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| Our dear friend Michael Hansen found Jacob at church on Sunday! |
Hello family! It sounds like everyone is
doing super well and that
makes me so happy. Even though the ski
season has been a bit rough
with injuries and not going up much it seems
like everyone is happy.
Plus we will all be shredding soon enough. And Sam had a baptism last week which is
sooooo sick! His email this last week was so good to read. It really
helped me. I'm super stoked for him. I can't believe how long he has
been out. Sometimes it
doesn't seem real and that day he left in
the airport seems like
yesterday and then I realize that I have
gone through that same day and
it's been 5 months since then. It has been a crazy 5 months to say the
least.
I loved the 4 and a half months in Bedford and it seriously felt
like home. But London is
also amazing. Sometimes I just have to sit and
be super grateful for where
I am serving. Britannia is the centre of
London. We are 5 minutes away
from the chapel We are just super lucky.
I could serve here for
ages haha. I'm thinking I will stay next
transfer because Elder
H goes home. But we have had a great
transfer so far and we are
super excited for I. She has a baptismal
date for the 6th of
February and she is super excited. I'm super
excited! She just absorbs
everything like a sponge and totally
understands. It also helps that
she now hangs out with all the recent
convert Chinese members of the
ward every day. We are trying to start a
Chinese branch
hahahahahhaa. This area had 27 baptisms last
year and like 23 were
Chinese. They really are pioneers. They all
go back home to China and
teach their parents and families are baptized.
It's just a miracle.
They are all so humble and they LOVE
learning. They come ready to take
notes in the lessons and everything. They really are great people who are exactly obedient
and are super prepared to hear the message of Jesus Christ.
So we had the worldwide devotional on
Wednesday. It was soooo good.
We had interviews before and I loved it. I
love President so much, he
just loves his calling and is so willing to
do whatever it takes to
magnify it. And Sister Stevens! She's the
best! She also interviewed
every single missionary! We talked forever! But the Worldwide mission conference
was lovely. It was so cool to think that Sam was watching it in Chile
and all of his buddies at
the same time and also Hank in Boston, Johny
in Argentina, Jack in
Ohio, and Isaac in the blessed land of Chinese.
It was a great meeting
and the theme was "teach repentance and
baptize converts!" So that's
what we are going to do!
We played basketball with the YSA and some
investigators, well I
didn't play she watched and played for a
little bit, but it got wayyyy
intense and I see why we don't keep score as
missionaries because it
was crazy but to be honest it felt good to
get the intensity up and
have some fun haha. But it was a good time
and we had fun so it's all
good. The Chinese are also way good at basketball,
my boy Wei Wei is a
baller......they are good at everything. I’m
still grateful for all
those boring days shooting hoops with Hank
for hours and hours and
hours because it has paid off. Thanks Hank
haha. I guess I deserved
it from making him sit around and watch ski
videos for hours and hours
haha.
Bishop was here and I was like, okay it's
not dad cus that would be
insane, and it's probably not Bishop Fox, or
Cahoon, or Cannon, and
then I remembered the Pasadena ward, and
Mike Hansen! It was so good
to see him. He's here doing a Nike shoot for
something. Haha so sick!
We chatted for a while about the Utes and
the team down south. It was
so good to see a familiar face honestly.
It's crazy that I've already
seen 3 people from back home. But we may be
going out to dinner with
him tonight if he's not busy. But he's such
a good man and super kind
and loving.
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| Michael took Jacob and his companion to Five Guys |
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| Saying goodbye in the Underground |
Lords Hand
I have seen the Lords hand this week in
President and Sister Stevens
and the love they have for the missionaries.
They really have been
called here for a reason and they are having
such an impact on the
mission. They work so hard! They are just the best and I know the Lord needs them here.
I was watching grandmothers devotional and it was sooo good. It
made me miss her and family dinners just
hearing her voice. It was
awesome to see Grandfather sitting right
behind her as well. He looked
so happy and proud of her. He's the best.
Grandmother was talking
about Bonnie-isms ( good one uncle Jeff
hahaha) and a few of them
stuck out to me and are certainly ones I
have heard all growing up.
"Fair is where you go to see the
pigs" haha it's true. Life's not fair
and I have learned that from a young age and
from always hearing that
at family dinners between all the cousins.
Another one was "remember who you are!" I am so grateful that I
am part of such a great family. I love being a Parkin and a Howell. Two of
the best genes in the world
haha, even though we lack patience at times.
I'm still learning haha.
But we do know how to work hard and love each
other.
And the last one, "to know is to do" I can't count
how many times dad has said that. And
now I know where it comes from. But I am
grateful for the lessons it
has taught me.
Oh and one more awesome quote
from grandmother haha,
“television is satans home teacher"
hahahahahhaa so good. Love you
guys.
Well I love you guys and I love Britannia.
It's the best! I hope Will
Dog is healing up. I pray for you guys every
day. I love you.
NO SHORT CUTS
Jake
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