January 19, 2016 Los Altos

Here are some fun pictures of the happenings!

My new zone here in Los Altos!!!

WE GOT TO MEET ELDER SITATI! He came to do a mission tour today!

Sister Pena and I even got to sit right next to him for lunch! We had a nice one on one with him :)

 

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​Kevin my investigator from my first area LIVERMORE got baptized!!!! And there is my good old trainer Sister Gregerson.

Here is another picture with Elder Sitati.

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I am convinced that the overall difference between the Lords' anointed and called servants and the "rest of us" is what I have dubbed the "Go and Do" ability---otherwise known as OBEDIENCE. Obedience is indeed the first law of Heaven. "And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is BY obedience to the law upon which it is predicated." 

We don't do things that we are asked, just because we want the blessing, we do it because we love the Lord; and that is clear and very apparent with these general authorities. They Go and Do, regardless if they are asked to or not. They keep all the commandments all of the time, they are praying to know the will of the Lord in all things and then doing it to the best of their ability 100 percent of the time, because they love God and put him first. 

I want to be like that.

When Elder Sitati came he spoke much of being obedient to mission rules. He said that we all need to rise above rationalizations and excuses and just Go and Do. Just as Nephi did in the scriptures. I know that regardless if you are a missionary or not, subject to a 6:30 am morning schedule etc, we ALL need to Go and Do, and willingly be obedient to ALL of Gods commandments, because we love him. 

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Here's an #awkward bathroom selfie. Are selfies still popular in the world? #ilovemycompanion 

Love you all!

Sister Carter

December 21, 2015 What I've been up to and Merry Christmas

WOW.

It's been a while. Will you all forgive me? Sorry for not doing a very good job at writing a weekly. SO MUCH has happened! I feel like I say that every week! Every single day on the mission, I feel like I could write a book! But even so, it's so hard to summarize in an email what is going on, so much that I just get overwhelmed and don't even bother. But don't worry, I'm also trying to do my best to keep a journal, so I've got back up for the Mondays that I slack on :)

Time on the mission is weird. I love every second and do my best to absorb the moments. I'm all about making things and experience and whoa is this an experience for sure.

I bet you've been curious as to what in the world me and Sister Riggs have been getting into.

THIS HAPPENED. We met a wonderful young woman. I
remember that one  time Sister Riggs and I got dropped by 2 of our progressing investigators. Because God is merciful, he decided to give us this new young woman.

We walked out of the investigator's apartment after she told us that she didn't want to get baptized anymore with our heads down pretty low. This is something I had yet to really experience on the mission, being dropped that is. And with Sister Riggs my sweet new tender child, I, WE refused to let our heads hang down too low for tooooo long.

It was literally like something from a movie. We walked slowly down the steps of her apartment, back on to campus and almost missed a miracle. As we crossed the street and down the path to our apartment, our heads hanging down,  but right at our feet, was a little fortune that said this: "You will obtain your goal if you maintain your course." 


 



Just like that.
Thanks panda express.......
More like thanks Jesus!!!!!!!
Tender mercies.
3. days. later. fast forward to sitting in the meeting with our branch mission leader. We were texting random people in our phone asking if they wanted to meet up. One young woman actually responded and said she was willing to meet with us at the institute THAT NIGHT. We did! Taught her about baptism. We met with her the following Tuesday and invited her to be baptized. She said yes. Just last Friday, she was.  

and there she is!!! Lady in red!!! and me, unfortunately, I still don't know how to take direction.

PS. I had my FIRST family history experience.

Yesterday at church!!!!!
Since the branch is SO wonderful and is so big on family history for our recent converts it gives the rest of us a reason to join in on the fun. 

Now I've done baptisms for the dead before but not for anyone in my own family, nor have I ever gotten a name so that the work could be done for family member in the temple......Well that all changed yesterday when I downloaded the family search app on my iPad, found out when my grandpa died, which, by the way was was SUPER hard for me because obviously I couldn't' call my mom!!!!! so I had to say a prayer then get on google......

I got the information so that her dad could be baptized, and receive his endowment :)

Since he is a male I can't go into the temple and do it for him, but I'm going to get someone in the branch to do it for me when they go to the temple on the 29th :)

I LOVE THIS WORK.

M e r r y C h r i s  m a s,

please know I will be thinking of all of you on that special day, but certainly our Savior as we celebrate his birth,

I love him.

Sister Carter

28 September 2015

WOW. This has probably been one of the most exciting times in my mission. I keep saying it can't get any better than this, and man, does the Lord show me!!

It started with the Bishops Storehouse. The Bishops storehouse distributes food to the needy. There are many in different locations. The one in San Jose just moved locations allowing it to now look like a legit grocery store!! Equipped with pictures of the Savior! I wish all grocery stores had pictures of the Savior :)

We took Ryota there because our last lesson with him before he was baptized on Thursday was about Tithing and Fasting.

Tithing is when we give a tenth of our annual income back to Heavenly Father; because we know all of our wealth, success and ultimately anything good comes from Him, all He asks is for us to help build the kingdom and give back. The money we give in our tithing helps to build temples, send missionaries on missions (thank you), make books of Mormon and muchhhh more. It's a blessing to be able to contribute.

Fasting is when we don't eat for two consecutive meals and we pay a fast offering, which means we give the money we would have used for that meal to a fast offering. That money is then used for welfare. In this case, this Bishops storehouse was build 100 percent on fast offerings! What a blessing. We thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to take Ryota there to help him understanding what he would be helping with as he starts to pay his tithing and fast offerings. 


 

 John Henry (on the far right) a wonderful fellowshipper who even helped with some of my investigators is Palo Alto in the Stanford YSA!!

Then the day came!! Sister Hill and I got to speak about Baptism and the Holy  Ghost....Don't worry, I only cried a little.....

 


 He even asked Elder Leishman to baptize him!!!!!
 

Hooray!!

What a blessing to be apart of Ryota's baptism. He was prepared!

He was set apart and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday! He was also interviewed to receive the Priesthood after church.

The Lord has big things for Ryota.

I am really excited for General Conference and am certainly excited to see who our three new Apostles will be. What an interesting thing to see three Apostles pass away on your mission.

I am grateful to be a member of the true church on the earth and to be lead by leaders who receive revelation from God. I am grateful for the organization and Priesthood authority which makes all of this possible.

This is the Lords work and church and I am grateful to be apart of it!

Love you all!

Sister Carter

September 14, 2015 Baptisms, Feeling the Spirit, Youth

 Here are more pictures from the temple last week with Ryota who is still on track to be baptized on the 24th!!! Yeeee. We also have a date for our Middle Eastern investigator for October 1st! He came to church again yesterday! wooo hoooo.

It's so stinking fun to see and be with people as they feel the spirit of the Lord in their lives more abundantly. Many of them don't understand why they are starting to do things, (going to church, praying etc.) or in many cases why they stop doing things (using bad language, smoking etc.) but they know it makes them feel good. And it's not a temporary satisfaction, but it's something that makes their spirits shout for joy! It's a beautiful thing to see the light of Christ truly manifested out of Gods children.

Yesterday, Sister Hill and I spoke at the Alum Rock ward, our Family Ward, about Missionary Work. It's always a blessing to speak to wards and congregations. 

We also were asked to be the speakers at the Bishops Youth Fireside, again, talking about missionary work, and helping the youth become comfortable sharing the gospel.
Majority of the youth in this stake are less active. It's sad to see so little youth in he wards here but Sister Hill and I are determined to see that change. 

I am a true advocate of helping the youth and want them all to be with us on Sundays! As well as for mutual actives and other inspired actives the leaders put on. I have a serious testimony of the youth programs in the church. I also have a serious testimony of inspired leaders and members who truly do lift, encourage bless and strengthen the youth. I was helps tremendously throughout my time in the Arlington Ward and I am TRULY grateful for all who supported and loved me.

We are also doing our best to work with part member families in the Alum Rock Ward. There are 90 part member families. That’s a lot......

Last night we got to watch the CES fireside with Ryota! It was a blast to have many of the branch members with us, all crowded around the TV. It's so fun to see Ryota with us. He is truly going to be a beacon at BYU!

I love you all!
Sister Carter

7 September 2015

 
 
Today is P day! But we were blessed with an opportunity to go to the temple this morning with none other thannnnn our new investigator Ryota who is going to be baptized on the 24th of this month!!!! 

Remember that guy that walked into the institute to get an endorsement for BYU? Well this is him, and he. is.WONDERFUL. God is preparing His children to hear the truth and we are blessed to help this one. Ryota is precious and he is destined to do great things. He practically teaches US  the lessons! It's so interesting to see how much the Lord prepares us, so long as we listen. 

We watched the Restoration movie at the visitors center and walked around the beautiful grounds. 

What a wonderful way to spend Labor day! 

Ryota heard about BYU and the engineering program so he decided to do some research on the university. He is from Japan and was raised with a Buddhist background but his family is "flexible" (in his own words). He has 3 sisters and parents all in Japan and he is just a solid investigator who now understands his purpose here on this earth more now because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

What a miracle! In his own words, after we asked him why it's important to repent, he said it's the way we show our gratitude to our Savior Jesus Christ! He also said he KNOWS Jesus Christ set the perfect example and that Heavenly Father must love us, because he sent the perfect model, his son, to help us. He has felt the Holy Ghost and is grateful to receive the gift so that he can be with him forever! 

I am SO excited to see where Ryota ends up in these next couple of years. He is already and will continue to do great things! Especially with the Savior on His side. 

The Church is True!

-Sister Carter

11 May 2015 The Inconvenient Messiah

Hello!

After 22 years, she's getting baptized!  An announcement was made in both Sacrament meeting and Relief Society and it felt like we were at a Giant's game!  Remember that part-member family that Sister Triana and I went to go visit randomly?  Than, a visiting teacher called us to give us a referral and turns out that it was the wife of that non-member family?  Well, we invited her to be baptized on May 16 and she quickly accepted.  It was like she was waiting for us to finally ask her!  

She was ready to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized.

We have gone over every morning since our invitation/her acceptance and teaching her has been a testimony builder for me of people who are truly prepared to not only hear but to live the gospel.  It also shows me that though some of the people we are teaching now may not be ready to change their lives, maybe in 22 years (hopefully shorter!) they will be!

I am grateful for missionaries past and present who never give up.  We LOVE, absolutely love the people we teach and want them to experience and feel what we experience and feel because of this gospel. 

In the morning study today, I read a talk by Jeffrey R. Holland titled "The Inconvenient Messiah."  



It's a talk that has many themes but one that stands out to me is that the cost of discipleship is a high price but so worth it!  Sometimes we won't get answers when or how we expect or want them, but it's worth it.

He says, "It is not easy to go without---without physical gratifications or spiritual assurances or material possessions, but sometimes we must since there is no guarantee of convenience written into our christian covenant.  We must work hard and do right. . ."

I am grateful for missionaries who have worked hard no matter the result.  Because it's worth it.

I love you all.  The church is true.

Sister Carter

May 4, 2015

Happy Preparation Day! 

Another great day in the mission field.

Miracles!!  One of our part member families is no longer going to be a part member family.  After 10+ years a new investigator of ours has decided that she wants to be baptised.  "It is time," she said.  I have come to realize that the Lord really does have plans for ALL of His children--maybe even specific timelines.  This wife sho has said that she is now ready may have known that this church was true for years, but is now deciding that she is ready to make the commitment.  It's not stated in my job description as a missionary to push, coerce, rush, or force anyone to be baptized.  We need to invite.  And I know that is what the past 20+ missionaries have done over these yars with her.  My companion and I just have the blessing of being able to also be a part of her miracle conversion.  She has truly experienced a change of heart.  There are and have been plenty of people that I have had the blessing of teaching and inviting to come unto Christ.  Just because they didn't get baptized within that six weeks of my knowing them, doesn't mean their time won't come.  For those who are earnestly seeking, we shall find them and they will find us.  The Lord doesn't want any of us to be confused or mislead or misguided.

It is in our best interest as missionaries--full-time and member--to go about doing good.  People will see us and recognize what we have and want it.  No effort is wasted.

Doctrine and Covenants 4:3-4
"For behold the field is white, all ready to harvest, and lo, he that thrustest his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul."

I love the Lord.

Sister Carter

March 30, 2015 Google tour, Sister Triana, Baptism

Hello!!!

Today was a fun start to a preparation day because we got a tour of Google! Because this is Silicon valley and we live in Palo Alto everyone works for Google, Apple, Facebook etc.  And being in the type of ward that we are in, we are able to get pretty awesome tours of these places!  I am grateful for the blessings that come from being on a mission.

What a full week! I'm not even too sure where to begin! But lets 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 we 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 to be apart of the baptism! She blessed us all by singing I am a child of God during the service :)  Sister Triana and I gave a talk on baptism.  It was beautiful and I loved being a part of this special day!  I am grateful to my Savior for allowing us to be a part of His children's lives in such special ways.  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 Savanah. 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. The next day they were welcomed into the ward after having received the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  I pray that they will always listen to that still small voice that will lead them away from temptation and evil.  I know they will always be safe if they obey the voice of the spirit but I also know they will be happy.  This gospel truly does bring happiness.

As latter-day Saints we are a covenant making and keeping people.  As latter-day saints it is also our job to invite others to also become covenant making and keeping people.

When we make a covenant we promise Heavenly Father something and He too promises to bless us.  In the context of baptism, we covenant or promise to keep the commandments in which we are blessing with the Spirit of the Lord (or the Holy Ghost)!  Who doesn't want the spirit of the Lord with them!?  I know I want it.

Commandments are there to bless and protect us my friends. They are given to us from a loving Heavenly Father who wants to see us again.

Mosiah 2:22

 22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

Mosiah 2:31

 31 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should do as ye have hitherto done. As ye have kept my commandments, and also the commandments of my father, and have prospered, and have been kept from falling into the hands of your enemies, even so if ye shall keep the commandments of my son, or the commandments of God which shall be delivered unto you by him, ye shall prosper in the land, and your enemies shall have no power over you.

1 Nephi 4:1

 1 And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?

I love you all and I want you to keep the commandments!
Sister Carter
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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. For 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 Savior's 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, 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."

Keep the Commandments,

The Church is True, 

Sister Carter

Here is a picture of Sister Triana and I!!! She's from Greenwich, Connecticut! 

Also, if you haven't seen my blog it's pretty great. Some things may be repetitive, but ultimately, it's me blabbering about how much I love being a Missionary :)

sisteraliciacarter.blogspot.com

I hope you all are having the best day ever. Because, well I am.

I love being a missionary! I love the scriptures and I love my Savior and Heavenly Father.

Last night I had a couple of questions of how I could have the spirit more with me and well, I got my answer! I love how if we ask we truly can receive. If we knock the door truly will be opened to us! When we seek we really can find. 

3rd Nephi 14:7 "Ask, and it shall be given unto you: seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." 

Sister Triana and I had an amazing 2nd lesson with our investigator yesterday. Both of us were pretty nervous about this follow up lesson because we were determined to set a baptismal date with her! We have both come to the conclusion that asking someone to be baptized is just as scary as asking someone to marry you! ha. With that in mind, we went in prayerfully, determined but thoughtful. Ultimately, we, and certainly I, have discovered that it doesn't matter what we say, but really what we feel when we teach, and what our investigators feel when we teach them. That is what will convert them. Sure, knowing the doctrine helps, and we do need to "seek to obtain His words", and they will be brought to us, in the minute and the hour that we need them, BUT if we do not have the spirit, we cannot teach in unity or with the power of God. 

 Doctrine and Covenants Chapter 11 Verse 21 

"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my 

word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you 

desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea,the power of God unto the convincing of men."

The lesson was wonderful, but I discovered that I want the spirit with me always! More! And in abundance! So I prayed to know what more I could do, and I got an answer. 

For that simple reply from my Heavenly Father, I am grateful. 

We can all receive answers. If we need help, reassurance, a boost of confidence, support or even just the feeling of love we can get it, and it is through our Savior and our Heavenly Father. We just need to reach out. 

So go, reach out! Ask them for help, ask them what you can do to be happier, ask them whatever you want! And then, be willing to search it out, search the scriptures then get on your knees and plead for help to do it. 

Did any of that make sense?, Anywho, just some insights,

I love you all so much, 

And I can testify that so does your Heavenly Father and your Savior!

Sister Carter