Saturday, September 27, 2014

Week 4 MTC


Hola familia!!
 I hope everything at home is going well!! Tuesday night's devo was Elder Richard G Scott! It was so good! He started off by telling us not to have a good mission, but to have a blast! Then he started talking about how our decision to serve a mission will bless our lives in so many more ways than we will know! Love what he had to share! " IN ORDER TO ATTAIN A GOAL NEVER BEFORE ATTAINED, ONE MUST DO THINGS NEVER DONE BEFORE!" He's just so cute! He told us that he wished he could spend at least an hour of one on one time with each of us and just chat- made me super excited for general conference! He just has a way of addressing the room and making it feel like he is speaking directly to you!! Most of his message was on communication with Heavenly Father. *It is not a trivial matter, it is a sacred privilege (prayer) *the Almighty God himself, encourages us to communicate with him. *He wants you to succeed and will help you do it *Be careful to act on impressions and feelings *learn to ask the Lord the right questions * Be careful to seek His will and be willing to change and pray for help to fulfill and succeed. *The scriptures promise an answer, they don't say when.
He talked about 3 ways to receive an answer 1- feel the peace, the burning in the bosom, and know it’s right, 2- the stupor of thought, unsettled feeling/clouded feeling, we know it’s wrong 3- no response (comes later)- this helps us grow, makes us exercise faith and assume accountability without prior confirmation. *feelings of peace and tender mercies are evidence of God's love for you! * have faith in the Lord and be obedient. (1 Nephi 5:8;3:7) *HE DIDN’T CALL YOU HERE TO FAIL, HE CALLED YOU HERE TO SUCCEED GLORIOUSLY!! *He doesn't usually answer your prayers while you are on your knees, but at quiet moments such as scripture study-when it can touch our hearts....so, it is important to do those things that will allow the spirit to touch our hearts, such as reading scriptures daily so we may receive answers. *the greater our faith, the greater our character!*have enough humility to overflow your prayers in gratitude * make prayer the sacred communication it should be *He will answer us in ways best suited for our growth and development. 
Sunday we got to watch the temple dedication! (the first session), then our devotional was  Gordon D Brown. He talked about being an effective missionary * you cannot be an effective missionary without prayer *the gospel is a source of joy and the work of the Lord is glorious -gbh
*happiness is a choice-tsm
It was super bien! The devos are amazing!! It is so crazy to think that we leave in two weeks! We should get travel plans the end of this week ! Ahh! So excited! muy animado! 
Tuesday’s devo was a world wide broadcast to all the other MTCs and we've been informed that it will be this week as well and that it will be someone we love! We get to sing 'Joseph Smith's First Prayer' as a choir! Sounds so good! The elders do get to sing in the priesthood session of G.C. --all of our elders minus Elder Johnson..who doesn't like to sing..made it into the choir! So we'll have to watch for them! Very exciting! 
OH YES! The dedication was so beautiful! We saw the 10am dedication! The talks were super good; however, the bleachers were not so great! So uncomfortable!
Yes!! Spanish is coming along! It’s kinda fun, one of our lessons...Hmna Fairbanks is our new sister training leader for the zone and she had a mtg, so Hmna Bitton and I got to teach the lesson by ourselves and it was super nice because we got to say A LOT more than usual...so apparently we don’t understand it very well because our investigator challenged us to speak only espanol por un semena! Es muy difacil, pero ayuda muchas! 
Learning so much, about the gospel, about my self and the importance of having the holy ghost present in every lesson and the importance, especially in a trio, of having unity when teaching in order to allow and invite the holy ghost to be present.
Anyway, I love you all so much! So grateful to be here and grateful for your love and support! El evangelio es verdadero y we are now the Lord´s missionaries!! Every one of us!!

Love 
Hermana Karlee Jo Carter

Karlee and the "girls"
 
Karlee and Hermana Bitton

Karlee at Provo Temple



Week 2 MTC


Hola familia
Esta seenaes muy bueno!! At our devo. Tuesday night we got to hear from Elder Joseph W Sitati of the 70 and his wife Gladys. It was really good! She talked about things we as missionaries... but, I think also a people in general.
1-    Remember who you are. you are a Representative of Christ and God, they will always be at your side! (D&C 84:88) 
2-    Listen with real intent so you can understand! -which is so true, esp. when learning and trying to learn and speak a new language, you have to pay super close attention of you get lost!
3-    Say sorry when there is conflict of disagreement.
4-    have kind regard for the people you serve...which also applies to those you serve with!-they should see Christ's face and his love in yours
5-    the lord has promised an abundance of blessings to those who serve him faithfully
6-    be grateful! Your family has expectations for you
7-    remember Jesus Christ's atonement and what it means in you life
8-    remember Joseph Smith and the restoration- it is because of him we know who we are...because of him we have the BOM- the keystone of our religion
9-    how much the prophet loves you!
10-be grateful for you life! You have much ahead of you!
*Have a desire to do your best!
*We should always look for God's hand in our daily lives
*GRATITUDE IS THE MARK OF A NOBLE SOUL!!
Elder Sitati talked about three main points then expanded
1.    remember your divine potential
2.    Remember the restored gospel is the greatest gift you have received in this life and will take to as many as will listen and receive or that you can offer
3.    honor your covenants! This allows for the constant companionship of the spirit.
4.    he also asked us to remember 3 things 
5.    to try your best and enjoy your time here
6.    this is a sacred responsibility
7.    we are a special generation of missionaries!
8.    he shared 1 Timothy 4:12 which is super bien!
some things he said that I loved "leave a testimony that will pierce their heart" ; "the Lord will manifest his word through you"; "The world is in need of good examples"; begin with an end in mind"; "offer your very best"
*remember who you are and that you were prepared for the foundation of time.
*we are not perfect but do we strive to do our best?
*the lord will help you know how to do it just right
as a choir we sang ' Hope of Israel ' and it sounded soo good!!
For p-day last week...well the same today...after the very first pday we decided to get up at 5:00am and get laundry started. So while it is in the washer we go get the apartment cleaned and then go rotate and come home get ready, Go get breakfast, pick up laundry, then run to catch the bus, to go to the temple. Then we come back walk to Brigham’s Landing. Last week we met a man as we were standing in the parking lot trying to decide what we wanted to eat, he asked us if we were lost, if we knew where the MTC was… yes, just trying to decide...so we decided on DP Cheesesteaks, which, by the way, you have to try-- the hot pepper one is super bien!!  So, he drove off..we thought.. as we were looking at the menu trying to decide on a sandwich, he walks in and talks for a min, then says he has to go, but before he left he paid for all of ours! How cool, right!  After we walked back we changed, folded our laundry and then do emails, then play volleyball, go home, change, come eat dinner, then catch the bus for main campus, to go to choir practice followed by the Tuesday devo. P-days are so great!!
Friday we taught Jonathan! It was our second lesson with him and it was soooo goood!! We read lots of scriptures and testified a lot and got the spirit there so strong that we got him to commit to read the BOM, pray, and he said he would maybe be baptized, he wanted an answer first!
On Wednesday, we started TRC's and taught 2 20 min lessons to members- went well!
Then this week MWFS we are teaching Heley. Tomorrow we also have to teach 2 20 min member lessons, Jonathon, and Antonio… YAY us!!
Hmna. Bitton, we noticed on Friday, had something on her eye and her eye looked red so she tried to wash it out and it wouldn’t come so yesterday we went to the health clinic at main campus and they sent us to the 'real world' to an eye doc. who said it was staph infection in her eye.  He gave her some eye drops and said to come back on Friday!  We made it back to west campus just in time for dinner..it was a very hot and eventful day!!

I am learning a lot and esp. learning patience! It is a good thing! We decided we are going to challenge ourselves to one full day of Spanish- no English...what an adventure that will be!
Sunday we got to hear from Tad A Callister, general sunday school pres., and he talked about the plan of salvation, super good!
 We just found out that the MTC choir...well, the elders get to sing in the priesthood session of GC! Super cool
We also just found out that the MTC is downsizing and no longer needs west campus so we are relocating on the 2nd to main campus....5 well, really 4 days, before I leave..kind a dumb, but whatever.. at least everything will be mostly packed before I leave!
It is so crazy to think we’ve been here for 3 weeks already! We are half way done! It has gone crazy fast and I am sad to be leaving everyone since were so close already but I’m so excited to get to Ecuador!!
Our apartment has 2 bedrooms with 4 beds, a couch ,table, fridge, and full bath. Since we only have 3, not 4, we all have to sleep in the same room, one room is used for sleeping, the other for getting ready. Hmna Bitton sleeps on the floor and says that's where she likes it so....
TEACHING:::
Our teachers, Hermanos Call and Rockwood, play Antonio and Jonathon, but TRC's we don't know if they are members playing nonmembers or if they really are investigators.. but we also teach 2 member lessons at least once a week- yes, the entire lesson has been in Spanish since day 3 here at the MTC.
Tomorrow we have to teach 5 lessons! I guess it will give us a taste of the real world...at least the missionary world:) most definitely keeping up on the journal though!!
Mama! si este semana es super bien! martes es super bien! escribe cartas to mi familia!! Haha! I will have to work on it!
iLove you all!! Forever and always!!
Hermana Karlee Jo Carter<3<3<3<3


Karlee and her companions
Elders in Karlee's District











Thursday, September 4, 2014

Week One MTC


HOLA!! mucho amor mama y familia!!
 My p-day is Tuesday! Wow this first week has gone so fast it has been so incredible though! I have two companiaras! and they are fantastic! Hermana Bitton is from Ogden and Hermana Fairbanks is from Everett, Washington! There are a total of 9 missionaries in our district! Elders Strong, Berry, Diamond, Johnson, Sorenson, and Moser! It is so fun we are finally past the awkward phase...that lasted maybe two days:) -- so it is way fun now and we eat lunch and talk and study together all the time, just tons of fun and already so close, it will be sad to leave everyone in 5 more weeks! Well, as for our first week, we have already taught an "investigator" three lessons-- in Spanish no less! The first lesson was on day 3! It is amazing to see how much we have learned between lessons! We are understanding more, definTtely not everything! The hardest part is being able to respond, because we know what we want to say- just don't have the words yet to convey what we want to share!
The food is good, its a step or two (large steps) up from regular cafeteria food :) we've had hot dogs, chicken cordon bleu, lasagna, vegetable lasagna, and we always have soup, fruit and salad, and of course a delicious dessert of some kind, usually a doughnut or cookie, 
I have way too many clothes I think and miss my flats so I may have to send a couple of my shoes home and have you send those back....we'll see. 
I love being able to be with people all the time....the studying all day...eh..not my favorite. Usually I do okay but like last night after a full and long exhausting week it was very hard to focus!
Gym time is awesome, we look forward to that daily, only thing I don’t like is it is right after lunch…, but hey, someone's got to have that time so... but Hrmna. Fairbanks loves to exercise so we usually jog to the gym bubbles and then play volleyball for gym or go work out on the elliptical and treadmills, it is good I have someone to help motivate me!!
We got to go to the temple first thing this morning and that was such an amazing experience, as it always is!
The MTC is such an amazing place! We have choir practice twice a week, Sunday nights, here on west campus and then Tuesday nights before Tuesday devotional, at the main campus! It sounds so good! I love choir!! Love you all so much, hopefully next week I will have some pictures for you! Send me some as well! Tell everybody Hi for me.
Love you all so much thank you for your prayers and support!! 
Love
Hermana Karlee Jo Carter