D+C 123:12-13

"For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties and denominations...who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it--Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things [out] of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven--these should then be attended to with great earnestness."

Sunday, January 18, 2015

1-12-15

Sister Cook, President Cook, Elder Rosales, Elder Carroll

1-12-15

HELOO!!     So ...MY NEW COMP IS SUCH A STUD!   IT'S LIKE HE´s training me!  I love him to death, and he´s so humble!  He just loves people, even when they are hard to love.      WE HAVE THE SPIRIT!!!!!!!   You´re attitude, and love REALLY do make all the difference!

Today we went to see the beach!! It was fun! We were only there for 20 minutes, and THEN we went to go fish with some members!   It was so fun, it reminded me of fishing with dad!
SOOO......We have found a lot of people to teach in Lascano!  We are REALLY trying to work with the members. First, we have a baptism TOMORROW!!!   A man named Elmer, the "A Beautiful Mind" guy. We´ve been working with him for a while, and he´s ready to give up smoking and start changing his life. Smoking has been hard for him to give up, but there is a man in the branch who had to give up smoking too, and they´re becoming friends!   YEAH FOR MEMBER MISSIONARIES!!!    We also had my FIRST consejo de Barrio, which we REALLY Had to pull teeth to get them to do it!  We sat down, all 3 leaders in the branch, and us, and we just talked everything out. What we need to do better, where we need to step up, and everything. It was super good, and we are hoping to help these members here UNDERSTAND the church and it´s function.   Also, Dad, we have to count tithing every sunday, and send it throughout the week! We use MLS, the computer program, I don´t know if you used that when you were bishop, but it makes me think of you and your bishop days!

We have a few more families that we are working with, I will let you know for sure next week!


I love you all!!!!!Elder Carroll

1-5-15

¡HOLA HOLA!

Hey guys, happy new year! New Years is just as big hear as it is in the states! TONS of fireworks!  But I had a crazy start to the year!
I found out on last monday that I´m training these next two changes in Lascano! I was super shocked, but I´m totally stoked! My companion´s name is Elder Rosales, from Peru. He is such a stud, he really carries the spirit with him and knows how to WORK!  It´s awesome! He got baptizd two years ago, and he´s 25 years old! He´s training me more than I´m training him for sure!  I love him to death.
We´ve already seen some miracles this week!   We worked as hard as we could this past week, because we only had 4 working days in our area. (Because of changes and some meetings). But on Thursday, we two families that Elder Ochoa and I found, and who really have potential! First we have Cecilia and Dario, and husband and wife, who are really searching for truth, and we´ve been able to help them feel and start to understand the spirit. We put a baptismal date with them for the 24 of January! I´m super stoked, and We´re really praying for them. The other Family, Artigas and his wife, we haven´t been able to meet with them officially, but Artigas said that he and his wife read the pamphlet of the Plan of Salvation with his wife, and they liked the part about families living together forever! We are going to visit them this week, we put their date for the 24 too, so we´ll see!  ¡VAMOS ARRIBA!
AND THEN!   We have been talking to this guy named Elmer Molino since my first day.  We thought he was Schysophrenic at first, because he is like russell crowe in a beautiful mind- he has a TON of projects laying around his house, and he tells us that people come to him and tells him to work for him!  Hahahah so we left him for a while, and would just visit him every once and a while. But we started to realize that people really do come to him, and tell him to do projects for him! HAHAHAHA Never judge a book by it´s cover!!  Elder Rosales went by, and set a fecha with him, and he told us "Why do you keep changing the date, I´m going to get baptized right!" HAHAHAHHAHAHAA I would have NEVER thought that he wanted anything! He is kind of a funny guy, who knows the bible Backwards and forwards, and has had a Catholic backround, but believes that we as missionaries are sent from God.   So we´ve had some charlas with him, and he told us that he is ready to change his life, and be baptizd!  He´s getting baptized the 17th!  WOOHOO!!!     No matter how crazy people are, if we love them, and validate them, they will follow us. We can NEVER think that there are GOLDEN investigators, and only share the gospel with those that LOOK ready. Because if we do, we are taking away their agency, and also, We NEVER know who´s really ready and who´s not. We don´t know the hearts of people. So, we just need to share the gospel with EVERYONE!
ALSO, we visited an atinguo investigator named veronica, who was WASTED when we last talked to her. We left her for a while, but Elder Rosales and I visited her on friday. She was at first, kind of the same, but we simply taught lesson one, REALLY tying to get her to feel the spirit. We have to repeat ourselves a lot. But by the end, she was SUPER receptive, and told us she is will to change her life!! AHHHHHH!!     We are seeing miracles! It´s like Elder Packer said, "True doctrine changes behavior faster that the study of behavior changes behavior" It´s so true, and getting to be apart of it is SO cool!    
This church is true and God is had the head of it!   I KNOW that we are preparing the world for the second coming of the Savior, and we have to hasten ourselves to this hastening of the work! 
I love you all SO much, and I hope you have a great week!

Elder Carroll

Friday, January 2, 2015

12-31-14

Wow wow wow!  HOLY CAMOLIE I have so much to tell you guys!   So, sorry I didn´t write this last Tuesday, There were some pretty last minute things that happened.
So....... I got a call from the assistants on Monday morning. Elder Bohórguez asked how I was, and how I´m feeling.   We talked for a little, and then, he said, " Us and president have been praying, and we feel that you are needed to be  a trainer these next few cambios".    I AM TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!    AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!   My heart dropped, I was kind of freaked out, but I was immediately put at peace, thinking that president cook, and heavenly father trust me to train right now in the mission. I am super humbled.
 
   I am training a Peruvian, Elder Rosales,  who doesn´t know ANY English!    I am SO excited!
       
Elder Rosales is the BOMB! He just got baptized 2 years ago, he´s 25 and he comes from such humble circumstances, and he´s so great.   And he LOVES Lascano already! We just got here from changes, but he is super excited!  
 
Any way, that´s what has happened this week, I´m a little overwhelmed, and my head is spinning with Spanish, but I know I will grow!    

I love you guys, and tell Rudy congrats! I almost cried hearing about him going through the temple!  He is such a stud, and I love him to death! 

I LOVE YOU! I´ll talk to you Monday!
 
Elder Carroll