April 28, 2014

Dear family:

First off, CONGRATS TO WHITNEY TAPIA (my cousin).... YOU ARE GOING TO BE SUCH AN AWESOME MISSIONARY!!! 

TAMBIEN, GRACIAS A CHAD TAYLOR Y MEGAN CARSON POR MI CARTA. FUE BIEN BACAN, ENSERIO.... USTEDES SON LO MAXIMO!!! 

MAN. What a week. If I'm going to be completely honest right now, I felt pretty overwhelmed by everything that happened this week. In all honesty, I'm going through a second phase of culture shock haha. 

On Monday, I spent most of the day with the C family and the missionaries. Then I went around and said goodbye to my converts. Then we went to the capilla where the members wanted to say goodbye to us before we had to leave for the combis. Tons of people came to say goodbye, and there was a lot of hugging, crying, and gift giving...I didn't know what to do...I couldn't believe how many people showed up and how many gave me gifts like it was my birthday or something. Hermana F, Hermana , Hermana J, and Hermana E cried the most and the hardest. O cried when I stopped by his house to say goodbye. I never knew what kind of influence I had on these people. I feel so blessed to have served in Caraz for six months. When we left for the combis J C, M, D, and A were all there, and they chased the car as we drove away. That image is always going to be in my head. I have to find my way back to Caraz someday. 

We drove to Huaraz. I said goodbye to Elder Garner and Hna. Cardozo, and all the other missionaries. It was rough. Then Arnett, Roco, Dorado, Jimenez, Poole, and I all got on a bus straight to Lima. It was weird because I was the only Hermana. I had five elders as my companions instead of one Hermana haha. We got to Lima and Hermana Brown and her temporary companion picked me up from the offices. It was SO good to see her again! I was able to sleep for a little bit (it was 5 in the morning), then catch up with Hermana Brown. I love that girl. We then got ready for the day and went to cambios. I played a messed up piano that went from SUPER LOUD to almost no sound at random moments...that was embarassing. President shared some thoughts, and then they started announcing the changes. I was so surprised when they said HERMANA CARR AND HERMANA KIM. SAN DIEGO 2. WHAATT?! I was going back to where I had been with Hermana Leyva for one day! San Diego is a suburb of Lima and it's pretty well developed. And Hermana Kim and I had been together for a few hours during that Lima trip as well. Funny how that works. 

Hermana Kim is from Mexico and her name from Korea haha. She's super funny and super easy to get along with. We both have a lot of things that we want to change from our last companionships, so we're working really hard and really well together. She's an energizer bunny, it's awesome. And she know's a little bit of English, which rocks too! We had a long week of trying to find our way through this area, find investigators of the old hermanas (We got white washed, which means both of us are new to the area). We didn't have a LOT of success this week, but we were contacting like crazy and did our best to follow impressions from the spirit. We're practicing the lessons together, and after a week it's starting to show. I think we're going to be a really strong companionship, and I'm developing the faith that we're going to be really successful here.

The members are SUPER sweet and helpful. Our bishop is a hard worker and very supportive. My new pensionist is WONDERFUL. Their family are all recent converts 2yrs or less ( her husband isn't a member...he has parkinsons disease). Her name is Mamuka...and she makes the best food I have ever had in my life. She cooks REALLY healthy and she's okay with the fact that I don't want rice. I've been so blessed with pensionists.

While we didn't have a lot of success numberwise this week, I could still see the hand of the Lord in my life. I've felt the spirit stronger here than I ever did my last transfer. While contacting we've found a lot of people that are menos activos, or have family in the church, which is always a step in to teaching people. I was able to teach one of those families, and as we were teaching, I recited the first vision. I have never felt the spirit as strongly as I did in that moment. When we left, Hermana Kim also commented, and we were sure that the family felt it also. 

We also had a rough experience with a family that was a reference from the elders. We went and we taught the best we could, but the dad of the family wanted to interrogate us more than he wanted the truth...it was an awful lesson and it was a horrible way to end the day...when we got home, Hermana Kim burst into tears because of it. It was sad because he asked us not to return to his house, and his little boy asked me specifically if we were going to come back, because he felt good when we were there. ouucchhh...

So yeah, that was my week. Will you please pray that we're successful here? There is a LOT of pressure in this Zone and area. I'm in a ward with my District Leader and Zone leaders haha. And where I am, a ton of the Sister Trainers have served, so there are high expectations. Just pray that things go well and that we keep up being energized and happy here. 

I love you guys so much! Thank you for all your support and your love, I feel it every day and I appreciate it so much. I can't wait to talk to you on mothers day!

Con todo mi corazon,

Hermana Carr 

O and his daughter

New companion Hermana Kim

I Love these people- they are my Peruvian family

Ciao- beautiful Caraz

April 21, 2014

Faaammmmillyyy!!!! 

It sounds like you had a beautiful Easter. Mom you made me jealous thinking about that Easter dinner, I knew you were going to make something DIVINE. My Easter dinner was tuna salad, potatoes, and rice....yyuumm yumm!   Love you all and hope you had a beautiful Easter!

Okay...this has been an insane, emotional kind of week. Lots of ups and downs. The work was really good this week though!

Hermana Cardozo and I got along GREAT this week and it showed in our numbers as we BOTH worked hard this week. It made me so happy. We went to a place called Manchuria that I had heard of but never realized was a part of our area. It was prettier than Cabina, it has a lot of trees and just tons of orchards. We found out that there are 30 menos activos there, so Hermana Cardozo has her work cut out for her. It was a really wonderful experience. There was one elderly couple that we visited that can't come to church because they live so deep in the country side and struggle to walk. We went to their home and they have a beautiful orchard. They gave us a giant bag full of oranges, and they're the best oranges I've ever had in my life. That was super fun.

On Friday we had a really cool experience. Well actually on Wednesday. Wednesday we came home for lunch and Hermana Flor had invited the mototaxista that helps her take things to the school every morning. We all talked and hit it off really quick, he's a great man and you can tell he loves his wife and daughter. I asked him if we could visit him and he said OF COURSE. So Friday we went to their house, they were awaiting our arrival. We taught them the Restoration and it was a very powerful lesson. He told us that he was near tears, and he was ready to do what he needed to to find the answers. He and his wife are currently convivientes, so they don't have baptismal dates, but we explained to them that they need to get married and they're doing everything they can to be able to be married and baptized. Cool people. 

Friday we had our Easter activity, we had a fair handful of people show up, and it was a success. Thanks mom for sending me the Easter egg hunt! The only thing is the people of Caraz focus on Semana Santa....Holy Week. This part of Peru is very heavily, traditionally Catholic and to be honest some of their practices are disturbing. They have processionals all week long carrying very graphic statues of Christ on the cross. Friday is the big day and I heard that they imitated the Crucifixion in our town square... I didn't go though. Then on Sunday. NOTHING. Everyone's back in the market. As I walked through the market to get to church yesterday, I felt a little bit of what the Savior must have felt when He overthrew the moneychangers in the temple. Here were were on the day of the Lord's resurrection and these people don't even celebrate it. They sell their wares on the Sabbath without a thought for the Lord that has given all for them. It made me really sad. They only celebrate His death here...down to the members of our congregation. Our Sunday service was as far from Easter as it could have been, we didn't sing a single Easter song, we didn't have any message about the resurrection or the Atonement...only about preparing for a ward conference. Like I said, many people don't even know what the word Pascua or Easter signifies. It made me so sad. We went home for lunch and when Flor and Daysi found out cambios were coming up, they both cried believing that I would be transferred. It made me sad. Later that night we were walking to a cita when a woman with a baby was screaming and crying wandering the street. Oscar had just given us some massamora, and we found out that the baby was her grandchild and that her daughter had abandoned her. The woman was 42 but looked like she was in her sixties, obviously had a really hard life. We comforted her, fed her baby the massamora, and helped her go to the place she wanted to go. It broke my heart. It also made me think about the Savior and how He can heal all wounds. Despite the strange day, I was still able to reflect on my Savior, I'm almost done reading JESUS THE CHRIST. I´m just so grateful for a Savior that has given everything so that I can be free and I can be uplifted during difficult times.  

Last night at 11, Elder C. called me, he found out early about Cambios and this time I'm on the list. I went downstairs this morning before internet and when I told Daysi, she burst into tears and hugged me, she didn't let go for probably 15 minutes. I've really found my Peruvian family. I have a feeling I'll never find another family quite like the Castillo family, nor an area quite like Caraz. I am so sad to leave the mountains and the GREEN and the cetchua speaking people saying MAMITA GRINGITA when I walk by. I've loved this place and I've loved these people through the ups and the downs. The new Hermana better care for these people like CRAZY. I find out tomorrow where I'm going and who my companion is.

Also.... HAAAAPPPPPYYYY BBBIIIRRRTTTHHDDAAAYYYY MOOMMMMYYYYY! I love you and I'm so grateful for you and the example you've been in my life. Thank you for all of your support, packages, and pep talks since I've been out here. I'm so excited to skype you in three weeks! HAVE A WONDERFUL BDAY! 

Con mucho cariño y amor,

Hermana Carr 

Teaching

Hermana McIntosh from Panama- Funniest girl I know!

Zona Huarez after a game of soccer

A restaurant that serves Guinea Pig! Betcha never saw that before

April 14, 2014

Dearrrrrr Fam,

Another interesting...but not very successful week. Elder D. called us Monday night to let us know we were having a surprise training from President Archibald. So Wednesday morning we got up and got ready to go to our training in Huaraz. We were supposed to leave in the combis at 8:30 and Elder C. called me at 8. Last Saturday at conference he joked with me that I had to go to Lima again, since I had just gone with Hermana Cueva.... and now he calls to inform me that after the training I would be going to Lima with Hermana S. WOOTTTT.. Seriously?! I ran around like a crazy person packing things up. Then we headed to an AWESOME training with President. We talked about how we can change just a few things in our teaching styles to be more successful, and the importance on focusing on REPENTANCE before baptism. We really are baptized for REMISSION OF SINS, not just for whatever reason...and if people understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ, they´ll feel the need to repent and be baptized. That´s why FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND HIS ATONEMENT is the first step to everything. After that we went to lunch with some of the missionaries and ate at an ALMOST real chinese restaurant. Then Hermana S. and I worked in her area for a while, and headed to the buses to go to Lima.

We arrived at the offices at 530am. We slept on the couches for an hour (because we didnt get any sleep) then we headed to migrations with a bunch of missionaries. I´m now a legal Peruvian haha. I also ran into some of my friends from the Lima North mission (from the ccm)...including Hermana R. and Hermana A...yay for friends! I talked with them pretty much the whole time we were in immigrations. It was really long, but it was also fun. Then we went back to the offices, talked with President and the office elders, gave them my package for the Arizona lady (Aunt Shannon, it should be coming either this month or the next, depending on if she was able to pick it up last week. Thank you so much for taking care of that for me!)

Then Hermana S. and I went to work in Villa Sol with the Hermanas until night came. Then back to the offices, talked with Elder P. and Elder C. until it was time to go to the buses. Elder P. might be going to BYU, he´s from Mexico and he´s headed home this transfer. It will be cool to see him again!

Saturday was a really special day for me. Like I said, we haven´t had a lot of wonderful lessons or found very many people.  But I had an experience that helped me a lot. A. is a young woman in our ward that´s leaving for the Arequippa mission next month. We had a service activity helping prepare 100 meals to sell to people to raise money for her to leave on her mission. She´s the only member in her family (her little sister is baptized but isn´t active). Well, one person that had placed an order left us high and dry with 10 meals... 70 soles lost. A. just broke down and cried. I did too. Elder G. Elder D., H. C. and I immediately bought four plates. Then I told A. to come up to our room (we were at H. Flor´s house). She mostly needs money for prep, buying clothes and things. We went up and went through my things. I just gave her a few skirts from Hermana Cueva and a few shirts...and she burst into tears again. She began telling me that my friendship has made a world of a difference for her, and that it´s strengthened her desire to serve a mission. We both were crying as she told me how much she was going to miss me and how grateful she was for me. I was speechless...she´s been so helpful to us and I didn´t even think about what I was doing. I love her so much. She´s an amazing example of perserverance. She´s going to be an amazing missionary and I really hope she and Kiara Phillipy become companions!!!

I´m so grateful for this Easter week. It´s going to be beautiful. My testimony of the Atonement has grown so much. The Elders all gave talks on the Book of Mormon in church this Sunday, and I especially liked Elder G. focus. He talked about how the Book of Mormon explains clearly and more powerfully what the Atonement of Jesus Christ is, and what He did for each of us. He said that the word Atonement is used 8 times in all of the Bible, and 18 times with long definitions in the Book of Mormon. I´m so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the testimony that is of our Savior. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ in my life and for the strength that He gives me in times that seem impossible. He really knows how to succor his people and He really knows each of us individually. I hope that as this weekend comes, we focus on His sacrifice for us as individuals, and more importantly His glorious ressurection on the Sabbath. The Lord has overcome sin, pain, and death, and He´s paid the price for us if we only accept it.

ALSO... MOM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE!!!! I sleep so much better with that mask and I´m giving the Elders their easter eggs tomorrow. You´re seriously the best. Also, shout out to Sister Kelsie Barnes, Stephanie Billings, and Sister Porter for their letters, they totally made my week! I also need Brother or Sister Niska´s emails, I recently got a Christmas letter from the Stake Mission Prep Class and would love to email them a response. Love you all! Thanks for all the support!

Love always,

Hermana Carr

April 7, 2014

Hola familia:

Wellllll my week was interesting!....

We've been trying super hard to find families...and we haven't taught yet...but we found one!!!! We were walking by a guy pushing a super heavy cart by himself up a hill. My first thought was "man alone"...probably shouldn't do anything...but the impression to help him wouldn't leave me. So I asked him if we could help. A look of relief washed over his face and we began up Picaflores all the way to the Mercado. It was a long walk, and soon his son came to help push the cart. We talked about the Gospel and found out that this man has SEVEN kids. And he was totally willing to listen to us! He sells quinoa in the market, and he gave us some to drink for helping him, then we made an appointment for this coming week. I'm hoping that pays off, and I trust that the impression wasn't for nothing. 

Wednesday we had a service activity in Yungay. Remember when we went and helped in a chacra and it was super high in the mountains? Well we went to help the same family, in a different chacra, about double the distance. We climbed the mountain for a good hour, and man did I get my work out. The view was AMAZING though. It was a really fun activity, but we were beat up and dead tired by the time we came back home...we kept on working though!!! 

CONFERENCE. Wow. Wasn't that AH-MAZING?! I was so blessed to be able to go to Huaraz to watch the Saturday sessions in English. We had a total blast in the little Relief Society room. And there's a senior missionary couple in Huaraz, I didn't even know! They're the cutest people! I felt so blessed to be able to listen to conference in English on Saturday, and to goof off with the Elders. we have some really fun kids in our zone! My favorite talks were Mom's favorite talks. I love Elder Scott and Elder Holland's talks. I also loved  the talk about good communication and Elder Nelson talking about how we shouldn't separate our faith. I loved Elder Holland's comparison to how Christ reacted to persecution and rejection. It was something I really needed to learn from. On Sunday, we had to watch Conference in Caraz. Everything in Spanish. I was able to understand more or less in the morning, but I won't lie to you...it was really hard. It was more of a time for me to listen to the Spirit than to the actual talks themselves. Then in the afternoon, two minutes before Conference was about to start, the power went out in the entire city (it happens sometimes). So we weren't able to watch the first hour...it came on for two or three minutes then the power would flash out again. We were able to watch the second hour...but again it was really hard to understand....so I'm excited to review the talks this week in English. And if you guys could send me the Ensign AS SOON AS IT COMES OUT, that would be really cool...I want to read all of them too. 

Wow, I felt so blessed to watch conference. I also realized how much I have been blessed in my life. Listening to Conference in English and then in Spanish taught me a very important lesson on gratitude. The translators can't convey the conviction and the emotion that the speakers have. They don't always say EXACTLY what the apostle is saying either. These people never get to listen directly to the voices of the apostles (except for Elder Scott, he always translates his in Spanish before conference, isn't that cool?!). I just feel blessed to have grown up in the United States, where the Gospel is strong and makes sense, where the true order of things is, and where I can listen to the living prophet speak in my own language. It's such a blessing! Don't EVER take for granted the fact that you get to listen to the Lord's chosen servants in your OWN language. That we have had the church for generations in our family and in our country. Seriously, we have been richly blessed with the spiritual inheritance President Eyring talked about. I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life, and that I have a sure understanding of what that really means. I'm still learning more everyday, buy i am so grateful for the gospel background that I have been given.

I love you guys. I hope you have a wonderful week and stay safe in Yellowstone! Tell the C's that I love them and that they are in my prayers. If you could keep Elder A's family in your prayers as well that would be great, his cousin just passed away in a house fire. Sometimes I don't understand why hard things have to happen back at home when the mission is hard enough. But I know the Lord has a purpose in all things and LOVES His children. I love you each so much and think about you often. 

Les amo muchisisisisisisisisisisisisimo!!!!!!!

Hermana Carr  

ward activity-minute to win it!

District High School Musical Moment

some weird salamander in our room

March 31, 2014

Dear Familia:
First of all, I want to send ALL of my love to the C family. Brother C is SUCH a strong person and example, as is all of his family. My heart broke when I read your letter today. Sometimes we just don't know why these things happen, or why some of the strongest people have to go through the most difficult trials. I love that family so much and they're in my prayers. 

This has been another slightly difficult week for us. The good news is, one of my reactivated members has a PF! We are baptizing his grandson Victor, and Victor is the BEST! Seriously he is the best! He's getting baptized on the 12th. 

Also, Hermano O got called as the Young Men's president! He immediately accepted it as a calling from the Lord. He is seriously the coolest. Everyone keeps telling me that he is the strongest convert I'm ever going to have. He is awesome. 

I just want each of you to know how much I love you, and to apologize for my lack of spiritual or super cool stories...I'm lacking in that department right now. But this week is GENERAL CONFERENCE. Don't take advantage of this opportunity. Really the gospel brings so much hope and so many answers to our questions. We've got a lot of things we're dealing with at this time in life, all of us have different trials, different doubts... but I know that if we go to conference prayerfully with these things in mind, the Lord is going to help us find the answers we seek. When an apostle or prophet speaks, it's like the Lord is speaking. I KNOW that's true. I KNOW that this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To all of my friends, members or not, I would ask that you watch conference and listen to the Prophet. I would ask that you give the Book of Mormon a try. Read it. Pray about it. Learn about WHY I'm out on a mission, or why any other of the 80,000 missionaries are serving right now.

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week. Praying for Brother C and his family. 

Les amo mucho,

Hermana Carr 

PS: I can't send pictures because my SD card has a virus or something.  I'll try to get a new one and send pic next week