I watched conference with my whole zone in a separate room for English speakers. You might ask why when we all understand Spanish. But who wants to listen to monotone translators all day when you can have it pure and undiluted!!!! It was super sweet.

 

Some missionaries referred to conference as Missionary vacation days! That’s crazy I was so surprised when I heard that. All my buddies are worried that all the girls are going to leave on the mission and there won’t be anybody to marry with. I guess Natalie is about to finish up school and what not and doesn’t know what to do. I don’t really know what to do either. President told me that I could change my date to come home... so I have to pick between August 26 and October 7, 2013.

I need some good advice on this one! But honestly I don’t know what to do. About half the missionaries are going home early and half are staying later. That sounds super weird. I need to know how much money I have and if I can get into school or not. If I stay I can work with Steve Foley, but if I go I can get a job at Convergys but on the Spanish crew! I don’t really like thinking about all that. Honestly I am scared to be a normal person again. Parker! Leave early at 18! Why not take the chance while you have it. Remember the bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush! The mission is hard for about 3 months and then you get used to it. And the MTC psyches you up so much that you get over the first 3 months without problems. I will tell the truth I was scared. Why? Because I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep the schedule or I thought I would get bored just talking about Jesus all day.

Talking about Jesus all day seemed like a wired protestant idea that didn’t really appeal to me, but anyway you get here and it’s like a full time job that you figure out to love. It’s like school--you wake up and basically do that same thing over and over again. The secret that I have found is live in the moment because normally (and this is bad but we all do it) when you’re in school you always look forward to vacations when you’re on vacation you’re always thinking about school again. Why not be in school thinking about school and be on vacation thinking about vacation. It just makes sense so be in school right now enjoy it and love it! When you get to your mission go and love it and enjoy it. Life isn’t meant to be serious or worry all the time about things that may or may not happen. Anyway all that is easy to say but harder to live.

This week was good, but nobody came to church so we are still about 2 weeks out from a baptism because the one we were going to baptize also fell through. I don’t know-- when we don’t baptize and we are not working hard I feel bad but if we are not baptizing and we are working hard I honestly don’t care. If you give it your best shot and it didn’t work out why worry about.

Anyway Mom liked Jeffery R Holland’s talk. One I think I can say I have heard before....almost. Jeffery R Holland came to the MTC in 2010 in like December or something and gave one very similar. Our mission president has made about a million copies of this talk and given to about every missionary, so I have a talk that almost says the same thing but with more emphasis is on missionary work. It’s really good. I like it a lot and it helps me get into the work, and get excited a little bit more. Dad if you want to send me conference that would be great, and if it’s not too much trouble the text in Spanish. The Liahona takes forever to come out here. We get the May Liahona when it’s almost June, but anyway everything is great. The letter I wrote a year ago that dad sent me a portion of (from when I was in the mtc) well, my Spanish was so terrible. I think I wrote "yo embarisate" or something really stupid like that. That’s really embarrassing. That is terrible Spanish. Good thing I figured that one out. I think even Grandma Hendricks one time corrected my Spanish when I was in the MTC. How embarrassing.

Anyway pray for me and I will pray for you good trade...sweet.

Elder Hendricks

 

P.S. Mom don’t worry everything will work out, I know you very well and you are probably very worried about the whole situation. But why worry when you can’t change it?

Love you Mom and the whole fam!