This week was pretty cool.  Transfers are today, but my whole district is staying except for Hermana White is going to Oxnard, so I’m excited to stay another transfer here in Filllmore with Elder MacKay. President Castro finishes his mission this week, so there weren’t a lot of changes to make things easier on President Felix.  

 

We had zone meeting with President Castro, and basically had a good-bye testimony meeting, and then took pictures with him after.  Sister Castro said she has a picture of me that she wants to send to you.  Sister Castro reminds me a lot of you, Mom.   She looks like you too, just shorter.  The more I get to know her, the more she is like you, just not as cool of course :)  Last night there was an open house for the Castros in Ventura that we went to.   We rode down with our bishop, so that was great to get to talk to Bishop McKinney on a more personal level, and the open house was great. Literally every single time I have seen President Castro on my mission, he tells me "You look good Elder Parrish, you look really good."   I haven’t been able to figure out if he's talking about my incredibly good looks that I inherited from mom, or if he means it in some other way... I just smile and say thanks either way.  Then he always says that I am a good leader and one of the missionaries they never have to worry about.  He says he knows that wherever I am they don’t need to worry, because they know I am on top of things.  So it feels good that President Castro trusts me, even though I feel like there are a million ways I need to improve.  He has changed my life, and I hope I can pass it on by changing the lives of the people of the Great California Ventura Mission.

We have found 4 new investigators this week who all have great potential.  One in particular was a man named F----. We did service for him and had a great discussion about the restoration and the plan of salvation while shoveling dirt.  I looove digging and sweating.   F----- is a super cool Methodist, who just recently has started going to church a year ago.

We stopped by the R----- family on Friday afternoon, and he said, "Oh good, it’s the elders.  I was just about to call you!" He needed a blessing.  He has been really sick this whole week since Monday, and was just about to call us for a blessing.  I love it when that happens.  Even though it was just a regular name we had in our planners to visit at that time, and we didn’t think it really had any significance, it turned out to be exactly when he needed it. The Spirit knows what he's doing, even if we don’t.

A similar situation happened yesterday after church we had a noche de pelicula with the ward and investigators planned for that afternoon and were on our way, but decided we should stop by C----‘s house on the way. (I wrote about her a couple weeks ago..) C----- opened the door and Ii could just tell something was wrong. I asked if she was ok and she just bursted out in tears crying. She calmed down, and told us that yesterday when she got home from work she didn’t notice her dog, T---  jump in her car. She shut the garage and went in the house and took a nap for an hour. When she came out to go to the beach with the dogs, she found T--- dead in the car from heat exhaustion.  C-----'s dogs are the most important thing in her life.  She loves them and takes care of them just as much as she takes care of her son.  They are part of the family, especially T---. He was a really cool dog, so well-behaved and He knew exactly what you were saying to him all the time, and would respond back with his eyes and barks. She is completely devastated.   It was really hard to see her like that.  There wasn’t anything we could do but comfort her and bear our testimonies.  She asked us to please pray.  Then she thanked us for coming and said she really needed it.   Again, she wasn’t even on our plans and we had other things to do, but for some random reason not apparent to us, we stopped by at precisely the right time.  

This week, I realized how amazing the Holy Ghost is and how important it is that we follow it.  It makes me think back on all the times where we may have missed out on helping someone in need because we weren’t following the spirit, or just too caught up in the numbers game to think of seeing someone when they needed us. It’s so humbling, and just makes me want to be exactly who Heavenly Father wants me to be.

Love, Elder McKay Parrish

 

It was a crazy week!   Last week, my companion, Elder Bautista got emergency transferred to Oxnard, so I was in a “tripan” with Elder Hernandez and Elder Berg.  We made quite the team!

Elder Berg, Parrish, and Hernandez

 Any rate, today I get a new companion, Elder Josh Mackay!!!  Mom met him and went to lunch at his house!  So I’m pumped for that.  I was his district leader when he went home a couple months ago for meniscus surgery (*curse those meniscus'es*) and he and I made plans of all the things he needed to do and not do in order to come back out to the field, and he promised me he would be back.  So now he’s here 2 transfers later and he’s my companion! 

Elder MacKay (middle, back row) made the Ventura missionary moms an awesome Mexican lunch while he was recuperating from surgery.  

Yesterday at church, we taught the primary class of M----.  He is ten years old.  His dad and brother are members, but his two sisters and mom are not.  He has been coming to church every week for about 6 months or more now, and has an amazing understanding of the gospel already, probably more than I did when I was 8. A few weeks ago, he expressed his desire to be baptized, but wanted to wait until he was 12, so he could learn more.  That seemed interesting to me and pretty mature for his age as well, but we encouraged him that he was ready and invited him to pray to know when he should be baptized.   Yesterday, we taught the plan of salvation to his class of 8-10 year olds. We drew it up really big on the chalk board and emphasized the gospel of Jesus Christ, discussing the things we need to do in this life in order to make it to the celestial kingdom. Long story short, at the end of the class he said he wanted to get baptized on Saturday July 5^th!  So we talked with his dad afterward, and he seemed really pleased with his son’s decision. We feel like his baptism will be a great step in his mom's progression,  and an opportunity for her to feel the spirit and get her answer, as well as their other 2 daughters.

We had three lessons with L----.  She’s awesome.  She is the nicest lady ever.  We had 3 lessons with her ​this week. We taught the Law of Chastity on Tuesday, helped her make a quit smoking plan from Preach My Gospel on Friday, and taught about tithes and offerings on Saturday. She accepted everything so readily and is an amazing woman.  She just has a pretty rough family background at home right now that adds a lot of stress.  I’m sad I won’t be able to continue meeting with her regularly, since she is on the other side of Fillmore, and today we will be going back to the regular division with Elder Mackay's arrival.

We have lessons quite frequently with a less active member named L-----.  Every scripture or message we share with her has been something that she thought about or had questions to just the day before. It is such a small and simple tender mercy of the lord, but a great testimony strengthener to me that there are no coincidences and God knows exactly what he has in store for his Children.

Love,

Elder Parrish

 

Yesterday at church, we had investigator come to church with her husband and kids.  I can tell she doesn’t really feel comfortable at church, because her knowledge of the gospel is pretty limited, so she is shy.  One of the problems is she has been going to Gospel Doctrine class ever since she started coming with her husband and it all just goes right over her head, so we worked with the ward council to have a Gospel Principles class for her instead and that should be starting next week. She has been reading in the Book of Mormon and keeping all of her commitments.

Our investigator, A--- got in a car wreck last week, so we didn’t have much chance to teach him, but we did have a good talk with his mom as we were doing service for her in her yard, and then she took us out to dinner.  She noted how different we were, and how unique it was for two young men like us to be doing service for 2 years, sacrificing everything a guy loves to do.  I mentioned how even though I thought the same thing and was intimidated by the sacrifice at first, right now I am the happiest I have ever been my whole entire life. She said she didn’t get how that was possible. I brought up the difference between true joy vs. pleasure, and how all the things that  I thought made me happy before my mission really didn’t bring happiness at all, just temporary ways to ease my mind. But that through living the gospel and studying the scriptures, I now know that true happiness only comes from one place – God, who loves us and is more than willing to give it to us, but first we have to trust him. She went on to talk about her struggle her entire life to try to grow closer to God. She has prayed and attended many different churches (including ours) trying to feel/get an answer that God does exist, but has never-not once- felt the Spirit in all her life. That was followed by many of the saddest stories I’ve ever heard.   

That lesson hit me pretty hard, I almost cried. For no apparent reason, here I am- born in the church, with everything I’ve ever needed.  I have literally been blessed with a virtually perfect life.  idk why.  I don’t deserve it. idk why we are so blessed.  It seemed very peculiar to me, because she is a great and Christlike person, the nicest lady ever.  I would think she would have had plenty of times where she felt heaven's aid or had spiritual experiences, but she hasn’t- so she doesn’t believe God is with us anymore like he was in the Bible.   I have done a lot of thinking and studying to find out what we can do to help her feel the Spirit.  I have been studying in Preach My Gospel and the scriptures about the personage of the Holy Ghost, the differences between the Light of Christ vs. the power of the Holy Ghost vs. the Gift of the Holy Ghost, vs. the sealing power of the Holy Spirit of Promise, etc... so It’s still a work in progress, but if anyone deserves to feel God's love, it’s her.

We had an INCREDIBLE lesson with R--- last night and he accepted a baptism date for the 28 of June!  The Spirit was so strong when we taught the plan of salvation, and he understood how everything was so perfect - how agency and the fall was necessary, how the plan would be useless without a savior, and the mercy and justice of God. He prayed for us at the end, and said, "Please help me to know this is true, so I can follow thy will and obtain el reino celestial con mis hermanos."  It was so sincere, and the Spirit was so strong! I almost cried.  That’s twice I almost cried this week.  I’m gettin’ soft.

So Elder Bautista is getting emergengy transfered to Oxnard today, so now I am in a tripan with Elder Berg and Elder Hernandez here in Fillmore.  I’ll miss Elder Bautista.

Love, Elder Parrish

Fillmore

Fillmore is cool, but super small. We cover Piru, as well, which is even tinier.  It feels like I'm doing missionary work in Corrine.  There's nothing but sagebrush and coyotes. :)  The mountains remind me of Utah, too.  Plus, I've seen deer here too! :)

 

My district is cool.  I'm in a car, and have a "sick" apartment: 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 stories, washer and dryer, dish washer and everything.  So that's cool.  The ward seems pretty misionary oriented, too, so I'm excited.

 

Elder Bautista is awesome. 

 

We hit it off from the start.  We don't really know too many people yet, and we don't have too much work anyway yet, but we found a new investigator who accepted baptism and has a lot of potential, so pray for him.  

 

Love,

Elder P

I had a great week.  It was the hottest of my mission so far- in the 90's all week. Elder Lopez and I also taught the most lessons I have on my mission so far.

We also did a ton of service.  We went up to Brother S's ranch to help our investigator who works for him.  We were moving a bunch of branches, and that's where I ran into that rattle snake. (haha)  Elder Lopez has never even seen a snake.  He was so scared. 

This is Cornhole.

I also got to play some cornhole with our investigators, D and his mom. Now they love us! :)  His mom says I look like Patrick Swazey from some dancing movie.... so she wanted to be on my team...not to mention I throw cornholes 90 percent of the time, so we win every time no prob.

I am getting transfered tomorow to Fillmore with Elder Juan Bautista.   Yup, his name is Elder "John the Baptist," people.  We're gonna convert the whole world.  He'll dunk them and I'll confirm them.   Filllmore is in the Ventura zone... so I'm finally leaving Santa Barbara :(  but thats ok.  I'm stoked to go tear it up in Ventura with another Spanish companion. 

Elder Parrish.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo, everyone!  We’re having a district Cinco de Mayo fiesta today.  My district has been pretty sweet this transfer.  There’s just 6 of us, so we’re super tight.  Elder Barlow and Elder Moreno are in my old area in Santa Barbara, so it’s nice to know all the people they talk about and I can help them.   Elder Moreno is a convert of a year when he came out, and is super solid. He knows a ton for only being out a year.  The hermanas are the sister training leaders, so they are never even in their area, because they do exchanges all over the mission, but still somehow they manage to have a ton of progressing investigators and a lot of people at church every week.  I’m not sure how that works.  Maybe someday I’ll be as good as a sister missionary....

We have been doing a lot of service with Y--.  Behind our church, there is a community garden, so we’re helping her plant a garden back there.  We started with just a field of 6 ft high weeds.   And remember she’s from Laos with no motors or anything... so we take out all the weeds with shovels and continue to till the entire field one turn of a shovel at a time.... and then she followed us and picked out every single tiny blade of grass and weed in the whole thing by hand... She’s the real deal. All the members love her.

I’ve been studying in the topical guide under Jesus Christ once a week. There are 54 topics under Jesus Christ, so by doing it once a week in about a year I should have a pretty extensive study of the Savior.  It’s my favorite day of the week for studies for sure.  I’ve been in the church and have known and learned about Jesus Christ my entire life, but it amazes me how much I still have to learn/am learning everyday about my Savior and Heavenly Father.

I think of the prodigal son's return. What was going through his mind right before he goes back home. Undoubtedly, he probably had a little script of some sort, planning out what he was going to say to his father, how he would try to explain himself... I know I’ve made hundreds of those explanations in my mind of what to say to Dad or teachers when I was in trouble....hundreds, probably thousands :)  Sometimes, I’d plan to say the things I thought would get me in the least amount of trouble... you know, bend it in a way that would sound best to his ears. Most of the time, it worked on teachers and the principal, and most of the time it did not work with Dad... but that’s beside the point.  When the prodigal son returns, he doesn’t even have a chance to speak. His father just embraces him and holds him. It doesn’t matter what the son did or why he did it. The father is just so happy he is home safe, he doesn’t care about anything else. 

 

And then I think of the parable of the lost sheep.  The Lord is not concerned with how the sheep got lost or why they left the flock in the first place. The scriptures don’t allude to the reasons why, simply because these details are not important.  All the savior cares about is getting the lost sheep back.

I like to think that is how our Father in Heaven feels when we choose to repent. If He truly has perfect love like we say He does, then as long as we are truly honest and deeply sincere, then He will forgive us, embrace us, and just hold us.  There is no need for prepared scripts, no need for excuses, just a broken heart and a contrite spirit. :)   

 

Y--- was baptized and confirmed last Tuesday :)   She is Mong, born in Laos. She grew up during a time of war between Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam.  She and her family tried to escape Laos and get to Thailand, but they got caught and put in a training camp. She lived there for 4 1/2 years as a teenager, eating moldy rice and rotten fish every day. They had to sleep in little cubbies lined up like sardines, just like the holocaust victims.  The little kids had to do all the chores and fetch water, because if the young girls went out, the guards would either rape them, or abduct them and take them to wife, so the girls would pretend to be sick and hide under the covers whenever the guards came around. Then one day the family at the front of the camp escaped during broad daylight, so her uncle came in, put on his back pack and said the secret code words "I'm going hunting"  which meant they had to leave immediately, because when the guards found out the other family left, they would start killing people and increase security, so there would never be any more hope of escape.  So they ran. They got into the mountain jungle and walked for 7 days straight night and day, no stopping, no rests. She said they would fall asleep walking and fall to the ground, and they would just smack them to wake them up and tell them to keep going. They would follow the tracks of a water buffalo that one of their friends took with him when he escaped like 6 months before, so that's how they didn't get lost. All they ate was a little bit of rice and bananas they found while walking. There were the bodies of old and young ones that couldn't make it, rotting along the path. Finally they got to the top of this mountain and there was a clearing all the way down the back side down to a river, the Mekong river or something like that, which separates Laos from Thailand.   They literally sprinted all the way down the mountain and swam across the river.  Once on the other side, they knew they were in Thailand and that they were safe from the Laos soldiers, but not safe from thieves on the Thai side, so they walked and walked and walked a few days more and finally reached the refugee camp.  They stayed in the refugee camp for another few years. Every month, Americans and French people would come and choose people to sponsor and pay for them to leave and come to the U.S.  So every month they would apply but never get chosen. Finally, after many months, half of them were sponsored to the U.S. and half were sponsored to France, so her family is still split up between the 2.  She has so many cool stories and has been here for like 30 years now, but long story short, she did  ALL OF THAT^^^   so she could come to California, meet the missionaries last October, and be baptized into the true church of Jesus Christ!  She said when we confirmed her, she felt a super heavy warm heat energy come down upon her and fill her up :)  The church is so true and her family is so supportive!  

 

Don’t be lame members! Invite people to come to church and hear the missionaries!!! 

 Love you all, Elder Parrish.