The work here is amazing!

I got the package! Thank you SOOO much! The banana bites were great! MMMM!! I LOVE GETTING LETTERS FROM Y'ALL!!!! So I wake up extra early just so I can write everyone back :)

Oh, I WILL keep doing work! Nothing better to do out here than work and serve!!! :) Thank you mom :)

I sent home a talk I want y'all to read for family home evening this coming week! I LOVED IT! :)

So last night I truly realized how much I miss each of y'all! We went over to the Howard's last night and I got them all to sing hymns (I conducted ;) and we sang for like an hour; just singing sounds and me actin' a fool as usual. But as we sang I could only picture our family together having a good time and laughin' and having fun! When I get home we are DEFINITELY going to for sure and make up for all the time I've been away! Haha!! I'm so glad there are such good people here that I can still have a good time and remember y'all :) I LOVE YALL SO MUCH!

The work here is amazing! There is SOOOO much happening!

Funny story, so when I came out on my mission I made it a goal to remember everyone's name that I would meet. Well, I know EVERYONE'S name here, pretty much, even the little kids (my favorite) and yesterday these 2 ladies, Sister W and W were like, "How do you remember all of our names?!" And I answered all seriously and said, "I pray every day that I might remember the names of all those I come in contact with!" and they just started laughin' and continued on. That is one of the things that I do pray for each day, though. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father answers my prayers! He has done so much for me as I've dedicated my time to him :) I love Him!

I pray for y'all each night and hope all is going well!

Love,

Elder Parr

DO WORK!! :)

4 months, already?!?!

I can't believe it but since yesterday I've been out for 4 months on my mission!!! Time is flyin' by oh so fast, it's ridiculous!

So this morning we went and worked out at Bro H's home! Got our swole on for sure! ;) He gave us the challenge to do 150 push-ups straight. I'm going to get it like a piece of cake soon! What i've been doing is starting at like 10 push-ups then 10 sit-ups or an ab exercise and go all the way down to 1 then back up to 10. This morning I did 16 down and up! That's like 272 push-ups total!! Then I did 10 clap push-ups for kicks! ;) I think this is the best shape my chest has been in since...EVER! Haha I've gained some weight but majority is muscle!


Also, I learned how to use a snow blower! Those things are pretty legit! I blew off the whole driveway to the L's driveway and a bunch of other stuff! I loved it! Then went and got a fresh cut from Bro T :) I love a fresh cut!

So Bro L took us out to Lake Como on Saturday and we got on the lake again! We were running Kiara (his dog) around and getting her some exercise! She wiped me out once on the ice and it was freezing but it was so awesome!!

Today all the kids have school off so I talked to all the young men about playing ultimate frisbee on Lake Como today but they all were too chicken! :/ bummer!

I'm teaching a guy, T! He is 18 and he actually just got engaged to one of the young women from here. He is still a senior here in high school and she is currently going to Utah State as a freshman but she was in town and we taught them last night! Her family is AWESOME!

When members become involved in missionary work good things happen! We, as missionaries, can't do it by ourselves that's for sure! When a member introduces an investigator to missionaries is where REAL missionary work happens as we teach and the members support and bear testimony of what we are teaching and help them throughout the week when we are away and answer questions.

The work here is AWESOME and i'm loving EVERY second of it!

I guess I can tell you a little about Elder Willey. He is actually 23 so i'm like truly the kid in the companionship! He is from Suwanny, Georgia and is a huge Braves fan so I always talk smack about how the rangers are better ;) haha He is the youngest of 2 kids. He LOVES his sleep and sleeps all the time! I still make him get up on time especially when we go work out and sometimes he will sleep on the couch while I work out with Bro H but he is getting better! We get along great and we try to keep busy. haha I love Elder Willey and we lift each other up! He is an awesome teacher and knows how to do things right.

It sounds like things are going great at home!!

I would LOVE to hear from all of y'all! When I get a letter it's awesome! I miss you and my family :D

I pray for y'all EVERYDAY and hope all is going well! Sounds like things are going great for everyone! Let me know if there is anything I can do for any of y'all!!!

I LOVE Y'ALL!!!
-Elder Parr

SMILE! :)

"DO WORK!"

So this weekend we had stake conference here in the Stevensville Stake! It definitely made my week!

It first started on Saturday when they had Priesthood Leadership Training at 4, which we attended. They had these worksheets that we did to strive to be better leaders! We split off into groups and us missionaries went with all the ward mission leaders in the stake! It was wonderful! The subjects we discussed, out of the many, were relying on the spirit, building capacity and many others! It was a great meeting in learning how to become better leaders as Christ was.

After the meeting they fed us a quick dinner with subs, cookies and veggies. I think they think us missionaries starve because they made me eat like 4 subs and a plateful of cookies! Everytime they would see my plate empty they would be like, "Elder, go get some more!" and when I would say, "Oh, I'm good. I've had plenty", they would walk me to the kitchen AGAIN and put more on my plate! WOW! I was very grateful when President Rect, the second counselor in the stake presidency stood up and told us the meal was calorie free because we were doing the Lord's work. haha!

The adult session was AMAZING! I took so many notes I filled 3 pages worth! The theme for the conference was "Strengthning Families." Though I have no family of my own at this point, it made me reflect on our family and also the family I would like to have one day as well as the ward families I am trying to strengthen here on my mission! The words spoken were perfect! I will probably write home with some of my personal thoughts and impressions I had since my notes are back at home. President Olsen, the first counselor in the stake presidency, gave a perfect talk on work. In our families we all have a roll to fulfill. In each roll we all must work for the family to succeed! He gave a quote that I love...

"When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, the Lord is more willing to help the man who jumps out and starts pushing than the one who shouts out vain words in prayer for help."

The Lord is willing and wants to help us but only if we're willing and want to do our part! I loved his talk because I love to "DO WORK!" I can't tell you how many people I have saying that now! It's so awesome! I've been telling people that ever since i've been out and now whenever I talk to someone pretty much when we end our conversation and we depart they say DO WORK! and I say it back :) So everyone DO WORK!

The following morning on Sunday was stake conference. We were asked from Bro H, the high councilor over missionaries in the stake, to be ushers! IT WAS A BLAST! Elder Willey and I had an awesome time! I stood at the front door and welcomed everyone in and made them all smile and laugh! I've gotten to know SOOOO many people here in the stake it's ridiculous! I LOVED it! I think maybe one day i'll get a job being an usher or actually a greeter! HaHa Conference was awesome though. Had many new members stand and bear testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel; and of course the stake presidency nailed it! I was also able to meet President and Sister Nelson from the temple presidency of the Spokane, Washington Temple. They are amazing people and I talked to them for awhile on Saturday night.

Also, President Gardner and his wife were there as well. Oh, I love to see President Gardner! He is so small but so wonderful!

Their main focus and theme on strengthening families was to be having family scripture study and family prayer each day. President Sangster the Stake President gave an AWESOME talk. He said over and over "consistency over time without shortcuts!" He stressed that if we make scriptures study and prayer a routine in our families as our children grow older they will continue to do that in their lives and with their kids as well. He said when we neglect the time to do these things we are showing our family that they are not important in our lives. That we will do it only when it's convenient. He said we have to make these things a priority in our lives and make them everyday. I will include more in my letter home, but as he finished his talk he said he felt prompted to bless the entire stake. Right there from the pulpit he blessed the entire stake. It was such an amazing and powerful moment! I will never forget it!

I'm so grateful for the gospel I have in my life! It has brought me such joy and happiness! I LOVE my mission! This conference made me think of you guys and how much joy i've had being the oldest child and being able to watch you all grow up! I'm so grateful for all the times we've shared together and grown close to one another! I especially thought of the time we went to go play in the mud ;) haha and of course everything else!

I pray that y'all will have family scripture study and prayer each day, if you're not already, and let the Lord guide each of your lives! I love y'all and pray for the best!

I LOVE Y'ALL!
Elder Parr


DO WORK!

Always smiling!

A few of the good guys! ....................... Jump for JOY!



Lifelong dream of standing on a frozen over lake! ...and making angels!


<-- notice who's in shorts!!
Service: Chopping wood with Elder Miner and some young men.


Justin :)

"I'm LOVIN' it!"

This week has been so wild and busy! I don't even know where to start! First off I have a new companion, Elder Willey. He is from Georgia and is a huge sports fan, especially baseball! So I've already given him a hard time about how the Rangers are better than the Atlalnta Braves! haha :) He is the youngest of 2 kids and is 23 right now. He is pretty chill and laid back but we get to work and we have accomplished a TON this week.

It's way different having to be the leader somewhat and plan EVERYTHING out because he has no clue who or where everyone is. So this week he was introduced to a TON of people!
I'm LOVIN' it! ...just like McDonalds ;) hahaha!

Sunday was fast Sunday and I bore my testimony in both wards :) I find it's so great to share your testimony so freely and frequently. I don't even hesitate to stand up and bear mine anymore. It's funny though because anytime I speak or whatever in sacrament meeting Sister W comes up to me afterwards and is like, "Oh, I just wish your mom could hear that!" and I always smile real big and say, "Oh, my mama knows what I know!" ;) hahaha I love her! I've grown so close to so many people here it's wonderful! As I truly lose myself in the work and get to know people the Lord REALLY does give me help with remembering names! I could tell you just about anyone here in Hamilton now! haha
I LOVE serving the people here and helping them ALL draw closer to CHRIST!!

I also got to drive this week! Oh it was so much fun! I haven't driven in forever! And driving in Montana is AWESOME because it's so pretty and so open! It's wonderful :)

So this week was a little slow with teaching investigators because it was like EVERYONE was sick here! It was ridiculous! We met with lots of inactive people and set up a bunch of appointments for this week!

I will need a few short sleeved white shirts, shortly. That's about it ;) haha I'm not really a needy boy, I could say.

Oh next week Sister L will be going to Houston to be with her daughter when she has her baby! So we get to feed their sheep all the time now since Bro L can't use his shoulder still after his surgery!! I'll be feeding the Lords sheep literally too! hahaha!!

The weather there sounds CRAZY! Bro L was telling me a little about it. When everyone was talking about the super bowl I was like, "You know where it's going to be at!?" And they would say Arlington and then I would be like, "YEAHHHH BUDDY! THAT'S WHERE I LIVE!" I bet it was so wild there last weekend! The Packers took it baby! haha Cowboys will get it pretty soon I'm sure!

Well, I wrote everyone back this week! I LOVE and thoroughly ENJOY doing it so I will continue to do so! Just forgive me if it takes a while. I don't have much time to write since I'm so busy!

I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH! THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR ME!

Love,

Elder Parr

Next Week!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Sorry I didn't get to email. We had transfers and Elder Miner is gone. I now have Elder Willy from Georgia! I love you! I'll email next week for sure!

Elder Parr