"...my challenge to anyone who reads this!"

Monday, November 29, 2010

So this week was amazing but HARD too! Lots of appointments were canceled since the holiday season but we went and saw a bunch of less-active families which was awesome!

The socks you got are amazing! And someone here bought me the BEST pair of gloves! So my toes and fingers are warm :)

Highlights of the week (sorry I had a paper of everything I was going to write home about but forgot it at the house :/ so here is what I remember)

• I learned the proper way to chop wood! haha I chopped wood for about 4 hours for a man named Joe. A part member family and he is gettin' older so we went to help him out! Elder Miner was like, "Man! I'm surprised you learned so fast being from Texas!" And I was like, "Psh. You just got to show me how to do it and I'll master it Elder!" Haahaa I still got my Paul Bunyan in me from high adventure ;) haha it was so much fun! Then we fixed a flat on his car he couldn't do. In return he made us the BEST deer steaks I've ever had so far (only had them 2 times) and they were so good! He is taking the lessons and so is his son! His wife and son are members so hopefully we will have 2 baptisms and 2 re-activations soon! He is such a great guy. He is so interested in the gospel. He shaved his HUGE beard and came to church with the whole family 2 weeks ago and told us he will be coming a lot more often which is great!
• We received 4 duck eggs from Sean, a recent convert, and made omelets out of them Saturday morning after our fast on Friday! SOOOO good! Duck eggs are the bomb! Soo much more protein and they thicken and fluff up a lot more! Except they are a dozen for $9! hahah Soo worth it though. Just like the extra .25 cents for whole milk mom ;) haha
• I played in the turkey bowl while it was 20 degrees and there was 5 inches of snow on the ground! SOOO much fun! I showed them how Texans play football! haha We had 12 people. 6 on 6. And I was all time quarter back pretty much. Those in Montana don't play football too great haha! So I was throwing touchdowns left and right and driving the field! It was so much fun! Then when I became all-time defender they made me go back because no one was scoring and I was just intercepting the ball. haha I think that game meant more to me than anyone else since I never get to play anymore! So I went all out! SOO much fun!
• I had Thanksgiving at the Howard's house! It took me right back home! They had sooo many people there! Just like at home! And I fit right in and had a blast!! Soo much food! Except we didn't get to eat goat :/ since it was in the negatives leading up to Thanksgiving they didn't butcher it because it would have frozen and they weren't about to do it in their house! haha But we played a bunch of games and got to know everyone better!
• Sunday was a CRAZY day! haha Well, we cover 2 wards so we had early morning meetings, was asked to speak in sacrament, taught sharing time twice, taught gospel principles and tried to talk to all our investigators at church! What an awesome Sunday! It was SOOOO nice to teach sharing time and be with some younger kids! I miss being around the kids! I'm really a kid at heart so we got along great and taught an awesome lesson about when we serve our neighbors we serve God! Elder Miner was like, "Elder Parr, it sounds like you have a pretty set plan for this so I'm going to let you head this one up!" Haha, so I did and the kids loved it so I think it was a success! I ALMOST have everyone's name down here pretty close.

Saved the best news for last!

• Well, with all the Thanksgiving turkey and pies that have been given to us (and I've eaten) I have officially dropped a belt hole! I'm getting in such good shape out here having to run/walk everywhere and being active. It's awesome!!
• But BEST news of all is yesterday Elder Miner and I set 2 baptismal dates! One for Dec 4 and one on Dec 11!!! SOOO awesome! One man has been here for 6 months, broke his foot, and wants to get back to Salt Lake City to take care of his mom, daughter and find work. Funny how we found him. He called the church and Elder Miner answered before I got here to Montana. He was calling for some help and that's how we got to teaching him. Well the entire time he has wanted to leave he keeps saying the only reason he is staying is because we keep coming by and visiting him. He is coming to church and accepting the lessons! The last lesson we had we told him to really think and ponder about his decision before he leaves. We explained that he called for a reason, that we answered, and are with him to teach him the gospel. As he accepts the gospel all the temporal matters will fall into place. He said he would and he called me last night and was like, "Elder Parr, my daughter has bought me a ticket to go back to Salt Lake," (at that moment I was like noooooo. You can't leave. You're so close!), "but I told her I won't be leaving here 'til after the 6th. So how long will this baptism take?" It was SO awesome to hear he wanted to be baptized! So, we then had a great conversation about how it will all take place and so on. Another man drives a truck but is out right now because someone ran into the back of him. He comes to church every week and accepts what we teach and just doesn't feel that he can support his family and he feels he is letting everyone down. So we taught about the atonement and about baptism and asked him to be baptized and he said he will try. I talked about setting goals and how when we put the Lord first the rest falls into place. He said he would be baptized and prepare.

It's a true pleasure and joy to see the gospel change lives! As I have watched these 2 individuals and all the people we teach accept and do the things the Lord desires for them to do, their countenance, attitude, words, EVERYTHING changes about them! They become a whole new and wonderful person! That is the beauty of the gospel! In sacrament I was asked to speak on being grateful for the gospel and sharing it through missionary work. When I looked up gospel in the bible dictionary it says that gospel means good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ has made a perfect atonement for mankind that will redeem all mankind from the grave and reward each individual according to his/her works. Our message is just that! It is good news! That wherever we are in our journey in life; the Lord knows each and every single one of us. He knows our desires, worries, dreams, hopes, inadequacies, he knows everything. And through His great and infinite atonement, as we lean on Him for strength and guidance, and not only our own, we can become strong and overcome anything in life! We can change our lives for good. Let go of something that has held us down. Become a new person! That is my challenge to anyone who reads this! To rely on our Savior and Redeemer for strength through daily prayer and scripture reading and learn more about HIS gospel! I promise you will find the greatest joy and happiness one can have!

love,

elder parr