February 23, 2009

Dear Family,

Hello again! It's me, Elder Parker. I hope that y'all had a very awesome week. We had a good week as well! Let me explain.

We are still working with Vickie Coulson. She got really sick this weekend so she was unable to make it to church or the appointment we made with her this weekend. That is ok though, we are praying for her to get better soon.

We are working with two new people named Terrell and Rita. Terrell is a black guy and Rita is a Mexican woman. They are married. Terrell ordered a bible from the TV and so we went over there and delivered it and he just had a lot of questions and he really seems to like the church. We invited him to come to church and he and his wife did! They really seemed to like church which was good! Terrell seems to have a smoking problem but he seems to have the will power to quit. He was talking to us after church and he was telling us how he wanted to be a missionary like us. Ha ha. That is so cool. Really good family.

We are working with a Part-member, Less-active family, the Lowtharps. We had a really good first lesson with them last Wednesday and he agreed to come to church and pray about the Book of Mormon. Sure enough, they came to church! It was a great week this week for church. Steven Lowtharp, the non-member, is the one that we are teaching. They lost there child because it was born too early and they were kind of mad at God for a while. Mary Lowtharp, the less-active member, has a strong testimony, it is just that it was shaken because of that death. It is hard to lose a child, I can't even imagine.

We are also working with a lot of less-active families and Part-members so things are doing good.

I do have bad news this week though as well. Ed Claxton called me on Wednesday or Tuesday and told me that he wasn't getting baptized anymore and he didn't want anything to do with the church any more and he also told me that he didn't want anyone from the church to come to his house anymore. It broke my heart. It was hard to hear that from him. It just goes to show that Satan is real and that he will do everything in his power to prevent a baptism. From what I heard, his wife, the member was really excited. Then she freaked out! Something happened and I don't know what. I am saddened but I will go on. It a part of being a missionary. So unfortunately, no baptism for Ed. He was so close but like I said before, Satan is real.

On a lighter note, Elder Hinckley (President Gordon B. Hinckley's son), from the quorum of the seventy is coming this week to speak to all of the missionaries. It is called Mission Tour. I am pretty excited to hear what he has to say. He comes this Thursday and we are driving to Memphis. I am pretty excited!

So as you can see, I had a good week but also a sad one but hey, like I said before, that is missionary work for you. Hope y'all have a good upcoming week!

Love,

Elder Parker