11/16/10

Hey! I sure do love ya. My companion is Elder Reid, the same Elder Reid from the MTC! It's pretty cool to see him after 7 and a half months. He's awesome and he's just so much fun to be around. It felt really good to get back with him. Oh no way! I'm excited for Peight! He's going to have a great time at the Esplins. Tell P to tell the kids I say hi:) Carlos and Jenna are too nice:)


I had quite the experience yesterday... Yesterday we had a half mission conference. So half the missionaries gathered and there was a member of the seventy there to instruct us. President Pendleton called on Sunday night, the day before the conference and said that Elder Malm, he spoke in the last General Conference, wanted to meet with a district leader a zone leader and a trainer before the conference. I'm not sure why President Pendleton thought of me but he did. So he called Sunday evening and asked me if I wanted to do that. Of course I said yes. So before the meeting I had a one-on-one interview with Elder Malm. It was special and I felt very blessed to have that opportunity. We started with a prayer and then he asked me some questions. I told him about our family and then I asked him a few questions about him. It was neat. The conference was too good. That's why our preparation day is today and not yesterday:) Sorry I forgot to tell you last week. This last week has been great.

 I hope everything works out for you to be able to go to that Christmas Devotional. Tell Peight that I love him and tell him that he needs to treat Haizlee with a lot of love. She's precious. Tell the girls that I love them a lot as well. I'm getting excited for the holiday season. We have a few festive elders in our house so it's cool. Mom I cannot think anymore. My brain is fried. I feel like i'm learning so much that I don't know what to think about. I often confuse myself. It's great! Anyway... All is well out here and i'm very excited to be here with Elder Reid.

We are still teaching Mai Tong Vang. She's doing well. She's learning from the Jehovah's Witnesses as well right now but is still very diligent in learning for herself that the church is true. She's great. We're also teaching John and Maria Vang. They are a brother and sister who have two older Sisters that were baptized a while back. The older siblings are over 18 and that's why they were able to do so. The younger ones that we're teaching now don't have their parents consent. It's sad but they are remaining active in all the activities. It's pretty neat to see. They read from the Book of Mormon and John is gaining a solid testimony of it. Elder Reid and I just organized a bunch of Area Books so that should helps us be more efficient with our time. We're working on the Parents of these 3. Hopefully their hearts will become softened.

Well I don't think I have anything else. Truth is truth. It always has been and always will be. I'm so grateful I know the truth. I don't know a lot, at all, but I do know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know it. You're too great mom. Please tell dad that I love him and i'm very grateful for him as well. Please keep being great and hug and kiss the littles for me. Could you give Shenise and Chandis an Elder Paramore hug for me. Tell that that I love them, because I really do. A whole lot.. Love ya.

Love Elder Paramore

PS I don't know much about being a district leader, but I'll learn:)

11/08/10

I am always so happy to read all your letters.  Thanks for writing it means so much.. All is well here. Thank you for your prayers. We are doing great but need all the help we can get. Ha I don't know if i'm as cool as Elder Menke and Elder Vernoy but I try to have fun with the kids. The kids here are so so so cute! I think every single kid is cute. I can't believe how big the Little's are getting. They won't be Little's pretty soon. Ha tell Peight that before he becomes a cop, cowboy, martial artist or anything else he's got to be a missionary:) I think he's already planning on that and so is Haizlee apparently. Thanks for not letting them forget me ha. I know that sounds a bit silly but I love them so much.  Everyone just looks so happy and that makes me happy. We're very blessed. The Chicken was good. Every part. Next week he wants to kill a pig with us so that'll be good. Oh I forgot to bring my journal! I had a couple experiences this past week that testified to me of the happiness the gospel brings to us if we're willing to live it. I'll do my best to remember... So we were at the church and my companion started talking to some member sisters and there was a very homely looking man who was also outside. He wasn't sober, at all. I'm not sure what was causing his intoxication  but it made me sad to even talk to him. He was very sporadic and spoke of a lot of visions. So the first thing he said to me was I want a Book of Mormon! So I smiled at that statement and told him to follow me. As we were walking to the car he turned around out of no where and started yelling at Elder Clawson about the Fall of Babylon. It was scary. So I motioned to Elder Clawson to just ignore and I got his attention back and we went to the car to get him a Book. He told me to write his name in it ha while I was writing his name he told me my pen was nice then asked to keep it. I said sure you can have it when I'm done. Wait.... Let me describe his physical attributes. He was about my height, long black-gray greasy hair, he had pizza sauce in his mustache (because he crashed a scout activity in the building), he had no teeth, wore pink water socks for shoes and his fingers where dark dark orange almost to appear black on the ends and had long fingernails. K so when I finished writing his name he told me to date it too. I said OK. Then he began talking... He spoke of his being kicked out of other churches because they say he's a sinner ( aren't we all) and he said the real reason was because the pastors wife loved him. He sincerely believed at one point that I was Alexander the Great and he told me I was perfect with conviction. Then he prophesied that I'd get married one day. Throughout all this I testified to him that he too can repent and become very very happy. I told him that I'm a sinner too but through Jesus Christ I'm able to be forgiven of my sins and be happy. He kept going back to the other churches and people that had no hope in him. It broke my heart. He also wasn't very receptive due to being intoxicated. Then he told me of s few visions... On was of a person named Jesse who came to him and asked him for a sandwich and a cup of milk and in the vision he told him yeah you can have a sandwich and a cup of milk and you can keep the cup. That was it. He didn't say anymore about that vision. He told of another one that he feels really guilty for. He was just sad. He didn't know who he was. But I knew who he was, A son of God.  He was talking to me at the end and in mid sentence he stopped talking, turned around and walked away... then after about 20 steps he turned around and told me he loved me. So I told him that I loved him too, and I really do.. I Couldn't believe how lost and sad he was. It helped me to realize even more that we really are preparing to meet and live with our Heavenly Father one day. It will happen. The Atonement is too great.

Sorry I just went on for some time... We are teaching a few people right now but mostly just looking. Tracting is so much fun... We get to talk to so many people. One man told us he knew the Book of Mormon wasn't true so we asked him hmmm... Have you read it? Of course he said no. It's sad to see how pride will hold people back from eternal blessings. They'll except it one day, I hope. Read 2 Nephi 28 and 29. They're really good. Transfers were today and Elder Clawson and I only spent one transfer together. He's going to Chico to be with his MTC companion and my MTC Companion is coming here with me. It's pretty exciting to be able to serve with Elder Reid again.  I just became a District Leader in this area which is going to be pretty neat. I don't know what my responsibilities are but I'm sure I'll learn a lot.
That's it. I'm very grateful for you all and your examples to me. Love ya.

Love Elder Paramore

Hey! I don't have a lot of time! I've been trying to figure out my usb all morning! It's all good. I wanted to send you some pictures. Thai Yang got baptized! Since I got transferred I'm not in that area anymore but he wanted me down to it so we were able to be there. He's in the picture with me wearing my gray suit. The other pictures are of us killing the chicken and such.  I am glad to hear all is well! I cannot believe it's November! Holy Cow! 7 weeks and I'll be calling. I'm sure Shenise will like being in Florida. I'll miss speaking with her but hey that's alright. . Those pictures were great! Thanks mom. Those kids are so cute! I can't get enough. I absolutely love our family. With all my heart. We're having fun and working hard. We don't have a lot of work right now. Since I got here 5 weeks ago we've been working hard on finding people to teach. It's great! Church is fun. We translate from Hmong into English usually because it's in Hmong but they have English members that serve in the branch to make sure everything is ran correctly. It's neat. We teach two times a month. It's going well. Since I got here I've learned a lot of Hmong. The people are wonderful. Oh thank you so much for the package and thank P for his letter! I can't believe how smart he is!!!! Holy cow! Good job Peight! The branch uses us whenever they can. It's great. I've had tough times this week but I've also had many prayers answered. When we aren't teaching much it really makes it tough. I really just wanna help and teach people that don't know. So finding them  isn't always the easiest but it's so much fun. Knocking on doors or doing unplanned service is great! I'm kind of rambling. We're doing well! Just looking for more people to teach right now. There are indeed hearts being prepared here. Hey guess what?! There are hearts being prepared there too!  It's a pretty neat experience teaching people about the gospel. I hope you like these pictures. Those two Little's are great and I'm glad we are a big happy family! I love you all so so so much.  Thanks again for the packages. I am grateful for your testimonies. Look for opportunities to serve, ask the Lord, He'll give 'em to ya. :)


Elder Paramore

Hey! I don't have a lot of time! I've been trying to figure out my usb all morning! It's all good. I wanted to send you some pictures. Thai Yang got baptized! Since I got transferred I'm not in that area anymore but he wanted me down to it so we were able to be there. He's in the picture with me wearing my gray suit. The other pictures are of us killing the chicken and such.  I am glad to hear all is well! I cannot believe it's November! Holy Cow! 7 weeks and I'll be calling. I'm sure Shenise will like being in Florida. I'll miss speaking with her but hey that's alright.  Those pictures were great! Thanks mom. Those kids are so cute! I can't get enough. I absolutely love our family. With all my heart. We're having fun and working hard. We don't have a lot of work right now. Since I got here 5 weeks ago we've been working hard on finding people to teach. It's great! Church is fun. We translate from Hmong into English usually because it's in Hmong but they have English members that serve in the branch to make sure everything is ran correctly. It's neat. We teach two times a month. It's going well. Since I got here I've learned a lot of Hmong. The people are wonderful. Oh thank you so much for the package and thank P for his letter! I can't believe how smart he is!!!! Holy cow! Good job Peight! The branch uses us whenever they can. It's great. I've had tough times this week but I've also had many prayers answered. When we aren't teaching much it really makes it tough. I really just wanna help and teach people that don't know. So finding isn't always the easiest but it's so much fun. Knocking on doors or doing unplanned service is great! I'm kind of rambling. We're doing well! Just looking for more people to teach right now. There are indeed hearts being prepared here. Hey guess what?! There are hearts being prepared there too! You can help out the missionaries/The Lord by helping them find people to teach whenever you can. You should offer to go with them if they ever need your help, they may not but it's a pretty neat experience teaching people about the gospel. I hope you like these pictures.  Those two Little's are great and I'm glad we are a big happy family! I love you all so so so much.  Thanks again for the packages. I am grateful for your testimonies. Look for opportunities to serve, ask the Lord, He'll give 'em to ya. :)

Elder Paramore