Birthday Boy!!!!!

 

thanks for the happy birthdays mom! ya i got all the packages, the two you sent and i got lindsey and jareds package last night. i cant believe im going to be twenty years old. i really really like my 19th year, i think it was my favorite year of my life. time has flown by the last couple years huh?!
thats awesome thought that youve lost 24 pounds! congratulations! thats a really big triumph, dont stop, keep on going! fat people are breaking the word of wisdom. seriously though. nothing in excess.
i havent baptized in the last two weeks and im going crazy, its just that the problem is that here in tupã nobody stays active aftere there baptism. some elders that worked here 4-5 years ago baptized a lot of people, im currently trying to help these people get active again. i just know that if i baptize people here theyll go inactive when i leave so im trying to work more with the members to help retain and reactivate the members here. that man i baptized 3 weeks ago, still has not had one member stop by his house and just tell him congratulations for his baptism or just to say hi. without visits how are my recent converts gonna stay active. dont get me wrong, im still gonna throw anyone in the water, but im trying to do what elder quentin l. cook of the twelve told us to do when he said that the church wants real growth, they want more people in sacrament meeting, more people paying tithing, more people with temple recommends and more young men preparing to serve missions. he promised us that if we work with the less active people and people that left the church more, we will also find more to baptize amongst them. me and elder saraiva havent seen anything yet but we just gotta keep holding on huh. .
(Parker is answering a couple questions I had from pictures sent home)i was waiting to take a shower. theres only one shower in the apartment and 6 missionaries at the time, thats why i wasnt dressed yet. we ripped the shirts because president tavares recieved revelation that all shirts that were here on the mission need to be destroyed. hes a pretty strict president.
whats been going on lately, a whole lot of serious reactivation work.
its really really hot and dry here. the air is super dirty, i got a sinus infection. reminds me of Fresno.
forget college for the church, me and elder chambers are going to SLC (pronounced slick). salt lake city community college, welcome to the real life.
i dont have any more time left but i love you and hope that you have a good week. keep up the good work Bennett family. whatever happened to landon? still lost in the rebellion against nothing?
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
- Elder Parker

thanks for the email dad. its crazy to think that im going to turn 20 huh! i cant believe how fast its passed by. especially the last two years, i feel like when senior of high school started until now has passed by so fast, and its been two years! i gotta start doing something with my life otherwise itll fly right by me.
i hope that chad is doing well and not having problems in prison. i hope that when he returns from his time in there he will finally make the decision to change his life and hold to the rod until the end and not just for a short spurt.
our family is very blessed. the Lord surely has had a part in the way that our family is coming together. although it was an uphill and difficult battle for a long long time i feel like the worst is over and that now the Bennetts will only rise. just as Lehi says to his sons to shake the chains that bind you and brake the bands that hold you back from keeping the commandments i feel like the Bennetts are finally starting to do the same. but everything is from what the Lord has done for us. yesterday i gave a talk in sacrament meeting about the prodigal son and the spirit was very strong. the saints here are not strong at all. they are a very weak group of saints here, they do not stand together, everyone stands alone. even in there own families there broken, they just dont have any unity here. many are very disheartened, there spirits are broken because of the hundreds that theyve had to watch leave the church over the last 20 years, and everyone points the finger at the next person. you could say the people here are not a very blessed group of saints. they struggle very much to keep the commandments. so for my talk i decided to speak of the prodigal son, and how if we would just accept that we have wronged and return to our inheritance that God has given us that everyone single one of us has gone and wasted just as the son here, we will be accepted with a kiss and a hug from our Heaven Father and so we should do the same when others come. i told the story of nick pass and how his father kicked him out and he returned and went on to serve a mission. the spirit was magnificent. many cried with me as i spoke of the lost sons, daughters, and brothers, mothers, etc. that we have here in tupã that we must recieve with open arms and many kisses, not judging. when i say many, i mean many. about a dozen of the congregation of 54 people were crying. i feel like its exactly what many needed to hear. these people are so distraught and destroyed, im trying my hardest to work with the less active people and people that have left the church but im not seeing the blessings. i havent baptized these last two weeks and my calling as a missionary is to baptize. but here i am doing this work that should be done by the members and i dont know how much more i can take of it. i need to baptize people, its my calling.
- Elder Parker

Humility is the Key

Mom, ya i know those people. just add them to my facebook,  you dont have to ask me when i get home ill be able to see who i want and who not.

   bryce pass is the man!

   logan urmston is going to florida! spanish speaking! yaaaaaaa get his address and all that for me please. só batizar!

      haha dakota sounds like hes turning into the man that everyone wants him to be. im super excited for his future! why is riley getting bigger then me?!

     ya pres. tavares and sis. tavares came to my district conference. i baptized that little dude, his family was innactive and theyre reactivating! :) the baptism of there son has only excited them even more! sister tavares bore her testimony at the baptism, shes is my brazilian mom.

      ya i got the package, haha i got it 10 days before my actual birthday. im not 20 yet family. 20  years old, im getting so old. i fell like im an old man. 9 boxes of reeses pieces and two bags of mangos? ya! but you can put a little variety in what you do. a yoyo? ill probably just give it to some random brazilian kid on the street...

          sounds like chads doing good in prison, cause tupã is the worst city on this planet. i was talking to this lady thats left the church and i invited her to come to church, she said no, then i told her if she doesnt come to church then shes breaking a commandment and she doesnt love Jesus. she said, " i dont love Jesus." these people are so prideful here! there hearts are stone! i feel like im trying to invite souless people to return to church. the district president gave us a list of the less actives in my branch, there is twelve pages of 600 less active people! he asked us to meet everyone of them and see what we can do. (1 Nephi 3:7 please)

           this city is so apostate. these are by far the most prideful people ive ever met in my life. strong members also, they dont care that there neighbors arent coming to church. theres over a thousand people baptized in this city, i did the math, 1 out of every 65 people is a member. and i had 57 in the church yesterday. do you see what im working with here!? and elder saraiva keeps having deja vu and he says he thinks God is talking to him telling him this is where he will die. hes not even joking either.

                 i decided im just gonna go on a rampage and start baptizing the rest of this city. this city is in the state são paulo. my mission cover the state of paraná and a little bit of são paulo. i think maybe thats why i got your package a little faster then usual. it only took 10 days.

           im very grateful for our trials that we face in our lives. without our trials, how could we grow. we need to have the hard times so that we can recognize the good times. but we need to face these trials with humility, or we cannot grow. pride is the stumbling block to everything in this life. every sin is a branch of our pride. i want to make a difference in this city but i need a lot more help from my Heavenly Father do do His work here. i need a lot more humility in my life.

-          Elder Parker

-           

Dad, i dont think ive ever met the pittams before? shes probable from paraná, minas gerais or rio de janeiro though.(Dad’s home teaching family just got a foreign exchange student)

      ya elder cleveland is doing really well, we write each other about every other month.

     when is pierce going to go into the field. the field is so much better then the mtc. the mtc is terrible.

         cambria is gonna be 10 right? man dad im turning 20 next week. never thought id say that. its a whole new world of responsibility.

       thats cool that riley went to a fresno state game with the parkers. i really hope that addison and cameron parker make the decision serve a mission. not someday, but really soon. they say that you gain enough wisdom and knowledge in these two years then someone else will recieve in a whole life as a member of the church. its so true also. im doing things i never thought id ever do. my humility has reached a peak that i used to see as foolish. the pride of a heart cannot see the joys of humility. the older i get as a missionary the more older i feel. i feel as if my soul, has been growing years and years in the last couple months. this week i had two baptisms that fell. they dont want anymore to do with the church. for now they say. but the great enemy through a little trial in there way that they just couldnt get over. it happened friday night. i worked all week with them, and a lot of last week also. i gave them everything i had. but just as it is, every baptism must have a period of opposition. opposition in all things. without opposition how will we grow. when i got home that night of friday, i was filled with a mix of emotions. i knew i gave all i had, i had no more to do for them. the rest was just to get in the water. but that friday night, i knelt down and i gave thanks to my Heavenly Father for the opposition that He put into there lives right now and the opportunity that He gave them to make this choice. it was a tender prayer, i never thought in a million years that i would give thanks to Heavenly Father for my baptisms falling. generally i feel feelings of dissapointment, anger, or lacks of faith. but this time it was different, it is His Work, He directs it, He sculpts it, He decides what is best, i just give it all to Him. but its not easy, but its very worth it.

                    - Elder Parker

ONLY MIRACLES IN TUPA!!!!!!!!!!

 Dad,

     bob cleveland died?! i was just playing basketball with him like yesterday. man i didnt think that he would ever die. him and betty are some of the nicest people on this planet. i dont even know how I'll live if betty ever goes.

      thats so awesome that dakota got his patriarchal blessing. patriarchal blessins really are something special. i remember when i went to go get mine. a stake patriarch has such a high and sacred calling. everything that was said in mine is and will come to pass. haha when i was 12 and i got mine, i didnt know where to start! it talked about seminary and my future wife and the higher priesthood filled with scriptures, it was such a gigantous thing to get as a twelve year old, but it certainly did good to me.  this week  i baptized a 9 year old child of two less active parents. theyve been to church 2 of these 3 sundays ive been here. were helping them return to activity and baptizing his child, misssionary work at its fullest. all the members really like us a lot here also, because the man we baptized last week. we gained a lot of respect from the members for that one. it was good because were opening the area here, and you cant get respect or help from people that dont know you.

          the man we baptized gave us lunch in his home yesterday. lunch here is the equivalent to dinner in the states so they put him on the list of members to eat lunch with. hes really excited these days and is very grateful for the peace and tranquility hes feeling in his life. its only miracles on the mission. haha were teaching this lady that absolutely loves me! shes a mom, its nothing bad or anything, but the first time we taught here she said to me, " you have some kind of light thats shining from you! you have some brilliance about you that i cant describe! (what she said to me)] your a good boy, your a really good boy (talking to my companion), but YOU! (pointing to me again) you have something special, you have some sort of brilliance, a light that shines from your presence!"

   i told her its because my skins so white that when the light hits my skin, it reflects off, appearing as if im glowing haha.

                                  love you tons dad. make your family teaching visits, and do family home evenings every monday. your childrens future for the eternities depend on it.

                                                                      - Elder Parker

Mom,

your still goin to that time out for woman huh? it does sound like an efy for moms.

    is that michael fox guy a poet or what

    its not your fear that keeps you from sharing the gospel, its your pride.

     yay 2 boxes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      well tupã is going thats for sure. president tavares came because it was branch conference. he always gives really good talks. hes such an inspired man. and no, no one is feeding us here in tupã. its internationally known as the worst area of members to give lunches. president tavares came up to me and said, " elder parker, you look like your actually losing weight on the mission. are these members feeding you enough?" it was conference too, so there was tons of people around, and i said, " no president, we rarely eat with the members." he started laughing and then said, "thats gotta change sisters!" to all the people around. it was awesome cause everyone was laughing and then president tavares got all serious and burned all the sisters here. its what ive wanted to do the last 2 weeks.

    i heard dakoty got his patriarchal blessing, congrats!

    ya i got your letter through mission ties, but it didnt have a picture with it.

      were teaching this one lady, and on our first time teaching her, we left the book of mormon and explained how joseph smith translated it and told her to read some parts we marked then pray about it after. p.s. this lady loves me to death, she tells me that shell be my mom while im in brazil. anyways we passed by there again, and she told us the following story:

                       

    i read the parts you little boys marked for me, and after i kneeled down and prayed like you told me to. but i didnt ask if the book of mormon was true, i thanked God for giving me this book and that it was delivered by your hands to me. (she likes me alot) i didnt need to ask God if it was true, when i was reading it i already knew it was true. i felt it! i know i need to be baptized by your hands. (she likes me alot) but i cant be baptized now, im not ready."

    then i said i know, your not ready, your not married. your breaking the law of chastity, your a sinner. (she laughed) but lets marry you and baptize your family! shes got two daughters were gonna baptized this sunday. ONLY MIRACLES IN TUPÃ!!!

                                         love you all! everyone keep progressing in the gospel, and fix my car for when i come home. its hit me that eventually i will go home. 9 months already! why is it passing by so fast? o ya by the way, Elder Alex Katich is serving in the Maceío Brazil mission. he wrote me, hes still the coolest guy ever!

                                            - Elder Parker

The Spirit Can Change The Heart of Men

 I have attached a couple of photos, courtesy of Sister Chambers. Her son sent them in his email home today. The one with all  four of them in front of the church building in Tupa is Elder Chambers right next to Parker and his companion is next to him and then Parkers Companion Elder Saraiva  is on the end.. They all 4 live together. Parker was very close to Elder Chambers in the training center and so this is a pretty sweet time for them to get to live together.

Mom,

to send packages, send the package to this address but the other one you can send letters to.

              

                      Ana/ Elder Parker

                      Rua José Keller 751

                      Conjunto Habatacional Cinquentenário

                      Tupã- SP

                      CEP: 17603-480

   send me good stuff for my B- day! :D

                     hahaha i told i hope dakota liked the letter

                     jared got a new car? did our family become rich or something?

                    congrats to linds and jare bare for the new baby coming, i was looking at the pictures you sent me thinking about how they dont look like a two kid family, the next day she emailed me saying she was pregnant.

            if you dont get me the info on where elder alex katich is i swear im gonna punch some random person in the face. why do you tell me tons of stuff like barbeques and church when i ask for alex katich and what mission hes going to and his address. Jesus said who amongst you will give your child a stone when he asks for some bread. quit chucking stones at me and tell me what i want please.

           are those chicks gonna be baptized or what?  (John 3:5)

     just to give you some statistics on what i was thrown into here in Tupã, we have over 700 people baptized in this branch, not ward, but branch, this sunday we had 56 people in church. visiting teaching and home teachers has been so important to me in my life. without these two marvelous things that the prophets commanded us to do, you get situations like this. i saw that the elders quorums made three visits out of 34 this last month totaling at what about 9%. and everyone just sits and cries about how everyones going inactive. i never stay in any area for a long time, the longest arapongas, where i had baptisms lined up for the next month, now that im here in Tupã, i have a feeling im gonna stay here a long time..

         send elder saraiva a lot of candy, he wants a lot.

      we had such a good baptism this week though, it was a man whose wife and sons had been baptized 7 years ago. they were really inactive and this man had been to church a ton. he attended the church for 1 whole year and was never baptized! when he said that i thought to myself, thats just sick. i hate people that attend church for a long time and dont get baptized, it eats away at me knowing ive got someone that does the hardest part but the easiest part of being baptized he wont do. oh, it kills me. so we passed by there and met a very prideful man last wednesday, marked the date for the 1st of september. he laughed when i invited him to be baptized, so i laughed also and said im probably the one thousandth missionary to mark a baptismal date with you. he laughed and said every missionary thats passed through here the past 7 years. then i said, give us one week and by the end of it, youll be asking us to baptize you. haha i really said that. i left thinking nothing of it. he probably wont baptize anyways just another date marked. we passed by there 2 days later to teach him, and he let his guard down for 1 minute. we got him!!! for one minute he finally took down that wall of pride he had and told us about how there oldest son wasnt going down the path he wanted him to. there sons 18 and really rebellious these days. but he finally let his pride down just for a second, seeing this i followed the spirit and jumped in there, taught for about 5 minutes about how the son cannot follow a path that a father did not leave for him. i told him that his father was never baptized, so why should he have to follow the commandmets also. i then related it to Jesus and God and explained that numerous times Jesus says that He only does what His Father wants him to do, He follows the example of the Father. you could see him opening to, it was so gooooood! then with the spirit at its strongest i invited him to kneel in the moment with everyone there and offer a simple prayer and ask God that if he gets baptized, will his son follow his example and go on the right path also. (the sons a member already) so everyone knelt, but hes a timid and shy guy, prideful ya know so he didnt wanna say the prayer out loud. i said just say that line and then close in the name of Jesus Christ amen. so he said the prayer. only 3 simple lines. the answer could not have come more powerful. his wife cried, the member that we brought was crying, i felt like crying. the spirit was so strong in that one simple prayer. then when we all sat down and he explained how he knows it was an answer, he looked at us and said, i dont know how you guys convinced me to get baptized. i said, it was not us, i cannot change the heart of a man, the spirit did everything. God wants you to be baptized. and over the next week we passed by there, it was a true joy to see such a prideful man, become as a little child. slowly by slowly you could see it in his eyes, a little more meek, a little more humble. by friday night, his wife still could not believe he was going to be baptized and she asked him, are you really going to be baptized tomorrow, and he looked at us and said yes. the day of the baptism he did the interview and after he passed it he came up to me and asked if i could baptize him. i told that guy after one week hed be asking me to baptize him. :D  

                   - Elder Parker  

Pictures from the Mission