An Apostle of The Lord, Elder Quintin L. Cook

Sooo, this last week has been very long! Waiting for updates on Parker's condition and his many Dr. visits. He is still having test's run and we will hear more this week. So for now we know that he has been diagnosed with 3 gall stones and he has gastritis. So he is on a medication for this and they are testing to find out what is causing the gastritis.It is basically an inflamation in the stomach lining. So he is on a very strict low fat diet for the gall stones, so we don't upset the gallbladdar and he still may need surgery in the future. The hope and prayer is that he wont need that until he is back in America. He is being kept in the area of the President, at least until next transfers.

Mom,

ya well i only have 8 minutes so this wont be long. im feeling better but there still doing tests. last week will never be in my memory ever again. it was terrible. i was like there american little guinea pig and they made me do so many gay tests. mom they made poop in these little cups. there the sick ones. put me to sleep to. may the Lord have mercy on there soul.

thats so awesome that pierce is going to costa rica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe elder gomez can train him...

thanks for all the prayers from everyone but things are starting to look better. im not being trained anymore so now its really time to start baptizing.

Elder Quentin L. Cook is an apostle of the Lord. theres no other way of saying it. the meeting was remarkable. a moment in my life ill never forget. he was so casual and didnt even really talk but trained us. hands on and all . he was asking questions and just lettin us answer. he asked elder clayton of the 70 to actually talk more spiritually and he explained things better actually then the apostle. at one point i thought to myself i think elder clayton is actually smarter and more qualified. i thought to myself man, apostles really are just average guys, with a special calling. but then the last testimony was elder cook. and he announced himself as an apostle of the Lord speaking and i immediately felt the spirit come over me, actually everyone did. he spoke so simply of the atonement and how any sin can be forgiven. so basic. he bore his witness that Jesus Christ lives and directs His church, then provoked a blessing upon us and our mission. but he did it all as an apostle of the Lord. you should have seen it, 180 missionaries crying, and the tavares haha. he was such a simple guy cracking jokes and everything but once he testified as an apostle of the Lord, there was no denying of his calling, his witness, and the spirit that he brought. he really does hold the keys of the kingdom. he opened the heart of EVERY single person in there, because he has the keys of the kingdom, he has seen the Savior, he has spoken with Him, and at any moment he can open the gates of heaven to whomever, bad or good. ive never felt the spirit like that in my life. -Elder Parker

E-Mail to Dad

Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 7:52 AM

To: Perry Bennett

Subject: Re: 4-22-12

it is very simple indeed. we are as the army of helaman we have been taught in our youth. thats why a mothers role is the most important on earth and its why satan is slowing tearing the role of a mother seam by seam.

    this week was very hard. im having problems with my health and found out i have stones in my visicula. it hurts. im in londrina right now cause im going to see a specalist here on stomachs to see if i need surgery. this is the worst part of my mission and ill be happier when its gone and i can get back to work. im feeling very sad but im in the same house as elder peteresen my friend from the ctm so that helps a little but id much rather be with my companion, in my zone, baptizing my investigators. i could really use your prayers in this moment. your right though, the plan of God is simple, to those that will humble themselves and begin, but its so much easier to live in the great and spacious builiding then to hold to the rod. but if it was easy, everyone would do it. which is exactly why everyone does iniquitous things instead. love you dad. keep on keepin on.

                - Elder Parker

Surgery

Please pray for Parker, he has some health issues with his gall blader and may need surgery. He will see the specialist today. He has been moved to the mission home. It is our prayer that he will be able to continue the work as quickly as possible. He will appreciate your prayers in his behalf.

thank you for your really strong testimony mom. it helped a lot. i have always admired the hope that you have. today i actually studied in my preach my gospel the Christ like attribute of hope and i read a quote from president James e. faust that says hope is the anchor of the soul. when i read it i couldnt help but think of my own mother. whose anchor her whole life has always been hope, hope for the better in everyone. but when our family was faltering and our ship was being brought out to the storms of the sea, and though we lost some for a little while, we could not lose our family, because we were firmly anchored by the hope of a mother. our mother. our anchor. im very grateful to have you as a mom, i know that you were chosen in the pre existence to bring us into this world but also bare our burdens also. its funny cause i know you hate pit bulls but ive always thought if you were an animal youd be a pit bull. dont ask me why it just fits haha.

this week was very rough. the toughest of them all. ive been having pain in my stomach for the past 2 weeks, but never really stopped to notice it. cant stop working on the mission. put your shoulder to the wheel push along! but it got really bad and i didnt sleep very well for 2 days then i tried to sleep but my stomach felt like it was being ripped apart. i thought maybe i ate a bone or something but i just threw up all over the place in our bathroom. like 3 n the mornin sink, counter, mirror, floor, and finally the toilet. so we called sister tavares and she said to go to the doctor and after all that he just gave me a ton of dramamine and everything but asked us if we wanted the 200 dollar xray! for my stomach and we said no. i honestly thought i just ate a bone 2 weeks ago or something. so we left, called sister tavares and we had only made it down the street when she said, no, he needs the xray go back. so in her wisdom that is more then all 3 of us we went back, and i have 3 stones in my vesicula. the doctor said to cut out all fatty foods, oils everything. he said fruit is really good for you right now. he said ill need surgery when i return from my mission. so we went home, next day i woke up ate an apple bannana and some juice and 20 minutes after i threw it all up. but this time i made it all in the toilet and it actually tasted kinda good. i was quite delited. but so they called sister tavares again and she thats it hes coming to londrina. i immediately just took a knee, like when someones hurt in a sports game, and just started balling, i havent cried like that since i was a child. i was so disheartened, how could they take me out of my area. im still really struggling, i love everyone there, even the catholics that just wanna bible bash. so i just sat and cried like a baby. i dont understand what God wants from me right now but i know that all i want is some health so i can baptize everyone in foz. man we have 3 more baptisms this sunday too. so i went and knelt and just cried to God to give me some consolment, and the verse mosiah 4:9 came into my head. acreditai em Deus, acreditai Ele tem toda sabedoria e homems não pode coomprender coisas Ele pode compreender. now i dont understand His plan, but i know He has more wisdom then i. im living with elder petersen though so thats cool. i feel like the sons of mosiah when they meet up again and talk about all there miracles and baptisms. but im going to see a specialist today at 4, i might need surgery here in londrina. pray for me. o ya Elder Quentin l. cooks coming to talk to us this saturday, gonna bee off the heez. im so excited!!! just remember mom, if your not baptizing, youre a failure.
- Elder Parker

Email to Dad

Email to Dad

Date: April 16, 2012
Area: Foz do Igauaca
Companion: Elder Avilla

thanks dad,
no nothing happened i just ran out of the hour to email. rules are rules and missionary work comes first. thats nice to hear logans active in basketball, i hope his marriage with jenaye is working out very well and there getting by. i was starting to like her and then i left for the mission. im excited to hear when theyll have a kid.
ya satan came at us really hard this week. hes always at work destroying the divine nature of sons and daughters of God. he almost got one of our recent converts we only baptized just two weeks ago. she had said she didnt want to attend anymore and her little girlfriends were all there to back her up telling us that Gods in her heart and she doesnt need to attend church and we cant force her to anymore. i almost went ape and started beating up old ladies. it was crazy to see and old lady speak to us in such a evil manner. she had pure disgust for us, and all we could say is that were just representatives of Christ and want to help people. she had invited them to attend church and they all started telling her that the mormons have false idols because we have pictures of Christ in our church... then they told her that we dont believe in God and they even told her that our tithing was wrong because we write our last name first and then our first. they said it was some sort of scheme to recieve her money. me and elder avilla just were astonished. so later that day we carefully picked a time when we could talk to her without her ``friends´´ around. so we talked to her and explained to her everything.we really built off of if these woman have Jesus Christ and are of the true church of Him why do they cast stones at other churches? did Jesus ever once cast a stone at anyone even when they were sinners or even murderers? anyways long story short she cried and just said shes really confused right now and begged for our forgiveness and apologized and said shed come back. we just simply said you need to do this for God dont apologize to us, if you feel this is the true church then stay, but only in God you can trust. any ways satans atwork, but we´ll work just as hard and with the spirit. it makes all the difference. love you dad. hows reading the book of mormon as a family going and family nights?
- Elder Parker

Very late letter in mail

We received a letter in the mail from Parker today dated 2-29-12. It took a LONG time to get here. Some of the news like first baptism is behind him but it is still good to read his messages no matter how late they are.To those that aren't members of the church, Companionship's are the set of 2 missionaries serving together in the area and the one month out he refers to is, a month out teaching after spending the first 10 weeks in the training center. From his message in his email today, he was about right with the language, he has gotten it down pretty good.

Querido Familia!

You're invited if you can make the trip to the baptism of Leandro today. He was a wretched man who cheated on his wife and we've been meeting with him for about a week and he doesn't show a desire to change. Then all of a sudden he decided to change his ways and forget his past and return to his family. Surprise Baptism Today! (he sent home the program for the baptism). This will be my first in the field and we have another one this Sunday and then the mother of the one on Sunday could be baptized the Sunday after. Hopefully. It took a lot of hard work but I guess if you work as hard as we did for the last 4 weeks there's no way you couldn't have baptisms.
I'm getting the language down and hopefully I'll be fluent in a month. It's crazy its already been a month! Before you know it I will have returned home and married Bret Mortimer within a month. Ha Ha!! Anyways, I just thought you'd like the invite.
Love you all, I want the Book of Mormon read 2 times as a family when I return. If I'm out here reading it in another language then you should be able to at least read it now.
So I have the feeling that once I'm finally situated here I'm going to baptize hundreds. Hope you like the little souvenirs, and no Mom I haven't seen the waterfalls. Everyone in your zone has to get a baptism in the same month, which is 7 companionship's and it is difficult. Rules of President Tavares though, so I haven't seen and I probably wont this transfer but maybe another time in the next year and 9 months. Everyday s a miracle here!!
Elder Parker

17 email from Foz

i dont know exactly for mothers day, im pretty sure its next week or something or next month i dont know but if i stay here in this area we will skype because this lan house has skype but thats the week after transfers so i might be in anothr city so i dont know if i will be able to skype but im pretty sure yes because most lan houses have them. here. but i dont know ive never been to another city yet. anyways im 99 percent sure it will be skype.
yes my hair curls more in the humidity.
the last guy i let cut my hair was drunk and i have the pictures of the little shack he cut it in haha so my hair is terrible right now but hey, it was 5 reais haha
im so very proud of tyler haroldsen. hes becoming exactly the kind of man i had hoped for the rest of my friends. actually the same goes for nick pass, i didnt know him very well but i know his story and his dad would always tell stories from the mission about him that would almost bring me to tears. my heart aches for my brothers who will seek after the foolishness of this world, rather then serve there God.
i need some more giga bytes for my camera cause at six months out im going to send you another tape, and the memory chip so you can just download them all. it takes so long to send them via email.
ya i know that shirt was sick. an elder that already went home named elder thiago, james, drew that picture. his stories really cool. he was a tattoo artist but was baptized when he was 8 but never went to church after he was 10. then one day some missionaries came into his studio really upset because he was going to give a tattoo to a girl that was one of there investigators so she wouldnt be able to get baptized for some time after ya know, baptism rules. he said i dont care, this is my job i need money, then he said im a member of your church to i was baptized. then the missionaries got actually angry with him, started yelling at him saying youre a member and youd give another person a tattoo! anyways he was 20 and he said it made a big difference on him, returned to church, served a misson at 21 and actually was one of the best and respected missionaries in our mission. he was assistant to president and everything, just goes to show ANYONE CAN SERVE IF THEY HAVE A SINCERE DESIRE
things are going great, i dont know if i mentioned but i understand almost everything people say, im not fluent but in finding people to teach, and teaching them im fluent. im also fluent in baptisms. an ancient language passed down in my heritage from the great dan jones.
ya so we baptized this week also and if everthing goes right were going to baptize 4 next week. 2 for sure and if this fubeca couple would just go to paraguay and marry already so i can just drown them in the waters of baptism already. feels good to baptize though, you go one or two weeks without a baptism and then you really start questioning what youre doing. man this place has brainwashed me huh?
i love you all. i havent recieved the package yet because i wont get until our zone leaders leave in two weeks, so yes im probabaly going to recieve rotten jam. get the pictures out, yea funerals fine, just send pictures please thats all i need. beautiful beautiful woman, thats all i need! beautiful woman = baptisms. do the math. yes im sending kotys letter today. probably 3 weeks
com amor,
Elder Parker

pictures

Letter and Package arrive in mail

We received this letter from Parker last week with a package. Thought I would share. For those that are not members of our church, Parker mentions trainers and he is referring to the first missionary companion he will serve with out of the training center. They help teach him what a missionary does and the day to day routine and stuff like that. We also learn why he no longer refers to himself by Elder Bennett but Elder Parker. We hope you are enjoying his letters.

Bennett Family,

I think it's funny how real and true this gospel is. Seriously, the church is the only true church and literally the only one that receives correct revelation from God the Father and Jesus Christ.

President Tavares receives correct revelation for us all. My 1st 4 weeks here we worked really hard and when I say we I mean Elder Freitas. I had decided that I was going to wait my first 2 transfers and do nothing for the first 3 months til I could really actually help people. Since I didn't know the area, Language, culture, people, how to be a missionary, or what a missionary is. I decided I'd just get dragged by my 1st 2 trainers and study them. I had literally said to myself everyday in my mind while we walked and after appointments that I did and said nothing. I would say to myself, "I'm a sleeping giant waiting till everything falls into place, then I'll awake, but for now I'm a sleeping Giant.
Seriously, everyday I'd repeat to myself, "I'm a sleeping giant awaiting to be awoken." And that was my attitude the 1st 4 weeks and ya you guessed, we baptised nobody. Got really close with about 2 or 3 but nothing.

Then President and sister Tavares came and we had a zone conference and they trained us for seriously 8 hours straight. Was really good. Its where I learnt the only reason I'm here is to Baptise. I honestly thought I was just here to spread the church to everyone and serve everyone. Dang wrong. Then President Tavares told a story of the legend of the sleeping Giant in the city of Rio De Janeiro. Legend has it that the rock formation by the ocean side in Rio De Janeiro is a Giant; sleeping. He was a giant and he ruled the land but one day he got a little tired, and thought he'd just lay down for a second. Then he was so comfortable laying down and not being the Giant that he is that he layed there a little longer.He was a Giant no more and now just land for everything to rest on. He stayed a sleeping Giant forever. But President pulled this video up which I think was a commercial in Brazil about how the Giant woke up and the whole city notices, and then, here's the best part, as the Giant is walking across the ocean side and every step hes shaking the whole city a caption came across the screen: "O Gigante Nao Esta Mais Adormecido" "The Giant is no more asleep". When I saw that, O mama! It stirred something in me. I mean my exact words, I was like, "Serious the Giant (me) sleeps no more!" And ya, he hasn't slept no more, literally, I get up at 5:30 every morning so I can study and pray more and the results of the Awaken Giant. . . .3 Baptisms in 3 weeks since I awoke! and I got 2 more this week and 5 the week after. (Family) that's right! By the time you read this, I will have worked as an instrument of the Lords work for 7 more Baptism. I speak with every person I see, I only think about Baptism and that's all I want. Our missions goal is 200 Baptisms this month, and President Tavares asked for 1.5 Baptisms per couple. The AWOKEN GIANT, the shepherd of Londrina, the Farmer of the field, and the fisher of the sea, ELDER PARKER will give him 5, if it be the Lords will.
I love you all, God Bless. Remember that its by small and simple things great things come to pass. Pray, fast, read the scriptures, repent, bring forth good works continually and you can know the mysteries of God and bring thousands to repentance. Can there be any greater Joy?

I am sending home my Elder Bennett name tag. Elder Bennett didn't know he was here to Baptise so he did just that. Baptise nobody! Elder Parker has more than your fingers. He knows his purpose as a missionary.

16th Email from FOZ

Mom

    well i dont know what to say about all the problems everyones having except the same things i tell my fold everyday, read the scriptures everyday and pray to God ferverently everyday. follow the commandments, in this there is safety, in this there is peace.
    about the family specifically and whats happening with them financially and emotionally and spiritually all i can say is that it will only get worse. and it will only get better when they begin to obey the commandments of the Lord with exactness. to tell you the truth im a little scared myself for that home, because theres only one who has stood alone and followed the commandments and  so he has and will continue to recieve blessings for this. honestly this life is so simple. keep the commandments, in this there is safety in this there is peace. He will send blessings, He will send blessings. i have one family that we are working with.  they have two kids, there dirt poor, not married she had there first child at 16 and there second at 18, because they didnt learn the first time and guess what... because they dont keep the commandments of God they cant get food for kids because there father got layed off from his crappy job and now they have nothing. (We come into their lives, Elders Avilla and Parker) were running around to every member we can find asking for food for them so they can at least feed there two sons of 5 and 7  we preach to them keep the commandments they ask us what is this you speak of? we set a small goal for them, read one verse from the book of mormon together and after say a prayer together and youll recieve blessings. they do this everyday for 5 days, he was employed on wednesday!!!! they have money to pay for water, electricity and FOOD!!!! all because they showed forth a little effort, and they were rewarded. KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS, IN THIS THERE IS SAFETY, IN THIS THERE IS PEACE. HE HE HE HE HE WILL SEND BLESSINGS, HE WILL SEND YOU BLESSINGS. KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. whatever President monson says goes.
     - Elder Parker
 AKA the pastor of Londrina

 

 

thanks for everything dad.
   about all those people that turn us away its about 99 out of 100 that turn us away. right now some cops just rolled in here and there searchin this whole place around me and i dont know what happened but its funny here cause everybody breaks the law but the cops dont do anything unless its something really serious like drugs or murder an stuff. but there all big guys and they are decked head to toe and travel in packs of 3 and they look like they could beat up a dozen guys at once. its funny to see the differences with there police and ours, for them, the other two that arent checking someone or doing the paperwork have to have guns drawn and in position to shoot anything that attacks. fingers on the trigger ready. even for just a traffic stop to check for a license everyone has there gun drawn. crazy huh. but im learning that for every 1000 people i talk to, 100 will let you teach them or have time, 10 of those 100 are serious about wanting to follow the example of Jesus and only about 1 of those 10 really actually have the desire just as the boy joseph to find whats true in this world. so its a lot of work. dang i dont know what happened around here but cops are going crazy right now, just another day in porta meira of foz do iguaçu. porta meira is the ghettoest part. but i love it! Good thing i listened to Tupac all those years so im not afraid of the ghetto, right dad?! haha love ya
            - Elder Parker

Email #15

Ok so there is some sarcasum in the beginning to Mom, I failed to mention in my letter was that I sent the addresses with the care package that went out last week.

 hey mom thanks for the addresses i asked for. you just keep pulling through everyweek for me.
    i only have 13 minutes so its not gonna be much this week cause i was fillin out baptismal reports sucka!
    what was the recurring message i got from conference? baptize everything that walks on this planet. when President Monson was talking and the portuguese guy was interpreting and i couldnt understand much all i heard him say was baptize elder parker! baptize elder parker! baptize those 12 investigators sitting next you, baptize them and then there mothers, and then there grandmothers and then there second cousins, and then there friend they met one time at summer camp whos confused about religion, baptize them Elder Parker! like spongebob when he forgets everything but fine dining i have forgotten everything except for baptism. people ask me what i like to do and i reply baptize. they laugh ask me what i liked to do before my mission in america, and i just go blank and i think to myself, i dont know what i liked to do before my mission except baptize people, is it possible to like other things besides baptism? I... dont...know
    but yes i do know that elder freitas is zone leader, that fool is physcho but hes one of the best missionaries in our mission, hes a cold hearted baptizing machine. actually elder chambers has been killin it also is what i heard. dont have much time but i love you all, have fun at malibu, please get me elder mason urmstons address and elder gomez as well and elder gardner and please check up on that package i sent you. it costed me 60 reals so ya it was a lot. and put more money on my chase card please, the doctor and medicine costed me 200. funny thing our zone leaders are leaving to a conference and there gonna get all our letters and  packages and if you would have sent my medication when i asked id be recieving tomorrow but im not gonna recieve all that till next month till they leave again for another conference. i hope i dont get another sinus infection. love you all tell lindsey and jared i said to dont worry about lily, have another kid also. i want a whole little flock of tiny ones when i return.
                       - Elder Parker