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
