What a Blessing it is to be a Missionary

Hey family, wow this week was really special I dont know how to

explain it. Its funny because it was one of the weeks where I think I

have been more rejected and criticized by people on my mission, but

looking back on it im happy. There is something super special about

being a missionary, I can happily say I have completely eliminated my

fear of talking to anyone on the street, door, bus, etc. And talking

to them about their lives, their hopes, their favorite soccer team,

Etc and then directing the conversation to our special message of the

restoration of the gospel of Christ. I cant tell you how happy I am to

be able to share this message, I feel every moment I testify of what I

know to a stranger or conocido, the spirit fills my soul.

Yesterday, we had a very interesting experience with our neighbor the

typical uninterested grandma that loves to give us food but wants

nothing with our message. haha her borther in law yelled out to us

earlier that week asking why we havent come by for weeks, we said we

would pass by for a bit sunday. As we passed I immediately started

laughing because as I entered her brother in law came down the stairs

with chips and cookies, they took out a huge piece of meat to difrost

to serve us, hot milk, soda, etc. We let them know we just barely had

lunch but still filled us with cookies. I dont know how but the spirit

somehow allowed me to get us on topics of the gospel, my companion was

amazed because each time we came by she said no. Thinking about it,

thanks to a movie based on Noah and the Ark that I guess is coming out

we got on the topic of the story, I took out my bible and said oh man

we got to read the story its incredible. We did what you did dad when

you served simply read a story from the bible, as we read it we made

it more entertaining and the spirit filled the room, we talked about

how amazing it would be to have a prophet guiding us today. They were

etertained by the story and next time we pass they agreed that we

could pass by to read another. We are truly messangers of Gods Church

and the spirit of our message cant be ignored

I cant lie in some sectors it takes time for members to gain

confidence with, but Im one to be diligent;)

We had an amazing family night with a member and 4 investigators, that

I talked about my last letter. Went AMAZING!!! We watched a video

about the great apostacy and the spirit was incredible everyone felt

it, we talked about baptisms for the dead and it sparked the attention

of all of them. ha except the funniest part is the grandma of the

member said she felt the spirit so strong during the video and said

she is so greatful for finding her evangelical church and being

baptized there. We just smiled and continued on with the message hahah

Ending the week we were looking for some inactive members on a list

and asked a joven of 25 years if he knew one of the directions on the

list and started helping us look for the direction we couldnt find it

but he said but are there others on the list? we were shocked by how

friendly he was and began to talk with him, he never had shared with

missionarys but you could sense he wanted us to pass by his house. He

agreed and said today we could pass by.

There really is no place where people are being prepared. It truly

depends on our faith and attitude, sometimes we have to stroke when we

dont want to stroke but I know without a doubt this is Gods work and

God has helped me become an instrument in his work.

Hope all is well

I love the lord, I love serving him and talking to every person I

cross that he lives and has restored his truth here on the earth.

Mucho amor, Elder Carter

Last conference with president

Hey Family! so this week was awesome, I dont think its possible for

their to be a fire here because it has rained every single day this

week. We had some interesting things happen. I had had sinus problems

all week but that didnt keep me from working. Friday we had our last

zone conference with president rappleye ad it was incredible, We

talked about a lot of things but I think the coolest thing that

happened was he told us a story about how for his work he felt

impressed to take an job offer in brazil, he and his wife felt

impressed to go there. While they were there his boss told him he

would be transferred to go to the dominican republic in charge of the

caribean having to travel to all islands nearby (haiti jamaica, etc)

He looked in the directory of the church to find santo domingo,

domincan republic but it didnt appear he realized that the church

didnt exist there and he got worried, When he got there the second day

he went to pick up his bags from the airport and when he was there a

hermana talked to him in english (this was weird because they talk

spanish there) and asked if he was mormon. He found out that this

family just had moved here from the states and were all mormon, he

called the mission president from florida and got permission to start

a branch because they had 2 melquisedec priesthood holders, they bagan

to share the gospel with friends and one of which was incredibly

prepared, the joven of the family read the book of mormon and

remembered all stories telling him about lehis dream, later that

family got baptized. This was just one small story that happened

there. Later other member familys showed up from the states and could

help support leadership, they had tons of success from family nights,

Then our president kept asking for missionaries and finally they sent

10 to the island. They used the radio and tv program to tell the

island that there was the church because no one there had heard of it.

The telephones there began to ring off the hook with people interested

in the church. For interest of time ill get to the end, mas o menos 3

years later the church had grown to have 18 mas o menos branches and

tons and tons of leaders, elder ballard came to dedicate the country

for mission work, one other cool part was presdient rappleye was

having dificulties having to travel to all these branches and dealing

with the tithing and other administrative work, he prayed that someone

could help but didnt know anyone on the island who could. The very

next day the missionarys called and asked if president had met a new

family that moved to the country from the states. He went immediately

to meet him and his family was members but he wasnt (he was the dad)

he asked him why he came and he said he didnt know why they moved, but

he spoke spanish, and he was an accountant. He got baptized and

overlooked the tithing and other asuntos of all of the country. Its

truly incredible how God has his hand in the work.   I have a

testimony of that here as well that when God needs to hasten his work

he   does it, now the question is are we doing are part to be ready

when God works these miracles?

But on the part of here in the sector we had a division with the APs

they are both my last 2 companions hahah I was stoked to go with elder

salazar we were together for 2 cambios and it was some of the best

months of my mission. That night we put someone with a baptismal date

the first night we found them. It was sweet to work with him again and

to talk. Hes the one I would love to visit in argentina if we ever

come back to chile.

We had some amazing lessons with some members as well. One for example

was last night we entered a house of a member to say hi and they

happened to have 2 friends visiting and there grandma that isnt a

member, we just talked for a bit and there friends were COMPLETELY

CLOSED, we laughed together then thought to just sing a hymn, we sang

the hymn and it just felt right to ask if we could pray, we prayed and

it just felt right to share a small scripture. After we shared the

scripture, we asked when we could have a family night and they said

they didnt know maybe in the next month. Then they started asking

questions one saying she didnt understand a word we said and didnt

understand the message. We then felt impressed to answer her doubts

and teach the restauration, I think it was one of the times were a

felt most the spirit saying the first vision and everyones eyes

watched us with 100% of their attention. They had questions and

excitement, we then testified of this truth and asked when we could

have that family night with their friends. The member jumped up with

excitement and began to look at the calendar the grandma said next

week next week! excited to hear more of the message. The friend said

she would love to come and learn more. So... this wednesday we will

share more.

But I just have a strong testimony that this message we bring is

something we need to share with confidence and boldly without fear.

Then simply tell them now this is my testimony, we cant give you our

testimony but we can give you the opportunity to gain your own, cause

if this message is true, it would change your lives. We have guidance

from God from a modern day prophet, and the authority of  God to teach

us what we need to do and allow us to have have peace in this life and

in the life to come. Its true or its not. And it all starts with

hearing this message, pondering it, and asking god if its true.

Take care this week and hope theres not more fires! ha love the

pictures thats crazy

Elder Carter

a member is a carpenter that makes caskets, I get kinda creeped out in

his workshop haha

Awesome skype sesh, love you mom and family!

Hey Family! It was great talking with you guys yesterday, all is well

here in lanco, I forgot my umbrella in the airport wednesday :( but

hna rappleye was nice and let me have a used one that someone left in

the mission home. Its pretty ghetto and I look like mary poppins using

it but im dry :) Im feeling better today... I am just stoked to get

working in the sector its tough being sick right when you get in the

sector cause you just have so much excitement of finding and meeting

all the people. This thursday we have the last conference with

president Rappleye. Its crazy that he is leaving, im sure its going to

be a good one. Had an awesome talk with the new president of the

branch here, he has tons of excitement for the branch and we are going

to try to get things going strong here. I love working in small

branches, its so cool how the church can teach the same thing in all

of the world, the manuals we have and the way it is organized works so

well. Every now and then people in classes teach things a little off

but with the leaders, manuals, and scriptures everything gets right

back on track.

Im so greatful for the blessing god gives me to serve him every day,

and each day I learn so much about how I can become more like Jesus

Christ, as well as be more prepared for my life. I know without a

doubt that there are people like denny just waiting for us to share

this message with them. And I will give it all I got each day. When

Denny gave me the book of mormon that we left with him the first day

filled with his notes and testimony it was one of the best gifts Ive

recieved in my life. I left him with the mission guide, "Preach my

gospel" with my testimony that now that he knows the truth its his

turn to share it with everyone he knows, especially his family and

friends. As well I left him with the picture from his baptism in a

picture frame so he can always remember that day. Excited to let you

know how the week goes!

Take Care

Elder Carter

ME VOY a Lanco....great memories made here in Coyhaique

This week was super sweet, Denny got confirmed a member of the church

sunday and was super super happy. I was so stoked, it was fast sunday

and I bore my testimony of how god truly perpares people it was a very

emotional/spiritual moment.

Well we have cambios once again and I am heading to the city of Lanco!

 they just split the Zone Lanco in two and I will be in the Zone Los

Lagos. My companion is going to be a brazilian named Elder Da Silva I

already know him from earlier on in the mission he was awesome. Ha he

helped me before learn portuguese so this cambio will be fun learning

more. The mission is growing immensely its crazy. There are soooo many

more missionaries in the mission in comparison to when I started. Its

crazy how much has changed ever since what happened my first sunday

here in chile when president monson dropped the age requirements. Did

you know that Weston Joyce  a friend of mine from our stake that was a

freshman when I was a junior is here in the mission I talked to him

the other day haha how cool.

We did something fun this week, one of the recent converts was telling

us of his fear of talking and giving prayers in church. So the thought

came to our mind to practice. We assigned each other a topic and one

during this week we met up at the church and he had the chance to give

his talk in front of us. I thought it was so cool, he came all

prepared with his scriptures and talk in hand and loved the idea. He

truly wants to get better. He is a more serious military guy but with

us and everyone he is actually a man with a big heart. As he gave his

talk he was super super nervous at first but as he talked the spirit

began to calm his nerves and he gave an amazing talk on the faith.

After we talked about how it went. This experience gave me a strong

impression that it would be so cool if the church had a form of

toastmasters to help people give talks in church. I got all excited

with the thought cause I loved my public speaking classes and giving

talks. I feel like that would be something cool we could try to start

dad. Think of what that could do for the church, improve the quality

of sacrament meetings and give an opportunity for members to progress.

We also had the opportunity to bring a investigator and her kids,

cousin, and her cousins daughter to the baptismal service in the

building of the other missionaries of the city. We had a member pick

us up and we were super super excited. But it didnt go so well as we

expected because it wasnt organized very well and the service started

45 minutes late waiting for a representative from the presidency of

the branch. The investigator got a little impacient. Luckily the

meeting went well and the spirit was way strong during the baptism and

when the lady that got baptized testified, at the end the investigator

said "It was super long, but beautiful" We just need to help her

continue to feel the spirit and teach her in short lessons.

Today we are going to make a american breakfast with one of the

members we are soooo excited, with the fruit salad grandma carter

always made(mayo and honey haha) , pancakes, BACON, Eggs with bell

peppers, etc. These type of breakfasts dont exist in chile so we are

going to have a nice feast ha.

But yeah bummed to leave coyhaique I loved the branch here, the

members are incredible, and I had the chance to see many numerous

members reactivate and investigators come unto christ. As well gain a

testiomony that there are people incredibly prepared by God. Take care

this week:)

Elder Carter