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

5-30-16

Hey guys!

It´s been a good week! We are seeing a lot of tender mercies. We´ve actually been in Melo for a good part of the week staying with the Zone leaders. We´ve had like 3 conferences to go to, so we just stayed here! On Tuesday, we had a multi zone conference in MINAS!!!! And it was President and hermana Cook´s last conference. The assistants made a video for them- it was really weird. They´re leaving! And so am I!  The mission gone by so fast! I´m sure going to miss these times.

Saturday and Sunday we had a stake conference with Elder Viñas and Elder Lebrino from the seventy, and it was just so good! They talked all about how the members have to participate actively in the Work of Salvation and how important it is to be a refuge for all the people that live in the stake boundaries. It was super powerful, President Cook got to go, so we got to say one last goodbye to him there. AND the Familia Pinto, and Sergio and Veronica went to the conference and LOVED it!  It´s always so cool to see and hear from a general authority.

I know that this church is true! God is a god of Miracles, but only if we show the faith.

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

Elder Carroll

4-25-16

HOLA HOLA!

So, first of all, I´m sorry that I haven´t written in so long! Things have been pretty busy around here.  And some really exiting news- We have to baptisms planned for the 21st of may!!! Anderson and Gervacio Pintos. (Gervacio is Anderson´s dad.) We found Gervacio tracting, and we found Anderson while we were teaching him. They are so cool, Gervacio is this old farmer man who lives by himself, but all his kids live por la vuelta and visit him everyday. Anderson is always with his dad checking up on him, and has a lot of faith in God. He´s been looking for truth all his life, and says that in all the churches that there are, there is something missing. That they only ask for money, and put on a show. So he loved the restoration when we taught it, and knew it was true immediately. Gervacio is just a good old man that sits and listens, and he also believes easily. He can´t read, so Anderson has to read the book of mormon to him. But they accepted a baptismal date when we taught the Doctrine of Christ and invited them. We are super stoked!

Also, we are working with a lot of other investigators that are starting to show up- one of the ones that is progressing the most is Erika, who was a refferal from Macarena, a young women in the ward. We´ve been teaching her for a few weeks with Macarena, and is really starting to progress. We are excited to see  how she does!

I love the mission- I started thinking about how fast the time has gone. I don´t want to leave! But It has given me an unmistakable testimony that this is the church of Jesus Christ. We have all the saving ordinances and authority that we need to make it back to the presence of God. With the power and reality of that fact, we have a responsibilty to bring that knowledge to light, and help everyone we can have that same opportunity, to make and keep sacred covenants.

Have a great week!

3-7-16 pic

And this is the stake counselor, and the bishop. (The young guy and his wife if the stake counslor and the bishop is the old guy.) They are super excited to work!!!

3-7-16

Hola hola! 

So this week has been a good one. We found like 5 new investigators! (There wasn´t too many when I got here.) so we´re pretty excited! I attatched a picture, one them is named Sergio, and his wife is an inactive that is coming back! (Veronica) They are super cool, he accepted a baptismal invitation! But, they have to get married- and he actually has to get divorced from a marriage that he left like 13 years ago... That´s really common here! So we´re helping him with that. They are awesome- They came to church yesterday and blessed their baby. We were pretty excited about that!

Other than that, we as a zone have really been focusing on training the members in this stake. When Elder Bednar came, he talked a lot about what the church leaders here in Uruguay need to do to have more success in the work of salvation- Many leaders just don´t know their role. So it´s a slow process, but we are getting it done! The Bishop here got up yesterday in church and just told the members " Hermanos, There aren´t that many people with us today, or on any sunday. Let´s go out this week and get them! Members or non members!" So we´re stoked, the bishop is starting to catch the vision.

I´ve been thinking a lot about what Elder Bednar said when he came and trained us last week. He send us talks to prepare us and a quote that he said in one of the talks was this:
 "We properly pray for the safety and success of the full-time missionaries throughout the world. And a common element in many of our prayers is a request that the missionaries will be led to individuals and families who are prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. But ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach. Missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders. And you and I as lifelong missionaries should not be praying for the full-time missionaries to do our work!"

So in our training he gave another example of praying with faith. (Meaning showing the Lord what YOU are going to do, instead of sitting back and watching what he will do. He said.
" In the church, we have this culture of saying "please bless those that didn´t come to church that they will be able to be with us next week." How weak and pathetic is that? We are just sitting back and hoping that God will magically bring those people to church next Sunday. What we should say is "Heavenly Father, we regonize that for one reason or another, some people are here today in church. So, Father, after this meeting we are going to visit these people, find out if they are ok, and invite them to come the next sunday. Please bless us with the Spirit to invite and teach with power so that they can feel thy love and our love in order to feel the need to come to church next week." That is praying with faith- We show the lord what we are going to do about the problem we have seen."

So I´m really trying to show the Lord my faith in my prayers, instead of just praying 5 extra minutes harder and with "More faith". It´s working so far! 

I know this church is true. Jesus Christ really did come to the earth and restore and establish His true church. When He and His apostles died, that church really was lost of the face of the earth, and after centuries of being is the darkness, God again called a prophet seer and revelator to restore Priesthood power and keys, giving man once again the permission and baptize and seal on the earth, and in heaven. It is very real. We are in the final dispensation, and it´s our job to bring that knowlege to light. (D&C 123:13-17.)

I love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Carroll

2-29-16

Sorry I'm a little behind everybody... :)

Hey guys!

So it´s been an eventful week! We found out changes last week, and they reassigned me to an Area called Rio Branco in the Zone Melo. It is the furthest area from the mission home!!! haha and I am already loving it. My knew companion´s name is Elder Caudle, and he´s from Washington. He´s a really good missionary, and I´m excited to work with him! They also assigned me to be a district leader again, and I´m super excited for that also! It´s cool to be on this side of things as distrcit leader- Being zone leader for 7 changes really helped me to understand just how crucial the district leaders are! AND, Elder Rapela is my zone leader! (My old companion!) So, it´s super fun. We are making a good team!

The ward here in Rio Branco is a RIOT! I love them already. It´s a little ward full of a bunch of old timers. They are so legit, they make me laugh out loud! For example, on sunday, I had to play piano, and while the first counselor was announcing some things for the week, the members shouted from the congregation every time that he make a mistake! haha It made me so happy. (They are brutally honest......Cracked me up! )

Second story, The gospel principles teacher had about 5 minutes left in her class, and was trying to explain something. The sunday school president (The missionaries call him the abuelo) decided that he was done listening to the class. So he got up and just stood awkwardly beside the teacher to get her to shut up! LOL. :)

haha It was just so tender to me- These members are going to be so dear to my heart, I can tell!

I was studying this week in Nephi where he quotes Isiah. There are some really important things that many times as members we miss out on because we get board of Isiah! But I had just this huge light bulb this week! In 3 nephi 22:2 it says, talking about the body of christ, or the giant tent of zion " lengthen thy chords, and strengthen thy stakes." That lead me to doctrina y convenvios 115:4-6 and it says  "For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations;   And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth." SO, What does it mean?? OK, so we as missionaries, are the chords. We are reaching out to every nation! But who strengthens the stakes, or who is in charge of the strengthening? The members and church leaders wherever the stake of zion may be! We as church members shine forth in whatever stake we are in, as an ENSIGN to the nations that we have the truth, that Jesus is the Christ and that the priesthood has been restored to the earth. As we live the gospel, we are a lighthose, and we bring as MANY people as we can to the refuge and the defense of our stake of zion, wherever we live. How do we do that? By sharing the gospel with our friends, doing our visits, finding the lost sheep,. preparing them to hear the truth, and THEN, we invite them to meet with the full time teachers, the missionaries!

I know that we are  in for some hard times. We´re in the final round! We have to invite those who are not in the refuge to get to the refuge. Inactive members or Non members. The chords of zion are being lengthened.  Are the stakes being strengthed?  I hope you will all be part of the strengthening!

I love you all, I hope you have a good week!!!

Elder Carroll

1-18-16 Pics

We had a sweet zone activity today! We went to an old ruin/house on the side of the coast that had been renovated into a hotel. It was super fun- Maldonado is so pretty! It´s called Casa Pueblo.

1-18-16

Hey guys!

This week has been awesome!  Elder Stewart super awesome- We really have gotten to be good friends already. We have been working with 3 incomplete families, another family that lived in Washington DC for 7ish years, (Who is really prepared! They had the charlas in the States, and they know mas o menos what we are all about.)
MIRACLE OF THE WEEK:  Blast from the past.  In minas, Elder Sanchez and I found a family named Familia Garrido. They were about to get baptized, they got married and everything, but the grandma honed in and they didn´t ever get baptized.  SO, Elder Stewart and I were heading to a charla the other day, and Daniela Garrido, the mom, called my name and stopped us in the street on her moto. It turns out that they are living in Maldonado until March!   WHAAAATTTTTT!!!!!! I was SOOOO excited, and Daniela was so happy to see us too.   I never believed completely that we are really put in our areas because that is exactly where the Lord needs us. But, I learned that first hand this week. I NEED to be here in Maldonado right now. I am so excited!

I love you all so much, Have a great week!

Elder Carroll

1-12-16 pics

Inside!!!! There´s a big spiraling staircase! It´s so legit! We´re inside on of the arms of the cross.

1-12-16

Hey Guys!!!  

So, we found out changes!   Elder Rapela is leaving Maldonado, and I´m staying with Elder Stewart! He´s from California, and it´s his first change as zone leader. So I´ll get to train him, I´m so excited for that! It´s been such a good change though- Elder Rapela is so awesome, we´ve gotten to be really good friends.

We had our leadership council this week with President, and we talked about the culture of the mission. We are seeing some divisions in the mission with a lot of missionaries, and we want to be more united. We talked about the Culture of the mission, and how we were going to make a culture of obedient, happy, fun, Preach my Gospel missionaries.  SO, me and Elder Rapela were trying to figure out how to do that with the zone. We love the missionaries in Maldonado- They are ALL so awesome. We decided to have a formal/informal zone conference. Yesterday we went to Pan de Azucar, which is a little city by maldonado, and it´s the only place in Uruguay with hills. There is a famous hill with a big man made cross on top, and there is a trail to hike up it. So, at the base we had our zone conference. We talked about the culture, and we had a really open conversation. We invited the missionaries to think about any trials or pains that they had from the culture that we may have had, and to think about Christ as he carried His cross up Calvary. With that in mind, we hike up to the cross.  It was so cool, when we finished that conference (We finished it on top at the base of the cross) we decided that we were going to be obedient, happy, fun, Preach my Gospel missionaries. It was a really cool to see the missionaries catch that vision!

We are also working with Dora- She is starting to progress again! We´ve really had to teach her at her pace. She´s growing, and she can see that the gospel is changing her. It is super awesome to see. We are also working with the Familia Rodriquez to help them get married, the Familia Perez, to help them get married, and we are also trying to have more contact with the familia Berrueta- A new family that we found!! They are so prepared!

I know that this church is true. My desire to serve the Lord and BE His hands grows more and more everyday. Remember that you don´t have to be a missionary to do good. In fact, you actually do so much MORE when you serve where you live. Trust me! Go find someone who needs you!!

Elder Carroll

1-4-16 Pics

Merry Christmas!   We went to the shopping mall in the plaza and sang christmas hymns as a zone!  It was so legit!!


And this is the Rodriguez family!  The dad isn´t a member, they have to get married. But we´re getting there!  We spent christmas eve with them in Punta de Este!


Happy new year!     I got a new car!!! haha it´s a little clown car that a less active made- it´s pretty sweet!

PUNTA DEL ESTE!   We went today to Punta del Este, and this is an art museum there. They have some pretty cool stuff!

 

 For Aslan!




And this is Batman.

We also went to the boat port  to see all the yahts/ sail boats. It was legit!

 

 

1-4-16

Hey guys! 

Happy new year! I hope that everything is going well for you all.

This week has been a week of Miracles!!!  We have been working on a training for the ward mission leaders and bishoprics in the stake to implement the handbook in our ward counsels. We have really been recieving revelation (Me and my companion), but we were afraid that the leaders weren´t going to get anything out of the training- I´ve given a few trainings in my mission, and they haven´t really done too much.    SO, we started to see this week little signs that the Lord is preparing the minds of certain people here in the stake. We ate with the first counselor of our ward, and he started to express his concern about the ward and how we don´t have success in the missionary work, and that he wan´t to change things. The Lord has really planted a desire in him, and we started to get so exctied. On Sunday, 2 or 3 of the members bore testimonies about how this year they want to participate in missionary work. Even the Sunday school teacher explained the promptings that she has had to participate more in the missionary work.   So, on Sunday night, we gave the training, and EVERYONE came!  First of all, that´s a miracle in and of itself! (That doesn´t usually happen here!) And there was such an excitement when they listened. They realized that in order to hasten the work here, they are going to have to improve the ward counsel, find incomplete families for us to teach, and return and report every week.     We have the support of the wards now in the stake, and we are SO excited to see the miracles that are about to happen! 

We also found a family to teach, who lived in Washington DC for like 5 years. they are so awesome, and so prepared! The Berrueta´s. 

I know that this church is true. There is a feeling of urgency that keeps getting stronger and stronger the more that I serve. The Second coming is Close, we are in the middle of the Last days, and the ONLY way that the Lord will come, is if His stakes of Zion of strong and self sufficient. They are the Refuges from the world, and they must continue to grow, or else they will not support the storms of the world that are about to come, and are already coming.   The Lord has an order, and that order must be executed. That order starts with ward counsels- they find the lost sheep who are out in the desert, the missionaries feed those sheep and helps them to come to Christ, and when they are done,  the saints of the stakes continue to nuture them.   This is real, God lives and WE are His hands.     This is going to be an awesome year!

I love you all, have a great week!

Elder Carroll

12-29-15

12-14-15 Pics

Me and Elder Rapela at a Carrito (food stand) after District Meetings!


And these guys are members and they live in Punta Del Este, THE rich part of Uruguay. It´s where the Dedos are. We are trying to marry their mom and their dad so that the dad (Ignacio) can get baptize. they  are studs!

Punta del Este!!!!!! 

 

 

And.... It´s hot. all the time.    You can´t really see it, but I´m cutting my hair, and sweating like a gorilla. The mission is fun.

12-14-15

Hey guys!

I don´t have too much time, but It was a great week!  We´ve been teaching a lady named Dora who is fighting with depression. She´s good one day, and another day is bad, and she´s tried everything to get rid of her depression. As we´ve taught her, and she´s put the gospel in practice, she´s started to change! Now she´s always happy, and she LOVES the ward- They have all reached out to her, and it´s really cool to see. She´s getting baptized this saturday! We´re pretty stoked.  We have a pretty good pool of investigators, and we´re trying to help them to progress! (a lot of them have to get married first!)

But yeah, Sorry I don´t have too much time. I was thinking this week about leadership, and why it´s so important. I always thought that leader´s were leader´s because they wanted to be, or because they were good at it. For many people, that´s the case! But I was thinking about these last days, and the kingdom that the Lord is building on the earth. In these last days, and as things get more and more complicated, I realized that the Lord NEEDS Servants, He NEEDS leaders. In the Church, in the stakes, in the wards, in the missions, and even in the Local, state, and national level. He needs men, and women, who are willing to make WHEREVER they are better, and more perfect. I´m really coming to understand that None of this is about me! It´s not about us at all, it´s about our Heavenly Father, His plan, and how we as His children can participate in it.  It makes me want to get home, and just waste and wear out my life to serve and make things better wherever I am.   

I love you guys! Keep sharing the gospel, and be BEST FRIENDS with the missionaries so that you can invite your firends to listen to them! They know what´s up!

Elder Carroll

12-7-15 Pics

 

And Elder Rapela and I after a charla with some less actives and the non member husband- Javier. He´s a new investigator!

And I love Elder Rapela so much! He is a STUD,  and he reminds me of Kyle Hiatt- A lot! He´s from Santa Fe Argentina.

 

 

This is the new zone!   And Hermana Dowdle is here too, (She´s the daughter of the nefew of grandma rita!) Dad, I think you talked to her dad right?

 

12-7-15

Hey Guys!

So, I don´t have too much time, BUT, I am loving Maldonado so much! It´s interesting coming from Montevideo, because in Montevideo people are SUPER closed, and they don´t talk to you, and if you do get to teach them, they don´t share personal experiences or anything in the charlas. It´s hard to teach them. But HERE, people are open, and they are just happy. It´s the Number 1 tourist area in Uruguay, and it´s always sunny and happy. So, I´m pretty happy! And the members are unbeleivable! The bishopbric of all the wards are on top of everything, and they are always getting the ward excited to share the gospel, I love it! The morale is just super high!   So I´m excited. And the zone is super great, the missionaries all get along and are ready to work. It´ll be fun working with them this change.

The church is true! Let your light shine everyday. I was reading the sermon on the mount recently, and it´s interesting when the lord calls us the salt of the earth. I never understood that, but I realized recently what that means. In the Lord´s time, salt was a token of a covenant that was made. When he says that salt without flavor is good for nothing, he´s saying that He made a covenant with God to perform the Atonement, and save us FROM our sins.  WE are the salt (Or token) of that covenant, and if WE lose our flavor, the atonement was good for nothing.  SO, SHINE!!!!!!!! We are meant to be different from the world, let the world know that!

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

Elder Carroll

12-1-15 Pics

We went to the temple today as a zone!!! I´m going to miss them!

And, I´m seriously dying. The Star Wars fever is in the air, and I´m starting to get HOT!    It´s pretty fatal.    ...Mucho Tiempo atrás, en una galaxia muy muy lejos....

Gonzalo y Natalia!   This is the investigator we´ve been teaching, and is less active wife! He accepted a baptism date  for the 19th of december! WOO HOO!!

12-1-15

Hey guys!

Wow, it´s been a crazy week! We found out the changes, and I´m leaving la costa!!!! NOOOOO!!!! I have loved it here, I´m going to miss the zone a lot. And Elder Leite hands down has been my favorite companion! But, I´ve heard that my new companion is a stud, he´s from argentina. Elder Rapela. 

I´m going to Maldonado, which is THE vacation spot in all of Uruguay. There are TONS of tourists every summer, and I´m going RIGHT when summer is starting! Halelujah!  I´m really excited.

As far as the work goes in El Bosque, Gonzalo accepted a baptismal date for the 19 of December, but he´s still trying to gain a testimony about Joseph Smith. Pray for him, they need the gospel right now, and they are so receptive!

We also got to the teach the sunday school class for the combined 5th Sunday. It was about missionary work and how now is the time that the members and the missionaries come together to work in the vinyard. It´s real! It´s happening! Learn it, live it, love it!

I love you all, the gospel is true, and it is the missing piece in people´s lives. We are in the last round of the last days, we can´t afford to fall now. Be strong, hold to the rod, and SERVE in the church! Help to build the Kingdom, invite your friends to come to the old ship zion, and to stay there!

Have a great week!

Elder Carroll

Oh yeah, this was some pictures we took to show in the sunday school class so that the members would like us and give us referrals!!! It turned out well!

11-23-15 Pics

we helped silvana move! She wasn´t there, she had to work, but that´s her sister dayana.

¡Más FÚTBOL!    I´m pretty much professional now...

Just kidding, I don´t stand a chance against the latinos!

11-23-16

Hey guys!

It´s been a great week! We had Silvana´s baptism!!!! Saturday morning, Us, our ward mission leader and a few of the relief society sisters helped silvana move from Diego´s house- we finally finished the house behind the family piriz! So we moved her in the morning and then in the afternoon she got baptized. I was so awesome, she was just so happy. After a year of being an investigator, and after some HARD things, she finally could get baptized!  Before she got in the water, she was in the bathroom getting ready to get into the font, and she just cried. It tooks a few minutes for her to get in the water-she was super emotional. Her life is changing completely, and I feel so blessed to have been able to be apart of it!  And it´s cool to think that her whole posterity now will be blessed to have the gospel, if she stays faithful- Her daugther will get baptized, if she get´s remarried all her kids will be blessed, and THEIR kids will be blessed- it´s like a never ending chain! 

So, that was the hilight of the week. We also had a multi zone thanksgiving activity today! that was super fun! We played jeopardy, the price is right, minute to win it, don´t forget the lyrics, and family fued with all the missionaries. President Cook even played with us- It was legit!

Well I love you all, Happy thanksgiving, and I hope you have a great week!

Elder Carroll

P.S. This is Silvana and her sister and her daughter luciana. All of these missionaries were here in El Bosque, and they all taught her this past year! (They also have all been my companions!!  haha it was a fun reunion!)