Well mother I really cannot believe that 2011 arrived. I remember that when I first got on my mission everyone joked around with me saying you will not go home this year nor the next year just the year after that. That was always so fun to hear. haha. Now the year finally arrived and I do not know how to feel about it. I really love the mission so much and really do not have a great desire to go home but at the same time I really would love to go home to see family. The end of the mission is just full of so many mixed feelings. One feeling that is a constant is the feeling of being tired. ha. I think the 10 flight from Brazil to Texas will be spent sleeping. ha. Maybe after that I will feel all rested up. I just want you to know that you do not have to worry. Even though I am tired I will not stop giving it my all. I think by now you all know me pretty well and know that I am pretty competitive. Because of that I really cannot let myself just stop working and so the work goes on with the same pace that it started or maybe a harder pace. The scriptures say that we do not have to run faster than we can. I do like that scripture but I find that maybe people use that as an excuse to stop working. I think that this scripture is true but I feel as though many people can go a lot harder than they think they can. As for us being alone it would be impossible but with God on our side I feel as though we can run forever.
Good to hear that you were able to spend the new year with family. I bet that was great. You should send everyone my new year’s wishes and love. I am very excited to see you all again. It will be great to see my buddy Uncle Ron and sit down and watch a game with him. I hope that he is doing well. I bet the trip to Grandmas this weekend will be great. Send her my love and keep telling her how much it would mean to me if she stopped drinking coffee. ha
As for the package I did receive it. I think everything was inside of it. The only reason why they seized it was that its value was so much. Inside it had two shirts, two pairs of garments, two jars of peanut butter (thank you/ I had a peanut butter sand wish this morning), and two packages of recess peanut butter cups. Oh yea! I cannot forget the ties. Thank you for everything. It will really help. I will be fine now until the end of the mission.
Now here are a few updates:
1. Thank you for the money. I will get Justin a Jersey for sure. I will have to get him matching jerseys. haha. I mean it really is not that expensive here in Brazil. If anyone else would like something just let me know. Mother I also think that I will be trying to send you a package here pretty soon. I really need to get rid of a few things to have more space.
2. This week was interesting because of new years. Everyone here in Brazil sure does like to party. The great thing is the New Year passed by a lot better this year than the last year. Last year I was on the beach and it was nuts but this year I was far away from the beach and so there was no one in my area because everyone was at the beach. My bishop however ,who lives in front of us or should I say we live behind him in part of his house, came and woke us up to give us food and cake at midnight. haha. They really do enjoy eating big meals at midnight. It was so good!!!! What a good bishop! The New Year made Sacrament meeting pretty neat. I think that was the all time low that I have seen in this ward and many other wards that I have been in. Also it was hard to bring our investigators to church because they were all on the beach. ha. Still the Lord blessed us with two investigators at church. That was so great.
3. The zone is doing very well. My companion are doing our best to help the zone and are still arriving really short from the bar we need but then the Lord has decided to bless us and the Zone. I am very excited about this. I really love the Lord so much. My zone is way good. I have so many good missionaries and it always helps to have 6 sister missionaries. They really do help quite a bit.
4. This week I do not think we will be having a baptism but the next week it is very possible for us to have a few baptisms. I will just keep trying my hardest and see whether the Lord thinks that I deserve these blessings.
5. I have been trying to study a little more lately. It is really hard with everything I need to do for the Zone but I realize that as I study the day really just goes by so much better. I love the scriptures and am excited to study them even better after the mission.
6. It has been very awkward. This last week I received many compliments of being very gorgeous. haha. Thank you mother for those genes. ha. I just told them that it runs in the family. ha. It is so awkward when someone says that to you. Especially in front of a lot of people that afterward agree. ha. Well life goes on.
7. I was able to do a division with an Elder this past week. It was really such a great experience. I really love divisions and the chance that I have to help other elders.
8. We had interviews this last week. Those were also great. I love talking with President. He help me with a few things and we were able to just talk with each other for a little bit. He really is a great guy and a man called of God. We talked and joked around and all and all it was a great conversation.
Well that is about all for this week. Just know that I love you all. I know that this is the true church. I am so excited for the chance that I am having and have had to be a missionary. It is amazing. I just hope that I am being the servant that God would have me be. I love you all so much. Keep strong and always do the little things. Love you.
Oh really quick I am so grateful for the Lord. It is true and prayer and fasting makes miracles happen. We have really been trying to find some great new investigators lately and as we have been praying and fasting finally some great new investigators appeared out of nowhere. I know that God really does hear our prayers and responds to them but in his time.
Love you.
Elder Daniel J. Parkinson
Happy Easter 2012!
13 years ago
