Good Bye Cary, Ello Fayetteville!

Ello

So as you can tell. I got transferred to Fayetteville. My new companion is Elder Vaterlaus. He is from Mesa, Arizona. He's been out for 16 months. He is super funny. Uhh, new apartment is nice. We're on the 3rd floor. uhh. What else. OH, I don't know if Dominiic already told you. But so when we stopped by their house for the first time. Chris didn't recognize me. He answered the door. He's like "Hey! You must be the new missionary what's your name?" He looks down at my name tag says “Hey we have the same....wait a sec! PARKER!!!! NOOO WAYY!" It was pretty funny. He went and got Dominiic in the other room and she started to freak out, she attacked me with a hug. I cannot believe how big Rex is now! He is a talker! Umm, I don't really know what else to say. Oh! Diana Davidson, she messaged me a few months ago saying I should be on the look-out for an Elder who is in the Raleigh mission until he gets his Visa. Elder Austin, well sure enough he is in this area! So we talked for a bit about them. Uhh that's kinda all for this week,

So me being in Fayetteville will either make me want to continue to be in the Army or not we'll see ;)

Well I gotta go. I'll talk to you later! Love ya! Bye

Elder Beach

Believe it or not, this was a Candide shot!... I don't think I spelt that right...

(Not correcting this comment is killing the secretary/editor in Momma Beach, but I will leave it in its original form for posterity)

Gettin' out the swirly straw I got for Christmas!

Had to get one last picture where it happened....

(I'm guessing where the bad accident happened?)

I love the Johnson's! Gonna miss them so much!

Can't remember if it's Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn, I think it's Tom Sawyer... But I was Tom Sawyer for a few hours painting a members white fence! :) look at me using literature!

Bishop Farnsworth and part of his family

Brother Anderson, Cary 1st Ward Mission Leader!! Love that man!

Last preparation day with the Holly Springs District.  Gonna miss them!

Everyone said that we were brothers since we look so much a like... the Roberts Family!

Finally met my youngest cousin! Ayden!

Fayetteville... Now why does that sound familiar???

Elder Parker Beach was transferred to Fayetteville, NC and in the same ward as his Uncle Chris and his girlfriend!!! If it weren't for these pics we wouldn't believe it but we are ALL so excited!!! Chris didn't know his nephew would be one of the missionaries visiting them last night so after opening the door and putting the dogs in the backyard, he introduced himself, shook the missionaries hands and looked at the missionary's badge and said Hey! We have the same last name! That's when he looked up and Elder Beach said Really??? What a joyous reunion!!! Chris was stationed in Afghanistan when Elder Beach left on his mission and they haven't seen each other for a very long time! Chris has been less-active in the Church for the last 15 years but started going to church and seeing the missionaries in the last few months. Heavenly Father is very aware of each one of us, knows us and loves us. We are so happy!

 Dominiic texted these pictures to me.  We had no idea how bad his shoes were.  It looks like he has been using his left foot for a brake?!  We paid a lot for his bike and are pretty sure it came with brakes.  When I asked Elder Beach about the state of his footwear he replied in an email: “I was not using my feet as brakes, I use my brakes on my bike! That is just from working!” 

Facebook Posts - March 4-15, 2014

1st Area: Cary, NC

2nd Companion: Elder Russon, Tooele, Utah

March 14, 2014 marks 7 months that Elder Beach has been serving a mission!

3 Nephi 15:9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

Live your life FEARLESS!

There is no greater service than bringing our friends and family closer to Christ.

Success is not always what you see! You should never compare others' success to yours.

We are as the Army of Helaman!

Nephi reading and marking his scriptures! How is your Book of Mormon reading going along?

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

3 Nephi 14:2-5 “With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye—and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye”

In this scripture passage the Lord teaches that a fault we see in another is often like a tiny speck in that person's eye, compared to our own faults, which are like an enormous beam in our eyes. Sometimes we focus on others' faults when we should instead be working to improve ourselves.

Beans and Drawings

Love me some BUSH Beans! 

 from left to right

Elder Johnson, Elder Ellingson our district leader, me and Elder Russon

 Not Senoma Drive. But pretty close!

Practicing drawing the Plan of Happiness on our porch to draw in the park and on the Greenways 

drawing on the Greenway

we then went down a little farther away from the original drawing and drew out each part of it and explained and left a scripture for it

Three Levels of Glory

 Earth Life

200 Days!!!

Can't believe it's already been 200 Days since Elder Beach left for his mission!

Here are Facebook Posts from last week:

Be who you and your Heavenly Father want you to be. Happy.

Small and simple acts of kindness can make anyone's day! Make it happen!

Trials Lead To Better Things!

As many of you know already, there are missionaries on Facebook. We are not on here to check how things are going back home or to talk to friends and family. We are here to teach, to inspire our friends to leave inspirational posts, and to help others build and strengthen their testimony in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Suggest friends to those missionaries who are using Facebook that could use a little inspiration. Help us to Hasten His Work!

Miracles Really Do Happen!

Alma 26:27--  Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites,and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

This last week has been AMAZING. Miracles really do happen!

On Friday we had dinner and a lesson with two of our investigators, a Mother and Son*. We all had dinner at our Bishop's house, shortly after dinner we had a lesson on, The Gospel of Christ. This lesson was very spiritual! We talked about the principals of this church. I used The Gospel of Christ like a clock. The hands go around in a seemingly endless circle, but time moves forward. We endlessly go around the circle of the same gospel, but that's what makes our lives move forward. At the end of the lesson, we re-committed the Mother to be baptized on March 22! She seems very excited and promised to be at church this next Sunday. Her son is new to religion, and asked if it was alright that he got back to us when we meet next (which will be tonight!) We hope he will follow the example of his mom and decide to be baptized the same day as her. It is going to be a little rough for him because he is a wrestler. And he coaches the Jr. High and Elementary kids and has wrestling camps on Sundays.

The next miracle is with G*, he is seriously one of the ELECT! He was a referral from the N.C. State Institute. One day G walked in and asked someone there what he had to do to be baptized. So we had a lesson with him on Saturday. I don't think our lesson could go any better! The first thing he asked when we got there was "So how do I do this? Do I just come to your church, announce I want to be Mormon, and get baptized then and there?" G is super excited to be baptized! He wanted to be baptized yesterday at church but we told him we have to go over a few lessons with him first so he knows what he is getting into, and he said, “Oh I'm pretty sure I know what I am doing, and know that it is the right thing to do!” G also accepted our invitation to be baptized on March 22! He wants his family to be baptized as well! I hope his family will follow his example!

I know for a fact that as it says in Alma 26:27 If we go through our trials and troubles with faith and don't give up, we can perform miracles and bring to pass the immortality of man!

This past week has been so helpful for me, because being in the same area for 6 months and not having very much success is depressing. But I continued with faith and tried my hardest. And now this area is starting a spiritual fire! I cannot wait to see what this week brings! I am so excited! Love ya!

Love,

Elder Beach

*Names removed for privacy

And now some Facebook Posts from Elder Beach:

Need I say more?

"Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is you-er than YOU" -Dr. Suess

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

How awesome is that! They understood that Christ could deliver them out of the King’s hands but if not, if their God chose not to save their lives, if their God allowed them to die at the King’s hands, their faith would be unshaken because that outcome (whether they lived or died) did not change the fact that God was God and that they would continue to worship Him regardless.

How often is our faith shaken when we don’t see an outcome in our lives? Where we prayed so hard for something that we desperately wanted or needed? I know that I’ve done this countless of times and still find myself in these situations. However, our faith needs to be placed in the idea that regardless of what happens, regardless of how God chooses to bless our lives or not, we understand that Christ is still our Savior. We understand that He loves us and that ultimately, He has a plan for all of us.

BE THE FIRST.

The Apprentice becomes the Master...

So you can follow along with Elder Beach’s letter, we started re-doing the basement, Dexter got asked to the Sweetheart’s Dance and I sent the two free ties I received from the lady at Macey’s.

Monday, February 17, 2014

I am doing great!

Had Transfers on Tuesday!  Elder Russon is my new companion.  He is from Tooele. He actually worked downtown not too far from where you work. He worked for Disney Interactive! He seems pretty nice.

Yeah so we were told to stay indoors for Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, I think. No bueno... But then Saturday we spent all day out on our bikes, even though there is still a lot of snow on the ground. We tried contacting a few former investigators.

Oh yeah our power went out for a few hours one day. I don't remember which. Yeah, I actually looked at the pictures first cause I am so excited! and I saw the couch, I said man, y'all must be goin’ all out. Getting new furniture as well! Then I read that it was from Heather. I love the tile! Looks good! I want a say in what carpet goes in! :(

I went to school with her older brother Oliver. He went on his mission to Brazil and I guess he had to come back because he needed surgery on his knees? I don't know.

Yes I got the package! I loved it! I love the pants and I don't know what you are talking about! I love the tie! It's a Laurent Bennet! Those are some pretty good ties! I don't plan on burning any ties. Oh did I tell you how many ties I have? So I came out with like 9 or 10. Well, I have like 53 now*. From buying a few and then trading with other Elders! ;) I am the Tie Trading Master! Well, Elder Buckner is, he taught me the way of the tie, but now, the apprentice is now the Master! ;) haha. I miss y'all that's all for this week. I don't have my camera with me so I'll send you pictures later. Love y'all!

Love,

Elder Beach

*Elder Beach's father said this is why he wasn't transferred... he doesn't have enough luggage to transport his ties!