HEY HEY! Hola! hey! hello! hey! (Photos)

Hey Family!

So this week was a crazy one but an awesome week! Sorry I forgot to tell you that I would be writing you today en vez de yesterday. Because we had our Zone Conference with the President and with our area 70 from santiago, way way sweet!

On the situation with the debit card, ha I tried to get out some money some weeks ago and it wouldnt let me at that atm box, but I tried to here in Los Muermos last week and was only able to take out 10 mil or $20.... but yeah thats weird they charged twice, my card has a lot of regulations im guessing for internatitional but dont worry I still have it, just trying to take out some money so I can buy a carry on, think I have a enough for now....but send the card as soon as you can...probly we should figure out the international policies and everything for that.

But yeah awesome week, really have been using your advice dad and really making my comp feel special, always thanking him for his help in spanish and asking stories about his life and all, he likes to talk so thats good. Also have really found a way to get across that we need to do something but in a casual non insulting way. Ha still have really tough days but oh man I have learned patience, I really have learned what happens when you put your own desires aside and get things done. Ha really have learned that God puts us with companions to learn and to get the work done. Really have focussed on the work and have learned to look at the good things of my comp and make the best situations. Really have created ways to make this cambio more enjoyable and successful in the work. He has some pretty cool stories of his country and pictures of the pyramids its pretty nuts. Ha one thing that I wish I could have less of in this cambio is hearing him talk about his girlfriend and how they are going to get married and about how great it will be when we finish when we can sleep in a again and just eat and relax. Ha but its all good... not complaining...its been a lot better this cambio :) .

Some fun things have happened this cambio:

One is I almost died from these 2 dogs, we walked up this gated house where lives a menos activo, and he had 2 dogs, they looked nice and we were determined to reach close enough to say our (Ah Low!) our knock the door, when suddenly the dogs snapped, I forgot my remote thing, and alll I had was my backpack and when 2 big dogs attack you your backpack seems to get super small and doesnt do you any good. They charged me hard and one almost bit me from behind and the other in front as well when luckily the owner of the house answered the door, ha I was actually pretty stoked that that happended because I was really tired and that was sweet to have some adreneline, made me miss roller coasters and such haha.

Haha also had another fun experience, we went to go eat at our mamitas house and she made us soap, I looked in the soup and saw tons of weird objects in the soup, looked like plasticy things with hair on them, I asked what they were and she said (Chawa) or pig skin, and we were lucky because this chawa still had a nice layer of hair on them, like my facial hair when i dont shave for a week. And my first thought was a goodness no, I have to eat this and there are about a good 10 of them in my soup. As you eat them your tongue can feel the pricklyness of the hairs and its a nice layer of skin to top it off. haha oh almost died it was so hard to eat that all and keep a face of satisfaction. ha we had to pick up our food that night for the next day and to our great suprise it was chawa again! oh how we hate chawa so we made tortillas instead at our house. My comp knows how to make them so that was fun. Me made flour tortillas with eggs and ham and avocados. oh home made tortillas have sooooo much oil I felt sick after but way good.

Sunday we found out that this cambio was going to be a week short so I most likely only have 2 more weeks here in los muermos (because its rare to stay more then 6 months in a sector. Nuts how fast time flies. (I have to admit I was kinda excited to hear that but felt bad to feel excited for this cambio to be over, still working hard and keeping a positive attitude and having great times) I really have made a connection with a lot of people here in los muermos in our branch and investigadores and it will be really hard to leave my first sector, but as well excited to see other parts.

At that conference it was way good! It is weird because I didnt think about the spanish. As the guy talked he asked us to remember when we came here and didnt understand anything and continued with his talk and it hit me, hey I understood that comment so maybe Im leaving the missionaries that cant understand anything haha. It was such a great conference and I gained a lot more being able to understand all he said. Its weird how even though they talk soooo fast and sometimes i dont understand a word or two every now and then I dont need to really translate it in my head, just kinda goes. Still have so much to learn but its cool to get to this point.

One thing I loved that he said is we can always climb higher, talked about how once we have reached one hill or mountain there will always be a new mountain to climb in the horizon. And that is so true in the work, Never do I say dang I am satisfied with me and cant think of anything to improve. ALWAYS do I have things to improve and that can either be overwhelming or something to get excited about and work towards the next mountain or goal.

Right now we are teaching a good amount of people right now, some from the past and some news, but it is so strange each on of them has a partner that they live with, so thats hard, but we are working hard,

In my studies I read about or conscience in True to the Faith, and I liked one thing it said, it said how when we are sensitive to the spirit it means we have a healthy spirit, and on the mission oh man is the spirit sensitive, also I remember one thing from the conference, The 70 said on his mission he told his president he was disanimado of the work right now, which means not animated or excited, but that word in hebrew or greek ha dont remember means without spirit, (animo=spirit) So we must have excitement and joy for the work or that means we basically are without spirit, ha not sure how to explain it better but you get the idea.

I have been really really tired this week, but its a good thing cause that means the spirit is strong and we are working hard but dang do I crash at night. Its been hot and I think I need to drink more water, it is frustrating sometimes because if you ask for a glass of water here they will always give you soda or juice. This week one of our investigators saw that I looked dehydrated and said oh eat this fried bread with chesse, I also just asked if I could have water and she gave me soda and tons of it haha. It seems like its not culture here to get water, its basically says to them we have nothing to give you, but its ok I appreciate anything they gave me. Ha just kinda miss water. Im going to start bringing a water bottle and just filling it up.

But overall has been a great week, working really hard and trying to bring as much people to los muermos as I can until its my time to leave this sector, dont want to wast a day finding people. Greatful for all the blessing God has given me and especially the trials I have had, I have really learned a lot about our heavenly father and his son. hope you get better dad! Hope BYU wins let me know ha. That is nuts that carter is talking and your pregnant kristy haha oh man that is so weird, he better not become a shy one when I get back, my feet are a lot better mom but still going to a last treatment in a week or 2 with Elder Gardner again haha, should be fun to see him, love you all so much, left you some pictures, one is from when we stacked the leña for the winter (took forever haha), other is the chawa, other is a cruise ship in puerto mont, and other is before leaving to our district meeting. LOVE YOU SO MUCH! ha blake im learning a lot of mexican spanish because guatamalatecans speak the same spanish as mexicans basically. oh is it different from chilean sometimes. Take care this week! All is good in La obra del Señior

Elder Carter

 

Hey! Hey! (Photos)

Hey hey hey hows it going up north i was going to use an exclamation
point but this keyboard wont let me haha
It has been a good and crazy week thats for sure haha.
Had an awesome comp inventory this week and the spirit was really
strong, first talking about what we have done good and then what you
can do better then accepting the feedback from your comp of things you
can improve and thanking him for what he said then making goals for
how we can improve really worked out great, the spirit was wayyyy
strong. Have really learned so much already this cambio. ha was a
difficult week but wow am I learning so much and growing in my
testimony. I really liked what you said dad about loving my companion
and making him feel more special than me. Talking about his interests
and things and really thanking for his help in spanish. Really have
learned humility a lot as well. When someone has a temper problem as
well as other difficult personality traits and interesting doctrine
beliefs such as recieving an answer to the book of mormon through your
dreams and it really teaches you to have patience and remain calm, but
things are getting better with that, its hard haha but I am starting
to learn more that its more important to have that love of Christ and
always be thinking of the positives, new thing I do is always find
things to be positive about because on the mission you can make every
day a negative day, or find a positive and make it a day of success,
growth, and happiness, even if it was a slow day without teaching.

I am loving all this practice in Spanish. Everyday all day is Spanish
so I get a lot of practice, it is kinda cool because it just becomes
something you dont really think about. I think the hardest thing is to
understand people on the phone while walking in the street with the
wind, or old old people, but it I can understand the majority and when
I dont understand I have them repeat and then I can understand
usually, chileans talk FAST, and oh its so cool to be able to
understand them ha idk how it happens.

For the work we have been teaching a lot and with members as well,
really making the most of what we have here in Los Muermos, we dont
have to many people to leave with us, but with a little order and
creativity great things can happen. I am about to make a paper that
has a calendar and when the members can leave with us, and with that
calendar we will schedule our citas around the members and our
investigators, as well as really utilizing everymember. I called one
of our menos activos to ask if we could have a noche de hogar with her
and one of our investigators, one has a problem with attending church,
and the other needs to get married to get baptized. Both gave each
other advice and basically taught each other haha, its amazing what
you can do when you use what you can.

Had another lady trying to greet cheek kiss me again. We were eating
at a members house and his sister about fifty years old came in the
door, and immediately we stand up, if we dont then they will greet
kiss you, we put out the hand firm, I was first and this lady really
had set in her mind to greet kiss, not even a stiff arm hand shake
could stop this lady from trying to greet kiss me, I am really not
good at handling these situations still and put up my other arm to
stop her, hahah ohh man was that bad to do, to deny someone a greet
kiss is a huge insult in this culture, and I didnt handle to well haha
but she got embarrassed and disgusted, and I explained after that its
a rule that we cant and apologized but she was still pretty bugged, ha
going to work on that more. here when people walk in the house they
have to greet everyone with the side cheek kiss, for missionaries we
have to greet everyone with the handshake, is it the same in the
states, regarding the handshake, i forgot?
for the weather its kindve bipolar, all this week was rainy and windy,
but still warm, we are almost done with summer here, it is really
short here. Then comes the cold and rain. ha in winter rains EVERY DAY
no matter what. It will be a fun experience haha. also im not sure
about the hermanas but I know we are about to have like  more or
something so thats crazy crazy, our mission is about to have like 200
or something de verdad not completely sure but a lot a lot a lot
but yeah also have had some sweet sweet personal studies, yesterday
made a sweet outline for the plan of salvation, and some more
anologies, also started a new study journal and the first thing Im
doing is comparing the  sermon on the mounts and discovering some of
the gospel truths that have been restored. Interesting stuff. Kristy,
used that scripture you gave me in moroni about the good is from god
and evil is the devil, for one of the lessons I had with a menos
activo went very well, the spirit was really strong. Ha the spanish in
the book of mormon is really really formal and hard to understand
sometimes.

Haha that is some nuts discounting dad I am impressed, ill try to beat
you here, not sure if they have coupons here havent seen any, things
are pricy in los muermos because everything is imported. that picture
is sweet mom thanks for that, miss you too, thought about you guys a
lot this week and how greatful I am for your love and example. thanks
dalan for the advice I have really been looking at the blessings and
have already felt that way. Has been a great week, tough, really
tought sometimes, but growing a ton, you guys are in my prayers always
and I am so greatful for all your prayers, here for  years to bring
the same happiness that our family has been blessed with from the
gospel.

One scripture I really really love is in Alma 29 where alma talks
about how he wishes he could have angelic zeal and convert many
nations with that power, but then knows that the lord has given us
what we need, in our situations and will provide for us, i dont have
my bom to talk about it more but read that chapter pretty sweet stuff.
Working hard and love you so much, cant explain how greatful I am for
your love and support, the gospel is true and I am so greatful to be
part of this great cause, here are some photos
1044 is of me and my comp
1070 is me and puerto mont haha
Love you all
Mucho Cariño,
Elder Carter

Hola Padres! (with Photo of new companion)

haha Happy Valentines! Yeah Chile doesn’t know about this holiday as well haha,
I am so stoked to have 2 sobrinos!!!!! (one sobrino and one sobrina)
That is going to be soooo sweet!

I wanted to thank Grandma and Grandpa for the tie! Got that last week! made my day, and also all of the Christmas cards! ha got them 2 months later because it takes a while to receive but finally got them! also received that letter from Kyler and some of my friends! ha tell them thanks so much to everyone. and I will write them soon it’s hard to write people back not going to lie, don’t have much time on pday haha. but thanks so much for all the cartas! also loved the Christmas family picture Kristy and Dalan!

Thanks so much for the prayers and thoughts and everything love you all so much!
but yeah, truth is this was a hard week. stinks when you are trying to do your best and do great work and you just can’t get along with your companion, the great thing is I will leave so much more patient and learn how to get along better with difficult people or better said people in general. To wrap up the week though definitely a week of patience, trials of faith, and a lot of situations where it seemed like Satan was really trying to make the tensions high and make things more complicated to not have peace and not get along well with my comp. Definitely had a lot of alone feelings this week, but things are going good right now, we talked and have set goals to become a more united companionship, very humbling to realize that even though he is difficult, I am doing things as well that I can improve. So as of now we are good, and really trying to work and work good together. Also after so much time of arguing and having differences your head is dead and you just want to love and make things good haha, la verdad is that we are here to be missionaries and not to always argue and be bummed about our companions no matter who they are. But yeah really, really learning so much about what the lord will do and have really felt so much closer to our savior during these hard times. Realized has helped me remember my purpose and have a desire to just love people even when they are difficult, life is so much easier with little to none conflict, But yeah had enough of that subject, on the topic of the work

We are really excited we have a baptism the beginning of march by a girl named Daniella she will be completing a family (her her mom and her sister, really impressed with how much this girl knows at an age of 9 no mas. Also regarding being in Los Muermos for a lot of time I have really seen the benefits and blessings of being here for a good time, I have a great relationship with the members here which is awesome, also I know a good amount of people in the city now and it’s fun to walk around and recognize pretty much everyone haha, also knowing the streets and everywhere is really handy. Also I have really gained a testimony that the lord is always preparing people to teach, even after knocking all the doors here we are still teaching people WAY COOL!
ha for interesting story of the week one day this week I think it was Martes... We taught that one guy with the hole in his throat again, a lady with a lot a lot of ADD, and a gay guy (which was really uncomfortable it was the boss of one of our investigators that we taught in his restaurant) haha interesting day.
I got to give my first blessing in Spanish of health...to my companion and it was such a cool experience felt the spirit really strong and I was able to do it, (It's a little hard to do cause we don’t talk in tu form but after a while you get used to it)
Also I am the one that has to call the members and ask if they can talk in sacrament meeting haha always fun to hear their responses, but got a call from one of the members that was going to speak Sunday calling me Saturday night saying she couldn’t so I wrote a talk an hour before church about the book of Mormon and how it is the key stone to our religion and why it was. ha I actually came across some cool scriptures as I was planning for it that got me excited. In 2 nefi 4:15-16 says "for my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children" and it hit me how the book of Mormon was written for the profit and learning for us, and then it hit me if that is the purpose of the book of Mormon then that is what we need to use it for as missionaries, for the learning and profit of my investigators. And when you teach in that sense it will never be to destroy nor to just teach, but will really impact their lives.

Also with that package if you send one, I’d love to get some new recent church music, like the latest album of EFY? or some instrumentals of piano or idk something relaxing. And maybe church socks that can dry fast and comfy? hard to find those aqui.

But yeah love you guys so much! I am so grateful for everything and although its hard right now everything is alright with a good attitude and a desire to be more like Christ. thanks for everything! ha that food sounds sooo good dad, did you know people here don’t know what cinnamon rolls are? crazy right? haha these two photos are me and my companion at Puerto Mont! pretty sweet. Always cruise ships in the port. SWEET SWEET SWEET take care this week yeah? always praying for you all! ha keep it up in racquetball dad and mom that app is a little trunkie haha,) thanks for the postcard thing!!!! haha that was a sweet picture of Christmas

Hey Family!

Wow what a week! Ha I dont know where to start this has really been such a mentally physically and emotionally tearing down week but a great one as well. Right now me and my companion are much better. I have already learned the importance of patience and acceptance. Love reading all your letters and things going on ha that frosty looked great dad. And hope grandpa feels better! Ill pray for him. Also tell bro keel he is in my prayers that was sad to hear. First things first WOW my testimony of trials and the Love of Christ has skyrocketed on the mission, I cant explain in words how greatful I am for my savior, this week once again was one of the hardest on the mission so far, me and my comp are different thoughts and outlooks and he can be very hard headed sometimes, just with a lot of things that give added stress. But I have really already come across some things, first is for my fast this week I really focussed on becoming patient and being able to make our companioship work. And like you said kristy some times our answers dont come in the way we want them too. We werent getting along to great after church and then I recieved a call that we would be staying together for this cambio. I began to get overwhelmed just tons of things going through my mind wanting to have peace and then I told my comp I needed to go to the room to break my fast, as I was praying I became really emotional and really got a sense that I just needed to talk it out with my comp, as we talked things out it after a good while and a little argueing it finall became good and the rest of the day we worked hard and were happy, I know that my fast helped me to fix the problem and get more guidance on what to do, but you could definately say that dalan, I have definately felt really really sad and just with the question why is it sooo dang hard right now, this is ridiculous, but every time I get over that bump I look back and see how much I have already grown, still going through a hard time but learning so much, and what it really means to love a trial and hard times, and how to walk away from them, What I realized is how powerful an effect thoughts have on your attitude. I have really tried to make my thoughts better, for example not looking for the things that my comp does bad, or that bug me, because that just brings frustration and contention, I have really looked for the good things and just have patience. That has really helped, for the majority we have been working a lot better together even with a couple falls, I am starting to really really appreciate the love of Christ and his atonement. We have really been able to find a lot of great people to teach and in the beginning of marzo we have 2 baptisms of our investigators. Also It is amazing how much having a spanish comp helps. Every day 24/7 we are talking spanish so its some nice practice. I have been really able to talk with people and function a lot better as a missionary. Step by step. My head has never hurt sooo bad in my life before (always feel like its going to explode) but hey Im learning and talking better. Overall I think it also comes to over thinking things, I really just need to enter this week with less things on my mind and relax, while working hard. Ha oh yeah you may be suprised with this but waking up a 7 every day is not a problem, ha one thing brad corbet said to us, to be completely obedient and promis that you would has really stuck with me, and now Im that annoying elder that turns on the light right at 7 and down on the grown at my knees ready to have a our comp prayer, not the old sleep til 11 every day in summer zack haha. but Im happy cause I know im learning a ton and growing, and doing my best to make this companioship the best possible. ha oh yeah, got to see elder gardner last week he had to go the doctor with me and that was way cool, it was weird how excited i was to go to the doctor and get liquid nitrogen sprayed on my warts again haha great to see him and he gave me great advice. But as for now working it up in los muermos and still doing my best to enjoy the hard times. ha miss you guys a ton really do. one thing that is kinda funny now is now that I know more spanish I can understand what people to say to us on the streets now, ha sometimes I wish I cant understand them pretty mean stuff ha. but yeah working hard here, crazy how you can feel like you have talked to everyone in this small town but when you continue to work there are always people to find. Kristy I think its a Boy! and thanks for the superbowl update and all of that good stuff haha that frosty sounds so good. but you guys are always in my prayers and I just gotta remember to be patient, grow, and to remember everything will be ok, just gotta take a chill pill a veces, les amo mucho, y estoy tan agredecidos por uds.

Love you so much, give bo and lusk a nice hug for me,
Elder Carter

For every trial we can learn something and grow