hard, and not having enough patience to take care of him all the time, but I’m actually excited out of mind to train! It’s gonna be fun. I already have some good pranks planned with the members.

I’m glad to hear Grompa Parrish is doing better! I miss that old guy. 

On Saturday morning, way before we found out that Elder Perry had passed away, I randomly was thinking about the process of filling the vacancy in the 12 when an apostle dies and was asking Elder Clarkson some questions about the whole process and everything without thinking much of it.  Then in the evening, we were at a baptismal service when we heard that Elder Perry died. It was a shock to hear, but I immediately felt the Spirit super strong. The next day in my studies, I thought of the scripture in Hebrews 9: 16-17 that says a testimony is of no effect until after the death of the testator, or something along those lines, and I read Elder Perry's talk from General Conference one more time. I felt the sweetest spirit as I read his final -now sealed with is death- testimony, his witness of Eternal Families and the Plan of Salvation.  Super Cool!  I have no doubt that Heavenly Father's plan is perfect and that I too can live with my family for all eternity.

For service this week, we spent 3 hours taking a load out to the dump with a less member!

This one’s short, but I sent like a hundred pics, so it’s ok. 

Love,

Elder Parrish

 

Santa Maria pool baptism!

​Elder Griffin and I found V--- back in February. In our first lesson, we found out her dad had died and she had doubts of what happened after death.  We bore testimony of the Plan of Salvation and I remember thinking that she was going to be baptized some day for sure!  Well, that day was last Friday.  President Felix gave Elder Griffin and me permission to go back down to Oxnard for it!!  It was awesome!  Some of my favorite members are from Oxnard.

Look who I saw at the baptism in Oxnard!

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

Happy Birthday Ma! From your biggest fan. Love you! :)

I hope all is well with y’all and I pray for Grompa Parrish and his hip replacement!  Now he’s gonna be able to hike to the top of Cub River with me this fall and slay a giant buck. :):)

We had some great lessons this week. My favorite was teaching the plan of salvation to G---. One of the best Plan lessons I have been part of on my mission. We had it in the church building and drew it up on the chalk board. We kept it super simple and only focused on the first half of the lesson, first going over the true nature of the Godhead, to the pre-earth life, creation, fall, to mortal life and the atonement. I felt the Spirit super strong as we testified of Jesus Christ and the atonement being central to the plan, and then when he came to church the next day the gospel principles lesson was all about the atonement, so it was perfect!  I cant wait to teach the last half of the plan this week!  G--- was a trooper and stayed for all 3 hours of church this time and really liked it. He is solid for baptism on the 16th of May as long as he can keep going strong with his commitments.  :)

We were able to accompany 2 brothers to do their home teaching yesterday.  We have worked with the branch president and Elders Quorum, so all of the messages they are sharing for home teaching  include a focus from Preach My Gospel. This month was Chapter 1, Our Purpose.  So next month will be Chapter 2, etc.   It is working great so far and getting the members to actually start studying Preach My Gospel. On our way walking back to the member's car, we offered a pamphlet to a man getting out of his truck, taught a lesson and got a new investigator who is interested in learning more.  Having the members there made a huge difference, of course, and the members are excited to go back and visit him! 

Elder Clarkson and I had a great week.  It is a little weird not having 3 of us anymore, but we are starting to get back into the groove of just teaching between the 2 of us, but we are doing great and the work is moving forward! 

Yesterday, I had the most powerful sacrament experience of my life. It was awesome. I felt the spirit the strongest I ever have during the sacrament.  After I took the bread, it just overcame me and it just felt so good.  I was so sad and happy at the same time, and the next thing I knew my eyes started leaking.  I can’t explain it, but I just felt wondering awe and immense gratitude for my Savior and the atonement that made the plan of HAPPINESS possible. I know my covenants were renewed, and I can’t wait to renew them again next week. I hope and pray that I can show my love to God this week by keeping my side of the bargain from the sacramental prayers better than ever before.

The service activity was great. We removed a bunch of huge panels from the walls at the food bank 

and scrubbed them down, painted barrels, and built a fence.  Everyone had a good time and made a huge difference for the food bank.

 

Love, Elder Parrish

Transfers last week - See E. Parrish in the upper right corner in the background.

Elder Parrish, Elder Davidson, Elder Bautista, Elder Lee