Monday, September 24, 2012

Hello Everyone!!
 
So this last week was a little slow for us. My companion has been pretty nice to me this week so I hope it is a start to him treating me better. So far we have been trying to find more and more people that will be interested in hearing the gospel. So we have two families that we contacted and they are very interested. One of them the Father's name is Norman. The other is Thomas. Both say that they are going to come to church next sunday. I hope we see them there! So it sounds like things at home are going pretty good. I hope everything is going well!!
 
Mom, This week has been better. I was able to get along with my companion better so luckily things have been better since last week. I am definately learning a life lesson though that is for sure. I am learning how to get along with companions no matter how hard or rude they are. So far things have been ok and are starting to get better.
So that is funny that that nurse from Pioneer was in Soweto! That would have been really funny if he would have stopped me in the street! We have so many people that stop us in the street so he would have caught me by suprise. So on my P-days I can definately wear a U of U shirt! We are allowed to wear what ever we want on P-days but on Proselyting days we have to be in a white shirt and tie. So that shirt that I gave you and Dad is the Orlando Pirates. I work in the area that the Pirates are from! The stadium is in my area. We go by it all the time. I hope that I got the sizes right for you and Dad because the way they do the sizes here is different than the way they do it in America. So that is AWESOME that Nate is starting to get his missionary stuff!! Thats exicting! That is also Awesome that Dad got the Lord of the Rings Trilogy for his birthday!! I look forward to watching that with him when I get home. You will have to let me know when you send the package so I can watch for it after you send it. Thank You Mom!
 
Dad, I hope that you had a great birthday!! I am glad that you like the Pirates T- Shirt!! So I am learning a big life lesson from my companion treating me to to great! I am learning how to get along with hard people and I am starting to learn how to cope with hard companions. I am starting to also learn how to get along with them even though they dont treat me very good. So that is Awesome that Nate is starting to get his missionary stuff!! Time is going to go by really fast for him!! I cant believe that I have been out for 7 months! Time goes by way to fast! Before you know it Nate is going to be out on his mission and I will be receiving emails from him! That is crazy to think about! So I will have to let you know how things go next monday. I hope to have a better week with my companion. So that is Awesome that you all went to go see that Brigham City Temple Dedication!! That would have been a cool experience to go and see!! I look forward to seing that temple when I get home! So I hope Grandpa Parks does better soon!!! I hope you all have a wonderful week!
 
Nate, That is Awesome that you got all those games on your computer!! I look forward to seeing those games again!! I hope that things are going well for you at home! That is crazy that you are already getting your missionary stuff!! Before you know it you are going to be telling me where you are going for your mission. That will be an exciting day! Just remember to stay worthy and active and you will be a wonderful missionary! I hope you have a wonderful week!
 
Jake, Tell Erica that I said Hi back! Tell here family I say Hi as well! That is Awesome that Bingham is doing so well in their games! Keep up the hard work! I hope that you all enjoyed what was in the package that I sent home! That is crazy that it is already mid- term! Work hard and you will do great in School!
 
Josh, That is not good that you got sick playing football!! So it sounds like you are playing hard in football! Keep it up and your team will look up to you and the whole team will do great! Keep working hard and have a great week!
 
Alex, That is not good that Josh almost got sick playing football! I want to hear how your play went and how the practices are going!
 
I love you all! Have a wonderful week!
 
- Elder Parks

Monday, September 17, 2012

Hello Everyone!!!

So this week has been ok. People are starting to take interest in what we are teaching and Investigators are starting to come to church. Things are getting better! The only thing that doesnt seem to be getting better is my companion's attitude towards me. He is really not very nice and likes to get after me a lot! It has been tough to adapt to that but so far I have been able to work things out a little bit. I think he acts the way he does because he is ready to leave the area and he knows that he is leaving in a couple of weeks. We will have to see how it goes. So this week we had a day called Park and Walk day. We had to park our car in the middle of our area and walk the entire day! It was an interesting day for the most part. So the familes that we are teaching are starting to receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that our message is true. They are starting to receive answers to their prayers. Speaking of prayers thank you all so much for your prayers! They are helping me a lot! I will keep you informed how everything goes!

Mom, That is Awesome that Utah won again!!!! That is great! That is funny that the fans did that and BYU had to replay the last play. So Dakota went in for surgery??? I hope all went well! You will have to keep me informed how everything goes! So how is everything going so far? Things here are a little hard right now but I am hanging in there. Like I said just barely, My companion has been giving me a lot of grief and trouble. I personally believe that is why our area was struggling a little bit for a while and that is because there was no true unity between us. Things are starting to get a little better for the most part though. So if you guys end up going to the Brigham city temple dedication you will have to let me know how it goes! The temple just opened back up here after being closed for maintainence. I look forward to going again now that it is opened back up. So for my birthday some yellow cake mix and some chocolate frosting would be great! Thank you so much mom!

Dad, I am glad to hear that you are doing well!! Are you excited for your birthday tomorrow???? Happy Birthday DAD!!!!!! I know that you all will enjoy what is in that package!! I hope that everything got there safe and sound. There are a couple of things in there that you all will enjoy and there is something in there that is for mom as well. But most importantly there is something in there for your and for your birthday. I hope you enjoy what is inside. So I hope that you can feel better and that you wont get that loss of breath that you were having a little while ago. So the temperature is getting hotter and hotter as the weeks go on. This is flood season so it has rained like CRAZY twice now in the last weeks time. It rained so hard that the storm drains here couldnt keep up so the streets flooded BIG TIME! It is in the 80's here in the day and the 50's at night. So far it hasnt been to bad. So everything here in the area that I am in now has been intersting. My companion hasnt been treating me very well but the work has been great. So its a half and half experience so far.

Nate, That is Hilarious that you said that to that kid!!! HAHAHA I dont think he will do that again. So how has school been so far? You are going to have to teach me some of the things you learn when you get back from your mission so that I can be on the same track as you! So how is maddie? I hear that you are hanging out with her a lot now. How is the car treating you so far? Im sure everything is going well for you so far. Things here have been interesting. I have been having an interesting experience so far here in my new area. Hey can you do me a favor? Can you log onto your face book and ask Stacie Lyman and Shaley Argyle for thier addresses? I would like to send a letter to them. Thank you so much!

Jake, That is Awesome that Utah did so well when playing BYU!! That is Awesome that BYU missed thier field goal!!! That is Awesome that you did so well playing Cottonwood!! Keep up the good work! Work hard in school and tell the Golders HI for me! Thank You and Take care!

Josh, I hope this week is good for you! That is crazy that you went into double overtime in your football game!! That means that you played hard! At least you all did your best! I hope this week is better for you!

Alex, Your birthday is coming up! I am getting ready to send you and Josh something home for your birhtdays. It wont be sent off till the first week of October. I hope that you have a great week!!

I love you all and have a wonderful week!!
- Elder Parks

Monday, September 10, 2012

Hello Everyone!!!

This last week was pretty good for us! We had a ton of lessons that we were able to teach all our investigators! People are starting to progress and are starting to be more and more interested! Thank you all for your prayers! They are helping me and my companion a ton!! So last Thursday was really crazy!! The power went out during the night so we had no electricity when we got up. We looked outside and saw that the roads were floaded because of how much rain came down!! We drove through a lake when we were driving to out area! The water was almost up to our door!! There was a lot of cars that stalled because the engine block was in the water. Luckily that didnt happen to our car! It was really crazy! We received Heavy rain all day long!! It was crazy!! So we have been working with the families that we are teaching and they are getting more and more interested as time goes on! They are all starting to receive answers to their prayers!! It is so great to see that they all are starting to progress!! They all are slowly starting to find the truth. So that is crazy that Dillon comes home a month!! Time goes by way fast!!

Dad, Sounds like things are going well at home! It also sounds like Jake and Josh are playing hard and their best at football. That is not good that Josh bruised his ribs!! That must have hurt! At least he didnt break them! That would have been even worse! So how is the new I-book so far?? That is probably really cool to have!! How is the Imac doing so far?? That is so cool that you gave a talk on the Why to the Priesthood!! I remember a really cool talk from President Ughdorf ( I have no idea how to spell his name). He talked about the Why of Prieshood service. He said that what informs and the Why transforms. He gave a wonderful talk about something similar to what you talked about. That is great that you were able to give a talk on that subject! Im sure it went really well!! I hope that you feel better soon and I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Mom, That is really good that you all received my pictures!! I have another package that will more than likely arrive today or tomorrow. In it is some cool things that you all will enjoy. There is a paper inside that gives the instructions of who and where everything goes. I guarantee that you all will love what is in there! So the Mulderigs hit their boat on the side at the gas station?? Thats not good!!! I hope that the insurance will cover that! Thats not good that everyone is having boat problems this year!! I hope that all goes well as the year comes to a close. That is really cool that you got an Ipad!! That will be fun to have!! So Grandpa has to have surgery next month? I hope all goes well so that his knee will feel better. I cant believe how fast the months are going by! It is so crazy! Time flies when you are working hard! I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Nate, That is Awesome that you are going to be an elder soon!! That has definately been a blessing for me so far! Being able to give blessings is a rewarding experience! So it sounds like College is going well!! If you work hard and study hard you will be able to get far in school! I hope everything is going well and I hope you have a wonderful week!!

Jake, That is great that football is going well!! So you are taking Chemistry?? Who do you have for your teacher?? I had Mrs. Brown. She was Awesome!! Work hard and study hard and you will enjoy that class! Things here in South Africa have been pretty good so far. The people here are really great people. So far everything is going well. I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Josh, That is good that School is starting to get better and better!! Thats not good that you bruised your ribs!!! I hope all goes well for football!! It is good to hear that you are ok. Breaking ribs would have hurt really bad! I hope that your week goes well and I hope you have a good week!

Alex, That is cool that your birthday is coming up next month!! I will have to send something home for you and Josh. I hope all goes well and have a great week!

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week!!

- Elder Parks