Flu shot exchange...mom lost ;)

A fun email exchange I had with Elder Parr this afternoon. It's a rare occurrence to catch him online when he's writing his email but I responded and he was still there. It's "almost" a conversation. :)

We received their missionary newsletter from the mission home and in it it said that they were encouraging all missionaries to stay healthy and prepare for the winter weather by getting their flu shots!

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Justin,

One more thing.......Go get your flu shot! I will send you money if you need it. Do you have a pharmacy or some place offering them?

Yeah, I know you missionaries have been encouraged to get one so I'm just checking up on you ;)

Love you!!
~mom
..............................................................................................................................................

Mama, I don't need a flu shot! ha ha (I'm just picturing this in my head as if I were home right now). I'm deciding to NEVER get a shot again. Just so you know ;)

I love you MAMA!
..............................................................................................................................................

JustiN, if you bring the Montana flu home with you.....you'll be sorry!!

Just go get it done so I don't have to take you. ;)

~mom
ps....you make me smile :)
..............................................................................................................................................

I really don't want to mom. Got to build up my immunity! Plus breathin' in all this smoke, I got lungs of steel now!! ;) haha

I can't fathom how fast time is going by...

This week has been FANTASTIC! I can't fathom how fast time is going by, and people keep askin' me this ridiculous question. You ready for this?! ....

"Elder Parr, are you excited to go home?"

How in the world do they expect me to respond to that kind of question?! No, I'm pretty ticked I have to go back to Texas. I'm so mad I have to go home. I'd rather jump off a bridge. You know what, I'm so devastated I'm going home I think I'm just going to stop working. DUH! Of course I'm excited I'm going home! I get to be with my family again! BUT that doesn't mean there isn't work to be done right now! I just think it's a funny question people ask. haha :) Just think. What if I did say I was ticked I was going home. What would they say next? I think I might try it ;)

There are so many stories to tell y'all I don't know how I'm going to tell y'all all of them. I'm sure I will be able to; some way or another. This week was wonderful! We're preparing for a baptism this weekend which is going to be just fantastic! The man is AMAZING and blows my mind every time we teach him! He is so excited to get baptized and has a remarkable story!

So Elder Thawley and I were asked to speak in sacrament meeting this past week which was a BLAST! Probably one of the best sacrament meetings EVER! 2 of the gals that were twins who got baptized about 3 weeks ago spoke first and then their grandfather and then Elder Thawley and I was the last speaker. Kind of a weird experience being the concluding speaker but was a wonderful privilege. It was a special subject for me, "Showing Love Through Service", because that has been the exact thing I've tried to do my whole mission and to be speaking in one of my last Sundays amongst a group of people I've come to love and care so much about was a VERY special thing. It was interesting as I sat on the stand and reflected back on the first day I walked in that chapel and thought, "What am I doing here? I don't know any of these people and especially their names! I'm a missionary and have no idea what I'm doing!" Up 'til now when I looked out and knew just about every person and what made them who they are. I just love Montana and ALL the people here :) Just a great Sunday! What a blessing it is for me to be able to finish my mission in my first area. It's pretty special!

You ask what will I be doing for my 21st birthday?! Funny you ask because Elder Thawley and I were talking about it last night as we prepared for bed. "Elder Thawley, you know most kids on their 21st birthday talk about how they went to Las Vegas or went to the bar or did this or that. Well, when someone asks me what I did for my 21st birthday I will be able to say, "I took a road trip for 7 hours and in between I was with 80 missionaries along with a few of the General Authorities of our church"! No one will expect that will they? haha I'm pretty stoked! So, more than likely I'll be up at 5am getting ready to drive to Helena and won't get back 'til 9 or later that night. Hopefully I can find some birthday cake somewhere in that time ;)  So there you go!

Hope all is well and y'all are havin' lots of fun and doing well! LOVE Y'ALL!
-Elder Parr

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!

WOOOHOOOO!!!!!

What a week it has been!! Last Monday, as I said, I went and played

golf with Elder Thawley and 2 of the young men who are on the golf

team here in Hamilton. Let's just say it was a great game! We played

best ball and by hole 3 we were 4 strokes ahead ;) Dad, you would be

proud because in the first 3 holes I was puttin' for birdie! BUT

failed to get them in the hole! :) I was so excited, especially because

at the range just before I didn't hit ANYTHING past 10 feet! Haha! We

beat them by 2 strokes at the end and I hit under 100 for the second

time in my life, both of which have been on my mission! I think I

should get an extension just so I can get better at golf ;) JK

A miracle happened this week I wasn't expecting AT ALL! We were just

minding our own business, doing our studies, when we got a phone call

from this man! He was someone I had taught when I was here last time

in Hamilton and have tried to make contact with but showed little

interest. Well, I answered the call (HE HAS NEVER CALLED US. EVER) and

he expressed how he was in a rough spot and wanted us to come over.

WHAT?! That NEVER happens! We left right away and he was definitely in

a rough spot. I won't say any details but he is just ready to make

some changes in his life and wants us to help him. 

I'm so glad he called us and not anyone else.

Some other good news is that my man Merlin is back in town and doing

SOOO much better! I don't think I mentioned earlier but Merlin had a

sore on his leg that had been causing him LOTS of pain and I was

worried that he might pass. Well, he left for Spokane about 3 weeks ago

and they said that it was cancerous and would probably have to remove

his entire leg. Well a miracle happened and they ended up just cutting

a foot long gash in his leg to remove the tumor and were able to save his

leg. He is back and walking around now and is just as happy as could

be again :) I call him my grandpa. I love him so much ;) haha

Well, mom mentioned that the weather here must be glorious but I'm sad

to say it's nothing but the exact opposite :/ There are soo many fires

around and we're gettin' all the smoke, so Hamilton is just a big

cloud of smoke where you can't see the mountains or ANYTHING! Last

night coming out of our dinner appointment the entire sky was yellow

green, kind of like it is before a tornado and ash was just fallin'

out of the sky. Funny because we get home and we smell like we've been

around a campfire all day ;) Haha Well, I think the smoke has finally

gotten to me because since Saturday morning I've been stopped up like

no other! Hasn't been fun at all but I'm just truckin' along and feel

like I'm on the tail end of it now :)

Interesting enough, Saturday was probably the best and worst day of my mission combined! Haha We had 4 baptisms that morning which was just incredible and so uplifting! Probably one of the BEST baptisms I've ever attended, besides my own ;) JK It was just grea, but during and afterwards I just felt awful. So that night as I was preparing for bed and just going to take a hot shower to get some of this nasty stuff out of me we got a knock on the door. You have to remember that I'm completely out of it and just brushin' my teeth ready to hit the sack and crash. haha Well Elder Thawley answers the door and I hear, 

"Is this the Jehovah Witnesses?" "No." "Well I want to get baptized!" or

something like that and I just grin thinkin', what knuckle head kid

told this kid that we lived up here? Haha! as Elder Thawley introduces

himself. Well, I walk up to the door with my tooth brush in my mouth,

pajama pants on and say, "Hey, I'm Elder Parr." and shake his hand and

hang on and he says, "I'm Chris McCleve." My mind goes nuts tryin' to

remember some former missionary because he looks familiar and his name

is familiar and then it clicks! "NO WAY! GET IN HERE," as I yanked him

into our apartment Haha. Probably the BEST way to meet my future

brother in law for sure :) Well, I'm sure y'all are all wondering what I

think and I just have to say we're going to get into a lot of trouble

together ;) haha No...he seems super awesome and I look forward to

getting to know him better at Thanksgiving!

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY QWAZI! Probably the first time EVER that I

haven't been able to wish you happy birthday on your actual birthday and only an early and belated one ;) LOVE YOU LIL' SIS!

So to end, know that I LOVE Y'ALL!

-Elder Parr

LAUGH OUT LOUD

This week was a HUGE one in Hamilton, Montana. If you weren't here you totally missed out on what everyone here thinks is the BEST thing ever! Haha The fair was here along with LOTS of smoke! :)

So Monday, as we said, we hiked up Canyon Creek up to some lake which was gorgeous! Elder White was in Corvallis for a few days and he got to come too, so I got to be with 2 of my so called "sons". Haha! So much fun! I'll have to tell you all about it later! When Elder Andersen came to talk to us he told us to watch that NBC special on the LDS church. So we got to watch that at our dinner appointment that night. Let's just say, people make me laugh! Don't know nothin'!

We helped paint a gentleman's house on Tuesday' which was a BLAST! I should have taken a picture of it! It was this NASTY white because it had sat there for years, but painted it this brown gray and it was awesome! Reminded me when I painted for Aunt Berri! Haha

Wednesday was the opening day for the big BITTERROOT FAIR! I can't remember ever going to a parade before so it was awesome! Everyone knows EVERYONE here; it's so funny! Tons of candy was thrown at us and we had a pretty good time! The guy on the bike is Billy, The Wizard of Hamilton! He is so awesome! The first Friday of every month he puts on this HUGE concert RIGHT in front of our appartment building on Main street. I'm so looking forward to it this week. You can check him out on Youtube for sure! Just type in "Wizard of Hamilton". We see him all the time and talk to him a lot :)

Everyone tried to get us to go to the fair this week and I REALLY wanted to, but we had so many appointments and lessons that we just didn't have time to go! We met a man this week who blew my world! Probably the most prepared investigator I've ever taught! Met him and he asked when he could be baptized and wanted us to teach him right away and everything! It was hilarious because in our first visit Elder Thawley just sat there with a blank face, just AMAZED! Haha He came to church on Sunday and he just absolutely loved it! He was introducing himself to people and everything. Haha We will be having a baptism this Saturday and 4 individuals will be baptized! We are preparing for that and just thrilled because there are SOO many people who want to learn more right now and follow Christ! It's ONLY because of the members though! With awesome members working with us, it's amazing how much more effective sharing the gospel can be! So grateful for great members and examples.

The fires in Idaho have been smokin' us out but it really hasn't bothered me much at all. It's so thick we can't even see the mountains from our place any more :/ It's settled down a bit and golf today looks nice and sunny :) I'm actually going to be playin' golf in about 2 hours! We're going with 2 of the young men who are on the golf team here in Hamilton. I don't know if I've told y'all, but Elder Thawley is a HUGE golfer and has a scholarship to play in college at San Jose State, so we've been talkin' smack to the youngmen for some time now, and it's about time we show 'em up ;) Elder Thawley will do great, I'll just get in their heads ;) Haha That's all I seemed good at back home! 

This week was just INCREDIBLE! I would say one of the greatest on my mission so far :) I'm just stoked with everything going on and can't wait to keep it going! I sure love y'all!

I love puttin' on my tag everyday! As much as I think I represent our family, all I'm really representing is Jesus Christ :)

-Elder Parr

p.s. Just an early birthday wish for Mattie! HAPPY BIRTHDAY QWAZI! You're 19!!!!

:)

So this week was AMAZING! Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I
start every email out this way. Hahaa! Well, I would say the highlight of the week was on Saturday when we left at dark thirty to drive to
Helena! Luckily I didn't have to drive and got to take a little head
nod for a bit ;) Anyways we had half of our mission together in
Helena; which is always an amazing sight. What gets even better is
that Elder Neil L. Andersen, one of the apostles, came to speak to us!
Along with Elder Gonzalez and Elder Smith of the Seventy and Bishop
Cose, of the Presiding Bishopric (just newly called). What a
remarkable experience that was! To have an apostle of the Lord Jesus
Christ and others who live and serve Him in your presence. I tell you
there is nothing like it! He talked about how we need to deepen our
conversion and conviction in the Savior, Jesus Christ and begin to
"know" Him. To study His words, read about His life, memorize words He
spoke, practice what He taught, speak how He would speak, serve as He
would serve. Let me just say it was remarkable and that it made me
want to go see conference live that much more!

Elder Gonzalez talked about the important role that the Book of Mormon
should be in our lives and in sharing the gospel with others. He
brought up an interesting point. He said, "In 3 Nephi when Christ
appears to the people in America, He asks for their records and
reviews them. What other book can you say has been reviewed by the
Savior Himself? I don't know of any other." What a remarkable book!
That was witnessed to me as we met with a gentleman we had got to know
just a week previously. In our latest visit with him as we asked if He
had read the pamphlet we left him he replied, "Nawww. I don't need to
read that. I just want to talk and lift each other up and hear what
you have to share." He went on talking most of the time and showin' us
his preacher tapes he enjoys listening to and what not. Then I said,
"We would love to share something with you, for the Lord Himself. May
we read it with you?" I handed him the Book of Mormon to a specific
section and asked him if he wouldn't mind reading 2 verses. Well what
happened next was pretty neat. He read the 2 verses then paused. Then
read the rest of the column. He continued to just read until he had
finished 2 pages! We told him he could keep the Book of Mormon and he
responded, "Good, because I want to do some homework!" WHAT?!!! Just
before he had told us he didn't want to read anything from us. I
testify that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God and that one
can really strengthen their faith and conviction of the Savior through
reading its pages, along with gaining a testimony that Joseph Smith
restored Christ's original church! I LOVE reading it every day :)

I love y’all SOOO much and love hearing about the kids first day of
school and what not! I can't wait to go to their games and practices
and have them teach me all they know from school because I've lost
EVERYTHING it seems like! Haha!

Love y’all!
-Elder Parr

p.s. Off to hike in the bitter root again!

YAY!

Let me just tell you that I can't get enough of this work! Even when weeks
are tough or feel super long, by the end of the day, I can't help but
lay down at night and think to myself, "Wow! This work is hard but
it's soo much fun!" I absolutely LOVE being out among people making
them smile and sharing the most remarkable message that has brought me
so much happiness and joy. I JUST LOVE IT :)

We've had a ton of sweet experiences this week but I would like to
just share 2 thoughts with y'all today!

This first is about the names that we represent throughout our lives.
Everyone has a name and that's who they are known by for the rest of
their lives, unless they decide to legally change it, like one guy we
met a few weeks ago named Dancing Bear! HAA! Well, you may think your name
doesn't mean too much, but it means a lot to everyone else; that's for
sure. I can't tell you how many people I've met that I've asked if
they've known someone and they either get super excited because they
are a great person or get ticked because of something they did to
them. Haha! I think anyone who is ticked is hilarious, though ;)
Anyways, I feel it is important that we remember who we are and that we
represent ourselves and our families ALL the time! A name we often
forget that we represent though, is that of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Each of us, when we were baptized, covenanted with God to take upon
ourselves the name of Christ and to be a witness of Him. It's
especially important to remember that our actions should represent and
be in line with the things the Savior would do. So always remember
that you represent Jesus Christ and your family in all that you do!

The second thing I wanted to share kind of goes along with the whole
name thing and that is about our family motto, "Parr's Never Quit!"
I've thought a lot about this motto of ours this week and received
some added insight, besides that we finish all that we do and we never
give up. I think one of the major things with this is that...

Parr's never quit on each other!

We're a family and will always be one;
regardless of what happens. I've seen so many families who are broken
or split up and who fight and bicker and all that lame stuff. We're
not like that. We support each other. We lift each other. We're
patient with one another and most of all we love each other. Families
are ordained of God. If they are to be successful we must keep God in
them and do what will allow us to receive the spiritual strength that
we need. So know that I'm never givin' up on any one of y'all :) I love
y'all so much!

So I'm sure y'all are countin' down the days and it's just drivin' y'all
bonkers that I'm almost finished but you'll just have to be patient a
little bit longer ;) hehe Trust me, I can't wait to see y'all again
though! As I haven't thought much about what I will do when I get
home, besides start back school in January, I wanted each of y'all to
start making a list of things I need to do or places I need to go
with y'all, or really just ANYTHING you think I need to do when I get
home. The reason is so I don't get into trouble when I get back! haha
I'm gonna' need things to do so if all of y'all want to make a big list
that would be awesome! :) Then y'all can give me them when I get back
sometime, if I ever do ;) JK

Well, we're going to go hike up some of these sweet mountains here
today, so I hope all is well and that y'all are having an AWESOME day!

-Elder Justin Parr