12-22-14 Pics

ANTONY GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!!!!! 

LA FORTALEZA!   We just got back from there today! It´s a military fort, and a national park. There´s a zoo, and the beach and a bunch of old Uruguay military buildings! It was so cool!

His mom, Marriana, Antony, and his little sister Agostina!

"Oh the weather outside is frightful…."  MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATOR!!!!!!

12-22-14

Merry Christmas!!!!

Hahaha I don´t even feel like it´s Christmas! It´s hot, humid, and Christmas is like halloween in the states! (It´s not as big of a deal.)   BUT I still can feel the Christmas spirit! Thanks for all your Christmas emails, and letters!   Mom, I got the package, and I´ve been opening the gifts every day!   HOLY CRUD, An apron with my name on it!   Hahaha it´s legit! Thanks!

So, there´s not too much to write about!  I´ll keep it short this week!

Antony FINALLY got baptized!   Oh my heck I love that kid!  We were going to do it Saturday, but on Friday morning, we went over to his house, and we asked him when he could do it. He told us any time, so we called the Branch President to see when he could come. He said that that night (Friday) would be the best. Hahahaha so, we had an unplanned baptism Friday night!    MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS!      But it went well, and Antony is doing well!

Today, we got to go to La Fortaleza, which is an old historic military fort by the beach. It was super cool! Uruguay is so beautiful, holy cow!

Anyway, I hope that you have a Merry Christmas!  If I could tell you one thing I´m learning, it would be how important it is to be member missionaries!   The Lord is Hastening is work, and that means we have to hasten ourselves to keep up with it.   We as missionaries, no matter how much we would like to, cannot convert anyone. Our role as missionaries is to teach, baptize, confirm, and TRY to find. That´s 50% of the work. The investigators still lack a friend, guidance, and fellowship. That´s where the members do the other 50%. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, give the missionaries references, and then be willing to be those people´s friends. Invite them to your house, to mutual, for dinner, to church anything!  It really does make ALL the difference! And don´t be afraid, they will thank you for it!    We have what they need. If we do it with love, they will respond.

I love you all SO much, and I hope that you have an awesome christmas!!!

Elder Carroll

12-15-14

AHH! 

So really quick, This week has been crazy!!!  Antony was supposed to get baptized, but didn't.  We were so bummed!!

So, I´ve REALLY been thinking about that this week, and I gained such a strong testimony of the importance of members in this work, and what kind of member I want to be when I come home.  We are really preaparing the world for the 2nd coming, and some people think that in order for the second coming to happen, the world needs to get more wicked.     NOPE! the world is BASTANTE wicked! It´s the members who need to get more righteous!    We need to Hasten ourselves to this Hastening of  the work!   I BEG you guys!!!    PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK!   Have the charlas at the house, invite friends, or menos activos, or investigators over for dinner! The missionaries, no matter how much we´d like to ,CANNOT convert people. Our role is to teach, baptize and sometimes find. That´s 50% of the work. The other 50% HAS TO, HAS TO, HAS TO, come from the members, by fellowshipping and being TRUE friends to these investigators! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!  RISE UP!!!!!       

Anyway, Antony is going to be baptized this Saturday! He is really, excited, and I love him to death!!!!! 

I have to go,   But I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! The church is true, and we are fullfilling profecy! Keep being awesome! I Love you all!!!!

I´ll skype you next week!!!!   LOVE YOU!

Elder Carroll

12-8-14

Hey guys!

So I don´t have a lot of time, but we are doing good in Lascanito Uruguay!

Our pool of investigators seemed to be getting pretty thin, we didn´t have too many people that wanted to progess. We were teaching this family who seemed really interested, and seemed pretty promising, but something happened, and they don´t want to learn anymore! Their names are Ana-the mom, Erika- the daughter, and Jorge- the son. We think that it´s something to do with Ana´s sister, who is a preacher in an evangelist church in Lascano. We think that she talked to Ana and convinced her that mormons are crazy. We have an appointment with them soon, so we´ll see if we can help them to feel the spirit, but that was pretty discouraging!   But we kept working, and talking to everybody. We´ve REALLY been working with Marianna and Antony. Marianna is the less active mom we´ve been working with, and Antony is her son.   So, she is really starting to come around! She has really been having family issues with her ex boyfriend, and some pretty hard stuff. So we´ve been able to show her that Heavenly Father Really is there for her. Antony is a really timd kid, and all of these issues have really been hard on him. He´s been scared to talk to us, he´s just really timid!  But She and Antony came to church last Sunday, and loved it. They´ve been praying, and reading the scriptures often.  Saturday night we had a Family night with them and Antony really opened up to us. At the end We invited him to be baptized again, and he was so excited! He said he would!      After SO much work with Marianna and Antony these past months, it finally is paying off!!!  There is no way we could have given them up!  The Lord is mindful of them, and is helping  us to help them right now.

There are miracles happening in Uruguay, and I love being here!    I hope that you all have a awesome week!

Elder Carroll

12-1-14

Hello Family!

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. We didn´t celebrate it at all, hahaha we actually forgot until like 6 that night. We were walking to an appointment, and Elder Ochoa was like " Wait, it´s thanksgiving!" hhahaha so that was our thanksgiving!   But it sounds like you guys had fun!

So glad you received an email and picture of the Goode family---can't believe you got that already!!!!  HOLY COW that was so funny! We had just finished sacrament meeting, when all of a sudden this little white family came in and tried to communicate with the branch president!  They are there to pick their daughter up from her mission and thought that our branch started at that time, but we were just finishing.  The branch president asked us to administer the sacrament just for their family.  Their 14 year old passed it and we administered.  It was a cool experience.  Afterwards, they took a picture of us---I'm glad they sent it to you.         It was so funny, I had forgotten that there is a church with active members outside of Lascano!

So Camilla and Lucas got baptized saturday! I´ll send you pics, but they asked me to do it! It was so great!

Well, I´m starting to feel a little better about the language and being a missionary! It´s been so weird, being in a totally differect environment, and not being able to talk! But I know I´m being blessed. Heavenly Father has really become my best friend.
   I know that I´m being helped. It can be so frustrating not be able to use my PR skills with people 100% like I´d like to. But, I am getting better and better. It takes about 2 weeks, and then I explode and am able to speak better, and then another 2 weeks, and then another explosion. As I keep trying, I know that I´m recieving the gift of tongues. Like yesterday, about an hour before gospel principles, Elder Ochoa told me I had to teach!  I was like Are you serious!!!! But, I felt calm, and I did it!   I couldn´t have done that a few weeks ago, so I know I´m growing!

Anyway, I love you all so much! Tell dad and aub and mal, AND ash if you talk to her, that I love them!   I really wish I had more time, but I love you all so much!!!!!! I and growning and learning everyday, and I will be so different in two years when I get off the plane!  (In a good way!)    I love you!

Elder Carroll

11-24-14

Hey guys!

This week has been good! We´ve finishing the Charlas with Camilla and Lucas, and they are for sure getting baptized this weekend! (It may be Friday or Saturday, We´re still not sure. But It´s going to happen!) Camilla is so excited, and has been keeping all of the commitments. They both drink coffee, so when we taught the Word of Wisdom, it was a little difficult for them, but Camilla told us that it was more important for her to be baptized than it was to drink coffee, That made us super happy! Lucas is still a little pretty little, and he doesn´t completley understand that we have the word of Wisdom because our bodies are gifts from God, and in order to be completly free in this life, we need to avoid addictive things like coffee, but he is following the example of his sister and is going to stop drinking coffe.   Their parents are super supportive of them, but aren´t interested in taking the disscusions. We are hoping so bad that one day they will open up to the idea of joining the church, because Camilla and Lucas would benefit SO MUCH if their parents got baptized and started participating in the church. The thing that makes their parents so Golden is they are married. (At least we think they are!)  In Uruguay, NOBODY is married, becuse it takes a ton of time and paperwork. It really is a hassel to get people married, it takes 3 to 4 months to get it cleared through the governement, sometimes longer. So the fact that they are already married would make it that much easier for them to get baptized with their kids!   So we´re working on them, we´ll see!

We also met this week another family who are from Montevideo. They moved to Lascano recently. The mom Ana and her two kids Erika-12 and Jorge-21.   We found them in the street, and they have been willing to have us come and teach them! They go to an Evangelist church in Lascano, and are firm believers in God.  We taught lesson one, and invited them to pray about Joseph Smith. The mom told us that she has been going to their church because it was the church that her family went to when she was growing up, but that she wanted to find out for sure which church, of all the churches in the world, are true. So, we´re going to see what happens! They are super awesome!

We are still working on Marianna and Antony! They are worth the work! Marianna is a recent convert of 4 or 5 months, and hasn´t really been going to church, but she wants her son Antony to get baptized. (This is the mom that was mad at us a few weeks ago.)  Elder Ochoa and I decided that before we try to teach Antony, we really need to strengthen Marianna. We´ve been inviting her to pray again and to read the book of mormon everyday. We have also been stressing how important it is to go to church every sunday. We had a super good talk with her yesterday. She texted us yesterday and asked us if we could come over. So we did, and she was really beside herself. She confided in us that she really wants to come back, and start changing her life again, but that everytime she goes to read the scriptures or pray, she can´t. She said it´s like something stops her, or an issue in the family comes up. Recognizing that it was from the Adversary, she asked us what she can do. We got to explain that God and Satan both have power. But the one that will have power over us is the one that we choose to follow. It depends on us. It was a really good heart to heart talk with her. She is super awesome, and we don´t want her to be lost in the shuffle of all the less actives of Lascano.  This conversation really got me thinking. It´s true, that Satan only has power if we give it to him. We know that because we have bodies and he doesn´t. Therefore, we always have to upperhand. But a lot of times, Satan gets us to think that he´s in control, and that we are week. But it´s  LIE! We are always in control!  Watching some of the people here and the investigators we have, is so sad sometimes! They think  that they are controlled by whatever bad things happen to them, and that they don´t have the power. But it´s not true! That´s been a big focus in the mission, that the power to act is in the people.  Whenever we invite someone to repent, and they say know, we have a formula to help them see that the power is in them. For instance, if they say they can´t come to church because they have to work, we First, validate them. Say, It is super good that you want to provide for your family. That is super important. Second, you promise blessings. we say By coming to church, we promise that you will have More strength and capacity to help your family and provide for them. Then Third, and most important, you show them that the power is in them. Instead of saying You ask your boos for time off, or you could get another job,  We say, What can you do so that you can provide for your family, but still come to church? This shows them that they have to power, and that they can do it. Then fourth, we bear testimony.  This formula IS AWESOME! it was given to us in a Conference with Elder Gonzalez of the Seventy, like 4 or 5 monthes ago. But it has worked so well!

Anyway, We are excited for a new week, and to keep gathering israel!  This church is true! We are apart of a much greater work then we sometimes have to capabilty to see. There are children of our Heavenly Father all over the world waiting for us to bring them the truth that God lives, that He has provided a plan for us, and we get to live with him again, if we fullifill our part in that plan-Specifically being baptized and enduring to the end.  We have a great responsiblity, and even though our work will be like a drop in the bucket compared to how much there is still to do, we have to do it. We have been given the duty to do it. I know that this is the work of salvation. My testimony is growing stonger everyday!

You guys rock! I hope you have an awesome week!  ¡Viva Uruguay!

Elder Carroll

11-18-14

11-18-14

So, this week has been a week of traveling!  I went to Chuy (Brazil) for intercambios, then straight to Montevideo. (We had conference with the our mission and the other mission in Malvin! Elder Craig Christianson came and it was AMAZING! He talked about how the mission is a complete experience. You get to feel like a baby, and then you get to grow up and learn to become a seasoned missionary. That really helped me because I have been feeling so guilty for my incapability to be a good missionary! But, I learned that God is excpecting me to fail, and it´s ok because I´m learning! He only excpects my best!)  Then we came back to Lascano, then back to Chuy for an baptism interview (I don´t know If I told you, but Elder Ochoa is our district leader, and he had to conduct the interview!)  then we went back to Lascano, and then now, WE´re BACK in Chuy!   hahaha from Chuy, we´re going to changes in Montevideo!       Hahhahaha so, we´ve been traveling by bus A LOT!

BUT, our main focus right now is on Camilla and Lucas. (They are the kids we found the other day in the street!)  They are REALLY progressing! Camilla told us yesterday  that she KNOWS the book of mormon is true. Straight up, without hesitation, she knows it´s true and is getting baptized! She is golden!  She ´s like another Rudy, who just KNOWS that the church is true.   I know that she is one of the reasons I am in Lascano, we´ve really connected and she resonds to the teachings.  It´s awesome. So both Lucas and Camilla are getting baptized.  

We´re still working on Antony. He is really timid, and we have to gain his trust. we are going to schedule a time to play soccer at the church (The RAMA has a big backyard, and we´ll play there.  But he loves soccer a ton, so we´ll see!)

But I am doing so good, the spanish really exploded this week! I´m alot more confident, and I can participate more fully in the lessons! I know I´m being blessed for my hard work, prayers and patience. Thanks for all your prayers I can feel them!   Tell Aubs congrats on the Musical, it looked way good! And nice Halloween costume! I died!

Mals, I love you a ton, and I hope that you are doing good, you rock!

Mom dad, YOU ROCK! I love you guys so much, and thanks for teaching me correct principles!

Anyway, I got to go, but next week I´ll write on Monday for sure! Love you!

Elder Carroll

11-10-14

"This is a really old Gaucho man in the ward"

Soccer in Chuy, Uruguay

Montevideo Temple

"Brazil! OPA! And we helped a Menos active build a house! [Above] (This is an example of what some people live in here! It´s crazy!)"

11-10-14

Hey guys! Sorry I couldn´t write a group email last week, a lot has happened!  So  these past two weeks have been super crazy! Our pool of investigators was getting thinner and thinner last week! People just didn´t want to talk to us or answer their doors!  The mom of Antony (The one that got angry at us) Still wouldn´t answer our texts or answer the door!   Sebastian, the boy that were teaching, was progessing, but super slowly.  So that was last week, but we continued to talk to everyone, and kept working hard. THIS week has been a week of miracles!!! Holy cow!    All the hard work brought blessings for sure!  So, the begginning of the week started out kind of the same. No one really was progessing, Sebastian Did come to church last Sunday, but we really had to push him to go!  We taught him on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday, and then had to go to a conference in Montevideo on Thursday, and then Zone Conference on Friday!  (Those were awesome by the way! This really is the Best mission in the church, and my zone rocks!  Everyone in so obedient, and it really does bring blessings!) On Wednesday night,  we had a little bit of time to go see Sebastian. So we went, and he was playing soccer with his buddies. We played with them  for a little bit, and we won!    We were pretty proud of ourselves, but Sebastian was pretty upset that we beat him.   He wouldn´t let us talk to him!     Hahaha we even ran to a little Almacen down the street and bought him cookies to bribe him, but he just wouldn´t listen! So we learned that we ALWAYS have to let little kids win soccer games!    So we left to the conferences not really knowing where we stood. (He was supposed to get baptized on that Saturday- Last  Saturday)     So we got back from the conferences, and went to go play another game with him, only this time, we were going to let him win!   We went, and he Beat us!     Hahaha so he was happy again, and we were relieved!    We got all the Charlas in, and he was baptized this past Saturday!     YES!!!! We were so happy to see him make that covenant, but we sure were exhausted. The whole time teaching him has been like a roller coaster, we never know if he´s home, or if he´ll listen! (He´s 8)    But anyway, we baptized and confirmed him this weekend, and everything turned out alright!   So that was miracle number one. Number two, His parents, who didn´t really want anything to do with with the church this whole time, went to his baptism, and loved it. We talked to them afterwords, and they told us that they  really liked the baptism, and were thinking about talking taking the discussions!   HOLY COW! They also aren´t married, and in Uruguay, it takes A TON to get married, and they told us that they would think about it!  I KNOW that the Lord softens hearts, and that the spirit is the real teacher. After so long of being in their house teaching their son, the spirit finally penetrated into their hearts! We are going to see what happens, but that was miracle number two. NUMBER THREE!!!!!!!! We talked to Marianna, the mom of Antony, and it turns out that the WHOLE thing was a giant misunderstanding! (Just to remind you, she had asked us to turn off her light braker after they left to Montevideo on a trip. They had forgotten to do that, and need us to do that. So we did, and a couple days later, we got a text from her saying that the lights were still on, and that we were no longer welcome in her house.)   So what really happened was, that after they left to go to Montevideo, her Ex boyfriend, who is kind of crazy, told her that the lights were still on, and that we didn´t turn them off.  She belived him, and sent of that text. When they got home, she realized that we DID turn it off, and she tried to text us, BUT her phone stopped working, and she couldn´t send messages!  So the whole time, she has been trying to get a hold of us, and couldn´t! She isn´t mad!!! She told us that we could come back, and that she is just dying to get her son Baptized!   So we are going to start teaching Antony again!!!    YES!!!!!!!!   MIRACLE FOUR!!! There is an Hermano in the branch who has two grandkids. We found their neighbors first, and started teaching them, and then these grandkids showed up, and then little by little a bunch of little kids heard that we were teaching them! We have a little pool of investigators on this street, and a lot of them kind of really want to be baptized!    hahaha we are going to see how it goes, but it was definetly the Lord´s hand! We have really been trying to show the Lord that we want to bring people unto Him, by talking with EVERYONE we cross paths with in the street, and inviting as many people as we can to be baptized. Probably 0 of the people we invite to be baptized in the street will get baptized, but by doing this, we show Heavenly Father our desire. Because of that, he blesses us With people who ARE ready and prepared to be baptized, and I truly have a testimony of that now!   

This church is true! The Lord really is hastening his work. People are being prepared, and it is our responsibility to find those people, and invite them to Christ. THAT STARTS WITH THE MEMBERS!   

I hope you all have a wonderful week!   ¡Vamos arriba!

Elder Carroll

10-27-14

¡Hola!

Holy cow this week has been crazy! First of all, there is an Election going on in Uruguay right now, and Elections in Uruguay are always excuses to party!  So that´s been rough trying to find and teach people, because they´re all partying!  So we have been teaching two boys around 9 years old, who are both ready to be baptized. The first boy, Antony was supposed to be baptized this pastSaturday, but there was a misunderstanding with his mom, and now she is mad at us, and wont let us teach him anymore!   AHHHHHH! Here´s the story- So they went on trip as a family to Montevideo, and the mom asked Elder Ochoa and I to turn of the light breaker to their house, because they had forgot to do that. So we went to turn it off, and a couple days later, we got this text from Miriana, the mom, saying how mad at us she was, and that we weren´t welcome to come to their house anymore! Apparently the lights were still on in their house when they got back, which was confusing to us because we went and turned off the lights! So we still aren´t sure what happened exactly, but as of right now, Antony is not getting baptized!   We are so sad, Antony is so golden! Satan is definetly putting in his work to stop our work, but I know Antony will be baptized someday.  One thing you have to know about Lascano, is it is a major small town. Everyone knows everyone, and that causes a LOT of drama! The members get offended really easy, and most of them stop coming to church for minor things that people do or say.  It´s pretty un real, but we are working with them!       The other boy we are teaching is Sebastian, and he is the Grandson of The Branch President. His parents are members, but he wanted to be baptized when he heard that his grandpa was called to be the president of the Rama.   So we´ve been teaching him, and committed him to go to church yesterday. We went by in the morning before church, and he was sitting in his house crying! He was so scared to go to church! He didn´t want to leave his mom!  we finally got him to go to primary, which is before Sacrament meeting here, but he just would not stay for sacrament meeting!  His mom took him home, and it was so sad watching him drive away! He will have to wait to be baptized for another week, but we are really going to work with him!     

So that´s the update on  our investigators!     Here´s a couple of super cool things about Uruguay.     First, we have to clap at doors in stead of knock. hahaha That´s super fun!   Second, everyone greets each other with a kiss on the cheek, men and women.  As missionaries we can kiss men, but not women. I can say now that I´ve kissed a man!   Hahaha but there have been times that girls lean in for the kiss, and I have to push my hand out in front of them and say   ¡Perdon, solo la mano!    hahaha that´s been pretty funny!         Third, there are Panaderias everywhere, which are the greatest thing to happen to the world EVER! They are bread stores which sell fresh bread and pastries, for ONE PESO! I don´t know if you understand how amazing that is! You can get so much bready goodness for so cheap!    It´s awesome!    These are some of my favorite things about Uruguay, I´ll be thinking of some more!

Anyway, the Church is true!  The Gospel really is so simple, but it is the most important thing in our lives!   There are so many people here who are just so unhappy, and they don´t know why, and it´s because they don´t have a knowlege of their Heavenly Father and the plan that he has for us. That´s why we are here as missionaries. To bring that good news to these people.  It´s real!

I hope you all have a great week, I love you all! CHAU!

Elder Carroll

10-20-14

Hola!

I'm doing good!    I can't even explain what these past few weeks have been like! They have been so HARD!  I'm so limited in my spanish!!! It's stinks! But I had the rush of love yesterday during church for these people. While I was leading the music, blessing the sacrament, giving a talk, and Elder ochoa was leading the music, I realized how much love comes from serving the people, regardless of my spanish.   I can definetley see my spanish is improving, but it's so frustrating! I'm just Elder Ochoa's quite companion, which is so hard for me!  I love to talk, and I feel so hindered!     I'm realizing how much I have to humble myself!   Before my mission, I was able to talk to anyone, anywhere and about anything!  I loved talking to people, and teaching, but in English!   I can't do harldly any of that now, and I have to rely on the Lord!    It's been such a humbling experience! 

But I've really gotten to get close to the Lord! We have conversations quite often He and I!  It's cold in the mornings, but it's starting to get hot during the day.  Our area is probably the poorest pueblo in Uruguay, but our house is decent.    The people live in huts pretty much. There  are some that are a little bit more well off, but not much. It's so different!  It's been a growing experience for me to just love them despite their difference.  And the church is pretty weak here. There are about 300 members, and only 5 go regularly, if that! The branch president has only been a member like 3 years, and has no idea what to do. We've basically been running the Branch. It's like pulling teeth getting people to come to church!  It's pretty much like the little island on Tonga in the Other Side of Heaven!   But I'm definetly learning to step up!  I know I'm being blessed!

Yeah! Seriously I look at the pìctures I brought with me of our house, and I feel so blessed!     We actually live in a little brick house, and Thank goodness we have hot water, a stove, an oven and a washing machine. We have it pretty good! We live closer to the center of town, which is more well off, but it's still a tiny little house, with lots of bugs in it! Hahahaha It's actually kind of fun!     
And the food is really good! It's a lot of pasta, and meat! We always eat really good at members houses!      It's really is European! 

So, Guess where I'm at right now!  I'm in Brazil!   Well, pretty much. For P day today, we took a bus to Chuy, which is a city that borders Brazil. One side of the street is Uruguay,. and the other is Brazil. Which means that one side is spanish, and the other is Portuguese!   I've already learned some portuguese!     HAhaha it's pretty awesome!  But we're going to do some souviner shopping today, maybe play some soccer with our district, and sight see!   We actually get to come here every week for district meeting, but today we get to play!  It'll be fun!And last Friday we had Intercambios, and I got to come here! We taught a lot of lessons in portuguese! It was cool, the people understand spanish, but speak portuguese!      But I was part of a Drug Bust in Brazil!

So here is the story--- And this is a true story.   Last Friday, I had exchanges in Brazil (It's halfway in Uruguay and Brazil)    I was working with my temporary comp Elder Oliviera, and we pàssed by a house with a ton of cops. They told my comp to go into the house, and made me wait outside!   I asked one of the cops, who was all dressed up in swat team stuff and had a big rifle, what was happening. He told me that it was a Drug bust and they needed Elder Oliviera, who was Brazilian, to be a witness!   They had just  busted down the door of the house before we got there, and had handcuffed the guys who were trafficking drugs!  It was so crazy, just like a movie!  Crazy Brazilians!   So I got to make some new Brazilian cop friends! That was pretty sweet!

     It was CRAZY! We saw them bust down the door, arrest the guys, take pictures and everything! My comp had to be a witness for the Brazilian Police!    Hahaha it was like the movies!    

So we just had a new family move into Lascano, and they are Super Solid members! We went over to their house to visit with them, and I have NEVER been so grateful for a righteous family in my entire life! They are active and teach their kids correct principles!    That's going to make this Rama so much better!

I am learning so much!!!!!  but     I HAVE TO GO!!!!!    I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!      HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Devin

10-13-14

                                     My cousin, Hermana Dowdle who I found in the MTC!

                                                           MTC in Argentina (CCM)

                                     President and Sister Cook, with my Comp, Elder Ochoa

                                                                Baptismal font!

                                                                   My first baptism

                                                                 Lascano, Uruguay

10-13-14

Holy cow! I am in Uruguay!    I dont even know where to start!!   So we got to the Mission home on Tuesday last week, and met the Cooks. They are the greatest Mission President and Wife EVER! We got to go out and prosylite in Montevideo after some mission training. I had gone prosyliting in Argentina, but it was so much cooler to be with an experienced missionary, and also to be in MY mission!!!!  That was way cool. We stayed the night in the Church Hostel that they have right by the Montevideo Temple. In the morning, after a doctors appointment and breakfast, we all went to the mission home to meet our trainers! they were all sitting on the couch in the house, and they had us sit down next to them. They pulled up a map and starting one by one calling our Areas, the trainer,and the Oro (The new missionaries are called Oros, or Gold in ingles!)    they called my name last, had me come up, and then called my trainers name. Elder Ochoa!        I found out that he is from Thatcher Arizona, I thought he was native when I first saw him!  But he is so great, He works so hard, and it has been awesome working with him!    We have been assigned to the Lascano area, right outside of Treinta y Tres. It is so tiny!  It's like the no name village in Uruguay!  They have a branch, but since we've gotten here, there has been no branch president!  We've had to act as the brach president this week, and collect tithing and stuff! It's been pretty crazy! But they called a Brach President Yesterday, and that will make it easier for us to focus on the work!   But Lascano is like the Promised land! Almost everyone is willing to talk, and hear our message! The culture in Uruguay is just like that, people just sit outside, and drink Mate all day! It is so chill! I love it!    My Spanish is progessing, it's still pretty tough! i've had to rely on Elder Ochoa for everything- He is going home next transfer, he's a really seasoned missionary!  I'm really learning a lot!

So we had a baptism last Saturday! Her name is Maria, and she had had some of the lessons already! We picked up where the other elder's left off, and we baptized her. She is so awesome, it was so great to see her get baptized.   It is so incredible being apart of the work here in Lascano. These people have NO idea what being in a Stake of Zion feels like. Our sacrament meetings would seem like a joke to anyone raised in the church, We meet in a house! But they still have so much faith to get baptized and be faithful! It is wonderful to see!  We have a lot of Menos Activos, simply because the church is so small, so we are working with them.  But I got to baptize and Confirm Maria, In Spanish!!!  Holy cow it was crazy!  And it's been so crazy being brand new and having to run the church here, BUT I can testify that the Lord Qualifies those whom he calls! Elder Ochoa and I have been called to this area to build up Zion, and that's exactly what we are going to do. I have felt to Lord's help.     I don't have much more time, but this church is true!  These are the last days, and we have to bring Everyone we can to Christ before the second coming! It's such a sacred calling!        

I love you, and know that only good is happening here in the best mission in the World!    VIVA URUGUAY!!!!!!

Elder Carroll

9-25-14

9-25-14

Hey Guys!

So we got to go prosyliting this week, and it was so much better than last time!   Last time we didn't really get anyone who was that interested. They just ignored us. But this last Sat, it started out that way, but then we found a husband and wife just sitting outside their house watching the grass grow. We went up to talk to them, and we ended up teaching them a full lesson for an hour!! They were so recpetive, and they wanted to know more and more! they committed to coming to church, and they wanted more missionaries to come and teach them! HOLY COW! I don't even know spanish and we were able to teach them!    I know that the gift of tongues is real!

We leave October 5th! That like a week and a half away!   HOLY COW!!!! I am so flipping excited!!!     Prosyliting has been so good for me! It really is like I'm serving two different missions! one in Buenos Aires, and the other in Uruguay!     I know I was supposed to come here,   Especially for that family we taught!    There names were Eva and Ricardo and they were golden. They said that they were evangilists, but that they really didn't believe in the doctrine. We gave them the whole restoration lesson, and a book of mormon, and committed them to read, pray about it, and attend church! they were so eager!! I taught a little about families, and temples! I showed them  the pictures of you guys, Ricardo said that me and you have the same smile!    hahaha But I am just so filled with love for them mom!   I love them so much, and I want them to be baptized! 

Hey dad!  I know!    I know it was no coincidence! They were so receptive, and the spirit was felt!    I love them, and I hope that our referal with reach the missionaries serving in Buenos Aires! they need the gospel!!!!     I love you tons, and I'm so grateful you served a mission! It is so worth it, and I feel that my spanish is progressing. We just got new Latinos, and it's been fun being able to communicate with them!         And we started to learn Subjunctive!  AY CARRUMBA   Is hard! But It's helped me be able to teach better!     I love you Dad!!!     I love you mom!    I have to go, but good luck this week!!! Tell grandma good luck for me!!!!!      I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Elder Carroll

9-18-14

Hola!!!     

Holy cow this week went by so fast! There were two big things that happened, We got a whole new group of missionaries. Half are Latinos, and the other half North Americans. It is so weird to be the old missionaries here, I feel like we just got to the CCM!   But the Latinos are SO AWESOME! I room with two, one is from Panama and the other is from URUGUAY MONTEVIDEO!!!!! Holy Cow, It´s awesome! I´ve had so many questions for him, and it´s been awesome being able to talk to him. I feel like my spanish is  progressing, because I can comunicate with the Latinos pretty well. Hahaha it´s all in broken spanish, but you have to start somewhere!  

The other really big thing was Proselitismo!!!! We got to spend 5 hours in the middle of Bueños Aires, prosyliting!   Hahaha they just dropped us of and said "meet back here at 4:45!"   It was so crazy! Our area was about 7 blocks, and there was a Catholic church Right in the middle of it. EVERYONE we talked to was Catholic and didn´t want to know what we had to say.  But we got to practice a ton of spanish, and they were willing to talk to us, seeing that we were eager to learn their language.   It was really so cool, I felt like a REAL missionary! In the CCM, you feel more like a student, but when we get to prosylite, you are literally Seeking out the righteous, where ere they may be! It´s Awesome! There were a few people that weren´t as strong catholics, and kind of  wanted to hear our message, but it was siesta time when we were out, so everything was closed, and everyone was resting.   Dang Siestas!    But I´m excited to go again this Saturday!    Hopefully we can find at least one person who will accept our Libro de Mormon!  Hahaha but even if they don´t, it is a wonderful thing to be apart of this work. Salvation is not an easy task, so missionary work is never any easier!  It´s such a wonderful thing!  Man, We only have 2 more weeks in the CCM! Where did the time go! It is so crazy to think about how soon I will be in Uruguay! My Uruguayan roomate is just so humble, and I´m starting to feel the love that Heavenly Father has for each one of us. The Latinos are all so humble, they´ve all come from such humble circumstances, and they just love being here. They are so forgiving of my horrible spanish, and they kindly correct me when I mess up. It is such a great thing.

And I just want to give a shout out to my Miller Ward PRIESTS!!!! What´s up guys! I hope you are all making preparations to serve missions! You really don´t know what you are missing out on until you serve a mission. There is no greater call. Being here, surrounded by all of these worthy young men, who know this church is true, is a testimony to me that this church is true. We wouldn´t be out here if we didn´t know it wasn´t true. Believe me, the mission is hard! I have had days that I really don´t want to keep going, but my testimony keeps me going. I know that we were among the army in the pre mortal existence that cast Satan out. We were all there, and we are here now as missionaries to do it again.  Don´t let anything keep you from serving a full time mission! I love you guys, I know you´re doing awesome things! God Speed!

Elder Carroll

P.S.  I heard about the crazy rain storm! Holy cow, I just missed it!

9-11-14

Hey Everybody!

I'm here in the CCM in Buenos Aires and It is so cool being a missionary! It doesn't feel like its been only been 2 weeks, Ive learned so much already. The spirit is so strong here, seeing all the missionary in training, who are all striving for the same goal. We have gotten to teach several fake investigators and track there progess, and they are all completely in spanish. It can be so frustrating knowing exactly what you want to teach in a lesson, but not being able to communicate because you dont know how! But I can feel Heavenly Father Blessing me with my spanish, I know that the gift of tongues is real!  

This week has been kind of crazy. When we got here, there were about 30 missionaries already here, who had spent 4 weeks in the CCM. This past week was their last week, and they left on Monday. That means that we are now the oldest missionaries in the CCM. Its kind of weird, I still feel so inattequite, but I know that as I am obedient I will continue to be blessed.    Hahaha this Saturday, because we have been here now for two weeks, we get to go out into the city and proselyte! I am so excited, but super nervous! It will be a lot of "apredemos espanol" and " Mas Despacio Por Favor" But I cant wait! I know that that is how I am going to learn!

Well, I dont have much more time, there are new missionaries coming in today. There were a few lantinos that came in last night. I was able to communicate with them a little, its pretty cool! I have gotten to meet so many elders and hermanas from different parts of the world. Ive met Elders from Peru, and Panama and Columbia and Brazil. I got to room with a Lantino from Peru, Elder Longombardi. He was so cool, he left Monday.

The church is true! Missionary work is so important, and I am learning so much everyday!

I love you all!

Elder Carroll

First Week, Argentina MTC!

8-28-14

Hey guys! I am here at the CCM safe and sound, and I am loving it! I have my badges already and my companion's name is Elder Perkins. (He's from Las Vegas!) We are both brand new, so that will be fun to learn spanish together.

AHHHHH! I'm a missionary!! This is seriously the best day of my life! It's nothing like I expected, and it is super overwhelming, but I love it! 

Just so you know, Thursday is my P-Day while I'm in the MTC and That's when I will get to write! I get an hour in the morning (like 6:30 or 7:30ish).  

Anyway, I have to go, but I love you all! Know that I am safe and having a awesome experience already! It is wonderful!

Love you!

-Devin

Called To Serve!

Argentina MTC

(Until October 9th)

        Argentina Missionary Training Center

        Autopista Ricchieri y Puente 13

        1778 Ciudad Evita 

        Buenos Aires

        Argentina

Uruguay Mission Office

                  Elder Devin Reed Carroll

                  Uruguay Montevideo Mission

                  Dalmiro Costa 4635 Bis

                  Malvin

                  11400, Montevideo 

                  Uruguay

            

               We love LDS missions!