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

03/21/11

Hi all!
Regarding the temple and what we talked about in the email. I know that there is no better place to be than in the temple. Whatever is holding him back from going is of the devil. The atonement is such a beautiful thing, in fact so wonderful that it wasn't just enough to pay for your sins or my sins but the sins and pains and worries of all mankind. It's eternal. Our  garments can be  washed clean through the blood of the Son of God. God knows each of us individually and only wants us to follow Him. There are blessings to be had and guidance to be given within the walls of the House of the Lord. We must prepare ourselves and get there.
Thank you for the pictures. The Little's just keep getting bigger and bigger and cuter and cuter. I love them so much. Thank you for the package as well! It was perfect! I loved the tape! Holy Cow Haizlee is talking so much! I couldn't believe it. Peighton just sounds like he's getting smarter and smarter too.

We've had a good week. It was a little slower but it's all good. We worked hard. We, one day, were going to meet a potential investigator who answered but wasn't available. As we were walking back to our car we saw a man playing with his children so we asked who was winning and we started a conversation. Turns out that this man has been a member his whole life but had a problem that he thought he took care of back on the east coast. It had to do with jail and such. He said he repented through the bishop there and everything. Well when he got here he met with the local bishop when he was in need and they couldn't find his records. He had been excommunicated. This hurt this man very much. He says he's always been so giving and he loves the missionaries. Well at one point we just felt like telling him we loved him. (We love everyone) Then we asked the question how often do you think about this? He answered, everyday. Instead of focusing on things that were out of our hands (the situation) we focused on the things he knew to be true. So we asked him, Do you believe Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God. He said yes. Do you believe there's a prophet of God today who leads and guides us and acts as a mouth piece for Him. He said yes. We said you need to come back to church. Whatever happened to you, whether it be just of unjust, doesn't change the fact that the church is indeed true and through the atonement all things are possible. He has 3 young kids and a wife that was learning until he got upset. We saw them again yesterday and read with them The Family Proclamation to the World. We've notified the bishop who plans to visit him. It was just such a miracle to run into him. I'm so grateful my companion and I work hard. We're obedient. We're unified and mold-able. We were lead, by the spirit, to this man and we were confident in the things we asked and promised. When we remember the Savior through our obedience and dedication to the Gospel we have His promise that the Spirit will be with us. Mai Houa also went to the temple on Saturday. Some members in the Branch in Oroville were sealed. Though Mai Houa couldn't be in there nor did she have a recommend at all she wanted to be there in the waiting room to feel the spirit. She said that she could feel it so strong and she watched member after member walk in to perform ordinances and she couldn't handle it so she had to go wait in the car ha. She loves it and wants to be apart of everything the Gospel has to offer. She's very special.

All is well. I'm doing well. The work is great. I have got a great companion who just loves to do his best. Mom, Family & friends, I know God lives. I really do. Please keep being great and know that I love you. Til next week, family adeiu.

Love Elder Paramore

02/28/11

It sounds to me that everyone is doing great! Yes the work is  going well. I'm really enjoying all of it. Days are flying by. Conference is in about 5 weeks:) I'm glad they told ya. I do love you very much. I cannot get over it. I'm sorry. This is probably my 55th email to you. Every time Preparation day comes around I get to type in some words, on to this piece of plastic, to my parents. What a blessing that is. Yeah, we're a ways away but I feel the love through prayers, through small miracles that happen daily and through the happiness that jumps off the screen and literally penetrates my heart. To you, these emails may seem repetitive but I promise that every one of them wets my eyes. It's crazy how much I love you all. I'd imagine I'll be a mess come the moment I step off the plane in St. George, UT. to see MY family to whom I'm sealed to forever. I'm grateful to be a missionary. It's a wonderful thing that we're provided with the means of communicating once a week. Thank you for writing me.


Gosh, you know what? I love our dad. Life would be tough if he didn't know the Book of Mormon was true. That testimony is life changing. He loves us so much. You two are a perfect companionship. Sorry about his ribs. He's too tough. He's gotta be a cowboy.
I love those Little's. Please give them hugs and kisses from me and let them know what I'm doing all the time.

Nothing makes one happier than when they're sharing the gospel. I'd imagine being a parent is pretty neat. You get to, everyday, share the gospel with your children. What an opportunity/responsibility that is.

All is well here:) Mai Houa decided to be baptized this Saturday at 6 pm. We're very excited. This baptismal service is probably a lot more significant then we can imagine. We hope the whole family comes. We've been busy. We've been working hard and I've learned a ton this past week. I, through the past couple weeks, have read my journals dating back to January 2009. It is so apparent to see the hand of the Lord in my life and in the lives of our family. I was given so much and now I'm here. I struggled, but I was being refined/prepared through every trial. Many miracles happened and I was always comforted and delivered from anything that was troubling me.

I love ya. I love life. I love our Savior. Tell Peighton and Haizlee to pretend they're me and to give you and dad a hard hug from Braed:) Let me know if there's anything I can do for you all. . Thank you for your love.

Love Elder Paramore

02/21/11

Oh mom! I just love ya so much! So I have felt that way lately... I was in church just yesterday and I thought to myself, "why am I so darn happy?" It's almost as if nothing is hard right now. I got worried and even a bit scared. I thought to myself that there's probably no warning sign more significant than this one to a person who's "on top of the world" and has realized it. If one doesn't work even harder once they've come to this realization of just how blessed they are; then they will inevitably fall, be confused or angry and think to themselves, "why me?" "Remember, Remember" are the words of so many prophets. They aren't just asking us to remember, they're begging, they're pleading...please please just remember the Lord, acknowledge your blessings and never quit working, never get comfortable. That was perfect. Thank you mom. I agree that the principal of sacrifice is slipping away. Not with us! I hope we will continue to sacrifice all we need to to propel this work forward in whatever ways we can.

I'm glad all is well there. You're lucky you got to see Hannah Ames and her mother. She's  pretty special. 

I love it here. We are teaching a lot of people. The family that just came from Thailand is one of the main families. They are tough because they have a lot of relatives pulling them away from the church. They are the ones that also sponsored them to come over to the states so it's making it real tough on the family who wants to begin believing in God. The daughter expressed to a member who gives them rides a lot of places that she wanted to be baptized so we went over the next day and got a permission slip signed by her parents because she's not 18. It was intense.. They're supportive they just want her to know how significant the decision is. They even said afterward that if they see it as something good then they too will be baptized. The whole family is so neat but Mai Houa, the daughter, is just so in tuned. So we're saying our prayers and trying hard to be obedient to secure all the blessings we can. Only the daughter has been coming to church. The rest of the family gets a call from the old culture relatives every Sabbath to go do something so we set up a breakfast at Dib Lis' house and I made french toast, pancakes and such. They had never eaten these things before. We did it so they could be over there just before church so if anyone were to call them then they weren't home:) Well they didn't end up coming to church but they enjoyed the food and we were able to share some ideas from the Book of Mormon, we're going to keep trying whatever it's going to take. Sister Lor and Sister Lis are the best member missionaries. They are involved in almost everything we do. They care about the work so much. It's neat. I'm learning so much Hmong right now. It's kinda hard, at times I feel like I'm going backward because it's like a tornado of confusion in my head ha. It's great though. We have the best ward mission leader as well. I'm not kidding. He helps us out so much and it makes it so much nicer to have a solid connection between us and the ward so we can get help from them. Life is too good right now and I'm grateful.
Please hug and kiss everyone for me and know that I love you all so so so much.  Love ya mom. Tell my dad that he means more to me then I could ever explain. Same goes for the rest of the family. Thanks for being great.
Love Elder Paramore
PS Tell Landon that he's in my prayers and that I think of him often. I love him and I hope he knows that.

Valentines Day 11`

Holy Cow! Whata week y'all had! That sounds like a lot. I bet ya had fun seeing all the little kids smiling and having fun. I remember having some of the best birthday parties as a young boy. I loved them I bet he just had such a fun time. I'm grateful to hear that the luncheon is so successful! That's so neat. Way to go! I really love this ward I'm in.  This one feels like home.   they are tight knit ward. It's really neat. I love all the people everywhere, The Guymon's are so so funny and so kind. They'd do anything to help someone out. Sister Guymon is  just such a sweet woman. Ha sister Watts love loves loves missionaries and their moms ha. I only met her once and she's not even in my ward ha.


I cannot say it enough but I'll say it again.. We have the best dad. I firmly believe that his love and dedication to our family is irreplaceable. I have and still continue to feel your love  and prayers for me. I'm just so lucky and so blessed to have you two as my parents:) Thanks for smiling and thanks for loving me so much.

The work is great! I love Elder Clawson. He cracks me up and we're having so so so much fun right now. He's just great. We're teaching a few people right now. Ha so many funny things happen and I don't have time to put a lot of these experiences in my emails. No worries, I keep a great journal:) Journals are neat. Umm... Oh! I got your package on Saturday so it was perfect! Thank you. The Journal was perfect! Thank you so much. Ha the Mate is so funny. I'm living with an Elder who is being trained which means he just got to the field. He probably thinks I've gone off the deep end ha. Jk. He's great. I love being obedient. I don't enjoy sacrificing obedience and I won't. Knowing one is being obedient is so much more enjoyable then the temporary fun one thinks they're having when disobedient. The work is great. Life is good and I just keep smiling:) that's all I can do really. I kind of have no choice. I mean it. I have to be happy. I know the Book of Mormon is true and the Atonement is real. I have felt the healing power of it. 2 Nephi 33:3 is really good. I feel this way a lot and then verse 6 is so simple and so profound. Mom I love ya. You're the greatest mom a son could ask for. What a great time this life is to prepare to meet God and with a mom like you and dad like mine I've got some pretty good trainers:) Please hug and kiss those Little's like crazy for me. They are precious. I was writing letters today and I was listening to music. Sometimes I really like to set the mood when I write. I often start with a prayer  then turn on some hymns or other spiritually conducive music and I write. It's a sacred thing to me to be able to write people that love and support me. People are so nice to me and it's great. I wish I had the time and means to hug them all and it'd be impossible to express my love for them but I could try... Anyway... Today I was writing and I heard some children singing on the CD I was listening to. My heart was over flowing with gratitude and tears filled my eyes. I then gazed a the little wallet sized picture of Peighton on my desk and it's incredible the amount of love I have for him and the rest of you. These two Little's in our family are so very precious. They aren't even mine ha. Love is spoken in our home and it ALWAYS has been. Love is in my bones and every fiber of my being. I don't even know who my wife is but I love her so so so so much. My kids already mean the world to me. If I didn't love them or you all or more importantly the Savior, I would not be here and oh baby do I love the Lord. Thanks for being my mom, thank dad for being my dad and you can hug and kiss him for me.
 Keep Smilin':) Love ya.
Love, your son, Tub Txib Pob Tsuas Vaaj  aka  Elder Braedon Coltrin Paramore

02/07/11

Holy Cow! You're right! Satan is doing all he can to damn the work! It's crazy. Thank you so much for that mom. It's really something special when I get to hear yours and dads testimonies. Sometimes they hit me harder then any other persons. You both mean a whole lot to me and I hope you know that. I also hope you know that I look to you two very much. Speaking of the adversary... Look at all you and dad and our family for that matter have been able to overcome through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It would not be possible without it.  Thank you for your example and for your love. Ha yeah it's crazy it's been a year. It doesn't feel like it. It'd be neat to see Landon come down! I'd love that. Oh  I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and also they shaved a bit off my front tooth so my bite felt a little more normal. I live with some really funny and awesome Elders! We've had fun in our first week:) I don't know what to do for P's birthday. I hope he feels my love.  It sounds like everyone is doing great and dang dad is one good lookin' cowboy! You're one lucky cowgirl ha. I'm glad you two got to spend time together last weekend. Holy Cow! Chandis' friend is turning in his papers! That's so great!


Elder Clawson is great! I love him. I really appreciated him a lot once he wasn't my companion anymore and now that he is I won't take him for granted. Our stay in Oroville was busy and we worked hard hard hard. We'll continue to do that here and  now we know each other it will be a bit easier.
 We're teaching a family from Thailand. They arrived in the States for the first time just a couple months ago. They can't speak any English. They can read Thai and speak it and they can also speak Hmong. The other day mom I was sitting at a fold out table and we were trying to teach these very humble, scared, stressed people some English. Well all at once a rush of gratitude came over me. As I looked up and observed the mother she was looking down at her paper which has nothing but the Alphabet on it and some words that go along with each letter A Apple B bell and so forth. Her hand was on her head and she looked defeated. I wanted to cry. I want to cry now too. In the 6th verse of chapter one in 2nd nephi it reads: that none will be led into this land unless it's by the hand of the Lord. I know they're here for a reason. I know I met them  for a reason.  I already love them very much. I would say a letter then they'd repeat. Can you imagine the humility. It's unbelievable. I can't communicate with them very well but I try. It has been neat to be around the kids. There's never a real dialogue but the love is always felt. It's very real and it's so wonderful! I cannot help but think of a dear dear friend of mine whenever I see little children. Jenna taught me soo much about love, and her love for children has really opened my eyes to the preciousness of our Heavenly Father's little ones. I'm very blessed to have the friends I do. They ALL  have taught me things that I think about during certain situations as a missionary. I am blessed. This family has 8 kids and the parents are under a lot of pressure. Their relatives sponsored them to come over here and they still practice "old culture" so when they got here they wanted to believe in Christ but they're under a lot of pressure from the relatives to do the old culture because they got them over here and provided them with quite a bit to live. We're just grateful that the spirit is much more impressive then any physical gift. The dad of this family also has a brother who happens to be a member and his family is one of the strongest Hmong families I've seen. So we're battling. My goodness mom... Just think about all there is to be grateful for. We can laugh, love, feel, we have toes, fingers, a functioning body with good organs, our minds are quick and sometimes wise, we can see out of eyes, smell, hear, taste, we can speak and through those words we can let others know how we feel and what we know to be true. I'm overwhelmed with the blessings in my life. We take soo much for granted. I love waking up and trying my hardest throughout the whole day to simply REMEMBER ALL in which my Heavenly Father has given me. Nothing can bring us down when we're successful at doing this.

Tell Chand I love her very much and have no doubts of the real significant work our Heavenly Father has in store for her. That goes for the rest of you  as well. I live at 390 Rio Lindo Ave. Apt # 45 Chico CA. 95926:) I love you very much. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you all. I love Brooks Hartman. He's the real man:)  and let him know  I wouldn't mind if he dated then married my sister:) That'd be great. K love ya.
Elder Paramore