Monday, November 25, 2013

Things I am Thankful For....

 I am thankful for pizza and the members 
 who feed us!







We found one person who is really awesome. In the first lesson she accepted a baptismal date and promised to be at church 10 minutes early! Hey 10 minutes here is like 30 minutes in the USA. We also have a couple others who are progressing really fast. Then we also have others who aren't progressing as fast and it takes patience. We will go to pick up our investigators and walk with them to church but they are busy or have to work. Even though the night before we called them or talked to them and they said they would go. We will keep trying and just work harder.So Sunday, I spent an hour with the primary....of about 7 kids.  None of them would listen to their teachers and they were running around like crazy.  I was there to help them with their primary program practice. I played the piano...well attempted to play....for them. I doubt I'll play for the real thing but who knows. There was one kid who is a real great kid. He doesn't have a father and I can tell he's looking for a father figure. He absolutely loves Elder C. and myself. We ate at his house for lunch on Sunday and he was showing us all these things that he was interested in.So this week is Thanksgiving, so I wanted to share a few things that I'm thankful for...I'm thankful for my family and all my wonderful friends. Your examples have helped me throughout my entire life and I wouldn't be here in Mexico if it weren't for you. I'm thankful for this Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through Joseph Smith. I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to share this glorious message of this restored gospel to the people here in Mexico. I'm thankful that God loves all his children and knows them better than anyone else. I'm thankful that he hears and answers every child's prayer. It may not be the answer that we want, but it will be the answer we need. I am extremely thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. He suffered for me and for each one of us, personally. He suffered for our sins, pains, and afflictions. He knows what we need and is willing to give it to us if we just ask. Through Christ I can live with my family for eternity. These are just a few of the many blessings, God has granted me and they are available for all. This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. This one day a year is when we give thanks for all we have. Is it sufficient? I submit that it is not. We have 364 other days in the year that we can and we should give thanks to our God who has given us all and has promised us all that he has. It is my hope and prayer that we may always have a heart full of thanks. When we have a heart full of thanks, it is easier to focus on the positive and in general we can live a more happy, joyful, and peaceful life. Again I'm thankful for all of you. May the Lord continue to bless you. Love you and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Elder's will be Elder's





This past week has been dificult to say the least. We weren't able to find any new investigators. And yesterday only one of our investigators attended church. Sometimes the mission and life can be dificult. But one thing I learned from Elder Jeffery R Holland is that missionary work is never easy. He likened it to missionary work but Im going to liken it to life in general. He said (his own personal opinion) that life isn't easy maybe because salvation isn't a cheep experience! It was never easy for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so why should it be easy for us. He goes on and says, still his opinion and not church doctrine, that maybe we need to walk just a little in his shoes and feel in a very small portion what he felt.  When we find ourselves asking is there an easier way, let us remember that we are not the first to ask that. One a lot greater than us asked that a long time ago. He pleaded saying "Father, if thou be willing take this cup from me." Never-the-less he said "not my will but thine be done." Things happen for a reason. We recieve no witness until AFTER the TRIAL of our faith. May we always remember our Savior, in good times as well as in bad.
Sunday I also gave a talk about missionary work. I talked about how every member is a missionary. I got thinking after I gave my talk and more came to my mind. As a missionary I wear a name tag. It has my last name and the name of Jesus Christ on it. I represent my family and more importantly Jesus Christ. But a name tag can have some disadvantages. When people see our name tag it can often times set off a warning, a red flag if you will, and many people shut the door on us. But as members, we need no name tag because when we were baptised we promised to take upon ourselves the name of Christ. You already represent him. And when you serve others and make friends who are not of our faith, you are opening the door for them to recieve the restored gospel.   You have the name of Christ written upon your hearts and people recognize you by your works, not by a name tag. It is my prayer that every member will be a missionary. It is a call from the prophets of the Lord and is our responsibility and duty to be missionaries. Come join with me in this great work, "for the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. And if you should labor all your days crying repentance unto this people and bring save it be one soul unto me (Christ) how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my father. And if your joy will be great with one soul whom you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me." I love you and pray for your success daily! 

Love Elder Dial
 
 





Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Happy Halloween 2013

So this week has brought a whole new change. Elder G left and Elder C is my new companion.

He is such a cool missionary. He speaks little English but more than Elder Gonzalez so he teaches me and I teach him. He is from Quatalahara Mexico. I don't know if I spelled that right or not. Any ways he is super cool. I've already learned so much from him. And he is a companion that, like me, likes a clean house. So today we cleaned the entire house! It's great to have a clean house.



 
This past week was Dia de los muertos, or Day of the Dead. It wasn't what I expected it to be. I expected a giant party of some sort but there was nothing. Only shrines made to those that died. It did however make me even more grateful for the Plan of Salvation. Millions of people don't know about this plan and I love sharing it with them because it brings hope into their lives. It is such an amazing experience to watch and see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can completely change someones life.
Also this past week was Halloween. My companion and I celebrated it by wearing Halloween ties.
Other than that, nada. We continue to find new investigators every week and we found a few that are from the US but because of paper work they have to return. They want to return to the US as soon as they can. So they have a little boy that talks English with me but its funny how much he has forgotten in only a month. 
Yesterday was Sunday, Fast Sunday..... Only 19 more mom. Anyways we went with our ward mission leader to some inactive members and we encountered one who, well she is now attending a different church. I was brought almost to the point of tears. I kept wondering how could someone who has tasted of this wonderful fruit, completely reject it and go to another church. And all I can do is serve her. So that's what we are going to do this week. Serve everyone!! Saturday we helped build a house! Ok so we only mixed the cement but it felt good to serve. Mosiah 2:17 says "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when you are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" I don't know if I quoted that completely correctly but you get the point. 
This Sunday the 10th the bishop asked me and my companion to speak on Missionary Work. He wants us to get the ward motivated and involved more in the missionary work. I have a few ideas, mainly using Preach my Gospel, but hey use your best resources right! haha anyways, I hope all is well and know that I love you.

Love Elder Parker Dial

Our new house guest