7-18-16

Hey guys!

This week has been a week FULL of tender mercies and miracles. We got to baptize Sabrina on Saturday, and she was SO happy. She really was converted- She announced that she is going to prepare to serve a mission! We gave a preach my gospel, and told her to start studying it. But it is really is cool to see a person, who has made a lot of mistakes and bad choices, turn around in one month, use the atonement, and become converted. The gospel and the Atonement is fast- It takes just as long for us to change as it takes for us to say "I`ll Change", and that is the truth!  And it`s incredible to see her level of conversion- in Alma 22 we read about King Lamoni`s father. When he prayed to know if what Aaron had taught him was true, he was struck as if he were dead. In his coma, he saw a vision of Christ, and when he arose, he was a CONVERT. It says that He immediatedly started to minister to his entire House, and that his entire house was converted. THAT is what the hastening of the work is. When Convert MINISTER, sharing the gospel, mourning with those that mourn, being witnessness, and sharing the same things that satified THEIR needs, and THEIR pains. Sabrina is doing that on her own! She has helped her little brother sebastian to forgive and repent of the things he`s done, she is currently helping one of our investigators, Vicki, that is a little hesitant about getting baptized- She invited her over to her house to paint nails- she is coming with us to work almost every day, and she is preparing a few friends already for us to teach.  SHE IS CONVERTED!  And the thing is, she`s just ONE convert. What would happen if we were ALL converts, with the same fire that we had when WE were baptized?    We would hasten the work, and prepare the earth for the second coming!

I know that this church is true. BE converts. Continue to kindle the fire of your faith daily. Keep covenants, give happiness to others, and in turn YOU will be happy! It`s real.

Have a good week!

Elder Carroll

7-5-16

Sorry for the flipped order of letters...
 
Hey everyone!   It´s been a fantasic week- we are truly seeing the Lord work here in Rio Branco, and it´s great to get to work with Him. Do you remember that training that we made for the Ward councils? So, we´ve been using that to train the ward here, and it is totally working. More that something that we invented, it´s just the church handbook put extrememly simply. (I´ll try to sent an mp4 to you!) But, we had the 2 baptisms with Mateo and Luana last saturday, and we have 5 more planned for the next 4 weeks. Sabrina and Sabastian Pintos (Mateo and Luana´s siblings) Vicky and Yamila (Two sisters who´s mom is a less active that is coming back!) and another lady named Luisa Denis, who was a reference from a member in the ward. WE ARE SO EXCITED! It is really cool to see what happens when a ward makes a plan and start to get to work. The Lord blesses that ward with miracles! THAT is our latter day call- This is why we were reserved for this day, to gather israel whether it be missionary work, activation, retention, or temple work.  

I know this church is true, the mission has truly made me understand what that means, and I´m excited to keep living the gospel and striving to do the Lord´s will throughout my whole life.

I love you all, have a great week!

Elder Carroll

7-11-16 Pics

7-11-16

Hey everyone!

So, it is amazing to see the Lord do His work here through us. We are seeing Him change hearts and convert people to His gospel. First of all, the members here are FLYING! The ward council members have started to work collectivley to find, teach, baptize, retain and reactivate. That is a miracle in and of itself- it amazing to see. As far as investigators, we are working with Sabrina, the oldest child in the Pintos Family, and she is getting baptized this Saturday! She came to church yesterday, so it´s official, she has attendence, and is SO ready to get baptized. She told us yesterday that she has been reading the book of mormon and praying to know if it´s true, and yesterday she go her answer! She KNOWS that this church is true, and she even told us that she would like to serve a mission- That would be incredible! It would change her life. Her little brother, Sebastian, is still smoking, and he has been struggling with that.  He was supposed to get baptized this saturday with Sabrina, but he didn´t come to church. We got to have a really good lesson with him, with sabrina´s help. He´s the kid in the family that always get´s picked on, and he doesn´t feel like he has support or love from anyone but us. Sabrina was able to bear a powerful testimony of how the gospel has already changed her from a girl that was always partying and drinking, to a girl that knows Heavenly Father, and that is converted to His gospel. It was really cool, and Sebastian felt all of a sudden an instant bond with his sister that I don´t think he felt before. The atonement is amazing! It has been such a privilege to see it mend this family- they are changing! Even in their countenances they have more light! It´s legit.

Well, I don´t have time to write more, but know that there are a lot of cool things happening with other investigators and the atonement. I know that it´s real!

I love you all, have a great week!

Elder Carroll

6-13-16

Hey guys!

It´s been a week full of baptismal preparations! We are helping Sebastian, Mateo and Luana understand all the lessons, and give up bad habits. They are just so excited, and so are we! they didn´t come to church because Merody got sick, so they have to get baptized on the 2nd of July now, BUT, we laugh at opposition! And then on the 9th of July, we have 2 MORE  Baptisms!! WooHOO!!! Vicky and Yamila- They are the daughters of a less active lady that is coming back to fellowship. we are seeing really cool miracles.

I know that this church is TRUE. We as Latter day Saints are ZION, and are the refuge for the pure in heart in these last days. We were reserved for THIS, to help others make and keep sacred covenants. The Lord is Perfect, and his work is perfect. The way that he has shown us to work is simple- See a need and Assign, delegate that need, FILL that need and then report back to whoever assigned it, and start over. That is what we do as wards and stakes, and that is how things get done, in preparation for the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.

Be busy doing good works!

I love you, have a good week!

Elder Carroll

6-6-16 pics

6-6-16

Hey Guys,

SO, I don´t have too much time, so let´s get down to the nitty gritty! 

The familia pintos is FLYING!!! We are now teaching The mom, melody, the step dad, Ruben, Melodies parents, Frutoso and Maria, and the kids Sabrina, Sebastian, Matias, Bruno, Mateo and Luana. And more and more keep adding to their family every day- they are even inviting their friends over to hear the charlas! We have about 11 potencial baptisms.

AND, to start things off, we have 3 baptisms on the 25 of june! 3 of the kids are going to get baptized, and we are preparing all the other ones. Sebastian, Mateo and Luana are getting baptized the 25th. haha They make me laugh so hard, they are just rough tough uruguayan live-in-the-boonies farm boys. They smoke and drink and wrestle like 7 brides for 7 brothers! They are exactly like the 7 brothers, but they are starting to change and listen to the mission lessons, and they are all willing and excited to get baptized! It is amazing to see all the miracles that the Lord is giving Rio branco- the members are so excited. It´s been a year and a half since this ward has baptized, and they are excited to see the ward mission plan that we helped them make work.

I know that the Lord is very aware of all of us- When we make plans, present those plans to the lord, and act in faith, he blesses us with power.

Have a good week!!

Elder Carroll