Week 6 Amsterdam - Fastest 6 weeks of my life!!

Hello Hello,

What an crazy, fun, hot, cold, humid, exciting week it has been! Missions are amazing. It doesn't get any better then being out here serving the Lord in this beautiful country. This is His work and we are sharing His message. Incredible!

Well this week went by so fast I can hardly remember what even happened....so I'll my best to remember some of the highlights. We were able to meet with Peter and Evy this week and that was great! They are seriously the coolest people in the world. They have a heart of gold and are so nice. On top of that they love this gospel. They tell us every time that we go how badly they want to go to the temple so they can be sealed to each other. How cool is that? Golden!!!! But it has been a little harder to meet with them, his job is keeping him pretty busy and she has been sick with her pregnancy. But everything is still going good there. There papers should finally be on there way here pretty quick so they can get baptized! I can't wait:)

This week was full of some good exchanges too. I was in Leiden, Alkmaar, and then we worked with the Amsterdam sister. But, Elder Bonner and I were working in Alkmaar, a very dutch city. Which is a hard place to see success. But we were determined to see some success. And we worked out butt of the whole day and ended up having an amazing lesson with a family. It was so cool the mom made all of her kids come in and sit in on the lesson. And on top of that we found 5 pretty positive potential investigators. The Lord was blessing us for our efforts that is for sure. I know He is right there watching over me!!

Elder Bringhurst and I had a super cool night a couple of days ago. So we rushed down to the outskirts of the city to go to an appointment and it ended up falling though. It was already late and we would of only had like 20 or so minutes to work and it was raining. So the temptation to just start making our way back was there but we didn't. We started knocking a some doors. The first door was a JW who just tried to wreck us. But we weren't going to end with that so we kept on knocking and the next four doors were some of the coolest potentials I have probably ever met on my mission. One lady was like " Whenever you two are in the area you are welcome to come by grab a snack, some water, etc." Another was a young 18 year old boy who was religious but not in a specific church and who LOVED basketball. So we just talked for a solid 20 minutes and he was like "You want my phone number so we can meet up one time. And I would also love to go to the church with you two. You two are cool guys." The coolest kid ever! And then as we were heading back to the metro we stopped on last guy and he was so cool! We talked for another 20 minutes and we invited him to a ward BBQ and he just lit up and said "if it was today I would of been there yesterday!" haha. So we ended up setting two appointments and getting 3 phone numbers!! What a 'God testifying night' as we would say here haha. I know 100% Heavenly Father is aware of me and is aware of all His children. He lives!

Well this week was also transfer call week. We heard the news last night that Elder Bringhurst and I will be getting separated. He is staying in Amsterdam. I will be heading to a city called Einhoven, picking up another greenie, white washing again and staying DL. So these coming weeks are going to be crazy! It was a bitter sweet phone call. But I am excited, I know that is where the Lord needs me and I am going to go and work my hardest there as well.

Thank you all for the emails and the love and support! You are all the best. I hope you have an amazing week and for some of you and great first week of school!!

Love,
Elder Parr
#ReturnWithHonor

At Roos's house, Elder Bringhurst hard at work drawing:) 

Me taking a nap on the empty metro

Week 5 Amsterdam - What a blur!!

Hello hello,

I know I say this like every week but this week I am serious. I think this week set the new fastest week of my mission. It honestly was here and gone just like that. Even after a year I still don't understand the time thing out here. I guess somethings you never get used to haha. But it has been a good one non the less.

The weather this week was very different from the small storms and rain we ran into last week. We were blessed with some beautiful weather! Actually it was a little bit on the hot end! The humidity is killer, but it's still great. Oh and biking with helmets tends to be a lot hotter then I thought. I kinda miss having the wind blow through my hair. But it has been a good thing. Definitely getting easier as the days go by. Still get weirder looks and rude remarks every now and again, but for the most part you just soak it all in and love it. Love standing out and make the best of it. I will try and get a helmet picture to you so you can see what we mean when we say, ' safety has never looked so good'.

This week we had out interviews with President and Zuster Bunnell and those were just incredible. Those two are absolutely amazing people. It was great to be able to get to know them better. After Zuster Bunnell and I talked about St. George for a good half hour haha. It was great. But they are definitely called of God and inspired. It is going to continue to be great working with them.

This past week we were able to finally meet with a less active member named James Aidoo from Ghana. And we had planned to teach Temple Prep because that is what the other Elders had been teaching him. But we walked in and Bringhurst and I both felt super prompted to teach the Restoration so we did and it was incredible. The spirit was so strong and that is what he needed to hear. But the spirit didn't stop guiding us there. We could see something was wrong even when he kept on saying he was fine. We then found out he had terrible pain in his foot and the doctors didn't see anything wrong. We asked if he wanted a blessing and he just lit up and we were able to give him a blessing. I am so grateful for the priesthood and that I have the amazing opportunity to hold that sacred power to bless others lives. It is a huge blessing for me.

We were able to work with both the Amsterdam and Ijmuiden Zusters this week and had really cool appointments with both of them. It was really cool to see how sometimes it takes a specific person and their unique spirit to touch another heart. Bringhurst and I saw that while we were with them. That just puts a smile on my face, that God knows us and puts us in places for a reason.

Oh and this morning Bringhurst and I were able to go to the Anne Frank house. The house that her and her family hid in during World War 2. That was probably one of the coolest things. There was just something special about being there. It really made me grateful for the beautiful place that we live in. We truly are so blessed!

Sorry I didn't have a lot of time to write you individually but I will try to get to it next week. Thanks for all the sweet letters and the support. I love you all! Enjoy your last couple days of summer!

Love,
Elder Parr
#ReturnWIthHonor

We played some beach soccer today for P-Day.

Week 4 Amsterdam -Helmets, Soccer and Belgie

Hello Hello,

Where to Begin....This has been a pretty crazy week to say the least. We have been all over the place and have a had a good time doing the Lords work. It doesn't get any better right?? Love this work so much.

This week I got to back to Belgium with Elder Bringhurst and that was so much fun! We had to go down for some legal stuff and I got to get my license for Europe! Pretty exciting. But it was so good to be back in Belgium. I have missed that place. And of course we got some delicious Belgian waffles and some nice Belgian Fries. We sure made the best out of the trip.

But this week we were finally able to go and play some soccer with Peter, Evy and Pedro and it was so much fun! We got playing, Elder Bringhurst and I against Pedro and Peter and it was great. Then a bunch of Neighborhood boys showed up and called us out. So of course we accepted the challenge. Well we are all getting pretty into it and it got intense. And get this these two American non soccer players and Peter won all 3 games to 11:) Now that is what I am talking about. I love that family so much. They are so incredible and just have such a solid testimony of this Gospel. The adversary is really trying to stop them from coming unto Christ. But it's amazing to see them put their trust in the Savior and rely on Him. If only you could all see how much their countenance has changed. It would make your whole day. This Gospel really does come with a light. Just makes me think of Heleman 5:12 too. Build your foundation on Christ and You can overcome anything. That is so true.

This Friday was also pretty great. Elder Bringhurst and Elder Nye had a pretty incredible experience. So Elder Bonner and I were teaching a less active member that Elder Bonner had baptized a year ago and just had an incredible uplifting lesson with him and got him back on the right path. So we were just pumped. Well we exchanged back and Bringhurst tells me this story. They had just got out of our lesson and they passed a girl crying on the street and had a feeling they needed to go back and talk to her. Elder Nye began talking to her and she went on to tell him she was about to go end her life. God is so aware of His children. I can't even tell you the spirit that I felt just hearing that. I know 100% That God lives, He knows every single one of His children Perfectly and Loves us beyond measure. Never give up on Him.

So I don't know if I already told you this but as of this past week our mission has become a Helmet wearing mission:) So in this country the only people who were helmets are competitive bikers or 2 year old kids, sometimes not even them. So In all honesty already having gone a year without a helmet this has been great. And this change is already been a humbling experience for me. The rude remarks, the laughs and the pointing fingers has been hard. But If God wants me to wear a helmet, I'll wear a helmet. And me and Bringhurst even came up with a nice little motto, Safety has never looked so good:) So now we got 150 more helmet wearers in this country. It's great.

Thank you all for the sweet emails and all of the support!! You are all amazing. Remember this church is true, God loves you and is always there. Have an amazing week!

Love, Elder Parr
#ReturnWithHonor

Week 3 Amsterdam - All a big blur!

Hello Hello!!

Missions are incredible!! But man can I just say this week just disappeared!! I swear I was just sitting behind this screen emailing yesterday. This week has gone by so fast, sitting here looking back I almost can't remember what even happened. It really has been, one big blur. But none the less I know it was an amazing week! Cause every week brings plenty of things to put a big smile on your face!! So thank goodness for journals so you can see how much the Lord blesses you every single day. Daily miracles and tender mercies are so real! I can say that much!!

This week ended up being a lot of finding, some pretty crazy adventures and meeting some pretty interesting people that you just got to love!

Unfortunately we weren't able to meet with Peter and Evy this week. This first week of peters new job has kept them very very busy. But it has also been a huge blessing in their lives so that's okay. But those two are incredible! Satan is trying so hard to stop this baptism from happening, but they are committed to the gospel. So the birth certificate came and they went and had their appointment with the city and they said that there needed to be a stamp from Brazil on the certificate so they send it back to Brazil to get it stamped. That has been pretty nerve racking for me. But they just keep on surprising me with their faith and enthusiasm about the gospel. They know this is where they need to be and they aren't going to give up! That for me has been such a testimony builder and a huge miracle. The Lord will help us through our trails, sometimes we have a bumpy road and have to beat the snakes and bears on our paths, but as we press forward in faith it will all work out!!

So Saturday there was a crazy storm in the Netherlands! We were heading to Ijmuiden to teach with the sisters and us and the Zl's got stuck on a train for 3 hours or so!!!!! It was nuts. Every single train in North Holland was shut down as well as buses. When we finally were able to make our way back we passed all these massive trees that had been uprooted and power lines that were destroyed! It was actually quite the adventure to say the least. But we survived!!

We also were blessed with 5 investigators in church!! That has never happened for me on my mission!! What a blessing and what a miracle!! It was amazing to see so many investigators there with big smiles on their faces. The Lord is truly hastening His work! The Church is true!! I know that with my heart and soul! I love this gospel!

Thank you all for the love and support you give to us missionaries! Love you all!!!

Love, Elder Parr
#ReturnWithHonor

Thought we'd try and take a short cut:)

Week 2 Amsterdam - My Eyes Were Open

Hello Hello!!:)

Were to begin....this week has been full of so many crazy adventures and great miracles and tender mercies. Is all I know for sure is that Heavenly Father, knows who I am, He's is so much closer to me then I thought. This is His work and it is not slowing down for anything.

This past week has been fun for sure. Working with Elder Bringhurst has been an absolute blast. It's been so fun to have him as a companion. Still kinda in a shock, I mean who would of guessed we would end up in Amsterdam together, kinda a one in a million chance. But I wouldn't change it for the world, cause life is great! It has been so fun to just go out and work hard and laugh and have a great time the whole time we are doing it. Sure makes missionary work a lot different! A good different that is:)

So, we were able to meet with Peter and Evy a couple of times this week and it has been incredible to see so many miracles come into their lives. Here are some of the miracles that they have seen the past couple of days. Peter has got a job that is going to help him support his family so much better and one that he enjoys. They were able to get a car so now they don't have to rely on anyone to come to church. They finally have an appointment to go and meet with the city tomorrow so they can get married!! Every time we go over to their home, they just tell us how grateful they are for this new light we have brought into their lives. I wish you could all just see them now. They have a new light in their eyes, Jesus Christ has entered into their hearts and they are new people. I have never met an investigator who has such a strong testimony is our Savior and Our Heavenly Father. They have so much trust is Him it is touching to see. I was telling Elder Bringhurst this week that every time I go over to their house I feel like I am going to my Aunts or something. They are literally family to me. So great. Oh and get this, I finally was able to convince Peter to let us try and carry up a fridge they have been wanting to get up stairs. Well it was crazy....We had to carry a American size fridge, I say American cause that is very rare to see here, up 8 flights of stairs cause there was no elevator. But guess who came out on top! we did:) We weren't going to be beat by a fridge haha. But they really appreciated that too, Peter and I had a good laugh that we finally did it. But I just love that family so much. They are so ready to be baptized and can't wait either. One big miracle.

This week my eyes were also opened a little bit. In two different ways. One I can give 100% credit to Elder Bringhurst for. He has opened my eyes on how stinking lucky we are to have the mission that we have. We really do have one of the coolest places ever! I love my mission so much! My eyes were also opened this week by my Father In Heaven, for the first time I really began to see everyone as a child of God. I finally was able to see God's children as He sees them, glorious, amazing, full of potential. I know that we really all are children of a loving Heavenly Father, He knows all of us perfectly and truly does talk to us. He is there always and is never EVER going to give up on us. Why? Because we mean everything to Him! How incredible is that!?

I also had the incredible opportunity to go back to Delft on Saturday and say goodbye to Josh Ampah, one of my best friends! It was the greatest welcome ever. He had no idea I was coming and we walk in and he was laying on the floor and I was like 'my brother!' and He jumped up so fast and gave me the biggest hug. I can't even bring it into words how great that was. That is what life is all about. Seeing that smile on someone who you have come to love face. We were able to have a nice lunch and enjoy the afternoon with each other, a big tender mercy to me that's for sure. And being back in Delft just brought back so many good memories. But it also hit me, missions go by to fast. I am going to make the best of every second, because it's true what they say time flies!

I love you all and am thankful for the love and support! Have an amazing week!

Love, Elder Parr
#RetrunWithHonor

Elder Bringhurst and I

Our Big Reunion with Josh and former companion Elder Lee