"Whew! Pageant is over!"

Dearest Family,

I'm going to make this email a little bit shorter so that I can write Kyle a "Dear Elder". I remember, in the MTC, that was my FAVORITE part of the day! I LOVED getting messages from home, and thanks to all of you I got them plenty. My District use to joke around and guess how many "Dear Elders" I would get that day. That was the best! What a neat setting apart he had! I wish I would have been there for it. It sounds like he was blessed with so many things! I'm so excited that he received so many blessings concerning the language. I think that part made him pretty nervous, but if anyone can do it Kyle can.... or I guess Elder Carter can :). How cool! Now there is a Sister and Elder Carter out in the world. I think Grandpa would like that :). I'm sad that I'm not going to be able to see Kyle for the next couple years but I feel closer to him now more than ever. We are both servants of God in a very unique way, and it makes my heart soar to know that I have a family member that is out wearing the same name badge that I am. Just in different locations :). He's going to do awesome.

WHEW! PAGEANT IS OVER! It is a very very bittersweet experience. Last night we were able to come back to our apartment again for the first time in two week, and I got to sleep on a bed! What a blessing! Its exciting to be home but it is also a little scary because now its time to go back to work and teach my little "baby" what missionary work is all about. She's a little nervous to get started but she's so great about just plunging in with all her might. She is ready to learn and willing to try new things. I already love her! She's got so much "Greenie fire" that we're going to set Webster a-blaze. Its just going to require blood, sweat, and tears. Its going to require our bones to be tired, Dad :). I'll just tell you that I can freely say that my bones are tired after this pageant. It was a constant "GO" all the time! I talked to SO many people. We worked at the Smith Farm for the last week and we had over 20,000 visitors come from all over the world. I was able to experience SO many miracles, though. It truly was incredible to watch the Lord's hand over all of it. Someone said that the pageant was acted by man but put on by God and I know that that is totally true. I was able to see the pageant 7 times! By the end we could quote most of it, but it still put me in awe every single time. The best part of the whole play was when the Savior decends into the Americas after all of the people had been through the destruction. Just the feeling that even comes over all of the people that were watching was neat to experience. I loved being able to see the Book of Mormon stories come to life, and to maybe get a better visual of what it might have been like back then. I had many times this week to testify of truth, to stand up for what I believe in, to invite others to come to know Christ better. There really was nothing like pageant. In a slow moment, as I was sitting in the upstairs of the Smith log home where Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, I just couldn't believe where I've been blessed to be called. That I get to stand where Joseph did and testify of him. That I get to be in the Grove where the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph, and I get to tell others that I know they live. I also get to be where the Book of Mormon came forth again, the book that has completely changed my life. What a mission! I love it here!

I'm glad that everyone at home is doing well. Tell Grandma I love her and am praying for her. I'll leave you with one of my new favorite quotes by Elder Boyd K. Packer:
"I will not consent to an influence from the adversary. I have come to know what power he has. I know all about that. But I have also come to know the power of truth and righteousness and of good. I am not ashamed to say that I want to be good. And I've found in my life that it has been critically important that this was established between me and the Lord so that I new that He knew which way I had committed my agency. I went before him and in essence said 'I am not neutral, and you can do with me what you want. If you need my vote, it is there. I don't care what you do with me, and you don't have to take anything from me because I give it to you- everything I own, all I am. And that makes al the difference."

I love you all! Have a great week!

Love always, Sister Carter
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