I think everyone is a little shocked about the new ages that missionaries can serve missions! It will definitely make young people even more excited about serving missions. It´s going to be especially interesting to see the increase in the number of missionaries that serve throughout the world. We really are in the last days before the second coming of Jesus Christ. Missionary work is just going to keep growing and growing, preparing the way.
Everyone was waiting for a temple to be announced here in Nicaragua. The faithful Nicaraguan church members have been waiting a long time now! I hope to be able to do a small part in helping prepare this country for a holy temple. Maybe I´ll be lucky enough to hear the announcement of it in the two other conferences that I will be here!
I really loved the talks of Deiter F. Uchtdorf, Russell M. Nelson, and Neil A. Anderson. Well, I liked all of the talks really! I´m excited for priesthood session tonight and the sessions tomorrow. I feel so blessed to live in this time that the restored gospel is here on the earth. It is amazing to me that we have a living prophet who leads us through revelation. The same church that Jesus Christ established here on the earth about 2000 years ago, exists TODAY; Jesus Christ himself has restored it with a living prophet and apostles, and with the same priesthood that He gave to his prophets and apostles in the past. How amazing is that??
This week was absolutely busy. This week the mission had transfers so I was really busy getting all the things ready for the missionaries who left and the new missionaries who got here. 19 left, and 24 new missionaries came. It was frustrating at times, being so busy because I just wanted to go teach our investigators! However, I feel blessed to be able to help out other missionaries in the mission. This week should be pretty laid back, giving me and my companion a lot of time to go visit our investigators and find more. Pedro and Virginia, and Jaime and Ana all said that they were going to come to conference tomorrow, so we are going to do all we can to help them make it!
After transfers, I am still with Elder Rivera. He and I get a long pretty well. He is really good at teaching and finding new people to teach. I know that we will be able to have success together this month, we just need to get our investigators to church! That´s almost always the hardest thing to do here in Nicaragua. However, I know the Lord has touched the hearts of a lot of our investigators. I am excited for this upcoming transfer!
I love and miss you all! Listen to the Prophet, 12 apostles, and general authorities! They have been chosen by our Heavenly Father to guide us and talk to us this weekend.
Love,
Elder Parrish
