Let it Snow

Hello Peeps, this is your friendly neighborhood missionary bringing you another episode of "What's up with Sister Carter!"

I used my super powers today to bring in a large snow storm that allowed us to stay in our apartment and lounge around all day....I mean, study the scriptures all day. Activities for the day today include, watch the snow fall, measure the snow accumulation, eat some healthy food, watch more snow fall, shovel people's walks, take a nap, eat snow, make a snow man, help people make snow men, make a snow missionary, make a snow sister missionary man, don't worry though the Elder and the Sister Missionary snow men will be 30 feet away from each other featuring the Colorado Fort Collins rules about Elders and Sisters. So, overall our day will be a whole lot of measuring, sleeping, and walking. 

Our week has been dotted with lots of success, and mini miracles. The man the myth, the legend, Roady, spoke in Stake Conference on Sunday and then got the Melchizedek priesthood!! He did so so so well even though we knew he was absolutely terrified. It was easily the best moment of the week. After he was ordained he said, "Since I'm an Elder now, I think I need a name tag." So, if anyone has an in with the people who make the missionary tags, I have a request, PM me for more details. 

Stake Conference was legendary. They literally spent the entire conference talking about missionary work. That's it. I was crying tears of joy by the end. They spent half of the time chastising the members for not doing enough and the other half telling them they should be doing more. It was a day to be reckoned with. A direct quote from someone I forgot the name of said, "There is a trend happening where there are going to be more members in Africa than in the United States because the members in Africa are doing more missionary work than the members in the United States. There is absolutely no reason for that." I swear I almost stood up and gave that man a hug. Although if I did that I'm pretty sure there would be a collective gasp from all the other missionaries, worth it?

Yesterday I spent 3 hours outside running carts around trying to get the secret high score of collecting carts in Wyoming. All I had to do was walk with people to their car, make lots and lots of small talk, unload their food they got from the community to help them feed their family on Thanksgiving, and then run them back to the front entrance all before time ran out. Let's just say I'm pretty sure my pants were frozen for 4 hours straight, but don't worry about my upper body though, I wore my Grandpa's coat which meant I was protected from the cold every place it touched because, as my Grandma and Grandpa told me in their email this week, whenever I wear it it's like Grandpa wraps his arms around me the whole time. He must be pretty worn out because I was running pretty fast. Check out the pic below to see my snow coated hat, it was a nice touch, Thank you Mother Nature!

Earlier this week we had a mini adventure down to Cheyanne for trainers meeting. Whole there I was treated like the princess I am when we got to stay with some members. No joke we arrived and they had a whole speed of Ice cream laid out for us and popcorn. They honestly treated us so well and I was so grateful that I wasn't sleeping on the floor of a dingy missionary apartment in Cheyanne. It was like we got to stay in a hotel and I was loving it. Then at trainers meeting I got to have my interview with President where I told him how much I really wanted to stay in Casper for Christmas and *fingers crossed* he will listen to my constant pleading! 

We then got Chick Fil A..... heaven I'm telling you

After eating Chick Fil A we started driving back to Casper which us typically at 2.5 hour drive but ended up take 4.5 hours instead because we decided to leave in the middle of a storm. I know the Lord was protecting us for sure because we saw 4 different accidents along the way, but I never once felt uneasy about driving it.

Spiritual Thought:  God is in the details.  What are the details?  My dad encouraging his perfect, favorite, gorgeous, smiley, angelic daughter on a mission to write an email to the masses even though she doesn't feel like it.  Even giving her a funny start to her letter and maybe even writing a good chunk of the whole thing. (Not a big deal but I'm pretty sure I have the best dad in the whole world.)

Love you all!

God IS in the details

Sister Carter

Beauty and the Beast

Well yet another week has past in the land of Sister Carter... weird I know but don't worry it will only last for about 60-80 more years.

To start everything off, I got my new missionary on Wednesday!! Her name is Sister Morford!!! *everyone say Hi Sister Morford* She's from Genola Utah (30 minutes south of Provo) and she's the sweetest little thing I've ever met. Also her family breeds Pomskies and Huskies so she LITERALLY has 73 dogs... we were destined to be companions. She even said that when I get back from my mission I could work for her dad who runs a SLED DOG COMPANY, my dreams are coming true. I'm already tearing up!

This week we also got in contact with a lot of people who hadn't been reaching out to us for a while. It was insanely cool because most of it happened only a day or so after Sister Morford got here so I think God needed her to be able to be here to touch their hearts in a unique way, only time will tell though! We saw one of them today and she was able to connect with her in a way I won't able to because they had very similar situations and she spoke to her heart with much more ease because of that. So I'm sure that's part of the reason as well.

This week I also spent a morning with a member in our ward and helped with their basement and while we were there he had me try on his MASSIVE buffalo coat and it's honestly my favorite thing in the entire world, no joke it touched the floor when I wore it and it was a dream come true. I was LITERALLY encased in a massive animal fur, it was incredible. I'll include a picture just so you all can bask in its glory with me too.

I have been showing a lot of members during dinner messages this video called "He Lives", if you haven't watched it, I would recommend you watch it right now and then come back and finish my email.... I'll wait no worries 

*pause for those watching the video*
https://youtu.be/BZqTRSVA1YA
*2 minutes and 27 seconds later*

Welcome back, if you were touched by that video, you are not alone. I watched that video for the first time a few weeks ago and I was caught of guard by how absolutely incredible it is. I started to think about all my own "Because He lives" and I'd like to share them with you guys too. Because He lives, I am on a mission. Because He lives I get to live. Because He lives, my Dad lives. Because He lives, I can focus on the light in the world instead of the dark. Because He lives I can find relief when relief seems impossible. And most importantly because He lives, I get to live, forever, with my family who I love more than anything else in the world. Christ had the option to die instead of take upon Him the sins of the world but He didn't. He choose to live, so in return, I need to choose to live too. He is everything to me, but I'm starting to realize that I am also everything to Him, which is why He decided to feel every pain in my life, because He knew He couldn't lose His everything either. I am privileged to get to walk with Him every day as He tells me His love for me and you and I hope you all can learn to walk with Him too, it's much brighter with the Son next to you.

I will close with a 10 word spiritual thought I gave to a 14 year old who had to run to Basketball practice and his Dad wanted us to give him a spiritual message only using 10 words before he left. So this is what I said, and I quote, "Remember God Loves You and Less Wifi, More Nephi, Amen"

I love you all!!
Always remember, God is in the Details!!
Sister Carter

Never Grow Up

First of all, I know you all are sitting on the edge of your seats to see where I'm going to be transferred... well you'll have to wait a while because I'm staying in Good Ole Capser for another transfer AND I'm training another new missionary!! Its crazy, I will be here in Casper for 7 and 1/2 months and hopefully, if my dream comes true, I will staying the transfer following so I can be with the people I love so much here in Casper. If not, it will be the hardest goodbye of a lifetime I think.

I also had to say a hard goodbye to Sister Johnson on Sunday. She had become one of my very best friends and having to tell her goodbye and not be able to see her for an entire year is hard. One thing they don't tell you in the MTC is that you will make some of your closest friends and then you won't be able to really even see them until you complete your mission, and in the case of Sister Johnson, there is REALLY no chance of seeing her in the mission until I'm released in 2020...it's hard but I know she will do amazing.

After I said my hard goodbyes to Sister Johnson I went with 8th ward to spend the next few days without her. While I was with them we had a chapel tour with someone they are teaching. During the chapel tour I felt so close to her and at the end during the review of the tour I shared a powerful message about how Christ has felt every single thing that we have felt, from the pain of Labor, all the way to the gas chambers during WW2. I talked about how I'm not sure how He did it, I don't know how he knew what it was like when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I cant comprehend how He felt was it was like when they told me I wouldn't be able to go on a mission, I honestly wonder how He knows how much physical pain I'm in sometimes but He does, He gets it. He's felt it. He's walked it. It's an understatement to say that He did it because He loves me, which He did. He did it because He wanted to know what it felt like to be me so that He could best know what I needed at anytime of my life. God doesn't want me to feel that pain but He knew I had to so He gave me a way to find relief and joy in my sorrows, through His son Jesus Christ. I could feel so strongly the Spirit guiding my thoughts and many tears were shed both mine, hers, and my companions. It was tender to watch God touch her heart.

Sorry this email is on the shorter end but I'm wayyyy busy splitting two areas! Next week will be longer I promise!!

I love you all so so much, pray for me and my new "baby"!! Also I'm sick today so also pray that I'm feeling better by the time I get to meet her tomorrow!!

Remember God is in the Details!
Love,
Sister Carter

If I Were a Boy

Ahhhhh so refreshing, another email from Sister Carter, you must feel so blessed.... you're welcome.

This week was full of so pretty gnarly twists and turns so make sure you keep your hands, feet, and heads inside the ride at all time.

It started off as a pretty basic week, we had a few lessons, did some service, saw some members but on Wednesday we had exchanges!!! I was able to go with the woman, the myth, the legend, Sister Lloyd. During our exchanges we did a little of everything ranging from Service, to finding a new person. We met with a guy named Jim who they had tried to teach but weren't able to get him as a technically new person. We went into his home with a member from 2nd ward and he has some mental and physical challenges that make it nearly impossible for him to leave his home expect for doctors appointments, and even then, they have to have 5 firemen carry him down the stairs. He currently has cancer in his eye and I was able to connect with him about my dad having cancer. I told him how my Dad at one point was getting 15-20 shots in his legs every other week and the only way he got through it was turning towards Christ and building upon that relationship. The spirit was so strong as I testified of how Christ is in our lives, has lived our life, and has felt our life. He knows exactly every moment we have lived. I could tell he felt the spirit and wanted to build that relationship with Christ.  It was cool to see how even though I wasn't in my assigned area, I could still receive revelation for it.

Later that day we got to go to their Halloween party where.... if you could guess by the title... Sister Lloyd and I dressed up as Missionary Elders. It was epic. Everyone thought it was absolutely hilarious. The funniest part of it all was that all of the Elders kept asking us if we knew how to tie a tie, to which I responded, of course my Dad taught me well. Like NO JOKE every single Elder we told we dress up as Elders asked us that, pssh I bet I could tie a tie before they could!! One of the Elders even said that he didn't even learn until a few days before going into the Missionary Training Center..... so I for sure knew how to tie a tie wayyyy before him. Honestly, being Elders was the absolute highlight of the week.

Then comes the saddest part of it all.... Jonnetta dropped us this week. She invited us over for a sit down dinner and after it was all said and done, in tears, she said that she tried her very hardest to believe but she just couldn't. So we said our goodbyes and they gave us a ton of food and promise to keep in touch. Sister Johnson and I talked about it and we knew that right now just isn't the right time for her to be baptized. She is living with someone who is very against the church, and he being baptized would cause a huge rift in the family. We both agreed that after he passes away she will move in with her daughter who was recently baptized, and we are sure she will be baptized as well. I'm already making plans to be there when she is. Now is just not the right timing for her, but we are glad that we could play a small part in her eventual conversion, even if it didn't lead to baptism right now.

Also I found out something really sad but also extremely exciting news this week.... Sister Johnson got her visa!! Which means, next week she will be flying halfway across the Earth to Australia.... yea I'm extremely excited for her but also sad, she's going to do so so so amazing in Australia I know it but I can't help but wish I could keep her forever. I started comparing it to being an actual mom and when she got her Visa it was like she was graduating from High School and the next week or so I'm with her is the summer before I take her to college and let her blossom... what a tender moment it will be... ahhhh sad but exciting times.

I hit my 6 months in the mission this week!! That means I only have 1 year left! It's so strange because I feel like a baby missionary but I'm a 3rd of the way done!! I feel like if I blink too hard I will be home trying to navigate dating, Netflix, and college all over again. I'm so blessed to be able to learn and grow in ways that are only possible on a mission. God has blessed me in so many ways that I have been able to notice on my mission.  I have learned to be grateful for my trials, excited about the future, and strengthened in my testimony. 6 months has honestly flown by and I can't imagine what the next year will hold but I do know one thing, God has my back 1000%.

Love you all!! Transfers are next week so stay tuned to find out where I'm headed for the next 6 weeks (or if I'm staying but that's less exciting)!! Keep living life the best way you can with God in your heart always!!

Love,
Sister Carter