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.

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

A short one but a great one....

So this will be a short note, but a great one! The place here is so different from the states but still good. I am still not used to it yet. But that is ok, I guess I will be in two years. The sunsets here are amazing, and so is the lake.

Our investigators are great! They are really changing. One is incredible. Patricia feels the change in her life and people notice it around her. It’s amazing that before we met her, she did so many not so good things. She was almost going to kill herself, but she loves her life right now and loves to go to church with us every Sunday. She is not wealthy, but rich with love for her family and faith in God. We’ve also got some great new investigators! I am very excited about two amazing families who I will get to teach tonight. This week has been the best one yet! I was able to be companions with my old comp for a day because of splits. That was great! Both new missionaries and we taught some lessons that went incredible! Amazing how much Portuguese I know that I didn’t think I knew. The Lord is helping me so much with that. It is really hard for me to be here, but I need to be here. The people need it so much.

It has been raining for the past 6 days straight. It wouldn’t bother me if it were not for our house flooding. But life goes on. I miss a ton of things from home like the family, friends, sports and just life. I even miss work. I am reminded of work every time I see someone wearing any colors of my favorite teams. I really miss the family so much, so letters would be great and pictures even better.

We have another baptism this week, and I am so excited for it. I really hope all goes well with it. So almost one transfer down. Time does go by pretty quickly. My comp is so weird always talking to himself but he is so intelligent and has such a great testimony. I really want to be able to teach like him someday. He is great!

I love you all so much. I miss you and love you. The church is true and that is why I am here telling the people about this amazing gospel. They really need it, and so does the whole world.

Elder Parkinson