March 23, 2015

Hello!!!

Today was a fun start to a preparation day because we got a tour of Google! 

What a full week! I'm not even too sure where to begin! But let's just start with after I lost my 3 companions to the real world, I was blessed to be paired with Sister Triana who I lived with in the MTC! She is great and are certainly excited to be together. Sister Uelese is still living with me, but now covers the Samoan branch with her trainee!! No more Samoan branch for me! I am SO SAD. But Sister Uelese will be receiving a new missionary straight from the MTC on Wednesday!!!!! We are excited to have a new greenie in the apartment with us! Especially seeing as the three of us (Sister Uelese, Triana and I) all came out together!! 

Ebony and Savanah got baptized this week! It was difficult to not have Sister Fraser there, seeing as we taught these two girls together from the beginning but I am very grateful that Sister Triana got to join and be apart of the miracle baptism. Despite Sister Uelse now only covering the Samoan Branch she too taught Ebony and Savhanah, while we were in the Trio, she had the be a part of the baptism! She blessed us all by singing I am a child of God during the service :) Though I wish I can say my first baptism was flawless, that was CERTAINLY not the case. The morning of the baptism, we got a call at around 8:00am from the Spanish Elders telling us that the power was out in the Stake Center; this was terrifying because the stake Center is the only place that we can have baptisms because they are the only building with a font. After numerous calls between 5 sets of missionaries, the Bishop, the ward mission leader, and the primary president PLUS lots of prayers, the show went on, with no power! And boy was it a packed house. The room was full of missionaries and friends of Ebony and Savannah. I am so grateful for these girls and for their mother! I have prayed for them and will continue to every night! That they will have the blessing and privilege of going on missions, attending BYU (sorry Betsy) and getting sealed in the temple! I know this gospel will bless their lives, as it already has.

Last night Sister Triana and I were BLESSED with an opportunity to go see the Lamb of God performance at Santa Clara University! This performance meant so so much to me. 2 months, every single day before my mission, I listened to the Lamb of God soundtrack, so it was no surprise that as soon as the first note was played, tears started coming. I cried from the beginning all the way to the end. Lamb of God tells the story of the Final days of the Saviors Ministry, Crucifixion and Resurrection. My testimony was strengthened during the performance. The music, was beautiful and the spirit certainly could not be denied! I invite you all to listen to this performance. You can find it on Youtube, Spotify (sp) and Pandora. 

I am grateful for my beloved Savior, and during this Easter Season I am grateful to celebrate his Resurrection! Truly He lives. I know He lives. The church is launching another FANTASTIC video for the season http://www.mormon.org/easter/teaser on MARCH 28TH. On that day, visit the following website and experience the video for yourself. We were blessed with the privilege to watch it on Tuesday, and just like other previous videos, it truly captures the spirit of this Gospel. Because HE truly does live, I am on a mission. Because he lives, I will keep the commandments. Because He lives, I am preparing to see Him again. 

Happiness is founded on and dependent upon our obedience. A home established on gospel principles is a place of safety a place where love abounds and a place where the Lords spirit is felt. I can promise each of you happiness in this life and joy in the next if you keep the commandments. Life will not always be easy but it will be plentiful. 

Mosiah 2:41: 

 41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all 

things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they holdout 

faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things  are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

Last time with the Trio! Me and Sister Uelse will be sure to make Sister Fraser Proud!

 

 

 

These are pictures from this past weeks Transfer Meeting! (also, yes, I am wearing a lavalava "traditional" Samoan wear haha)

The last time I was with my trainer (right) Sister Gregerson and my breaker Sister Packard (left) before they jumped on the shuttle to go home! I LOVE them.

Keep the Commandments,

The Church is True, 

Sister Carter

March 16, 2015 First baptism, transfers, picture of Samoan Women

Here is a picture of just some of the beautiful Samoan Women of the Peninsula 4th Branch! I love these people. 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday was the outgoing fireside for the departing missionaries! I am loosing, 3 out of my 4 companions. Sister Uelese who I am with now, in the trio, who I also came out with will be the last one. Sister Gregerson my trainer is leaving, Sister Packard my breaker/ 2nd companion and Sister Fraser my current companion are all leaving me!!!!!!!!! I cried. Actually, I bawled through the whole fireside but I through my tears, I literally was rejoicing for them. They have done SO much good here for 18 months, and they will continue to do SO much good in their next "transfer" back home. 

And so, I will be getting new companion on Tuesday. 

On a different note, I have my first baptism on Saturday!!!!!!!!! We have been teaching Ebony 9 and Savannah 8 for about a month now. Their mom, Valarie is a Returning Member! 

The Church is still true, 

Love you all, 

Sister Carter

Pictures from the Santa Cruz Beach

8 March 2015

Happy Preparation day!

I'm currently on city bus number 17, full of missionaries on the way to Santa Cruz.  It is $5 round trip.  It's overcast so we are praying for the sun to come out.  Granted it is only 9 a.m.  :)  I'm sure it will get better!

Wow.  What an amazing transfer.  Ebony and Savannah are our two baptismal dates for March 21st!  They are 8 and 11 years old and their mom is a returning member.  We have been coordinating members at all of their lessons (we meet with them twice a week) so that after they are baptized they will continue to be fellowshipped.  :)

Speaking of fellowshipping we will be setting a baptismal date with our new investigator.

We met him on Stanford campus contacting!  About three weeks ago we were invited to be the Friday form guest speakers for the LDS Students on Stanford campus.  The LDS students on campus have a group called the LDSSA Latter-day Saint student association.  :)  Anywho, after we taught those wonderful Stanford students, we decided to contact.  A guy got our attention.  We invited him to meet with us again and he agreed!  We got his information and came back.  Three days later, prayerfully we decided to teach him L3 The Gospel of Jesus Christ 1st even though we typically teach L1 The Restoration to our new investigators.  When he came, we asked him about his belief in God and much of his background to get to know him.  We came to find out that he did not have much of a belief in God, was from Hawaii, one of the 32 transfer students that actually got into Stanford and was willing to learn.  We also found out that he did not feel the need to give credit to God because that would discredit him.  He literally believed and thought that that everything good or of worth in his life was because of his own doing.  Again he did not want to give the credit to God because that would discredit himself.

As we left the appointment, we were excited about our next return appointment but scared/nervous about what to teach him and how to help him see how much God does love him and that is why so many wonderful things happen to him!

A couple of meetings later as well as an invitation to come to the LDSSA institute meeting we fast forward to Friday.

We met with him on campus at our usual spot but invited a wonderful girl the LDSSA president to join our lesson.  As we taught the Restoration (L1), the spirit could not be denied and it was because of that wonderful member!  She invited the spirit with her testimony and love of God.  Because of that experience, he decided to give the closing prayer in which he thanked God for what he learned from the Holy Ghost!!! and miracle!!! He recognized the spirit and thanked God for it.  We were so happy.  He then asked for a ride to church on Sunday and he came yesterday!!

We are so happy!

We will be meeting with him again and setting a baptismal date.

The Church is true!

Sister Carter