You can now call me a chicken murderer!

Baptisms!

We had baptisms this Saturday! Almost automatically one of my favorite days when a baptism happens! But for us we had 4 candidates get baptized! They were all super ready! Especially Bro. John! He was so into the gospel and he literally teaches us when we go to teach him. haha But the baptisms were great! Our whole zone had a total of around 23 baptisms that day! It was such a miracle! It truly shows how much Zimbabwe is growing in the gospel! 

A Fortunate Soul!

So do you remember when I talked about someone by the name of Sister Moyo? Well... Funny story. That actually isn't her name. Haha she told us last week that that is the name of her neighbor and that we were mixing them up... So that's embarrassing.. haha Been calling her by the wrong name for over a month now. But her name is Sister Fortune! She is incredible! (She is the one who asked why the Book of Mormon has been hidden from her this whole time.) Then this week we taught both her and her mom about the Plan of Salvation! It went Really Really Great!! We were talking about what happens after we die on this life and we explained that we go to a place called the Spirit World where we rest from our labors on earth and can still have the opportunity to be taught about the gospel and change. She was so happy when we told her that! She was joyed by the fact that God always gives us more chances to change! And she whole heatedly believed it was true! It was quite a great lesson!

Contacting With the Youth!

On Saturday we had a missionary activity with the youth!! It turned out so great! (I was a bit nervous at first how everything would work out) But it was fantastic! We had about 40 youth there and with the help of the other Elders in the Zone, we went out into 4 groups and helped the youth to contact people on the streets and share the gospel! It was so much fun! And the youth absolutely loved it! It got the youth more excited about missionary work and there were some who were just on fire! They would be like "Oh! We have to talk to this one!" And then they would joyfully walk over to the people/person and talk about our church! It was definitely a success! And want to plan more activities like this!

Following Elder Young Yen's Footsteps...

So Funny story... There has been a LOT of rain recently and well the roads here are all dirt. And Water+Dirt=MUD PUDDLES! So they are everywhere, right? Well it was dark and we were walking to a members house, and my companion has the torch (flashlight) in front of us. (And just a little background: The night before we were walking home with Bro. Griffith, a RM, and I seriously hit every single puddle there was and got all muddy. So I have had great experience in this field.) SO, I was just waking behind my companion thinking I was all smart to be safe from these puddles, then just when my security was all built up, Splash! I stepped in a puddle! But just to make things worse, while I was groaning about the first puddle I step in, Splash I stepped in another! Then I decided, "Aright I'll walk directly behind my companion." And Two steps later!.. Squish! I step in some good quality mud! Haha THen after that I decided that I'm going to walk in the exact steps of my companion. So there is my companion walking in front, and then me looking down so carefully at his feet to make sure that I walk in his direct path! Then there was this one time a car passed, and I looked up for just a moment... and what do you know... splash! I step in yet another puddle! Haha It was quite a funny night! We had quite a laugh out of it the whole time.

BUT! haha I was thinking about this story more afterwards, and I thought, "Well I could just make this into a spiritual story!" If you compare me to us in this world and my companion as the savior. Then in order to stay safe from the "Mud Puddles" in the world, then we need to follow the example of Christ and follow his footsteps. Not just meandering behind, but to strive to follow him with exactness. And while we are following him, we need to make sure that we don't get distracted by worldly things, because one wrong step can lead to a foot covered in mud! So if you get one thing out of this message, get this. "Exactness in keeping the Commandments, keeps your shoes clean and safe from the Devil's mud puddles in this world today!" So choose to follow Christ! :)

I'm a murderer!

Yes, it is true... I have officially killed my first... Chicken! It was actually pretty cool! Quite the experience of my lifetime! haha The chicken was surprisingly well behaved. Definitely went to a mannerism school or something, because the whole time, until it's last breath, it didn't make any noise or squirm!.... Until... I cut off it's head! Then somehow, it started squawking and moved so crazily that the blood got everywhere! I was blood splattered after and literally had blood on my hands! "Caught red handed" as you can say. Haha but it was a great new experience!

Well I hope that everyone had such a great week! I love you all!!

Pictures:

Baptisms! and Before and After pictures of the chicken! Hopefully it's not too graphic!

Elder Parco

Raining down blessings--Literally!

Raining Down Blessings Litterally

So we hit raining season in Zimbabwe! It's great because it cools down the scorching hot ground beneath our feet! But on the downside, when it rains, IT RAINS. So if we arent in a house, then we get soaked! But this week we were able to use it to our advantage! 

So Tuesday, we were in the area walking around, proselighting. Then we saw the clouds roll in and the wind pick up, and realize... A Storm's a brewing. So we visited one of our investigators, Sister Chakacha. As soon as we got there, the rain started coming in. Unfoutunately, Sister Chakacah wasn't there, but her Sister was! Seeing the circumstance that could of happen if she didn't let these two wonderful missionaries inside, she decided to let us in! We were able to teach her about the Restoration and it went really well! We told he that next time we visited we can teach both her and her sister together! It was quite a blessing!

So right after the rain died down we headed out again, and my companion had this feeling to visit this house. So of course we did! It was this nice family of 4 and the Father, we met in Kingston about a month earlier. (He was selling his healthy popcicles) It was pretty awesome how we saw him again! So we started teaching him, and half way through the lesson it started to down pour super hard! And I was so glad that I wasn't in that storm outside, in the cold! haha But the lesson went super well, we set another appointment with him the following week.

So one more rain story... Saturday! It pour!! The roads basically turned into rivers and the thunder was so loud, it sounded like gunshots! But it was awesome! Haha luckily it was nighttime by that time and we headed to town to eat some dinner. But man was it sweet! I forgot how much I liked storms like this! It lasted for a couple of hours and then died down. But the negative part... Our power was out in our town until Monday afternoon! Almost two days! But I guess that's what happens when you have a big storm like this!

My Companion Fishes! Epicly! 

So this week all four of us Woodbrook missionaries ate with our Branch President! And man I learned something so cool about my companion!

Elder Young Yen my companion from Samoa fishes! But this isn't the normal throw a line in the water and wait type of fishing! This is like one of the most exteremely epic ways to fish in the world! 

Basically you swim out into the vast ocean with nothing but a torch (flashlight) and a spear! And a conoe only to put the fish in! Epic already right?!? Then with  wearing nothing but casual clothes, they dive into the ocean and spear fish! Elder Young Yen said that they are underwater for about 3 minutes spearing as many fish as he can! He said he wasn't very good, only able to get 2-3 fish each breath! And I thought, "Man! I can't even catch a fish with a fishing line!" But that was the coolest thing that I have heard in my life! And the spears that they use (Like 5 feet long) are attached to a rubber band so they pull it back and shoot! But man! I have the beastiest companion out there!

We Caught a Big one!

So quick sotry! We have this investigator, Bro John. We have been meeting with him for 3 weeks! And wow is he converted! It's so amazing! So the story on how we "caught" him is pretty cool as well. One day we visited a member Bro. Rapson, and he had two friends with him, John and his other friend. So When we started to teach the lesson one of the freinds left, but John stayed! It was a miracle! Everytime before that he would always make and excuse or just flat out not be interested in what we had to say. But we taught about the Restoration, and Bro. Rapson bore his testimony about his stubborness on not joining the church at first but then reading the Book of Mormon and being converted. Then after that testimony, we had him "hooked"! He even said before we left, "You caught a big fish today!" And these past three weeks we have seen his testimony grow so strong and his love for the church! He was turly a miracle!

So I hope that all of your weeks were supurb! I love you all!

Oh and also Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!! I hope all of you see the many blessing that God has put in your life! Be thankful! It makes your day so much better!

Elder Parco

Helping clean up for a helping hands activity!

BUSY BUSY BUSY!

BUSY BUSY BUSY!

This week has been so busy! But it's great! It's so true when people say, "The bussier you are, the less you think about home and the faster time flies!" And I can testify that it is true! This week flew by so fast! It's already another Monday! We were so booked with lessons the whole week! Taught a total of 32 lessons to investigators!! So crazy! And so tiring! But totally worth it. Heavenly Father has truly blessed us with so many people to teach, and a lot of them are progressing really well! But enough with my babble about my busy days...

The Book of Mormon is TRUE!

This week A LOT of people have been coming to us and asking about the Book of Mormon. And then I just think, "WELL, Let me tell you!" haha But I know that though this week the Book of Mormon is truly the keystone to our religion! It is what founds our beliefs and our religion. Without the Book of Mormon we have no religion! And I have seen the spirit work through many of the people we have talked to as they decide whether or not the Book of Mormon is a true book or not. And that's the only question they need to have. Is it true? Because if it is, then that means that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that the Church of Jesus Christ is back on the earth today in it's fullness! It's a simple yet powerful message! And I know for myself that it is a true book. 

So story time: 

There was this one investigator that we were teaching, Sister Moyo. And we taught about the restoration and then introduced the Book of Mormon! She was so intrigued the whole time! We explained that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and that it does not replace the bible, but supports it! Also we said that the Book of Mormon takes place in the America's and the inhabitant there. After we explained she said something like, "I can't believe that this book has been hidden from me all this time!" 

It was such an amazing experience and really strengthened my testimony of the power that the Book of Mormon can have in teaching and being a witness of truth!

I know that the Book of Mormon is true and invite all to read it!

Getting Big at the Gym

So my companion Elder Young Yen love the gym. So we have been going to the gym 3 times a week! But now we planned on going almost every day! The gym is kinda far walk so we have to wake up early! Like 5:30 early. But it's totally fine with me, and now I am kinda used to it! 

SO when I get back you all better watch out! Cause I'm going to be Africa strong! 

Mountain Hike Round 2!

Today we hiked the mountain! It was the same one we hiked all those months ago! (Months!!! Weird right!?!) But we went with all the Elders in our zone and it was pretty great! The view was awesome! But man am I tired today! But it was worth it!

Oh also man card moment of the week:

Gym, and ate some crocodile! Tasted in between of a fish and chicken! IT was good though!

Well I hope everyone has a great week this week! I challenge all to read and pray about the Book of Mormon! Because I know you will receive an answer!

I love you all very very much!!

Love,

Elder Parco

Pictures:

From the Hike!!

A week of coincidences

Well this week went by fast!! It was super awesome and we taught so many people! It makes me excited what will happen in this next month to come! This week was filled with so many spiritual and just overall amazing experiences! I know for a fact that this is the Lord's work I am doing!

No Such Thing as Coincidences in the Lord's work! Tuesday:

Today was had so many perfectly timed miracles!

So we planned to go and visit one of our investigators, but on the way we ran into Sister Chiona's brother who was visiting the house just for that day! We started talking to him and started a discussion about the Book of Mormon to him. It was a powerful discussion that we had, and by the end, he wanted to read the Book of Mormon when he arrived home and seemed super interested in the church. THE most miraculous part though! Before he visited the house. He saw this very book in his relatives house and was wondering what it was all about! Then we came along and answered his very question, without him even asking it! IT was such an amazing miracle!

Then later on in the day we decided to go and visit an investigator who we haven't seen a quite some time. On the way there these two ladies called us over and said that they wanted to hear our message! So yes another miracle! We planned a day that we could meet with them and left them with some pamphlets! IT was soo cool!

So we arrived at our investigator's house, and she was home! She said that we were super lucky to see her because she was planning on being in South Africa at this time but plans fell through! We taught her about the Plan of Salvation and she was so intrigued! Afterwards we asked her what she understood and she said that she needed to repent and be baptized!! It was so awesome! And the spirit was so strong at that time!

In the evening we join with Bro Prosper and Bro Simba, (two members) To go and visit this amazing investigator K. He is an older man with a lot of problems on his back. I just want to explain our last visit that we had with him before we get into this one. So last week we decided to randomly visit this man. We called him and said he was busy but that we should stop by later. So we did, and we had the MOST spiritual discussion on the atonement of Jesus Christ and afterwards he said that he knows that we were the answer to his prayers. Also when we called him, he was out to search for some priest to help him with his problems, he wasn't able to find them that day, but he said God still answered him by sending us! And calling him at that exact time when he was out searching for help! It was such a cool experience!

So today we taught and introduced the Book of Mormon. And After we were done he came out and said that he was thinking about it since last visit and he wanted to join the church and get baptized! It was such an amazing miracle!

Blessings From Heaven! Wednesday:

So this day was also super super cool!

Today we went to Kingston again and we had the help from a member Sister Kufumu! It went pretty well. But there was this one instance when while we were trying to teach a lesson, all of these drunk people in Kingston kept interrupting us. It really didn't please my companion very well. So while we were going to visit another person (Sister Kufumu left by this time) One of the same drunk people came over to us and asked us for matches for his smoke. Obviously we didn't have any but he was so determined to find a match. We eventually left him and we stopped by to contact this girl at a little street shack shop. Then this drunk guy came over again. But for some reason he felt really sorry for what he did and bought us some fruit drinks and biscuits! It was super nice of him! 

Then when we were done teaching, we started heading home. (Which is about an hour walk back to the town area.) We were walking down this one long road and then this tractor vehicle pulling some logs told us to hop on to hitch a ride! It was so nice because both me and my companion were exhausted by the day! And we were able to get a ride back almost the whole way! Which saved loads of time and energy! Again such an amazing miracle!

So from these experiences I know that there is no such thing as coincidences! And that God knows each and everyone of us and answers all of our prayers! Also I know that God truly does watch over his missionaries and cares for them! This week has really strengthened my testimony about this work! And I know it is true! 

I hope all of you can be able to see the little miracles and blessings in your life and know that God is always there for you!

Well I love you all and hope that you had a great week!

Oh Also Man card instance of the week!: 

I killed a scorpion with the tip of a highlighter! Haha

From,

Elder Parco!

Pictures: 

1) The dead scorpion

2) My companion Elder Young Yen also sleeps on the ground! Haha