July 13, 2015 Member Missionaries are the best!

This week was wonderful! We had a a blast teaching and finding. Our numbers were higher than usual which is a huge blessing and all credit of course goes to the Lord. We as missionaries and even as people must admit our own shortcomings and give credit to the Lord when we succeed! 

We had 5 investigators at church yesterday!! Mitch and Rich came, as well as our new investigator Thomas, and an investigator family. We were really busy and excited to say the least.

The exciting news about our new investigator Thomas, is that he is a referral from one of my absolute favorite families the Talivacaolas. We invited the Talivacaolas a family to help us with missionary work. 

President Hinckley taught: “The full-time missionaries may do the actual teaching,but the member, wherever possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert who is making a big and often difficult change. … The process of bringing new people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source from which new investigators are found” (Ensign, May 1999, 105–6).

As Bednar said some of us need to stop praying for people to come to church and go out and get them!

The Talivacaolas stuck to their commitment and had not only Thomas over for dinner with us the other day, but even another neighbor who is not a member! It was a beautiful dinner full of the spirit and delicious food! We are so grateful to be able to teach Thomas, and now he has a perfect family to help fellowship him. They live nearby and are able to take him to church with them every Sunday. They even bought him a shirt for church because he did not have one. The Talivacaolas are not a rich family, but they decided to give. 

Jacob 2:17 "Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you."

We don't need to give away everything we have to be right in the eyes of the Lord but because we have been given much, we truly too must give. Especially when it comes to the gospel. We must share what we have and know to be true! 

I am grateful for the Talivacaolas and their example of charity and know they will be blessed. I am a perfect example of people giving. I am certain I would not be where I am today if it was not for people giving a whole lot to me! And I'm not talking monetary things or items. I was given Charity: "The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ" and for that, I am so so so grateful.

As a mission we set monthly goals for what we are to do to push ourselves. For whatever reason the spirit promoted us to set a goal of two investigators baptized this month, which we were hopeful could happen but were unsure. Yesterday at church our bishop completely ecstatic, nearly tackled us to tell us that two of our investigators committed to being baptized on the 25th!!!!! Wahoooo. Horray for Bishop Peery who is a serious missionary and so dedicated to not only the ward as a whole, but supports the missionaries and their efforts. And of course thanks be to God for his goodness and mercy for allowing this goal to be reached. 

Transfers are soon and I feel like I'm going to get the boot from Palo Alto! I love it here, but just like I loved Livermore, I'm sure I'll love my next area. 

We will seeeeeee, I'll keep you all posted ;)

The Church is True!!!!!!

Sister Carter

July 6, 2015 Report on July 4 in Palo Alto, Mitch and Rich, Sheep story

There's nothing like the 4th of July in DC but the pancake breakfast was a hit here in Palo Alto!! There were MANY members of the community in attendance! So many in fact that both us and the Elders were a bit overwhelmed! We hope to see those new faces at church. 

This Sunday Sister Triana and I taught Gospel Principles with 2 investigators present! It was great to have them surrounded by such wonderful members. We often have a very packed gospel principles class. 

A couple of weeks ago, Sister Triana and I got a referral from the Redwood City Elders in our Zone. They were passing two men over to us named Rich and Mitch because they lived in our area. They told us they lived in a veterans home and have some disabilities but it would be worth our time to see them. We are grateful for all of the referrals we receive and nothing happens in missionary work unless you are teaching someone so we took the opportunity to do so! 

We went to go visit Mitch and Rich and it was clear Mitch was drunk. We found them in the driveway of the house sitting with the car running watching the Warriors game on an iPhone. I have no idea what iPhone it was.  All I know was it was HUGE (why do those things keep getting bigger). We walked over and introduced ourselves as the Sister Missionaries. After talking to them for a bit, we introduced them to the Book of Mormon. Mitch who was in the drivers seat, and drunk kept asking how we found them, and Rich who was in the passenger side, hardly said anything but was so kind. They both allowed us to come back.

After a couple days we went back again to see how serious they were. Mitch was drunk again, but we decided to make sure our next visit was with a member. This member was perfect because he too served in Vietnam! After teaching them the full message of the Restoration, we invited them to come to church. Two Sundays ago both Mitch and Rich came! 

After their attendance at church, we went back to keep teaching these two investigators who clearly needed a lot of help, but we felt inspired to not give up on them. During the lesson we had with them, we were talking about ways that we can be like Jesus Christ, one of which is baptism. We asked both Mitch and Rich if they had been baptized expecting at least one of them to say yes, to which we would ask by what authority, so that  we could emphasize Priesthood authority, when Rich proudly proclaimed, I have been baptized! Sister Triana and I looked at each other, with our next question nearly rushing out of our mouths when he said "by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! Sister Triana and I looked back at each other with "yeah right faces" and continued to talk about the Priesthood.

We went to visit again a couple of days later, and Rich once more told us that he was a baptized member. With that second declaration, we asked him for his full name and birthday, which is all you need to look someone up in the church records. Low and behold, Rich was indeed a baptized member! 

I know that this was another special miracle that we were able to be a part of! 

 

I have found my sheep which was lost!

"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."

Now this may not seem like a big deal, but often missionaries baptize quickly and leave areas even quicker to also leave the recent converts to fend for themselves. We do not want our recent converts to be attached to us, but in this case of Rich, we are certain that he was baptized quickly and with his disabilities was lost and forgotten about. 

I am so grateful that we were able to find Rich through the Elders! I am so grateful also that Mitch and Rich were both at church again this Sunday! We are so grateful Rich has been found and Mitch his friend too will soon be welcomed into the fold!

Love you all,

Sister Carter

June 29, 2015 Tender! Small World Story

Hi!

We have been doing some pretty extensive iPad training. We do not have wifi in our apartments so we have to go to the stake center or chapel for internet. Just the other morning, when Sister Triana and I were going over our new area books on the ipad, a member who we recognized but did not know personally asked if I was from Virginia (I was wearing my "Virginia is for Lovers" shirt!), my answer was, "Yes, of course!" She replied that her grandparents were in the Arlington ward! She asked me if I knew who Marjorie and John Merrell were. 

 

J.Y. Merrell

My. Heart. Melted. 

When I was in Young Women's in Arlington I remember our leaders wanting us to get to know some of the older members in our ward better. In little groups on Mutual night we would go visit them. We would bring a treat, spend time in their home, ask questions about their lives etc. I was blessed with the opportunity to build many relationships with these wonderful members. Pearl Goodsell is another that I have to mention!

 

Pearl Goodsell

-- but the Merrells were my family. They were the family that I truly bonded with.  I remember walking into church and as soon as I saw Brother Merrell, he would give me a look, walk over to me and whisper that I had better go give a big hug to a wife and say hello to his wife. How cute. 

After I went to college I found out about Sister Merrrell's passing, I cried. A lot. But even now almost 5 years later, I know, I truly know that they both loved me just as much as I loved them! I think of them regularly and having the chance to meet and know their granddaughter was not a coincidence. Thousands of miles away I was able to reconnect with a family that I so dearly loved. The world is small and it's even smaller in the Mormon World!!

I am so grateful for that tender mercy of being able to meet their granddaughter! She is lovely and I hope she knows how much her family means to me. 

 

Sometimes we don't understand the lives we touch or even how. We just need to do our part of helping to serve in the Lord's vineyard wherever we may be. I know that is true when I was in Arlington, and even now in Palo Alto. 

I am also for the even greater testimony of the Plan of Salvation that I have received on my mission. I know I will see the Merrells again. 

I love you all!,

Sister Carter

June 23, 2015 Returning members

Hello :)

What an exciting time to be a missionary!

I've unfortunately gotten to the point of my mission when people ask me how long I've been out and after my response of 9 months, they say one of two things. . . "You're almost there!" or "You're almost done!"  With the excitement on their faces, I know they mean it in the sincerest of ways but I can't help but to be a little taken back.  "Yes! You're right", I will reply, but what a terrible thing for me to apparently almost be done.  Not only do I disagree, I'm not almost done.  I really just got started and still have so much to do/learn!!

This week was full (typical for Sisters Triana and I), but, a success came from a returning member!  Remember we call less actives returning members in this mission.  She lives in East Palo Alto and since I got to Palo Alto has been pretty flaky with us missionaries until recently.

Sometimes we would knock on her door and she wouldn't answer regardless if we knew shew as home or even if she scheduled an appointment with us and told us to come over. 

". . . Sometimes we would knock on her door. . ."

 Every once in a while she would open the door and let us in telling us she is SO busy etc.

When we offered her service, her eyes lit up and she welcomed us back last week.  We have been going over regularly to help her fix up the guest home she has behind her house.

Through these efforts she has (at her own request) asked us to read the Book of Mormon to her.  So we read a chapter after every visit.  She then shares with us what she has learned from the chapter and we do as well.

"She asked us to read the Book of Mormon to her"

 http://www.mormon.org/free-book-of-mormon

Just this last visit her last words were, "Y'all going make me come back to church!" in her bold, forward way (that's how she is all the time).  We then, lit up and replied "Yes! We hope so."

Although I am not sharing much of this woman's story, who she is, where she came from, her conversion etc., I will say, it's easy to pass judgement on someone and reason within ourselves as to why or why not they are coming to church.  But what we as members must do our best to keep trying to help others come back.  We can't stop.  We can't be judgmental, but we have to love them.

This woman has a testimony of the gospel.  If she didn't, she wouldn't have asked us to read the Book of Mormon with her.

This was a humbling experience for Sister Triana and I.

Also, I finished the Book of Mormon this morning again!

I know it's true!

Sister Carter

June 23, 2015

Happy P. Day!! Wait. It's Tuesday!!!? Well, yesterday we had a giant 6 hour meeting about....iPads! Yay!! These things have been a blast. The next step is calendars, area books and pretty much no more paper in the California San Jose Mission!! That means all of those records from 2002...yeah, we get to create electronic copies. Yay!

Remember how I spoke at the Stanford 2nd ward on Mothers day? Well just two days ago, I was able to speak on Fathers Day at the Stanford 1st ward!! This was a tender mercy because  I was able to proclaim the love and admiration that I have for both my earthly parents. I love them so much. 

"Fathers are so special with a very special love.

1. They watch us and protect us.
   They guide us and direct us
   Back to our home above"
2. I spoke about miracles and how they are truly all around us!! Here is a bit: 

"There are so many miracles around us: 

Miracles of being forgiven, 

Miracle of the Priesthood

Miracle of Resurrection 

Miracle of the Restoration

Miracle of Fathers

Miracle of the Atonement 

Miracle of the Book of Mormon 

Miracle of a Prophets 

Miracles of Missionary 

Life birth 

Waking up on time

Getting a job

Not burning the lasagne

 

Now, I will use the word miracle and blessing interchangeably blessing. 

Miracles are wonders, marvels, because of the effect produced on those who saw them.

Many of them were also symbolic, teaching such divine truths as the result of sin and the cure of sin; the value of faith; the curse of impurity; and the law of love. Miracles were and are a response to faith and its best encouragement. They were never wrought without prayer. 

The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

I know that miracles have not ceased! God is the same yesterday today and forever. My mission is a miracle, the blessing of having a wonderful dad is miracle, the Book of Mormon is a miracle and I can go on and on. 

I love this work and am so grateful to be apart of it! 

The church is true!!

Sister Carter

June 15, 2015 Palo Alto will experience an Arlington Style 4th of July: Pancake Breakfast!

Happy P.day!

Having ipads is weird.

The fourth of July is pretty soon and I look forward to the festivities.

 

Yesterday in ward council, we had a huge brainstorming session.  What should we do as a ward for the fourth of July?  Should we even do anything?  Well, of course!!!, I piped up.  Not only am I a proud American, but I am a proud Northern Virginian!  And in Arlington, we take the fourth of July pretty seriously--especially in my Arlington ward growing up.

I vividly remember the Fourth of July breakfast!!!  I quickly shared my testimony of a pancake breakfast and everyone was on board.  We are going it early in the morning and the whole community is invited.

Although I will miss D.C. on this beloved day that we celebrate our freedom, Palo Alto is going to be the place this year!! I am so excited!!

Yesterday, Sister Triana gave a talk at our Stanford 1st ward.  It was Emily's farewell.  Emily is an older girl in our ward who decided to go on a mission despite it not being in her original plans.  My heart rejoiced listening to this amazing girl give a talk about having a change of heart and following the Lord's will despite our own "wants" or "desires."  She graduated from BYU two years ago and moved to Palo Alto to start an amazing career in Finance.

She is financially successful and stable but the past year or so described having some unsettling feelings.  She did not feel like she was progressing.  Should she switch jobs?  Apartments?  States? or even Country?  Should she start dating more?  One day, she went to go watch "Meet the Mormons" with friends when then she knew:  She needed to serve a mission.  But give everything up?!  It was difficult for her to say the least but she's doing it.

If you can't tell my heart just burst for this amazing girl.  It is obvious why she was so successful financially.  She is working to do whatever it takes.  That is clear with her spirituality as well.  But that is not the only thing.  There are hundreds of "older girls" and more people in general who are doing their best to follow the Lord's will.

I am so proud of them.  I commend them.  And I am cheering for them.

Following the Lord is not a casual practice.  It is a continual commitment; a way of life.

Love,  Sister Carter

June 15, 2015 Mini Missionary

We had another mini missionary with us for 7 days!!!! Sister Lauren
Bennett is serving in the DC South Mission!!! Look out!!!!! She's
amazing :)

The church is true!
Love
Sister Carter