6-22-15

Hey Guys! sorry It`s been so long! things have been super busy with the Zone and everything!   

We just found out changes, and Elder Sanchez and I are staying in Minas as Zone leaders another change. We are super Super stoked! 

We`ve been working with Paula and Andres a LOT and they are really progressing! They are just so ready. they are reading the book of mormom and praying to know if it`s true. They want it to be true, and they are ready to join if they get an answer. They are AWESOME! The thing that I love about member referals and that they are usually down to earth, and excited to listen. People that we find are awesome, and they want to learn, but we have to start EVERYTHING from the beginning. With member referrals, they already have their feet in the water, and like the church. I can`t wait- I set a goal when I was being trained to take a complete family to the temple while I`m here, and I know that the Lord is aware of Paula and Andres, and I know that it`s been organized by Heavenly Father. I love this work, Please pray for them!!!

other than that, we are having a great time hear in Minas! Elder Sanchez is such a goof ball, it`s fun!   It COLD COLD COLD!!! We can see our breath in the house, and the shower isn`t always hot- It`s legit! :)

I know that this church is true. I know that we are SO close to the second coming, and the call of the hastening of the work has been made. NOW is the time for Members and Missionaries to come together to bring souls to Christ. You all have SUCH and influence on your friends, even more than we do as missionaries. Don`t be afraid, you friends will accept the things you invite them to do, if they know it`s something important to you. This is the truth, We have to power, and the authority. God DOES talk to Prophets, and those prophets talk to us. It`s real!

I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Carroll

6-11-15

Hey guys, 

I`m sorry it`s been SO long since I`ve written you all! It has been super busy with the zone and everything. Every monday we have to send all of our key indicators (The numbers of the week) to President, and work on other zone things- That takes up a little bit of time!!   But I`m doing so good! We are CHANGING  our mission, and the way we are working. We are doing a 100% change from talking to people in the street/knocking on doors, to working FULL ON with the members to find people. It is just a different feel- All the missionaries are so excited to find more references, and work with the members to find people. We can FEEL the work hastening! It dawned on me the other day- the work is hastening, but we`ve been doing the same thing we`ve always done. Kock doors and talk to people in the street. If we want to Hasten the work, (which requires change!) We can`t keep doing the same thing we`ve always done. THIS is the Lord`s way- We CANNOTT have real growth in the work with the members. We can`t move forward now without them!  So we`ve hit it pretty hard in the Zone, Setting Zone plans to visit all the members, and find out where they are spiritually. Our first goal is to strengthen them by teaching them the mission lessons, as if they were investigatores. Those who are a little bit stronger, we are setting a goal with them to think about their friends, pray about who is ready, and then within two weeks, that they can invite their friend over to their house, with us, to have a family night. 

So...... With that in mind, it started out a little slow, but these past few weeks, it`s exploded!!!!!!  These members are SO excited to work with us.  We`ve been working with the first counselor in the branch presidency, who`s an RM, and is a lot like brother McClure! They are such studs! they`ve have a two friends since high school that`s they`ve been sharing the gospel with little bits at a time. They`re a couple named Paula and Andres- and they are married!!!!  That is HUGE in Uruguay! Now one gets married! But we had a Family night with them and the First Counselor, and it was THE BEST thing I`ve ever been apart of in my mission so far! It was just so natural, and Paula and Andres had INSTANT trust in us because we were friends with their friends. THAT`s the idea- that the members can be the bridge between the missionaries and their friends. It works!!!!!  Anyway, they accepted to have the charlas, and we`re going to teach them with Diego (The first counselor)        We are super stoked- there are a few other references like that that we are working with- I`ll keep you posted.

I know that this work is hastening- It`s the work of the members!!!! We cannot see any real growth if the members aren`t finding people for the missionaries to teach. The world is changing. Satan is working HARD and in many diverse ways to hinder the work. The world is different, and much more dangerous, people just naturally don`t trust two young boys or girls to enter their homes after talking for 2 minutes in the street. But they DO have member friends who they DO trust, and they can be the bridge of confidence for the missionaries. It`s real!  

I love you guys, the work is real. God lives, and it working in this work!  PLEASE invite your friends to come to Christ- Now is the time.

I love you guys, have a good week!!

Elder Carroll

5-5-15 Pics

 My district!!!!! All hermanas- and the zone leaders!  the one on the very right is my new comp!!! Elder Sanchez!

 Service with cement!!! I have learned more about construction here that I ever have in my life! I`m pretty much going to come home with a license to work in construction!

 We made cinamon rolls!!!!   Hahaha we are pro or anything, but they were pretty tasty!  hahaha Mom, I remembered that you used floss to cut them, so that`s how we did it too!!! :)

 LAMB HEAD!!!! It was super tasty! hahaha Uruguayos man, they know how to eat!

 Christmas in May!!!  It`s starting to get COLD!!!!

So, Elder Cross is going home in two days, and he had to burn his shirts...

I don`t really need to say anything else. :)

5-5-15

Hey Guys!

Holy Camolie, a lot has happened this week! First off, we got the call for changes, and I`m leaving El Pinar! One change, that`s it!

But, I`m going to Minas, as a Zone Leader!!   Holy cow, I was SUPER Surprised!!! But my new comp is Elder Sanchez, who is my Zone leader right now. He`s from Colombia too, and he`s super great! I`m excited!

As far as investigators go, it`s been a pretty hard week. Starting with Exequiel, We had a charla with him last wednesday, and he was SUPER excited to be baptized, to get the priesthood, and go on a mission. He had a dream after he asked if the church was true,  and he talked with his grandma who is dead. She told him that this is the true church, and that she`s waiting for him. PRETTY INTENSE! I cried with him!!!!  so he`s a stud. But, when he went to talk to his dad about his baptism, his dad got super mad, and kicked him out of the house, saying that he is now longer welcome at home. For about 3 days, we had NO idea where he was. Yesterday, we talked to his friend Kevin, who told us that all he knew was that he was be at school Monday morning. (Yesterday) So, we went to the Liceo (The high school) and waiting across the street for Exeqiel to come out. When he did, he seemed so depressed, and came over to talk to us. He said that he`s living with his dad again, with conditions that he can`t talk to us, or go to church as long as he`s living at home. His dad is a hitter, and Exequiel is just MAD!  It borke my heart! He knows it`s true, and he wants to be baptized, but his dad won`t let him. He turns 18 in november, and is planning on being baptized still, but it`s going to be a rough couple of months for him! I`m PRAYING that he can keep strong and get through it with his dad until november. We exchanged emails and I have his facebook- I`m going to keep tabs with him to keep him excited! Pray for him! He is a chosen Son of god who NEEDS the Gospel- and WE NEED HIM!!!!!

Federico is doing good- He and Marcela are making plans to get married! A member of the ward is really fellowshipping them, and I know that they are on the right track!

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

Elder Carroll

4-27-15

Hey guys!

First off, Addison congrats dude! What the heck- Russian! You can join the KGB now!    And Ashlee, are you trunked out of you mind? 3 weeks left! How do you feel?

This week has been good! We have a multi mission conference tuesday with the other mission, and Elder Oakes came to talk to us! It was super good- Elder Oakes is usually pretty serious in General Conference, but with all the missionaries he was pretty loose! He had a lot of Jokes! Hahaha anyway, we all got to shake his hand, and listen to him. He talked about the work as missionaries, and how sometimes we have the tendency to set goals of how many people will be baptized in the month. But we can`t do that, because we`re messing with their agency.It`s so true! I`ve seen a lot of missionaries try and do that, but it doesn`t work- it`s against the plan of salvation! we all have agency! So, our job as missionaries (and members) literally is to invite, and nothing more. If we invite, the choice is then our friend`s. It was really good!

We keep working with Exequial- He such a stud! He enrolled himself in Seminary and is working on serving a mission! He`s getting baptize the 9 of May!  Rudy, he is lot like you- SUPER ready and super excited to follow Christ!  We`re also working with Federico and Marcela, a couple with 3 kids. Federico is FLYING, and really want to be baptized. We`re still working with Marcela, but they are going to get married! ¡Vamos arriba! We`re super excited!

I hope you guys have an awesome week! The church is true!

Elder Carroll

4-20-15 Pics

 So, this is Ezequial and Kevin (Ezequial is on the left and Kevin is on the right.) They are such studs- Ezequial is Super excited to get baptized, and is planning on serving a mission!

 And.... That`s a sand board!!!!! They are super popular here in Uruguay- It`s like a snowboard, but for sand!  (And the beach is like 10 minutes away from our house!)

AND I WISH I COULD SWIM!!!!!

4-20-15

Hey guys!

Sorry it`s been so long!  So I`m in El Pinar, about 20 minutes from Montevideo, and it is the BEST! It`s like a beach town, and a forest- there are pine trees everywhere! And the ward is super super super good, it`s like a ward in the states. the members are so ready to help, and the leaders are super supportive. We`ve been trying to find news investigators with the members, It`s something we`re trying to do in the mission.  So we`ve been going to every member`s house, and having a family night with them. In the Family night we share D&C 88.73, and explaining to them that the work is Hastening- and they ARE APART of it! We`ve been setting goals with them to invite one of their friend to talk to us by the end of April. We`ve gotten A TON of references, and we are super excited!   

So far, we`ve been working with a 17 year old member, who`s been sharing the gospel with his frien Ezequial (also 17) This kid already has a testimony, and has read the book of mormon. It reminds me of my experience with Rudy before the mission- I know I am meant to be here to help Ezequial! 

We`re also helping a family- Federico and Marcela, who were references from the hermanas... (There were two hermanas in an area right next to ours, who`s area closed when I came in- So, we are working in 2 areas right now! It`s awesome, there is tons of work!) They are super excited, and are really progressing!!!

I know that the work is the MEMBERS work! Kevin was able to prepare Ezequial read the BOM and gain a testimony ALL without us. Now he`s ready for the Lessons and baptism! Don`t be afraid to open you mouth, the work is changing, and Hastening!

I love you all!! Have a good Week!

Elder Carroll