4 Days til I leave the MTC!

Familia!!!! How are you all?! Wow this time at the MTC has gone by wayyyy fast. I am so excited to go to Chile! I am happy to tell you I am feeling soooo much better now. My fever finally stopped Thursday night. I have had pressure in my ear from my sinuses for a day and a half but luckily mom packed me with a pharmacy in my luggage so I have been taking decongestant medicine. (THANKS MOM!). Oh this week has been such a great one. I was so excited last Friday to receive my travel plans! Here is the travel plan

I leave the MTC at 6:00AM (salt lake time) and our flight leaves at 9:45 AM October First (Monday)

Then We get into LAX at 10:46

We then leave on the airline Lan Chile S.A. for Santiago, Chile at 1:25pm and arrive in Santiago the next day at 6:40 AM

We then head for Osorno at 9:50am and get there to my final destination at 11:25am

Long flight huh? haha hopefully my sinus pressure will be fine for the flight. Not worried though it is feeling so much better now. So we don’t have a set limit for how long we can talk just as long as we don’t miss our flight. haha obviously. But I was thinking after I get through security at around 7 my time. but expect the call anytime from 6-9am my time! maybe you can go to work later that day our something? and then if I have time in between my layover in LAX I can call you again maybe? it’s not too long of a layover though but if I have time I’ll call. Idk what do you think? 

But yeah our carry-ons can only be 17lbs and we can bring a small backpack as well. Maybe could you check the Lan Chile guidelines online to figure out more details? because I only have a backpack and want to bring that as my backpack and bring something else like a small string backpack (the ones I bring to basketball practice) as well. If you could maybe send me a small one of those or have grandma and have it get here b4 sat that would be great. If not, I'll work something out. I’m sure I can;) 

But yeah things are going great here! I cannot explain to you my love for the gospel and my love for the savior Jesus Christ. We had the opportunity to watch the temple dedication of the Brigham city temple. Elder Packard said some amazing inspired things. Oh my goodness the apostles have such power in their words. one thing I love that he said was that the church has nothing secret, just sacred. (talking of the temple) I loved that. But it was so amazing to see a temple dedication, temples are such holy places I really urge everyone to go there as much as possible. Unfortunately my last time attending a temple was this morning but I will carry my thoughts with me and continue to do other things on my mission to keep the spirit with me. We have been having some of our last fake lessons here at the MTC, and I cannot tell you how much I have learned! Wow I have come a long way. I remember the first lesson we had my companion just sat there in fright and I only said two statements, one of which was, El libro de Mormon es verdadero. ahah it’s true though. But I have come such a long way. My favorite part of the Predicad mi Evangelio (preach my gospel) is the section regarding, "How to begin teaching" There are just a set of bullets about what we need to get across. These bullets are ESSENTIAL for teaching. They are revelation of an apostle and I know why. I was finally able to this week really listen to my fake investigators thoughts in Spanish. As they talked I was able to understand what they said and ask questions that dug down deeper to their thoughts and information necessary to connect the gospel with them. One essential part of begin teaching is to really connect with them and let them know you are there for them not to just tell them a lesson that you memorized in Spanish. Our last lesson was a conversation, the invitations (which are key for conversion), were made in a smooth, natural way. Our investigators name was Romona and she was sick. We talked to her about how the spirit can comfort her. She didn't know how to receive that spirit and we told her when she prays, and reads the book of Mormon she will feel comfort of the Holy Ghost. We also told her we have the power to give her a blessing where the power of God through the spirit can touch her life. We got to know more of her concerns and really dug deep to what she truly needed in her life. What is amazing is the Gospel is for everyone, no matter who you are, or what your circumstances are the Gospel can help you. So with that I learned you should never worry if they will accept the message. If you find out what they are going through or who they are, the spirit will touch their lives and tell them what they need through you. If they are ripe and ready to accept the gospel they will. If they are not ready then down the road they will remember the spirit that touched them that one time in the Past. Loving the people is so key. 

During Devo a seventy spoke and talked about what faith equals. He said what it really comes down to it is faith is personal righteousness. If you want more faith you need to act according to the gospel and what Christ would do. To have a testimony is great! but without acting upon what you believe you will NOT receive conversion. That is why enduring to the end, constantly implementing the atonement in your life, ridding yourself of the natural man, and coming closer to Christ from mistakes and corrections is so important. I cannot tell you how much closer I want to be to Christ. And I know that going out to the field will help with this so much more. 

We had the experience to eat at the Temple cafeteria this morning and OH MY GOODNESS it was so good. It was not mass produced powder egg omelets! and the Belgium waffles were sooooo GOOD! I have heard so much about Chile from my teachers! I won’t tell you what they say though because I will have my own stories next week about Chile! so excited to share them with you. I know it will be hard but I am ready. I will kneel and pray to my God especially during these times thanking him for these trials and hard times. I am expected on this mission to be put in uncomfortable situations, then once they become comfortable I will be stretched and put in uncomfortable situations again. I am ready for these times and will keep a positive attitude. I am here to serve others and invite them to come unto Christ. Along the way I will change but it is not about me. I heard if we could only see now all the peoples eternal joy that we will have the opportunity to bring them we would not be able to sleep at night. 

I love this Gospel and I can not wait to go to Chile. 
Este Iglesia es verdadero. Estoy Muy agredicido por Jesucristo y su expiacion. me amo nosotros mas de todos las cosas. (my typing of spanish is still bad but I can verbally say things much better haha)
Love you!
con amor
Elder Carter