General Conference Challenge

I was happy to see that you had a safe trip back east. Also great to hear that you will be able to see everyone while you are back there. I think that the baby blessing will be great. Just think the next baby that someone will have I will be able to be home for. That makes me really excited, but also nervous. I really love the mission so much and don't know how I feel about leaving a country and a people that I love so much. I really love it here and I love these people. I cannot see myself leaving Brazil, but don't worry mother of course I will be excited to see you as well. It is just a win-lose situation. The lose part is that I don't know the next time that I would be able to come back to Brazil. The family that I and my companion baptized a little while ago really wants me to come back next year for their sealing in the temple. I told them that I would really try my hardest. It would be so amazing to be able to watch them seal in the temple but we will see what the Lord prepares for me.
I am so very glad to hear that Grandma is doing well. I will try my hardest to write her a letter. I really would love to talk to her again. It has been so long since I have heard from her. Also I am so very glad to hear that the family is doing well. I love you all so much and think of you when I am not thinking about the work. I really hope that you have all taken the example of our lovely mother in reading the Book of Mormon and the other scriptures. If you have not yet I invite you again to do such. If we want our family to be united and have eternal happiness we need to do the little things.
Glad to hear that Lucas is growing healthy. I will be very excited to see him again. He probably has grown so much since the last time that I have seen him.
Well as for the transfer. WOOOOHOOOO!!!! It was the first time on my mission so far that I will stay in an area for longer than 3 months. I am really excited for the chance to do this. I hope that I will be able to continue to help God´s children come unto him. I will really try my hardest. My last companion whom I really love a lot went to another Zone and will continue as a Zone leader. My new companion will be going home in about 3 months. He seems pretty cool. This will be his first time as a Zone leader. I think we will have a good time together. I will just try to work really hard so that this area can continue to be blessed by the Lord. His name is Elder Muniz. He is from Minas Gerais, Brazil. One more companion and one more Brazilian companion. I really love it. I feel as though this transfer will be great and will give me lots of chances to learn Patience and hard work. Pray for me so that I can continue to work diligently and so that God will continue to be by my side. Thank you.
I love this gospel so much. I really love being a missionary so very much. It is such a great chance. Today I had the chance to talk to some guy on the bus ride back to my area. We had a good hour long talk about the church. It is so great that God trusts in someone as imperfect as me to help his work go on. I really love this gospel so much. I know with all my heart that it is true. I love my savior so much and know that he died for me. We need to always be happy because we have the truth in our lives. We should always have comfort because we have the Holy Ghost with us always. The trick is to do the little things and to live worthy to have the Holy Ghost with us and as we do this our lives will be filled with so much joy that we will not be able to describe the great feelings we are having. I love you all. I know this is the true church. What a great chance we have this week to watch general Conference. I challenge you all to watch every single session or at least 2 sessions so that you can be filled with Gods loves and spirit. This is my prayer and testimony in the name of Jesus Christ amen. I love you all.
Elder Daniel J. Parkinson

Happiness/Mission

Once again it was great to hear from you mother. Also this week has been an interesting one and I feel as though this coming week will be even more interesting. My companion and I had a great week of learning and of teaching but also a stressful week because of some of the missionaries in our Zone. One thing is for sure. I really am still trying to perfect my patience with me and with other people. I have really come a long way since the beginning of my mission but I feel as though I still have a way to go. I really love my mission so much. It is full of learning experiences and of a joy that is not really possible to explain. I mean who normally would have such happiness and a love for people under these few conditions that missionaries are in?
1. We are not paid but actually pay for ourselves
2. We do not really have a day off
3. We work on Sundays and holidays.
4. Doors are shut in our face often
5. And many more...
But....I am still happy and I think happier than what I have been in a long time. Most missionaries are happy and I finally figured out why we are so happy. While I was sitting in Sacrament meeting I was looking around to see 4 of my recent converts. None of them were there. As I was looking around and did not see any of them a sudden sadness and pain hit my heart. A sadness and pain not possible to explain. Two of them were supposed to be receiving the Priesthood that same day. Than to my sudden surprise entered into the chapel 2 of them. A joy filled my heart but at the same time sadness in not see the others. Then finally I saw the other two as well enter. At that very moment I realized my purpose on the mission. I realized what Lehi meant when he said he had the desire for everyone to partake of the fruit. It finally hit me why I am here and the importance of missionary work. I still cannot explain or describe my feelings that I had that day. All I can say is that I felt a love for my savior and for my recent converts. I felt a love very much different than any other love that I have ever felt. I was so very excited and almost felt like getting up in the middle of the meeting and yelling to them thank you for coming and welcome and just I love you and Christ loves you. I still have that feeling. That same night we taught 3 other recent converts and I had that same feeling for them. It is a weird feeling. I worry for them, I cry when they cry, I am happy when they do what is right and am devastated when they do not do the right things. I think I am starting to realize as I am writing this to you the Love that Christ and God has for us. They really love us. If I, being a man far from perfect, can Love someone or somebody like I do just think about the love that a perfect man, God and Christ, can have for us. GOD LOVES US! I know that this is true. Because of his love for his children I am on my mission. I am really on my mission to help God´s children return to his presence. What a great Work! I love my mission so much. We had the chance as well to have a baptism this last weekend. She is a great young lady. Her brother got the chance to baptize her and to confirm her member of the church. The meeting was really great and spiritual. The mission is so great.
Glad to hear that all is going well. Glad to hear that you will be able to visit the family. I hope all goes well on your vacation. You should really get Shane and everyone else to send updated pictures of there kids and them to me. It has been some time now that I have not received updated pictures of the family. How am I supposed to show off the family to people with pictures from 2 years ago? ha. Silver Hyundai? I will have to come up with a good name for it.
Mother I love you so much. I am so grateful for all the blessings that I have in my life. You are such a blessing in my life Mom. Actually to tell the truth the whole family is a huge blessing in my life. I know that God put me in this family because he knew that this family has what I would need to become better and have the chance to live with him again. You are all so amazing. I love you so much. I know that God loves us all. I know that he wants us to do the little things. We at times think we do not need to, but the fact is that we do. God said through his prophet Nephi in 1 Nephi 17(I think) that it is the small things that will make the men of the world perish. I believe that. Satan will not put huge things all at once in our way but will use small things until those small things start to grow and turn into big things.
You are such a strength and an example for me. As you said I say again and I bear my testimony. We will all have trials in this life. We will all fall down and think we cannot get back up. We will all have to show our faith and continue on Christ´s path. The great thing is that we can all get back up and we can all pass our trials. The trick is to do the little things and to always trust in God. If we do that all of the trials that we pass will be nothing. WE AS A FAMILY AND AS INDIVIDUALS NEED TO LOOK TO CHRIST AT ALL TIMES. WE NEED TO MAKE HIM OUR FOUNDATION BECAUSE THE PERSON THAT IS BUILT ON HIS FOUNDATION WILL NOT FALL BUT WILL ONE DAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. Christ is our perfect example. We need to all follow him, but first we need to know him. We get to know Christ through reading the scriptures and through prayer and through visiting the Church and temple worship. If we do not do these little things we will never really get to know Christ and so we will never really follow Christ in the way that we should. We can all pass our trials with faith and with happiness if Christ is our center. Christ will always be on our side but we have to go to him because it is not the other way around. Christ is always in the same spot it is our job to find him. I love this gospel so much. I know it is true with all my heart. I love my savior and my Redeemer. I am not perfect but with his help I am trying my hardest to become better. I know that God loves us. The only way we have to show God our love is by keeping the commandments and by following the example of Jesus Christ. I love you all so much. Always do the little things. I have the desire for us all to one day partake of the fruit of the tree life. I hope and desire that we can all stay steadfast and always hold onto the iron rod. Know that I love you all. I am always here to help you. Thank you for everything that you do mother. Thank you all my lovely family. I love you all so much. Stay strong and fight the good fight. Until next time.
Elder Daniel J. Parkinson

Short Message

The things I would like to touch on in the very short e-mail.
1. I was able to go to the temple today. It was such a great experience. I really love that place. I know that it is the house of the Lord. I did not get to do a regular season but I was able to help in some sealing’s. I was also able to watch a real sealing happen. It was so great to see. Our family really can be together forever. I know this now more than ever. I love this gospel.
2. We had a baptism of a little boy this last week. I was able to get into the freezing cold water and baptize him. It was so cold but however once I started to say the prayer the water just did not seem so cold anymore. It was a great feeling. This young man, Thiago is great. He went to church 4 weeks strait without any help from anyone. He walked to church these last 5 weeks and even walked in the rain. He really had a strong desire to follow Christ.
3. I was able to give a talk in both of our wards Sunday. I first gave it in my ward at 9:30 and then again at 2:00. It was great. I really love giving talks.
5. The work is going great. The Lord is really blessing me and my companion. We were really trying our hardest to find some great investigators and then the Lord helped them to go to church. I was really excited. We were able to have 13 investigators in church this last Sunday. It was so great. I thank the Lord so much. It was nothing that I or my companion did.
I am very excited to hear that you are doing great mother. I am so happy to know that you will go to visit the family. Have a good time. I hope that when you get back you can relax and start to get back to normal. I know that the Lord is with you. I know this because this is his promise to missionaries. He says that our families will be protected and that they will be blessed. I know that is true. You have really been blessed with the Lord on your side. You have been comforted so much. Just always look to the Lord mother. I know that the Lord will never leave you alone. If you search for him you will find comfort in his arms. I know that this is true. I love this gospel. I know that God loves us so much. Sorry that this letter is so short and rough but I will try to do better next time. Just know that I pray for you lots and that I love you all.
Elder Daniel j. Parkinson
P.s. What color is the new car? How is oklahoma doing and the 49ers and BSU? I love you mother.
p.s.s You are such a great example mother.
ps.s.s. I know this is the true church and that you will be blessed as you read the scriptures and do the things you need to. I am so excited that you have home teachers and that you have a calling. I love you. As I said before I know that god will always be with us. Never forget that.

Baptism/Testimony of Gospel

Hello there mother of mine and my beloved family. Well all is going great on the mission. We had such a great experience this last week. We had the chance to see a young couple get married and baptized on Saturday and then receive the gift of the holy ghost on Sunday. Also there little baby was blessed. It was such a great weekend. We have been working so hard with this young couple and it was great to see them finally get baptized. There whole story is so amazing. They passed through so much to make it to this point. I love this work so much. There is nothing better. This week as well we will be having a baptism of a young man. It should be great. I am so happy on my mission. I really am learning so much and trying my hardest to grow every single day. I cannot believe that my mission is almost over. I only have 7 more months left. The mission goes by so much faster than I would like it to. At the same time though I am so happy to be able to get on with my life and help the Lord in other things. Sorry that this letter will be short. I have to get going. Just know that all is well. It has been so great to be able to take care of two wards and stakes and to really learn some patience.
I agree with you that the scriptures are so important. Today I read a talk by Elder Holland titled something like this "safety for your (our) soul". It is about the Book of Mormon. It is so great. All that he said was so true. The book of Mormon is our key and our guide to eternal life. It is the iron rod and if we stop to read the book of Mormon (let go of the iron rod) we will get lost and caught up in sin and the fog. That is why we need to always be reading the Book of Mormon and doing the little things. Lots of times actually all of the time it is the small things that make someone get lost and eventually perish. Satan will not try to attack with something huge but work on you with the small things. That is why we cannot let Satan get into our lives and tell us that we do not have to do the little things. The little things are so important. Without the little things we will get lost into the world and lose grasp of the Iron Rod. I love this gospel so much. I love the Book Of Mormon. It really is a guide in my life.
The closer we get to God the easier our life will be. For the closer we get to Christ the more we will feel his love for us. I love this Gospel so much. I love my mission. I know that God loves me and is always with me when I do what is right. Christ´s sacrifice for us is one of the things that I like to study the most. It is so amazing to me how much he was willing to suffer for us. Thanks to Jesus Christ I have the chance to perfect myself and live with my father in Heaven again. I know without any doubt that this is the true church of Christ. I know that God loves us all. There is no doubt in my mind that we all need to do better every day to become like Christ. I know that as we do the little things we will become perfected in Christ and feel his love more often. I love you all so much. Thank you so much for your example. You are all so great to me. Because of you all I am on my mission. Especially you mom. I love you so much and am so grateful for your great example for me. Stay strong and always do what God would have you do and as you do such God will be on your side to bless you always. How blessed we all are to have this gospel in our life’s. There are so many people that need to have this gospel in their lives. I feel so blessed to have it in my life. Love you all. Until next time. Sorry that this e-mail is so short and random. I have been trying to write really quick and plus it is really loud and I cannot concentrate on what I am doing. Everyone is yelling in this Lan House. Love you.
Elder Daniel Parkinson