I'm Happy Here!

May 18, 2015

 

Hey guys! How is it going?  Sounds like you guys have been having fun with baseball and movies and everything!!  And hey Sophie,  your braces look good!! 

 

This week has been good! We had my first zone meeting on Tuesday and I think it went really well! We were able to talk about the stuff that president wanted us to talk about and there were some really good comments made from some of the other elders and sisters in the zone! I learned so much from them and realized I have a lot to work on! The zone is great!!

 

This week we were contacted by a returned missionary from Utah. He served here 2 years ago and had returned to visit the people he taught. He wanted to come out with us for a day and do visits with us. It was pretty cool to work with him! He speaks super well and we really enjoyed the surprise visit. He was fun to be with.

 

Safety is a major concern in our zone. It is a pretty dangerous area, especially at night. So, as missionaries in this zone, we are being very careful and smart about the streets we walk on and who we talk to after dark.

 

One of the highlights this week has been teaching! We  are teaching a couple with a 1 one year old girl that has down syndrome-  and man, she is the cutest little girl that I have ever seen! Haha! She is awesome! And man, the couple are awesome people!!!! They are going to get married to be baptized!! Yesterday was the dedication of the temple here in Cordoba,  but they weren’t able to go, and they said they were sad because they wanted to go to church this Sunday!!  I love see them receive what we teach and then actually follow through and do things to gain a testimony!  

 

We are also teaching a man named G and he is super awesome too! He is separated from his wife and has 2 girls. He is fully engaged in the teaching and readily accepts everything. He is super attentive during our visits and it is the coolest experience to teach him!! He has a baptismal date set for June 13^th. I am pretty excited!! We have some more we are teaching but these are the ones that are super prepared and super awesome!!

 

Another highlight this week was the dedication of the Cordoba temple yesterday. I loved being able to watch and to be part of it. Elder Uchdorf did the dedication in English and his words were translated into Spanish. It was awesome to be able to understand both languages!!!   

 

I love you guys! Thanks for everything!

 

Elder Carter

Inside our church building

Loved working with Elder Salinas!!!

Sitting beside my new companion, Elder Bleuth

"Las Delicias"

May 11, 2015

 

Hey guys! How’s it going? It was super fun to talk to you guys yesterday! It was really nice to see your faces, too!

 

I am doing awesome! It is getting pretty cold here but it’s good! The new ward is awesome! We have one Hermana that does our laundry and I swear my shirts are whiter that when I bought them! She is super awesome! We have lunch and dinner most days with members, which is super sweet!

 

We have a good ward mission leader and some good support from the ward! I am really looking forward to helping this ward out and baptizing more people! There is a ton of potential here in “Las Delicias!!”

 

I feel like this week has been crazy! On Thursday we went to “consejo” (council) with all the other zone leaders in the mission and president talked to us about things he wants us to help the missionaries in our zone with.  It was super super awesome and inspiring and I came out of that meeting wanting to baptize the world! Ha-ha!  Tomorrow we are going to have our zone meeting and I am really looking forward to it! It will be fun!! 

 

After the meeting with the president, we had to go check all of the pensions in the zone to make sure that they are safe because of what happened in Chile (a sister’s apartment was broken into and the sisters were assaulted).  So we did that, and as a result have been traveling a lot! But I really like it and have had zero time for anything other than missionary work, which I am super happy about!!

 

We bought a toilet seat for the hole in the bathroom  and man it is heavenly! Now I can enjoy my time in the bathroom once again! 

 

We are really trying to work with he members in order to receive references and invite people! I have found on my mission, that is the most successful way of meeting new people and doing missionary work.  So we have started doing that and I think it is working! We have a ton of potential people who can get taught and baptized! I am really looking forward to working in this area! 

 

Sorry this letter is short – you heard it all yesterday. So, I will talk to you next week! Good luck with all of your stuff! I still haven’t bought a camera cord! They don’t seem to have any down here! I will buy new shoes next week! Good luck!

 

Love you,

Elder Carter

Saying good-bye to the awesome members in San Lorenzo

Meet my new companion, Elder Bleuth, and my new kitchen

This is our fancy shower

Great friends from San Lorenzo

Can we keep him, please????

Our pension!

Good bye, San Lorenzo!

May 5, 2015

 

This week was exciting but crazy! On Saturday afternoon, at around 2:00 pm, we got a call from the Asistentes (AP) telling me I was getting transferred to the south part of Rosario, to an area called Delicias. I will be serving as a lider de zona (zone leader)! I was so surprised! I did not expect to get transferred because when we train, we usually do it for 12 weeks. I was sad and excited! I remember when I first arrived at San Lorenzo from Venado Tuerto. I was not sure I liked it. But I have grown to love it soo much! I love the place, but I love the people even more!!!!! And I will miss Elder Salinas. I think he is a little nervous about getting around. San Lorenzo is so big! But he is a good missionary and will do awesome! The members will treat him well!

 

 

The San Lorenzo branch is pretty flipping awesome!!!!! I couldn’t believe it, but they had a little going away party for me. It was so sweet!!!! They made” tortas fritas,” (kind of like scones)” tortas dulce,” and “mate.” They even made a video for me with everyone in the branch saying good bye and sharing their testimonies!!!!! They are so awesome! I was super touched. I knew how much I loved them, but I had no idea how much they loved me. Cristina and her daughters organized the whole thing. It was super sad and hard to say good bye! These people are so special to me!!!!

 

I wanted to give them something back so bad! So, now I am short on ties because ties and stickers are all I have and I gave practically all of them away. So, I would appreciate a few more of these items from home J. Mom, these people are truly amazing! There is something so special about them. I have learned so much from them! My testimony has grown just by their examples of service and willingness to do anything to help us out. I did not like saying good bye, but I felt satisfied in knowing that I had worked hard and given this area my very best. I witnessed miracles and saw people’s lives change. I am so happy about that. Heavenly Father needs me somewhere else now and I am excited for my new assignment!

 

So, I have been called to be a zone leader!!! I am super excited but also a little bit nervous!! My new comp is Elder Bluth! He is from somewhere in Utah – my 3^rd companion from Utah! He has been out for 9 months. I am a little nervous because I think that my Spanish is still a little shaky and I know I am super young in the mission(only 8 months) to be a zone leader. I don’t know if I even know that much that can help others! But, obviously the Lord thinks I have something that can help others, so I will do my best and not disappoint Him!! I am really looking forward to this new challenge!

 

 

Our apartment would be a pretty sweet  apartment,  but the toilet doesn’t have a seat, so you have to squat instead of sit, and we  have to climb up on top of the roof every time we want to use hot water.  The shower doesn’t have a head, so it just comes out like hose. Other than those minor details, the pension is pretty good!! We just have to fix a couple of things!

 

The area seems pretty good! It is a little dangerous, but we will be fine! I am looking forward to getting to know the ward and people here! All the zone leaders have regular meetings with president, which I am really looking forward to! I love him and think it is sweet to be working closer with president!

 

And yes mom, chances are that I will probably stay in the Rosario mission when it splits in July. I am pretty excited about this because from what I hear, it is safer than Santa Fe and we have President Zanni!!  

 

It’s been a great and crazy week! I am excited to talk to you guys on Sunday afternoon!! Thanks for al your support!

 

I love you!

Elder Carter

 

 

Enjoying my last Sunday in San Lorenzo

The awesome video the branch made for me! Can you believe it?