Forever young, I wanna be, forever young.... I just wanna live forever.....

 Ayyyyoooo, what is up everyone! I honestly can't remember a thing that happened this week at all. But luckily its all written down though haha. Lately I've been having a problem where I eat a bunch of food on like 2 cups of rice then go do missionary work as my body just shuts down and wants to fall over to process the food. Kind of tuff especially as it's starting to get hotter out but its all good. Anyways, to start out the week I went on exchanges with Elder Archer who is a greenie, and well has a lot of adjusting to do haha. We were in Oyama and got some good work done and saw a good handful of success as well. Later that evening I did one of the weirdest things ever on my mission including cheese, which was super tasty. Anyways after that it was already Thursday where we had some good lessons and had new people at our English class. We invited everyone to church but no one came. 

On Friday we were out for like 6 hours straight and saw zero success which was kinda tuff but also just how it goes sometimes. We can get people's contacts and teach them some stuff but meeting again just feels impossible sometimes. I tend to focus on the foreigners a lot here. They are the ones that usually talk to us with actual interest without being scared or just not knowing how to say they arent interested. Anyways Saturday rolls around and we throw an on the spot gyouza party. Ki San one of our Chinese investigators brings a bunch of supplies to our church and then boom 6 other Chinese pull up and our one member friend who is super cool. One of the people there happened to pour a whole bag of salt in the meat and everyone mutually agreed that the qyouza was just absolutely terrible so instead we played some games and the punishment for losing was to eat the qyouza haha. Afterwards we taught them about the God head and prayer. Invited them all to church but no one came.  

So transfers happened again haha! I didn't think it would happen but Deholanda Chouro is coming back here and we are running a 3rd together in Kiryu. I'm super excited and we both wanted this so it will be good. He has such a strong testimony and is here to do one thing. I never have to worry about him at all because he is always choosing the right. Anyways for the transfer announcement we all went to Maebashi and watched it together with investigators and it was so crazy. They opened an island and my guy Elder Haffen is going there so that was pretty cool. Anyways I'm really hoping this next transfer is going to be a good one. I've got a lot of hope for what is to come. 

However, the weight has been a bit heavy just because of the lack of success seen. I hear stories of crazzy amounts of baptisms and things happening in Japan but never seen anything like that. And if there was a lot of Baptisms in the past the quantity of ward members just don't add up. I've thought a decent amount about it based on everything I have heard and the state of the missionaries in Japan right now are more obedient and hard working then ever. Definitely more then in America but that is also so different and hard to compare. Anyways not just with me but in the zone there are so many people that are working so hard, better missionaries then I feel like I am, Getting lots of people to chruch, finding lots of new people to teach, etc but then no one gets baptized. Kagarisan is our number one progressing person and we have taught her with members the whole time and done, I feel like, everything we can. She is praying about the Book of Mormon and baptism. But still says she doesn't believe. This is the true church I know that because the spirit has told me so. But why can't others feel the same way. So trusting in God's plan for all his children is something I've been working on lately. Knowing that sometimes you can pray for something your whole life just for the opposite to occur. Is that because God doesn't love me or hear my prayers? No, it's because he has something far better for us prepared. As we learned from General conference which has helped me a lot lately is that when those times occur, to look to Jesus Christ, cling onto the rod, don't let go, and trust it. And if you do that you need not fear. I'm happy and have no reason not to be because I know I have a Savior and It's as simple as that. I look at my self and my own persay, "conversation" and realize that it took a lot of work and time. I just want to help others experience what I experienced even if that simply means for them to understand that they have a Savior too. I try not to eat myself away over other people's agency and self weaknesses and failures because we aren't perfect, And we are not gonna be in this life, and that's okay. Sometimes I don't like that thought but, anyways thank you for reading my email!

絶好調な - Elder Parker 

to jest zdjęcie -

Check out some crazy pretty flowers 

Never gonna give you up..... never gonna let you down.... never gonna run around and desert you.

 What... is.... up guys! This week was crazy and filled with many awesome experiences. I am officially deep within the 6 months to sexy phase of my mission, so me and my frail body brought my concerns of shire weakness and lack of effortless seducing power which is usually strong with me to the president's wife. Luckily I have been blessed with an absolutely loaded mission president who understands my concerns and sent me some supplies. I have been able to run quite a bit these days too and have been feeling way better mentally and physically in doing so. It's a good way to release my fury built up from winter and people's lack of ambition and pathetic wills. Anyways, to place a cherry on top I found this drink that I cannot go without. Its packed with crazzy amounts of vegetables and tastes like straight tomato soup. Its actually quite disgusting and I'm probably the only one dumb enough to buy them at the convenient stores. However, they make you feel great. What makes you feel greater then them though..... well that's the temple which I was able to go and do an endowment session at in Tokyo last week. It was an absolutely amazing experience and one that I will not forget. Out of the 3 times I've done an endowments session this time I was by far the most prepared and ready for it. The spirit was strong and I felt comfortable there. Walking out of the celestial room the only thought in my mind was that I would back.

Following this we went to the mission home to eat. Knowing that all missionaries care about 80% of the time is food our mission mom whipped us up some delicious food. It was gone before I could tell what it was but man was it good. Then the zone all split with someone who wasn't their companion to blitz downtown Tokyo. Oh my goodness that was the funnest night of my life. I got off at Ginza Eki which was definitely the play because no other missionaries where right there. Anyways me and the Elder I was with just split up staying within the same general area and did what we do best. Ended up talking to a bunch of drunk people which was the funniest thing ever. They wanted me to go drink with them but instead I declared the word off God upon them and called them to repentance. Then that night we all gotta stay in temple houses which was sweet and have ZCM DCM and interviews there. Anyways we came back and on Friday we ran exchanges with the APs which was so fun. I was with Elder Inuoe and he has a car😏. You should've seen me drifting through intersections while that one song from Tokyo drift automatically started ringing in everyone's ears as we passed by. We were able to see a lot of success and have a lot of funny things happen. It was my first time ever being offered money by a Japanese person while they were driving. That honestly blew my mind. Then AP Sama went outside of my boundaries as I don't talk to females here no matter what and gave some Jesus pamphlets away. We ended up seeing one of them again with like 10 friends as she is showing the pamphlet to them either all being interested or laughing at us. But then out of nowhere there's these "gangsters" on skateboards outside the Eki and a cop comes out and just shoots one. No I'm joking cops here don't have guns so he just squeaked out a please stop and they all ran into the station and so I said "hello" to them and then they started skating in the station and I was thinking wow this is so cool but the station people didn't think the same and then they just got mad at everyone and we were right in the middle of it all. It was great. 

Then on Saturday we went to Maebashi with our investigator Ki San and had a gyouza party that was really good and a lot of investigators came. Not 1 member decided to come so we funded that out of the old MSF pocket which hurt but was worth it, 2 people sliced their fingers while going ham on some cabbage also, which was kind of funny because there okay.

I'm starting the talks of conference from Sunday now so I am really excited for those over this next coming week.

My testimony is strong, stronger then ever. We don't see a lot of success and its hard, and we try so hard to see success and do the best we can. However, I know God is proud of my own conversion and am grateful to share that with people as much as we can every day. This time in my life like no other time I see things with a completely different perspective and with an entirely different way of thinking. I can't express even a sliver of it through an email, however, so your just gonna have to trust me!

Until next time - Elder Parker 

Do you float on?

 Hello everyone! I've gotta send my email a little weird this week. However, things are going great! Right now I am on a train headed for Tokyo. Me and my zone get to go to the temple today and do an endowment session. Afterwards we will split into 2 groups and go to Tokyo station and another huge station and all street. It should be super sweet. After we get to stay in the temple housing which is located underneath the temple I believe. So I am pretty excited as this opportunity comes to few haha. Anyways this last week was crazy, full of unexpected things and changes, but through it all we were able to see progression. In short my beloved Brazilian companion had to go to Maebashi due to the bike accident so I am now with another elder. Really really sad. Elder Deholanda got pretty teary eyed as this was his first transfer having to get ripped away from so much. However when actual transfers happen in 2 weeks we are hopping for him to come back and run 1 more together in Kiryu. However, who knows.

This week a lot of stuff happened. However, I feel adequate to just share about someone we are teaching named Kagari San. We were finally able to teach her with a member and it went so well. Then she came to church 2 days later for sacrament meeting and absolutely loved it and felt the spirit at church. It was just 1 hour which was perfect because I was able to introduce her to my family, the Matsunmas (my Japan family). As I introduced her to my older and younger sister they quickly put together a plan and we all went to their house later at 5 and had a good lesson and meal with them and another family in our ward with 4 daughters and it was perfect. She is now praying about baptism and we are praying that she gets an answer! We weren't able to meet Kan San this week sadly, but we did find a Brazilian that is very interested and coming to church on Sunday. So me and Deholanda 長老 will be able to run an exchange on Saturday and Sunday which I am very excited for. 

I was able to listen to the Saturday morning session of conference and loved the talk by Allen D. Haynie about listening to the Prophet's guidance which is very important. I know Russell M Nelson and his apostles are true and directed directly by Jesus Christ.

Till next time - Elder Parker

Stacey can't you see, your just not the girl for me....

 Yo, what is up everyone, I hope all is well!😀 

This week was to say the least something I didn't see coming at all haha. So please strap in tight!

Starting this week off, me and my wonderful Latino companion set some good plans and minute by minute morning and night schedules! So with motivation to improve we started the week strong on Wendsday in downtown Kiryu. Normal day, we went into some shops, talked to this guy who goes to America and buys clothes goes back to Japan and sells them in his shop and what not. Thursday rolls around and it's a good day! We had a family come to our English class and we are meeting them tonight to teach them. Pretty excited about that. They are also like huge. They have a 16 year old daughter that's like 6,4 and Japanese. Crazy. Anyways this is where things get interesting. Friday morning we left early to go to Oyama for Zone conference. I was snapping some pictures of everyone on the mission camera when I realized it was 5 minutes past start time and 2 sets of missionaries that where supposed to be in the same train as us were still not there. They come rolling soon after and one is on crutches with a messed up leg and foot. I was like dang what happened. My guy got hit by a car, thrown across an intersection and was in the hospital all night. 😂 Anyways they leave early with President to go to a better doctor and that's the last I heard. Me and my companion finish zone conference and hop on a train home. I was feeling extra confident because of ZC so I was able to hop around the train, get everyone's info and set up times to meet with 3 people. They all ended up being 3 different Phillinos. However by the time we got home it was already pretty late and I whipped up a nice curry when President calls. At this point its already past 9 and he goes soooo, I need y'all to hop on the next train to Maebashi, which is where the elder that got hit is at. Of course I'm like yeah let's go, late night train right to the biggest city in our zone, sounds like an adventure. My comp didn't understand a thing of the call but he was sad he could not just go to sleep hahaha. Anyways we are on our way when bam my comp gets him by a car! 😱 No I'm just joking but we end up making it there that night and the next day we find out the elder that got hit has at least 3 broken bones in his food and possible soft tissue damage. After that we all end up getting a ride from the bishop there to Isesaki for like 4 lessons they had planned with Spanish people. We get out there in the middle of nowhere and the bishop leaves and then all the lessons get canceled. So me and my guy Elder Haffen just go work in Maebashi all day and had a good time and the other 2 went to grocery stores and rode around in wheel chairs. Then later that night we all somehow end up getting free facials with some Brazilians and managed to get back to our area for sacrament meeting the next morning. We were expecting 2 people to come! Which is awesome by the way! One of them bailed last second and the other one was supposed to get picked up by a member at the station but never showed up. Then they just walked in 45 minutes later. Turns out he walked from the station, which is a long walk. It was Kansan! Our Chinese friend. After we where able to teach him the full restoration with Reisan who is the member who just got back from his mission. It was really good and he loved it which means everything to me, so I hope he can come again next week. Anyways the elder that got hit might need to go to Tokyo for an MRI scan so we might be bouncing back and forth from Maebashi which should be fun! That's about it! I think. I haven't been able to watch much of conference yet, but I'll be watching them little by little through the next couple weeks or so.

Take care - Elder Parker 

これは写真だったらで見ない場合は霊界に行くかもしらない