Week 62 "Black Christmas" 12/7/15

Hi, Mom. So, things have been a lot slower lately, not too sure why, perhaps from all the preparations for Christmas and New Year's. But yeah, our appointments are starting to fall through a lot more often, and it's getting harder to find new investigators to teach. As President Riggins says, this month, we gotta step it up. We gotta give it all we got, because this season is what the Mission calls "Black Christmas". It's up to us to testify with all our hearts and all our might that this is the true Church of God here on Earth. We gotta show them that our Church is the only Church that contains a prophet called of God, twelve apostles, and holders of the Authority to act in God's name. President Riggins also made it clear that, despite the fact that the Book of Mormon supports our belief and respect for the Virgin Mary, we do not worship nor adore her, considering that that would be in contradiction with the Ten Commandments (thou shalt have no other Gods before me, for I the Lord God am a jealous God... etc). Also, these people ought to know that not only do we not worship Joseph Smith (nor Adam, nor Moses, nor any prophet of God, for that matter), but we also don't address God by His "name", for that too is blasphemy. We address Him through one of the most respectful titles we could, which actually is "Father". Think about it: Do any of us call our fathers/dads by their names, or simply as "Father"? The point that I'm trying to get at with that is we address Heavenly Father as such, in order to show that we have the utmost respect, love, and even fear for Him and all power/knowledge we know He has. There is virtually no way that one can prove the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a man-made Church, with man-made doctrine, man-made teachings, and above all, a false prophet. That being said, I am extremely grateful for the blessing and opportunity that God has given me to be here in Ecuador to share with others how this Church has blessed my life, and how it can bless their lives, as well. I can testify without hesitation that God hears and answers our prayers, that He loves us, and if He didn't, then He wouldn't give us the blessings that He does. I can't wait for the blessing that I'll get to Skype Call you guys, so you can once again have the privilege of seeing my face and hearing my voice again. It's so crazy that this Christmas marks my 15th month in the mission. How the time flies! Before I know it, I'll be Skype calling home again for Mother's day in May, and then going home in the Fall. WOAH! I can't believe it! I love you guys a ton, and I'll be sure to send some awesome pictures for this coming Christmas for everyone to see and have fun with on the blog. Until next week, stay strong, and remember that so long as you guys stay true, and keep a prayer in your hearts, God will always help you in your times of need. Give Chloe tons of love for me, because it still breaks my heart that I can't be there to do it myself. Take care!!!!

Con Sinceridad y Amor,

Elder Conner "Duane" Parke

PS: The latest package I received was of the razor, deodorant, and my USB Cable. And the last letter I received was from the Youth/Mutual. If you can, let Brother Siddoway know that I'm still super grateful for helping me find a job before I left on my mission. If possible, I'd actually like to have my old job back. Thanks!

Week 61 I Am A Loser

Hi, Mom. So, according to President Riggins, because we are coming closer to Christmas Time, we are entering into our little version of "Black Friday". What this means is that the Spirit will be more with us, so long as we are willing to work for it, and it will help us testify of the truth, and how those around us here in El Empalme can truly come closer to God and Jesus Christ (which clearly is through the Church of Jesus Christ). That being said, we have a new Christmas Initiative that is going to help us earn the trust and understanding of the people more easily. It's called "A Savior Is Born (Ha Nacido Un Salvador in Spanish)." So, the purpose of this new Initiative is to help others understand that our beliefs and their beliefs aren't so different. What I'm trying to get at here is the whole "Santa Maria" (Holy Mary) thing. President Riggins helped shed a little more light on this subject by showing us a few passages in the Book of Mormon that, believe it or not, show quantifiable evidence that we, as "Mormons", do indeed believe in Mary. HOWEVER, because we believe in Mary, that is not the same as worshipping Mary. Instead, we believe, we respect, and we even give thanks to the fact that Mary was chosen - both in this life and in the pre-existence - to be the earthly mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm personally really glad that President Riggins helped clear this up a little more, because you have no idea how much it pestered me to see a little Holy Mary figurine on the dashboard of half of the taxi drivers here. Now, we can utilize that to help people like them come to know and recognize us not only as Mormons, but also as representatives and messengers of Jesus Christ who also believe in Mary as they do.

I'm still a little depressed about how Chloe's days here on Earth are now very numbered, but at the same time, it helps me strengthen my testimony of the Plan  of Salvation. I have faith that I'll see her, as well as my family again after this life. While I was serving in Guayaquil alongside my extremely good friend Elder Finch, I learned that a splendid way to contact people is to mention the Plan of Salvation that God has for us, especially because most of them are truly unsure if they will ever get to see their loved ones again. By testifying of this great and wonderful Plan, we can help them strengthen the faith that they already have in God, as well as fortifying it with more truths. If I remember right, one of the last things that Great-Grandpa Larry Parke wanted me to do was sing. I told him, "Nah, maybe next time, Great-Grandpa." But then, he got sick, and his time to leave this Earth came soon after. I loved him more than ever, and to be able to share with others that I know I will see him again is a great part of my testimony.

I've been tempted a lot lately to murmur against my companion. What I learned this morning is the fact that I have no right to murmur against him, or anyone, for that matter. This is why my mindset, for a while now, is this: I am a loser. I'm not saying that this means people have to feel sorry for me, and I'm not saying that I don't deserve anything. What I'm trying to say is that, I don't deserve to complain, I don't deserve to bicker, and I don't deserve to show any hard, cold feelings of hate, anger, or contention towards anyone or anything. This world is dark, this work is hard, and it's sometimes difficult not to admit that I feel alone, sometimes. But, to believe that I am alone is to disregard the truth that God loves me, and that I was chosen to be here, to represent His Beloved Son and His true Church. These people, although they may not know it as well as I do, are my brothers and sisters. Each of them are special, and each of them deserve to know how they can see the hand of God more often and more easily in their lives.

Before my mission, I was lazy. One of the things I liked to do most was sit on my laptop computer and play video games. Little did I know, that I was being distracted from doing far more productive and far better things with my time. It would make me full of anger and hate, and virtually no one would want to be around me. I felt alone, even in my own house, even around my own family, and it would only make me angrier and hate everything (including myself) more. When I learned for myself that I'm never alone (and never will be), it filled me with this burning desire to do more... It especially filled me with this burning desire to show my Heavenly Father just how much He means to me, and just how grateful I am for all He has given me. Perhaps, that is why my heart was so set on my serving a mission. Two years was the least I could give to my Father in Heaven in exchange for the blessings that He's already given me, in addition to the blessings that are to come. The mission has helped me learn so many things, and I can't wait to put what I've learned into practice when I return home, when the time comes. But until then, I'm going to make the absolute most of the time that I have here, and take full advantage of the burning, strong, and ever-growing testimony that I have been blessed with.

Until next week, guys, stay strong, stay true, remember God loves you, and He will never let anything happen to you that you can't handle. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, both physically and spiritually. Keep praying often, because God always hears and answers our prayers. Trials may come to pass in our lives, but witohut those trials, we couldn't notice all the miracles, both big and small, that are all around us. I love you guys so much, and I'm so thankful for the love and support that each of you guys give me!!! Take care!!!

Con Sinceridad y Amor,

Elder Conner Duane "Poderoso" Parke 

Week 60 The Astute Adversary

Hi, Mom. So, I can't lie to you guys, I've been a little discouraged lately. The reason I say that is because the Adversary (I prefer not to say his name, simply because he doesn't deserve that kind of recognition) has been on my case, especially throughout this past week. I believe it's because he knows that Elder Wilson and I have been working extremely hard to save the souls here in El Empalme, in addition to having success at doing so. He's been specifically trying to turn me against Elder Wilson and vice versa. But, if I can just remember why the both of us are here, and what we are capable of as a companionship, then I should be okay. I mean, I will admit that it practically shatters my heart that our dog Chloe has Cancer (Lymphoma), and is most likely going to die before I'll even be home. It just goes to show you guys that the Adversary goes at us from as many angles as he can, especially when he knows how weak I am if he attacks me through my family. Just thinking about it while I write this blog post is making it fairly hard not to just break into tears while sitting in a public cyber. I can't imagine how heart-broken my other dog Clark is going to be after his sister's gone. This makes me think of these Preach My Gospel videos that we watch here in the Mission, where one of the missionaries, Sister Voyles, has a brother die while she's serving her mission. She kept going strong in her mission, and I'm going to do the same. The Lord called me to be here in Ecuador, to preach His Restored Gospel for two years, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I love that adorable little boxer more than anything in the Universe, and she will occupy a special spot in my heart forever. Personally, I hope I'll see that little dog again someday, otherwise it just won't be eternal happiness... Not for me. Before I go, I'll be sure to send you guys some awesome photos of the past baptisms that I've got here, as well as some of the insane stuff that I've been eating, just to not end this post on any bad note. I love you guys so much, and just remember: God never lets anything happen to us that we can't overcome. He knows us better than we do, and that does include our limits and our weaknesses. Keep praying often, because I can testify that praying gives me the spiritual strength I've needed while here in the Mission. Until next week, take care guys, and stay strong!!!

Con Sinceridad y Amor,

Elder Conner Duane "Poderoso" Parke

Week 59 'Cause I'm the Best There Is

Hi, Mom. So, here we are, just cruising and sitting mighty pretty, the four of us here in El Empalme, especially because of the fact that we will be having baptismal services for each and every week for this month of November. The chances are extremely high that we will also be having more up until Christmas, where I'll make one of the big "cash-ins" of all this hard work, and be able to talk to you guys again, woohoo! I've been meaning to let you guys know, my e-mail address that you guys posted on my mission blog (I couldn't help myself, and took a peek at it) has a typo - it's missing the period between my first name and my last name. Perhaps after that, I'll be able to receive a few more e-mails from anyone that has a ton of questions for me. Anyway, not too much has happened since last week. What did happen is we basically drowned our house in disinfectant and bleach, and gave it a deep cleanse, because we will be having House Inspections soon by President Riggins and Sister Riggins. I can still remember the last inspections we had, while I was still serving in Guayaquil, and we won the Cleanest House "Award", haha! I find it hilarious, because my companionElder Wilson used to always say to me while I would either be cleaning or cooking in our house: "Wow, your wife will really love you." And the only response that I would give him is, "I know, right?" hahahahaha! But in all seriousness, the mission's taught me a bazillion things that I really needed to work on, and one of them was my Selfsufficiency, or Autosufficiency, or whatever most people like to call it. In order to better myself in that department, I decided to do more exercise (I weigh around 160-170 now, if you guys or anyone else is curious), more cleaning, and more cooking. I just find myself more content while I'm doing something like that, especially in the service of my companion. I just find it easier to feel the Spirit, and have a clearer mind, which I really like. That being said, while I was writing this post, I was thinking of this quote from this old cartoon, Kids Next Door, where one of the characters, Numbuh 274, says: "You may have managed to beat my friends, but you won't be me so easily... Because I'm the best there is." As long as we're keeping the commandments and doing anything and everything we can to be worthy to have the Spirit of God to be with us each day, not even something like a Bad Hair Day, for example, could keep us down, because we would just find ourselves automatically happy, if that makes any sense. I love you guys a ton, and I can't wait to get the next package that you guys have sent me! I'm a little bummed that I couldn't get any of the stuff that Kelly and Sherri planned to send me, but it happens. Until next week, stay strong, stay true, and remember that "men are, that they might have joy {here on Earth}." Take care!!!

Con Sinceridad y Amor,

Week 58 Happy Birthday, Leilani

Hi, Mom. So, this past week, I had my first baptism here in Empalme! But, get this: Her name is Nicol, her older sister's a Returned Missionary, AND... She's 8 years old. It's pretty funny, especially considering that she was a "referral" from the Ward. The Ward/Bishopric "recommended" that we go and teach this 8-year-old little girl, so she can be baptized. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Why would the Bishop have you teach an 8-year-old girl?" "Isn't she supposed to be getting baptized with her family, so then it's a Ward Baptism?" Well, you're right... IF her parents were members. Because Nicol's parents aren't members of the Church (neither are they married, so yeah, haha), she had to receive our teachings, and be baptized through us. Regardless, it was a really great baptism, because she got to be baptized by her cousin, who's also a Returned Missionary, and he just so happens to be Ward Secretary. Apparently, her mom wanted her to wait just a little longer (in other words, another week), perhaps receive a little more teachings from us. But the thing is, with Nicol, both my companion Elder Wilson and I knew that Nicol knew what she needed to know, which was all that mattered. However, because Nicol was a little stubborn and timid at the same time, we decided to schedule a Baptismal Interview with our Zone Leader (Elder Monson, he's not related to the Prophet) just to make absolutely sure that she was indeed ready. That being said, Nicol, up to this point, is the newest member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the El Empalme Ward. So, before I forget like a derp like I usually do here in the Mission, Leilani's birthday is this Wednesday! So mind-blowing to believe that my sister's finally 19, WOAH! I'm actually kind of glad that she's thinking about waiting until I come back home, because I'll be perfectly honest, I would feel totally left out if I wasn't there to send her off on her mission. I'd miss her Farewell Talk, and I wouldn't even have the privilege to say goodbye in the airport. Anyway, even though we've had our fair share of brother-sister fights, I'm still really proud to see how Leilani's grown, both physically and especially spiritually. She'll make an exceptional missionary and representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can only hope that she doesn't end up getting TOO many baptisms while she's out serving, hahahahaha! If it's possible, send me a picture of the cake, because you guys all know how I'm a sucker for a good slice of birthday cake, haha! Before I go, I just want you guys to know that I can basically eat whatever food down here, and to my surprise (as well as yours), I STILL don't gain any weight. My companion and I chalked it up to all the walking we do, but just to show you guys that I'm not starving myself or anything down here, I'll send you a picture of one of the "masterpieces" that I eat down here sometimes. Until next week, keep praying often, Choose The Right, and remember who we are, and what we stand for as "Mormons." I love you guys, take care, and can't wait to Skype Call this Christmas!

Con Sinceridad y Amor,

Elder Conner Duane "Poderoso" Parke

Week 57 Happy Belated Halloween :P

Hi, Mom. Hope you guys got the pictures that I managed to send you guys last week, one of them being my so-called "Halloween costume" that I came up with, along with some help from my buddies here in Empalme (if you didn't see it, I dressed up as a ninjanary, which is a ninja missionary). Anyway, I was a little bummed that I wasn't able to spend Halloween with you guys this year, but at the same time, I'm pretty okay, because I got your guys' package you sent me :D I absolutely LOVE what was in it, especially the Camera Cable, which means I don't have to go Computer Hunting for a Cyber that would accept my camera's SD Card. Thanks a ton for the photos of you guys that you sent me, too. I'll be sure to send a ton more photos of me and all the other crazy stuff to see here. Anyway, today was a little slow, because of the whole "Day of the Dead" thing they got going on here, so almost all of the stores and cybers are closed due to holiday. I don't quite understand it, but I suppose it has a great connection with the Latin-American culture, because everyone - Mormons, Catholics, Evangelists, virtually everyone - has been going to the cemeteries in Quevedo and here in El Empalme to visit their dead loved ones. But, sadly, they don't do any stuff, like let their kids go around, knocking on people's doors and ask for candy, which is understandable here, being a fair amount more different than the neighborhoods in the States. I'd honestly feel a little sketchy about taking my kid out to go trick-or-treating here, too, just saying. Still, there are kids (and some others) that like to dress up and have a little fun here with it, which was kind of cool to see. But yeah, glad to hear that you guys are all doing okay, and hope that you guys have an awesome first week of November! I also hoped Leilani liked the picture I sent her of the adorable turtle that one of our members here has for a pet. As a matter of fact, they're even willing to part with him, so if Leilani is, by chance, interested in fulfilling her wildest dreams of owning a pet baby turtle, that cute little guy is looking for another home, hahahaha! I love you guys a ton, and keep being awesome! Take care, guys!!!

Con sinceridad y amor,

Elder Conner Duane "Poderoso" Parke

Week 56!!!

Hi, Mom. Hope everything's going well up there in Idaho, now that it's starting a little colder. I still don't understand how the people here say that they have Invierno (Winter) here, but instead of getting colder, it gets hotter. Instead of it snowing, it rains. My favorite part, however, would probably have to be the Cricket Swarms around "Winter Time", here in my mission. I'm not talking about a hundred or so, either. I'm talking about HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of crickets swarming the streets, and sliding through the cracks in your windows to get inside your house. If there's any insect more annoying to find in your house than cockroaches, it's crickets. They stick to your clothes, jump in your face, and don't even get me started on their so-called singing at night. Anyway, things having been going a little more smooth lately, to my surprise. We've got a few baptismal dates that have shocking followed through with our inviting them to come to Church. My one and only fear is that they fall off afterwards, due to the lack of the 3 Fundamentals, as mentioned by President Gordon B. Hinckley, which are Friends, an Assignment/Calling, and Spiritual Nourishment (through Home/Visiting Teachers and Frequent Complete Attendance). I've noticed that that's been one of the main problems with wards down here is the lack of Home and Visiting Teachers completing their visits. Perhaps, that is why my home ward (Sundance Ward, shoutouts) didn't have any assigned missionaries for a while is from all the quote-unquote "success" in Hastening the Work, and just reaching out to those who need it. That being said, my buddy here in Empalme, Elder Scribner (from Orem, Utah), says that we're going to be "drowning ourselves" this upcoming month of November. The reason he says that is because the both of our sectors, Empalme 1 (his) and Empalme 2 (mine) have a lot of potential baptismal dates already going quite smoothly for November. Even though I'm a fair amount on the realistic side when it comes to the goals we set, I have a fair bit of faith that these souls will indeed come through and receive the salvation they need. Not only that, but I believe that they're starting to see - through us and the personal experiences that we share with them - how they can bless the lives of those around them, in addition to their own lives. With time, we promise them that they will be able to more frequently notice the little miracles and blessings that God has for them through the sincere desires that reside in their hearts to do what's right. It's funny, Elder Wilson and I were listening to a talk by Elder Holland this past week, and in it, he states: "Why can't the only risk in the Mission Field be out of Pneumonia? Just being soaking wet all day and all night in the Baptismal Font?" Well, Elder Holland, the chances of us "getting Pneumonia" here have just got more probable, hahahaha! I can't wait to see how this upcoming month turns out, and I'll be sure to send all you guys reading the blog as many pictures as I can humanly send for you all to see. But until then, keep praying, Choose the Right, remember who you are, and what each of us (as sons and daughters of God, not just Mormons) stand for. I love you guys!!! Take care!!!

Con Sinceridad y Amor,

Elder Conner Duane "Poderoso" Parke

PS: Before I forget, be sure to let Dad know that their indeed is Western Union down here. Thanks!