Chilean Independence Day!

Whats up everyone? Feliz 18! Its the Chilean independence day and we didn't really do much to celebrate. We raised the flag Saturday morning and one of the members is a scout fanatic. He has scout things from all over the world. He invited us to help his raise the flag and said he wanted us to do it as scouts haha. So he dug up scout things from the US and from Colombia and we went as scouts to raise the flag haha. It was pretty fun. But after that, we found out that the mom of one of our members died and that they were going to have the funeral in the chapel so we couldn't do any activities. Kind of lame. But a bunch of people still made us empanadas which were super good. They are like calzones but with meat and onion inside. I have now acquired the taste and I love them haha. Lots of people gave us empanadas haha. And a drink that is super weird called mote con huesillo. So it was kind of a letdown but not too much. 

Sunday, we were expecting to have a super lame day but we actually found a family who is super good. Their names are Julio, Pamela, and Fani.  I am doing better though because the sector is getting better. We were able to find a few people this week and that is something that we just didn't have.  Joselin is alright. She just lacks motivation and so she just doesn't do things. She was supposed to go to church this week but she texted us like 10 minutes before and told us that she wasn't going to go. She still is working towards the 8 of august.

Wednesday and Thursday we had trainings both days, one with our mission president, and one was a mini cambio with the assistants. I learned a ton from all of them and especially while I was working with the assistants. It was awesome to see that there is so much more that I can do to get in to houses and find people to teach. We literally were just walking in to houses with their doors open and took any chance we could to teach lessons. I learned a ton, especially just my dedication to the work. Like really if I desire investigators, and desire to get in houses, I have to do everything possible to get in. It was eye opening to see how much the desire and the attitude affects everything. I thought I was doing everything possible but I still had more to give. I loved the experience. It was awesome. And our President blew our minds. He is awesome and knows a ton. 

I am excited for general conference coming up.  The conference day is one of the best days of the mission! Now we can give people the challenge to think of a question that people want answered from God and tell them to go to the conference. We promise people that somehow, their question will be answered. Its super cool actually!

I didn't write yesterday because nothing was open. The holiday goes on for like 3 or four days and during that time, there is close to nothing open. But hope you all have a good week!

             In case you're wondering, I'm wearing a raccoon hat one of the members had. 

weekly email

Nothing too exciting this week happened. The Lord has been testing our patience and that has really been something hard for me. We were able to find a few more people this week though, some of them people that I taught my first time in this sector. Its kind of interesting because some of those people have the exact same problems as they did a year ago. It makes me want to tell them straight up that the problem is going to be there the next year unless they decide to accept this message. I cant say that though because they still don't understand. The area is still really hard and dead but we are going to resucitate it one of these days. We have one investigator named Joselin who went to church this past week and has a baptismal date but she is kind of an Eternal investigator so I cant get my hopes up too high. Yeah it has really been good for me though to return here. I know that there is some purpose behind it and I cant wait to go out and find what it is.

Elder Alvarez is great. He is from Colombia but he looks like he's from the US too because he is super white. Everyone thinks he speaks English haha. But no I am the Senior companion still and district leader. Its nice though because I have someone who doesn't need to be dragged around so I don't have to worry as much now. He also helps me a lot because I get frustrated pretty easily and he is always pretty light and cheery. It helps a lot and I'm trying to work on being more patient still.

 It should be a good, interesting week this week though because this weekend is the Chilean Independence days. That means lots of drunk people and makes it a pretty fun day of contacts.I was in the MTC the first time it happened so I don't really know how it will be. Everyone says its pretty fun though and that everyone is happier because they are always eating good food this week. Should be fun though.

More than that though. I am doing well and just complete a year in the mission. It scares me to think that other people say it goes by even faster the second year. It doesnt seem possible. But hope you all have a good week. Remember to trust in the Lord and everything will be alright in the end.

Elder Parke

1 year...

This week I complete the first year of the mission. It is crazy to think that so much time has already passed yet it seems like forever too. I really dont even remember life outside of the mission and that's alright. I have heard that at the year mark time starts to go by even faster and I hope that its a lie haha. I cant keep up. But at the same time I am excited because I will be able to say that I started my mission and completed a year in the same sector haha.

This week was the hardest of my mission that I have had. I have to be honest I was so frustrated at the end of the week, its such a blessing to have this P Day. We had a whole two lessons with investigators all week. Its my own fault though. I accidentally prayed to be humble. The prayer was answered haha. No one wanted to listen all week long. We walked so much and if I were a new missionary I would have died haha. So yeah it was a week that seemed to never end but now I am glad its a new week with new chances. I can testify that the will of the Lord isn't always our own will. Sometimes he just wants to give us a test. We just have to accept his will even though we don't understand. That is what I learned from this week. 

I am doing well and really I enjoy the mission a lot. Its great and I have noticed how much I have grown up in just this year. I get along really well with my companion. Hes a really funny bright missionary. Its nice to have someone good. It feels like after I finished with Elder Hart, I have had to drag my companions along everywhere. With him no.

We don't have anyone right now, so yeah, we are just going to keep looking:)

Have a good week! Happy birthday Nate!

My new/old sector

This week was a little strange. Going back to my first sector there were quite a few people who said, "Oh there was an Elder who Looked exactly like you about 10 months ago!" Haha surprise! its me. But yeah it has been awesome to see all the old members and especially one of the converts that I had here. Santos. He is doing super well. He has the priesthood and is just working and preparing to be able to go to the temple! I am with another Elder from Colombia named Elder Alvarez who is super energetic and pretty funny, although at times he tries too hard.  Elder Alvarez is the same one from the MTC which is neither good nor bad. He is a good dude and a pretty good missionary. I'm excited to work with him though! They didn't really have anything though before I came though so now we are just going to have to work hard to find people who want to listen. And yeah Mariella got baptized! But Jerson has disappeared. We were like his only friends so I think that when he found out that we were both leaving it kind of shocked him and the other missionaries haven't been able to even talk to him. I have even tried to call from here but nothing. It makes me nervous.

I have been excited too to come back here because it means that obviously something was left undone the last time. I am just going to have to find out what that purpose is. I found out that no one knew that I had already been here which kind of shows me that the Lord really is sending us to our sectors, that we are called by him to our missions and that he is at the head of this work.

But have a good week! Nothing too unusual happened this week so Ill Let you all know the next week if anything changes.

Love, Elder Parker

We received some pictures via facebook this week of Elder Parker and Elder Marquinez befort they were transferred from a sister in Libertador, Hermano Regollo.  She has a son serving a mission in Argentina!  What a great surprise for a mom.  It was like Christmas!!

The most frustrating week of my mission!

What's up everyone? This week was really a huge letdown to be honest. We were going to have two baptisms and in the end we had none. Jerson had travel for his work to the South of Chile and couldn't get out of it and Mariela got sick and wasn't able to be baptized either. So on Thursday, right before the interviews we found both of those things out and that basically made me really frustrated. But They will be getting baptized this week so its alright. But the thing is that I wont be here to see it. Neither will my companion. There is a whitewash in our sector so two new missionaries are coming here. It makes me really worried though because I have no clue if those new missionaries are going to know what to do. It is also frustrating because I am going back to the same sector where I was born in the mission. Cerro Verde in Talcahuano Sur. I don't even know what to think. yeah it will be fun and cool but at the same time, super lame and not interesting. I am going to be companions with an Elder Alvarez and I am pretty sure that he was my roommate in The MTC but I'm not sure. If it is the same one, it is another Columbian. Two in a row.

As I have been thinking about all of the things that have happened with the baptisms and the transfers, it has made me think about the will of God and how we dont always have the same will as he does. And even sometimes we cant understand why some things happen in life. It also made me think about if I wanted those baptisms for myself or if I was looking to help those two people in their lives to be happier and come closer to Christ. It has been interesting and so I am going to try and analyze that and set the priorities straight. But hope that you all have a good week this week!

Elder Parker

weekly email

Hey everyone. This week was pretty great. I dont know why so great but it was. It has been a little different living with just my companion but its still pretty fun. First thing this week is that we should have two baptisms this coming Saturday which will be super awesome. Mariella for sure and Jerson probably. Im really hoping it happens because we have already had to move his baptismal date and he wasnt super happy haha. 

But Cool experience of the week. We went looking for a future investigator, knocked on his door and his mom came out. She told us he wasnt there but we asked if we could share with her and after a little bit of persuasion she said yes. Only to a prayer is all to help her in her day. We went in and were going to say the prayer when she started to tell us all of the problems that she has in her life with her son, Erik. She has depression and really a super empty life. Her son is addicted to drugs and cant seem to come out of it. She told us that she didnt know why she let us in because she just hasnt had any desires to do anything and much less, let us in. She said that she felt like something was telling her to do it and to just listen to us. It was really cool to hear her experience as she described her feelings from before and alfter talking with us. Her name is Mercedes and I am really glad to have gotten the chance to know her and it should be really great to be able to pass by again and really share a lesson with her. 

More than that, we had a conference that lasted forever on Wednesday. I was in the church from 830 in the morning until 8 at night. I was so mentally tired that day but it was an awesome conference. And those were the highlights of the week.

Here is picture from the highlight of Chillan. The Cathedral.

11 months!

Sorry, I don't have a lot of time this week so its gonna be short. We went to a Waterfall this week called Saltos del Itata and it was pretty awesome. Also something crazy happened. My companion had to go to Santiago this week to fill out some paperwork things for his visa so I was in a trio with two other elders that we live with and it was pretty fun honestly. They are always pretty funny guys. They had their sector closed in an emergency transfer though we found out last night and we are actually going to have AP´s in their sector starting tomorrow which will be kind of crazy. We now have four assistants to the president. Also, Mariela and Jerson are doing well. They are both going to get baptized the 20th we hope. We also had two new investigators in church yesterday. A dad and a son named Roberto and Alejandro.  They are a dad and a son of like 55 and 20 years old. They went to church this last week but they didn't tell us much about whether they liked it or not. I hope that they did.  They are pretty good so we are hoping that they will accept a baptismal date this week. But those are the things that are most exciting for this week. Nothing too special. Have a good week!

Ill try and send more pictures next week!