Elders Turley, Williams and Willis write letters.

ELDER TURLEY

Brother Parker - 28 Agosto 1990

Thank you for the GUIDElines!  I received it last week and it takes about a week to read it. I really appreciate what you do for all of us.

Work here is Brazil is progressing rapidly. I was transferred to a new city called Santa Rose. We are really being blessed with investigators and a few baptisms.

Last week our Zone had a conference with Elder Camargo (GA) and our Mission President their wives. Elder Camargo talked about service and that God does not ask a lot from us he asks everything. When we give all and serve with all our heart we are greatly blessed.

After the conference my companion and I had the privilege of showing Sister Camargo and Sister Amorin our apartment. Those two sisters are almost like Laurie and Leslie when they get together. They talk and laugh like crazy. It was a great experience to spend some time with Sis. Camargo and Amorin.

I pray for your success and well being.

Ama Elder Richard Turley

P.S. Letters are accepted from anyone. Rua Barao de Aracati 1145, Aideota, Forteleza, Brasil 60115

ELDER WILLIAMS

Br. Parker,

Hello.  I love it up here. I feel the spirit daily, and we have an awesome district with a lot of unity. Elders come around to see the fun we are having. We also have morning and evening prayer circle. I came up a day early and spent it with each of the Tour Guides on the P-Day. Now Becky asked me to write something for the Tour Guides so give this to her:

Dear Tour Guides: Greetings from Elder Williams. You guys are so privileged to be in the Tour Guide Program. Everyone I meet would have loved to be in such a program, so be thankful for it. Congratulations for getting the 50 referrals, and good luck in your future endeavors. There are three things to do to prepare for your mission. First, learn to set and accomplish goals, like Set A Date. It really gives you a purupose for doing missionary work. Second, have strict obedience because there are more rules here than you can relaize, so be obedient. Lastly, go through the Missionary Guide. I really helps tremendously. You are awesome, and you can perform miracles. I love you all, and thanks again for all that you do.

Br. Parker: Thank you for all you do. You are a great example to me and if you could give that for an article in the Jershon Journal.

Love, Your Eternal Friend

P.S.  Jeff, or Elder Richardson would like the GUIDElines, and I would like it too.

Dear Br. Parker - 9/3/90

Thank you for the GUIDElines.  I really appreciate them. Life is great up her in Idaho. I am stationed at McCammon, a small town of 770 and 80% Mormons. We also cover five other small towns. It is awesome. We were blessed with one baptism Aug 30, and yesterday we decided to go tracting, and we were able to pass out a Book of Mormon at our first house we went. to. I have found out that most of our baptisms are the younger kids, because the old people are too set in their ways. I love it here. The people feed us 6-7 times a week, and we go on splits 5- times a week. So we are very busy. The weather here is excellent. It is about 70-75 degrees outside with a light shower in the afternoon. It is so cool because the spirit is so Strong when I teach, but it depends on the other person. If the person is prepared, they will feel the spirit and be converted. If they are not prepared, they won't feel the spirit. The way to prepare them is to make relationships of trust with the people. I know it sounds simple, but it works in life too. If a person trusts you, then they are more inclined to do things for you. Well, I do have to go, so have a happy day.

Love, Elder Williams

P.S. We have two mottos in our mission, and you will never guess which ones. Yep, you're right. "D&C 4 and No Unhallowed Hand...." It is neat, because I already have them memorized!

ELDER WILLIS

Bro. Parker - Aug 3, 1990

Wow! Boy does time fly! I'm sorry about taking so long to write back to you. I never thought that I could be so busy and P-Day goes by way too fast. I learned somethings in the last devotional on Sunday that might be beneficial to the Guides and also to the missionaries:

1. Be Pro-Active - decide what your day (tour, mission) is going to be liek. It's a habit of personal vision. Take responsibility and initiative to make things happen regardless of your comp. or area.
2.  Begin w/ the End in Mind - begin each day (tour,mission) with a clear picture of what you want to accomplish in mind. Create your day (tour, mission) spiritually  before you create it physically.
3.  Put First Thing First - the main goal on a tour is to get them to check the box affirming a B of M be brought to their home (or for miss. a baptism). So stick to that goal and put it 1st.
4.  Think Win Win - every Guide or missionary can be effective. They need to be centered on their own mission with their eyes focused on Christ.
5.  Seek 1st to Understand, Then to be Understood - seek to understand your tour (investigator) before you present the message to them. Until the tour (investigator) feels understood they wil lwithhold their feelings.  "Let me understand how you feel and then I'll let you know how I feel."
6.  Synergize - establish unity in the Program (district, zone, mission) but don't mistake uniformity for unity or oneness for someness. Unity of synergy multiplies two people's efforts - example 1 + 1 = 3.

Hope this helps. I hear that the Program is doing very, very well. Troy is doing awesome. Jeff R. and I saw him on the day he got here. I love you Bro. P. Anxiously awaiting the next GUIDElines.

Love, Elder Willis 

Bro. Parker - Fri, Aug 17, 1990

Wow! What a glorious surprise to open up the mailbox and find the GUIDElines waiting for me. I can't ell you what a joy and uplifting experience it is to receive it. I appreciate very much the time you put into compiling all of the letters together.

First, I want to ask you to forgive my slothful service as a Youth Guide. I'm very sorry about the many, many gray hairs that I cause you - and probably others to have. But, out of that I have learned a lesson. Because of the regret that I have for not serving with full heart, I have resolved not to let that happen to me on my mission. It was a good, but hard lesson, to learn. I regret not serving more diligently now and have pledged to not have the same regret about my mission!

Second, things are going fabulous here in the MTC - only 10 more days left - but you know me Bro. Parker, I'm not trunky.  Ha!

The Greek is coming along just great! Elder Mitchell and I taught our teacher the 1st Discussion all in Greek. Boy was that ever difficult, but we did it. It's amazing how much the Lord will bless you when you give your all! And, Bro. Parker, your computer is butchering the Greek language. I could barely recognize it. I thought hat you maybe had some Greek characters on a disk somewhere so here is Greek Lesson #1 for you my good brother (?) pronounced (?).

NOTE: In the original GUIDElines I did the whole Greek alphabet correctly with his explanations of how to pronounce each one. But I don't know how to do it in Blogger.

I hope you like that lesson. That is what I learned my first day here on June 27th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. You don't have to put all this gibberish in the GUIDElines. Thank you for all you do to my brethren around the world. I think of you often and pray for you always. Ben, Marlin, Dave, Paul, Russell, Jeff R., Shad, Brian, Doug (you weirdo), and Eric. I hope I didn't forget anyone. Thank you for your examples. You were the strength that I drew from in the Guide Program. You created it all for me. Thank you for your patience with me also. I love you all oh and Bro. P. please tell the Guides thanks for the birthday card. I love you. May (Greek) Heavenly Father bless you all.

(Greek) God Speed! - Love, Elder Willis

Bro. Parker - Mon, Sept 3, 1990

[Took ten days to get her, Geoff]

Here's the one to put in the GUIDElines. I just hope it gets to you in time. Well, I'm sitting on the balcony of my apartment in Paleo Faliso which is a suburb of Athens just like NY has Queens, Brooklyn, etc. I live about 3 minutes from the beach. Right now I'm looking at the Acropolis which is in the center of Athens. It's a nice clear day, usually it's polluted and  you can't see. It's so nice to actually be here and doing the Lord's work. It's hard though because I don't understand a thing, but it's so wonderful, too.

These people need the gospel so much. They are all so unhappy. They never smile. I lvoe them so much already because they are so open and friendly.

We ride buses all over the place. We don't ride bikes at all. If we did we would get killed. These Greek drivers are absolutely crazy - THEY EVEN DRIVE ON THE SIDEWALKS! But when we are on the buses people just stare at us. It's great. They are really super curious about our tags. So I pick out the closest starer and say yah sas (hi) and start talking to them as best I can about what we are doing and if we can come by. They are so curious and animated. Americans are so boring. I love them all so much. I just wish they could accept Christ and be baptized and be shown how to be happy. They are so wonderful I want to do all I can to serve them. I can see why Paoul came and visited these people over 2,000 years ago. [Are you sure of your dates, Geoff?]

I went to my first Greek baptism on Saturday in the Aegean Sea! And boy was it SWEET! President Nasopolos, the Branch President here, baptized his daughter. He's a stud! Strong as any member in the States or anywhere. It is really neat to see this little Athens Green Branch of about 20 people who are so faithful and love the gospel so much.

These are just choice, choice people. I can't wait to help someone into the gospel! The Spirit is here and I love Greece very much. The Church is true here. I love you very much, too, Bro. Parker and thank you for the letter and for putting the GUIDElines together. You're a stud! To my Guide brethren around the world, I love you very much and pray for you every night for your success. May the work go forth, [God Speed].

Love, Elder Willis

More Greek.....