1/31/2017

Wow! JANUARY IS OVER! I cannot believe that. It's gone so fast. I swear it was just Christmas!!!! But life is good out here in Watford. The new missionary schedule and changes are super cool and inspired! It was a lovely broadcast last week! Elder Auras and I are having a good time and staying positive. The weather has been a bit gloomy this week haha, lots of rain and more rain and more rain. We've been lucky with nice weather until this last week. But it's all good. Elder Auras and I were super super happy to see the picture of his dad with mom and dad at the bonneville Stake centre hahaha. We even showed president and sister Stevens and they loved it. So we were happy about that.

So fun to meet Jacob's German companions father!

It has been a pretty interesting week to be honest. Not much success but our testimonies have been strengthened! We were super super happy about the missionary broadcast and the new schedule!!! We love it! It is totally inspired. So we are very happy about that. Something I really loved about the broadcast is what Elder Bednar spoke about. He talked about "establishing the church" and how that is our role as missionaries. And he talked about how that is not measured on our success through numbers or baptisms, etc. It's measured on our commitment to get out and work and teach repentance. Elder Auras and I saw quite a bit of opposition this week! We met quite a few people who really were not interested in learning more about the restored gospel. We realized this very soon during the week and it seemed that every day we would have lessons with these people. We had alot of questions thrown at us about church history, the bible and the Book of Mormon, really everything I could think of haha. They were very smart and they tried their best. We felt a bit discouraged by the end of the week haha, we had set up all these lessons from last week and they all went sour. But I learned so much and we learned so much together. I'm super super grateful for the experiences we had.

We saw a way cool miracle  tonight. I was on an exchange with Elder Pasten from Chile who is a good lad. We are in the same group and we have served in the same zone from 10 months. We found a really cool guy named A and he was so willing and ready to act on the Book of Mormon and the message we shared. I really felt grateful for that experience. He has a wife and a new born baby and they are from the Philippines!

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in the talk that dad gave at Ward conference and that I was able to read it at the first of this week. He talked about some experiences that he had in the running group in the mornings. He shared uncle Brett's answer that really helped me this week. Uncle Brett talked about how there are alot of unanswered questions in general that can't be answered, and that was how I felt this week with the people we met. But I realised, just like what uncle Brett said, I'm unwilling to give up what I have experienced in the gospel and the doctrines and the special feelings I have had for a few unanswered questions that I know will be answered when they need to be. I felt and saw the Lords Hand in being able to read that talk before this week started. We were able to really bear testimony of the restoration this week, and of the prophet Jospeh Smith. I have never felt a more powerful conviction of the restoration than this week, I saw the Lords Hand in meeting the people we did because my testimony was strengthened!

I love you guys! Thanks for being the best of the best. Keep shredding and having a good time. Keerthy and Oliver both gave a talks in Northampton Stake conference Haha president and sister Stevens said they did a great job. So I'm super proud of them.

No short cuts

1/23/2017

"Hemel Hempstead"

Looks relish!!!  Thanks Iliana and David!

Ahhhhh we went to the Flandros on Sunday night!!!! Best dinner of my mission hahaha. We had Mexican and it was Delicious. Ahhh it was so good. We talked about the Howell family and it was just funny. Brother Flandro was imitating papa super well hahaha I couldn't stop laughing. It made me miss him tons. But they are the best. I'm so glad I'm here.

We had a solid week this week!!!!! The Lord was super super mindful of us and we had a really good time and saw some brilliant miracles. So we are stoked for this next week to see what happens next!

So we had some exchanges this week and we all had such a good time. Ah it was the best. We had all of our lesson from last week that were planned cancel so we had all week to street contact. Ahhh we were so pumped!!! So we just went out and talked to tons and tons of people. Hahaha the thing about finding in Watford is that there are so many people that you get all these phone numbers and it's hard to contact everyone effectively and a lot of the times they don't answer and it's difficult. But we did find some way cool people. I drove for the first time in Watford. It's a bit different than Northampton but it felt good hahaha. I think driving in England is such a thrill. You never

know what's going to happen. It's cool haha.

So we went to Wembley this week with some missionaries and it was cool to drive past Wembley stadium! It's massive. Seats like 90,000 or something. So that was pretty crazy. And the steelers played there a few weeks ago I think so that's sick. But that was pretty cool.

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in us going out to a place called Hemel Hempstead! So Elder Auras and I felt prompted to go out to this area that has previously had missionaries. But they closed the area a few months ago and put in into ours. So we went out there for 3 days straight basically. We found in the town centre and talked with tons and tons of people. We were able to set a lot of return appointments and it was so amazing to see. At first we couldn't even believe how fruitful it was there. We were able to find former investigators as well as new friends that are super willing to meet up. I saw the Lords Hand in promptings us to start working out there. It is a bit out of the way and we trusted that it would all be worth it and it was. So we are super super grateful for that prompting we received.

Life is good out here!!!! We went to a cool castle today that was built in 1495. Just a few years after Columbus. So that's way cool hahaha!

I love you all! Thank you for being the greatest. England is a lovely place. With lots of lovely people.

Love you.

Jacob.

No short cuts

1/16/2017

What a week!!!! A new area, a German companion, and cousins in my ward!!!

The new district

Hahaha first off! Watford is a lovely place!!!!! It's a bit different than Duston. There are a lot more people here and a lot lesson grumpy English people haha. But that's alright. You need both to know what's good and bad Haha. But I do love it here. I also miss Duston and the

lovely people there and also Elder Lindsey haha. But I'm sure all is well up there. Elder Auras is a legend. We are having a great time. We are working our guts out but also having a really good time. He is super super stoked to work and see things happen so it's going to be a good transfer. A lot is going to happen and we have already seen miracles. First miracle is that Elder Auras and I made a connection when grandmother and grandfather emailed and asked if my companion was related to an Elder Daniel Auras who served in there mission in London south when they were there! And of course, it is Elder Auras' uncle!! Hahaha so that was way funny!!!! We had a good laugh about that haha.

It snowed in Watford.  Jacob was beyond excited!

We had some sweet miracles this week. We have done loads and loads of street contacting and finding. It has been so good haha. There are just so many people out all the time. No matter what time of day. It's so nice. We have been able to meet some really cool people. The other day we stopped these two kids from Ireland!! They were super super interested in the Book of Mormon and we were able to give one to them to read. We haven't heard back from them or anything but I love that we have the opportunity to share the gospel with everyone all the time. We even were able to extend a date to a way cool Spanish guy this week! He doesn't speak much English but we have a Chilean in our district who helps and elder Auras can speak some. I don't remember anything so that's not much of a help.

Church was good!!!!!! It was so cool to see the Flandos!!! Hahaha they went around after telling everyone that we were cousins haha it was so funny. So I cannot even believe that I am actually in their ward. Especially after last week when mom asked if I was close to them in Duston. Now I'm super close haha. But I was happy about that. Ah it made my week to be honest. Hahaha they are so kind and loving and I'm super super excited to serve around them and help them with anything they need. I'm still just shocked that I am even in their ward. Still so crazy to me.

Jacob and his new companion and my cousin David Flandro and baby Graciela

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand this week in the people we were able to find and also the Flandos being in the ward. I had to be for a reason. We were able to talk to so many people just in the last few days. We met a very catholic guy. Let's just say he was very devout. We offered to share more about the Book of Mormon with him and invite him to read it. He was not having any of that. I felt the Lords Hand in keeping Elder Auras and I calm as well as giving us the ability to testify boldly that the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that it is true. As we walked away from the conversation I felt so much comfort in the knowledge that I have of the restored gospel. I know without a doubt that the message we share is true. We were able to feel love for the man that we talked to on the street and trust that one day he would accept the message. Ah! It's such a blessing to be sharing the gospel out here! Life is good!!!! The Book of Mormon is true. I love sharing that on the street every day. It's the best.

Love you all. Again, it sounds like Utah is getting pounded! Keep sending it. Love you!

No short cuts

Jake

1/10/2017

Saying goodbye to all the great people of Duston

What a week!!!!!! So first things first! After 6 months of serving in Duston and 10 months of serving in the Northampton zone I will be leaving!!! My new area is called Watford, which is just outside of London. But we still get to ride the underground so my oyster will be back in use so I'm PUMPEDDDD!!!! Haha it'll be super super good. My companion is elder Auras from Germany. We are good friends and have served around each other for a while so I'm pumped. I love Germans haha they are great. So we will have a good time and just work super super hard. So I'm very excited. Elder Mecham from our MTC group and district is just swapping me places so that will be exciting as well. But I'm excited for the new change. It will be good.

So first things first. We had a brilliant meeting in London on Wednesday and it was just a good time. We were able to drive in on Tuesday night which is always fun haha and chaotic. Driving down oxford street is seriously such a crazy experience haha. There are always tons of people even on Tuesday. But I saw Elder Leone and we caught up for a bit. He seems to being doing well. We were able to play basketball in the morning for exercise and just have a good time. I'm stoked for him, he is a solid missionary and is such an asset to the mission. All the new missionaries are just incredible. The mission is just stacked. We had a great meeting, Elder Dryden of the 70 came and spoke for a bit! He shared a very powerful conversion story and expressed how when he was just 34, 2 young missionaries came and knocked on his door and taught him and his family. He expressed the importance of the plan of salvation and also how it really does change our lives. My testimony was strengthen.

This weekend was lovely! So our good friend Ian was baptized on Saturday! I was just so crazy to think that just 4 weeks ago we met him and shared the light the World video with him and he felt the spirit so strongly. I'm grateful that Elder Lindsey and I were obedient to the prompting of the spirit to talk to him. I'm grateful that the spirit testified to him of the gospel and the restoration. K was able to baptize him as well! It was such a special experience for the both of them and for me! So I feel super blessed to be a part of that. I realized this week how simple the gospel is and how much happiness it brings. Sometimes I don't realize that to the extent that I should.

"K" was baptized 5 weeks ago and was able to baptize "I"!!!

Lords Hand

I saw the Lords Hand in K being able to perform the baptism. I saw the Lord prepare him for that and he was so beyond grateful to exercise his priesthood. He said to me, " Elder Parkin, today is my first opportunity to use my priesthood." It was so cool. I love that guy. I am going to be sad leaving. I saw the Lords Hand in the Duston Ward the last 6 months and how much I learned from the people here and the experiences I have had, I've learned so much from every area that I have served. I love that each area I have learned different things about myself and the gospel. I am grateful for change and for doing new things. I love all the experiences I have had here in England. The good and the bad. I do love it.

I love you all. Looks like you were getting a bit sendy up big cottonwood this week. Hahaha bombing some big cliffs on Milly. At least you know when your sending it.

I love you!

No short cuts

Jake

The Northampton Zone!