February 19, 2018

Hola Todos!!!!!!

Wow crazy week. Elder Ruiz is the district leader here and so there is a lot of running around to do. He planned a district meeting that we had on Wednesday and I found out that Elder Ericksen from the MTC is in my district!!!! This will be an awesome transfer. Turns out also that Elder Ruiz has a huge desire to learn English! So he always talks to me in English as much as he can and I correct him when needed and I talk to him only in Spanish!! It is awesome and I can already see it starting to pay off. It is super cool. 

On Saturday, we had a baptism! I haven't taught her at all but it was beautiful to see the first step in a life changing take place right before my eyes for Hermana Judith. She was crying and laughing and you could tell that the spirit was so strongly working on her in these moments. It was amazing!!!!!! Also, thanks to the magic of the internet I was able to see that Hermana Yehimy was baptized on Saturday as well! I am so happy for her and Fernando as they take these steps towards eternal families. 

I also included some pictures of us playing chess which is our pastime at night. My companion is super good but I had to take pictures of the two times that I won!!!!!!!!!! 

Today we didn't go to Cholula as I thought last week but instead a part member family took us to the smallest volcano in the world!!!! It's just sitting in the middle of the city and I believe from what I could understand of what the tour guide was saying that it is somehow connected to Popocatepetl which is the huge volcano nearby. They also took us to eat and I had famous Puebla Mole for the first time! It was really good. 

This mission has challenged me in so many ways already but days like Saturday, and today make it all worth it. To see lives change and also to have a great time in Puebla México. 

With Love,

Elder Stephen Parr

Mexico Puebla North Mission

It's a dead volcano so they were able to go down inside of it

This is Yemiy--the Hermana that Stephen taught and was baptized on Saturday (after he was transferred)

February 12, 2018

Buenas Tardes todos!

Well, yeah. I have officially finished six weeks in the field. And we were told that Elder Stones and I would be there in Alamos for at least another transfer. But then this morning we got a call that I was going to be transfered!! Yay! 

It'll be alright. I already know this. I have a great companion, Elder Ruiz, and we are going to kill it here in Estadios. Was quite a fun time to pack all my stuff in a small amount of time and move it all. But now I am settled into our nice little apartment and ready for another six weeks to finish my training. Elder Ruiz is the district leader here and he is from right here in México. Good thing I've been practicing my Spanish!!!!!! This is actually the area where Elder Stones did his training so.. What are the odds? pretty good I guess.

We did have to postpone the baptism this past weekend for Yehimy but she and her boyfriend Fernando are on their way to marriage and then hopefully this weekend to the waters of baptism!!! 

Missions are sure full of surprises and lots of interesting people. But it sure is a blast. I believe that this upcoming Monday Elder Ruiz and I are going to go to Cholula!!!! I am so excited for that especially with how much of a history geek I am. Super excited for that. Will make sure to include photos of that. 

The gospel is true. Christ lives. We can feel his love every day. We only need to look for it.

With Love,

Elder Stephen Parr

Mexico Puebla North Mission

February 5, 2018

Poor Tom Brady.... NOT!

Hi everyone!

Super Bowl Sunday is nowhere near as big here in México but I am so happy to hear that they pulled it out. Any loss of the patriots is a win for me! hahaha

ANYWAY... We are having a Baptism this Saturday!!!!! Hermana Yehimy Mendoza is going to be baptized and confirmed this weekend and we are so excited to see it happen. She has truly been prepared by the Lord and it is amazing to see. 

The other day we had the strangest contact ever. One of our planned appointments fell through so we were sitting on the curb trying to figure out what to do when this random guy carrying his laundry yelled across the street to follow him to his house and talk with him. We did and he gave us weird looks the whole time, had a gigantic house and a bunch of dogs, nice car, I thought "oh no. This is where the drug lord kidnaps me." but no. He was a lawyer and we think he just wanted to use some of his lawyer knowledge to try to catch us in our words. But we taught well and testified of truth. When we had no more time, we shook hands, said goodbye and that was it. Super strange.

Today we got our hair cut. We went first to a barber shop and it was a terrible haircut. Took everythig off the sides, left everything on top, cut my neck with a razorblade, and we paid him and left upset. We then went to the hairstylist down the street and she corrected everything so we are looking nice hahaha. Then, we had a district activity. There is a huge mall just outside our zone and we got permission to go bowling!!!!! It was so much fun even though I am terrible at it haha. 

It has been a truly great week.

-- 

With Love,

Elder Stephen Parr

Mexico Puebla North Mission

P.S. I posted the picture of the ham package because I got a kick out of the fact that the name of the company is "Food"

January 29, 2018

Hi everyone!

Lots of running around this week from one side of the area to another. But boy are we seeing success. We added another baptismal date this week and Elder Stones and I are getting really excited. As with everyone, there are some obstacles that each of these people have to overcome, but with the Lord, we know anything is possible. 

I am just a few days from one month in the field and wow it is crazy just how fast the time flies. I can't believe it has already been a month!!!! We have been working hard though and it is true what they say. "The days pass like months but the months pass like days"

We see the hand of Christ in everything we do. It is amazing what a huge blessing the members of the ward have been in blessing this area with missionary work. Almost everyone that we are teaching at the moment that have serious interest in the gospel are from member references. That is where success seems to come from. And when these investigators hear a gospel truth for the first time it is crazy cool to see a light flicker in their eyes as the Holy Spirit is testifying to them through Elder Stones and I. We are nothing but instruments in the Lords hand and as long as we keep ourselves well tuned, we can play beautiful music to those who have never heard it before. 

We did a lot of shopping and cleaning today. But man did those ham sandwiches and doritos (Which in mexico taste like Jalepeño cheetos) were the Bomb. This is a great work I have the opportunity to do. The gospel is true. And all you have to do to know that is pick up a Book of Mormon and ask our father if it is true. IT IS AMAZING

¡Gloria a Dios en lo alto!

With Love,

Elder Stephen Parr

México Puebla North

January 22, 2018

Hola!!!!!!

Wow this has been quite the week. Opening the area was really hard. Lots of challenges the first week in trying to track down old investigators as well as find some of our own. But now, we are seeing the fruits of our labors. We are currently teaching five people who each have a baptisimal date set from our invitations within the last week. Your prayers for them to be able to continue to progress would be wonderful! They're names are Yehmie (Jamie), Vicente, Dolores, Ana Laura, and Fernanda. We have very high hopes that they will continue to progress to the waters of baptism and beyond in the gospel. 

Most days, we spend going to appointments that we have set. It is lots of walking and walking and walking. In between these appointments, we also do door contacts and street contacts. It is more sucessful when we have member references, as the Alamos ward has been filling our schedule with these references, but we still have to try and see if there is anyone ready that we don't know yet. We are teaching a few of these people, and even gave a blessing to an old man with a terrible kidney stone the other day. Afterwards, we taught him a lesson and he invited us back for another lesson this week. We also had a super drunk old man come up to us in the street and give us hugs and stuff because we were talking about God and we took him back to his house safely (practically carrying him back to his house) and left him with a word of wisdom pamphlet. Lets see what happens there hahaha. I have learned a lot this week about just trying to share the gospel with everyone and anyone. It really is a beautiful message we have. 

I did get Salmonila twice in the past two weeks (the second time had me in bed for a long time) but I know that this is just the firey darts trying to keep me down and I know the Lord will strengthen me. He already has so much! The language is gradually coming along. I don't have to look at Elder Stones for help 24/7 anymore which is super nice. The gift of tongues is real. It really is.

We have had a kinda laid back P-Day today with lots of laundry and shopping to do so there aren't very many pictures. But the days really do fly by. I cannot believe It is almost an entire month since I left the MTC. This is the work of the Lord!

BTW... Congratulations to the Eagles on making it to the Super Bowl. Now go crush the Pats and Tom Brady for me. 

With Love,

Elder Stephen Parr

Mexico Puebla North Mission