July 28, 2010

Dear Family!

How are you all!? Its so good to be able to respond back to you. Thank you so much for sending me so many letters and packages! My District has this game where they all guess how many letters Sister Carter will get that day. I feel very loved and I appreciate it very much.
Well this week has been a crazy one. There have some pretty amazing experiences and some really humbling ones. I'll tell you about the really amazing one first. So last week, on Thrusday, we had to go back to the TRC and teach another "investigator" the gospel. This time my companion and I had a couple named Anna and Arnold. I'm not sure what we expected but once we knocked on the "door" (Okay it really was a door but its suppose to be the door to their house) the cutest old couple opened it. They led us right in and we sat down and just chatted with them for awhile. They were Catholic but Anna's daughter, from a previous marriage, was killed in a car crash 12 years ago and she just didn't think that Catholism had the answers she needed. She held on to a lot of grief because she and her daughter had gotten in a fight and her daughter had driven away and was killed in a car crash. So we taught them about the Atonement. Anna wanted to be forgiven so bad for what she has been holding onto for so many years. We bore witness to her that she could receive the peace that she sought after if she let the Savior take her burdens from her. We also taught them about the Restoration. After we told them the story of Joseph Smith Arnold looked at us and said, "That is one crazy story... but it rings true". I know that this couple have already been converted to the gospel but this was their real story. They really had these tragedies happen in their lives. This was one of the most spiritual experience I've ever had in my life. When we left, Arnold got a little out of character when he shook our hands and told us that some mission president out there is lucky to have us. He was very sweet.
We had such an amazing experience with them that we've gotten discouraged over the other lessons that we have taught. A memeber from our Branch Presidency had Sister Anderson and I teach him a lesson and he ripped us apart. He did it in a loving way, yet he ripped us apart. So we've been a little discouraged ever since. We have had many insightful teachers, though, that have reminded us again that the Lord is the one who is in control of His work. When we doubt ourselves we are doubting the power that He has. I need to keep having faith that he will teach me the things that our investigators need to hear and that I will heed the promptings of the spirit.
Other than that everything has been well. I LOVE my companion! She is the most amazing person. She knows the scriptures so well. We make the dynamic duo. She brings in the doctrine with the scriptures and I bring in the testimony and experience. I need to start working on learning the scriptures better though, she won't be my companion forever :(. There have been lots of new missionaries today! We got two new sisters living in our room with us. They are going to Bulgaria. They aren't in our District though so we probably won't see them more than just at bed time. The Elders from our District are leaving on Tuesday. All six of them are headed to Vegas! I'm excited for them but also sad. They're such great guys and they're going to do such amazing things out in the field. Once they're gone Sister Anderson, Sister Trujillo, Sister Stewart and I will be doing Visitor Center Training for a week. We have class all week until the last day and then we head up to Temple Square to shadow the Sisters up there. I'm very excited to see how its done! Time is starting to go by very quickly!!!!
Hermana Jardine and Sister McGuire are headed out on Tuesday, as well, which makes me sad but I'm grateful for the chance that I've had to be with them for the amount of time that I have had.
It really is amazing here. I feel like the spirit is converting me all over again. This gospel is so true. Its the REAL DEAL. I know there is a Heavenly Father that is up there that loves each and every one of us. I know that He wants to bless us. I've often wondered how I'm being so blessed. I do miss home but I'm not homesick, when I have a bad moment I'm bouyed up in the next, when I get on my knees all of my sorrows are washed away. I could never be doing that on my own. There are angels all around this place.
I've reflected on that story in Matthew a lot this week. Where that man comes to the Savior, having lived a good life, having done all the things that he knew were right in his life and then asking Christ what else he could do. When the Savior told him to sell all that he owned and come follow Him the man thought that was too hard and left. The Savior sometimes asks us to give up all that we have, but I have a testimony that what He gives in return is way more than what we gave up. I am already a living example of that.
I love you! Thank you for being the most amazing family ever. Have a great week.

Love always, Sister Carter

Hello Family!

I'm not exactly sure what I will be emailing you today so i'm just going to try and fill you in on random stuff. So if I repeat myself I am sorry.

I will write you about a missionary's life since that seems to be what I've been getting the most questions about. So we wake up at 6:30 AM and get ready until we have to be somewhere at 7 AM. Our schedules vary every day in what time we do things but for the most part we do the same things. We usually have class all day long, app. 10 hours. I thought that that meant being taught by a teacher but we usually only have a teacher for about six of those hours, or less. The rest of the time we do either companionship study, personal study, or MDT (Missionary Direct Time) where they let you pick the things you want to focus on. So it is a lot of time where you can either work really hard or you can just let precious time pass you by. No one babysits you here. Its your job to obey the rules and when we do we see the Lord's hand blessing us. So we more live in our classroom than we do in our dorms. Sometimes I am reminded that the Elders are 19 during these times :). They are very incredible people though, with very strong testimonies of this gospel. Their attention span just isn't that long though. :)

So they break up our classroom time with some different activities...usually its just to eat though. Sometimes I feel as if we just sit, then eat, then sit, then eat all day long. The food here is awesome! They have anything you can think of to eat. You can also get as much of whatever you want....kinda like a cruise :). Its really funny to see how much the Elders can eat! They just pile on the food. Its their dream: eating as much as they want of anything w/out having to prepare or clean it up. Wait till they get to college :). They have some pretty healthy things the sisters like too. So i'm not up to my 400 lbs just yet!

Sometime during the day we have gym. The first day we actually worked out really hard and went running. Now we just go up to the open field and play sand volleyball. Its really fun, we usually play as a District, but Hermana Jardine (Kyle- "Hermana" stands for "sister" in Spanish :) ) and I have the same gym period so we usually play together. It reminds us of our Moms, playing volleyball together :). Only difference is we aren't very good at it! Guess we didn't inherit that. (Dad- We don't have any exercise routine we have to do every morning. They gave us a stretchy band & a book on how to use it but I haven't looked at it yet :) )

Being here is a complete different atmosphere. People are always busy doing a lot of different activities. Everyone speaking a lot of different languages, always in a rush. We are on the Lord's errand :). You get stopped by companionships all the time who either teach you a principle or bear their testimony. Sometimes in English sometimes in a different language. I feel like I'm picking up on a lot of Spanish :). The Spirit is here all the time-I really love it. The Elders are always very respectful to the sisters. Its going to be hard some day to come home and actually have to open a door for myself! Everyone just loves everyone. We're all doing the same work and we just want to help each other move forward.

Some of the random things we do during the week are that once a week we do service, usually cleaning a building. Its a nice way to help give back. We also have devotionals twice a week. One on Sunday night & one on Tuesday night. This Tuesday we had Elder Workman from the quorum of the 70 give us an amazing devotional on choosing spirit over body and on Sunday Elder.......somebody, that works with the MTC presidency spoke. There is so much to learn!

Sundays are the best! its so relaxed, just a time to kick back & enjoy the spirit. We always watch Music & the Spoken Word before Relief Society so I thought of you all at home watching the same thing. It made me feel connected to you all :). We have a sacrament meeting as a Branch. Oh! our Branch President is Bishop Lafferty! I couldn't believe it when I first saw him. It took him a minute but he remembered who I was an we caught up. It was really awesome! I feel like I'm blessed with so many friends here. My District claims I know everyone in the MTC. I've just been blessed w/ good friends throughout my life that are in good places. Pres. Lafferty called me to be the music coordinator over our Branch and also the senior companion. I'm excited for both responsibilities and hope I can fill them well. (I finally ran into Elder Decker:-) )

Paige always says that the Lord loves His missionaries and I've truly been a witness to that. I've often wondered lately how I can be doing so okay when everything is so foreign and different. There are tough days to come, I know that, but I can feel the prayers of all the people all over the world praying for the missionary's behalf; for my behalf. The Lord truly does love us. I feel it every time I turn off the light to go to sleep. He is very aware of our needs and He can make us something we could never be on our own. I"ve felt that many times this last week. I have actually felt the spirit take over when I lack and I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be that instrument, to be the Lord's hands & voice on this earth. It truly is a honor to be here.

I love the MTC. I love my companion, Sis. Anderson. I love this gospel. I love the Lord. I love you guys. I pray and think of you often. Oh! Before I forget to tell you my release day from the MTC is August 9th. We actually get to call you from the airport so clear your calendars for that :). Also my release date off my mission is December 26, 2011. I'm sure the mission president will tailor that to the needs they have but that is the plan so far.

I love you all so much! Thank you for every letter & package you've sent. I have to say I'm a big fan of DearElder.com Please keep me updated on what is going on in your lives.

Love always,

Sister Carter.

Sister Brytni Fox & I :)



The sisters in my District: Sis. Trujillo, Sis Stewert, Sis. Anderson, and myself.


My companion, Sis. Anderson & I


My District

Week 1 at the MTC

Hi Family!!!

Wow this is so exciting that I get to write to you!! I got into my email okay too which made me very happy. I'm nervous though because up in the corner it has this time clock that says 28:34 and counting down. So this will be fast and I will try and tell you as much as I can.
Thank you so much for your letters! Its so good to hear from everyone! I feel very loved and I usually get them at night when everything is winding down and it is nice to know someone is out there who is thinking about you. Everything here at the MTC is amazing! I LOVE it here. It feels like a very very intense EFY, the only difference is that you aren't escorted by the boys, you aren't even allowed to go near them :).
Its been a little different getting use to rules around here but its starting to get easier. Its been nice to have a companion because we're both new so we can both learn together. I really love my companion Sister Anderson. Yes she is the one that we saw at Sizzler before we got here. She has such an amazing testimony of this gospel and she is such a strength to me. I also live with two other sisters: Sister Trujillo and Sister Stewart. We all get along so well. I feel like the Lord hasn't tried me at all when it comes to them. They are the companions I would hand-pick if I could do it myself. My District is also very amazing. There are six Elders, three companionships. All the Elders are going to Las Vegas, and all the Sisters are going to New York except for Sister Stewart, she is going to Oakland CA Visitor Center. I have learned so much from my District already... I think the funniest part about watching all the Elders here get use to their companions is an Elder having to wait for them outside of the bathroom :) Girls are just use to going in pairs... I think it makes guys uncomfortable to just have to stand there and wait. Ha!
Also very exciting news. Hermana Jardine and Sister McGuire live on the same floor as I do! Hermana Jardine actually lives three doors down from me. So every night, after 9 pm planning, we get to catch up together until Quiet time at 10:15. Sister McGuire is kept very busy in her calling and she lives on the other side of the floor so I don't get to see her quite as often but I'm so blessed to have them there with me. They are so amazing.
So I am understanding why Dad said when he got home from his mission his bones were tired. I don't think I've ever been so tired in all my life. All we do is work, work, work, and then some more work. I could almost fall asleep walking. I love it though, there is a motto here at the MTC: "The days pass like weeks and the weeks pass like days". I'm not so sure about the latter part because I haven't been here that long but the first part is sure true. Its all a blur, but it is a very good blur. I've learned SO much about the gospel just in a week! There is a difference between knowing the gospel and being able to teach the gospel. Teaching the gospel is going back to Sunbeams and trying to remember what you learned then :) This really has been an amazing experience for me though. I've been trying extra hard to gain a strong testimony in certain areas, so it has required a lot of praying. Heavenly Father, through the Holy Ghost, has told me that these principles are true so that I'm more able to express a deeper and sincere testimony to the investigators.
Monday was the first time that we ever had to teach an "investigator". There is a place here at the MTC called the TRC. It is made up of a bunch of different rooms that look just like family rooms. Then they have recent converts come in and pretend that they are investigating the church. So you and your companion act like it really is a real lesson. Sister Anderson and I got to teach an older gentleman named Jerry. He is from Santaquin so that was pretty neat. His grandchild just died so we got to share with him the Plan of Salvation. Its amazing what the spirit can do, even if it is just someone who is pretending, he teaches you what things your investigator needs to hear. I felt like we were doing fine until he asked where we got all our information from, which launched us into the lesson on the Restoration. He started asking really indepth questions about the Priesthood and where it came from. I learned my lesson not to bring up Peter, James, and John coming down to Earth to give the Priesthood keys back to Joseph. I think poor Jerry was a little lost :) But we learned! Our teacher told us that we should never ask how we did teaching a lesson because it doesn't matter how well we did. It matters how our investigator did. So who knows what he really needed to hear. We get to teach Jerry next Monday which I'm excited about. Tomorrow we have another "investigator", a Catholic couple named Anna and Arnold. So we'll see how that goes. I'm glad that we can get in some practice because some day it won't just be for pretend.
I'm so grateful for this gospel. I'm so grateful for this badge I wear over my heart. I've been reflecting on what Denzel Washington says in "Remember the Titans" when he tells his players that "when they put on that Titan uniform, its time to come to work". As I wear this badge I know its time to put in all that I can for the Lord. This is only a year and a half out of my life and when I'm finished with it I want to be able to tell the Lord that I did all that I could, that I fought a good fight.
Anyway I sent a letter today so hopefully it gets to you soon. Just wanted to let you know that I love you! I think of you often!

Love always, Sister Carter

First Day at the MTC

Well hello all! It has been a very busy long day today! I can already see the Lord's blessings in His missionaries though. Today is our P-day so I need to write a quick note and tell you that everything is good. After I said "goodbye" to you, I turned the corner and ran right into Hermana Jardine! I can't even tell you how happy I was to see her. After that I went and got my room assignment and ran into Sister McGuire, that added to my happiness. All day I kept running into people I knew from my mission prep class. At dinner I found Sister Fox and that was a nice reunion after 10 years and Elder Ames, a guy that I was friends with in seminary. The best part of the whole day was when I got my companion, Sister Anderson. The same girl that was in my student ward up in Logan. So we've hit it right off and she is fabulous.

They have kept us so busy all day today. Doing lots of different classes and meetings. Its very exciting to be apart of the Lord's work and I've already felt His spirit so much in one day. The MTC is huge and I've gotten lost several times. I'm not use to calling people Elder and Sister, especially with all these people I already knew. But its a title of respect and so I will continue to try. There's so much I have to learn in such a short amount of time so that is probably why they give you no time to rest. I should have listened to Dad this morning about taking an Advil. There's so much information my mind is whirling! It's hard to think that was just this afternoon that I said goodbye to you guys. I'm doing fine right now...I'm sure it will catch up with me soon :) but I trust the Lord knows exactly what I need to be doing.

Sister Carter

MTC

The mission has officially begun! We dropped her off at 12:45 today, and 2 handsome young missionaries whisked her off with her luggage. She was happy and excited and ready to go. A little nervous of course too. As we walked away, we looked back and she was hugging someone. It was her friend LIndsay Jardine who is in the MTC already. So we are glad she started off that way. Check back for weekly updates from Mandy's mission. She's awesome!!