7-6-15

Bueno, I literally have zero time, but some fun facts for the week:

1)

IT`s COLD!!!!!!! But it`s a lot of fun! I really really like the cold

2) 

We were in a contact with someone in the street, and some IDIOT dog came up to my leg and PEED on me!!!!!! Flipping Uruguayan muts!

hahaha it`s been a good week, lot`s of cool changing with the members. The work is Hastening!!!

hahaha this is super lame, but I promise I`ll write more next week!! 

Love you all!!!

Elder Carroll

June Pics!

 Minute to Win it Games with the branch!

      Paula and Andres

6-29-15

Hey guys!!!

It`s been an awesome week! We found another complete family!!! The Lord has really been doing His work, and it`s so cool to be right in the middle of it! the Familia Garrido is a family of 8 kids, and the mom is an ex jehova witness. We found them tracting out in the boonies one day. We had a really cool charla with them this past week about the plan of salvation, and they were on the edge of their seat! They beleived every word we said, and the spirit was so strong!  It was really interesting, one of the little boys in the family started telling all the answers to the questions we were asking about the plan of salvation, like he already knew it!  We asked him if he had ever heard of this plan before, and he told us no, but that he just knew it somehow. It may have seemed like such a tiny thing, but I thought it was really sigificant. This plan is real, we were all there in the Great Counsel in Heaven. When we talk about truth, the Spirit makes connection with our spirit, and it`s something extremely familiar. We pointed that out to this family, and they were just so amazed!! It was a really spiritual charla, I love the  mission! We`re excited for them!

We are also really working with Andres and Paula, the other complete family- the friends of the first counslor. They are SO SO SO SO ready, and they don`t even know it! They haven`t been reading the book of mormon, and we had a really powerful charla with them reading Alma 32. We explained that they HAVE to read to get their answer, something that they REALLY want. Paula told us that she`s had a lot of contact throughout the years with missionaries, and has never really had that desire to talk to them. But that when we were invited to the Family night with the first counselor, She just felt this big desire to know. Pray for them, Andres is the next mission president, or bishop! Uruguay needs him!!!

Anyway, I love you all, I know that this church is true. We are in for some really really hard times. The prophets have said over and over to be prepared. They can`t say any more than what they`ve already said. Stay close to the Lord, and serve.  I love you all, have a good week!!

Elder Carroll

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