Christmas Conference and Transfers

Christmas Conference!

First off! Everyone have a very Merry Christmas!!! 

This week on Tuesday we had a Christmas Conference with two other zones. It was pretty fun. We watched the Christmas devotional and then after we had a talent show with all the missionaries. So what did I decided to do? Magic tricks of course. haha It was great! Act went well. Haha don't know how to explain over email but it was just saracastically magical.

Also participated in helping with this other act that 6 of us Elders did. Accapella group of some Christmas Carols with a twist of Elder Leneham throwing some bars in the middle of the songs. For me I just helped with the beatboxing. haha It was way fun, and awesome! Wonderful Conference.

Cramner's Family Came!

Greatest miracle of all. Bro. Cramner kept his promise and brought his whole family  to church this Sunday!! It was super cool. Him, his wife and their 3 children came. And just to plant the seed a little deeper into their hearts, we taught about eternal marriage and eternal families in gospel principles class. Love that lesson. It's always such a super powerful topic.

The fact that Familes can be sealed forever, even after this life is the most glorious restored truth that will ever exist. It is not "Till Death we part" Anymore but For time and all  eternity. We can be with our famlies for all eternity. Living with those we love and death will not seperate us. The more I think about it the more I realzied how glorious that truth is. And I know it's true. Famlies can be together forever. 

Transfers!

Transfers were this week! And for all who want the news, I will be staying here in Kambuzuma for another 6 weeks. Making it a total of 3 transfers in this area. Also Making it my 13th transfer on mission, leaving me with 4 transfers left!! Now that's crazy! But I will be staying with my companion Elder Carpenter, but this time, we get a car!! So stoked about that one! First time ever having a car on mission. So I'll be preparing for that belly that comes with it!! haha As for the house, Elder Gomez finished his training with Elder Khumalo and now Elder Khumalo will be training someone from DRC. (Dominic Republic of Congo) That's pretty sweet!! But as for today it feels like a normal day, since not much is changing. But will be happy to serve this last transfer with the people in the Kambuzuma ward.

Well Once Again. Merry Christmas to everyone!!! i love you all! Until next time!

Love,

Elder Parco

Pictures:

-3 Elders and 1 SIster from our MTC group that came out. Also at the Christmas Conference

-Sickest meeting house ever. We have chickens, AND Puppies! haha

-Pictures from the Christmas  Branch party! Sweet!

-When traffic is so bad that Combies start to drive on the wrong side of the road

Updates and the Power of the Book of Mormon

Backed up To a Wall

There is something that I have realized about this gospel. Whenever you teach someone they have a choice. Whether to accept this message or not. But something even more I have realized. The more knowledge someone gains, the more they are "backed up into a wall" Where they have to make a decision to be baptized and join the church, or to reject the message.

There is this one family that we have been teaching for quite some time. Bro. Cramner and his family. Every visit has been some of the most spiritual lessons in the lifespan of my mission. But the decision is now on Bro. Cramner. The knowledge that Bro. Cramner knows is incredible. He knows with his heart that the Book of Mormon is True. He has read all the way to the Book of Helaman. And he knows the Restoration is true. The only thing he has left is the decision. To change his past life and accept the message that we teach, which has been the barrier for him.

But this week we had yet another spiritual experience with him. We were sharing and bearing our testimonies to help him understand what our message means. But yet he was still hesitant. Then we decided to share, Mark ch. 10, when Jesus beholds the rich man and tells him what he lacks. And when we shared that scripture, the spirit just hit so hard. Like a wave of spiritual feelings just hit the room. Then he looked up at us and said, "I get it now, I'm running away from the truth. The spirit is even telling me." The spirit was so strong, my eyes were even getting a bit blurry. 

But after that experience. Bro. Cramner promised us that next week, him and his family of 5 would come to church. It was awesome! Although there is still some work to be done, I know that he understands the decision he has to make. Now it's just up to his agency.

Book of Mormon is so powerful!

We had an awesome experience just walking to the internet cafe. As we were walking a guy calls out to us and asks us for a Book of Mormon. Sadly, we weren't prepared missionaries, and didn't have any one us at that time. But he told us his story. How months ago missionaries taught him and then he researched read the Book of Mormon and knows that the message is true. He really wanted to learn more but he moved away from that town he met the missionaries in. He was telling us the whole Restoration message how he just wants an end to all this religious confusion and said how this message was the answer. It was awesome! So we took down his detail and are going to send the great news to the missionaries that live in his area. That man was prepared.

Little Updates:

So likewise wish I could write stories about everything but here are some other things that happened this week:

-Exchanges with Elder Gomez. Went well

-Dinner with Sister Antonio, had some chicken feet! 

-FHE with Muusha famliy, sweet family and had madora (Caterpillers) and a bunch of traditional Zimbabwean foods.

Well I love you all and hope you have a great week!! Until NExt time!

Mr. Bean and listening to the spirit

This week was filled with a bit of disappointments. All but one of our investigators didn't show for church. But it's alright. Let me share with you all the cool things that happened this week!

Mr. Bean

There is this guy that lives in our area who is just awesome. He calls himself, Mr. Bean haha Every day he goes to the places people cook chips/fries and he takes all the skins of the peeled potatoes and carries them home in a wheel barrel, so he can use it for composting. Well two weeks ago was when we first met him, so we helped him carry his wheel barrel back to his house. And this guy really has a personality. haha So this Wednesday he saw us again. And this time he just wanted some company as he walked down the road with his wheel barrel full of potato peels. So we walk with him. But towards the end of our walk, Mr. Bean starts humming a tune. And then he started singing to us "I want to worship with you... When does your church start?" All while singing to this made up tune he had. haha we answer, and he just keeps singing "I'll be there." Then as we parted ways He sang "Goodbye my friends! Goodbye!" haha Mr. Bean is the best.

The Miracle of Listening to the Spirit!

Saturday was a pretty amazing day. We found 6 new investigators. But two of them came from a miracle!

Most of Saturday was a pretty busy day. And in our plans, we planned to visit and find the house of a potential investigator, Max only If, we had extra time during the day. Well the day ended and we were about to head home for the day. Then a thought came that we needed to visit Max. But we were already on our way home, and me and Elder Carpenter were pretty tired from the day. So we get to the road where we can get transportation, all at the same time Max keeps popping up in my head. We wait a bit, and no combies. Then finally a combie comes for us to go to our house, but... there was only enough space for one, so we couldn't take it. Then at that moment, I was like, Yep! Not supposed to go home now. That's my answer. We need to find Max's house. So we take off walking down the road to find this potential investigators house. Not even knowing if he's going to be home, where the house is, or if anything is going to come out of it. But the whole time I was like "Heavenly Father, something better come out of this." Because the walk to Max's house was not a close one. We finally get to section 6 and look for the house. We turn a street and then find it! But as we are walking to the house expecting Max, another person at the house yells. "Elder Carpenter!" So we go over to the very house we were looking for and he says, "Remember me?" I met you guys about a week ago." It was Julius. Someone we just contacted. Then he starts to tell his wife to set up chairs for us for us to teach. Then we tell him if he knew someone by the name of Max that stays here and say we were looking for him. Then he says that he doesn't know anyone by that name that stays around here. So we just proceed to teach Julius and his wife. But as Bro. Julius was talking he was telling us that he just moved here into the house with his wife really recently. And was surprised that we found his house. We taught him and his wife a powerful message about the Plan of Salavation and set another appointment to meet. It was awesome! Super glad that I followed the promptings of the spirit. And I know that God will tell us exactly where to be.

I hope that all of you had a great and wonderful week this week! I love you all! Until Next Time!

Love,

Elder Parco

PIctures:

-Sharron, my favorite ZImbabwean kid. She has a jar full of attitude.

-We made some sloppy joes, without even knowing how to make them! Sick!

-Played some touch rugbee with the other Elders. So fun!