Everyone needs someone...

What a week it has been. Happy to say I've completely recovered from

my sickness, but Elder Thawley got the tail end of it so that was kind

of a bummer this past week, but other than that, our week has been

AWESOME!

Last P-day we found out that it was one of the young mans birthday who

we played golf with the week previously and have been able to get to

know pretty well. He plays for the Hamilton High School golf team so

we thought the last thing he would expect from us was golf balls

right?! Well, we got him 12 bright pink, lady precept balls and when he

opened them (which we wrapped in a New Era Magazine cover) he was

laughin' so hard and he has actually used them and done quite well

with them ;) The members are great here!

We've been able to meet lots of new people this week, one of

which was referred to us, by one of the members here. The lesson we had

with her REALLY opened my eyes to the importance of the gospel of

Jesus Christ and the perspective it allows us to have while we live

here on earth. This woman has a 10 year old son and has been going

through some SUPER rough times. Thank goodness that she hasn't hurt herself! 

As we taught her, you could see the hope that began to come into her eyes. The

message about Jesus Christ is not just some clever thing we talk about

or a way to trick our minds into thinking everything will be okay. The

message about Jesus Christ is as real as anything else in this world.

It's really the only thing that will save the world from calamity and

bring hope to those who are lost or have no future! We've got to

share what we have with others! If we don't, no one else will, and

there is no time to waste!

This brings me to another woman that we've been teaching. She has been

so confused with everything she has learned growing up and is just

trying to figure out just what is true and what is right. Well, she was

able to make it to church this Sunday and it was an amazing experience :) 

I don't think she stopped smilin' the entire time she was there and

everyone just enveloped her and wanted to get to know her. Fellowship

is huge in the work we do. Everyone needs someone they can rely and

lean on, especially when they are pursuing something that is entirely

new and different! So don't be offended when I come home and find

someone new to sit by at church ;) JK I will just have them sit WITH

us! So I hope y'all begin to take a look around on Sundays and find

someone who may need someone to sit with and invite them to sit with

y'all!

I don't think I mentioned last week, but President Mecham challenged

us as an entire mission to do a facebook fast! So from September

10-20, we're not using facebook AT ALL, and in those 10 days we're

reading the entire Book of Mormon! What a challenge! I think my heart

has changed because before my mission I would have said, "No way!"

but President asked me what I thought about it and I thought for like

5 seconds and said, "Shoot! Let's do it!" So I'm committed and will be

through Helaman by tonight! I tell you there is real power in reading

the Book of Mormon straight through! My testimony of the Book of

Mormon is TOTALLY different than it was just 6 days ago. I LOVE

reading it and searching for the principles that I can apply in my

life everyday! I can't wait to finish it and read it again now. I

sound insane huh?! I actually enjoy reading the scriptures now! haha

So some exciting news! I just received word the other day that Brother

Shepherd will be able to drive me down to Billings and we can go

through the temple before I go home! It's actually pretty remarkable.

I'll tell you a little about the story. So after they were baptized

and we helped them set a goal to go to the temple the following year

(this was when I first started my mission here in Hamilton) I made

them a promise that I said I wouldn't break. That promise was that I

would go through the temple with them before I went home! haha I had

no idea what I was promising! I was just brand new and just SUPER

excited. This is just a testimony that God really does answer the

desires of our hearts when we're sincere though! A year came around

and things came up in their schedule where they weren't able to make

it to the temple as a family. Well a few months later I got a message

from Brother Shepherd saying that they were going to the temple as a

family but they were going Rexburg. I begged them to come to Billings

(I was serving there at the time). But it just didn't work out for

them. So now I'm coming to a close of my mission and remembered the

promise I gave them. I asked if they could give me a ride to Billings

before I went home and we could go through then. Well they were

doubtful because Brother Shepherd's boss was taking a vacation the

same days he needed off. 

Well, to say the least, prayers are answered and we're going!!!!!!

Last thing, I had a brilliant idea that I wanted to run by y'all ;) So

the other night, Elder Thawley said, "So Elder Parr, you only have 5

more weeks of free dinners. What are you going to do when you get

home?" Good question I thought. Well I'll have moms home cooked meals

but then I thought, "Well I'll just send around a dinner calendar in

my own ward at home Elder! It will say, 'Invite Justin Parr over to

hear of all his wild adventures in Montana.'" 

He just laughed but what do you think?! Hahaha!!

I love y'all so much and I'm just so excited to be with y'all again :)

-elder parr

I attached a few pictures for y'all too!

 The fire here in Hamilton. As you can see it's SUPER

close! Now the entire town is just in a huge cloud of smoke. Just like a super thick fog, but it's smoke ;)

The famous monkey face of course with the cutest little girl ever!

Got mauled by a cat at one of lessons the other day as I reached in my

backpack to grab my scriptures. Cat was lucky I didn't kick it after!

haha

A little glimpse of sunshine yesterday!