September 28, 2009

Dear Family,

Hello Hello. This week wasn’t a very eventful one so sorry about that. We are trying to find new investigators and it is kind of hard. This coming week is the last week of the transfer. We really don’t know what is going to happen to either of us. President Drewes kind of hinted that I might be staying but you never know with that man. I have been in Jackson, Tennessee for 4 and ½ months now. I haven’t stayed in an area longer than that so statistics show that the logical choice would be that I get transferred but transfers aren’t supposed to be logical, they are spiritual and it is up to the Lord whether I get transferred or not.

This past week we have been focusing on Less-actives and Part-member families. I guess one of the general authorities have instituted a program where the ward council comes up with 15 names that are either Less-active, Part Member or Non-member. Then one of the ward leader ship are to personally invite them to be taught by the missionaries (receive the discussions). Then they are to tell us and then we are to teach. So far, we haven’t gotten the ok for anybody so hopefully they will get started on it so we can stay more busy.

I hope all is well with you. Deb and Big Mama are doing great! I am excited for Conference. Be sure to take notes and pay attention. We only get to hear from the Prophet and Apostles twice a year. I am so excited. I feel like I haven’t heard from them in a long time so this will be good. We passed out flyers to the members so they could give them to their non-member friends. I hope it will turn out good. I love you, stay strong and safe.

Love,

Elder Parker

Picture: (The District), (Me and Beau. He goes to the MTC next Wednesday! He goes to Russia)

September 21, 2009

Dear Family,

What another great week! I am so happy and it is good to have success once again. The Lord is truly blessing us with miracles and I am very grateful for it.

Debra Dunham was baptized on Saturday, September 19. It was a great baptism. Brother Billy Yarbrough (Her brother) baptized and confirmed her a member of the church. It was a really spiritual meeting and there were some tears. It was really neat to see a brother and a sister be united in the gospel. What a privilege it was to be apart of this wonderful time in there lives.

Billy’s birthday was this week as well so what a wonderful birthday present from his sister.

Ada Green (Big Mama) was confirmed on Sunday. It was good to see her there and now she and Sister Dunham can enjoy the blessings of the Holy Ghost with them always.

Now, we have to work on finding new people. During all of this chaos, we were trying to find new investigators but came up with nothing. Now, that it isn’t so chaotic, we can focus more on that.

One last thing, a birthday shout out to my brother Cade! Happy Birthday Cade and don’t worry I didn’t forget you! I love you Cade! Write me sometime!

That is all, I hope y’all had a good week. May God bless you! Love ya!

Love,

Elder Kyle Parker

Pictures include: (Me, Debra Dunham, Elder Cortez), (Grandpa, Brandon Yarbrough, Aaron Raab, Grandma, Debra Dunham, Billy Yarbrough, Linda Yarbrough, Rachel Raab)

September 14, 2009

Dear Family,

Wow, what a great week this has been. It has also been quite busy so that is good as well.

Well, we had Zone Conference on Thursday. It was good to see some of my mission buddies again and of course, President. It was a good, uplifting conference.

Deb Dunham, Brother Yarbrough’s sister, is doing great! She hasn’t smoked since Thursday! Her baptism is on Saturday. She asked her brother to baptize her. That is so awesome! I love to see that happen! It will be another busy and stressful week but it will also be very rewarding.

Ada Green (Big Mama) finally got baptized on Sunday after church. She asked me to baptize her so I did. It was such an honor and privilege to do that. She is such a neat lady and will always have a special place in my heart. She was hard to teach at times because she sure loves to talk. But when I talk to her, I love every minute of it. I wish y’all could meet her because she is an awesome lady with a strong testimony. She will get confirmed next Sunday.

This coming week is going to be busy which is good. I hope that I can get through it. I am grateful for the many prayers on my behalf. I really don’t think I would have had success without them. Thank you very much!

Love,

Elder Parker

Pictures include: (Elder Cortez, Ada Green (Big Mama), Me) (Me, Sister White, Martin, Elder Cortez, Maurice, and Big Mama)

September 7, 2009

Dear Family,

Hello! I am so happy right now. It is great. What a great past week this has been. We set another baptismal date with someone else. Let me explain.

Billy Yarbrough, a member here, has a sister that is a non-member. Well, at the beginning of the transfer, we started telling the members that they might lose us as missionaries because we had nothing going on for a while. Well, Brother Yarbrough said that he wasn’t going to let that happen. Well, he asked his sister if she would take the missionary lessons again (because she had taken them before). She said that she needed a week to think about it. Anyway, she had a week to think about so Billy called her up and asked her if she was going to get baptized and she said yes. So, we taught her on Saturday. We told her about the Word of Wisdom and she has a problem with smoking. She is quitting today and she is getting baptized next Saturday on the 19th. We are so excited for her and I know that she can do it with the Lord’s help.

Big Mama, or Sister Greene, is doing good. We are still hoping that she can get baptized this weekend. It is all dependent on her health. So please pray for her. She needs all the prayers she can get in order to get baptized this weekend.

We have had other good teaching experiences with a woman named Kim. She had a friend in Clarksville, TN that she went to church with. She really enjoyed it. Well, we shared the first lesson with her and she is very skeptical but she is willing to read the Book of Mormon. We are meeting with her tomorrow so let see what happens.

The Lord is truly blessing us as missionaries and the members of the church with missionary opportunities. Thank goodness! I love y’all and thank you for the love, prayers and support in my behalf. I love you!

Love,

Elder Kyle Parker

August 31, 2009

Dear Family,

Wow, a matter of fact, this was a good week that we had. A lot has happened, so I will fill you on in the details.

We saw Big Mama and it did well with her. Apparently, she has the occational tea so when we told her about the word of wisdom, she said that she will try and do what we tell her to do so I am super excited about that. It shouldn’t be too hard to overcome.

We found a new investigator this week. His name is Bernard. He is an old retired guy and he order a bible from our church. When we shared the first lesson with him, he enjoyed, so we came back and brought him a book of mormon. It was great. We brought with us, Bro. Yarbrough to one of the lessons and I think that it went great! Bernard has already told us that he believes in the Book of Mormon.

Sunday was a good day as well. The 5th Sunday is a combined meeting with the Priesthood and Relief Society. We were given the 3rd hour by the bishop, so we passed our Preach My Gospel’s and Book of Mormons and asked the people to write there testimony in them. I think the ward is really getting motivated with missionary work and that is great! I am really excited for it!

Other than that, I am pretty happy. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful day and age we live in to enjoy the blessing of the restored Gospel. I challenge all of you to invite your non-member friends to talk to the missionaries. The Lord will bless you, as I have seen it happen before. I love you and thank you for your love and support.

Love,

Elder Parker

August 24, 2009

Dear Family,

Wow, yesterday I hit my 13 month mark. 11 to go. That is so crazy how time flies. This week was a good week. Sunday was transfers and neither Elder Cortez or I got transferred so we are staying together for another six weeks. That makes me happy because I think things are starting to pick up here in Jackson.

We set a baptismal date with Sis. Greene, (Big Mama) and it went fairly well. We told her that we had been praying about this date and that we know that she can make it. She has a lot of health problems and sometimes can’t make it to church. The date is set for September 12. I pray that she will make this date and I feel like she will. I would appreciate all prayers in her behalf. We need all the divine help we can get!

We kind of lost contact with Sarah and we aren’t a hundred percent sure what to do with her. Apparently, members are pushing her too hard and she doesn’t like that at all. She knows it’s true but I don’t think that the members are treating her with love. We haven’t even asked the members for help and they keep pestering her about baptism. I hope we don’t lost her because of it. She is really solid.

I know that the Lord is blessing us. I really want success again. It is so rewarded and makes missionary work worth it! I am grateful for Christ’s atonement so we can be forgiven of our sins. I love you and hope all is well with you. Until next week!

Love,

Elder Kyle Parker