A Hard Week

Well, this week has been the toughest of my life. I really had a hard time Saturday and Sunday. I didn’t know if I could keep going. I was sad about the language, sad about my old area, sad about family, and I let Satan fill my head with doubts that almost destroyed me. I know that Satan has power now, and so we really need to be close to the spirit so he can not fill our heads with doubts. I really felt dark and sad. But after a prayer and blessing and reading more in the scriptures and your old letters, I am strong again. I know with all my heart the Lord has blessed me. I know with all my heart I need to be here. But now for a little more info.

The new area is huge - 31 sq km. Freaking huge! I walked an hour and a half to one of our investigators houses. That was really fun! Some preparation day soon there is a waterfall close by and a member is going to take us there and hike next to it. I am pumped. I think that we walk for about five hours of each day. Then we have lessons for the other 3 hours, and other than that, we eat and study and sleep. My companion is really strange at times but really loving and knows the gospel very well. He helped me get through my struggles this week even though I almost brought him down with me. But, we are pushing through together. The thing is, I need more patience, and he needs more confidence. He is a great missionary but does not know that.

The work here is different than Batistini. They have not had a baptism for five months here and don’t think they will again anytime soon but I will change that. I think we can get 8 baptisms this transfer. I am pumped for the work. I just hope I always have the spirit with me. That is the only way I can do anything -- especially learn the language. The chapel is so much better than the old area. The old area was a warehouse. Here the chapel is beautiful and reminds me of home but a little different. We have 150 members strong in this ward and soon more to come. I am also planning on working with the less active members. They really need the Gospel in their lives. All people need it. My companion makes incredible food, and so I would really like it if some members of the family sent me some recipes that are cheap, fast and easy to make and easy to find the ingredients. Plus, I need the recipe for scratch brownies since they do not have a prepared brownie box for you here.

I just finished Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. That was amazing!. I plan on spending five weeks to finish the Book of Mormon for the second time of my mission - we will see. I will have zone conference this week, so I will receive letters. I hope you all sent them! I will also put my current house address in this note, so if you send fast (I mean fast), I can get your letters and send an answer back. But you can’t wait long since as far as I know, I am only here for five weeks. It could be 11 weeks but who knows. I could use letters to help me through the hard times, but enough about hard times.

I love this work so very much! I am so glad I am here! Two neat experiences for you. The first is that a lady in a family I know had a family member die. Because of my sister Megan, I have been able to help her. She is so great and her family is great. I really hope they start to have the testimony that I have that I will see Megan again and that our family is forever. I know Megan is with me helping me every day. If it were not for this knowledge, I would not be here.

In the other experience, the missionaries have tried to teach this lady, but she would not let them in until now. When she saw me, she said that it reminded her of her son that passed away. She said she could see his image in me. I really hope I can help them all.

The weird thing is in this area they really look at me a ton. One girl of around 14 was just staring at me for the whole time we had lunch at their house. She wouldn’t stop. She was always asking if I needed anything and really “touchy”. Not good!! There are a lot of snakes as Brazilians say here. A snake is a woman that you have to be careful around. I stand out a lot here. Because of my eyes etc.. They told me to compliment the family for their eyes. One kid said I looked like Superman I am pumped. Smallville all over again- LOL.

Well, that is all for today. I hope all is going well. I know that this is the true church and I know that Thomas S. Monsen has all the keys and power given him from God so he can lead this church. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and saw God and Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon can change lives and has the words of God in them and so we need to read. And so here is my invitation for you all. I invite you all to read the Book of Mormon at least one time through before I get back from my mission. Here is the promise. I promise that your life will be happier. I promise that you will be able to accomplish all the things that you need to. I promise you will feel the love of God more in your life. I love reading every day. I never thought I would say that. But it has helped me so much. I have learned some new and incredible things since reading. I love this gospel. I know I was called by God to serve here. I just hope I can make Him proud. I love you all and miss you so much. Write me soon.

Elder Parkinson

Address

Elder Daniel J. Parkinson
Rua Agostinho Cardoso 245 C/4
Vila Figueiredo
Rio Grande Da Serra-SP 09450-000

Elder Gigante

Family and friends:

This last week has been eventful to say the least and has been great as wel!. So after 10 days of straight rain, we finally got sun. That was GREAT to see! The rain wouldn’t be so bad if it were not for our house flooding. That is no fun. We had to move everything around. It flooded our kitchen all the way back to our study room. But they are fixing our house today, so I am excited. The rain here is a lot worse than back home, that is for sure. When it wants to rain, it rains. I found out the hard way that missionaries work in all kinds of weather - does not matter what is going on around you. But that is ok -- just fun things to talk about. Also they closed all the schools here because of the swine flu. We had inspections and interviews with the mission president this week. That was fun with our house flooded. But the interview was great. Plus I got letters -- that was amazing! Hmmm…where are everyone else’s letters. That is not acceptable!

So I have a new name here. The kids like to call me Elder Gigante (Giant). That is great! All the families that feed us here talk about how they love how much I eat. They say most Americans don’t eat. But I sure do and they love me for it. So there…. You always made fun of how much I ate. I was just preparing for my mission.

I thought I would not see blue and orange here. They actually have a Blue and Orange Store here. Not for BSU thank goodness but still just the colors are not good. [Editorial comment – Daniel is decidedly NOT a Boise State fan!]

The lessons are going great! My language is starting to become better and better. The members have noticed a difference and I talk a little faster with things I know now. I even talk to people in the street. I still get frustrated every once and a while about the language but that is ok.

I have felt myself think about home or work in the weirdest times. I miss home and life there and the family a lot but this is where I am needed. I have noticed that the people here really need us. My comp and I are getting closer and I think because of that, we have had some amazing miracles happen. We gave a blessing to a person. They let me do it in English so they didn’t understand a word but the next day the person felt better. The people here have such great faith. It was not me that healed him. It was his faith in Jesus Christ. We have had so many miracles like that one. He was not doing very good at all. Also another miracle still is Patricia. She is getting baptized this week. She has stop drinking, coffee and alcohol, smoking, drugs and so many other things, and she is ready to be clean. She is incredible! She reads the Book of Mormon everyday and the Liahona. Everyone around her keeps telling us that they notice a difference and so do I. She didn’t even want to live anymore before she accepted the Gospel. This work is great! The Lord works miracles, I am just glad I can be His hands. Also, we had a baptism last week. So two in my first area already. I am pumped! Oh, and Patricia she brought her whole family with her to church -- her nephew and four kids and her mom. They all loved it and her nephew wants to be baptized as well, so we will baptize him this Sunday. I love this work!

We had a little party last night for my comp’s birthday. We had tons of cake. And it was spiritual as well. I loved it! My personality is starting to show more here because I can speak the language.

Well that is all for this week. I love this Gospel. I know it is true. With faith all things are possible -- I have found that out. I know that God loves and knows us and will help us always. I love you all and miss you. Until next week!

Elder Parkinson