Sunshine and Summertime

Bozeman, Montana is absolutely BEAUTIFUL right now! Everything is green and everyone is beginning to come outside, finally, and enjoy the nice weather. I now can understand why they call Montana "Big Sky Country" because the sky just goes on forever here. Pretty fabulous I must say!

This week has been spent doing A LOT of service which I have LOVED! We helped a family move out, helped an investigator do lawn work and things she can no longer do herself, and laid sod for the first time for a family! Laying sod is pretty fun and it was so nice to get my hands dirty and do some yard work for a change :) If anyone needs help laying sod when I get home I would love to help! haha I love providing service and doing those things that can help others out in their lives!

So funny story...at church I went into one of the classrooms that I believe is the 11 year old class, and was like, "You're going to have an AWESOME lesson today with the S's! Y'all better listen and pay attention!" and one of the kids yelled out, "When are you coming back over for dinner?!" and I said, "Whenever you're family invites us over!" and then one said, "You're coming over to my house tonight for pancakes!" and another said, "You're coming to my house tomorrow!" and they all started arguing and such and I said, "We will eat with ALL of you again! Just be sure you pay attention cause when we do have dinner with yall we're going to ask you what you learned from your lesson today and if you can't tell us then you don't get to eat dinner with us!" haha it was funny and the Saltzman's said afterwards they were the best they had been before! I love all the little kids here and today I bought a big bag of Jolly Rancher's to give them if they share the gospel with one of their friends during the week. ;)

I love the "Standard of Truth" that we quote every morning during our studies, because it is so true. It goes like this,

“Our missionaries are going forth to different nations. The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny

may defame. But the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and dependent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah will say, ‘The work is done.'”

I will continue to do this great work until the Lord directs me otherwise. It's great because I've seen it change people's lives. I've seen it bring families back together and strengthen their relationships. I've seen it bless so many lives and help them understand their purpose in life. I'm proud to say that NOTHING will stop me from progressing and moving forward. I get yelled out, cussed out, doors slammed in my face, stuff thrown, etc, etc, but it all makes me smile :) Every good thing comes with opposition!

It sounds like the Jubilee was amazing! haha They had a 5 stake youth conference here a few weeks ago and they had a total of just over 500 youth here, and then I hear the Jubilee had 2,000 youth! I thought to myself ,"Things really ARE bigger in Texas;)" haha I'm so glad that was able to happen so successfully and be such an impact on the youth! I will never forget the great memories at those activities that I had!

I'm getting back to full health now and continue to press forward! I'm loving the mission and take every moment I have like it's my last! I love you all and hope things continue to go well and the kids have fun at EFY! Y'all will have to tell me how the new A/C system works! People in Montana don't even have A/C! hahaha

Love y'all!

-Elder Parr

8 MONTHS BABYYY!!!

MI FAMILIA!!

I like to speak as much spanish as I can, since we have 2 elders in our district who can speak spanish and one is from HOUSTON, TEXAS!!! Yeahhh buddy!

So funny story in sunday school at church we studied Matthew 25 and the parable of the 10 talents. Boy was that lesson for me! haha I must admit, I have hidden my talent of playing the piano (my excuse is becuase I don't want to take any opportunity from others here in these wards. What a lame excuse!) So basically, I ended up playing for just about every meeting besides sacrament in both wards yesterday! haha For some reason all those who played just happened to be gone ;) So I guess I can say, no I will say, Thank you mom for making me play the piano! It hasn't blessed only my life, but those in the wards I have served so far so we don't have to sound soo bad when we sing ;) Thank you! My secret of playing the piano is no secret anymore haha.

This week has been a GREAT week as usual! I don't have bad weeks, because they're no fun, so why have them? I will say every investigator we had been teaching, didn't answer their phone or anything this week so we didn't have many set lessons AT ALL! So since they were "no good to me" as one elder here says, we tracted a lot and found lots more people to teach this coming week :) We're working very closely with the leaders in the wards now and the members are beginning to catch fire :) Earlier they would ask if anyone had a missionary experience that week as we opened elders quorum and there would be NOTHIN'! Last week about 4 of the elders shared an experience they had :) I'm lovin' it!!! haha If you can't tell, I'm so pumped and LOVE the area here! I think my perspective has changed after I read a story from the Ensign (http://lds.org/ensign/2011/06/the-prison-and-the-dandelion?lang=eng) Wow, did I feel like this missionary in the story almost. I've changed my attitude and look forward now to what the Lord has in store for this area :) May I remind each of you to remain positive at all times!

Funny crazy experience...We were helping one of our new investigators chop and get wood over in this trailer park. While loading and getting wood for about an hour and a half, this guy named Rick came up to us. He started out by saying, "Wow! You boys doing that in white shirt and ties huh?! You must be mormons!" and we smiled and said, "Yes Sir! Nothing better to work in either!" haha he then began to preach to us the entire time! When we were about finished I said, "Rick let me ask you a question? Are you a prophet?!" he replied, "I've been a prophet for many years now! Of course I'm a prophet! Everything I speak is scripture!" My mind went to the scriptures when Christ taught about prophets and how to distinguish if they were true or false. He teaches us that by their fruits ye shall know them. Well, I thought about Rick for a moment and some of the things he said he did. He said, "I don't practice what I preach, I just live in a trailer by myself and my dog, I just teach people truth, I've been kicked out of every church I've been in, and so...." By the fruits of his labors he didn't really do anything good and from the feeling I had when he was there was not what I've felt when the spirit has born witness to me in the past! I can truly say I've met a false prophet. Just an ending thought, our investigator has a half fox - half something dog. Our investigator felt uneasy as well and asked if he would come meet her dog. Of course the dog flipped out! She said "My dog is a good judge of character! When these 2 young men came into my yard the first time the dog didn't have problems with them. With you on the other hand, she wants to eat you! You're not real!" haha it was awesome!

I love getting your emails and hearing all that is going on! Sounds like Dad and the boys had a blast and you had a YUMMY Father's Day dinner! Man, I miss Blue Bell! I bought a gallon of ice cream this morning though :/ haha I shouldn't have...haha I love y'all and hope all is well!

LOVE Y'ALL!

-ELDER PARR

PS -

Went to Big Sky to help move a part member family and got a tour of the town! It's ridiculously amazing! SOOO HIGH CLASS! Tried to get into Yellowstone Club but the guard said, "Sorry boys. This looks like the end of the road for you!" Some amazing houses and such there! When we come back I'm taking y'all there! I'll send some pictures next week!

YEAHHH BUDDY!!!

Yesterday was an awesome Sunday and I think one of the best ever! I got a call Saturday morning and was asked to give a 15 minute talk on repentance in the University Ward, which went really well and it was awesome! Spoke with MJ, our new ward mission leader, which was great! Then later that night Elder Hokanson and I were asked to speak in stake priesthood meeting! I felt like Ethan, nervous as ever as all the priesthood gathered in to hear what we had to say. We spoke on what we did to prepare to serve a mission and what we wish we would have done now that we've been out! Awesome experience! All my nerves went away when we sang some hymn with the chorus "Victory, victory, through Jesus Christ our Lord!" There was so much power that all my nerves were gone and I began by saying, "I bring you brethren a warm welcome from the great state of Texas! I'm honored and so grateful to be serving here in the second greatest state of Montana!" Everyone got a kick out of that ;) haha President Heap spoke at the very end and I will say one day he is going to be a general authority! I go and talk to him every opportunity I get in his office in the institute! After the meeting President Winward came up to me and was like, "you cry baby!" and I said, "Hey that's how I roll!" haha he told me not to change so we'll see. :)

All in all this week has been an improvement from last and was able to help some people move and do some service for those we came in contact with. Cool story... we were out tracting and this HUGE storm rolled in with no rain jackets or anything and it started hailing! Pretty sweet I must say because I didn't get hit once! The Lord was definitely lookin' out for me :)

I can't wait to get the package! Sorry for the wrong address in the beginning and yes there is a Pizza Hut right next door. Don't you worry, I've only been there once the whole 3 months or more I've been here so far! The members feed us too much to even think about going there! haha

I love y'all so much and think of y'all often :) Keep smilin' and doin' your thing! DO WORK!

LOVE YALL!

p.s. I just had lunch with the Shepherd's back from Hamilton! They were in Yellowstone last week with the Jackson's and were coming home through Bozeman and took Elder Hokanson and I to Famous Dave's for lunch! I love them so much and have definitely missed them!

Texas Weather!

It's finally here! It got up to 83 degrees yesterday and should be likewise today!!! It is so beautiful and enjoyable to walk around town and make our way around :) I'M LOVIN' IT!!

This week has been one full of a lot of service and finding opportunities! Since the weather was beautiful, especially this weekend, EVERYONE was outside in their yards! Worked in a lot of gardens and Saturday morning helped out a member with their yard and doing some landscaping! I love working alongside people, helping them accomplish their tasks for the day and seeing what a few extra hands can do! After helping the B's he took us along with his son Brock (13) to Ted Turner's ranch which is HUGE!!!! As well as this place called House of Rock, which is this 20 foot rock that sticks out of the Gallatin River here. Just to let you know there is only about 9 feet still showing! They are expecting some more flooding pretty soon with the warm weather and all the snow that will be melting from the mountains! I will keep y'all posted! Many missionaries in other areas have been working all week helping people sand bag their homes and evactuate and such! I don't think it will get that bad here, but we will never know 'til it happens!

We received transfer calls and i'm stayin' here in BOZEMAN! haha I was joking around with President Heap the other day and was like, "President, I think they are going to ship me off somewhere else next week", and he said "Gardner BETTER NOT do that! I told him to leave it how it is and to not change anything!" haha It was so funny! President Heap actually asked Elder Hokanson and I to speak in Stake Priesthood Meeting this coming Sunday! We are so excited and thrilled that he asked us to speak. I'll be sure to send Ethan a copy of my talk ;)

With the weather warm now and NO miles at the end of the transfer we walked A LOT this past week! haha So many people honk at us and wave and on the other hand many yell stuff at us and do other things. Personally, I love it because it makes me laugh! :) haha and makes my day. Mostly because they think that we can understand them when they are driving at about 45 mph and we're walking the opposite direction and all we hear is "WHOSIUHDVHIF!!!" and we're like, "YEAHHHH BUDDY!" haha Just something funny that happens all the time :)

We went to a huge stake graduation party on Saturday for dinner and it was a blast! Met so many new people and lots of good food. Of course their sloppy joes were made from deer meat! hahah It was yummy :)

I LOVE YALL!

-Elder Parr