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