Burn

Wow what a week I just had, just so everyone is fully aware, it's been wild and boring all wrapped up in one week so get prepared. It might also help if you have an oxygen mask, just in case you cant breathe well... but more on that later.

So to start us off Fort Collins is literally on fire. Not even joking. Well I guess I'm exaggerating a little bit. About 15-30 miles away (depending on who you are asking) are two wildfires that have been burning for the past 2 weeks and it has made me absolutely miserable. In all honestly I am finding it hard to breathe most days. Fun fact: I am apparently allergic to smoke because my eyes have been puffy, my nose has been stuffed up/runny, and I have felt my eyes literally burn everyday.... I'm miserable. The miracle though is that I am able to take benadryl at night to keep me asleep and some other off brand allergy medication during the day. So far I've only resorted to taking the benadryl during the day once! I'd count that as a miracle.

This week we also moved apartments and let me just tell you... HOLY THIS NEW APARTMENT IS AMAZING. Not even joking I cried the first night I sat on the balcony because I was so grateful to be able to live in such a nice place. Sitting on the balcony before having to go to bed is the nicest part of my day by far. The only crappy part is that now that the smoke is really bad, I can't do it as often or for as long as I usually do. But I'm grateful none the less. It's been a blessing to live there, even if it's only for a short time.

With all of the moving it took most of the day to move everyone in the zone and by the end I was a gross sweaty mess who barely had time to eat but we had lessons. So we quickly changed out of my sweaty clothes, put on a dress, and drove to the lesson. It was with someone we are teaching who has read almost the entire Book of Mormon, he said that he was in Alma right where Moroni made the title of Liberty and I was 10/10 impressed. There are full-on members that haven't even gotten that far. He has lots and lots of questions all about Tithing, the wording of the Book of Mormon, and just strange details most people wouldn't think of but he genuinely wanted to know so he could more fully understand it. And truly it was a miracle that we were able to make it through such a complicated lesson while still being able to testify to him of the truthfulness of what we teach and asked him to keep studying the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true. His testimony has a long way to go but his progress is all I could ask for!

I have been thinking a lot this week about what we have lived through this year. I, in a very real sense, lived through a global pandemic. I was on a mission when church was closed, temples shut down, missionaries were sent home and reassigned back out, I had to stay in my apartment for 3 months, with little to no contact with other people... and with all of this I realized that Christ is coming back. If I had been at home I probably would have just brushed it off like it was nothing. Just said something along the lines of, "Woah this world is getting crazy, hopefully it'll calm down soon" but now, because I'm a missionary, I am confronted with the reality of the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is the winding up scene to His glorious return. It is happening. And it's likely that it is very soon. It has given me and extra big push to become a disciple of Christ because I need to be ready, and I have to be ready for when He comes. 

I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week and the air where you are is completely smoke free!

Remember God is in the Details 

Sister Carter 

4 minutes

My weekly isn't sending, could you send this out?

Sad news for everyone, this email will be on the shorter end because I've had an insane day so I'll hit the big points!

Joe wont be able to be baptized this week which is really really sad. Hes struggling with a lot of things but we are hoping and praying that soon he will be able to overcome them and be baptized!

We might be moving apartments this Friday!! We have been working hard rearranging all the missionaries housing and it'll all happen (ideally) this Friday. Half of the zone will be moving apartments all on the same day *big stress* but hopefully it will go smooth without any hiccups!!

We also started teaching 3 new people this week which is a HUGE miracle!! God is really blessing me in everything. Even when I have bad days, He makes it possible for me to still work and see success, which is something I never expected 

Sorry this email is so short but just know God is taking care of me as much as He can!!

Remember God is in the details!!

Sister Carter

Forever

Hey everyone!! 

This week was MEGA long. It honestly seemed like it went on forever and ever but I'm guessing it was because it was so jammed full. I had 5 mini exchanges, 1 full exchange, 1 Zone Meeting, lots of miracles and basically nonstop go go go.

Sister Petter and I decided to do the same thing we did last transfer and set goals with all of the sisters for the upcoming transfer. It is really interesting to see how each different missionary wants to improve themselves and it motivated me to want to improve as well. I know that I have a lot of faults but that's going to be a part of life and seeing how they want to be better REALLY pushes me to try and be better as well. 

This week we also led a Zone Meeting, now typically the Zone Leaders are in charge and guide the whole meeting but this zone meeting they planned a few things but half way through their training they just passed it to us... kind of weird right. We had no idea what they wanted us to say or do but we just rolled with it. It ended up going pretty well and hopefully the zone liked all that we had to say. 

I had an exchange with the one and only Sister Hein yesterday which honestly made the Monday, which usually DRAGS on, fly by insanely fast. We were able to teach a lesson to the miracle family from last week and they are still SO incredible. I cannot even Express how amazing they are. They actually want to learn and they want us to help them along the way... I am so incredible blessed that God put them into my life and I thank Him everyday that He trusts me to help them as they progress their way towards eternal life. 

The Elders also didn't have a dinner because they had to move a bunch of missionaries around so we ended up feeding them leftovers outside of our apartment. They were honestly so grateful. Poor Elders were starving and had to literally move mattresses up 3 flights of stairs... that's dedication if I've ever heard any.

Joe (someone we are teaching) also came to in person church!! It was actually kind of funny how it all worked out but ultimately we couldn't find a ride for him so we ended up borrowing bikes so we could bike with him to the church building and he wouldn't be lost along the way. It was the most missionary thing I think I have ever done and I will definitely never forget it. 

That's it for this week but I love you all!!

Remember God is in the details!!

Sister Carter