4/25/11

Wow you're so lucky to be able to play with all those  kids! I'm glad you had a great week! Thank you for being my mom and for loving those Little's so much. They are so smart! They really are and I'm grateful they are such diligent little spirits as well. I did get the package. It was the best. You'd better take it easy because every time I get a package it's always full of so much love and thought, the other Elders may get jealous ha. I'm just kidding. I just get overly excited to hear from you all at any point in time so when a package comes I think of all the work and thought that went into it and it just fills me with gratitude for the family that I have. Thank you so much for all of that. I cannot wait to hear Haizlee say a prayer. She's not even 3. Adults struggle to say a prayers. Of course they have reason and what not but it's just so wonderful to have this and for someone as young as she and P to know how to communicate with our Heavenly Father is very special.


We had a great week. Elder Clawson and I worked hard. We saw a lot of success from it. There are a few baptisms happening and we're so grateful to have played that small role of just opening our mouths. I love English and how simple but detailed it is. You can explain the same thing in an endless amount of ways. I can feel the spirit so strongly in my native tongue, however, there's a very humbling feeling I get when I'm trying my best to teach people in Hmong. I struggle and people often understand me but I can't explain exactly how I feel. There are some members that I love so so so much even investigators but they don't know English and I'm not as fluent as them in Hmong so it makes it tough. You just want them to understand ha. Oh it's great. So Elder Clawson and I just figured out that we're going to stay together for another transfer. We both have never been with someone for longer then 2 transfers so going on our 3rd together is just great. We're just grateful. I love Elder Clawson and we have so much going on here that it'd be tough to leave but we were both willing. I love being a missionary.

We had another great experience this week. We talked to a man outside of the Lor families house named Ted. He's not going to be our investigator so we set it up so that I with the 1 of the missionaries that will teach Ted went and taught him. We were led to talk about baptism. The member we brought is from their ward and he's so solid. We committed him to baptism and he said yes. Though it may not seem like a miracle, it really is. That's all we do is pray, study, ponder, work, work, work for situations and people like him. It's so much fun to see people want to change and become more like the Savior. It's the best. In the Hmong work we have quite a few people that are so close. We just love loving them. We have so much going on here that it would be fine if one of us left but we more fine with the way it turned out:)

Well anyway... I had a great Easter and I love serving. I want you all to know that I love you very much. I know that those two little's are very special and they came because we needed them and they needed us. I know that you and dad are sealed to us for time and all eternity and everything will work out so long as we continue  loving the Savior. Thanks for everything. Hug and kiss the Little's for me.

Love Elder Paramore

4/18/11

Oh my goodness! I cannot believe how much I love that little man. I bet it's the best feeling to watch him play. Dad must love it! I'm sorry the Sabbath was so hectic ha. I'm glad you made it though! Those two Little's will feel your dedication and see your example. They gotta know how much you love the Savior and his work. I love my dad.  It must feel nice to be married to such a wonderful man. It must feel nice to know he loves the Savior and has a testimony of this latter day work. He's lucky to have you. I can't think of two parents that could have loved us kids as much as you all did. Thank you for always loving my brothers and sisters and I. How's Shenise? Chandis doing alright with her Kristyon? I hope Peighton knows how much I love him and I hope Haizlee is continuing to watch everyone around her so she too can learn and grow into the young girl Heavenly Father needs her to be.

I don't know... Life is way too good. It really is. Elder Clawson and I are having a great time and we are getting more work done then ever. The man we contacted at the bus stop has a baptismal date. The English Elders are doing great with him and they'll prepare him. We had a great week. We've been teaching a lot and we had 5 investigators come to church. The language is getting a bit easier each day but it's kinda like life...I'll never be done learning. Elder Clawson's a pro when it comes to Hmong, I'm grateful to be serving with him. We really hope we'll serve one more transfer together. Next Monday is the beginning of a new transfer so I leave I'll let you know. So on Mothers day we're going to be able to video chat again. :)

Mom, dad, everyone I love being a missionary. I love loving people. I'm not great at it but I sure try. I love thinking about the Lord and all he's done for me then trying my best to simply remember Him always. I love crying in the midst of a trial and I love praying in  reverence to my Heavenly Father for help. I love knocking on doors to people saying "nope", I love being in bed by 10:30 each night and waking up by 6:30. I love obeying the promptings of the spirit to comfort a member who's having a hard time. I love seeing people smile. I love the earth and how beautiful it is and knowing it was made for us. I love flowers and trees. I love the companionship of the Holy Ghost. I love the knowledge that I have that we are sealed and nothing can break that bond. I love the people we're teaching, I love the struggles and obstacles they must overcome and the things they need to repent for. I love praying for guidance on how to help them best. I love organizing myself through the Atonement and obedience. I love my friends back home and the influence they've played and will continue to play in my life as they diligently follow the Savior and apply true principals. I love you. I love dad. I love Landon & his family. I love Shenise. I love Chandis. I love Peighton. I love Haizlee. I love all we've been through, which isn't a lot to a lot of people but at the time it was hard for us. We made it through and no doubt the road is still bumpy ahead but I love the Atonement and the testimony I have of it. I love the Book of Mormon and all those who came before who so valiantly served the Lord. I love the cause of truth and I love doing it the Lords way. I feel so blessed all the time. I love having the example of our Savior who lived, died and lives again. I hope you all know that I love being apart of this family. I love being able to email ya each week and I love feeling your prayers. Thank you for loving me. At times I'm sure it was tough but my goodness you never stopped and I'm grateful.

We have a great week ahead of us. Sorry if  I'm emotional and it seems weird.  Sometimes a mission isn't easy. In fact everyday has proven tough in it's own way. I really am trying and that means I'm often uncomfortable, I'm stretching, learning, growing and applying. So I'm just sorry if I sound funny. What a great cause and I know I wouldn't have been able to do this if I wasn't here. I love it. I mean it when I say I love being a missionary. We have gotten a lot figured out as far as the gardening for the Lor family. They're excited and they're progressing a bit at a time. I love them a lot. We talked to Mai Houa last week about going on a mission. It was just for fun. She's only 16 so it'd be some time before then but we said who know you could get called to Salt Lake City and serve around the temple and she got so excited. She told us not to joke about that kind of stuff. She's so solid. We haven't taught her much, she teaches us daily. Well please don't let a day go by where you don't tell the Little's how much I love them and what I'm doing and why. I love you. I hope all is well. Thanks for making it to church last week:) Please tell my dad that I love him. I think about you two often and am overwhelmed with how wonderful you are. Thanks for being my parents and for not only having me but, again, for loving me. Love ya. Talk to ya soon:)

Love Elder Paramore

4/11/11

This past week flew by and it was a great one. Elder Clawson and I are having so much fun. We were finishing up some planning last night at our desks and we were just thinking about how being busy at the beginning of the mission is quite the adjustment. You don't really know how to schedule and plan a day and how to stay busy almost seems impossible. I had the best trainer in Elder Carter who taught me what it takes to work hard and set meaningful goals and reach them. I think we're busier then ever and it's only fun. I've learned so much. I've utilized the Atonement everyday and it has indeed been line upon line. We have a member here in Chico who has a lot of extra land and he tilled it up and is willing to let the Lor family who's learning about the gospel use it to farm. It was so nice of him. We're excited too because we'll be able to help out about an hour a week and they will teach us some very valuable skills:) This land will provide them with the food necessary to sustain themselves as they're adapting to life in America. The women in that family are so strong. Mai Houa is the one who was baptized and she consistently studies on her own. Her prayers are wonderful. She's such a faithful example to her family and friends. We're teaching Chio who is still working on a divorce. She has real intent and has felt the love from the ward. We don't have to do much, the ward gives her rides places and takes her to things so we don't get to involved. It's great when that happens. It helps solidify her activity in the church for the future:) We had quite the miracle last Saturday... We were driving on our way somewhere when we saw a large man about 450 lbs. with a beard and long hair sitting at a bus stop alone. I looked him in the eyes and it left an impression on me for the following 10-15 seconds that I couldn't explain. He looked so sad, humble, unloved and clearly unaware of his eternal significance. I didn't immediately say anything to Elder Clawson who was driving, then I had to.  I said we gotta go talk to that man so he turned around and we parked so we could sit by him as he waited for the bus. We were worried the bus would come before we could get contact info but we managed to give him our phone number, because he couldn't remember his nor his address, and we told him he had to call us that night so we could get him a ride to church. During our meetings Sunday morning he called twice leaving us his address the first time so after our meeting we found someone to go pick him up. When he called he called from a restricted number so we couldn't call him back. We got to his house and knocked on the door and he answered. We told him we're here to get you to church, let's go. We saw others inside and invited them as well. One was a less active member of the ward  and another a friend. All three came and loved it. The less active said it felt like coming home and the big man said that he couldn't describe his feelings. He even cried a couple times from just being there. I really do love them. There's something about the big man we saw at the bus stop that just melts my heart. I love him. I love being a missionary. We've been going to the hospital because our Ward Mission Leader is an anesthesiologist and he told us there was a Hmong family there. We've been welcomed and we're always happy to hear people ask for a blessing. Some aren't down to join but they sure feel the real comfort and truth that comes from the lips of a worthy priesthood holder. So all is well here. We're having much success and we just keep loving people. I do my best to sincerely love everyone. It gets easier and easier. Even those who are sometimes hostile towards me. I struggle, but my goodness is it great ha.


We've got another very good week ahead and we're looking forward to it. This is week 5 so two weeks from today is transfers. FYI. Well I love ya. I hope you all know that I love the Savior. I love His work and I love doing it His way. There is no other way. Keep smiling and I'll do the same. Life is too good and the moment you think it's not, fix it because it really is:)

Love Elder Paramore