10/3/11

Hey!

     Thank you thank you! I love you all very much. I'm excited to hang out with Landon as well and hope we'll get to spend good time with one another. I sure do love him. It sounds like you all had a great week! I especially liked the experience P had with climbing the hill. He's too awesome. I can never choose a favorite talk either but I will say that I loved when the Children sang families can be together forever. I think of Peighton and Haizlee whenever I hear children then I also think of my own children and how much I love them. I loved Sister Daltons talk on fathers. During times of weakness I think of my father, I think of my wife, I think of you and  all and our ancestors. We've been blessed with such an incredible family and I draw so much strength from you all and the faith you show. 

     We too had a great week. It was a week full of unknown but diligent preparation. I don't always know what to do but I do know that if I'm prayerful and have a willing heart to be exactly obedient, even in all the small things, then everything will be alright. And it was! We didn't go to the Hmong New Year:( Maybe we'll get a chance to go to Yuba City's or Oroville's. The leadership meeting went smooth. Our district meetings always go well and ESL was very successful. We're teaching one lady that has great desires to be apart of the gospel and church but she can't because her husband is old culture and will not give her permission to join. Some buy their wives:(  Hmong women are so sweet, strong and so hard working. I learned a lot about myself these past couple weeks. I love the atonement. I love change to become more Christlike. Life is too good. My companion is doing great! He's still willing as ever and works hard. He sets good goals and reaches them. We had a neat experience while walking in downtown Chico the other day...We ran into a group of homeless hippies and as we were talking with them the ones who weren't too interested kind of filtered out so eventually we were talking with a man named Steven. He expressed his love for truth and continued by letting us know that the streets call him wise and refer to him as an Elder. We bore testimony of a loving Heavenly Father and felt it'd be best after promising blessings to check his desires and dedication by setting up a return appointment to the same bench on the corner of 3rd and main. So after the morning session we walked back to that bench and found him there. After a few radical ideas we were able to steer the conversation to heart changing truths by talking about the Book of Mormon and they way it came forth. I recited the first vision and after only doing it in Hmong for the last little while it was tough but my companion was praying for me and it came out fine. He then described what he felt. He said the feeling was as if the one you love most, gently brushed their fingers down your spine. His heart was open! We invited him to ride his bike the 30 minutes to join us for the last session of General Conference and he did. We'll meet with him again at that same bench tomorrow. There really are so many people out there that if they will just open their hearts and show faith their lives can be changed.  They can go from no hope to everlasting hope and happines. We never know what's going to happen with people like Steven but we do know that if we're prayerful and strive for exact obedience then we'll be taught what to do. We can only pray he'll have and nourish that desire to know and do more. We just keep looking for people. We have great plans and are excited to work hard this upcoming week. 

     Our running is going well. He runs hard and I try to keep up. There really is something so attractive about someone who works hard at living the word of wisdom. I know there are real hidden treasures of knowledge that lie within the word of wisdom.  I'm grateful for revelation and the guidance it is for us. I enjoy not worrying, but just doing my best in being obedient willingly trusting that promised blessing will come. I love you all very much. Please hug and kiss the littles for me. Tell Peight I sent out his rings so people all over know his testimony and wear that CTR ring. He doesn't remember Anna but she was so grateful to receive it and she too knows that the church is true and the Heavenly Father lives and loves us very much. Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you all. 

Love Elder Paramore