August 20, 2016

Dear Family,

I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be able to write to you today. We have been doing our best to help that everything is set up for the conferences that we have had. Everything worked out well and we have finally have finished this week with seeing all the missionaries in the mission. I have heard 4 times President Godfreys training and each time I heard it I learned something new...he is truly a great President who loves his missionaries. Today, I and my companion received a call from President letting us know that my companion Elder Chinga has a change. He going to some other area and that I’m going to train a new assistant. I was shocked to hear that and was not expecting that at ALL. I will train a new assistant for 3 weeks and have to be able to let him know the many things he has to do. At first I was a little worried and scared but with Presidents comments on the things he’s felt from the Lord he has been able to receive inspiration from the Lord. He said "that I’m a very capable and trusted missionary from the Lord and that it wasn’t possible to do this change if wasn’t for being such a spiritual missionary and adapt so quickly to this new calling." These words have given peace in my heart to able to know that that Lord trusts that I will be able to this. I will be looking more closely for the Lord's guidance and I ask if you can all pray for me. My companion is called Elder Villagran and he is from Uruguay. I’ve never had a companion from Uruguay. He will be the companion that I will be finishing with.

Today, we have the Privilege of seeing one of our Investigators being baptized in the waters of repentance. The Brother that will be baptized is Brother Ronald. He is a young adult that all his family is members except him. He is a brother that has had problems with his heart and has had 3 surgeries that has almost led him to death. He is really looking for the Lord and wanting to obey what he says. One day we asked him why he wanted to be baptized and he said that he was grateful that the Lord permitted him to be alive still. While he said this tears came to his eyes and we felt with the spirit so strongly to know that he wanted to thank the Lord. I know that this is his sacred work and that he truly love us. I know that he has protected me all these years for this great work. I will always put God in first place and be patient with God's Promises. In 3 Nephi 11:14 "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world." The Lord has truly been slained and I have felt a little, just a little of that pain he has felt. There has been hard times and frustrating times but I’m happy to say that during those times I have stood side by side with him defending the Truths of the Lord. I love him with all my heart and my only desire is to live with him once more. Just how Ether said "13 and when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you." We are redeemed from the fall when we return to the presence of the God and see him face to face. This is the desire I have in my heart and I truly want to live with him. I’m eternally grateful to have an eternal family.

Thanks for all your support and will keep in touch. Love you guys. Wish me luck

Elder Parra