Sorry I didn't email yesterday. Because it was Columbus Day we just figured that none of the libraries would be open so we didn't even try to drive over to one. Dad knows more about my area then I do :) It was a fun P-day though. We went to Waterloo with all of the Elders in our District to go shopping at the outlets there. The Elders were more excited about shopping then we were! It was a lot of fun. It reminded me of shopping with Mom, though, and made me a little sad (especially when we went into the Nike store :)). I got a coat though! I got a REALLY long uglyish coat from Colombia. But the great part about it is that is very warm and it was on sale! I got it for only $88 (which I know Mom would be proud of!) and I got some really nice gloves and some sweaters to help prepare of the on-coming winter. It is coming.... but the Fall is amazing! It seems like all the trees are on fire right now! Its so beautiful. I'm so sad to hear about Kris' face! I can't believe that happened! I hope it goes away soon! I'll pray for her. Keep me updated on everything that happens with that.
So this was a week of MIRACLES!! I can't even begin to explain the amazing things that happened this week. The Lord has blessed us so much more than we ever deserve. It was such a nice week to have after the disappointments we were faced with last week. So last week we ended with one investigator who had a baptismal date and this week we're going to end with FOUR investigators with a baptismal date! We found these three other people this last week and they have been so prepared they're ready to move in to the waters of baptism. YAY!!!!! There is one man in particular that is surely the Lord's elect. This is a miracle of a story...
On Tuesday morning Sister Stone and I were kneeling down saying our morning prayers together. We prayed fervently that we would be able to find someone that the Lord has prepared and who wanted to be baptized. We had no sooner said "Amen" then our cell phone beeped, signaling we had a text message (this was totally like what happens on the movie "The Best Two Years" :)). The text was a referral for a man. I guess what had happened was a member of the church had come to his home to fix his furnance and they had begun to talk about religion. Whatever this member said to this guy sparked his interest so much that he went on mormon.org and requested the missionaries. So we went over there to meet him the next day and right when he opened the door we knew that this was going to be amazing! He has such great questions and is completely willing to sit down and learn and is so hungry for the gospel. We gave him the Book of Mormon to read and when we saw him again, three days later, he told us that he was already to Alma! WHAT THE WHAT!!?? Are you for reals?! We pranced around the apartment for a good couple mintues after we heard that. He also said that he couldn't stand the suspense and read the book of Moroni so he could know how the Book of Mormon ended.... :) What a guy. He came to Stake Conference this weekend and was so touched by the speakers that I saw him wiping his eyes in the end. He has lived his whole life preparing for this moment. I can't believe that Sister Stone and I get to be so blessed to be apart of this. HE'S TOTALLY GOING TO BE A FUTURE BISHOP!! YAY!
Another really cool thing that happened this week was that a member of the Quorum of the 70, Elder Paul D. Pieper, came to speak to us for Zone Conference. I got a call a couple days before he came and the Mission President asked me to come in for an interview with Elder Pieper! There were only six people in the whole Zone that got the privelege of being interviewed by Elder Pieper and I was one of them! It was SO amazing. What a great man... the interview was filled with so much inspiration and love. He truly is a servant of the Lord. I am so grateful that I was able to have that experience. Another cool thing about that Zone Conference was that Sister Stone and I were asked to sing in it. They asked us to sing the night before the conference!! It was super nerve-wrecking but I've decided that my "gift of tounges" on this mission is the gift of song. The spirit helped us pull together a piece last minute and be able to sing it powerfully. We sang "The Olive Tree" which is one of my favorite songs ever. What an honor that was to be able to sing in that meeting. Its something I'll never forget.
There have been many more miracles but I cannot name them all in this short amount of time. I love this work! I'm so grateful to be apart of it. I love my Savior and I know that He is in everything we do. I miss you all, all the time. I think and pray for you always.
I love you!
Love always, Sister Carter
