Whoa Betsy! 3 Weeks of Emails

10/20/14

Hello All!

This week was fun! We had 2 exchanges, and another today! Busy, busy, BUSY!

Saturday was David's baptism, and i got to sing the song I wrote. Then we had the ward halloween party/chili cook off/trunk or treat! Super fun. Martha came to both, and is still excited to get baptized in 2 weeks!

Derek came to church again and he and his wife are praying about what day he should get baptized on. :) It's always a good sign when they keep their commitments, but also go ABOVE and BEYOND. Derek and Melony are so humble. Love them!

We got BACK into contact with a bunch of people that kinda had fallen off. Kathy, Patricia, Louisa, Gentle, and Beth. But they're all doing great, and ready to learn more again! Exciting!

Did I mention we have an awesome week ahead? 2 exchanges, Interviews with President, District meeting, TEMPLE, and who knows what else? haha. 

I'm trying to figure out how to not get too stressed. So many exchanges where I'm supposed to help them and their area and set a good example, but then come back and maintain my own area and own companionship is definitely a CHALLENGE! but Challenge Accepted! and.. I still know "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me." And I've DEFINITELY SEEN THAT. Man, what would I do without His strength?  But any advice for a stressful soul? :)

I love you all! Remember, The church is true. The Hope of God's light is real, and Christ is the Prince of Peace. 

Sista C.

10/13/14

Dear family and friends,

Well.. Where to begin? It's been an incredible week. So many emotions. I've never been so exhausted.. but felt so fulfilled. Things are going great!

Some highlights:
 Martha: (the adorable 82 yr old) came to church! she's on date to be baptized Nov. 1st. She's my hero. I wish you could all meet her. 

Caitlyn: (the adorable 9 yr old) is on date for Nov. 8th. 

David: who was being taught last time I was here is getting baptized this saturday, and I GET TO SING AT IT! :) I'm so lucky.
Also, I wrote a song, and my companion asked me to sing it with the guitar at Zone Training Meeting. It went really well.
Kathy.. is not on date anymore.. She's still smoking. BUT we're hopeful. We're stepping back. She needs to make more effort and KNOW this is what she wants. Pray for her? 

Derek: showed up at church yesterday by himself. We'd never met him. He said looked up online when and where our meeting was and just showed up and he wants to get baptized.. umm... MIRACLE! How often does that happen? We're teaching him and his wife tomorrow. :)

ME: I'm doing awesome. I had some unique challenges this week, but each challenge precedes a miracle and each one brings me closer to my Savior. Missions are NOT easy. They're really very difficult, in fact. Life isn't easy either. It always ebs and flows. But it's important for us to remember, that no matter HOW bad things are, they WILL get better. It's the promise given as we embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The promise of Progression. The privilege of Improvement. and the safety given from the Prince of Peace. Free to all. Embrace it.

Love you all! 

Sister Carter

MIRACLES, miracles. We're seeing them all over the place.

10/6/14

Incredible week. So exhausted. Let me tell you why. Because in just a short 2 weeks, I was in 6 different areas, with 6 different companions, packed and unpacked 4 different times, and met hundreds of new people. I think the craziness has settled a little. ha. It's been fun.

We had a specialized training where our whole mission got to watch "Meet the Mormons!" If you haven't heard of it, go watch the trailers. It's awesome. I cried.

Wasn't conference amazing? I loved all of it. One of the highlights standing out to me was Elder Ballard talking about Christ as the Prince of Peace. We invite others to come unto him as our whole purpose. We are just inviting them to have more peace. As we accept Christ, we accept peace.

We had a couple amazing miracles this week. Beginning with.. I dropped our phone in a puddle.. No. That's not the miracle. But it stopped working. completely. We did all we could do, put it in rice, cleaned it out with cotton swabs, and LOTS of praying. THEN it miraculously turned on. THE VERY SECOND it turned on, a member called us and invited us and our investigators to watch conference with them. " Just before conference. We hadn't made arrangements, because our phone wasnt working. "It is by grace we are saved after all we can do. MIRACLE. But.. don't stop reading now, it gets better. THEN we went out to work before conference started, and decided to visit someone other sister briefly met, but I never had. When we got near his apt, he called out the window, "I'll be right down!" He had been WAITING for us to come. When we asked him about it, he said "I just knew you'd come this morning, so I've been waiting." I asked him how he met missionaries. He said, "I saw you walking one day, and I KNEW there was something different about you." So he walked up to those sisters and asked them! He is straight from Ghana, Africa and while there met missionaries. His excitement was incredible. We taught him a little and had a soft baptism extension. He said yes, and said he'd read the Book of Mormon. MIRACLE.

It's been a great week.  Whatever it is you're struggling with right now, remember that God is a God of miracles, and he extends His Grace and mercy after all we can do.

Love you all!

Sister Carter