The Snakes

This week has been great actually. I have been blessed a ton but also had some tough times but who doesn’t?

We have a lot of tea here. They always want to give us coffee but that is a “no go”. So they give us a fruit tea. Don’t worry – it’s straight fruit tea. I am allowed! I have grown to like the tea. I didn’t before my mission - well to be honest, I don’t really remember having it a lot before my mission. But here I get the opportunity to have it. It is not amazing, but I do seem to enjoy it.

They do not know what hot chocolate is. I realized I could make bank here in Brazil! I would sell cookies and hot chocolate and tons of other things.

We had a service project the other day that was great. We did a landscape sort of thing. It was great to be doing that again. I love service projects. The only bad thing is it cuts into my study time. But that is ok - it is always good to serve God’s children. For as it says in Mosiah 2;17, when we serve his children, we serve God. (Yes, Justin I know that was your plaque scripture.) I have come to love that scripture.

This ward is great but they are kind of not helping us like the last ward. They just don’t feel like they have time, but that is ok. I will keep doing my work and hopefully some day this will change. We will have a baptism this week-- the first one in five months in this area. I am very excited! She is so great! Her name is Sueli. She is Japanese and hilarious. To teach her the law of chastity was so funny because she wanted to tell us stories (which is never a good thing). When we taught the word of wisdom, my companion finished and said so all these things don’t help you at all, right? She said, “Yeah, but I guess but alcohol helps me when I am cold.” But that is ok she has stopped all that. She never knew who Jesus Christ was before, so that was fun to teach her about Him. She really loves him so much. We just taught her about fasting and in her prayer to end she said thank you for fasting and help me to fast so I can receive blessings. She needs them! Her neighbors are sometimes ridiculous, but I love them. Satan is working hard to not have this baptism go right. I realized this week I was blessed and our family was blessed so much. I had a car that actually worked unlike a lot of people here but they are so happy to get there car that dies every mile. I was so blessed with a whole family who loves the Gospel. There are about 40 different churches or here in Rio Grande da Serra alone. That is a lot!

I have grown to love the music here and cannot wait to listen to it when I get back. It is funny that everyone here loves to sing their hearts out, but let’s just say there are a lot that aren’t so great. I hope I can still sing a little when I return.

So there are a ton of snakes here. No, not the animal but what we call a girl who just wants the Gospel because she wants the missionary. We had to drop one family because of this. Let’s just say they tried to get a little too friendly with us missionaries. So, we thought it was best to let that family be for a while. Also, a lot of girls notice my blue eyes and seem to really like me. I dont know why -- maybe because I’m American or who knows. There was a group of girls that we passed the other day. When we passed they starting yelling “nossa, nossa, olha seus olhos! nossa nossa vende para me” along with some other things. They were saying something like Holy crap, holy crap, look at his eyes. But a little different than that. Some things I had to change in translation to make more sense. So, yeah there are a lot of snakes here.

I miss you all so much and love you so much. I am so grateful to be here. I am so glad I am on my mission! At times I wish I was with you, but I know this is where I need to be. So I will finish with my testimony and a story and an invitation for you.

It is has been really hot here at least for me. Everyone else is still in jackets, but I have been sweating so much every single day -- I do not like that. The other day I was really having a hard time in the morning. We planned for the day and studied and that day I had to give the lesson I don’t like because it is the hardest in Portuguese. I love the lesson -- it is the second lesson, but it has a ton of weird words in Portuguese. And you have to teach it very well or they really don’t understand. So I was frustrated for not knowing the language and started to think and think and got sad. We got ready to leave for the day. I was frustrated and it was my turn to pray. I told my companion I didn’t want to so he started. When he started to pray, I had the strongest feeling come over me. It told me get in the room get on your knees and pray. So his prayer ended. I went into the room to pray. All I said was “Father” and the best feeling came over me. I felt love. I felt comfort. I felt better - the greatest feeling ever. I continued the prayer but he weird thing is I think I talked about things I was grateful for more than asking for help, and that was not my intent when I went to pray. After the prayer I got up and all my sadness, all my frustration, and all my nerves were gone. I know that through prayer we talk to our Father who listens. At times all we need to say is “Father” and He knows what we need. I know that through prayer we can find peace, love, and comfort beyond belief, and also through prayer we can receive answers to everything we need. I know this because I have seen so many people try it and afterwards receive. I have done it myself and it is real. I love this gospel! I know it is true. I know that we can repent and be forgiven through Jesus Christ. In Alma 5:33 it says something like come unto to me and repent because my arms are open to receive you after repentance. I know that is true He is there waiting. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Oh how great it is to have it in our lives. I love this mission I am on. I only hope that I can help to bring one soul unto God and hopefully change the lives of many including mine. I challenge you all to pray and ask again with a sincere heart if this Church is true, if the Book of Mormon is true, and if Joseph Smith restored the gospel. I know they are all true but you need to know for yourself. So pray and ask. I challenge you to pray always and never cease because when you do you are lead to temptation when you stop talking with God. I love this Gospel will all my heart. I know the Lord will protect us as he did Alma when he was teaching the Lamanites. I hope and prayer you stay close to God always. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dont forget your Elder out her! Letters and pictures are always appreciated. Love you all lots.

Elder Parkinson

P.S. Miracles do happen! I know we just need faith. Just look at Hebrews 11 if you have a doubt about faith.