Week 57 In Ft. Lauderdale....

The Devil went down to FLORIDA and he was lookin for a missionary to stopa, he was in a bind because a this time. the missionaries were doin a lota.

and so he picked me...

This week was a great week until Wednesday... We used up the last of our miles on Wednesday and so Thursday meant it was a bike day. But we were smart during weekly planning we called a member and he was willing to give us a ride to our first appointment which was about a 30 min ride on bike. So after our appointment I jump on my merry little bike and pedal away for the day. and as I am going to make a turn in front of a fence... I reach for my brakes and pull... nothing... BASH right into the fence... I was furious... Brakes GONE... then as I am looking I see the back wheel is squiggly because of a broken spoke so all in all I am out of luck... See another Elder in our apartment had been having a few issues with he bike so I let him use mine til he fixed his... well he had forgot to tell me my brakes were almost gone and that he had started to hear a click and chirp in the back...  this is what happens when you are nice!

oh and did I tell you that it was POURING THE WHOLE TIME? not raining, NO it was as if the entire Gulf of Mexico was over our heads and kept falling on us repeatedly. My BONES were wet! that's how soaked I was!

so what do we have to do? Walk home... In the rain... so after that wonderful trek back home we dry up and call one of our APs to see if he had any solutions (give us 15 miles so we can got to the bike shop, quick easy problems would have been solved) he was busy so his suggestion? Ride the bus... it was 5pm by the time were caught the Bus nearest us at 5:45pm and rode to our appointment we would have had and 30min to teach them and catch the circle bus that goes up and around and goes back to our home AND WE STILL WOULD HAVE HAD A BROKEN BIKE THE NEXT DAY! So I ignore that advice and call our Zone Leaders, and get some good advice they would becoming down the next day, so they brought me one of their bikes and helped us calm down they are great guys.

 ANYWAY I WAS FURIOUS still  am a little.

The next day wasn't to much better, so members needed our help unloading a uhaul truck into a storage unit ant 1000am and they could not give us a ride because there was no room in the truck and they were taking the bus back... oh it was STILL FREAKING RAINING!!! and when we get there all we do is stand around and wait for them for 20min then move 4 mattresses and they say "now we will give ya'll a break..." we told him we didn't have a lot of time and we would rather just move the stuff and he said well "I need a break, but you guys can go now we really only needed help with the beds..." oh and the Beds STUNK and were greasy bleh!... not the cleanest family... BLEH!!! so then we bike back home in the rain after doing NOTHING!!!!

So you can see that I kinda had some set backs in the whole "Becoming an Angel" thing... you see there is more to that then scripture study and... well I missed in on the whole be patient and long-suffering part... I kinda ranted and raved and raged and reviled and rattled until I was blue in the face then I got over it... but lets just say it was not my shining moment.

Other than that Good things are happening with the Ramos family! We finally got the father to church and now are working on getting them to really work towards a date. They are making friends in the Ward and they got invited and went to a members Block party and are excited about the Ward's Harvest Festival the day after Halloween. Good things! We have found a few new people and are trying to help them build their desires, I yelled at a thug dude named Sergio about how he needs to fix his screwed up life so that his kids don't end up in the same hole he is in... I literally heard a voice keep whispering in my ear "louder" and "bolder" to the point were I told him "enough excuses! God's telling you to fix this! this is an opportunity! TAKE IT!" and it worked... A lot... he said thanks I will but you gotta help me so we are going to... So hey the spirit speaks...

Anyway LOVE Y'ALL

Stay Strong Push On

Elder Parque

Our continued email conversation:

E. Park:

we are looking right now for a Pastor or Preacher to convert and teach his congregations

Me:

Good plan! Any of them in the near future?

E. Park:

not yet but close we are working with this chill dude that's a deacon in his church... he was amazed when we told him that we were deacons​ when we were 12.

Me:

Haha! That’s awesome!

Speaking of… About 2 weeks ago, one of the Deacons dropped his water tray. He bent down, picked up the tray and left all the cups all over the floor. He was so embarrassed, he just went to the back of the Chapel and stood in line. Cute Jacob W****** walked over and picked them all up. 

E. Park:

he's a good kid... how are they doing? hows Syds mission?

Scotts nearing his return isn't he​?

And the Wells girl?

Whats Dallin up to?

and Will?

 Me:

They are doing great. Kelsey was accepted to some Fancy Artsy Fartsy High School in the St. George area, so she moved down there with her Gparents in early Sept. Syd is doing fabulous! She is a Trainer Missionary and she is loving it. In her Blog from yesterday, she is saying that she has not been happier in her whole mission! She is loving the area and the people. She will be coming home in April.

Nikki Wells will be finishing her mission in December. She is in Okinawa right now and has absolutely loved working there. .

Scott and Dallin are going to be home in January. I can’t believe they are getting ready to come home! They are both only going to be home for a day or so, then off to school. They are both seeing great success in their areas. Scott runs in to funny crazy people and Dallin runs in to scary crazy gang people.  Crazy people everywhere!

Will just got to Texas last week. He is very gung ho and excited to be there. 

E. Park:

And here I am ranting and raving over Rain and a Bike... I do Love it here and would not trade this for anything in the world, the people here are so interesting and unusual... 

An Entertaining Conversation Between Leah, Elder Park & I. At least we thought it was...

Subject: THIS IS ELDER PARQUE....

Date: Mon, Oct 20, 2014 8:44 AM

​ How is the weather over there? it has "cooled down" here... alittle... its still hot just not ridiculously hot...

 Janette  wrote:

We are down in to the high 60's and low 70's. A few times at night getting to 50's. It's been beautiful. We have actually had to turn the heat on a couple of times. Light jacket weather. It's too cold for me to ride my motorcycle. 

Elder Park wrote:

Pansy, throw your jacket on and be a REAL biker chick! people here ride motorcycles all year long!​

Leah wrote:

 Geez! She's being a woose! Haha! saying its too cold!

Elder Park wrote:
Leah just called mom a woose... I hope Leah will live til I get home... Talking a lot of smack there little girl... ;) haha 

Leah wrote:
Haha! I learned from the best people out there!! Haha!

Elder Park wrote: 

We must not have taught you about when... haha! I am in Florida... a LONG way from home... Mom can't flip my ears... YOU live in the same house... you gotta be careful hahah​ ;)

by the way Leah what is a woose? is it like a wus?​

Leah wrote:
It was supposed to be a wus. I didn't know how to spell it...and I didn't want to ask...

Elder Park wrote:

hahahahahahahaha ​

Leah wrote:

Haha! You're mean... Haha!

Elder Park wrote:

I. KNOW.​

Leah wrote:

All least you admit it! Haha! You're just like mom!

Janette wrote:

Leah just dropped a Diet Coke. I think she dented the kitchen floor!

Elder Park wrote:

... Diet Coke causing contention.... must be of the Devil... you must stop drinking it...!!!!​

Leah says I am just like you mom... I think from my last statement that that proves I am not...

Leah wrote:

Haha! Well, you may not drink the same drinks, but you talk just like her!!

Elder Park wrote:

... you always told me I was "Just like" Dad... WHO AM I? I am so conflicted! Am I like my father, or my mother? like an uncle or a grandmother?! DO I HAVE MY OWN IDENTITY? AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHBBHHHHAHAH...

Janette wrote:

I am so sorry punkin, your identity is not yours. You are a mix of both of us! Of course the best of me and the stubbornness of your dad! 😜

Elder Park wrote:

Oh! whoa is me whoa is me! I also think I got double stubbornness...​

Janette wrote:

Are you saying I am stubborn? Not in the slightest! I am totally not stubborn, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not! How rude!

Elder Park wrote:

haha you are SO FUNNY! ​

Janette wrote:

I KNOW! Right?!?! See where you got your sense of humor? It certainly wasn't from your dad! 😉

Elder Park wrote:

haha! I love you! 

I got a package from Gpa Park this week... only his name was on it and only his letter. BUT it had Banana Bread and Cookies in it so I know it didn't all come from him!​ Also Elder W******'s mom sent me 1 flip-flop... no package... just a flip flop with stamps and an address on it... it was funny!

gotta bounce!

Week 56 In Ft. Lauderdale....

I have officially decided that October is a terrible month, the only good things I can think come out of October are Conference and The World Series, and I guess Garret. (speaking of the World Series who's is playing) And I guess the reason for that is Halloween... It is terrible for missionary work. Imagine this (it happens almost daily) you walk up to a door, pass one of those sensor Halloween decorations and "BOOOOGAAAHHAHAHAHA" and other loud noises start issuing out of it! That is a great way to start a prayer or a blessing. Or when on the door is a gore-y Zombie or severed arm. It stinks. Really I think that the mission has ruined Halloween for me, I am becoming embittered towards 3 things Little Dogs, External ACs near the door and Halloween. Maybe front yard gates too. It just all creates Awkward situations.

Anyway, this week has been a good week! Everybody is doing well, we have started on a path towards recovering the Ramos family and have now established a goal with a couple of the Kids ​to get their father involved and help him get back to church so that the whole family works together towards baptism. We had interviews with President Richardson Saturday and he basically told me that I need to do everything and anything to get this family baptized... He kind of implied that if we do not we will be staying together another transfer... We have not decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing... We might "love" each other to Death... (I would be ok with them staying together again...)

In my interview with President he made it very clear that we always need to be evaluating what is a valuable use of our time and what is not. He taught me a little about how valuable our time is and how really we need to be using all of it as best we can. Remembering that there are Good, Better and Best things to worry about in life and there are good, better and best investigators to teach and to work with.

Our phone has been acting up lately and we have been missing text messages and things like that... We thought it was Satan playing his funny games... but it was God helping us out. on Friday we were supposed to go give Yolanda a priesthood blessing before she left for Honduras so we went over when we got there she told us that that she had texted us that there was only going to be her and Robert so we probably should do it another day. But we never got the text so we showed up anyway! And since we were there we were able to have a lesson focused on Robert and what he knew and understood. We found out that the reason that he had fallen back a little was because he really did not know much about who Jesus Christ was. So we taught about who Christ is what he did, and what he gave us. At the end of the lesson, he just thought and said, I want to thank him however I can. We told him he could do so by being baptized. He said he will be baptized. It was amazing to see how just understanding what Jesus did for him helped him increase his desires and I felt the most pure rush of the spirit as I testified and taught of Jesus Christ our Savior, the Redeemer, our Older Brother. And I testify with out a shadow of a doubt that HE LIVES, He Loves, and He Heals.

This week has begun:

 BECOMING AN ANGEL 101

This a study schedule that I have derived form 2 Nephi 32: 3 '' Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

 Yeah... Scripture mastery!

Anyway I was reading this Classic Boss Scripture when it dawned on me... This is a formula to become an ANGEL... BOOM and so thus began my new and extensive scripture study to try to get all the scripture and all the words!

Monday:

Book of Mormon reading. (looking for valuable scriptures to share with my fellow man)

PMG. Doctrine study, to better understand and find different ways to teach my investigators

Tuesday:

Old Testament

PMG Purpose, to better understand what I am doing and Why.

Wednesday:

New Testament

PMG Christlike attributes, to become more like Christ.

Thursday:

Pearl of Great Price

PMG Doctrine, you can't get enough doctrine.

Friday:

Doctrine and Covenants

PMG Study Skills to increase the effectiveness of my studies

Saturday:

ENSIGN because modern Scriptures

PMG Recognize the spirit

Sunday:

General Conference MODERN SCRIPTURE again

Applications to my life and others.

I am kinda telling you all this so I hold my self accountable to more people and I actually stick to it and move forward to become an angle!

 Anyway this was a great week, full of  unusual awkward missionary situations, Skeletons detract from the spirit... and people especially members like to ask us why we as members "celebrate Halloween" that's hard to explain. I just tell them the "Church'' doesn't just the people do... I mean why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day? no reason but fun and Candy!

  

Stay Strong, Push on!

Elder Parque!

Week 55 In Ft. Lauderdale....

Not a Crazy ton has happened this week, it was busy but weird, there has been an unusual feeling lately that I can't explain. But good things are happening.

We met this guy named Wendy, he is Haitian and so Wendy is neutral gender like Taylor. In Haiti it is a name for both guys and girls. He used to meet with the missionaries when he was younger and has nothing but good memories of them and is excited to get back in to it! I have not taught a Haitian man before, luckily he speaks really good English.

And yesterday we met another guy that got baptized when he was 19 (about 7 years ago) but then lost track of the church as he got older and started working and going to school, but he was VERY excited to see us I am not sure if it was just the way he is but he was practically yelling at us with excitement. We will be meeting with them tomorrow.

We had an interesting visit with our fun DoTerra Family that has visited Utah a couple of times, they are great and Robin (the husband) would be down in a heart beat I feel, Kristina would as well IF she can get by a few doctrine hang ups that she has. But other wise they are awesome, (after our lessons they always teach us something about the Oils, and give us techniques on how to use them, they want to critique and modify our supply) they love reading the scriptures and watching videos of the prophets speaking, they will go down soon.

As for the Ramos family last night was a rather revealing night, we asked a question to some of the kids in Spanish's... and they did not understand... then we realized that even though the Kids know Spanish, they don't really at the same time... entonces we have wasted 3 weeks with them and now have to start over and check what they understand and do not... Kinda our fault for not asking enough questions in the beginning to understand if they understood! So they will be put off another week or two.

But I have been having a lot of fun in my new wheel chair... we found a functioning wheel chair in storage... it is now my study chair... dinner chair... and fun time chair...

Oh! Elder M**** B********** just got to the mission! And he is being trained by Elder L***... weird that we knew each other before the mission and now are trained by the same guy... It's a small world! Elder L*** is probably thinking that God is telling him that he needs to move to Herriman after the mission. 

Today before we emailed a guy made us sushi... it was good... not bad... not great... still don't think that I like sushi. I think sushi will kill ya!

In my study's I have been developing a new system for studying, I will have it figured out by tomorrow so next week I will tell you all about it. But I really have been focusing on trying to study for my Gator Friends.

Lost 10 pounds in the last 2 weeks, our apartment has been trying to eat healthier and exercises a lot harder in order to loose weight, there is a machine at Publix called the Higi and it takes our weight and blood pressure and factors in our height and age and give us a score and as you loose weight and get healthier it gives you points and so far its been pretty fun. For along time it was telling me that I had high blood pressure, but I don't think it was that accurate, who knows but some how I brought it down... so that's been new

Ahhh I think that is it...

Stay strong and Push on

Elder Parque

Week 54 In Ft. Lauderdale....

Just got on. We went to the zoo... again... I have been to the Metro Zoo more that I think that I have been to the Hogle Zoo (the zoo in Salt Lake)... been in this zone for a LONG time... Long time...

Well this week was General Conference so we were preparing pretty much all week, GC tends to be more exciting for missionaries than Christmas. I am not sure if I told you last time but we watch conference at the Chapel, the chapel is not in our area so we ended up camping out at the chapel ALL day Saturday, it was not feasible to leave between sessions. Luckily people brought food between 1st and 2nd sessions Saturday and Sunday and as well there was a priesthood social before Priesthood session with food. We actually get special permission to be home late from priesthood session, because it goes from 8-10pm. BUT what a great weekend of revelation, the main themes that I pulled from it were: Becoming TRUE Christians, giving lovingly, Sustaining our Prophet in both word and action, and using the tools that we have been given. I loved to see that they allowed the speakers to speak in a tongue that they were comfortable in and that we were able to see that Zion is for all. I really liked Elder Jorg Klebingat's talk, he was very bold but clear.

We are still preparing for muchos bautismos this month, this big family is wonderful. There are a few difficulties in teaching such a large family and we are trying to slowly overcome them, the thing about it is that we still haven't finished finding people to baptize this month we pray to keep finding more. Our major concern is not getting a lot of baptisms this month but a lot of "Mormons" we want to help a lot of people BECOME Latter-day Saints, making a full and lasting change. A few months ago I probably would have dropped a few of our families because they were taking so long but now I realize that sometimes the time helps them progress, its just hard slowing down the pace of teaching and not giving all of it at once.

As for "Meet the Mormons" we have specifically been told that "NO" we will not be seeing it while it is in theaters. And that has been all that has been said about that conversation. We do not know if later there will be a chance for us to see it or if the rule were to change what would happen. The thing is that it is NOT a proselyting opportunity, the church did not produce it to be such, we are to stay far away from the theaters and to do nothing more than invite people to see it.

I don't know when D*********** will be going to the temple but I do know that I will be going... I will make sure that that happens.

This week we met Evelyn she KNOWS that the Lord sent us to her door because she watches Joel Olstien (?) look him up tell me a little about him. I know that he is a Televangelist and that people love him. She was "a watchin' the progrim" and he said "someones going to knock your door, and bring the message to your home" she thought he meant figuratively... then we knocked her door the next day... she says God picked this church for her and so this is where she is going! She is going through a lot right know so we are keeping it simple and helping her understand the Restoration bit by bit. I just think that it is funny that Ole' Joel is also being used as a servant of God! We have heard a lot about him, both good and bad.

Anyway love "yous guys" as Evelyn says

STAY STRONG AND PUSH ON

ELDER PARQUE

Week 53 In Ft. Lauderdale....

 We are staying... I am very excited about this but thoroughly confused... NO one thought this was going to happen... I have been in this zone for 7 transfers, I have seen people leave and then come back. They all told me that I was outta here and headed north. But no! Here I am! Still here in Homestead! 4 transfers! Wow. I remember how Dad placed his pin in Miami for the guess and sure enough here I am still in the Miami metropolitan area! I am a Miami missionary.

​ President Richardson actaully sent me a personal email. It said, "You two are "on fire"...! Now, stay focused, humble, grateful and most importantly "close" to Heavenly Father & the Holy Spirit....! ;-)"​ So it's clear that things are going well here and President didn't just forget us down here, President know's that the Lord wants us together down here!

Well, this week was really great! Lots of good things happening and lots to look forward to. We found another family that we are teaching and they also have dates for the 19th that brings our grand total of potentials with dates set for baptism to 13 for the month of October. I don't know if you remember this but October was the month I had my first baptism, October is special for me and we are going to celebrate it by baptizing a small nation down here. We are VERY EXCITED FOR THIS. I was worried that I would be leaving and missing all these AWESOME people that are SO CLOSE to baptism! BUT I AIN"T GUNNA.

This week we had an incredible speacialized training, its about a new Key Indicator for our mission, because everysoul is a soul and great is his (or her) worth in the eyes of God and now missionaries, its called the RESCUE and it helps us track and appreciate the In-active people that we help bring back, the "Lost Sheep" and celebrating as the Good Shepard would.

I am finding that I really am beginning to LOVE Florida, err Miami, I do not know what Florida is like but Miami is great, there is NEVER a dull moment always running always dodging, always energized... and I LOVE HUMIDITY... or at least I will pretend I do! Yesterday we got stuck in the most torential down pour I have been in, (we were on bike... we ran out of miles) and I realized how alive I felt, I was wet, to the bone I could not see and I had just hit a curb and hit my face on my handle bars, all around in a miserable condition, when I realized, someday I am going to laugh about how dumb it must have looked to see 2 kids in white shirts and ties as wet as we were furiously riding our bikes, and I decided right then... Why not enjoy it now? Why not laugh and have fun with it NOW? And so I am. Because in this infinite and eternal plan, everything is always moving forward and if we aren't, if we are standing still we are moving backward. We MUST​​ act a​nd not be acted upon. So I will act and I will enjoy my time EVERY moment.​

​I don't know where that tangent came from but yeah... Smiles act yeah... sunshine in my soul...

Any who there was more I wanted to say but I can't remember!

LOVE Y'ALL remember missionaries love letters, pictures, ties and socks.

STAY STRONG AND PUSH ON!!! WITH A SMILE

ELDER PARQUE

I love this boy!!

On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 1:38 PM, Janette Park  wrote:

Oh Yah, I forgot to tell you… From now on, you need to send me a g’bye, over n out, hasta la tootles or whatever. But, I need to know when you are walking away from the computer. Last week I sat there for about 30 min waiting, not knowing, wondering…..

Did you know that I love you? Very Much!!??

From: Tyler Park
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 11:44 AM
To: Janette Park
Subject: Re: Hmmm...

OOPS SORRY i FORGOT!​

On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 1:41 PM, Janette Park  wrote:

You didn’t answer the second question…

From: Tyler Park
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 11:46 AM
To: Janette Park
Subject: Re: Hmmm...

that was my answer to the second question... HAHA no I know you love me! thats why I look good wearing a new shirt!​ 

On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 1:43 PM, Janette Park  wrote:

You are such a stinker!!!

Btw, you look good no matter what you wear!

From: Tyler Park
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 11:50 AM
To: Janette Park
Subject: Re: Hmmm...

Maybe when I loose a few pounds and my suit pants start fitting again! haha But I learned from the Latin Ladies "el mas gordo es el mas feliz" also Latins LOVE calling each other little fat one... I hear all the time a husband so "Gordita, donde esta el pollo?"​