Help from the Mission President

Well, this week has been great. I had the great chance to have an interview with our mission President. That went so well. You can really feel his love for you. Before that interview I was having some challenges but he really helped me out and I feel so great now.

Again I will say to help you all out who maybe have a doubt -- families are forever through the temple. I have no doubt in my mind about this. I know that God sent us here in families so that we can learn and grow and help each other. In the family is the place that all learning needs to begin. I have really seen this the past few days.

This last week started out slow with numbers. We weren’t teaching a lot of people and finding many people in the street. Everyone was gone I felt like and all of our appointments fell through. In the interview, our mission president helped us to find new ways to find new people and to teach better. We tried it Saturday and Sunday and I can really tell you he is an inspired man. We had great numbers Saturday and Sunday and finished the week great. We had one baptism. Her name is Jaine. She is so great. She is 11 years old and I see Ashley every time I look at her. I am so glad that I was here to help her join the church and come unto Christ. She is such a great example for her family. Now I think we have the chance to marry her father and mother. They accepted marriage and after great time for baptism I am so excited for that family.

Saturday we taught a family that we have taught for a long time. They already turned us down one time for baptism but our mission president said if we plan hard great things could happen. He also told us to focus on this family so we went to work. Planned a great lesson for this family about baptism we took about an hour and a half to plan. When we got there they had a lot of doubts and so our lesson changed so much. The incredible thing is that lesson was the best lesson I have ever had. My companion and I were talking but it was not like me to talk. Our whole lesson was completely different than the one we planned we didn’t use anything we chose to use before. I don’t know what happened. When I was talking I felt so comfortable it was not me talking. The best Portuguese I have ever had and my companion said that I was almost screaming I was talking so loud. I said things I never thought to say. I used Joseph Smith testimony about how he knew he saw a vision. Afterword I bore my testimony. When I was talking my whole body was warm and pulsing extremely fast. When we said amen to finish the lesson my normal Portuguese started again. I know that it was because of the preparation that we had that gave us the spirit. The Lord knew how much we prepared for that lesson and he talked through us.

On Sunday we talked again with the family. Again we planned like crazy. And again we didn’t use our lesson when we got there. And again the Lord talked through us. I spoke bold and powerful my companion spoke clear and to the point. The Lord really helped us. I know that when we do all that we can the Lord is just waiting to bless us. This time they didn’t turn down our baptism invite they accepted. I really hope they go through with it. Their family is amazing.

I know that this is the true church. Like Elder Holland the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Joseph Smith was the prophet who restored the church to the earth with the power of God. I know that we have all the knowledge and tools we need to live with God again. All we have to do is study and prayer to receive them. I love this gospel so much. I love you all. I really hope you all keep doing all the things you need to live with me and Megan and grandma and God again. I will try my hardest to live with God again and I hope you all will to. Just do all the little things. I love you all so much. I have to go -- just know that I pray for you every day.

Still Here For Awhile

I will try to make this letter short and sweet but we will see. Transfers came and I am staying in the same area same house and with same companion. So you can send me some letters straight to my house. My dad and mom have the address. But you have to send quicker than later because if you wait too long I could be gone from here. Also I could really use some letters that would be great. I am pretty excited to stay here because I know that it is help me out learn patience and other things. My companion is great so that is good as well.

Feel free to fill me in on any sports! That would always be appreciated. I would also like some updated pictures of the family. Also Justin and Crystal, do you have pictures of the time we went to the temple grounds with Tashi and everyone I have some people that would like some of those pictures of the temple ground etc.

Also to start this great week I had diarrhea -- that was great fun. I had it for like 3 days. But I kept working through it that was great. My companion also got pink eye so we were both sick for a bit but that just made it more fun to teach. Good news is I did not get pink eye. We also had a presentation in our chapel this past Saturday that was really good. We had a choir sing and people talk about the Book of Mormon. We got new investigators because of it and helped bring less active back to church so it was a success. Also I got to participate with my companion. That was fun to talk Portuguese in the front of like 300 people. The cool thing is they will be making CDs of the music and I should get one for free sometime so that will be sweet to show you all. The language is coming along a lot better and better every day. The hardest thing is I just need more words and a little better with all the conjugations but I am talking without translating now and I am told that my Portuguese sounds more Brazilian than an American talking so that is good. We have a lot of good families that we are teaching a lot of good new investigators that we found. We have also settled into the area so I expect great things this next transfer we will change this area. Missionaries in this area have struggled with baptisms for a while but we will change that.

The only bad thing is that we have had clouds and fog and rain everyday for the past 2 weeks or more -- that sucks. Fog here is an everyday thing. So if you didn’t like fog you would hate it here. That is about all for this message. I just hope that you are all getting ready to send me some great packages and letters. Oh one thing don’t send packages to my house just letters. I love you all. I know this is the true church with all my heart. I love this gospel. I love the opportunity that I have to be here. It is changing my life and I just hope I am helping the people around me. I know that God loves us and will help us in all things we just have to talk with him and he will respond. I know that the Book of Mormon has power -- we just have to open it and read. I love you all so much! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Read the Book of Mormon

So this week has been interesting. We had a ton of appointments this week that fell through. So that was not good but because of the fallen appointments we had great opportunities with new investigators. So we have a lot of great new investigators and I'm really excited to start to teach them. Also it rained a lot this week and was really foggy every night. You could not really see your feet so that was cool. Really difficult to talk to people when you can’t even see them. I got really down on myself this week I just didn’t thing that I was good enough or worthy enough for things and that is why we had so many appointments fall through. But my companion helped with that. He said that one of the best ways for Satan to get at us is telling us that we are not good enough or need to do more. I really agree now I feel Satan trying to bring me down every day. But how great of a blessing it is to have angels of the Lord and Megan with me every day of every hour to fight against the angels of Satan. All I have to do is be worthy of the angels and try my hardest and I will always win. Also I have really gained a testimony and invite you all to bless your houses to the Lord if you have not done so already. It is pretty simple. But I think that all our homes really need it so if you haven’t done so please do so. Also for all my members of the family. My companion wants to train his English and wants to talk to my family so I think he wants to send you all a letter. So be expecting one. It won't be long but it will come. He also said it would be great if you actually replied. He wants to thank my brothers for great example and mom for the recipe for pasta with the works (I made it this week and he loved it, thanks mom). And for the love of my mom and just everyone. He really says my family must be great and I one hundred percent agree. So one person we are teaching is infested with bugs. When we left her house I had bug bites everywhere they are not good bug bites so hopefully I don’t pick up some kind of disease. But there is a promise in Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon that I will be protected and I believe that I just have to stay close to the spirit. So I beat my companion in soccer the other day. And they say Americans don’t play soccer. That is what I am talking about -- one point to America. . The person we baptized the other day really is like my grandma here. She really loves me and thinks I have so much courage and other things. She would get along with Grandma Parkinson very well always telling stories. At times stories I really don’t want to hear. So we went to the temple today. We have the opportunity every three transfers if we are close enough. It was only two hours by train to get there and two hours to return but it was worth it. I love going to the temple. I figured out something amazing. The temple is the same in every country and every language. The spirit was really strong there and I really just loved every minute of being there. I really did not want to leave but I guess I have to continue with the mission. I really would love to go there tomorrow but there are people in the world that need to hear the gospel so that they for themselves can enjoy the great blessing that I have to go to the temple. That is the ultimate goal a mission has for his investigators. I want you all to know that dad does a great job with the blog. I really write pretty sloppy for him in the emails because I don’t have that much time. So I want everyone to tell him thank you. Like I said the week I had some ups and downs but I am still going and excited for what lies ahead. My companion and I are going to have a race to ten. All the ten books that missionaries can read we are going to see who can finish them first. I will win just you wait. I also finished the Book of Mormon last week and oh what a blessing that was in my life. I love this book with all my heart because it brings me closer to my Savior and redeemer and my Heavenly Father. I know that this Book the Book of Mormon is the word of God and when we read it, we can gain a testimony and strength for the days if we go about reading it with faith and an open mind. I have to get going sorry. But letters would be appreciated from all. I love you all so very much. I want you all to try to find a person to share the gospel with. pray for an experience to help a child of God come back to him. I know if you pray for a person to enter your life you will find. I love this gospel so very much. I know that it is true. I know that God loves us and that Jesus Christ died so that we could live. I know that he is the only one that really knows all that we feel in our lives. HE KNOWS US and what we go through. I know that he is waiting with his arms wide open to comfort us and say it is ok. I am here to help. I know that if you pray to God he listens and really want to talk to you. I have such a strong testimony of the fact that families are forever so love your family prays for them and if you teach the things you need to teach. You can be with them forever. I know all these things are true and I leave my testimony with you in the name of our brother and redeemer Jesus Christ Amen. I love you and miss you all.

Elder Superman

This week was great! We had a ton of people cancel on us but that is ok. I was happy the whole week. It helps when your companion is great. We get along really well and joke around quite a bit. We have the same personality but the only difference is he is Brazilian. Even though we had a ton of people cancel on us this week (which was really hard), we worked through it and had a baptism too. It was great! A lady named Sueli. She is Japanese and knew nothing about Jesus Christ before we taught her. She absolutely loves Him as do I and I bet a lot of you as well.

We have a train station that looks exactly like the train station in the movie The Best Two Years. I love that! Every time I see our train station, I laugh because of what happens in the train station in the movie.

I fixed my pants last week. That was cool because I sewed them myself. They are not perfect but they work. The rain has been incredible! It doesn’t ever really stop but I kind of love it. I have gone through three umbrellas. I have really bad luck with them. The second one I bought, I opened it too fast. I guess I am still too strong.

I have really started to love the scriptures so much. I just never want to stop reading them. I will finish the Book of Mormon in 6 days - maybe sooner. So I read it in only 5 weeks that is how much I love them. There are so many sweet stories that if you apply them to your life, they help so much.

My nickname in this area in my ward is Superman or Clark. That’s because a lot of people think I look like Superman or Clark from Smallville. It’s cool that that followed me here. I am ok with looking like Superman. What a great name -- Elder Superman. I am kind of famous here -- I might not want to go back to the United States. I am like the only one that has blue eyes, so everyone stares at me. The eyes and the name plaque are the key. Only bad thing is there are a lot of girls that try to get close to you and flirt and things. Girls here are a lot more open which is not a good thing. But I will push through.

The work is progressing a ton. We have a lot of new investigators who really love our message. We gave a first lesson the other day, and they asked about baptism! The guy said to us, “So how do I become baptized in your church?” How great! I love this work! I love my companion, and I love the Lord. I love you all. I am just so full with love and gratitude lately. I have been blessed so much in my life, and I am so glad I can try to bless the lives of others. I know this is the true church with all my heart. I know I am here for a reason. Reading the scriptures is a key to success in your life. I know that Jesus suffered for us and really does know what we feel and has his arms ready to help. I know that with all my heart. The Church is true!. I testify to this in the name of Jesus Christ., Amen.

Elder Daniel J Parkinson