Jake In Chile!

We got a great surprise today.  A member of our ward works for the church auditing department.  His work last month just happened to take him to Chile!  He got to see Jake several times!  He said he seems positive and happy, and just like the same old Jake we know and love.  He took this short video and shared with us!  So fun to see him and hear his voice!

One more to go...

Hows it going everyone? Good I hope. I dont have a ton to talk about this week because really nothing has happened over the past week. Everything has been the same as it always is here in the good old MTC but there are some things that I want to talk about for the upcoming week because I dont think Ill be able to email next week because next Tuesday is the day that we fly down to Concepcion so I dont think I will get a chance to email.

But whats going to happen this week is going to be awesome. On Thursday we get to go out and contact in a park and its going to be very interesting because I kind of think I know Spanish until I talk to someone in the Streets and then I realize that I know nothing. They talk so ridiculously fast that its impossible to get everything they say. Also, on Friday we actually get to go on splits with missionaries and teach for real out in the North Mission which is still about two hours away from here. Thats gonna be awesome and super humbling when I realize even better that I know nothing. Still though it should be super fun and great practice. Besides that, I dont have a lot to say except the next time you hear from me I will be down in Concepcion teaching and lost.

Last week was pretty cool on P Day after I emailed you guys though. A guy stopped us on the street and we got trying to talk to him and eventually got his address and are going to send missionaries to his house to teach him. I have no clue if I will ever hear if anything comes of it. I doubt it but it was still cool to experience.

Besides that, nothing has happened. It has actually been a super boring week because there haven´t been any earthquakes or anything fun or exciting. But I look forward to talking to you guys in two weeks and Im sure I will have stuff to talk about.

Love you and miss you all!

Elder Parker

Veterans of the MTC

October 6, 2015

Whats up everyone? how are we all doing? This week was exciting and boring at the same time and with the group above us leaving the MTC this morning I am officially considered the veteran of the MTC. Some events of the week this week.

Obviously General conference this week is a big one. I have never participated in a conference like that before. We all had to take notes while wearing suits and staying awake which was a different experience for me but I got a ton out of it this week. More than I ever have before. It was a great conference and I was able to learn way more than I ever have before and I'm grateful because of that.

Another Big event of the week is that the main guy who runs all of the MTCs around the world came and visited here and he is fluent in 6 languages and knows 9. Anyways Elder Cauble and I were teaching one of our mock investigators and he decided he would just come sit in on the lesson which make me choke super bad because all of the sudden I realized every spanish mistake I was making but whatever he said we did a good job. My english has actually gotten really bad because I speak in Spanish half the day and that kind of makes it weird but the faster I learn Spanish the happier I will be

Besides that I cant remember a lot that happened this week in terms of anything exciting happening. The days here are just really going fast already which makes me happy but also really scared because I feel like I am nowhere near ready to go out into the field but I have exactly two weeks to change that. 

To be honest I have nothing else really to say except that its really fun. Elder Cauble is hilarious and so are my roomates so I am constantly laughing. I am already really grateful for the decision I made to serve a mission and know that I will benefit greatly because of it. I already have a ton. 

a day in the MTC...

September 29, 2015

This week was pretty fun! The days are starting to fly by here and before I can blink the week has already gone by. Its really fun here too now. This is how a normal day goes...

Wake up 645 and go to personal study until 8. Go to breakfast and play MTC soccer until 915. after we get ready and go to class from 10 to 130. Eat lunch until 215 and go to class again until 6. Eat until 645 and then go to class until 930. After that we companion plan and go to our rooms and at 11 its lights out. There is virtually zero variation between the days so its really surprising that the days go by fast. 

Here it is super spiritual though, every day you get to feel the spirit really strongly at least once a day which is really nice. We also get to go the temple today and its P-Day today so its gonna be a good one. Also during P-Day I am on a quest to find an American football because soccer is fun and all but there is nothing quite like football. That is a very hard thing to find though. Football isnt quite the sport here as it is in america. Playing soccer the other day I sprained my ankle as well which sucked but Ive had enough by now that it doesnt even phase me anymore. Also I have decided that tonight I am going to shave my head for fun. Most of my district decided to do it together which is gonna be really funny. If i can figure out how to get pictures to email I will send you some pictures next week.

My Spanish is actually getting decent. I can basically find a way to say anything I want by talking around the hard words and keeping it basic. Today we have to try to place a book of mormon and that could be interesting because Chileans talk crazy fast so basically I might just walk up to a stranger and hand him it and walk away. 

Things here are great though. I feel no where close to ready to be out in the field but Im only half way right now so hopefully it will get better because I would be lost right now if I were to go out. Also if you remember, I would appreciate a prayer or two for the gift of tongues!

Surfing the Earthquake

September 22, 2015

This week was pretty dang awesome. We got to go to the temple here which was really small but super spiritual. There have been some pretty awesome experiences here in the MTC and I like it a lot more than I did to start out to be honest. My teachers are all super cool and the days are going by a lot faster now, so I think the time is going to start to fly by a lot quicker now. Last week went super fast. The Spanish is still a struggle but its coming. Ive got a cold right now so that is kind of annoying. The food is also a lot better than it was that first week which is a real bonus.  

Also we have had earthquakes like every day and night at least once or twice since the big one up around Viña del Mar which was an 8.3. Here it was only about a 6 but it was still super fun to be in one. My district decided to stand up and surf the earthquake when the first one happened instead of get under desks or whatever they teach you to do in school. It was only after it was over that we realized how stupid we were for doing that haha. Now its no big deal when they hit to us. I have only felt about four of them because i was actually sleeping through the other ones because they all hit at night. Last night was the only one that I woke up for. Its kind of fun to be on the fourth floor of the building when one hits because everything just shakes a lot but not enough to evacuate or be scared. The Chilean people here dont even pay attention to them until they get up around 6.5 because the buildings here are built so well. So that was actually really fun.

Im doing really well and liking it more and more every day. The spirit here is really strong and I can tell that this is going to be a really good thing for me to have done.

Letter #1

September 15, 2015

My District. My district is the best one here. We have 12 people, all guys and one girl and they are all pretty cool. Taylor Bingham is in it along with an El Salvadorian guy from Australia who is hilarious. My companions name is Elder Cauble and hes from Colorado. He´s a pretty cool guy. Our district is the best because like all of us are funny and love to joke around with each other. We have some pretty hilarious teachers too. Hermano Pino is one of them and the other day all we did the entire class was laugh. 

The whole Spanish thing is super hard. Especially trying to teach in Spanish. We are already have to teach mock investigators and considering I know a little Spanish and my companion knows basically none its pretty dang rough. We probably taught one of the worst lessons possible ever yesterday haha.

The little part of Chile that I have seen has looked pretty dang cool. Its never very hot and kind of reminds me of downtown Honolulu. 

He's arrived

September 9, 2015

Mom just emailing you to say that I made it safe! Love you and miss you! The little part of Chile that I have seen looks awesome by the way! My P day in the MTC is on Tuesday so you will hear more from me next Tuesday. Tell everyone I say hi!