8/22/11

Hi Family!

Well I don't know what to say! Even when it seems like things are quite around there they're always loud to hear about. I love you all very much and miss you as well. The work is so much fun! Each day is so filling. I wish I could explain more but it just wouldn't suffice. The Lor family is doing well. We are constantly praying for ways to help them physically and spiritually. They come each Friday and Saturday to an ESL class that we teach (English as a Second Language). We just barely got some good material to teach last week. An ESL Teacher at Butte College gave us some of her older text and workbooks. They are diligent learners. Mai Houa, their daughter that was baptized in March and the 2nd oldest son will be attending seminary. Though they don't know English they have faith it will help. Chio Saelee is still going through a divorce and she's also looking to move out of her current house. She's sick right now:( She picks up odd jobs here and there and most the time it's harvesting some kind of nut, fruit or vegetables. I think she overdid herself the last couple days. My companion, Elder Jones went home on Friday. It was a bit early so they sent me a missionary for 11 days til the end of the transfer. That means I get the opportunity to teach English then translate for meetings and a couple hours during church:) He's from Samoa and learned English to come on a mission. He doesn't talk a whole lot but he's very nice. I'm anxious to see what happens at transfers end:) So all is well here. We started teaching a new family last week as well. We were in a drought for finding new investigators. This family is neat. Their young and have 3 kids. They have a desire to learn how to read and write Hmong. Alot of them can speak not many can do it all. So we've been able to implement the Gospel while we help them. It's been fun.

So just real quick. I hope ya know that disobedience is something that I cannot stand. I know that if we're just willing to experiment upon the teachings of our Savior then our hearts will begin to change. There is a direct correlation between obedience and growth. We have to be doing something, and I feel that we all know and understand the things we should be doing, so why don't we get uncomfortable and grow a little?! When missionary's are purposely disobedient it just makes me so sad! I don't get it. No matter how hard it may seem to an individual he or she can always find comfort in doing what's right, it may not be easy but it promotes growth and builds testimony. When trying our hardest to be obedient it's so important to be prayerful.

Yeah, just tell dad that I love him and thanks for working so hard. I cannot wait to be at the temple with him and with all of you. That day will come! Mom I don't think there's a single thing you can do for me outside of all that you already do. I had something deep to say about how much you love me and how that effects me today and each day i'm out here but I can't think of the way to say it anymore so I gave up. You do way too much and i'm grateful. Thanks mom. No we actually only eat at the Guymons maybe twice a month. They're such a neat family.

K I better go but if there's anything I can do for you please let me know. I love ya. Please don't forget to hug and kiss those littles. Tell P that I gave his CTR rings and testimony to other missionary's to give out too. He's such a good missionary. Thank him for sharing his testimony and let him know that Heavenly Father is so happy when we do. Love ya:)

Love Elder Paramore

8/15/11

                                                   
Dear Family,


Thank you so much again for the birthday wishes! Yeah I'm doing my best to get outta that debt:) It's fun. I'm glad you all had a good week and that everyone had a good birthday! It was also Steven Kriz's and Brother Dye's birthday yesterday and today is Brother Dye's youngest daughter Sammy's birthday along with Kaylyns. Holy cow what a busy couple days. I'm so grateful for all your love mom and dad. I was studying the other day and thought of you dad, and Grandpa Paramore and Peighton. It's in Alma 48: 17-19. It was 2 years ago already the Bar 10 had the party at the Dixie pool and this weekend marks two years from when me and some dear friends traveled North to visit temples and to see Zebedee's grave. Last year around this time I was in Yuba City and life was just as good as it is now.... Last week was good here as well. Sometimes I can't always see the small successes that occur but I'm grateful when I finally hear of them. We've been finding all week and it's been great. Maybe I mentioned this before but never at any point on my mission has it been quite like this. I love learning and struggling to learn some more. We've seen some success with part-member families and referrals from members. We work daily on little things that help us become more powerful. For example...You'll never see an Apostle with his hands in his pockets,  we're taught not to do it in the MTC or while teaching a lesson and we're trying not to cross our legs or fold our arms ha I know it sounds silly and it kind of is but it helps when all the attention is on our eyes and our name tag unless your as handsome as Elder Jones then it's tough for anyone to focus. I love obedience and order:) I love Chico. I love hippies, I love ward counsels, I love preparing to be a husband and father through the small things I do that change my heart and I most certainly love, loving people. I love ironed white shirts and getting letters from good friends and loved ones, I love thinking about the littles and grand littles and their faith and good examples. I just hope we never forget but REMEMBER continually of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the real healing power within. Our family is so blessed, the Lord has a lot of work for us to do. I really hate it when I get tired and look for a break. At that point I have a decision to make... I can push through and give my desires to the Lord and learn the things I'm supposed to or I can do what I want to do and maybe learn a bit here and there but it's when I don't look for those breaks and love the Lord that I learn the most. All is well here. My companion goes home this Friday. I'm grateful he's strong and still works very hard. I don't have much else to report on. Thank you so much for all you do, you do way to much already. No worries. If you just keep having those littles say prayers for me and the people here then that should be enough:) Please let them know I love them and don't forget to hug and kiss them. I love ya mom and dad and if there's anything I can do for ya let me know.

Love Elder Paramore

8/8/11

Holy Cow! You're too perfect mom. I sure do love ya a whole lot. Thank you for that email. It really does sound busy around there. You're irreplaceable in my heart. I think about you and dad often, especially when I struggle a bit. Most recently it's been kind of tough. We have 1 investigator. She's awesome. She's going through a divorce and trying to move out of her boyfriends house. She comes to church every week and has been for 6 months or so. After that we got no one. It's been a change of pace. It's been good. I've learned a lot and no matter what is allotted unto us we can show faith and be happy in knowing we're doing our best. Revelation is so important. I'd be so lost without the spirit in my life and in this work. We have had a lot of unforeseen success this past week but it didn't come from not showing faith. Elder Jones works hard. We have fun together. So this upcoming week is going to be guided and eventful. The other night just after planning the 3 Elders I live with and I all got together and talked about our dads. What a special relationship that is. I never know what to say because no matter what I tell them they won't understand. It's hard for me to share a lot about how much I really do love you and dad or the family. So I just work hard. Thank you for teaching me the things I know. I love your love. I am now in letter debt. 22 letters came my way this past week and I'm grateful but up to my ears in debt ha. I love writing letters and hearing from family and friends. It's hard to catch up because we only have Mondays to write and we still do our studies and then email, shopping, and solidifying plans. But one week at a time I'll get to thank everyone. Our ward is great. Our ward here is great too. I love it here in Chico. If ya ever talk to Sister Guymon just tell her how great I think her family is. I really do love them. If you ever talk to anyone out here tell them I love them:) So everyone's birthday is this weekend. Will ya tell them all Happy Birthday for me. Tell Haizlee that I love her and just ask her what I'm doing out here. Also tell her again that the Tinkerbell cake was perfect. I heard Peighton has quite the testimony! He's a better missionary then I am. My resources are limited, sorry! Maybe from me to them...As a family have a mini testimony meeting then sing Hymn 300 while you think about the Atonement and love we've received from our Heavenly Father. Then could you and dad hug the littles and grand littles and tell them I love them. Ha k sorry! I think I could type instructions on how to show those littles how much I love them forever. I'm sorry. Mom and dad thanks for being my parents and for always loving me. I feel it every single day of my life and in each moment. I can't wait to love my wife the way you two love each other and love my kids the way you've loved us. I know we always have a lot of work to do and I'm grateful to be working alongside you. If there's anything I can do for ya please just let me know. Oh yeahhhh.... Life is indeed good. Keep smiling:)


Love Elder Paramore

HaPpY BiRtHdAy ElDeR!!

Family-


Hi! How are you?! Holy cow life is too good! Thank you for the email. Ok, I wear 15 1/2 neck and the sleeve is 32-33, slim fit Enro Brand:) Or whatever you want will be fine ha. Sorry. Recently on preparation days my companion and I with a young man in our ward and some other missionaries have been playing Risk. I'm very bad but I remember that dad enjoys it. Y'all play a lot of games! It'll be great to come home and get dominated by y'all.

Thank you so much for the birthday gift! I loved Peightons idea to bare his testimony and make copies with CTR rings so I could pass them out. Yeah tell him that he has such a strong testimony and everyone needs to hear it so maybe he could send a couple more. That'd be wonderful. Tell Kaylyn thank you so much too. Wow they are strong littles! Oh and tell Haizlee that my favorite cake is indeed Tinkerbell so she must be in tune. Good choice! Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes.

So this last week seemed to be slower then most. I went on 3 exchanges so I was only in my area 4 of the 7 days and two were preparation day and the sabbath. One of the days I was with an Elder who is "shotgunning" his area which means the Elders that were previously there were taken out altogether and the two new have to start fresh. They don't know anyone in the ward the area nothing. So we tracted for 5 1/2 hours and met a lot of people. It was a great exchange. I love every part of the work. Meanwhile Elder Jones and I have been looking for people to teach as well. We have good plans this week and look forward to getting to work. Our district did better then ever and a 22 year old named Laruen was baptized. The service was so good. A lot of investigators came as well.

So yesterday during 3rd hour everyone gathered together and we had a lesson on addiction recovery. Immediately I felt the spirit and then was reminded a little bit more of the healing power of the atonement. I just love you and dad so much. I don't know what I'd do without all the love you've always shown me. I'm grateful for your testimonies and strength. I can't believe how awesome the littles are and how solid their testimonies are already. There is nothing that makes me happier then to see them and our family love our Savior. Ha I know if I were home you'd get teary eyed while telling me what you wrote that 24 years ago today I was very pregnant with a little boy. I'm so grateful for our lives and for all the opportunities we've been given to learn and grow. I sure do love ya. We just gotta remember who loves us and how good life really is all the time. Hug and kiss the littles and grand littles for me.Let them know that I know Heavenly Father loves them and tell them I look up to them so please keep being good examples. Hug and kiss my dad for me. Thanks for working so hard mom and dad. We've got a strong home....Oh yeahhhh ha. Smile:) Let me know if there's anything I can do for ya.

Love Elder Paramore

PS For my birthday I want Shenise to go to all three hours of church next week.

PPS Hi Sister Guymon:) and Anna Elizabeth:)