Episode 64:"Problems" with the Internet?!

Hey everybody,

I hope everything is going well back at home. This week has been really normal, nothing interesting has happened we are having some  problems with the internet so I can't write much. 

Everything is going well. I am healthy so all is well. I can't wait to hear about the new baby!!

Elder Parker

Episode 63: Baptisms on Saturday?!

Hey everybody,

Things are going great here. We have been having a lot of rain here, even yesterday we started church with only 30 people attending because no one wanted to go to church in the rain. But it's great to know that the drought here is starting to end.

We are still working hard to be able to have a baptism this week. The problem we have is that the person who has the marriage certificate lives in Cartagena so we have to meet him to receive the paper and it's just a little difficult but if all goes well we will have two baptisms on Saturday!!

Have a great week. 

Elder Parker

Episode 62: Great week of studying!

Hey everybody!

It's so great to hear about everything that is going on at home.

Things have been really great here this past week. Even though we were stuck in the house, we were able to study a lot. I was able to study a lot in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, and it was all really good.

So this week we are going to have two baptismal interviews. We are expecting that they will both be baptized this Saturday but I'm not 100% sure. 

Hope you all have a great week!

Elder Parker

with Elder Torres

Episode 61: Locked inside during Carnaval!

Hey everybody!

So you're probably wondering why I am writing earlier today and it's because this week we are going to be closed in our house because of the celebrations of Carnaval here in Cartagena. So basically we will be stuck until next Sunday without doing anything. It will be a little boring but a great chance to study a little bit more.

This week has been really exciting. Greisy got married this past Friday!!! She is ready to have her interview and we are preparing for her baptismal service for the 19th. It will be her and a few other members of her family who will be baptized so we are really excited.

I'm sorry that I don't have much time today. I will send photos of the wedding next week.

See you guys soon,

Elder Parker

Episode 60: Elder Parker has left Las Moras!

Hey everybody,

Everything is going great. I have officially left Las Moras and now I am in a town called Arjona about 45 minutes from Cartegena. It's really beautiful here with a town plaza with a super nice church. I will have to take pictures because it is really amazing. The only problem is that the internet shop is a little sketchy and I'm sure the computers have a ton of viruses so I'm not sure how I will be able to send pictures.

But my new companion is great. His name is Elder Torres and he is my 3rd companion from Ecuador. He actually just finished his training so it will be a big change after my last companion who was almost ready to go home. 

So we are teaching a woman named Greicy and she is really great. She and her partner are set to get married this weekend and after that her, her mom, her son, and a friend of her mom will all be interviewed for baptism. And we also have another woman for the 12th of November too so hopefully 5 baptisms that day!! But aside from that the work is a little slow so we will be finding a lot of new investigators this week.

I am feeling better by way of health. I still have a little bit of a cough but nothing that bad. I've heard that this area is a lot hotter than my others but these days have been very cool so we will see what happens.

Have a great week,

Elder Parker

Episode 59: Feeling under the weather!

Hey everybody,

Things are going well here. These past few days I have been a little under the weather, (Colombia has a new virus that gets everybody sick about every month). Today has been the worst with pain in my arms and legs, other symptoms of the flu, etc. but my companion was also sick at the beginning of the week and he has been getting a lot better. 

The weather here has been a consistent high with occasional rainstorms. The interesting thing with the rain here is that it only will rain for about an hour, but it rains hard. Our mission president actually won't let us leave in the rain because it is very dangerous with the rain.

Things are going great with our part member family. Milagro, the mom, and Valeria, the daughter, were both able to attend stake conference yesterday and really enjoyed it. It's sad to think that I might be going to a new ward tomorrow and miss their baptism, but I'm just glad that Valeria is really excited and plans to be baptized in the future.

I hope everything goes great for the trunk or treat. Here Halloween really doesn't receive very much attention but that's okay because that would just be a nightmare trying to teach with little kids passing every 5 seconds. It will be interesting to have the next halloween back at home, but that still doesn't really matter much.

Have a great week,

Elder Parker

Episode 58: Excited to be Baptized!

Hey everybody,

Things are going well here in Colombia. I am really interested to see what will happen this transfer because I feel like I will finally be going, but we'll just have to wait and see.

So everything is still going the same with our investigators. We are working with a part-member family. The mom is a less active member and the daughter is an investigator but the two are attending church and the daughter is really excited to be baptized.

Jhony is the only member in his family. We have started to visit with his mom and she attended church when he was confirmed, but we haven't had any progress with the dad or his sister. He is only 13 years old but looks a lot older.

So about the journal, I was writing everyday for the first 3 or 4 months but I lost track of the days and stopped for a while. About 3 weeks ago I started writing again but it's a lot harder now because there really isn't time at night, but I am still writing about 2-3 times a week.

Well, I know that this church is true. I know that the atonement is the greatest gift I have ever seen and it really is a privilege to see it heal the troubled people here.

Have a great week,

Elder Parker

Elder Parker with Jhony on his left