Dang you have to do at home mtc that sucks... yeah but you're just gonna get reassigned... you have to serve a mission during covid...too bad we couldn't have served 3 years ago..blah blah blah blah...doubt doubt doubt/faithless words of discouragement. Yeah yeah yeah I've heard it all, none of that matters. People don't call their mission the best time of their lives because of the good food they ate or places they saw or a language they learned. Just because you have to microwave your ramen and can't heat it up in a pot doesn't mean you're just gonna not eat. I'm here doing exactly what Jesus Christ told us to do. That's what matters. This life wasn't meant to be fair in the slightest and as we live in the later days things are going to just get worse and worse and worse. So don't dwell on the past and act. Life doesn't stop for anyone. I have been temporarily reassigned for an unknown time. If Japan continues the way it has been, November, December is looking promising but we just don't know. Now I want you to think of the lamest states.. you got Kansas, Iowa, Ohio ect.. now guess in that general area. Alright you got a guess. Who am I kidding we all now your eyes already skipped down and saw it. North Dakota Bismarck.. but before you place any thought in your brains here me out. As lame as it sounds there are some cool things. Like the biggest cow statue made out of metal or a big turtle made out of tire rims. No I'm kidding, those are lacking in many categories. Although I know some of you would walk around it with endless questions.. But although the mission is Bismarck North Dakota it’s a lot more than you may think. Now you may be thinking the only thing less attractive than North Dakota is South Dakota. Ha well the entirety of that state is my mission as well. Oh and the eastern side of Montana, northern Nebraska. And a large chunk of western Minnesota. I'm pretty sure that it's bigger than Japan itself. Me and クロフ長老 in my district our going to that mission. I have been told that usually the missionaries there are over many wards/branches. I assume I will be driving a lot but if we don't have a car that just means we’ll have legs of diamonds. I am banking on the winter for fun stories to come and although I may not sound it, I am excited to go to this mission and bring the restored gospel into people's lives. Regardless where, I want to be challenged to an unimaginable point, That is really what I hope happens. Although, I am excited it is very hard at the same time. For those who served missions and went to places they loved, imagine getting told right before you went, hey actually you can't go there quite yet. Constantly Getting shown pictures, learning to teach area specific people. Yes it feels like getting stabbed until there is nothing left to stab, and is sooooo difficult. I have to remind myself constantly it's part of God's plan which is very difficult to see sometimes with the haunting thought that somehow I won't make it there which leaves my palms sweaty and feelings of significant despair inside. This life wasn't meant to be plain and simple. Especially in the latter days we may face excruciating pains and sorrows but that's the point isn't it. Time doesn't heal pain, it only teaches us to live with it. How are we to make advances without gaining the knowledge of hardships? Life is full of unfairness, confusion, and pain. If we dwell on things that may be "unfair" to our warped brains that don't even know the half of it, we are again missing the point. Our life on earth wasn't meant to be easy in the slightest, although we can find happiness as we develop and grow as part of our purpose on earth, which no one will run out of room to do so. Although hard trails come in everyone's way regardless of the situation, or status of said person. Some advice given to us as missionaries so don't take it personal but do at the same time when faced with a trial or something that seems impossible or soo hard in our lives…... get over it. Get on your knees and pray. It is insane how much you can see the Lord's hand in your lives if you'd just pour your heart out to god. It isn't about a ward or complication that could happen within the church. You and I both know it's a lot more than that. Just like our fathers want to hear from their kids, He wants to hear from us incredibly bad as well. "Cry unto him your thanks, desires, your temptations, and your hardships." As I find myself praying for the people that surround me more than myself I am filled with peace. The power of prayer blows my mind and for anyone struggling I promise you no matter where, when, or whatever situation our Father in Heaven hears your prayers and rejoices that you make the choice to talk to him. With enough faith I feel prayer is pretty much a super power at this point.
Every Tuesday night we have a devotional and a district led discussion. I have never felt the comfort of the Spirit so immensely in my life then Tuesday night. It's crazy how powerful a bundle of 9, 18-19 year olds directing themselves over a video call can be as we shared our own testimony meeting late at night after Elder Bednar spoke to us. God truly wants to help us but we must seek for guidance on his terms. I promise everyone reading this whether life is good, is hard, complicated, or indescribable that even tho it may feel impossible there is a light at the end of the tunnel and God is right behind you pushing you on the back whether its the direction you thought you would go or not. Which is where a lot of people lose faith. Pro tip - don’t.
Now for those still reading probably my parents, grandparents, maybe siblings or any other family you made it to the fun part. Congratulations. The last two weeks have been well….. Interesting to say the least. Hmm where to start…. I learned that the song When I am baptized, the Japanese version translates to I like rainbows. This past week we were learning about 天気. And Brother Hamblin, one of my two teachers, went outside to show and talk about this. Yeahhhh well my district being my district got his apartment number. My companion lives close so he knew the apartment building. My companion is actually 1 mile away from my sister in Provo, which means my teachers as well. Ha anyways we ordered him pizza in the middle of class which was pretty great he was extremely grateful as he was piled up with homework but more so terrified we now where he lives. But hey, we're missionaries not a thousand dolls without arms or legs so he’ll be fine. The next day we told brother Honda this and later in class he goes, We have a special guest… they join and it's him on his phone and he says, “apartment tour!’. Literally walks outside, shows us his apartment number while saying it out loud and typed his apartment building name in the chat. Yeah he got pizza too hahaha. Oh yeah I teach in japanese now and wellllll, they were not forgiving. They asked a bunch of question so my companion that was even more confused than I was while I was trying(definitely not getting anywhere) to answer he was switching back and forth between Google translate witch is terrible for japanese especially for religious stuff.. but he was wearing glasses and leaning toward the screen with a perfect reflection so you can imagine. I look at the other half of my screen and can clearly see which means the person whom we are teaching can also clearly see the Google translate white bright screen open as he drags it on and off his screen every 5 seconds and types 1 inch from the microphone to add to it. So you see the white window open up and then hear keys and mouse clicks for a couple seconds. It was rough and I couldn't help but laugh. In a review given by the "totally not a member at the mtc" they did not hold back haha but that was only 3 days into japanese classes. But yesterday it went really well except of course we forgot to say a prayer and all. The questions she asked I don't even know how to answer in english and some words she would use to ask about let's say the atonement translate to random things like prudence and I'm over here not even knowing what that word is supposed to mean in english. But overall it went pretty good. We teach for 30 minutes at a time but sadly I can't find a 29 minute video in japanese. Haha I'm kidding. I'm in all japanese classes and I usually understand them all just not word for word but a good 80% if not more but then I go to speak and I'm like uhhhhh and instantly forget grammar is a thing and don't know how to put the 20% of vocabulary I can think of on the spot into words and then I forget how to speak english as well. But that's the fun part. But all is well here. Music is one of my true love's ha. It's going to be a hard 2 years without it, although I have found immense peace through piano music. I also wouldn't be surprised if I have ADHD or something or if it is just normal, but it is almost impossible for me to read and get anything after the first three words before I'm in doo doo land. Even with full power. But when I play piano music it's like the music occupies that side of the brain so my other 3% can actually read.
Sorry this was so long, Hopefully some of you got to read the entirety of it. I'm a person that generally keeps to himself. As are many others. I've learned talking about things important to you a lot of times isn't to others so finding someone who cares just doesn't happen. So I really enjoy writing these letters and thank anyone who read my last letter, this one and hopefully more to come. It means a lot.
Till we meet again,
Elder Parker
