Arapongas (New area)

 my new address is,
Rua Surucua - Açu 308
AP 06 -Vila Araponguinha
Arapongas- PR
86705- 590
Brazil

  Mom,

taylors going to detroit michigan!!!!!!!! thats so crazy! that will be a really ghetto i mean fun mission hahaha.
i hope he baptizes everyone there!! parabens to him
o ya i forgot to mention we got robbed in that last house they broke in and stole our stuff. it happens in ghetto areas. so thats why president took us out. its the second time in two months that the missionaries have been robbed in that area. so president told us that because were american we have to leave, he put two brazilians in there. he told me because of my tall white appearence i was attracting to much attention so itll only be brazilian elders there for a long time. im fine with it, cause here in Arapongas, i have not been asked for money by some crack head bum once, had gay guys tell me im beautiful, been dog called by prostitutes in gross ways, been teaching lessons when some things happen and you just have to get out of there as fast as you can, or been robbed. and i can walk on whatever street i want to here, even at night. God bless Arapongas. its a relatively small city.everybodys really nice and the members are cool. i think im gonna like it here.
my comp is elder zioli. hes cool. hes more california boy then i am. he surfs, skateboards and all that stuff haha. we got along really quick. hes from the west side of sao paulo. hes a chill guy, he speaks english really well out of nowhere so he is always talking in english so i can correct him. but hes a good elder. hes got a nice little relationship going on with this girl from curitiba so i hope she sends me some goodies or something. so i can at least feel like some people havent forgotten about me. his real names gustavo though, i never really did like that name.
 its nice to hear about the progression of tyler haroldsen. hes gonna be a really good missionary. half of baptizing people is just being really excited all the time and never shutting up. i think hes gonna be just fine.
kasey dodge still workin at good ol GNC huh? whens that guy gonna serve a mission?
 richie tore his acl again. that sucks really bad, i feel bad for him cause hes worked so hard to get all jacked and play college ball. hmm leaves a lot of time for him to serve a misson now huh?
   just wanted to let you all know how much i love you. the work is good here in Arapongas. weathers nice, not to hot, a little nipply at night but all n all everything is really nice. ive got an argentian livin in my house now to. haha its funny cause he kinda sucks at portuguese and it makes me feel really good knowing that those days are over. im also learning spanish also from him. who knows, might just come back speaking spanish also.
i finished the book of mormon in portuguese like two weeks ago, forgot to mention that. it was really cool to see my progression with the language and that book. first nephi and second nephi took me about two months to read, but after that, i can read portuguese fluently also. what a blessing the book of mormon is our lives and growth. love you mom, i know your trying with the packages and all and i have faith someday youll get it down. haha kinda like when i first got in the field and i didnt speak the language but i always had to have faith someday i would and my comp had to have faith also that i would too. same thing, im your first missonary so this is your first time having a son in the field and youve just got to have faith that someday youll get it down (packages) and im out here, not so much faith as it is hope and a plead that youll get it down also because im dying but i know you can do it mom!!! your a mom, you can do everything!!!!
     - Elder Parker

 and heres the address in my area of a member here that said shell recieve our packages for us. so for packages send them to this address please

Luzia/ Elder Parker Bennett
Taperaçu 226
Vila Sampaio
Arapongas- PR
86705-540

dad the city ofArapongas is so awesome!!!
 President Tavares spoke to me directly on the phone to let me know that i was being transferred to Arapongas becuase it is the focus of our mission righ tnow. he said that that area in londrina was actually too dangerous for two americans right now so thats why we both got transferred. he said we were calling to much attention especially me so i said im got transferred because i look to american. trouble was happening to much there with people and the missionaries. but he told me that this city is a part of a district that there trying to make into a stake. its close, but needs more men baptized. so he told me i was sent here to build up the stake. we have until september to reactivate and baptize around 100 men who can hold the melkesidek priesthood. weve got alot of work huh...
  anyways when i arrived the zone leaders told us straight up that this was the focus area of the mission and that president told them he sent the best here to build a stake. exactly like he said on the phone to me. i think im here cause i have a high baptize rate for men. anybody 18 or older. thats most of my baptisms anyways is men so i think thats why pres sent me here. this city is nice, the people are nice and the branch here is twice as strong as my last ward i was in. literally, its got twice as many people, and they actually do there callings, cause there is people with callings here haha. anyways me and my comp already just baptized 2 yesterday, one being a man yay. my comp is really good, hes smart about how he works and puts his priorities from according of most needed. hes a smart chap, ive got a feeling were gonna baptize a lot this transfer together. love ya dad thanks for everything.
                            - Elder Parker
 ps 6 months already, goodness gracious next thing ya know ill be walking in the fresno airport. crazy huh. the harder ya work the faster it goes by.
pss i love cambria :)