What More Can I Do That right? (April 20th)

Wow, where did this week go??

I feel like I was just writing everyone, and yet here I am again.

This week was a really good week.  Nothing really new going on but Hermana Ka'a'a and I have just been having such good feelings about the work.   We having been sorting through a lot of the people that are not ready yet and we know it is only a matter of time before someone that is prepared comes a long. 

So this week we had Zone Conference which was really good.  We talked a lot about what more we can do that is right.  Instead of focusing so much on what we aren't doing, as a mission we are trying to put our focus more on what more we can do as individuals to be worthy of the spirit and gain the Lord's trust.  It has been awesome to see how much more there is I can be doing as a missionary.  It is a little bit overwhelming but I know that as long as I take it one step at a time and try not to do everything at once that I will see blessings because of it.  Also we learned at zone conference that in 6-8 weeks we will be getting Ipads.  Woooh! I am excited to see all of the cool missionary tools we will have access to through them.  

Also this week I went on exchanges with one of the Sister Training Leaders, Hermana Webb.  She is an awesome missionary and I learned so much from her that I am trying to put into my own missionary work.

So my thoughts this week have been on one of the talks in the April Ensign titled, Faith and Works in a Secular Socitey by Keith B. McMullin.  I really  was impressed by the benchmarks of faith he talked about.  As I have sought to increase my faith on the mission I often struggle with how I can tell that my faith has actually grown.  I loved the four things he talked about that we can use to measure where our faith is at.  He said that we can measure our faith by:

1. The choices we make

2. The devotion we exhibit

3. The obedience we practice

4. The service we give

It is through our desire and ability to make righteous choices, our increase in our devotion to the Lord and His teachings, our obedience to his words, and through our desires to serve and the service that we give that we can see where our faith is at.  As I read this I realized that my faith is growing. Little by little, which is maybe why it is hard to recognize, my desire and ability to do each of these things has increased.  At the same time though it is humbling because I know I have so much more I can do to make better choices, be a more devoted and obedient servant, and seek to serve in all that I do.  I know though that as I seek to increase my faith and follow the Savior that my ability to do these things will increase as well. I think these benchmarks are something we can all use regularly to measure our faith and make the changes we need to to increase our faith.  I know that as we do we will see changes in every one of these areas.  We won't have to be told to do these things but rather we will desire to do each of these in our own lives.

Anyway, I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Carpenter

Me and Hermana Webb

Celebrating Hermana Kaaa's Birthday!

To be like Nephi

Hey Everyone!!

So things are just rolling along here in Stockton.  We have been working really hard to find investigators this last week or two because we had to drop basically all of the ones we were visiting because they were not progressing or we couldn't find them.  We have been focusing a lot of our efforts on past investigators, especially those that have been taught a lot.  We call those investigators eternigators.  We have met some really awesome people though and are really hoping that we will be able to find success with them.

This week I celebrated my six month mark. I got to hold puppies that day which was awesome and then we went to Dairy queen and got ice cream with an English member that was with us that night. Also I rode my bike for the first time this week, the weather was awesome but it was way more work than it is worth when you are driving as well.  Until the next 6 months bike!

I finished the Book of Mormon a couple of weeks ago and I started again so this last week I have been reading in 1 Nephi again and even though I have read this book a hundred times I am always impressed by different things.  This week as I was reading in Nephi 17 where Nephi was commanded to build a boat and while reading about this experience I was really impressed by how different Nephi's and Laman and Lemual's reactions are.  I think most of us are pretty familiar with the pattern of obedience we see with Nephi and the complaining we see with L & L but what impressed me about this is how these two reactions lead to two different consequences. Here is an outline of the pattern I noticed:

For Nephi:

1. Was commanded to do something

2. Went and did, without murmuring

3. Received more knowledge, direction, and testimony

4. Was strengthened and had increased ability to choose the right

5. Was happy despite of his trials

For Laman and Lemual

1. Given a commandment

2. Complained

3. Finally convinced to keep the commandments

4. Complained while keeping the commandment

5. Received no further knowledge or testimony

6. Fell into wickedness

From this I just learned how much our attitudes towards the commandments and following can affect us.  This applies wholeheartedly to missionary work too.  Doing the work with a good attitude and a grateful heart makes all of the difference, especially on those days where no one want's to talk to you and all you do is knock on unanswered doors. I hope that we can all choose to be like Nephi and go and do the Lord's commandments with a thankful heart.  I know that as we do we will be given the strength and direction we need to keep those commandments and find joy!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Love,

Hermana Carpenter

PUPPIES!

Celebrating my 6 month mark!

First time riding the Bike

6 months down & Conference

Hey everyone! I hope that all of you enjoyed conference weekend as much as I did!

So this week will be my 6 month mark since coming out on the mission.  I still cannot believe how quickly the time is going by.  I think I am starting to realize how missionaries say they don't feel like they have enough time in the mission. As I think about the year I have left I sometimes think about how in the world am I going to be able to accomplish all that the Lord has sent me here to do. There is just so much work!  The next year though I will continue to work hard to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to find His children.  I am amazed at what the past 6 months has brought and I look forward to what the next 12 months will hold as I am here doing the Lord's work.

Conference of course was amazing!  It is always amazing to me that as you listen to all of the sessions you can really pick out what the main thing is that God wants for His children over the next six months.  The three things that I picked out from this conference were the importance of the family and defending the sanctity of it, the Atonement and the hope it brings to each one of us, and last of all clinging to the basics of the gospel and the covenants we have made.  As a missionary I get to see a much bigger picture of how these things can affect God's children. I have had the chance to work with many different family's from many different backgrounds. I have seen and felt the heartbreak that comes from broken families and how Satan is trying so hard to tear down God's children.  He is working so hard to pull the hope of the Atonement away from the hearts of the people and replace it with sadness and despair. I see the affects of what happens when people forget the covenants they have made and forget those basic principles that brought them to a knowledge of the gospel.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ I think we often take for granted those simple things we have.  We forget how blessed we are to have families that love and support us.  We forget the importance of doing those little things like reading from the scriptures and praying everyday.  And sometimes we forget the importance of the Atonement in our everyday life.  I know we all feel those moments of despair and wonder what we can do.  I loved what Elder Holland talked about how God did not send us here to this earth to fail.  He sent us here to the earth to find joy and to succeed.  The more I am on my mission the more I come to know that He has also given us all of the tools we need to experience that in this life.  I know that, just as it was talked about in conference, that it is through these simple principles that we can find joy amidst all the heartbreak and sorrows.  I know that if we strive to strengthen the family and stick to the basics and most of all always remember and apply the Atonement that we can be happy.  I know this because I have felt and seen it in my own life.  

I love this gospel and I know that it is true.  I am so grateful for my Savior and His Atoning sacrifice for each one of us.  I love him with all my heart. I am constantly amazed at the love He has for me and each one of us.  I hope that as we go forth from this conference that we can cherish up the words of the prophets and seek to apply them in our lives. I know that their words are from God and that if we cling to them we will be safe and happy.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Carpenter

p.s. I also finished Jesus the Christ on Sunday which was perfect timing.  I learned so much about the Savior from that book!

Temple Trip & Women's Conference

Hola!!

Man, what a wonderful week this week has been! Transfers went smoothly, and although I miss Hermana Shawcroft dearly my new companion Hermana Ka'a'a is awesome too!  She is from Hawaii and has been out just one transfer more than me.  I am excited for this because I know it means I will grow a lot this transfer as far as the language goes.  Her Spanish is great but we are definitely more on the same playing field which has helped me to step up to the plate instead of letting my companion do more of the talking.  I am really excited for this transfer.  I have a feeling it is going to be great!

So the temple last week was great as it always is.  Before we went Sister Jardine, the Presidents wife, challenged us to focus on the commandments given to Eve in the garden and along with that I wanted to learn more about my divine role as a women in God's plan.  It was amazing how much insight I gained in how precious and how important God's daughters are in his plan for happiness.  It makes me want to work even harder to be that daughter that he want's me to be so that I can fulfill my purpose in this life and reach my fullest potential.  I'm so grateful to have a temple in my mission and to be able to go, even if it is only every other transfer!

Women's conference was also awesome! I think my favorite part was when Bonnie L. Oscarson talked about homemakers.  I loved how she talked about how the word homemaker is not to be reserved only for women that are full-time, stay-at-home moms.  As wonderful and needed as those women are there are so many more that can't or aren't supposed to fit that mold.  There are so many wonderful women out there each with something wonderful and unique to offer her family and the rest of the world.  I loved that she said that each one of us should be homemakers, men and women, in the sense that we are to make a home where the spirit can dwell and that is focused on Christ.  These are the homes we need now more than ever in this crazy world and each one of us is responsible for contributing to that home! I am so grateful for all that I am learning here on the mission because I know that it will be a blessing to me and my family one day as I strive, with my husband, to create that type of home.  I am so grateful for families and for the call for us to stand up and defend them.  They are at the center of God's plan and that will never change!  My challenge to each one of you is to think about one thing you can change or start doing in your home that will strengthen the family and invite the spirit to dwell there.  I know that as we do this our families will be strengthened and our abilities to bless other families who may be struggling will increase!

Also I just have to take a moment to brag about our 14 year old investigator who is waiting to be baptized.  She is amazing!  The last couple of weeks we have been talking to her about missionary work and about how important it is to share the gospel.  We talked to her about how it doesn't have to be some huge soul bearing experience but just a simple invitation to come to an activity, or to come to church.  Anyway, so the day before as we were talking her to make sure she was going to come to the Broadcast (we also had a service activity before) she informed us that she had invited TWO of her friends to come!! Only one of them ended up being able to come, but from that we were able to have a church tour with this girl and invite her and her family to listen to the missionary discussions to which she agreed.  What a wonderful experience it was to see member, or rather investigator, missionary work in action.  I wonder to myself why I wasn't doing more of this before my mission?!  I can't wait until I can get home and be that member.  She is such an example to me!

Anyway, I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Carpenter

Me and my Companion Hermana K'a'a'a

Sacramaneto Temple

Transfer week!

Hey everyone!

So I don't have too much time to write this week because of transfers and also because I am going to the temple today!

I haven't been to the temple since before Christmas so I am so excited to get to be going, especially with conference right around the corner. Not being able to go to the temple on a regular basis is definitely something I have missed her on the mission and something I will not take for granted when I get home.  We are so blessed there in Utah to have temples so close to us.  I love the renewal of strength and the learning I receive each time I go to the temple.  I hope that all of you will take the opportunity to go before conference, especially if it has been a while since you have gone.  I know that as you do you will be more prepared for the messages we will receive from the Lord at General conference.

So this week is transfer week.  I will be staying in Stockton but Hermana Shawcroft will be leaving.  I am going to miss that girl! She has taught me so much.  My new companion is going to be Hermana Kaaa.  I am excited to get to work with her!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Hermana Carpenter

Apostle #2: Elder David A. Bednar

Hey there everybody!!

So this week has been so much better than the last week.  The people have been a lot less difficult and also I think my attitude has been better.  I don't know what the deal was the week before.  Oh and also I had the opportunity to learn from and meet an apostle of the Lord which was pretty great too.  

I know you guys are all dying to hear about that so that is what I am going to focus on this week.  So Friday was the day that we got to hear from Elder Bednar.  All of the missionaries in the mission got together to hear him which was really cool because they never do that.  Usually when we have meetings we do them in three groups so it was cool to get to see the whole mission.  First we got to take a picture with him, which I will send when we get them, and then we got to basically sit and chat with him for the next two and a half hours.  

We talked a lot about faith and action and how the two are connected.  This applies to everything we do that has to do with faith.  If we want to pray with faith we have to be willing to 1. Do everything in our power afterward to make our prayers come to pass and 2. We have to be willing to act on those answers.  One example we talked about is that if we want less actives to come to church, praying for them to make it isn't enough, we need to be willing to go out and find the less actives and bring them.   When we do this we are praying and acting with faith.  When we do this the Lord will then bless us with the power and ability to know what to do and how to do it.  This is something I have really been working on as a missionary.  It is really to ask Heavenly Father to help us get more investigators but it is another thing for us to ask Him what we need to do to find them and then go out and work all day talking to every person we meet and then following the spirit while we are out.  However as my companion and I have been working to apply this it has been amazing to see how much more success we have had.  

Another thing that was really cool about the conference was how Elder Bednar set it up.  It was not like at other meetings where the person gets up there and speaks and then the rest just listen but rather we were invited to prepare by reading some talks and then we had more of a discussion.  He basically asked us what we learned, how we could apply it, and how it had helped us.  We would answer and then we would talk a little bit about that reply.  It was really cool to see how the spirit was there so strongly and how we learned.  One thing I got out of it was how important preparation is both for the teacher and the learner.  As a teacher, the spirit can't bring things to your remembrance if you haven't studied them and as a learner it is so much easier to learn if you already have a foundation about the topic.  As we prepare we can better teach by the spirit and learn by the spirit.  

Anyway, we finished the meeting by getting to shake his hand.  I feel so blessed to have already gotten the chance to meet two apostles on my mission.  I am also now even more excited for conference and to learn from all of the brethren.

I love you all, have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Carpenter

p.s. Grandma, this is for you.  Yes I have had the opportunity to play the piano a lot.  I have already played for two different musical numbers, at various meetings, and I play almost every week in church!

God is always on our side

Hey there Everybody! Hope everyone is doing well.

So this week has been a pretty good one for me.  We have have been seeing a lot of success in finding new people to teach which is great!  One thing though that I have noticed this week, for whatever reason, I have found myself getting a little bit more frustrated with those people who don't want to hear what we have to say, or say that they are good with what they have and they don't want to change.  I find myself wanting to reply, "Did you not just hear what I said? I am here taking time out of my personal life to walk down streets knocking on random doors talking to strangers to bring you this wonderful message about Jesus Christ, and Families, and how you can return to live with him.  This isn't just a suggestion of something that might help your life, or might help you to have more happiness.  This is Jesus Christ's church, His, and through these teachings and ordinances are the ONLY way that you can return to live with Him and those you love!" It is really disheartening to see these children of God, with so much potential turn down the gospel and at times even laugh at what it is to offer.  

It is during these moments though that I have to remind myself of the true reason I am here.  I am not here to convince people to join the church or change their lives.  God gave each of us our agency, and what a wonderful gift that can be when we use it do choose the right.  I have to remember that my purpose as a missionary is to carry the message of the restored gospel and to invite the spirit to touch them. After that though it is up to them to decide whether or not they are going to open their hearts to that spirit and the message we bring.  

Even though I have these rough moments, what makes it all worth it are those moments when we talk with someone and we can feel the spirit and we can tell that it touched their hearts and they allow us to come back and teach them.  Each time I see someone change a little bit more because of the gospel I am reassured that every time I get turned down it is worth it because there are people out there that are waiting and hoping for the message that we bring. Even though I get frustrated at times I find so much joy in the work I am doing.

So this week I have been preparing for interviews with the President.  We were asked to read from Romans 8:30-31, I have thrown in verse 28 though because I love that one too:

 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

I especially love verse 31 and how it applies to how I have been feeling this week.  I find myself thinking about this scripture often and it never ceases to bring me comfort.  God is always on our side when we are doing His work and His will.  He is always there cheering us on and giving us the strength we need to carry on.  This life is full of difficulties and disappointments and at times giving up seems like a pretty nice idea.  Sometimes it is easy to think that it is just us facing this huge army and that there is no way that we can win.  When I read this scripture though I can see myself on the battlefield by myself but then all of a sudden there are thousands of people surrounding me.  I remember that God and His angels are with us everyday ready to step up and help us to accomplish what we can't on our own.  With God on our side how can we lose?  I know that with Him all things are possible. I have seen this over and over again in my own life as I have sought to follow Him and do His will.  I also know that this is the case for each one of us.  So whenever you are feeling down or feeling like life might just be a little too much to bear, remeber this scripture and remember that God is there!

I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week!

Love,