May 12, 2014

Hey familia!!! 

It was so awesome to be able to talk with you guys yesterday. Thank you for all your show and tell items (from Brett's muscles to TJ's mother's day gift). It was a ton of fun to see you and hear your voices and to have our last family prayer together for a while. I feel so blessed to be a Carr. 

This was a crazy week for us. We didn't get a lot of work done, but we had an amazing week. On Tuesday, there was a multi-stake training that we were required to attend. Elder Waddell, an area 70 and counselor in the area presidency came to our mission to do a tour and some training with ward leaders as well as the missionaries. Tuesday night, six stakes came together to learn more about La Obra de Salvacion. Elder Waddell and Presidente Archibald trained us on how we need to be more effective in our Ward council and to work better as missionaries and members TOGETHER. We talked about the importance of baptism, reactivation, and retention and how the ultimate goal is to get every child of God to the temple. It was a great experience, and totally changed the face of the work in our ward. It was also really fun to see missionaries from six different zones, I got to run into a lot of my buddies from Huaraz. 

On Friday, we had a special training meeting with Elder Waddell. It was awesome because before the meeting began, we ate SUBWAY!!! WITH SUBWAY COOKIES! It exists in Peru! I was so excited, it made me think of the Janney's always taking us to Subway... I was so happy to eat "American food". After we ate lunch, we all entered the chapel and began studying as we prepared for the meeting. I sat with Hermana Kim and Hermana Brown. Elder Waddell, his wife, and the Archibalds came into the room. We were all able to meet him one by one. Then the meeting started and I was asked to lead the music. HOW EMBARASSING. I still don't lead music well at all. After the opening prayer, Elder Waddell began teaching us. He is an amazing speaker and you can tell that he is inspired of the Lord. The minute he walked into the room I felt the Spirit confirm so strongly that it is true. I want to hit on some of the points that he shared, but I'll do it in a minute. After he spoke, it was time for random missionaries to be called up to give a talk. President Archibald had assigned EVERYONE to prepare a five minute talk on the attributes of Jesus Christ. He then had one of his APs announce three speakers randomly from the crowd. I sat back, totally relaxed...I figured that since I'd led the music, I didn't have to speak. But then "Elder Tunque... HERMANA CARR... and Elder...." WHATTT?! I got super nervous. Hermana Brown patted my shoulder and told me I was going to do great as I scrambled to find my scriptures. Elder Tunque spoke really quickly and then it was my turn. I got up, a little nervous to begin with (never in a million years did I think i would have to speak in front of a General Authority in SPANISH) but everything went well. I was the only white kid and the only Hermana to give a talk. When I finished Elder Waddell whispered "Gracias" as I walked down to my seat...I hope I did a good job. After that we had a little break and we ran to the bathroom, while I was waiting for my companion Hermana Archibald and Hermana Waddell started talking to me and told me that I did an awesome job and that I speak Spanish really well. That made me feel so good! Then we went back Hermana Archibald, President Archibald, and Hermana Waddell all spoke. Then Elder Waddell got up and spoke to us for another two hours. It was an amazing training that really taught me my purpose as a missionary and who I need to become. I want to write down some of my favorite points from his training, mostly for Brett as he prepares for his mission in the coming weeks. 

TRAINING WITH ELDER WADDELL OF THE QUORUM OF THE 70

• True doctrine, understood, is what brings conversion and convinces people to change. If someone goes inactive, or if someone doesn't accept commitments, it's probably because they didn't understand the doctrine. 
• On June 23 last year, the Lord through His prophet changed how we do missionary work. As missionaries our focus isn't just to baptize people. It's to CONVERT people. The Lord is HASTENING His work. This isn't just missionary work, it's the work of salvation. Members and missionaries need to focus on baptizing new members, retaining converts, and rescuing less active members. The ultimate goal is to get these people to the temple and to help them receive the blessings of being an eternal family.
• Elder Nelson of the Q of the 12 said that BAPTISMS AREN'T VALID IF THEY DON'T GET TO THE TEMPLE. Baptism is the DOOR, the temple is the goal. We need to help people make and keep the covenants of baptism as well as the covenants of the temple.
• WHY ARE YOU HERE IN PERU? *or...WHY ARE YOU SERVING IN GERMANY?
• Because the Lord knows YOU specifically. He knows your strengths but more importantly He knows your weaknesses. Yours are different from mine, and mine from yours. He knows that we need to be serving in these countries at this time because He knows what WE NEED to be prepared to serve Him in the future. 
• You're in the mission to PREACH THE GOSPEL and become CONVERTED YOURSELF. The Lord knows that the experiences you have and the people you interact with are what YOU need to become converted and rooted in the Gospel
• The Lord knows that these experiences are for you to BECOME BETTER FOR THE FUTURE. Your service isn't going to end with missionary work. 
• A huge part about you serving in your specific mission is YOUR MISSION PRESIDENT. He has teachings for you that you can't learn anywhere else, and they are specifically what YOU need to become better. 
• When the going gets tough, don't ask yourself WHY HERE? WHY HIM? WHY ME? Realize that maybe, more than anything, the Lord is teaching you that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. The mission is the easiest and hardest thing you will ever do. Realize that YOU are in charge of controlling how you react to the circumstances that are out of your control. It's part of becoming able to conform yourself to the will of the Lord
• The Lord is testing you right now to see HOW MUCH HE CAN TRUST YOU for the rest of your life. If you aren't going to be obedient in the mission, how can He expect you to be obedient for the rest of your life? 
• Realize that WHAT YOU DO has eternal consequences for YOU and for OTHERS. 
• There is a difference between being IN the mission and SERVING a mission. Are you just going to BE HERE and waste your time for two years, or are you going to SERVE with all diligence and obedience? 
• If you go on a mission to be disobedient and without putting your heart in the work, the Lord isn't going to accept your offering. When you sign your acceptance letter, you ENTER A COVENANT with the Lord, and He takes His covenants very seriously. 
• Realize that the work of the Lord is to CONVERT, not just to baptize. Realize that the Lord wants to SEAL families FOR ETERNITY. He wants FAMILIES to go to the temple. Study D&C 2. 
• Our entire purpose is to CREATE ETERNAL FAMILIES. Help people to fulfill the purpose of their creation
• Remember as you teach the Atonement...the Atonement applies to you to. Repent when you need to repent, change when you need to change, become better when you need to become better.
• Remember that conversion is an ongoing process, not just a one time event. You need to constantly realign your will with His and persistently follow His will.
• Moses 1:39. The Most important word is MY. This is the LORD'S WORK and we are His hands.
• The SPIRIT is the most important part of your work. If you aren't obedient you don't have the Spirit and if you don't have the Spirit you can't help people become converted.
• The Lord knows your capacity and He expects you to fulfill it. Magnify the calling and assignments that He gives you
• Make sure that you don't skip the ORDER of Article of Faith 4: You need to teach people FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND REPENTANCE before you baptize them. If they don't have these principles, they're going to fall away.
• To devlop faith, they need to PRAY, READ THE BOOK OF MORMON, AND GO TO CHURCH
• Don't be afraid to open your mouth. Your fear is REJECTION. Well, just know that they are going to reject you and then you don't need to fear. If you talk to everyone, you're eventualy going to find the CHOSEN people that are prepared to accept the Gospel at this time...but if you don't talk to them YOU WILL NEVER KNOW. You HAVE passed by people that are ready for the Gospel.

I am so grateful for the chance that I had to listen to and learn from Elder Waddell. These are just some highlights of what I learned from him. I know that this is the work of the Lord and that it is the most important thing for any youth to be doing. The Lord knows His children and is preparing us in ways that we can't imagine. I don't know what He has in store for me, but I know that He is preparing me as well as every one of His missionaries to be rooted and converted in His path and in His Gospel. 

In other news...after our skype conversation I got bit in the face by a dog haha. We went to visit a family who's severely disabled son had been sick for weeks, we went to visit them and their dog Chester got so excited to see us that he jumped up and bit/licked me in the face. I'm glad he was just playing....but yeah he bit me and it drew blood. Hopefully I don't have rabies :P 

And now Hermana Kim is super sick with a really bad throat infection and she isn't allowed to talk for three days...so we're going to have to get creative about doing the work. I think we're going to organize splits. 

Well, I love you guys! It was AMAZING to see you this week!

Con todo cariño y amor,

Hermana Carr 

Guess who found her favorite cereal in Peru?