Gotta love the small Miracles! (Photos)

Hey Fam! So this week went pretty sweet, we had some pretty cool experiences, One day it was raining super super hard and we had to pass by this ladies house, we knew we most likely werent going to be let in because no hay un hombre, and we saw no clear skies in the distance, as we turned the corner the pooring rain completely stopped it was crazy, and the sun came out, as we knocked the door we were able to talk and teach her for a good 20 min at the door, we talked a lot about gods plan and she began to tear up ove the subject. As we left there was no doubt in my mind God helped us out with that small miracle.

This week went super good we found a lot of people and got a lot of less actives to come back to church thanks to assignments. I know without a doubt that God places people in our way in the perfect timing, there is a sister in the ward that is inactive that we passed by at her mini market (market connected to her house) we talked for awhile and then her daughter walked in with her daughter she has like 29 years old. And we began to talk to her (daughter of the lady) as well, we were able to pass the reference over to the hermana misioneras to pass by, the daughter assisted, then later that day I felt impressed to pass by her mom that has the mini market, I told her her daughter assisted then she got all happy and said I need to assist and actually can you give my house a blessing one day and said she would be willing to close down her shop (which is pretty rare to do here), So we are going to do that this week and this sunday the mom assisted!,  ha I know that story probably sounded super complicated but basically its just so cool how God never forgets about people that arent assisting and always wants them to come back, its never to late for anyone and I am so greatful we have to chance on the mission to help be part of this reactivations.

We also started walking around with the Book of Mormon in hand and have made a goal to talk to everyone, EVERYONE haha, We have really wanted to show the lord our faith and the results have been super sweet, we are constantly teaching people a cool story from the book of mormon in the street or door, and really just trying to get to know people, I think its super cool to see my comp just starting not having a fear to talk to anyone. ha we have sure had some interesting contacts one we had was with this business man from peru, as missionaries you always are looking for whatever thing to start a conersation haha I really enjoy talking to people and we started talking about his leather shoes, next thing you know that led us to help understand he is studying engineering and is getting his masters in engineering, also told us he will be going to europe to study, I told him we would love to stop by his house because our message would spark his interest, he told us that we could pass by and have a beer and talk of politics but I said religion and juice would be even better and he agreed, ha he gave us his number and we are passing by this next week. But its always fun to show ANY type of person how our message is for EVERYONE.

Also I am really loving every day, one thing intersting I did was a fast as a companionship and personally, personaly I fasted to have more patience and love, and I loved the response I got, I felt as though everyhthing that next 3 days was a lot harder asking for a lot more love and patience from everyone, also was pretty sick and yeah basically a lot of patience tested. But I was so greatful for that and think it was probably one of the best fasts ive had because it helped me grow. also we fasted to find people and we were so blessed as we searched we were able to teach and find a fair share of people.

One cool lesson we had we with a family that there daughter really really likes english, she actually speaks very well, We had an idea to give her a liahona with a testimony of someone that recieved an answer to the book of mormon and explained how we can recieve an answer, we gave two copies of the magazine, one in english and one is spanish, she and her brother were super excited to read it, its super cool how many ways you can teach applying the message to their lives. One thing I love on the mission our purpose is simple and our doctrine pure, and the lord gives us a million ways to share the same message to fit the need of EVERY one of his children. Super cool.

jumpsuit of paint (I was trying to act like a serious painter)

new comp

yeah!

but yeah it has been a good week, im eating healthier as well!!!

Ive been eating bananas with yogurt in the mornings ha but other than that we dont have much control of what we eat.

Hope all goes well this week thats sweet that you one the championship, I thought you guys were the new york yankees for a bit haha

been using my dog zapper a lot more now theres one neighborhood where I hate knocking cause the dogs just bark, but with a couple zaps theres peace.

ha it is kinda weird to hear zack! but its all good. Thats a sweet goal mom! tell me some stories you have id love to hear how it goes with the book of mormon. I love using it to teach, ha taught one lesson with an atheist and a jehova witness and answered both their doubts using it. No better spirit that comes from the book of mormon and the bible.

bueno bueno, que les vaya bonito esta semana!!!

Elder Carter

HEY FAMILY!!!!!!

Familia! thanks for all the letters It was cool to get letters from everyone It was nice to here how you all are, pray for all of you;) ha this week has been pretty god!

I have another nuevito! ha and like me at the beginning cant talk spanish but excited to grow and to get him off to a good start. Its funny to hear all the reactions and comments of someone new here, It doesnt seem like that long ago I was in los muermos being chased by drunks and eating food that I saw alive the day before :) haha

traveled to the mission home again and got to eat completos, I will send a picture of our new companionship later (dont have my camera with me) and of me painting with a sweet jumpsuit, idk if blake painted with such sweet equipment like we did haha.

It has been a week with a lot of things to do and think about. I LOVE training...but at the beginning you are kinda doing a lot of things by yourself because he cant really help, But its cool because I am really trying to get him to feel like he is just my comp and not a trainee, and just make him feel like he can help me with everything, Its cool to learn from past experiences.

hmm one funny thing that my comp said in our prayer last night in spanish is please bless my comp that he can be sick and thats it (cause i have a cold right now) haha I laughed pretty hard hes a good sport and laughs aout his mistakes ha I had some pretty bad mistakes at the beginning and got super embarrassed but then learned to just laugh at yourself especially in this culture, well in all places.

We have found some awesome familias!!! and have had some great support from the members, also we are offering a ton of service to all of the members, actually saturday we painted a wall of a member I was stoked because I got to wear a jumpsuit again, I have one im bringing home thats from puerto natales so if we ever paint at home Im reppin it, haha I got burnt SOOOO BAD this week my skin is so white, my skin is forgetting that im from california, maybe one day I can remind it.

The weather here is kinda bipolar it will rain a ton and other moment it wont at all. We will most likely be having a baptism this next month, we met someone from campo that there whole family is mormon but their daughter that has 14 year isnt and wants to be, we are going to there house tomorrow because they say they have a "devil or something" in their house, so that should be interesting, just going to give the house a blessing. The priesthood is pretty sweet huh:)

I have been learning a ton from my comp and in all things.

One cool thing I learned today in my personal study I liked was in matthew 8 where it talks about when the apostles go with christ on a boat and they get scared as he is sleeping and then he calms the sea and the storm and tells them why were they scared and that they lack of faith. I think a concept that a lot of times we miss in our lives is when it says "christ was sleeping" A lot of times in our lives we want to become better people or want to recieve an answer so we pray to god, or try to come closer to him in this sense the apostles boarded the boat, maybe for me can be the mission. A lot of times we find that its not easy where we are but we must continue in faith, A lot of times in our lives we have trials and we might feel God isnt there or that he is "sleeping." one scripture I loved to help me answer this was in 3 nefi 19 (almost sure but dont remember the verse) where christ says that it is necessary for him to got to the father and leave them for there benefit. I thought that was a super cool way of looking at it, The truth is that christ is ALWAYS there in our lives but often needs to leave us to act for our own, be tested, or show our faith. As we show our faith and take advantage of having the gospel in a "fallen world" we can benefit immensely from this plan. I know without a doubt that God loves us and wants us to be happy, even if that means feeling at times alone or if all things are against us, he has put everything in our way so we can succeed, its the perfect plan, its gods plan.

Pero bueno....Ill forsure be telling you some great other stories, because we always have some haha im excited to help my comp find enjoyment in the struggling at the beginning, I had the chance to bare my testimony of our family in a house this week and almost started crying, I dont tell to many spiritual stories to much people especially of my family because they are sacred, but when I use them it makes them that much more special, thanks for giving me those experiences that have made me me.

thats so sweet with kaylas family!!!! I wanted to know if you could make me a family history pedigree chart? that would be way sweet, how far back do we have aour family history, always calls my attention on the mission I loved that last info you gave me dad

Love you guys a ton! working hard, loving the mission,

Hope all is well! abrazos

Elder Carter

Awesome Week!

So it was a pretty sweet week! First we had interviews with president which went well, then conference. Oh man it goes way to fast on the mission, each session felt like 20 min. Looks like you guys really enjoyed it, I envy you guys to have DVR I would so use that to pause and write revelation that comes as you watch, I was lucky and got to watch the conference in english at the stake center, it was my first time watching where it hadnt froze or cut out (the 2 other times I watched in puerto natales and los muermos (in branches far away on computer) which the signals werent to good, but this stake center has a satelite like at home and was amazing:), I learned so much from this conference, it was crazy how much they emphasized the work and how its really being sped up. Cool stuff huh. But ill talk more about that later on in my letter.

We have come to cambios again (transfers) and my comp has ended his training, I have been called again to be a trainer, I will be training an elder fresh out of New Mexico, It was funny because when president called me I thought he said Mexico and I thought oh cool Ill learn some mexican spanish but then he corrected me and said "new" and that changed everything haha well from what I know when I hear new mexico I just think of uncle jeff and his family and they are pretty gringo but maybe theyll have some spanish like kyle haha so more than likely he wont speak anything just like the last 2 ive trained. ha should be a great experience, I am so excited to learn more and more every day, one cool thing about training is they have this spirit of the mtc and so much faith and even beyond that language barrier you see so much miracles take place.

My comp right now wont be going to far either haha he is going to be in the sector right next to mine, still in the ward and he will be living in the same house as me, so that will be interesting but cool to see him continue to progress he will be with a elder from peru that has already been living with us.

Today we had a bbq with the zone and played volleyball it was pretty fun, I splurged and bought some dried banana chips, SOOO GOOD. but I got so fried today haha i forgot sunscreen which isnt smart cause the ozone layer doesnt exist here.

So im glad you all enjoyed the conference, I kinda wanted to share some thoughts I had with a couple,

Primero I really really liked that of Elder Bednar on tithing, more and more time on the mission im gaining an interest in business and I loved how he referred to DyC 119 and 120, how the church handles the finances, I think its incredible like he said how our church so big in all the world can have a counsel that makes the decisions of tithing so small, It is truly evidence that our church is guided by God.

Another is that of Uchtdorf when he talked about why people leave the church, I loved when he said "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith" I love how he said that doubts are natural and so essencial for us to continue growing. I also loved how he commented on when people call someone a hipocrite of our church and how he said, IF we were to define hypocrite it is someone that does not perfectly complete with what the believe, if thats so arent we all hypocrites? I also loved how he said how we as people arent perfect, if we were perfect we wouldnt need a church, and that God is perfect and his doctrine is pure, thanks to that we can continue on in his church. I think our invitation to all is if these desires that we have to become like God are yours (mosiah 18) then what keeps you from entering this way to eternal life.

Also one that really touched me and actually made me emotional is that of president monson when he talked about home teaching, I immediately remembered the amazing example of you dad, of all the people we have had a privelage to go to (^sometimes you dragging me) One experience I think I was so greatful for was that of us visiting the Kings. I cant tell you how greatful I am dad for being a good home teacher, I had the experience to be impacted by those 2 amazing people, when brother king past away at his funeral sis King as she walked into the chapel she reached her arm out to me and I walked with her, I dont think I would have ever have felt so much charity for anyone if I would not had been faithful to our hometeaching, So thanks so much for being a great dad and hometeaching companion, We had some amazing memories of being companions and still I hear of your great desire to continue passing and really creating great connections with those that god chose for you to pass by.

Looks like you guys had a great time at the pumpkin patch! haha carter is so big. Love you guys a ton, we have really been working hard and know with hard work, patience, and faith God will start giving us investigators here in this sector. love you a ton:)

P.S. Grandma when I can I will love to come and take care of the yard ;) haha how did the garage sale go mom and grandma? I remember we would always play airsoft down there haha, I think my college clothes are down there right?

Elder Carter