When the Tide Rolls in.....

Ahhh... its a nice night, isn't it guys? Cool, dark, and quite. Anyways, I hope you all are doing good on the outside and the inside and I appreciate you taking the time to read my email. The past couple days have been packed as always with spiritual experiences, success, and a time worth smiling for. I'll share some funny tracting experiences because I haven't in a while. Even though it is just the normal now it always amazes me to see the gathering of Israel truly at hand. There is not 1 apt building we knock with say 20 rooms that there isn't at least 1 person willing to invite us in and receptively listen the the most important message in the world given to them by the spirit. I would confidently say 2 times out of 10 a person is interested. Before my mission I would've laughed at that with the idea of 1 In 100.  But the world is slowly being prepared. 

So for the first story I was on exchanges with a greenie who had not a clue what he was doing which is always fun. We knock on one door and this completely nude girl in her 20s opens it. Don't worry guys I didn't see anything but she said wasn't really interested and we continued on. She later comes out into the hallway with barely anything on now showing "interest" while we talked to her actually interested neighbor who was a strange character who gave us bracelets and warned us of spiders who we actually went back and taught her and she came to church. Anyways, the girl ends up trying to get us to do sus stuff and I was just laughing cause this poor elder with me was just in shock and had no clue how to handle the situation. After we left he was like man I thought I have experienced some weird stuff but that takes the cake.😂  

Alright another door we knocked another day with my comp Elder Mani. We knocked and we see someone look through the peep hole and then hear a women's(grandma's) voice talk to us through the door asking who we where. Obviously I hit em with the "its us". Then they said we were people of the lord and that they wanted to talk. They open the door and we expected an older woman but to our surprise it was a black guy who In a deep voice was like, "what up guys" I just started laughing cause it caught me so off guard but they where just messing with us.

This week someone we where teaching named Caitlin was baptized so that was awesome as they always are!

Something I've realized a lot this week during personal studies is that when I cross through the veil I want to be able to hug God and the Savior comfortably as if I truly already know them each personally. And when I present myself before Jesus Christ I want to be justified for what comes after. In order to do so we have to live the law that God has given us so read your scriptures and actually pray and open a dialog with your Father. Don't let complacency take away something that at one point of your life was so important to you. It was for good reason so make it a priority again before its to late!

Elder Parker

Ohhh Wow This is a Grape Message

 What.... is...... up..... guys! This week we saw so much success and I've said this for the past 2 weeks but it was also probably the funnest week yet of the mission. So many good memories, life learning experiences, and most importantly spiritual experiences. I've grown so much and don't plan on slowing down any time soon.

This week we did a 2 day exchange with some elders in the zone and it was super sick cause I gotta be back with my trainer for the 2 days in my area. Its cool to see how much you do and don't change in like 8 months or something haha.

There has been a lot of finding miracles and successes lately as well, as my testimony grows my confidence and self worth grow with it. 

Sorry for a un eventful, storyless email today but I do appreciate those who read!

Printer on 60Volts - Elder Parker 

This has been the most eventful time in my mission but the most un eventful emails haha. There are so many things that happen in a week that I just don't even know what to type but hopefully a video will help!

Always Going With the Flow

 Evening everyone. I hope all is well! 

I Just had that thought that I still need to do an email and I have no time because in order for your boy to get insane gains and be strong with the spirit he needs sleep and blessings🙆‍♂️🙅‍♂️😯💨.

This week was just👌 Mmmm. I only have a little bit of time but I will tell you some experiences. To start we were visiting part member families and talked to this guy when we where walking to their apt and he was super sweet. He loves the King James version of the Bible so the next day we taught him the Plan of Salvation out of it and he loved it. He came to church with us and sang the hymns so loud but it was the funniest thing ever because he didn't know how they went so it sounded so bad but he loved it! We had 2 other investigators with us in person too and It was so awkward cause let me tell you. You ever have those sacrament meetings where your just like wow what where they thinking picking them to speak. Yeah, 3 of those people on the same day. The second guy you could not understand a word he said from his 20 minute talk. The only thing I got out of it was that he said scripture was like honey and a sword and to put scripture in your car and read it. But ay my guy Johnny who came with us was all about it. Probably reminded him of catholic services 🤣. 

Anyways that's all I got time to share but yeah things are really going good here.

Keep the faith, you ever catch your self saying, "oh noo I'm tired I don't wanna do scripture study" Shut up.... your weak..... your mind is weak and your body is week. Alright I read my scriptures 7 hours some days.... why? Because it's easy and I'm bored alright I'm an apex predator. I survive and I'm going to continue to do so. That's it.

170lb- phhh its really nothing. 

Elder Parker

Spring Break

 Yuhh, what's good everyone? I hope you all are staying out of poverty! 

This week has probably been the most fun week of my mission. Let me tell you, I moved from skilled to veteran real quick... give it another week or two we going straight 👆 to Grand master. Grandforks might take the cake for favorite area which is saying a lot cause that involves Sidney Montana, my first area. But it is definitely the people! I learned that your circumstances of living or having money has literally zip zadda soap nothing with your level of happiness. Its all about the people... which is why I think everyone needs an Asain in their life but that's besides the point. Anyways we have a good time here doing the Lord's work. We have another set of elders close by and we play ping pong every night till lights out at 10:30. Lowkey, I be getting decent out here on the ping table. So we have a blast but also are all really good working missionaries so we slay in what is important! 

I'm getting to the point in my mission that weekly emails are getting harder haha. Cause there is so much that happens in a week, like an insane amount of experiences, but I just can't even began to try and turn all of it into writing. Just know I am comfortable, I'm learning, I actually have a testimony (crazzzy right, before the mission I had no clue about literally anything within the church😂 but thats probably my own fault) I am fulfilling my purpose here on earth and there is no chance my life could ever be the same without my mission. And I still got a while! I'm growing so much with the people around me and I wouldn't trade the world for it.

Anyways I know everyone really wants to hear about the work so I'll try harder next week but just know its going super well. We have 5 people on date for baptism. We grinded our butts of Saturday and got 6 people to church and found a bunch of fun people to teach with members, including an aggressive Satanist who will be teaching us what 6 god means tomorrow so pray that we don't die cause he got some bad spirits hahaha. 

Also for anyone that is curious if I had the opportunity to just have gone straight to Japan in the beginning right now, there is no chance I would take that or want it. Or even if they said you could go tomorrow or wait another 2 transfers then go I would wait for sure. 

Anyways video next week but for now keep eating your carbs💪

Elder Parker

Leadership Assignment for Elder Parker

 Elder Isaac Parker

525 DEMERS AVE #102

EAST GRAND FORKS, MN 56721 

Dear Elder Parker:

Congratulations on your assignment as a zone leader in the North Dakota Bismarck Mission.  You have been exemplary in obedience, dedication to working hard and a love for our Savior and His restored gospel here on earth.  

Being a righteous leader is a great privilege and responsibility. Your acceptance of this assignment requires that you teach by example - by working your own area in an exemplary manner.  As a zone leader, you are charged with the responsibility to teach your missionaries how to fulfill their purpose, which is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.  Remember that as a zone leader, you should always avoid being diverted from these basic duties by administrative details.  The most important thing you can do a zone leader is to be an effective proselyting and baptizing missionary.  

I invite you to read and ponder often Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-46. Apply these scriptures to your own life as a missionary, leader, and mentor.

I know this is the Lord's work, and nothing can stop it. I know being a leader is a great privilege and many blessings and joys come from righteous leadership. I know that the experiences you have in this assignment will help prepare you for future leadership opportunities in the Lord's Kingdom. Love those you serve and serve those you love. 

I count it as one of my greatest blessings to be equally yoked with you in this sacred work of gathering Israel.  It is my prayer and desire that we can follow our Savior, Jesus Christ in whose work this is.  

Sincerely, 

W. Bradley Camp

Mission President

Oooga Booga

 Well It's officially the 4th of July! I hope everyone has fun and withstands from blowing their hands off. This week was filled with success and spiritual experiences! It was a hard working week where I learned alot of lessons and strengthened my testimony. I do apologize because to be frankly honest I just do not have the energy to write about a lot right now. 

Today was super sweet with the whole Zone but also sad as I will be leaving them all Wednesday morning for transfers. Yes I am getting transferred to Grand Forks, MN which is north of Fargo and on the border of Minnesota and North Dakota. I will be ZL there over my trainer and my trainers trainer so we have a bunch of awesome missionaries there and I'm excited. It should be a really sweet learning experience for me and opportunity to magnify my calling as a missionary! 

Something I've learned this week and been working on is maturity. I am always scared of losing your personality and funny self when doing so but I learned that there is a huge amount of difference on being your Christ like self to help others feel that then being your immature self. It doesn't change who you are but the outcome of everything surrounding you.

Anyways, sorry again for a not very detailed or interesting email but on the bright side I have a video!

Inquisitively written and sent by Elder Parker

Video! I should've got more footage this transfer but here is a little.