Hurrah for Israel!

Sister Carter and the Prophet Joseph Smith

Dear Family,

Here it is... my last hurrah. I can't believe it! I remember Dad telling me that it passes like a dream, and there have been moments when it has been anything but a dream. Moments when one foot would barley move in front of the other. But now it is coming to a close, and it has felt like a dream. So here is the plans for coming home: We enter into the Mission home on Monday morning (so we won't be emailing) and spend the whole day with President. He's going to feed us and take us to all of the sites for one last time. That evening, we are actually having a "Family Home Evening Night" and the Joseph Smith Farm which we actually have shifts taking tours from one home to the other, caroling, drinking hot chocolate. I'm excited to end working and it will be a good way to see everyone before I leave. Then we go back to President's, have our exit interviews, and go to bed. The next morning is the day! We get on a plane, get off a plane, get on a plane, get off a plane, get on a plane :), and THEN........ I see all of YOU!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! How exciting!! Its hard to believe its so close! I'm going to warn you right now that I will most likely be very awkward :). So, I apologize in advance. It will be a hard transition but I do believe that there are still great things that await and I know that all will be okay.

This last week has been an incredible one. Bro. Copp got confirmed yesterday. It was such a special event. In his blessing he was blessed that he would be able to read and love to read from the scriptures! How cool is that! We took him up to Temple grounds this week to talk about some of the next goals that he should shoot for. While we were there one of the members of the Temple Presidency let Bro. Copp come and and see the baptismal font and answer any questions he had about the Temple. It was so awesome! When we left Bro. Copp said, "The more I learn about all of this, the safer I feel". What a neat statement. I never thought of the church in that way before but it is a complete safety net. He has been interviewed and is going to be able to get the Priesthood this next Sunday. So neat. Also, Sarah, a little girl I taught in Webster, is getting baptized this Saturday! Yay! What a neat way to end a mission. I don't think I could ever be happier.

So as I thought about what my last email would be like I was trying to think of all of the things I have learned on my mission. I've started making a list, and it is getting very long. I could write down some of them for you but the thing that I've learned the most is something that I already came out here with, and that is my testimony. I love this work! I have loved being a missionary with all my heart! I know that there is a God out there who cares and loves us, that He sent His Son so that we could make it home again. I know the Savior lives. He's apart of everything. He offers peace and eternal life to everyone. He truly is the light and the life of the world. I know that Joseph Smith was His prophet. That just a couple of stone-casts away from where I live, that young boy saw the Father and the Son and that singular event started a work that will never stop again. There are living prophets on the earth today! President Monson is that chosen instrument and when we follow his direction we will never be led astray. I love the Book of Mormon. I have come to realize how rare a possession it really is. No book can offer the peace that that book can. I know the work moves forward whether you have a black name tag on or not, and I'm so grateful to be apart of the Lord's kingdom on the earth.

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" -2 Timothy 4:7

Hurrah for Israel!!

I love my Savior. I love all of you. See you soon :)

A Sweet Baptism

Dear Family,

It feels very strange to be emailing you so shortly after I emailed you last time. Because the sites have slowed down significantly they want the sisters out proselyting more during the week. Hence, the Preparation Day change for the last time. So there isn't too much to report on since Thursday except...... A BAPTISM!!!! So, I'm going to recount the events of the day so that you can feel like your were present in spirit.

Bro. C came to church, all dressed up in a suit! We didn't even know he owned a suit but he walked into Sacrament meeting with his chin up, wearing the only white shirt and tie that he owned. He was nervous. He kept saying that his knees were shaking all during church. We had the service right after the last meeting ended. The font was filled, programs were made, members came. There was a lot of support from the ward! Everyone who has ever got the opportunity to talk to Bro. C loves him. President and Sister Christianson came to the service as well. We had some great talks from some members and then it was time for us to sing (again! :)). Sister Lee wanted to sing her favorite song called "I'll find you my friend". It really is a beautiful song, it talks about how we were all friends in the pre-existance and now we are trying to find each other again. It is such a moving piece. I was completely composed until, in the middle of the song, I looked over at sweet Bro. C who had tears streaming down his cheeks, and the spirit of the song became real. We had found our friend. He's now here with us, entering into the gate that is going to lead us back to our heavenly home, together. I never get emotional when I sing but by the end of the song there were no dry eyes in the room. I could feel the angels there, and Heavenly Father's love and pride in the decision that one of His precious son's was making.
The baptism was wonderful, he only had to get dunked once :). After 58 years of experiencing pain, sorrow, grief, and guilt Bro. C is finally free. Free of all of that. Yesterday was the first day of his brand new life. While the participant's changed Sister Lee and I gave a talk on the Restoration and then Bro. C came out to give his testimony. It was simple and beautiful. He talked about how he wasn't much a man for words, that he couldn't even read when he first met the sisters, but that he knows the Book of Mormon is true and that he is going to do all he can to stay on the path. It was honestly the best day of my mission. I have felt no closer to heaven, than when I am in the the Temple. I'm so proud of Bro. C! He is such a good man, its been a privilege to be able to teach him.

The last email that you sent, Dad, made me cry. As I read the schedule of when I will be taking off my name tag I just bawled. I have found myself, in random place, thinking about taking off that name tag and it makes me weep. But (just like you do so often) the next paragraph you wrote, about the name tag just being apart of me, lifted my spirits. Who knew that a piece of plastic could mean so much to someone? I love that black name tag. It has been an honor to wear the name of our family and of our Savior for as long as I have. I hope that I can still always carry it with me, wherever I go. That is what I promised to do when I was baptized, and there is power in keeping your covenants.

I sure love you family, and although I will leave a piece of my heart heart in New York, I am excited to be able to each one of you, because my heart has always been with my family. Have a wonderful week!

Love always, Sister Carter

P.S. I did get the 12 days of Christmas package! Thank you!

Thanksgiving Miracles

Dear Family!!!

Wow do I have a lot to write to you! I'm so glad that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I thought about you a lot that day. I'm glad that Mom, Kris, and A'lyssa had some fun Black Friday shopping. I can't believe the stores open so early! Thats kinda nice though, then you don't have to go to sleep, just shop till you drop :).
Well, this is what my Thanksgiving was like (a day full of miracles):
-Worked at the Book of Mormon Publication Site: No one really came in but I got to sit in the original bookstore that the Book of Mormon was put on sale in and write down all of the things that I'm grateful for (with the SUN shining on me! (Miracle :))
-Found my missing CTR (miracle)
-Got a phone call from Bro. C. One of the best phone calls I have ever gotten..... HE IS OFF OF PROBATION!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY. We couldn't believe it! We danced around for a little while, shouting for joy! He can now be baptized. So we set the date... December 4th! This week. So we've been busy this week planning for his baptism. He'll get baptized this week, confirmed the next week in church, and hopefully I'll get to see him get the priesthood my last Sunday here. The Lord is so gracious with His blessings! I can't believe it.
-Went to eat Thanksgiving dinner at a member's home. The Ellsworths. They are the greatest family in the world. They invited all of the missionaries in the ward over. It really felt homey.
-Made Symphony Pie for a woman in the ward who didn't have family for Thanksgiving. It was fun to get to sit and chat with her
-Ended the night having District Meeting. President and Sister Christianson decided to show up and it was the best night in the world. We watched "The Other Side of Heaven" and drank homemade eggnog. Loved it.

Yesterday we had Zone Conference (that is why I am not emailing until now- my last couple Preparation Days are going to be on Mondays now). We had an 8 hour training on faith! We had to fasten our seat belts. It was incredible. Because it was my last Zone Conference I had to share my "last" testimony to the Zone. Thats a hard thing to do. To be honest I'm not really sure how to act as a normal human being anymore :). I would be lying if I said that I wasn't excited to be home for Christmas and see all of you, but it scares me leave all of this behind. I have loved my mission. With all my heart. It has taught me more about the gospel, and about who my Savior really is then I think I would have learned my whole life. Sister Trujillo, Sister Anderson, and I got to the special musical number for the Conference. It was neat to get to stand next to these two sisters I have come to love so much and sing. We sang the song "He is Real", and I have never sang a song that has meant more to me. So, I just share the lyrics of the song with you, even though its better with music in the background:

"If I could see HIs face, would I believe even more
That He is God's own son, the Redeemer of the the world?
Would I believe His words even more than I do now?
Would I follow more faithfully?

Chorus: By my faith I know that He is real
By my faith I know that He is there
The spirit testifies and warms my soul, with His redeeming love,
and I know that I'll see Him again.

If I could touch His hand, or see the prints upon His feet,
If I could see Him kneeling in prayer to my Father above
Would I believe that He, did it all for me?

Chorus
And someday I'll see His face wet His feet with my own tears,
and I shall not know more then, than now that
He is real"

That is my testimony. By my faith I know that He is real. Sure love you family!! Have an amazing rest of your week!

Love always, Sister Carter