The Gift of Light and Music - Aug 16

Dear Family,


So this week has been a good one. I love the Henrietta area. It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It is SO green and lush and beautiful. The people in the area are so much fun, and the ward is amazing. Yesterday was our first day at church. Its definietly different :) In the Priesthood Executive Council, that morning, the Bishopbrick would talk about a specific person then ask: "Is that the one with teeth?" Ha! I didn't know how valid that question was until I actually got to church. There are the most interesting people... People either wearing tank tops or shirts, dresses or pants, shoes or no shoes. There are no rules here! Plus everyone just wanders around in the middle of Sacrament meeting, chatting with their friends. I always stand in amazement that in China, Utah, and New York every LDS church is different yet every LDS church is the same. There are different people and cultures, yet it is the same hymns, the same Sacrament, the same spirit. I find much comfort in that. Plus the people in our ward are amazing. They welcomed us with open arms and EVERY less active member that Sister Stone and I went to visit during the week was at church, ready to sit by us.
We don't do much tracking. We have a lot of referrals from Pageant, and we've spent a lot of time in member's homes getting to know them and asking them to help us in this work. We had a referral that we went to last night where a girl named Brandy had asked for a Bible. When we went to go bring it to her we found her and three of her friends sitting outside. She told us that she never requested a Bible and didn't want it. Her friends were interested though (when they found out that we weren't selling anything :)) and not only did we give them a Bible but we gave them each a Book of Mormon, testified of it, gave them some free DVDs, and set up an appointment with each one of them to talk about the chapters we assigned for them to read. So it was really exciting! Espeically to see how the Lord works... there are NO coincidences in the mission field. As we were leaving one of the ladies said "I see there's something different about the two of you because right when you walked out of the car it was like... BOOM! Light!" I think, living in Utah, sometimes we forget the light we give off as members of this church. Yet it's there in all of us. Its Christ's light, and anyone can see it radiating through us.
Its amazing to me to see how much music has become a part of my mission. Sister Stone loves to sing and when she found out that I do too we never leave a house without sharing our testimony through song. I have had some of the most amazing, tender experiences singing. There was one house that we went to that we were a little nervous about. When we knocked on the door this really big TALL black man walked out wondering what we wanted. He had the DEEPEST voice and right away Sister Stone asked him if he was a singer. He told us that he sings in two choirs, one at his Baptist church. So we asked him if he would sing a song with us... which he agreed to! So there we were: Two small white girls with this big tall black guy singing "How Great Thou Art" on a porch step! That was probably one of the coolest experiences I've had so far, and we even got the okay to come back and teach him and his girlfriend.
So I've been very blessed. I'm very happy. I'm sorry I'm not able to email each one of you individually but I just want you to know that I love each of your emails. I love you all so much and think so often about you. I finally came up with the two goals that I want to complete on my mission. I have a lot but if I can honestly say I feel successful at each of these goals, then I will have done the work I set out to do. They are....
1) Work till my bones are tired (:) Inspired by Dad)
2) Make sure that everyone I come in contact with knows how much I LOVE THIS STUFF!
I love missionary work. I love this gospel. The world is a bearable place because we know what awaits us. To live with our Heavenly Father again is worth our whole life. Its worth fighting for. I hope this email finds you well and happy.
I love you all! I'll keep having adventures this week so I'll have much to tell you in next week's email. Thank you for your prayers and know that my prayers are always about you as well. I miss you every day...

Love always, Sister Carter