Week 54!!!

Hi, Mom. It's great to hear that everyone and everything is doing well. I'm extremely glad to hear how Leilani's been progressing both physically and spiritually. I can promise you that all that preparation is going to pay off. I really wish that I had made a ton more preparations, like she's been doing. I have no doubt that she's going to make an exceptional missionary and representative of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. So, this past week, we had a visit from one of the Assistants to the President, Elder Salcedo (from Guatemala). He went on a Temporary Trio with my companion and I, in order to help us make a little more "progress" in our sector here in El Empalme. He helped us extend more invitations for people to be baptized, and a lot of them said yes! The best part was when we went to our final appointment at 8:30 at night, and the mom could already feel the Spirit as we entered her house. We let her know that by being baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ, she'll be able to feel the Spirit more long-lastingly (that's a word, right?) and plentifully in her life. It was really cool to be there and watch as the Spirit testified of us to her.

So, there's probably a lot of you guys (friends, family, friends of family, family of friends, etcetera) that are reading the blog, and have been asking, "Elder Parke, what is it that you do each day to get ready to work?" Well, I always wake up at 6:30, start the day of with a Personal Prayer, and then a prayer with my companion. After that, we do a little bit of exercise to help us wake up. Then, we decide which of us is going to take a shower first. Usually while I'm waiting, I make some breakfast and iron my shirt. For breakfast, I typically fry up and have a couple of EGGS (*gasp!* Elder Parke? Eating eggs?!?!?). Then, after eating, taking a shower, and getting dressed, we study personally from 8 to 9, and then study as a companionship from 9 to 10. We try to focus both our studies on how we can improve our teaching methods, and the investigators whom we have appointments to visit for the day. At 1 in the afternoon we have Lunch with a Member Family for an hour, and then we leave to proselyte until 9 at night. After that, we get home, have a little something to eat, plan for our following day, prepare to go to bed, and get some (hopefully) well-deserved rest at 10:30. We sleep for 8 hours, and then the cycle starts over again the next day. Nothing extremely special, but each day builds my testimony more and more, especially being able to testify with all of my heart how this Church and this Restored Gospel can come to help people notice the miracles and blessings in their lives more often and more easily. I'm especially grateful for the blessing to testify of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and how much it has benefitted my personal life. For that reason, I believe is why I left to serve a mission. More than anything, I wanted others to come to know how great and wonderful a blessing it's been to have this Church and its teachings throughout my life. I really wanted to share with as many people as I could how happy and joyful they could potentially be from coming to accept the Church of Jesus Christ in their lives and in their hearts. I honestly wouldn't have such a burning desire, however, if it weren't for all of the prayers, fasts, and other love and support from each and every one of you guys. So, thank you so much, all of you, for helping me becoming the missionary that I've come to be right now. Until next week, just remember: JESUS LOVES YOU!!!

Con Sinceridad y Amor,