Elder Parker Hadley

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Don't Cry for me Argentina

Mom Note: Elder Hadley wrote two letters (The Fugitive & Don’t Cry for Me Argentina) shortly after he returned home from Argentina and shared with us the pictures from his quarantine and leaving Argentina.

Being Mom of the Year, I am just now uploading these into his Blog which is why you have received these automated emails whenever a new post is made.

Parker has not been stuck in Argentina this whole time 😂, but we wanted to make sure these great letters and pictures completed his blog! Thank you all for the support and love you have shown Elder Hadley!

4-9-20

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

iNo llores por mi Argentina!

The truth is I never left you!

!Hola! How we all doing? This last week has been a good week, keeping myself busy with whatever I can. I’m enjoying working out in the yard and cleaning a few things up around the house.

So, I left you all off in last week’s letter on the fact that I needed to figure a few more things out. As you all have probably heard about the Church coming out with information with a couple of options for the missionaries during these tricky times 1- Wait to be re-assigned within the next few months or 2-Wait a year to 18 months and start up again.

With these options I was troubled and felt very lost. Wondering do I unpack my bags or move things to another suitcase or what? I decided that I needed it make it a priority to put together a list of options of pros and cons. I later realized that helped but also made it very tricky and made me mentally tired whenever I thought of what to do.

I felt like I was missing something, so I applied to myself what I taught in the mission. Praying and Studying the Scriptures (and Patriarchal blessing) to find the guidance needed to take the next step.

I moved my Quarantine up to Logan, UT with McKay and Jarrett to get “New Scenery” and a breather from all the questions being asked about “Now what?”. Many missionaries probably feel this same stress during this period of time. With McKay and Jarrett living close to the Logan City Temple, I went for a walk and wanted to be closer to my Heavenly Father. During this time I was still wearing my name tag and had not been released yet. While still being a Missionary I wanted to have that special Spirit and the mindset of a Missionary to help with some decision making.

On this walk I saw a service gate that was open to the Temple Grounds. I saw an opportunity and a sign from my Father in Heaven to enter. I went in with my scriptures, Patriarchal Blessing, and my mission bag. I tried to create an environment for some Personal Revelation. For those that have been to this temple you may remember some benches on the back side of the temple on the west side looking out over the Logan Valley. I knew that was where I was going to have that discussion with my Father in Heaven.

As I walked back to the apartment I felt at peace; the weight was lifted off of my shoulders like when you repent through the Atonement of Christ. I knew that this was all necessary to figuring things out for me and my future.

I called up my mama and told her I had received my answer and I’d be sharing with her and the family the following day in Kaysville the decision that both the Lord and I have made. My Mom said that she could hear and tell a difference in my voice when I shared the big news.

The following day when I returned home to Kaysville and before I was to be released, I shared with my family the answer I received from my Heavenly Father. Through Prayer, Scripture Study, rereading my Patriarchal Blessing and thinking everything through. The Lord has told me he has accepted my offering of hard work and diligence. He and I are ready for me to move on with my life and begin another Chapter.

I would like to share with you a scripture that has helped give me some understanding on why I was taken out of my mission in Argentina.

D&C 124:49 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.”

I’m proud and happy with what I was able to accomplish in the Mission Field and will never forget this last year. I have shared with my family that you cannot learn the things you do from the mission anywhere else. The Lord gives us challenging circumstances to shape and form us to be the man or woman he wants us to be.

We all have been affected by this Corona Virus situation and yes it can be and probably is very frustrating for many. I want to share with you all my thoughts. It’s hard and I have accepted it. Moving on, what can I do to help this be more of a positive and testimony strengthening experience. I feel the Lord with me and my family, I know this is hard for Him, but all is necessary to continue on and prepare us more for when the time comes, when his Beloved Son will return and experience joy beyond anything, we all can imagine.

Push through, we will make it and we will be stronger for it. Keep reading the Book of Mormon and praying to seek personal revelation. Love you all tons and hope you all have a wonderful week and a bright future. Elder Hadley over and out!

Nos Vemos Chao Chao

Les amo mucho siempre,

Elder Hadley

(Hang Loose!!!)

In the airport parking garage standing on our running boards hoping to be able to see Elder Hadley. The airport would not let us leave our vehicle or stand outside of our car.

After 1 hour we saw someone walking towards us in a
goofy red hat!

Mom jumped from the car to hug her missionary!

Nothing like the first hug!

It was a huge relief to have Elder Hadley home

Dad handed Elder Hadley a Mountain Dew Code Red as we left the airport.

They would only let parents go to the airport so Elder Hadley's siblings greeted him on the driveway with Welcome Home Posters and huge hugs!

Before Elder Hadley could even walk into the house the amazing Quail Crossing Ward organized a drive by parade to Welcome Elder Hadley Home!💗

Many great family and friends also came to join the fun!

Elder Hadley had this tag made for his Dad. In Dominican Republic this is how Stanford would spell his name on his mission so the Dominicans would know how to pronounce his name. (Elder Jadli)

The much anticipated Cafe Rio meal right after the drive by parade.

Giving Soccer Jerseys to his family

Stanford gave each of his children a knife from his mission so Elder Hadley brought one back from Argentina for his Dad.

We were all amazed at the items Elder Hadley was able to bring back from his mission since they could not go buy anything during quarantine. Turns out early during his mission he had the prompting to buy items as he served in different areas and not wait until the end of his mission.

We are still wondering how he got this machete home! 😁

And of course he would not forget his Mate and Mate Cup

The Quail Crossing Ward put flags and these signs in the front yard of all of our missionaries!

Our ward also put flags out in front of our church to represent each missionary from our ward!
This was a very impressive site to drive by!

The Farmington West Stake made these incredible signs for each of our buildings with pictures of all of the missionaries from our Stake.

Elder Hadley's dear friend and Stake President Aaron Hogge. This picture was taken when President Hogge released Elder Parker Hadley as a full time missionary!
We done Elder Hadley!

Called to Know the Richness of His Blessings! 💗

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

The Fugitive

Mom Notes:

Elder Hadley wrote two letters (The Fugitive & Don’t Cry for Me Argentina) shortly after he returned home from Argentina and shared with us the pictures from his quartine and leaving Argentina.

Being Mom of the Year, I am just now uploading these into his Blog which is why you have received these automated emails whenever a new post is made.

¡Hola! Well I made it. It was hard but I enjoyed putting Elder Hadley in the plot of Harrison Ford’s Fugitive. It was quite an experience and I learned a lot.

I was picked up by a stranger (Member from another ward) at around 5 pm on Sunday March 29th and was told to put all my luggage in the back of this very small and old pick up. It was quite risky because of the whole police/military situation on the streets and no one could travel in pairs. We were of course pulled over by the police after a few minutes because we looked like someone was trying to escape the country with an Argentine giving a ride to a foreigner with 3 large black suitcases. We showed the police the paperwork that we had and thankfully they let us be on our way for the 1 hour drive the Stake Center.

All the North American missionaries made it to the Stake Center/Mission Offices in Adrogue and then we weighed in all our luggage. Normally it is 50 lbs. or 23 kilos but in our situation we all had to be at these limits. 22.7 Kilos ~ 48/49 lbs.… Frustrating, yes, but I made it manage. Our suitcases had to be under the limits because we needed it to be a very fast process for checking us in.

After pre-check-in we took an amazing photo with all of our suitcases, Argentina and USA Flags and all the North American missionaries from BAS.

The Police came 3 different times to the Stake Center because the neighbors kept calling and said, “There are 200 North Americans putting on a party at the church house” it was an exaggeration of 120 more missionaries, and we were trying to get out of there (Not a Party).

We had our last Devotional/Meeting as a mission with our amazing Mission President and Mission Mama. We couldn’t sing because it would be way too loud and the neighbors would call the police on us. We had a spiritual thought from President Fernandez and our last prayer together given by our Mission Mama. President Fernandez in a very spiritual thought told each of us missionaries that the Lord has accepted our service in Argentina. It was a tender moment for all of us as we knelt in prayer one last time. Sister Fernandez said the prayer and is a very sweet lady and deserved the title of Mission Mama. We all will miss them.

At 2:00 am they decided it would be best to get us on the shuttle buses and start to the airport so that we would not have to deal with the police anymore. As we had just got on the buses then the police showed up again and told us to get off.

President Fernandez had gotten a phone call from another nearby Mission President saying the Airport won’t open up and let the missionaries inside until the plane is at the airport. So, we all were “on call” until 3:30 in the morning. At around 3:30 we got back on the buses and traveled to the Airport. It was best for us to move all these missionaries in the middle of the night. Once we were at the airport we waited with six other Argentina missions outside the airport for another 3 hrs. with all of our luggage and then they started running us all through security and even more security than normal. I was not really expecting this kind of “Goodbye” to my Mission Parents, other missionaries or to Argentina but it was what the Lord had planned for me.

After waiting for them to start loading the plane my cousin Elder Tavin Dougher (who was serving in the Argentina Bahia Blanca Mission) yelled out, “Elder Hadley, Elder Hadley!!!” I turned around with my blood shot eyes and gave him a huge hug! We did not think we would see each other for 3 years and now we were on the same plane home! It was really fun to talk with him about our missions in Argentina and a huge relief to see a family member! We caught up for a while and took some pictures together.

On the plane I got the best seat in the plane, middle seat in the middle section. Jaja I sat next to Elder Yoho from Bountiful. Elder Yoho was the first missionary from my mission that I met right as the two of us were saying goodbye to our parents at the Salt Lake City Airport and we also just happened to sit by each other on the plane to the Mexico CCM. And here we were 9 months later sitting next to each other again on our way home. I was just so happy I was on that plane. It truly was a blessing from the Lord.

My CCM buddy Elder Aston was lucky enough to sit between 2 Hermanas for 13 hours just talking and talking and talking. Jaja

Before take-off we all said a prayer for safety over the plane microphone and then left Beautiful Buenos Aires.

I had not eaten in quite a while and we had an ok meal on the plane, but it was needed on a very hungry stomach jaja. I enjoyed watching the airplane map get closer and closer to Utah, it was very exciting and all of us were anxious. It was a direct flight from Buenos Aires straight to Salt Lake City. I was relieved when I saw that we were flying over Texas. On the flight it was funny to see all the missionaries watching Frozen 2 and the Live action Lion King on their TV monitors. Jaja

As we descended, I saw the snow on the mountains, and it brought peace into my mind and heart. It was the perfect scene to welcome us back home from a very hard situation. As the tires touched down and hit the runway I yelled out, “Welcome Home Boyz, we are on US Ground!!! Yahoooooo!!!” and everyone cheered and yelled!

I have never seen the Salt Lake International Airport so empty, weird but easy to get through. I put on my Red Boina (Argentine Gaucho Hat) and continued to the end.

It took a long time to get to the parking garage as I weaved through all the other missionaries and got directions of where all the families with the last name that started with “H” were. I finally found my mom and dad. They were on the second level of the parking garage in one of the farthest parking stalls from the entrance. They were instructed to not get out of their car until I came to them and so they stood on the running boards of the suburban for over an hour looking out into the parking garage for me. Jaja

I love my family and this moment I felt a huge relief and many peaceful thoughts. I gave my Mama and Dad a big bear hug even though I probably wasn’t supposed to… Jaja

My awesome sister (who was waiting back at home) wrote on our huge white suburban welcome home sayings such as, “Don’t Cry for me Argentina!” and “We love you Elder Hadley!”

As I got in the back seat of the car my Dad handed me a Mountain Dew Code Red! It had been a long journey and I was so grateful to be in Utah, in the Suburban with my parents. We made it back home and I had a total of 1 minute to give my sister, brother, and brother-in-law (who were standing on the driveway with signs) a hug and then I looked down the street and saw a car driving very slowly. I had not even walked into my house yet. I thought I needed to help push this car that was out of gas until I saw a bunch of other cars following.

I was very confused why all these cars were running out of gas until I realized the first car was Bishop Griffin and his family.

The Quail Crossing Ward, my extended family, and many amazing friends did a little parade route for Elder Hadley’s Return. My Ward had planned this parade for 7:00 to also welcome a few other missionaries that had also returned from my ward. Because my plane was late, and it took so long to get through the airport my parade started at 8:30! It was so nice that they had waited in the church parking lot until I arrived in the subdivision and now, I know why my Dad was driving so fast from the airport! I thank all of you that was a part of that, you all are awesome, and it really meant a lot to me!!!

After the parade I walked into my house. It was so nice to have carpet and a soft seat, eat some Café Rio Take-Out and to share some experiences with the family. It was really nice to be able to walk around bare foot, have flushing toilets, and toilet paper (my companion and I ran out of TP during quarantine)! We all got a wonderful nights rest knowing I was back in the USA and had a wonderful breakfast the following day.

During my first full day in Utah, I started to realize I have some pondering to do. I needed to figure out what is on the pathway for Elder Hadley or Parker Hadley. In my next email I will share with you a faith building and testimony strengthening experience. I hope all is well with you and your families.

Les amo mucho,

Elder Hadley

(Hang Loose!!!)