August 18, 2014

Dear Family:

 HAAAAAPPPPPYYY SWEEETTTT 16 KAAACCEEEYYY!! Geez how are you so old?! I remember when it was MY SWEET 16 like it was yesterday and now I'm in a foreign country preaching the gospel haha. I love you baby girl. I hope you have an amazing day tomorrow. 

So this week. Once again. I don't have a lot to report. We're running through a rough patch...again. Nothing frustrates me more than when I think that I'm giving my all and the results just don't show up. I'll tell you straight up that our numbers were the worst I've had in my mission history. And I felt like I worked twice as hard. 

It was a week of rejection for us. On all sides. Our only investigator that MIGHT have progressed, dropped us. He pretty much fell off the face of the earth. The new people that had potential this week were really great, but then didn't come to church and weren't home when we had scheduled a lesson with them. We knocked a million doors, talked to all the people we could and we were either rejected right off the bat (some people more kindly than others) or when it came time to have our lesson with a contact...they weren't home...they didn't want to receive us...etc. It was the worst.

So we knocked. We talked. We walked a lot. We contacted. We studied. We prayed. We fasted.... and stilll....not seeing any results. We're going to keep on moving forward working towards our goals though. A few rough days aren't going to shake my faith and I'm POSITIVE that there is SOMEONE, A FAMILY, waiting to accept the Gospel THIS WEEK. 

On the bright side, Hermano R has progressed SO MUCH. Today he got the priesthood and you can literally see a light in his countenance. It's amazing. The S.F. family has grown so much in these months that we've been working with them, and R is an entirely new man. He was a good family man before the gospel came to his life, but now his family is happier than ever. That came from him himself. His testimony to us in our lesson yesterday was very powerful. He loves the Gospel in the short time that he's accepted it and he has noticed the influence it has had on his family for the better. It's funny to think about all those months ago when L. stopped us in the park and asked us to come visit her. She listened to the spirit after many years of inactivity. She didn't remember ANYTHING about the church or the Gospel...she just knew that she needed to talk to us and that we had something her family needed, and now they're on the road to the temple. They make all the rejection worth it. 

I love you guys. I'm sorry if I'm not the perfect example, or the most successful missionary. Sometimes I'm not sure how to measure success. But I just want you to know that I am giving my all. I KNOW that this is the Gospel of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that families can be forever through Him. I KNOW how happy my family is because of this Gospel. We've gone through so much together, and I owe it to you, Mom and Dad, for being good enough to teach me the importance of the Gospel and obedience. For being willing to prove to your children that the commandments bring blessings, and that our family has the potential to be together forever. The lessons I've learned in our most difficult circumstances, the memories that I have of priesthood blessings, the service you've both given to friends, family, and strangers.... the focus you've put on our family home evenings and our family time in general, has all taught me so much. I wish you realized how much I talk about you and use you as examples in my lessons. You're the most powerful influences I've had in my life. I love you, and I don't think I'm ever going to figure out how to thank you or repay you. 

Have a wonderful week and decide to do something good for someone else :) It's my last week with Hermana Kim and I'm super sad about it. She's been the best companion and I'm going to miss her a ton. Who knows what's going to happen in cambios. 

Les amo muchisimo,

Hermana Carr 

Herman Kin, Elder Acero and Me!

The Baptism of the S.F. family

GIANT bags of cereal!