OYE OYE!!!! buenas tardes!

Oye Oye!

Hows it going family!

Thats super sweet how you guys had a skype session to see the blessing for taylor! ha our family sounds super hip with technology haha hope you guys have a great time in hawaii mom and dad! I didnt know jurassic park was filmed there im sure its going to be beautiful, take a ton of pictures! maybe youll see a dino if your lucky

Bueno... this week has been awesome a lot of cool things have happened. at the beginning of this week we were having a rough day just a ton of people who were super mean at the door haha then there was a video of zions camp that we watched and something that struck me was when he said after a man started to complain was "you will see lords hand on this trip" and as I was thinking about that I got a boost of animo and I felt like I should tell my companion that quote but referring to the mission. After I told him that (after recieving a brutal rejection) we went to a house knocked on the door and started talking to this lady, she was super nice, she was the nieto of one of the menos activo viajitos in our sector, and she said she had shared with the missionaries before, 30 min later we had talked about how god had a plan for us so that our lives can be better and we can find more peace and direction in our lives. She told me she had been going through a hard time, lots of things had happened to her and her friends and family. We gave her a book of mormon giving her some parts we felt inspirted to give her. And she said at this time her husband is never there but would love to meet up at another place, we asked if we could meet in a house of a member and she said no problem, For sure we saw the hand of the lord in our missions.

ha also we got a call from punta arenas two days ago saying there was someone that was going to be assisting church sunday, we called this person and it was a young teenager she is super interested in the church. And the frienshipping went great everyone was super loving, with kids we just need to meet requierements with them to assure that if they were to get baptized they would be able to have a strong base so they dont leave right after. (ha Which is important for every person that decides to get baptized) not worth anything if they dont intend to make this a long lasting change)

Something cool I was reading this week that I really wanted to apply here in natales is in ether when it talks about when the lord talks to the brother of jared, and after the brother of jared is reproved and begins to work and work and do all he can he begins to have points where he needs more help (first the air holes) and he counsels the lord and the lord helps him. Then he does that idea and finds that they have no light. What I love about this part is when he counsels the lord this time the lord says and what should we do about this problem? The lord then tells him dont you worry about the storms and the depths of the sea I will guide you but what do you say of the light?....I think we can all relate with this at one point in our lives when we are asking and recieving guidance and sometimes we hit a point where we must use that great gift of free agency and choose, and after we choose we consult with the lord. The brother of jared brought about stones and said to the lord I know you can do anything and that I am nothing and here is my idea which is fueled off of the faith that you can do anything. And after he made that idea the lord showed himself to him and touched the stones giving light. one by one the lights brightened the vessels. What I love about this is that the lord gives us agency and often times we wont have a forsure answer but as we do the things that we know with surety (reading scriptures, appying simple truths of the doctrine, applying christlike attributes, etc) and make WISE decisions based on what we already know and the nature of christ, we can continue. ha lot of analyzing of 2 chapters of scripture but its so amazing how much we can take out of the scriptures and personal experience as we serve the lord.

ha but all is well we are being super lucky this winter here in natales so far has been super mild. I think I brought a piece of california with me.

But yeah definately I have seen the hand of the lord in my work here in natales, I always get such a great spiritual impression that this branch is going to grow so much in the next years. ha for sure have developed patience in small towns because for some reason the adversary works super hard when a town is tiny and everyone is super interconnected, lots of fun conflicts and personal affairs haha, but with the strong faiths of the few I am stoked to see the future here.

haha how trunky mom! haha that would be way sweet! If you guys can I think that would be super cool to tour parts of chile! There are tons and tons of lugares to choose from.

love you guys take care!

Elder Carter

Mi semana fue buena! hola hola buenas buenas!

Hola!

Oh man this week was filled with some great stories,ha I think I am officially immune to weird stuff,I was reliving los muermos all over again, we ran into so many borrachos (drunks) this week, yesterday I think was the best story so I will tell you it, as we were walking down one street a lady called me, screaming come come come!, We came back to her and asked what she wanted, she said come in come in, she was kinda acting weird but I just thought she was a weird lady that had a weird accent. I asked if there was a man in the house and she said yeah, then I asked again and she said yeah yeah yeah! look! and I thought it was an emergency so we went in and saw her husband or something, and he started to say, NO NO NO! and then the lady said, no! look! no! yeah! YEAH!.... and yeah as you are confused right now I was super confused, then she poured us a glass of soda but had wine right next to it so we didnt drink it just based on the circunstances. But then I asked why she called us but they were impossible to understand they were just mumbling, I then realized we entered a house of an older couple that was completely drunk ha. They werent violent or anything (ha dont worry mom;) ) but just super weird ones,  so I just told them we had to leave and got up, but as we were leaving the lady screamed no no no and tried to get us not to leave!!! so we started leaving faster but escaped. But yeah that was a pretty crazy experience. I made a joke with my comp saying, I dont think the MTC has a class to prep you for something like that.

But yeah we had to learn something this week from drunks because in 2 other lessons we had a drunk family member come in the room and sat down and ruined the lesson, but actually one of the experiences was super spiritual, the families get super embarrassed when it happens but Its a great time to testify them how the gospel helps families come more together and have peace during difficult times.

This week was a great week though, we are all excited for the work. We have really been thinking about new assignments we can do and looking for new menos activos. One thing I love is what Eyring asked another apostle once (ha dont remember exactly right now) but the secret to recieve revelation is to do your hw (as quoted by callister in his talk in priesthood session, The priesthood in a boy), and I love that because the way we receive more is if we really look thoroughly using good resources. This cambio is going to be a great one, I have learned through great experience its amazing what good animo does for a district and to show by example. I always remember what blake told me about his work, he told me he not once sits there commanding them... he is doing the work as well, and I know without a doubt when we apply the things that make us a good missionary, humble ourselves, and do the work with a smile great blessings and revelations are headed our way. One thing I love from the mission is you get missionaries from all places and types, with different strengths and weaknesses, and as we apply each strengths and always yearn to develop ourselves with faith in the lord we will find success.

haha loved all the pictures, taylor is precious, ha sounds like a lot of work, but super fulfilling, definately a testimony builder for the love our parents.

thanks for all the emails...ha reading whatever is fun, even the trials of kitchen table shopping haha. Im enjoying the work a ton, its a pleasure to serve our lord every day.

Ill let you know about the dentist...love you guys

Chow!

Elder Carter

I went to Torres de Paines finally!!! awesome week (Photos)

hey hey!

So this week has been really awesome it was a great way to end this cambio. We found a lot more people and we are continuing to work hard and think of new ways to find and help people. Right now the assignments for inactivos and menos activos is the most important focus for our work, this sunday as a branch we had 5 inactive members return to the church for a simple assignment.

Also for the change in the cambios I will be staying here in Puerto Natales to finish training, also President called me and told me I will be district leader here now, I know the lord will help me though for sure, kinda nervous but excited to grow.

Today we left to torres de Paines! It was so beautiful! unfortunately it was pretty bad weather but still we got to see a ton of cool places, I am going to put some photos on my letter I got some cool ones, one of them is a lake that has a glacier at the end, and some huge chunks of ice (basically icebergs) it was something I have never seen in my life before super sweet, Also there was a ton of guanacos (its like an alpaca but only found in this region) you could walk super close to them and they wouldnt do anything it was awesome. ha fun trip, and usually it costs people 40 mil (80 dollars us) to go. But a member was willing to take us in his car and we had our carnets chilenos so it only costed us 3 mil each (6 dollars us) super sweet. and it is only a 1 hour and a half away.

This week we had had some awesome experiences, one was an assignment that the other sector did to an older member of the church that hadnt assisted for a long time, they asked him to bring the bread to church and a member was going to go to pick him up but we left a little a late and when we got to his house his spouse said that he left walking (and he is an older man) we then looked in the roads trying to find him, when we found him I got pretty emotional, he was breathing super hard, had the sacrament bread in his hand, and his book of mormon in the other, after not assisting for a time he was ready and determined. When we got to the church me and elder vasquez took out the bread to prepare the table and as we touched the bread it was hot still, we realize it was just fresh out of the oven, this bread was made that morning especially for the sacrament. I was touched by that old man and as we partook of the sacrament he could know that we had the opportunity to renew our convenants of baptism for part of him.

Thanks for the photos of Taylor! I have been praying for her and you guys so she continues to grow strong. I have been praying for a family a ton and am super greatful for you all. 

For training its cool how much ive learned, the faith of someone really starts strong and powerful and I never want to lose that. The lord has helped us both realize what it takes to bring happines to others and do it efficiently as possible.

But yeah here are some photos, pray for you guys always, the mission is awesome, its amazing what the lord can do for us individually and our loved ones.

Chow chow!

Elder Carter

Chillin in Chile ....happy 4th! (Photos)

HAPPY LATE FOURTH OF JULY AND LATE BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!

This week has been awesome. I laughed when I heard about your 4th of july, We remembered for a second that it was fourth of july for a second but then continued studying, I starting humming the national anthem for a bit, it was a sweet one haha. Sounds like you have had a good time there in minnesota. sorry your all sick though that is never to fun. haha I loved the story of dalan being a mascot you shouldve took a video.

 Some things we did this week,

 Well for pday you sometimes run out of things to do so we made a song for our mamita, we made a cover of "Hero" by enrique iglesias, haha it started first in the regular song, then in spanish, "Si Pudiera ser tu heroe! si Pudiera ser tu Dios!" then we changed the lyrics to "Si Comiera con mamita! si tu cuello engordara!" haha we are dorks but we have some fun, we recorded it so you can see it in a year or so.

I have also been playing ping pong every pday and I think God blesses us with a lot of things while we are on the mission because I am recieving the gift of ping pong skills, im not quite up there with the matrix ping pong guys but i can give a nice show haha.

 I have had a nice consistant headache all this week, but it goes away with some ibuprofen. I think more then anything its a good sign though, We are working hard and I have really been trying to grow and get the work going. ha but I need to find a way to get my head to take a chillpill and relax. ha Also have been more tired then I have ever been but also an awesome sign that we are working hard, we are happy and have tons of animo all the day til we hit our pillows ha.

 My testimony of fasts has grown immensely on the mission and I thought Id share a cool story with you guys. We have been teaching this one mujer and she has been progressing great and loves the teachings and the church, BUT we lost contact with her this week and had heard that she has heard rumors and such of us which has swayed her mind, we dont usually believe the rumors but since she wasnt answering our calls we knew something was up. We talked to a hna from the church to call her or pass by to see how she is, she is a friend of her and we thought that would be a better way to see whats going on. Sunday we fasted for her and really really wanted her to progress and to help us have the chance to continue sharing. As we were walking by her house (wihout having plans to pass by) I had this prompting to knock on her house, I thought this was strange because my plan was to just wait til hna danisa talked to her. but it continued to stay with me and I thought about it and then realized I dont need to think any further I just need to act, so I went to knock on her door (also praying that there could be a man there even though she lives alone because if she invites us in we cant enter without a man) and as I knocked a man answered then went to get her and said come come in! all happy...some of her friends from work were there taking once, but she told us to sit down in the front room and talked to us for a bit. We told her that we had the impression to stop by and see how she was and knock on her door. She thought it was interesting cause she said, that is so funny, just a couple min ago before you knocked on my door I talked to hna danisa (the member that we talked to), we thought that was interesting, and she told us that she apologizes she didnt call us because she had a ton of work but also appeared something else happened but we talked of how she was and how were her prayers and then you could see she lighted up again and remembered the number of sweet spiritual experiences that she has already had with us and the compromisos that she has already done. After she said that she wants us to pass by tomorrow (today) to teach her, and then we have a family night planned with hna danisa. It was a complete turn around and she is more excited then ever. We told her we thought it was funny how hna danisa called her then we passed by right after, ha we laughed and let her know it wasnt planned haha. But after we passed by to tell hna danisa that things are good now and she got happy, we let her know that we were very greatful, it is so important after telling a member to do something and when they do it to tell them what happened and tell them that their work in the mission work helped us a ton, then she got excited and started thinking of new things she could do for us. We dont have many members here but we are working with what we got and getting them excited showing them that this rama is a rama that has the lords trust (as you talked about I liked that haha)

But we have had a lot of small miracles this cambio and this week and it is awesome to see, sometimes the days are test of faith but one thing that I love is every day no matter what happens you can learn something and apply it in your life. one study that I had this morning that I really loved is of the 2 ways we apply the atonement, first, is that of forgiveness of our sins, we can be completely cleansed thanks to the atonement when we practice true repentance and live the gospel. It is truly the greatest gift that we have the atonement and one thing I loved from my study is the other part, as I was reading in Alma 31 I loved the prayer that alma gives to his sons and the other great missionaries as they prepare themselves to depart and preach the gospel, the people were very wicked and what he said in his prayers was help us with our weaknesses and strengthen us in the word of chirst and in the last 3 versiculos I love how it talks about how they will be able to withstand all burden due to the atonement of chirst. We need to remember that the atonement is a gift from god and it gives us strength, we need to remember the great atonement of christ, he suffered all afflictions temptations etc for us (alma 7:11-12) and when we have hard times he will give us the strength thanks to the great atoning sacrifice, its so cool to think of the atonement as the only way to perfection ourselves but as well to strengthen ourselves.

 But It was great to here about your trip to minneapolis, haha I loved the picture of the dog peeing thing...thats ridiculos haha the world is truly changing...buena la idea haha i want to see the meeting of when they made the decision and planned that project to make a dog peeing area.

 Ha love you guys a ton, having a great time here, Im lucky the weather has been really nice here in natales we have had a ton of sun its really weird, but hey cant complain. take care this week,

 No haga lo que yo no haria;) haha thats something mom always said to us...love you!

Elder Carter

The Work and weather are awesome!

Hey family!

This week has been a great week of the work. ha I can honestly say at the end of this week I was mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted but that makes me happy cause that means we are working hard. Its amazing how much you learn on the mission and the pure desire to just give god everything you have so he can bless the lives of others.

We have really seen the hand of the lord in our lives this week, we have found and taught some awesome people this week, it is so cool to know that the lord is always preparing his children we are now teaching a lady where her dad just died and the other missionaries knocked on her door once before when she was having a hard time and the second time when they were having a viewing at her house for her dad that had passed, then they felt impressed to go to the funeral at the catholic church and she loved that and felt the spirit from their support, she called them and found out that she was in my sector so we started to teach her, immediately I saw that she was well prepared before from God and so excited to learn about the restored church of Christ. we saw this interest and immediately invited her to a family night at the church and we talked to some hermanas of the church and they became friends immediately, now that we have this root and confidence in the church we are excited to teach her the fulness of the gospel, we are excited for this week.

I love seeing my new sobrina! thats nuts how you have 2 kids kristy...

and blake you gotta show me a picture of the civic better have put some plastic spinners from wallmart...

that must have been awesome to have gotten to see your nieta and spend time with your nieto mom and dad.

Dad tell bro scofield he is one of my living heros and it was a pleasure to have him as a sunday school teacher. I love that man a ton, after telling me that one story I liked how you related it to the work, here on the work we are subject to many fears, they are different from combat but they are real and happen every day on the mission, talking, knocking on doors, and leading people to the gates of long lasting happiness sounds like a walk in the park but its amazing how many fears, awkward circunstances, sadness that can come your way, but in all that sadness as bro scofield said he had no fear, I have no fear tampoco, as Isaiah said "behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid..."

This past couple weeks have truly been a testimony that god wants us to grow and if we give our all and humble ourselves its possible.

But yeah more then anything this week was a great week. learning a lot from training, its cool how you can have two members of the church that often have different personalities and interests BUT see miracles and enjoy every day of the mission.

take care this week yeah!

OHHHH YEAH! mom I got the package! haha thanks a ton I loved it! the ctr ring fits,,,, thanks a ton!!!!! stoked for the sour patch kids haha

haha oh for something funny super quick.... im a barbie girl song started playing in a food store it was super funny to hear a song in english like that, we made a short music video haha so funny to hear english popular lame songs here in the end of the earth

take care

Elder Carter