Jay got a call at work Monday morning from the MTC! They were asking for additional health insurance information because Elder Parker was going to the doctor for an ingrown toenail problem!

If any of you have ever experienced the pain of an ingrown toenail you will agree that to have someone actually touch or even worse, work on that area can be excruciating!

Needless to say we were very concerned about Elder Parker and prayed all day that things would go well at the doctor's, that this would not cause him to fall behind in his studies and that his recovery could be a quick one.

If anybody needs healthy feet, its a missionary! Especially one headed to a mission that (as we've been told) is mostly a walking mission!!

We were both able to send off a quick letter of comfort and encouragement that would reach him the same day thanks to the dear elder website! Then we waited for more news...

MTC Mailing Address

Elder Parker Nielsen

MTC Mailbox #117

ITA-CAT 0622

2005 N. 900 E.

Provo, Utah 84604-1793

This will be the mailing address for Anziano Nielsen until June 22, 2009.

This address was given to us at the MTC in person and is more complete than the one I received earlier over the phone and handed out on envelopes and labels. Those will probably still work but this one is certain to reach him. Sorry for any confusion!

www.dearelder.com

In his first letter from the MTC Anziano Nielsen said "dear elder me A LOT!" so I thought it would be a good idea to blog how to do that...

Before you write please read this article that explains how best to support missionaries through the type of letters you send, there's a lot of other great info in there too. Elder Ryler's Mission President actually referred us to this article in his call letter and it has been of great value ever since! (just click on the title/link)

Dallas H. and Marjorie S. Bradford, “Helping from Home,” Ensign, Jul 2003, 48–53

Letters sent from the dear elder site to the MTC will get to the missionary the same day - for FREE! (Letters must be submitted by 12:00 pm Noon MST Mon-Fri for same-day delivery.)
Here's the how to:

Step 1 - Go to http://www.dearelder.com/
Step 2 - Click on the "Write a Letter" tab along the top
Step 3 - In the Letter Selection (grey box) select "Provo MTC" from the drop-down menu
Step 4 - Click on the "Write a Missionary" button
Step 5 - Enter your information in the boxes

You will also need to enter this information:
MTC Box #................................ 117
Mission Code............................. ITA-CAT
Est. MTC Departure Date ............... 0622

Step 6 - Write your letter in the large empty box (there is a size limit with a counter below and a spell check option)
Step 7 - Click the "Send Letter" button

It's that easy!!

Here are a few more details from the dear elder FAQ section...

Deliveries are made every afternoon Monday through Friday. We do not deliver on Saturdays. Orders and letters received after 12 noon on Friday afternoons will be taken the following business day. We are closed on National Holidays and Utah State Holidays. Only district leaders are allowed to check the mail at the MTC. They usually do this twice a day- once in the morning and once in the evening on the way to dinner. Our packages and letters are delivered in the early afternoon, so we think most of our deliveries are received on the way to dinner. The letters sent by www.DearElder.com are sent privately. Pouch letters and MTC letters are all tri-folded and tabbed closed. No one but your missionary will be reading the letter that you write.

Thanks for supporting our missionary!

1st Snail Mail Letter from the MTC!!!!!!!!

We were really hoping we'd hear from Elder Parker fairly soon via snail mail because when Elder Ryler entered the MTC we remembered they let him write home that very first night. Elder Parker's letter wasn't dated but the envelope showed he mailed it on the 23rd (2nd day in the MTC) and it arrived in our mailbox TODAY (Apr 25)!! Hooray!! All our worries were gone after reading of his love for the MTC, his new companion and the missionary life! Here are a few excerpts...

"WOW! I LOVE the MTC!! This is the coolest place ever!! I love it here! I committed myself to really dive into the work so things would be easier for me. It seems to be working so far (I’ve only been here 2 days though! Lol) ...[my new companion is] Anziano Kinzie!!!! He is so awesome!!! What was I worried about? LOL So willing to work!! He is senior comp for 4 weeks, then its me! We have already committed each other to a lot of stuff! He wants to help me and I want to help him! He is really cool! We are joining choir together on Sunday. Last night also we had a district meeting where we met President Engerbreten and Brother West. They rock! I love them!! During that all six of us Anziani (plural) Kinzie, Me, McDaniel, Gurney, Sponseller, and Mikesell bore testimony WOW! What a powerful meeting!! I’m so excited to work with them! During that I was called as the District Leader!!! Cool!!! LOL !!! Simple responsibilities but they are mine. They are from God. I am so excited! Anziano Kinzie and I studied the handbook together, it was really cool how excited he is about the gospel and what a testimony!!! I love him!!! Today it was our first class with Italian. It was hard but I really felt the Spirit help me. My comp and I decided to commit to learn the language in 5 weeks then only speak Italiano!! I’m so excited to serve!!! I love it here!! So much !!! I love my Father in Heaven and He loves us!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Anziano Nielsen

P.S. Anziano Adam Jones is my Zone Leader, I see him every day for most of it!"

Missionary brothers!

Many years ago I made these t-shirts for the boys that said:

I'm the little brother (and) I'm the big brother

Then after realizing both sons would be serving missions at the same time I thought it would be great to do something similar so...

I made Elder Ryler a t-shirt that says:

and I made Elder Parker a t-shirt that says:

then we found a way to get a photo of them together wearing these t-shirts! ;o)

I hope it will be a lot of fun for them to wear these on P-days and get to tell others about their brother who is also serving a mission!

It's official!

It has taken me a few days to sort through tons of recent photos and get everything posted so now I finally get to blog the main event... MTC DAY!!

On Wednesday, April 22 at 12:30 Elder Parker entered the MTC and officially began his service as a full time missionary! We were able to get all the traditional photos then sit with him for a meeting they hold for newbies and their families. Then we were asked to say our goodbyes (and keep it brief) after which the families exited through a door on the left side of the chapel and the new missionaries exited through a door on the right side. There was a very strong spirit there especially when the whole congregation of missionaries and their families sang "Called to Serve"! It was very emotional, exciting, scary, heart wrenching and joyous!

We've been sooooooooooo anxious ever since that point of separation to get the first letter from Elder Parker and hear how he's doing! The day after the MTC we did get a letter from Elder Ryler in the snail mail expressing his excitement for his brother being in the MTC so that was really great timing and lifted our spirits! Here's a few photos from that milestone day (for more pix click on "mission photos" in the side bar)...

For a few months (April 22 - July 24) we'll have the privilege of having two missionary sons serving at the same time, double the blessings!!

We have a winner!

This is old news now but we finally have the photo ready to post so we're announcing it again anyway! We had asked friends and family to guess where Parker would be called to serve and the winner was our Hawaiian friend whom we met in Okinawa and who is now living in Alaska! Marina taught Parker how to surf so they have a special ocean lover's friendship! She was the only one to guess Italy and won the traditional Cold Stone gift card! Yes, they do have a store in Alaska! =o) In fact we asked her to send us her pix in front of it so we could photoshop her in with Parker in front of the Layton store. Congratulations Crosley family!

Cold Stone Creamery

In all fairness we can't mention ice cream and not talk about Cold Stone Creamery! Both Elder Ryler and Elder Parker worked at the Layton store to earn money for their missions and really enjoyed working with the owners, the crew and the customers! Amazingly enough fellow crew member Elder Adam Jones was also called to serve in Italy (Milan mission)! He and Parker could often be heard singing Italian songs for customers who left a tip!

"A Cold Stone treat is the perfect way

to celebrate the sweetness of everyday life"!

If you've never been to Cold Stone,

stop by for an ice cream experience you'll really enjoy!

936 N. Main St, Ste. D, Layton

(just south of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts)

http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/

Video of Parker servin' it up "Arizona style"!

Gelato!

As requested, here is more info on the Italian dessert that was served Saturday night...

Donatello (a basic chocolate flavor)

Stracciatella (strah-cha-TEL-lah)

If you think of this kind of like the Italian gelato equivalent of chocolate chip ice cream, you’re in the ballpark. It’s a fior di latte base with chocolate bits in it. The chocolate has usually been drizzled over the top of the just-made gelato and then mixed in after it’s hardened, so rather than uniform chocolate bits you end up with pieces that look like needles. This is a very common flavor. (source: http://www.italylogue.com/food-drink/italian-gelato-flavors-decoded.html)


For the history of gelato and other info visit this web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelato


You can get gelato at the Double Scoop Deli near the Syracuse Stadium 6 Theater.

Thank you!

Thanks so much to everyone for your extra care and concern in the final stages of Parker's mission preparation and departure. It has been so wonderful to feel of your love and support! Click on "mission photos" in the sidebar and this will take you to the Picasa website where you can view photos from many recent mission related events.

I love to see the Temple!

We've had many wonderful temple experiences with Parker recently!

Salt Lake Temple

St. George Utah Temple

Parker receives his own endowment in the St. George Temple!

Parker with some of the Hansen family

Draper Utah Temple

"Each temple is symbolic of our faith in God

and an evidence of our faith in life after death.

The temple is the object of every activity,

every lesson, every progressive step in the Church.

All of our efforts in proclaiming the gospel,

perfecting the Saints, and redeeming the dead

lead to the holy temple."

~Russell M. Nelson, “Prepare for Blessings of the Temple,”

Ensign, Mar. 2002, 17

We had a special FHE at the Salt Lake Temple inspired by an article in the Church News section of the Deseret News about touching the temple and letting the temple touch you.

We were blessed to attend the open house and later by satellite the dedication for the new Draper Utah Temple. It was an amazing opportunity to be inside this brand new Temple for an endowment session within the same week!

One of the many ways Parker has been preparing for his mission has been temple service. For several months now he has attended nearly every week performing baptisms for the dead. On March 12 he was blessed to receive his own endowment and can now participate fully in all of the temple ordinances! It was such a joyful occasion and one that we have anticipated since the day he was born!

Members of the Nielsen family were able to join Parker in temple service in the St. George Temple and later members of the Hansen family were able to join him in temple service in the newly dedicated Draper Temple!

During our last family vacation with Parker in St. George, we spent the whole day in the temple and participated in every single ordinance from baptisms to sealings! That was something I've always wanted to do and it was such a blessing to be able to do this with Parker!

During General Conference we felt a powerful impact when Elder Richard G. Scott spoke about Temples and we felt a sense of urgency to return often. It was especially poignant when one speaker shared the message of a child's statement "you're not lost when you can see the temple!"

Here are some links with valuable info about Temples:

Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need

The Purpose of Temples

Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples

This Primary song has been on my mind and in my heart during these wonderful temple experiences...

I Love to See the Temple, Children’s Songbook, 95

1. I love to see the temple.

I’m going there someday

To feel the Holy Spirit,

To listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God,

A place of love and beauty.

I’ll prepare myself while I am young;

This is my sacred duty.

2. I love to see the temple.

I’ll go inside someday.

I’ll cov’nant with my Father;

I’ll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place

Where we are sealed together.

As a child of God, I’ve learned this truth:

A fam’ly is forever.

Words and music: Janice Kapp Perry, b. 1938

© 1980 by Janice Kapp Perry.

This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial church or home use.