tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88483553030154345012024-03-05T15:50:32.476-08:00Elder Landon CarrollLandon is serving a two year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Raleigh, North Carolina where he will be speaking Spanish. We will be posting his letters and pictures so you can share in his experience.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-42418341704608290002016-03-07T10:06:00.002-08:002016-03-07T10:06:44.307-08:00My heart is full.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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March 7, 2016</div>
<br />"Well, I have a year and 2 months left to be in high school. I will just like to say i have meant some really great people at the school and at my church. I just hope that the Class of 2017 is ready to start a new life after High School. I wish it had never came to this but we have our future ahead of us. I would like to thank Fred for introducing the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to me. If I hadn't gotten baptised or even met everyone at the church then my life would still be screwed up. My past was amazing. But it was also the worst that I lived in, and i hope it won't come back and haunt me. When I graduate from high school i am hoping to serve a mission for the church and i hope Fred gets to join me. I hope my senior year will be the best." -Alberto <br /> <br /> My heart is full of gratitude for what has transpired the past few days. My mission has nearly come to an end, but I could not have ended it any better. Alberto was baptized on March 5th at 7 pm. It was an amazing experience and perhaps the most rewarding baptism of my mission. As you can see from Alberto's Facebook post, he was ready and understood the sacred nature of baptism. Some people judged him harshly from the get go, but we never stopped working with him. I've seen him grow so much! He's waaaaaayyyyy happier than he was when I met him and now he has a secure, bright future ahead of him. I am grateful to the Lord for blessing me with this wonderful opportunity. I'm grateful for the friendships I've made with Fred and Alberto, and I hope to cherish them for the rest of my life. Through this experience, I've been able to witness firsthand how the Gospel of Jesus Christ works in people's lives. It changes them from the inside-out and fills the void they never knew was there. I look forward to the day when I'll be able to write Alberto on his mission and see him get married in the temple one day. And I have full confidence that many will follow after him. <br /> <br /> This week was just amazing. It was my last full week in the mission and we KILLED it. We taught many great lessons and I was able to leave a lot of great final words before heading out. I may not fully realize the impact that I've had here in Dunn, but I know that by me just being here, lives have been blessed, including my own. I hope to be able to return to this area soon after my departure to visit these people again. I've made more friends on my mission than I have my whole life, which I find incredible. And these aren't just acquaintances either. I mean, I really have loved the people of North Carolina in each one of my areas. It will be overwhelming to come back here after my mission and attempt to visit each one of them. And thank goodness for Facebook, right?<br /> <br /> In other news, we also ate with our friend Pedro again. He's a convert from Durham and he likes to come eat lunch with all his missionaries. It was good seeing him again. He's another one of those "life-long" friends I've made out here. Like I said, there are many. <br /> <br /> Well I guess this is it people. My mission has officially come to an end. There have been times when I never even thought I would have made it this far, but here I am! I look forward to seeing and speaking with you all when I return to Georgia. Now allow me to conclude by summarizing my experiences out here and the things that I've learned. <br /> <br /> First off, missions are not easy. I came out here with a lot of pride, thinking that because of my talents and abilities, I would be successful. I used to be competitive with other missionaries and seek the recognition of others in order to validate my efforts, but things changed very quickly. Toward the end of my first area (Pinehurst), I started to humble myself and learn how to love people. I learned that serving others was a much happier way of living than what I had previously been living. I also began to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of it not only in my life, but in the lives of those I served. As I got to Clinton, I was tested with having to work hard every day and making sure to continue to strengthen my testimony. Things were not easy there. I had a lot to live up to. The members really counted on us and at times, I didn't even feel worthy to be in their service. But even with that self-inflicted trial, I kept working hard. I gave it my all. And when the days were so hard that I just wanted to give up, Heavenly Father would send me something to make it all better and all worthwhile. Then I got a baptism. It rocked my world. I began to see that I COULD be a successful missionary and that there WERE people out there that were ready to receive the Gospel. The next year, I worked harder than I ever have. In Durham and Chapel Hill we would bike over twenty miles a day sometimes just for one appointment. Although I did not baptize there, I learned a lot about myself and I believe it prepared me for what was to come. I got transferred to Raeford and was called to be a district leader over six companionship. Being a leader and having to take care of so many missionaries really allowed me to grow and to see my true potential. I was not perfect by any means, but my efforts helped a lot of missionaries get through some unique struggles. That's some rewarding stuff. Months later, we got another baptism. Through her, I was able to see that the Lord truly does know us and that He places us exactly where we need to be. I can see that this woman was prepared to receive the Gospel from me and that because of my talents and abilities, she chose to follow Jesus Christ into the waters of baptism. After training for the last three months, I was called to train again, except this time I would be coming into an area all by myself. Once again, the Lord blessed me with more experiences to stretch and refine me. Although I've struggled here, sometimes with obedience, sometimes emotionally, I've been able to learn the value of hard work and dusting ourselves off and moving forward when we fall down. And just this last week, I was able to confirm Alberto a member of the church. I could probably go on, but I just want to reiterate how grateful I am for having served a mission. It's been the hardest two years of my life, but it's also been the best two years of my life (thus far). <br /><br />I pray that when I get home, I will be able to continue to be a servant in the Lord's hands. There is a life-long calling of service ahead of me and I can't wait to get started. I will miss the mission field, my mission president and his wife, my missionary friends, members, and investigators, but I know that there is more to life ahead of me. Although I'm leaving this stage of my life behind, I know that there is so much more ahead of me. The MTC was training for my mission and the mission has been training for the rest of my life. <br /> <br /> I love all of you and can't wait to see your faces and hear your voices again. Please pray that I can have a safe journey home and that I can leave here satisfied with what I've been able to accomplish. <br /> <br /> Con mucho amor y sinceridad, <br /> <br /> Y por la ultima vez,<br /> <br /> -Elder Landon Carroll Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-4614439166795212772016-03-07T09:58:00.002-08:002016-03-07T09:58:29.301-08:00Last full week. Ready. Set. Go!!!February 29. 2016<br />
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Here I am coming into my last full week in the mission field. Honestly, I never thought I would get this far given how difficult missions can be, but here I am. I've made it this far and there's just one more full week between me and my journey home. Oh, and a baptism of course. Isn't that exciting?<br /><br />Let me give y'all an update on A. He's doing really well! He's fully prepared to be baptized on Saturday which is a big relief for me considering it's my last Saturday in the mission. Talk about clutch haha. We had a little bit of a scare yesterday at church. We got there and A wasn't there. We waited for about twenty minutes for his "ride" to come in but it never did. So we gave him a call. "A, are you coming to church today?" "I tried to get a ride yesterday and this morning, but non one answered the phone. So now I'm at work with my dad." WHAT! I was about to lose it. It was the Sunday before his baptism and he HAD to be there in order to get baptized. I told him "you have to be at church today if you want to get baptized. We can't move it back again cause I won't be here. How can you get here?" This was about ten minutes into stake conference. So we got together with A's friend F and some others and finally found a ride for him. He'd be late, but at least he'd be there. So we had F's dad go and pick him up about thirty minutes away. Super far away, but hey, he had to be here. I was so relieved when he finally walked in for the last half of stake conference. Now he can get baptized on Saturday and I can go out with a bang! <br /><br />In other news, there's a dead beaver outside our apartment right next to the road. I guess someone hit the poor thing. I wish I had a picture. After much contemplation, we decided to name him Joseph. Joseph is funny. And disobedient. He never gets up on time. In fact, I don't think Joseph ever moves. He might be the laziest beaver missionary I've ever met. Every time we pull into the parking lot we're like "What are you doing Joseph?!?! It's like 4 pm!" Hahaha it's super funny. And it'll be even funnier when his body starts to rot. Yuck!<br /><br />Andi n more other news, we made a roast on Wednesday! Elder Christensen and I are quite the cooking pair. We've made quite a few things together. Asian food, tacos, chicken, grilled cheese, Rice-a-roni, and even some Sister Schubert's rolls! Those went with our roast on Thursday. One of the recent converts in our ward bought us a crock pot and we have been taking advantage of it. I'm not sure what we're gonna make next. Maybe some soup? Or some yummy dip or something? We'll figure it out. I'm sure the cravings will give us a good idea. <br /><br />And that's about all I have for this week. It was a good one and my main focus now is making sure to set up Elder Christensen well for when I leave and getting A into the water. Your prayers are appreciated. Please give me one more week of them so I can finish what I set out here to do. <br /><br />Con mucho amor,<br /><br />Elder Landon Carroll<br /><br />P.S. What does a tree do when he's all ready to go? He leaves.Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-25249646187050379562016-03-07T08:28:00.000-08:002016-03-07T08:28:16.223-08:00I'm finna end this mission right!February 22, 2016<br />
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This week was really a great one. Most weeks in the mission are just hard, but every once in a while you have a week that's just refreshing and full of success. <br /><br />First off, I'd like to share some very exciting news because I can't hold it in anymore...<br /><br />Alberto is getting baptized! He had his baptismal interview last night and passed with flying colors! He won't be baptized this weekend because of stake conference, but we're counting on the 5th of March. I am super stoked! It's been a bumpy ride with him and I've been stressed out of my mind about his whole situation and making sure he's ready, but he and the Lord have prevailed. I really would love to share his whole conversion story with y'all, but I'll save it for after his baptism. For now, it sufficeth me to say that he will be baptized on the fifth of March.<br /><br />In other news, we found some great new investigators this week. It never ceases to amaze me that we can just randomly knock on someone's door, teach them a quick little message, and then we're meeting with them twice a week. And then if they progress, they become lifelong friends. That's how it's been for me my whole mission. One thing that I cherish deeply is the friendships that I've made out here, especially with those I've been able to teach. As it says in Doctrine and Covenants section 50:22 "Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together." There's no stronger relationship than one that is first found upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. That's why marriages and families in the church are much more successful than those outside of it. We often think that when we share a relationship with someone, it's just us and them, when in reality, the Lord should be the center of it all. That's why marriage in the temple is so important. It binds families together not only for eternity, but for this life as well. <br /><br />How did I get on that subject again? Oh yeah! I was talking about the relationships we build with those we teach. Relating that to Alberto, I think that's one of the biggest things that has played a role in his conversion. The closer we've been able to get to him, the better our teaching has been and the more the Spirit has been felt. The reason I've been able to recognize his progress so well is because of the close relationship we've formed. And I know that after his baptism and after my departure home, we will continue to be friends, not only because that's what we should do as missionaries, but also because there is a real friendship there. It's a beautiful thing.<br /><br />Something funny also happened this week. So there's this restaurant called "Ron's Barn" right here where we live that everyone likes to go to. We were hungry one evening so we finally decided to check it out. Let me just say that everything was very confusing. We got in there and some lady (obviously noting our confused faces) asked if we were in a group or if it would be just us. "It's just us," we said. So she told us where to go to find a seat. We sat down, some guy came and took our drink order and then said "okay, you can go when you're ready." What the heck does that mean? So we waited for some other people and just followed them. So what you do is you go through this buffet style line and (kind of like the Lion House, but buffet) tell them what you want and then you just go back to your seat and eat it. The confusing part was: 1) Can we go get more food after we're done? 2) Why are we the only ones that have never been here before? 3) How do we pay for our food? We spent the whole time while eating contemplating how everything worked. The confusion was almost making me go cross-eyed. So we finally finished our food, asked the bus boy how to pay,and we headed out toward the front desk. We paid for our food there and that was it. I told Elder Christensen "We are never going there again. I don't care how good the food was. It's not worth it if we have to pass through Hotel California every time we come." I kept telling Elder Christensen during dinner "We can check out anytime we'd like, but we can never leave." Haha so that was our dinner. The food was great, but the lack of communication from the employees was almost repugnant. And I'm convinced that we were the only two living people in that restaurant. All the rest were ghosts who are trapped there haha. <br /><br />I guess I'll end it on that note. I hope y'all have a fantastic week. Please continue to pray for Alberto so that he can get baptized on his scheduled date. Thanks for everything. <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carrol<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.3px;">l</span>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-86877100052967303032016-02-16T06:17:00.000-08:002016-02-16T06:18:09.905-08:00What do we do? Well, isn't it obvious?February 15, 2016<br /><br /> Sooooooo.....this week was very successful. It was very cold throughout the week, but we didn't hesitate to go and and work to bring people to repentance. That is our purpose after all. We bring people the message of the Restoration and attempt to build their faith through the Spirit, they act upon it by keeping our commitments (them repenting) and then as they continue to make changes in their lives to be more like Christ, they are prepared to make and keep the covenant of baptism. <br /><br />I gave an instruction this week at our zone training meeting in Fayetteville. The rest of the leaders in the zone insisted that I speak about our purpose as missionaries and what our priorities should be. I spent the whole week praying and pondering about how I would go about presenting things and everything finally came together just the Tuesday before the meeting. I really learned a lot as I studied about our purpose. I think Preach My Gospel says it best: <br /><br />"President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 167).<br /><br />You are called to represent Jesus Christ in helping people become clean from their sins. You do this by inviting them to come unto Jesus Christ and become converted to His restored gospel. To come to the Savior they must have faith in Him unto repentance—making the necessary changes to bring their life into agreement with His teachings. You can help people develop such faith by teaching them the restored gospel by the Spirit and inviting them to commit to live according to its teachings. Keeping this commitment prepares them for the covenant of baptism and confirmation and the precious gift of the Holy Ghost. They are to put off the “natural man” and become a Saint “through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19).<br /><br />So that's pretty much it right there. Our main purpose is to help people become clean from their sins so that they'll be prepared to receive the Savior's mercy at the Day of Judgement. It's always interesting to me that the Lord would trust us with so great a task. But one thing I've learned is that He really is in charge of the work. It's His work. We're just instruments in His hands and we have the marvelous privilege of helping people find peace in their lives. It's quite amazing. So going back to my instruction, one thing I really focused on with the missionaries is our priorities as missionaries. Over the course of a few months, we've been able to see a decline in lessons taught to investigators and therefore a decline in the number of baptisms. So I basically told the missionaries that we can't be wasting our precious time with less active that won't progress. As a mission, we spend too much time teaching less actives and recent converts because it's "easy" and because it fills the time when we have nothing to do. But that's really not what we're called to do. That's what the home teachers are ultimately for. Our job is to go out and call people to repentance by teaching doctrine by the Spirit and asking them to act upon it. These are things that I've always understood to an extent, but after studying for this instruction, it all just makes perfect sense. I wish I had received this insight months ago, but hey, the Lord gives unto us "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." So I hope I was able to motivate someone to work a little harder and to take this calling with a little more seriousness. As I've seen throughout my mission, this time to serve the Lord is extremely short. We have to take advantage of every opportunity that's given us to call people to repentance. <br /><br />Some updates on investigators. A finally came to church! We spent the whole week making arrangements so he could get there and he did it! That means he is one step closer to baptism! I'm really proud of him and the progress he's made. All he needs to do now is go to church next week, be taught a few more lessons, be reading and praying consistently, and have an interview and he'll be ready! Please continue to pray for him. He's going through a hard time right now and I feel that having the support of the church and especially having the Gift of the Holy Ghost will give him some needed consolation. <br /><br />Well I guess I'd better wrap this thing up. As I come to the end of my mission, things are starting to come into perspective. I continue to learn more about the Gospel and particularly about the Atonement and it's allowed me to see a different side of life. I have great goals and desires for who I want to be when I get home. But right now I just have to continue focusing on what's important, that is, the progress of my investigators and the progress and well-being of my missionaries.<br /><br />A guy threw a gallon of milk at me the other day. How dairy! (How dare he)<br /><br />Have a great week! <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-11432403927026201572016-02-16T06:09:00.000-08:002016-02-16T06:09:35.193-08:00I'm just...tired.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">February 8, 2016</span><br />
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Good morning everyone,<br /><br />I remember when I was serving in Pinehurst as a new missionary and my followup trainer Elder Johnson would say to me "Elder I'm just so tired all the time. When you get my age, you'll understand." I can now say that I understand. Two years of dedicated service to the Lord certainly takes it out of you. I'm tired ALL THE TIME. I don't have problems getting up, but there are times during the day that all I want to do is lay down and take a nap. But....the good news is my companion has fresh legs and keeps me motivated so that I can go out and fulfill my purpose as a missionary!<br /><br />This week was somewhat uneventful. We had all this great stuff planned out and things just got in the way...people's agency, sickness, work, whatever it was. A lot of things just fell through so we had to do a lot of adapting. We were able to knock some doors and we found some good prospects. Tracting is not my favorite thing to do, but it's proven to be successful on my mission. You just have to know how to talk to people and how to help them have a spiritual experience on the door. It's not easy, but with practice you can get pretty good at it and as long as you're consistent, you'll have success. <br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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Now an update on our baptismal candidate A. He's doing pretty well! We had a pizza party with him and his friend F and it seemed to inject some positive motivation and friendship. As we've taught him, I've really been able to see him get more and more excited about what is to come. He's made a lot of changes in his life and his sister even came to church to see what this was all about. Others are apparently starting to notice the changes as well. The only thing holding him back write now is church attendance. Until he can prove that he wants to be a member of the church and participate with some consistency, we just can't baptize him. He didn't come to church this week because of some stomach bug, so it's really crucial that he comes the next two weeks in a row. That's his commitment and I'm praying that he can fulfill it. <br /><br />I could write about some other things we did, but I've chosen to ramble instead. </div>
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As I continue to gain a greater understanding of the Gospel and how it fits in my life, the need of it in the world becomes more and more evident. I'm not completely up to date on everything that goes on the world, but people keep me sufficiently informed to be able to understand a lot of what's going on. The world has changed a lot these past two years. Society continues to crumble as things that fifty years ago would never have been acceptable eat away at the Christian foundation this country was built upon. Sin today is acceptable and in many eyes even desirable. The ways of the world and the ways of God continue to drift farther and farther apart. There is a distinct separation between those that follow God and those that have elected to follow Satan. It's really sad if you think about it. We truly are in the last days. The signs of the times are here. People are losing hope in things they thought would last and they have as it says "stopped looking for the truth for they know not where to find it." I look around me sometimes and I'm able to almost visibly see holes in people's lives wherein if the Gospel was planted, happiness and peace would be restored. This is why the Restoration came about when it did. God knew that these times would be perilous so He called another prophet to guide those who would listen. Some of my favorite verses come out of Doctrine and Covenants section one:<br /><br />"17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;<br /><br /> 18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—<br /><br /> 19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—<br /><br /> 20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;<br /><br /> 21 That faith also might increase in the earth;<br /><br /> 22 That mine everlasting covenant might be established;<br /><br /> 23 That the fullness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers."<br />It's truly comforting to know that the Lord hasn't left us alone. Because of modern-day prophets, we have all the tools necessary to combat the insecurity of the world. The Gospel truly is the answer to everything we're facing in life. And the beautiful thing about it is just how simple it is! Sometimes it's so simple that we don't even think it'll help us, but as we humble ourselves and follow the counsel of the Lord and His servants, we will be blessed to overcome the world. I have my own weaknesses and struggles, but I know that through the Gospel and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everything will be made right in the end. We just have to remember what we've been taught and hold on to what we know to be true and right. <br /><br />I could ramble all day but I'll just end it right there. Please share the Gospel with someone this week. People are starving for the truth. Also please continue to pray for our investigator A. He needs it. <br /><br />Have a great week!<br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-16521929897808616562016-02-16T05:49:00.002-08:002016-02-16T05:49:43.269-08:00Just PREACH!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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February 1, 2015</div>
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Good afternoon! <br /> <br /> I've had a good week and hope y'all have as well. <br /> <br /> As my mission slowly rolls to an end, I try to take every opportunity I can to just teach people the Gospel and testify of how it will bless their lives. Sometimes that's all I can do. There are times when struggles cause me to lose my footing in life and in the mission, but something I always hold on to is my ability to teach the Gospel and share my testimony of the hope that it brings me. And although people don't always respond to what I have to say, I at least leave edified knowing that I laid everything on the table. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeo0OuclLv7O3IejAex8KZCf5ASHLloEQ7zYx555z0xDXR8tJHlqATkSrDoABGBUnxSSoXpMigUlABHyDdamRRTyxGYfqdWp8mOL1aIoyMV3KdUPFi_P8wzlrQnk6aXw630mM6xf8Z1Q/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeo0OuclLv7O3IejAex8KZCf5ASHLloEQ7zYx555z0xDXR8tJHlqATkSrDoABGBUnxSSoXpMigUlABHyDdamRRTyxGYfqdWp8mOL1aIoyMV3KdUPFi_P8wzlrQnk6aXw630mM6xf8Z1Q/s400/IMG_0081.JPG" width="400" /></a>An update on A. He's the young man who has 17 years (excuse my Spanish) and a baptismal date. It's currently set for February the 13th, but I think we'll move it back just to be sure he's ready. As we've gone through the teaching process with him, I've really seen him grow-both in knowledge and testimony. We had him over to a member's home on Saturday to give him a better learning environment and he really opened up about some of the things he's been feeling. Brother Knight, our Ward Mission Leader, asked him some questions about the Spirit. Alberto opened up and said that ever since he started feeling the Spirit through reading and praying, his anger has nearly left him. That's really where his testimony lies at this point and what's great is that he recognizes where it's coming from! The only thing holding him back from baptism right now is a couple more lessons and his church attendance. If we get through those hurdles, he'll be a member this month!<br /> <br /> Other updates on the work include but are not limited to...<br /> 1. Three new investigators! <br /> 2. Out of those three, one man has offered to make us Puerto Rican food! <br /> 3. We had some less actives come to church. <br /> 4. We helped a man who's addicted to caffeinated beverages switch his habit to flavored water!<br /> 5. I got a haircut. <br /> 6. Elder Christensen got a haircut. <br /> 7. We had a great district meeting. <br /> 8. Had an awesome linger-longer after church yesterday.<br /> 9. Avoided the temptation to hold a baby. <br /> 10. Had some awesome beef tacos! <br /> <br /> I really wish I had more to write, but these weeks sometimes just mesh together. I guess that's what happens when you do the same thing every day. You know, it's funny. I'll have these crazy dreams where I'm at home or at Wal-Mart or at College, but in almost all of them I'm still a missionary and somehow end up sharing the Gospel in my dreams. Well, sometimes that's the case. One of my dreams this week involved me and a couple of giant pet cows. I guess when you associate yourself with an Idahoan farm boy for long enough, it starts to get to you.<br /> <br /> So I guess I'll wrap this thing up before I start rambling about absolutely nothing. <br /> <br /> Just remember who you are this week and focus on how much the Lord has blessed you. Also remember to continue to reevaluate your life so you can make changes and receive even more blessings from Him. I know that God lives and that He loves us. Because of His love, He sent us His Son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins, giving us all the equal opportunity to learn and follow him to one day be able to stand in the presence of God again. That right there is the most valuable piece of information anyone can ever posses. Don't ever forget it. Matthew 13:44-46. <br /> <br /> Have a great week!<br /> <br /> -Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-17320903824097852802016-02-01T07:58:00.000-08:002016-02-01T07:58:00.456-08:00Snow and ice and what have you.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">January 25, 2016</span><br />
<br />Weeeeeellllllllll......this week definitely had its challenges. But I'm grateful for them! We were able to help so many people this week and I'm proud of our efforts in serving the Lord and those around us. Being out here on the mission has taught me that serving others is one of the quickest ways to relief and happiness. Every time I get out there and give someone a hand, my burdens are lifted and the Spirit enters my life, bringing me indescribable joy. <br /><br />Before I get to the meat of this email, we have another baptismal date! We still have A, now for the 12th of February, who is progressing nicely, along with another man named E. We found him through our area book and he seems very committed to gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. So pray that we can get him in the water one of these days!<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA1CAQ2S9GU83qd8l4WjVe-54hDP_CLtpALqrpbOTooKpd6HsG8xfpJjeMDQY5nkqV1NUiKQU5UGjWxXMFFg94sRl8XAA9Bx5590R-GmkPEaC1iV9mrKSUk1Ockc9S1MIJP-YKw7ta3Q/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOA1CAQ2S9GU83qd8l4WjVe-54hDP_CLtpALqrpbOTooKpd6HsG8xfpJjeMDQY5nkqV1NUiKQU5UGjWxXMFFg94sRl8XAA9Bx5590R-GmkPEaC1iV9mrKSUk1Ockc9S1MIJP-YKw7ta3Q/s400/IMG_0040.JPG" width="400" /></a>As I'm sure most of you know, the east got slammed with winter storms this weekend. We were told Thursday night to prepare for power outages and time inside the apartment. So we got some visits in Thursday and then the freezing rain started to come down at about 8 pm that night. My companion, who's from Idaho, kept telling me "These people are ridiculous. They're closing everything down for a little rainstorm." "Just you wait," I told him. We woke up the next morning and everything was iced over! We were tempted to go out and work, but the zone leaders texted and told us if it's snowing, raining, hailing, or sleeting in freezing conditions, not to go out. So we stayed in. We got some planning and cleaning done and I continued my journey to complete Jesus the Christ before I get home. I'm almost there ;). So we were pretty much doing that all day until around 3 pm when we lost power. Then it kind of got fun. The wind was picking up and the rain (ice) started coming down even harder. So we waited a little bit, hoped the power would be back on when we returned, and left the apartment to buy some ingredients to make tacos. We bought all our stuff: the cilantro, cebolla, carne de puerco, and salsa verde, and then we headed back to the apartment only to find that the power was still off! There was ice everywhere and no power to the stove, so I had some cereal or something and my companion went to bed with the hopes that the power would come back on so we could make our tacos. Nada. I kept reading and then I went out on the patio to see how everything was going. I got out there just in time to hear a massive tree falling to the ground. Thankfully it didn't hit anything. <br /><br />Well, we finally got power at about 9 pm and then we went to bed. We woke up the next morning to SNOW! There was quite a bit, too. Probably a good three inches or so. So we made our tacos for lunch, went down to Clinton with a convert from Durham (Pedro) to have dinner with the elders down there, and then we headed to another meal. After that, we went to go check on B. He's the man with the tracheostomy. We had got a call from him earlier that day telling us that he didn't have power and wasn't expecting it until Monday or Tuesday. So we definitely kept him on our minds and then visited him when we got the chance. We got to his house at about 7:30 pm to find him sitting in his car with the door open trying to unscrew and remove the driver's seat from the car. I guess he spilled some Brunswick stew and desperately needed to clean it. It's just who he is. Things have to be clean. So we tried to convince him to stop and go inside, knowing that if he were to get sick, he could be gone, but he refused. So we helped him out a bit and then finally got him to come inside the trailer. All he had in there was a space heater and a lamp, all powered by a small generator. He doesn't like to ask for help and he's super independent. We tried to convince him to stay with a member, but he wasn't having it. He just didn't want to be a burden to anyone. So we hooked him up with a kerosene heater and left him for the night. We came back on Sunday morning (church was cancelled) to check on him. When we got there, the seat was removed from his car, his house was clean, the kerosene heater was outside on the ground, and the power was back on. What a relief! I was really worried about this man. So we spent some time helping him clean his car, kept him company, and then headed off to another appointment. <br /><br />I'm grateful that the Lord has allowed us the privilege of serving his children here in Dunn. We're called as teachers and ministers of the Restored Gospel, but sometimes we're called on for different things. I'm grateful that we were able to be of help and that B is doing okay. Come to find out he grew up in Murray, Utah! Small world! <br /><br />In other news, I got recalled as district leader for my last transfer in the mission. I think I'll be a lot more prepared to lead these missionaries than I was the last time. My goals before I go home are: <br />1. Help Elder Christensen learn to teach in Spanish<br />2. Help the elders and sisters in the district reach their potential and come to love the work. <br />3. Baptize.<br />4. Take every opportunity to teach and testify. <br /><br />Thank you for your prayers in my behalf. I hope everyone survived the storms okay. Please continue to pray that I can end this mission strong. <br /><br />Have a great week! <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-83160723173434723702016-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:002016-01-19T16:34:35.499-08:00Stay Inside.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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January 19, 2016</div>
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Soooooo....we have some work ahead of us. <br />
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I was able to go down to Clinton again for a district preparation day and visit some more people. I saw Kent (the man who believes Jesus is black) and Sister Tyndall again! I got to talking to Sister Tyndall for a second and she asked me "Do you feel ready to go home?" I said "Nope. I've got some work to do." And that's how I've been feeling the past few weeks. Of course it would be great to be home watching sports and playing with my dog, but I'm just not done here. I don't feel done. Like I said earlier, there's work to be done. I just have to figure out exactly what the Lord wants me to focus on this last transfer coming up. <br />
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So let me tell y'all about some of our investigators. A is progressing....we say progressing, but really he just continues to learn. He's not progressing spiritually. We think it's due to his lack of understanding and lack of spiritual experiences. I guess what it comes down to is making sure that he understands the sacredness of baptism and the covenants he's preparing to make. He's under the impression that going through the missionary lessons prepares one for baptism, when in reality it's living the commitments that we extend. That's what changes people and that's what gets them living the Gospel even before their baptism. So we have some work to do with him. He has all the desire (we need to figure out why), but he just needs to keep his commitments and come to church with some consistency. But I'll keep you updated! He'll get there!<br />
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Most of our other "elect" investigators have either vanished off the face of the earth or just don't have the capacity to receive us right now. So the past week we've just been knocking.....and knocking....and knocking. And we're getting pretty good at it! I don't know why, but my door contacting is a little rusty, but we're starting to get in the groove of things. What's hard is that as soon as someone sees you on their porch, they've already made up their mind up about whatever it is you're about to offer. So it's our job to try and give them a spiritual experience on the porch so that they'll want us to come back. And we did do that last week. We have some appointments today because of it.</div>
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An update on Elder Christensen and his training experience. He's doing really well! He's much better than he was when he first arrived to the field. He knows how to teach, testify, and he's even starting to get the hang of Spanish. I'm just hoping I will have taught him enough before I head out. He's got a lot of potential to do a lot of good and I want to make sure he reaches his full potential. <br />
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Something funny (and creepy) that happened the other day. Add this to your list of cat stories (and reasons dogs are better than cats). So Elder Christensen and I were knocking doors in a neighborhood at around 6:30-7:00 pm. So we parked our car on the side of the road and began to get our stuff out. Then we look behind us and we see this black cat approaching. We named him Nightmare :). As we began knocking doors, he continued to follow us around. I think he was attracted to the lantern we were carrying or something. So we bade him follow. He kept following until we reached a certain point in the neighborhood where he was content to stay put. So we knocked some more doors and then headed back toward the car only to find Nightmare sitting in the same place we left him. We tried to get him to follow us, but he wouldn't budge. Then he started hissing! Didn't know why...So we bade him follow again....and he started talking. Like literally talking like a human. You couldn't understand what he was saying, but it sounded like someone possessed with a demon or something. He continued doing that and hissing and we began to wonder if maybe he was pregnant? Or in pain? Weirdest thing. I was just about to perform an exorcism when out of the corner of my eye I see something white sitting in the middle of the road. It was another cat. I approached it only to find that it was even creepier than Nightmare! It was just an orange cat, but it was so large and so ominous looking that I was compelled to shew it away. And then we got Nightmare to follow us again. He took a seat next to our hubcap and breathed a sigh of relief. I guess we....saved his life or something? Anyways, that's my cat story of the week. Still gives me the creeps. This is why you get a dog. <br />
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And that was my week! I hope that I can continue to work hard and testify every moment I get! Continue to pray for me as I wind this thing down! <br />
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Con mucho amor,</div>
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Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-77081347261178355642016-01-17T21:41:00.003-08:002016-01-17T21:41:57.209-08:0059 days left, but who's counting?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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January 11, 2016</div>
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Yes, yes, I know. I have 59 days left. But who's really counting? I'm not. My focus right now is to get my new missionary trained and speaking Spanish and to baptize at least once, preferably twice before I head home. People often ask me: "Elder Carroll, you trunky yet?" I always give them the same answer: "What reason do I have to be trunky?" Yes, I realize that life continues after the mission and that there are people who are anxiously awaiting my return, but the life of a missionary is one that can't be taken for granted and that certainly cannot be wished away so quickly. Every day is different. Every time I wake up I have another opportunity to go out and serve someone or perhaps to astound someone with the doctrines of the Restored Gospel. Sure, there are times when I look out the window and say to myself "I'm not going out there today." But why listen to that voice? With so much power to bring about so much good, why would I rather sit in the apartment and rot? Just because it's hard? Just because I might get sick from tracting in the cold? Nonsense! The Lord is preparing His people and we are here to go out and gather them! And that's what we did this week...<br /><br />We had a lot of success this week. We were able to finally get up with some of our most elect investigators and we had a great turn out at church. We've been working with a less active family since I got here and the progress has been slow to say the least, but they came to church yesterday! The mother, who is a member (the father and three of the children are not) finally found a job that allows her to go to church. And the father has decided to start coming to church frequently so he can be the spiritual head of the household. So they came, had a great time, and they've committed to keep coming. That's a success for sure. <br /><br />We also got another man to come to church. His name is E. He was a referral from a member a while back and we hit it off with him really well the other day. We talked about feeding the homeless and such and he mentioned that his kids always like him to give candy to the people under the bridge. I told him "We have plenty of candy if you need some." We really do though. People think missionaries don't get enough sweets, so they just dump candy and doughnuts and cake on us. And they wonder how some of these missionaries gain so much weight haha. So anyways, we told him that if he came to church on Sunday, we would have a whole bag of candy for him. And guess what. He came! So we're gonna start teaching him and hope that he progresses quickly. <br /><br />We also finally got up with another man. His name is J. He's eighty-three years old and his son and daughter are both strong, active members. He got offended at his Methodist church (that never happens) so he has decided to start coming to ours. Aaaaaaaand he wants us to teach him the "discussions" so he can understand clearly the point of view of his children. So we began with the restoration. We talked about God revealing His Gospel to the prophets, Christ establishing His church, and then the Great Apostasy. And then we moved on to the Joseph Smith story. At this point, J got a little restless. He said "I was wondering when you were gonna bring in Joseph Smith." So we continued, despite the apparent opposition to the idea of a modern-day prophet. He got a little more restless. Then he says "Can we just skip this part of the lesson? I already know the story anyway." He then turns to the member who's with us "I really love the Mormon church. I might consider being a member of it if they would just get rid of Joseph Smith. Him and his polygamy." He continued " I did a lot of research at the library when I found out my daughter was going to be a member of your church. I read book after book, some anti books, and then I formed my opinion of the whole thing. I think Joseph Smith was a charlatan." So we kind of left it at that. But we did say one more thing. "I encourage you not to close off your heart just yet." So he kind of stopped for a second and then turned to me again. "You know you might be right. If I'm trying to understand the point of view of my children, I might have to walk the path they walked. I'll think about things and let you know what I want to do next Thursday." And now all we can do is pray and hope that the Lord softens his heart before Thursday. I really have the faith that He will. <br /><br />And here's my rebuttal...<br /> <br />"You say that you like the Mormon church. You say that you love the emphasis on family and how good the people are. You say that the members of the church have been there for you when the members of your own were not. You've seen the church bless your children's lives, and yet you say Joseph Smith was a charlatan? Good fruit cannot come from a corrupt tree. The reason the church is so good is because Joseph Smith was who he said he was. He died defending his cause. He testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon to the guards who kept him enslaved and then shortly after sealed his testimony with his blood when an angry mob decided to take his life from him. And you're telling me that the man was a charlatan?!!?!?! Read and pray with a humble heart. The Lord will let you know through the Holy Spirit of the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel." <br /><br />That's my testimony of the matter. This Gospel changes lives. It works. God lives. Christ lives. Joseph Smith was their prophet on the earth. Through him, the truths of the fullness of the Gospel were restored. I don't know how I know these things are true, but I do. They're engraved so deeply in my heart that I cannot deny them. <br /><br />Please pray for me this week. Pray that I can go to work. People need this Gospel more now than ever. <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll<br /> </div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-20132043360333629522016-01-17T21:33:00.000-08:002016-01-17T21:33:31.883-08:00From Missionary to MinisterJanuary 4, 2016<div>
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Good morning,<br /><br />There comes a point in every missionary's mission when they have to decide who they really are. There comes a point where you have to decide what kind of sacrifice you're going to make for people and what side of yourself is going to dominate your missionary work. This week was a time for us to literally transform from young men wearing black name tags to ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not because we necessarily got any better than we were, but rather, because that's what was called for this week. <br /><br />I was sitting on my bed reading some books New Year's day (we had to be in by 8 pm) and I got a call from one of our potential investigators. His name is L and this man was just having the hardest time. He called and said he needs a lot of help and that he didn't know else to call, so he dug out our number and gave it a ring. He told me "Man I am in bad shape. I've lost everything! I have nothing left! I'm about to put a bullet in my head and I have no idea what to do. I don't know how to handle this stuff." I was extremely shocked at what I was hearing! I had never before received a call like that nor had I dealt with anything remotely similar. So I calmed him down a little bit and asked what was going on. He told me that his wife walked out and that there was nobody there for him and that he was sick and tired of going through the same stuff over and over again. So I continued to get more details and found out that he's had an incredibly difficult life and that he almost feels abandoned and forsaken. So I explained to him a little bit about what was going on. I said "You've been living this way for a long time and it's time to make a change. You say you keep going through the same stuff over and over again, so what you're doing clearly isn't working. You need to go about things like you never have before. You need to make a change in your life." He then exclaimed "It's too late for me buddy! I'm 51 years old! It's too late to make a change!" I assured him that it was never too late. Then he continued to rant about his mistakes and how he wasn't worth anything, so I took it as an opportunity to bring in the Gospel. It really is the only solution for a man who has NOTHING. <br /><br />So I began to talk and read about the Atonement, explaining first the love of God and that Jesus Christ suffered everything and knows exactly how he feels. Then I told him that he can start a new life, that he didn't have to be the person he was before. I told him the reason for the Atonement and explained what we could do to help him. I told him that he could make a change and begin to live a meaningful life full of hope and happiness. He said "I don't know how to do that! I don't know how to deal with this kind of stuff." I told him "What you've done in the past has obviously not worked because you've been in this situation before. So what I want you to do is get on your knees and ask God to lead you in the right direction so you can find happiness. Do that and then call me back, okay?" He agreed. So he hung up and then I just sat there in shock, praying with all my heart that Heavenly Father would fill him with His love. I sat and waited for about twenty minutes for this man to call back. Meanwhile my companion was in the other room watching some church videos. I sat there anxiously praying and listening to the Spirit to know what I would say when he called back. He didn't call, so I did. I gave him a call and he answered. I said "You still with me?" "Yessir. I'm doing okay." He then started ranting again about how much it hurt and how he didn't know where to turn. So I said "Well you can't lose hope L. There's a Heavenly Father who is looking down on you and hoping that you turn to Him. He's not giving up on you and we're not giving up on you. And you can't give up on yourself either!" He then started to be positive "No I'm not gonna give up. I can't give up! God loves me!" I was getting so happy. So I asked him "Do you remember when the missionaries knocked on your door a few weeks ago? How did you feel?" He told me "Happy! I felt happy for the first time in a long time!" I then went on "Well that happiness was real and was a sign from God that you need to follow." I then got his address and we planned to visit him tomorrow. I asked him "Do you have a TV or a radio or something? I want you to listen to that and get your mind off things so you can sleep tonight. We'll call you in the morning." <br /><br />So we did. We called him and set up a time to visit him later that day. When we got to his apartment (shack) he was drunk and just depressed out of his mind. We sat down and read Alma 36 with him and assured him of our love and of God's love for him. We gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to read and start making small changes in his life. He agreed. And then we invited him to church and set up a ride for someone to pick him up. He thanked us for coming and told me that I saved his life. I was touched! The Lord really used me as an instrument in His hands! We left him with a prayer, he left us with some YooHoo, and then we were off. <br /><br />The next morning, he gave us a call telling us that he was ready to come to church. So we picked him up just before church and got him there a little late. This man was having the hardest time of his life. We sat toward the back of the chapel and he kept saying to me "I can't keep my head up. I can't keep my head up I'm so ashamed of myself." I continued to reassure him and help be an emotional rock for him. He hadn't been to church in many years and he felt unworthy to even be in the parking lot. As the testimonies were borne, he began to tear up. He was losing it fast. He turned to me "Hey buddy I'm gonna step out for a second." We went out in the hallway with him and he started toward the door. Then he began to weep, rather hysterically. I couldn't help but pity the man. So he went outside on the sidewalk and basically fell on his face because of all the anguish. He began to cry some more. He knelt on the ground and started to cry out to God for mercy, wondering how he even went down this road in the first place. The anguish continued. As we waited by the door we saw Brother Knight approaching us. He's our ward mission leader and the man who took L to church. He observed the situation and it seemed like he knew exactly what to do. So after his breakdown, L finally came back in, wiping the tears from his face. HE said "I'm so sorry. I just had a breakdown. It's not right for a grown man to be crying like a baby. Can I talk to one of y'all? We all just listened. He began to explain that he didn't feel right to be here and that he's afraid God doesn't love him anymore. Brother Knight did the smart thing and pulled him over to a room where we could all talk privately. Brother Knight pulled up a chair and sat in front of L and began to speak some of the most Godly words I've ever heard. He told L that everything was going to be okay and that God loves him know matter what he does. And then he talked about moving on from the past and looking with hope toward to future, trusting that God would lead the way. We all promised that with diligence and with the right support, he could change his life and become a new man. L said "That's what I want. I don't want to be stuck to the past anymore. I just want to be at peace with myself and with God." We told him that he had already taken the first steps by making the call and by coming to church and that he need only to continue walking the painful road of healing and forgiveness. So we gave him a blessing so that he could get through the day and the rest was just awesome. He participated a lot in Sunday school(which just so happened to be lesson one of Gospel Principles), slept through Priesthood, and then we took him home, promising again that if he did what he was supposed to do, he could become a new man. And that was it. <br /><br />Not only was this experience emotionally and spiritually taxing, but it taught everyone who participated a valuable lesson. It reminded us exactly what it means in the scriptures when it says "mourn with those that mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort." That's the covenant we make at baptism and that's the charge we took upon us when we submitted our mission papers. This is not a number game. We're not here just to see people enter the waters of baptism. We're not here for the converts, the Spanish, or the food. We're here because there are people in this world who are lost and have nothing else to turn to. L is an example of one of those people. I don't know if I could have handled a situation like this a few months ago, but the Lord does a good job of preparing us for what's to come. I know that I'm here for a reason. I know that it's much greater than I can even imagine. We are to minister. That is, do the things that Christ did. And that doesn't only extend throughout my mission, but throughout my life. We represent him and He expects us to be ready when our number is called. Thankfully, I was. <br /><br />Keep on believing. Don't stop progressing. And remember who you represent. <br /><br />Love, <br /><br />Elder Landon Carroll</div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-42192214088803429252016-01-17T21:20:00.001-08:002016-01-17T21:20:22.559-08:00Gotta keep Going...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">December 28, 2015</span><br />
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Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas. I hope that you were able to feel the Christmas in the air this year and that you were able to make this season something special. It certainly was for me :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraEm7NZHCjhtSzqB678zJEUUmZZleh2kZLOt0W9XgiTOqUcGN7sYicw4zYQGWdi9rF4Kjqflo8BY2y62giOxxNKmcxCheCJYNyw7tWcXw5zc9niebB-TSqQGzg64IAPWUugtccKtTg1g/s1600/IMG_0030%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraEm7NZHCjhtSzqB678zJEUUmZZleh2kZLOt0W9XgiTOqUcGN7sYicw4zYQGWdi9rF4Kjqflo8BY2y62giOxxNKmcxCheCJYNyw7tWcXw5zc9niebB-TSqQGzg64IAPWUugtccKtTg1g/s400/IMG_0030%255B1%255D.JPG" width="400" /></a>First off, this week was wonderful. We weren't able to teach that many lessons, but we sure touched a lot of lives. We visited everyone we could before Christmas and dropped off plenty of presents and goodies. Something I've learned to love on my mission is just the joy that comes from generosity and giving. We gave a plaque with a picture of Christ and a scripture on it to a man named Mario and he said "this is the best Christmas I've ever had. Y'all just made my day." That made me feel really good. We spent the week doing things like that and experiencing lots of joy. Before my mission I didn't really know the joy of giving. But now that I do, I'm never going back. <br /><br />Christmas day was wonderful. It started off with some really muddy basketball with my companion, then we came back and opened presents. I got a sweater, a UGA shirt, some socks, and a new watch! Life is good. Oh and I got one more thing for Christmas! That is, fat. I got fat for Christmas. There was no shortage of food this week. The families in the ward were especially generous. I haven't had American food like that in months. It really puts you to sleep haha. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYGqnS8raaN9f1aGbRJx2P3ybwvHHpqX6CLSoCKn4thA3QzolttI58nTFxhdlvdqA_iMzMz6VwW-1hEbcYmcYyvX7uDsb7u1nUxWEWK6ZAApb_hUO1nFRpZIx3y9X6yGgywOKRysbRWY/s1600/IMG_0042%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYGqnS8raaN9f1aGbRJx2P3ybwvHHpqX6CLSoCKn4thA3QzolttI58nTFxhdlvdqA_iMzMz6VwW-1hEbcYmcYyvX7uDsb7u1nUxWEWK6ZAApb_hUO1nFRpZIx3y9X6yGgywOKRysbRWY/s640/IMG_0042%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />And of course the highlight of Christmas day was talking to my family. It was an amazing hour and a half or so. I especially loved seeing a new baby sitting on my dad's shoulder haha. What a cute little guy. And I loved being able to catch up with my family a little bit. Everyone is a little older, but nothing has really changed. We're still the same family and I look forward to the day when I can come home and be with them again. <br /><br />Just a little update on the work. We had some great success at church this week. A lot of our less active members showed up and A even came! He's doing pretty well. We're really just trying to make sure he has a solid testimony and understanding of the covenants he's preparing to make with his Heavenly Father. We can't play games here. We can't baptize people that are just gonna fall away afterward. It's our job to make sure that these people are firmly rooted in the Gospel before they take the plunge. <br /><br />Well, that's about all for this week. We now have to wake up from our Christmas nap and get back to work. I hope that we can have a successful week and that we can help someone progress in the Gospel this week. <br /><br />Have a great week and a happy new year! <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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Love the little Elder Carroll Christmas ornament! Looks just like him!</div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-37355511286565961582016-01-17T21:03:00.001-08:002016-01-17T21:03:57.736-08:00I'll be home for Christmas.....next year.December 21, 2015<div>
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Good afternoon everyone and Merry Christmas! <br /><br />This week has been an eventful one for sure. Something I've learned to appreciate this week is just being there to help those in need. A lot of missionaries get caught up in the numbers, myself included sometimes, and it really takes away from what our calling is. First off, we're teachers of the Restored Gospel. But the calling of being a missionary is much more than just that. We are to minister, that is, do as Christ would. It's been a joy as I've been able to do that this week. <br /><br />We were not able to meet with a lot of our investigators this week due to various things, but we did have a couple pivotal lessons. A especially. It's been quite the adventure with him this week. He's a very special kid and I just love him. I'm excited to help him progress in the Gospel. Let me tell you a little more about him. So he's half Mexican. His dad barely speaks English and his mom is American and apparently abusive. Read last week's email for a little more on that. So they finally found a house to stay in this week and we were able to go over and check it out. It's a little double wide that needs a lot of work, so of course we have offered to help them with that. We taught A the Restoration AGAIN and it was like teaching him for the first time. I guess his retention isn't the best. But he seemed to understand everything clearly and we drew a little picture for him to keep, so I think he'll be okay in that department. We told him though, that he can't get baptized unless he gains a testimony of the Book of Mormon, so that's what we committed him to do. He needs to read and pray and be solid so that he doesn't just slip away after his baptism. And if we do our job right, we'll be able to teach his dad as well and have the makings for a solid family. So that's A this week. <br /><br />The next guy we met with was R. We met him knocking doors a couple weeks ago and we're glad we stopped by again. This man is very friendly and lives in a somewhat ritzy neighborhood, so it's almost surprising that he let us in. But he's very open to us and wants to learn a little more about what we do as missionaries. He's a very strong Christian man and even has his own online ministry. So we got to talking and it was like he was interviewing us or something. I played a long for a while and then I had to turn it on him. We got to talking about why people try to make God conform to their lives, rather than making their lives conform to the will of God. I don't think he ever had thought about that before, so it gave him the perspective we needed to start teaching the Restoration. He had to leave, but we invited him to read the pamphlet of our unique message to the world, the Restoration. I'm hoping he reads it and gets intrigued enough to allow us to keep teaching him. We have an appointment of Wednesday so we'll see what we can do. <br /><br />We also had the opportunity to meet with B. I told ya'll about him last week. He's the man with the feeding tube. Well, he's been having a hard time so we've made sure to give him special emphasis this Christmas season. We bought him a DVD player and some movies for him so he can stay busy and sane. He has to gain a lot of weight for his surgery, so we can expect him to be laying on the couch for most of the time, trying to maintain his calories. I really hope and pray for this man. He has an amazing attitude and a great heart. I hope he gets better so he can enjoy food again. I can't even imagine. <br /><br />Other than those individuals, no one really progressed. When we're not teaching, we're finding ways to help people during this season. It's that time of year when no one should go cold, hungry, or unloved. We try to make sure that we are touching as many hearts as we can with our service and wonderful message of hope. That's really what this season is about. Love and hope. We show loves to those around us and give them hope through the light of Christ. I love reading the Christmas story because it reminds me just how amazing the birth of the Savior is. The Jews were expecting him to come in power and glory, but instead he came as a humble baby. And the other amazing part is that shepherds and great kings traveled many miles to go and worship him. The wise men even brought him gifts of great value. Yet, he was only a baby. It's clear that those who visited him knew exactly why he came. The worshiped because of the hope he gave them. They knew that in that little stable was born the light and life of the world. <br /><br />Should we not glory in the Savior? Should we not take this time, to truly show our love to Him? He came to give us hope and light and it's through us that others can experience that. We didn't teach as many lessons as I would have liked to this week, and of course we're not perfect missionaries, but as we go out knocking doors and visiting less active members, we make sure to show them the light of Christ. <br /><br />He lives. I know it. <br /><br />I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and that you let the light of Christ radiate as you worship and serve him. Please know of my love for each one of you. <br /><br />Until next week, <br /><br />Elder Landon Carroll </div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-83116924503855212192016-01-17T20:51:00.000-08:002016-01-17T20:51:30.441-08:00Learn to Be Grateful!December 14, 2015<div>
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This week was another eventful one. We didn't teach as many lessons as we would have liked, but the work takes its turns and sometimes you just have to go with it. After all, we're not even in control of it. We do our part and the Lord takes care of the rest. <br /><br />Since I've gotten here, I've really come to realize something. We all go through trials! Even if we think we're not going through some type of trial, we are. But that's nothing new. Just a small realization. What really amazes me is the way some of these people handle their trials. Here's a few examples...<br /><br />B is less active member in his fifties. Come to find out he's from Murray, Utah where I was born! Small world haha. But his situation is very unique. Three years or so a ago he accidentally swallowed some Drain-o and it just destroyed his throat. So he had some surgery and they ended up removing his stomach. So now he can't swallow anything, has a feeding tube running through his intestines, and he has a tracheotomy for breathing purposes. And his digestive system continues to break down so he can only eat like two cans of Ensure a day. Needless to say, he's losing weight rapidly as he tries to stay alive. On top of that, his wife decided to divorce him after twenty-six years of marriage and is not making it easy for him. So his life is hanging on by a thread and the only hope he has is a surgery either in PA or in Utah. If the surgery doesn't work, he's done for. What amazes me about B is his attitude. He's in constant pain and barely has enough strength to lift himself out of a chair, but I never see him get down on himself. He knows that he's doing all he can and trusts in God to make things right. We go visit him once a week and he always attends us well and makes sure our needs are met. Wouldn't it be easy for B to just throw in the towel and give up? Couldn't he just be the most bitter man in the world? Well he's not. He fights and he continues to be grateful and positive. He's an example to me of how to withstand our trials. We have to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. We have to trust that things will be better, even though we can't even see that light at the end of the tunnel sometimes. <br /><br />The next one is M. I'll save the details, but she had a very rough childhood. Her parents were in some corrupt cult and they traveled all over the world evangelizing. Well, she got abused and mistreated in the process and so she's naturally a little bitter toward her parents, particularly toward her mother. She struggles to forgive, but she doesn't let that get in the way of her relationships with others. She's looking to get married to a nice guy (who is in jail for some things) and she has two adorable daughters from her last marriage. We helped her change a flat tire on Sunday during church and she wasn't negative at all. She took care of her daughters and focused on being positive. Every time we do something nice for her, we get a text of gratitude a few hours later. Because of our love, she is now active in the church again and her fiance has agreed to come to church with her when he gets out of prison. Things are difficult, but she holds on to what she knows to be true and the people that show her love. She's an example to me. <br /><br />The next one is our investigator A. He has a baptismal date for the twenty-third of January and is progressing nicely toward that date. So here's his current situation. We were eating dinner with some members and another youth member, A's friend F, called us four times, so we went ahead and answer it. Turns out something had happened to A and that F needed us to take him over there to see what happened. So we wrapped up dinner and quickly got over there. When we got there, A's mom and sisters were outside and A and his dad were on the clear other side of the yard. We went and talked to A and he told us what had happened. He and his mom got in an argument and she tried physically attacking him. He grabbed her to defend himself and then she kicked him out of the house, threatening to call the police if he and his dad wouldn't leave the property. So A got out of that abusive situation and was just looking for a place for him and has dad to stay for the night. So we spent three hours with them last night trying to arrange things and we finally were able to this morning. A and his dad slept in their van last night, but a member from the ward has graciously offered to house them tonight. What blows me away about A is his attitude. He could be angry and bitter about the situation, but he's not. He has an abusive mother and a less than ideal home life, but he continues to hold on to the strong relationships he has with us and with his friends. We were laughing and joking last night and he didn't show an ounce of anger toward the situation. <br /><br />These people are examples to me! They're circumstances aren't ideal, but they acknowledge the blessings they have and our Heavenly Father who loves and takes care of them. I learned this week that we can't mope around because of our trials. There will always be someone who is going through a harder time than we are. It's our job to recognize our own blessings and be of support to those who stand in need of our help and love. And after we overcome our trials, we're able to empathize with those who may be going through similar situations. It's just a big cycle and if we do it right, we'll be happy and blessed in the end! <br /><br />I know that this Gospel is true. People try to argue with me about the truthfulness of our message and the controversies in the church's past and present, but I continue to hold on to what I know to be true and the experiences I've had. I'm grateful for what I'm learning as a missionary and I wouldn't trade these experiences for the world. <br /><br />Go out there and spread some Christmas spirit. Make somebody's day. Lift someone up. Be an example. Go get em. <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll<br /> </div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-32680512580699325852015-12-07T09:59:00.001-08:002015-12-07T09:59:16.630-08:004 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">December 7, 2015</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgHvPkXQgfZc6oB0GZIKojFKrJBj4f16w9U-jlbOgeu1rEdyF_lek5KNj6KFcGntwwhttWnzT_w2X69LmHn-5TxpgPpmV7e1gVJ1Q37KCXJGL4B9uYQL0Maj_TarnIy87CsAhiRSkXVY/s1600/IMG_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprqZ-U6zY3QxXIS4anYqSb7EMDvObkhTVsCb3xlP5vxDIwq7KaHEj0NTyAufnpVJtmMywg-l8s712mZkOOQZYe3FKemOqU4bNxzCHkjUHgx3KZbyWFa9AGWRyg2QDlrqlemJucndOc3s/s1600/IMG_0016+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprqZ-U6zY3QxXIS4anYqSb7EMDvObkhTVsCb3xlP5vxDIwq7KaHEj0NTyAufnpVJtmMywg-l8s712mZkOOQZYe3FKemOqU4bNxzCHkjUHgx3KZbyWFa9AGWRyg2QDlrqlemJucndOc3s/s400/IMG_0016+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a>Mis queridos hermanos y hermanas,<br /><br />I am pleased to inform you that we had an amazing week! One of the most rewarding weeks of my mission. <br /><br />I don't know what it is, but lately it's been hard to be consistent with my work ethic and obedience, but with small goals and some reevaluation, I am able to see the Atonement work in my life. What's wonderful about the mission, and even life, is that every new day is an opportunity to be better than the person we were yesterday. <br /><br />So after my little spill at the hospital on Sunday night, I spent a couple days just taking it easy. I was really worried that what had happened was more serious than the doctors' diagnosis, but after taking my potassium pills every day this week, I've seen a noticeable improvement in my health and I've been able to go out and sweat again. That was really the story of the week. It was kind of like pulling back a sling shot toward the start of the week and then releasing it toward the end of the week. And it all started with my exchange on Wednesday. <br /><br />After district meeting I was able to go with Elder Shearer (a new elder) on exchanges down to .....you guessed it!....Clinton! Clinton has been my home away from home since I've served there and this exchange really made my feel happy and at peace. Our first stop was an investigator who is getting baptized sometime in the near future. His name was.....CJ and he has a very strong testimony of the restored Gospel. We testified boldly of the blessings of the Lord and really emphasized the principle of "don't wait." We can't let ourselves get in the way of the blessings that the Lord wants to give us. Sometimes we like to delay those blessings by not acting on what we're supposed to. It's like putting an umbrella over our heads and letting the blessings slip away. So that was good. <br /><br />After that we went to the church and visited with some of the members that I know and love. They all remembered me and were happy to see me! I guess when you spend six months in an area, especially a small branch like Clinton, you really get close to the people. Like I said, it was just like coming home after a long trip. Next stop was dinner with my convert Josefina and the Cruz family. It was so nice seeing the Gospel working in Josefina's life. She's a much happier person than she was when I met her and I can see that the church and the Gospel have really filled that hole that existed before. And it was also nice seeing my progress as a missionary, particularly in Spanish. While as before I left Clinton I struggled sometimes to understand what people were saying, I was able to understand every single word! That felt super good! And Josefina is still the best cook in the mission. <br /><br />Later that night we went and stopped by the Tyndalls. The Tyndalls are like my favorite people in the world. I really built a special relationship with them and it hasn't changed a bit. We still told the same jokes, stories, and Sister Tyndall still admires the growth that I've experienced as a missionary. As we were sharing a message with them, Sister Tyndall mentioned that I've grown a lot spiritually and that it really shows. So that's a nice compliment. After that we ate ice cream and granola. The funny thing about the granola is that my mom sent it to them! They told me it's the best granola in the west....which is funny because we're in the east. Ni modo. So everything was fine and dandy over in Clinton. The place has grown a little bit since I left, but other than that it hasn't changed a bit. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgHvPkXQgfZc6oB0GZIKojFKrJBj4f16w9U-jlbOgeu1rEdyF_lek5KNj6KFcGntwwhttWnzT_w2X69LmHn-5TxpgPpmV7e1gVJ1Q37KCXJGL4B9uYQL0Maj_TarnIy87CsAhiRSkXVY/s1600/IMG_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgHvPkXQgfZc6oB0GZIKojFKrJBj4f16w9U-jlbOgeu1rEdyF_lek5KNj6KFcGntwwhttWnzT_w2X69LmHn-5TxpgPpmV7e1gVJ1Q37KCXJGL4B9uYQL0Maj_TarnIy87CsAhiRSkXVY/s640/IMG_0019.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />The next day I went on ANOTHER exchange down close to Raeford. Hope Mills to be exact. I went with Elder Brown, my good friend and zone leader. We had a great exchange and I was able to learn a lot and motivate my self for when I returned to Dunn. When I got back to Dunn, Elder Christensen has done a lot of great work. He found some new investigators and really set us up to have a great rest of the week. This weekend we were able to teach about eight lessons, some of which were just amazing. We have an investigator who was introduced to us by a young man in the ward. Alberto's home situation is not the best, so the church has really been a refuge for him in recent months. I read him a verse out of Alma chapter eighteen and asked him what he had against being baptized. After learning the doctrines of the plan of salvation, he told me "I have nothing against it. What else do I need to do to get there?" Golden! So we set a date with him for the 23rd of January and are anxiously awaiting the day when he can enter into a covenant with the Lord. I know he'll get there. If we play our cards right and trust in the Lord, he'll be a very strong convert. <br /><br />Our other miracle lesson involved a family....can't remember the last name....but nonetheless, they're basically golden. We taught them the Restoration super clearly and powerfully and even involving they're young children, and they were just blown away. The mom's name is C and she just fell in love with what we taught her. I asked her "Is it hard for you to believe that a young man would be visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ and be called to restore the true church of God?" She said "Not really. God calls whoever he decides to call." So we introduced the Book of Mormon as evidence and told her how to receive her answer and she just ate it up. At the end of the lesson, she asked us "Can you go visit my mom so we can all go to church together next week?" Golden! This lesson was super powerful and I feel confident that this family will be baptized within the coming months. <br /><br />This week was amazing and I'm super grateful for the experiences we had. I hope that we can continue to be diligent and obedient so as to allow the Lord to use us to work miracles. I know He lives and am grateful that He allows us to improve over time, rather than demanding perfection all at once. Please continue to pray for our success. My goal is two more baptisms before I go home. If I can reach that, I'll be a happy man. <br /><br />Love y'all. <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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We went to a cotton gin with President and Sister James and the rest of the district!Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-9906282779955814712015-12-07T09:34:00.000-08:002015-12-07T09:37:16.396-08:00"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house....of order"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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November 30, 2015<br /><br /><div>
Well this was another crazy one. The work unfortunately slid to a bit of a halt due to some unexpected and hard to control circumstances.<br /> <br /> We started the week with absolutely no miles left in the car, so that left us with an obstacle. We tried getting exchanges with us, but no one was available. And then most of our appointments fell through due to lack of organization and agency. And on top of that, every time we planned a good night, some crazy thing would happen that took us out of the work. Allow me to share with you a few examples. I'm not writing this to give excuses, but rather, showing you just how unpredictable life is!<br /> <br /> So on Monday and Tuesday our car wasn't working, so the few miles we had left were unusable until we fixed our car! We drive a 2014 Chevy Cruze, so it shouldn't have been giving us any problems, but it was! The battery started to die each day for about the last week and a half, and then finally it got to a point where the car wouldn't even start. So we called a young man named Peyton and he came to the rescue. He jumped our car and then we drove it around for a while to see if it would do anything. Then we got to Kohl's to buy Elder Christensen a new coat and when we got out of the store, the car wouldn't start again! So some nice man jumped our car and then we headed back home. We turned off the car again and then we called for one more jump. Bishop came and jumped our car and then we went off to Autozone to get it checked out. Turns out our two year old battery was completely fried! So we decided to take it to the dealership so we could take advantage of the warranty the car was under. And that took FIVE hours. So we sat in the waiting room trying not to watch whatever was on the TV. Sadly, we were unsuccessful on that one. So once we got our battery fixed, we drove back and we were officially out of miles! Woooo! That means bringing out the bikes.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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The next crazy thing involved Thanksgiving. We ate too much food! We had dinner with the Lykins family so that was super fun. They have so many kids I thought they were all cousins when we got there. And one of his brothers, the other Brother Lykins was there from Pinehurst (my first area), so it was nice catching up a little bit. Also, this family really loves pies. There were sixteen pies set out for dessert and I only got to try two of them I was so full. So we grabbed some leftovers, played some basketball with the kids, cleaned up, and then headed out. Then we went to a random grocery store and passed out some cards because we’re not allowed to proselyte on holidays like that. We were pretty successful with that.<br /> <br /> The next crazy thing involved dinner on Saturday night. We went over to the Christensens for dinner. It was pretty fun being at their house. They have a farm in their backyard, so I got to pet their very tame cow named Emma. She was pretty cool. We had Thanksgiving leftovers (of course) with them and the food just made me sick. That last piece of chocolate cake was just too much for me to handle. Ten minutes later, I just felt horrible. When the Christensens finally took us home, I told my companion "I'm gonna go lay down. No me siento bien." So I laid on my bed writhing in pain for about an hour and a half until I finally went to the bathroom and threw up that chocolate cake. Bleh. I felt a little better after that, but we ended up staying in for the rest of the night, despite our awesome plans.<br /> <br /> But wait, there's more! I was feeling well enough to go to church on Sunday morning, so we did that. Church was excellent, by the way. Really great talks about the power of tithing and fasting in our lives. Pay your tithing and feed the poor! Anyways, we went home after church, ate lunch, and did a little bit of training. Meanwhile, something was happening inside of me. My hands fell asleep while I was standing up, so I went upstairs and sat down for a little while and everything was better. Then our exchange came over and picked us up so we could have a good successful night. Well, our appointment cancelled, so we decided to go to the hospital to visit a member named Brother Link. He was having some tests done on his heart, so we figured we'd pay him a visit. We got there and checked in and then headed up to see Brother Link. He was doing alright and really appreciated our company. But as we were talking, I started to feel weak, so I pulled a chair over and set down. Then everything got progressively worse. My hands had fallen asleep again and it was progressing to my chest, feet, stomach, and head. My whole body was tingling like I wasn't getting enough air or circulation. So I started to breathe deeper, thinking maybe that was the problem, but things weren't resolving. Brother Link said "You okay? We can hook you up to this thing if you need it" pointing to his machine. I said "Nah, I'm good." Things didn't get better and I felt like I was going to pass out. I told everyone in the room "I feel like I'm about to pass out." So our exchange, Brother Dominguez, grabbed a nurse and I was quickly put into a wheel chair and wheeled down to the emergency room. The people at the desk were so confused because we had just checked in to visit someone and now I was in a wheel chair. So they quickly called me in, had me sit on a gurney for a while, and then they started testing me for stuff. They took my blood, checked my blood pressure, took a urine sample, and then we waited for the results. They had me set up to receive an IV, but that apparently wasn't necessary. The doctor came and said I was extremely low on potassium, probably from the vomiting. Weird, but it is what it is. Hopefully nothing more serious happens in the future. So they gave me some potassium supplements and a prescription for the rest of the week and now I'm here! I've never felt anything like that in my life and I pray that it doesn't happen again. I seriously thought I was going to pass out.<br /> <br /> So there you have it. Our crazy week. All of those things really impeded the work, minus a few miraculous showings at church. The plan this week is to organize ourselves a little better and attack things more directly. I feel that I've been slacking as a missionary and I plan to turn that around. Repentance is real. We can improve each day if we set specific goals and plan to reach them. I've gone through sloppy phases on my mission and have found ways to turn them around. This is no different. Please pray for our success and our organization.<br /> <br /> Love,<br /> <br /> -Elder Landon Carroll<br /> </div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-42239936984459416992015-12-07T09:17:00.000-08:002015-12-07T09:17:02.467-08:00Soul Harvesting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">November 23, 2015</span><br />
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Wellllllllllllllllllll......it may not be easy, but we keep trudging along as we try to build this area from the ground up. The good news is we've actually started to find people. The investigators that the previous elders left us are either unreachable or just flat out have no potential. So we've discontinued the majority of them. <br /><br />We had a couple miracles this week. Allow me to share them with you. <br /><br />First off, we had some great experiences tracting. I took Elder Christensen to a trailer park that I assumed was filled with Hispanics, but was actually filled with a bunch of white folks. So we knocked some doors and then the miracle happened! We knocked the door of a woman named K who seems to be at a turning point in her life. She said that she was pondering how to bring God into her life when we knocked on the door. She mentioned that she just wanted to feel comfortable in the presence of God and we testified of the Atonement and the power that it has to cleanse us of our sins. We testified of the Restoration and gave her a really spiritual experience. We made her cry! She said we made her night and that she was looking forward to our return. <br /><br />Unfortunately....K made her way to the internet and saw some things she shouldn't have. She found a list entitled "Top ten reasons not to be a Mormon." and the things that she shared with us indicated that it was very far stretched and just flat out false. But regardless, she felt a little freaked out from the situation and told us she would think about letting us come by and teach her. So we left her with a Book of Mormon (which we should have done the first visit. We were carrying Spanish stuff only) and invited her to read and pray. She held the book to her chest and said that she would, so I've been praying every day since that she picks up that book and has a spiritual experience. The feelings she felt were real and they were from the Spirit. That was a miracle and I hope that the Lord answers my prayers....otherwise we're just gonna have to go over there again. <div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y5FKOX8uE0jpuyCeXPXlq_ay-K9-jD3JTUfXhIqEmXXcadTOw2Ls7liJvGsT1VzmtxwTulSv-pndEyi6-BspV5m3cCb2kCml1Fv0ZaHRXkWsi9t5UukLZJRqIiKosLOeTJk2eUrMsV4/s1600/IMG_0532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y5FKOX8uE0jpuyCeXPXlq_ay-K9-jD3JTUfXhIqEmXXcadTOw2Ls7liJvGsT1VzmtxwTulSv-pndEyi6-BspV5m3cCb2kCml1Fv0ZaHRXkWsi9t5UukLZJRqIiKosLOeTJk2eUrMsV4/s400/IMG_0532.JPG" width="400" /></a>The next miracle, among finding a bunch of new people to teach, involved a less active member named Sister F. She's less active for a number of reasons, the main reason (I believe) is because she doesn't feel she can change or overcome her past, so the church doesn't really offer her too much. I gave her a talk that I had read entitled "In Times of Trouble" by Elder Holland and it made her cry! If we keep making people cry, we're gonna have to start carrying a box of tissues around haha! (I realize that was the lamest thing you've ever heard. If you can think of a pun, please let me know) But I hope that we can lead her to greater peace and happiness by helping her understand the Atonement a little better. <br /><br />The work is slowly progressing here and we're starting to find people and gain trust with the members. I'm not the best at working with the members, so that's something we'll be working on, especially with a ward like this. The members are treating us very well and I might actually gain some weight in this area. <br /><br />Training has also been exciting. Elder Christensen continues to learn and I continue to give him opportunities to learn and grow. The Spanish is coming along slower than I'd like, but Elder Christensen is working hard and it definitely shows. I just need to organize myself a little bit so I can be a better trainer and companion. The Lord is putting me to the test here in Dunn, and I hope that I can live up to my potential. <br /><br />Please continue to pray for me. Pray that we can be successful and happy and work with the Spirit. <br /><br />Que les pase una buena semana,<br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll</div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-92065625947593851692015-12-07T09:09:00.006-08:002015-12-07T09:09:48.488-08:00From the Ground Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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November 16, 2015<br />
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Buenos!<br />
<br />It's been a busy week as we've tried to learn Spanish, how to be better missionaries, and tried to find new people to teach. It's a little difficult to be starting from scratch, but it's not different from any other area I've been in. We just have to work and pray and expect that the Lord will bless us with miracles and with people to teach. And he has started doing that this week. <br /><br />Lately we've been teaching a lot of less active members. The people are kind of interesting here. It's basically like I'm teaching people from Clinton all over again. It allows me to embrace the southern culture again haha! I love southern people. They're kind and they remind me of home. And they really bring out the best in me! <br /><br />But I do have to admit that my love for Americans has decreased significantly after working with the Hispanics. Hispanics are just.....nicer. And they're much more open to hear us. I came to Dunn with Elder Christensen and we knocked our first door here and it was a white man. He basically said we don't have time for you and that we should get off his porch. I felt terrible! And then the people from my last area flashed through my head and I just felt discouraged. I missed them. I missed working with Hispanics. And now I relish in the opportunity to speak to another one. I've met a few Hispanics here and they just make me feel happy. I don't have to worry that they'll hardcore reject me because they already like me! As long as you speak their language, you can relate to them. And then you start talking about their food and they just light up! It brings me so much joy! And now I'm in an English ward and it just isn't the same. The Hispanic culture has defined my mission and has taught me so much about how to love and serve....and eat haha. <div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyVT9_UI6TsTWnUUugAXMGEIY01t2UhQzgFhgtK6AsDj-55v01MktR2FdKhQLrGfP1KnMK-tTt1Ube6itD62MqMXsbe8uqGq2h0fCofTJ9LvsT6ktCH1U3ep-UzEQx4VZuA_z5p2js10/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyVT9_UI6TsTWnUUugAXMGEIY01t2UhQzgFhgtK6AsDj-55v01MktR2FdKhQLrGfP1KnMK-tTt1Ube6itD62MqMXsbe8uqGq2h0fCofTJ9LvsT6ktCH1U3ep-UzEQx4VZuA_z5p2js10/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />So we will continue to work on finding Hispanics. This ward is just too.....white haha. It's full of military people and medical students from Campbell University. It needs more color! Plus, President advised me to focus on Spanish work so Elder Christensen can learn Spanish. <br /><br />Speaking of President James....this man is awesome. He's my hero. It's through him and the love that he has for me and all the other missionaries that has inspired me to keep going when I don't feel like I can. I had an interview with him on Thursday and he just blew me away. He gave me counsel that warmed my heart and I will never forget. The words he spoke to me comforted me and gave me the assurance that everything will be okay and that I am not alone in my struggles and never will be. He's an inspired man, no doubt. And he's certainly inspired me. <br /><br />There is nothing to report in the work other than the fact that we are making progress and hope to have some great successes this week. Please keep us in your prayers. I need two baptisms before I come home. Help us make it happen! <br /><br />Have a wonderful week,<br /><br />Elder Landon Carroll<br /> </div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-72790139621898381422015-12-07T09:02:00.004-08:002015-12-07T09:02:47.955-08:00Change is....Good?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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November 9, 2015</div>
<br />Well I'm in a brand new area with a BRAND new companion and life is just grand. Things are tough as always, but I continue to push through with the help of the Lord. <br /><br />So I told y'all last week that I was getting transferred....and I did! I'm now in Dunn, which is one of three Spanish areas in this zone. I've now served in all three haha. This zone definitely defines my mission. I've spent over a year here already and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love serving here. The people are much more humble and everything is a little more relaxing. Just the way I like it! <div>
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So about my new companion....His name is Elder Christensen and he's from Sugar City, Idaho. I like Idaho. It reminds me of the good times that I used to have up at school. Maybe the Lord sent him to me so I could prepare to go back. That's what I feel about it. Elder Christensen is great! He's waaaaayyyyyy different from Elder Flake, but that's not a bad thing. He's a lot younger, so naturally this will be a different experience from the last. And he doesn't speak Spanish, so teaching him has been an adventure so far. He's actually learning quite fast, despite not having the study materials. <br /><br />Dunn is a wonderful place. It's really beautiful, full of evergreens and grassy plains. I've been here before from when I used to be in Clinton. I used to come up to Dunn like every other week, so I actually already know some of the members here. They're great! They're really helping us out. We need as much help as we can get considering we're "white-washing" the area. That means that no missionaries stayed to keep the area going. We're basically starting from scratch! Thankfully I know the elders that were here last and they took a lot of notes for us. Things have actually gone pretty well so far. I ain't even mad. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K-SGQSmBoTjaw4JPUNgHi-quTGAPjYvppyfWraElTgL4R6r_tl8Kx1s3bFeqz7IrLmQ1QcETSxs4-X7a0FbvLWoxZITpvZY446r8GVHnSetNNTCznCeU4qfY5T4uPi6kLuRgkokqpe0/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K-SGQSmBoTjaw4JPUNgHi-quTGAPjYvppyfWraElTgL4R6r_tl8Kx1s3bFeqz7IrLmQ1QcETSxs4-X7a0FbvLWoxZITpvZY446r8GVHnSetNNTCznCeU4qfY5T4uPi6kLuRgkokqpe0/s400/IMG_0013.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />I'd love to tell y'all about our investigators, but I don't know enough to be able to say. Just know that we have quite a few people with the potential to progress and that we will be doing our best to make sure that happens. <br /><br />I wish I had more to write, but everything is just so new. <br /><br />But if there's anything that I could say, it's that the Gospel is true and that it has really power to make us happy. It's not just something we believe in or a group we're all part of. It's literally the "power of God unto salvation." I'm truly grateful to be part of this great work and I know that I will be blessed for my efforts after my mission. It's been the hardest time of my life so far, but also the most rewarding. I'm just hoping that I can continue on this path for the rest of my life, because it truly does bring joy and happiness.<br /><br />Enjoy the pictures! <br /><br />Love,<br />-Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-49770829622704033112015-11-07T19:41:00.002-08:002015-11-07T19:41:55.471-08:00Exciting News!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">November 2, 2015</span><br />
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This week FLEW by! Well, I guess they all fly by with how old I am in this mission. I have a little over four months and as I've said before, time is not slowing down. I just have to continue to give it my all so that I can be proud of what I will have accomplished at the end of my mission. <br /><br />This week went really well. Despite not teaching as many lessons as we wanted, our investigators continue to show their willingness to put the Gospel to the test. <br /><br />L (young one) was unable to come to church, but read seven chapter in the Book of Mormon last week. He said he hasn't felt anything, but we assured him that if he continues to read, he will gain the spiritual confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true. L set a new goal this week to not only read seven chapters, but to really pay attention to his feelings and write down which verse he liked the most in each chapter. I think with that mentality, he will have spiritual experiences. He said that his manager is still being a turkey, but he promises to come to church during fall break. We're praying that he has a spiritual experience at that time so that he can have the faith to find a new job or something. We pray for and expect miracles here in the NCRM.<i> (North Carolina Raleigh Mission)</i><br /><br />L (old) is also progressing. He did not come to church yesterday like he said he would, but at least he's beginning to read and pray consistently. We have a lesson with him tonight, so I'm hoping to make more progress. It''ll be my last time seeing him, so I will try to testify my heart out. (foreshadowing) <br /><br />I tried to make progress with our old man R, but he is the most hard-headed man I have ever met. I try not to argue with him, but sometimes I have to raise my voice and talk over him because he just doesn't listen. I bore my testimony and committed him to read AGAIN, and we're bringing a different member every week so that they can tell their conversion stories. I wrote him a letter this morning, so maybe it'll touch him. <br /><br />We also have this new investigator named Amado de la Cruz. He's a super humble man from Guerrero, Mexico. He's a man that truly recognizes us as servants of the Lord. In fact, he wouldn't come to church yesterday because he spent the whole day making tamales for us. He said he wanted to "celebrate us," so he made us some food. We went over that night and had some delicious food and a great lesson with him. He has a lot of real intent and has been praying to know if what we tell him is true. Unfortunately, he prayed to Joseph Smith, so I spent the first ten minutes of the lesson clarifying who we're supposed to pray to using the Bible. Halfway through the rest of the Restoration he finally says "so we don't pray to Joseph Smith, only God? And Joseph Smith was just a man called of God, nothing else?" I was so happy that he understood! That way I wouldn't have to leave Elder Flake with that issue. So we introduced the Book of Mormon and he said he would read and pray every day. And then we took a picture! And then he went and got his phone and we took ANOTHER picture! Really good, humble man. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIDr8-OLmxc1A9Rk7ndBWFRT-_BprDzr-9yXd0RuPWUXJjdvdbVUsas3TfD2zqJlMS50RK7gPpYa7p-N-B5yctDaTsaMbCdSwl2Luus8KKE0tNT9s-1V8nR0giOVLqp0CP3DgTOLGR_g/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIDr8-OLmxc1A9Rk7ndBWFRT-_BprDzr-9yXd0RuPWUXJjdvdbVUsas3TfD2zqJlMS50RK7gPpYa7p-N-B5yctDaTsaMbCdSwl2Luus8KKE0tNT9s-1V8nR0giOVLqp0CP3DgTOLGR_g/s640/IMG_0021.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br />So now that I've foreshadowed enough, here's the news. I got a call from President James on Friday and he released me as district leader . :( BUT!....he gave me yet another assignment. No, I'm not going zone leader. This assignment is special and I guess he sees something in me. He wants me to train again in a different area, but the elder I'm training will have had no Spanish training whatsoever, meaning he did not learn any Spanish prior to coming to the mission. Not even in the MTC. So it's my job to train him and to teach him Spanish. It'll be weird to train again and not be district leader anymore, but I'm excited to be in a new area and to train another new missionary. I've learned a lot from training Elder Flake (and I hope that he's learned from me) and we've had a lot of success here. I'm sad to be leaving, especially with the way our investigators are going, but I trust Elder Flake and his new companion to follow through on what we've been doing and get these people in the water. I'm sad to leave Raeford, but there are new adventures elsewhere. Please pray that I can continue to progress as a missionary and that the Lord will give me the ability to carry out His work in the way that He wants. <br /><br />I love each of you and hope y'all have a great week! <br /><br />Love,<br /><br />Elder Landon Carroll</div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-1846709235840919262015-11-02T07:11:00.001-08:002015-11-02T07:11:19.727-08:00Let's Just Baptize Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">October 26, 2015</span><br />
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Hello,<br /><br />This week was not TOO eventful, but I am happy to report that we are doing well and that our investigators continue to make progress toward baptism. I am extremely grateful that Nubia was able to get baptized last week and I pray that the Lord will bless her and bless us with more opportunities to bring people into the fold. <br /><br />Our investigator L(young) is doing well. We fasted a couple weeks ago that he would be able to come to church yesterday, but his manager said no, maybe next time. So we will continue to pray that he can take that step. In the meanwhile, he has read a chapter a day this whole week! We set that goal with him and reminded him every day and he's been doing it! Hopefully he can continue to have spiritual experiences that will strengthen his faith in the Restoration. We will continue to pray for and expect miracles. God works in mysterious ways, and He will with Luis too. <br /><br />Our other L (older) blew me away on Friday night! We brought a member there with us to teach and testify about the importance of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration and it just came out super well. Turns out that Luis has also read every day and has started bringing the Book of Mormon to work with him to read when he has nothing to do. He says he's really enjoying the stories of Nephi and loves the faith that he shows. We've had some difficulties getting him to church, but not anymore! L promised us that this week he will come! He told his daughter and his grandchildren that he can't come over on Sundays anymore because he has to go to church. He continues to show his faith and he is beginning to feel the Spirit in his life. Let's just pray that we can continue to help him on this road. <br /><br />R is just ridiculous. We were with him last night for WAY too long, but at least we got somewhere. He loves to argue and pick apart our words for some reason, so we have to work through that. But basically we rebuked him for doubting so much and not keeping his commitments, and then showed an increase of love afterward. We invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon because it's the ONLY way for him to know the truth. He doesn't understand how to get his answer, even with our explanations, so we plan to bring a different member every time we go so that they can all tell of their personal testimony of the Book of Mormon. That's the last thing we can do for this man. I love him, but we can't continue to try to teach a man whose heart is harder than stone. All we can do at this point is pray that he accepts our invitation with a humble heart and with a willingness to search the scriptures through study and prayer. After that, we will be forced to say "Nos vemos!" <br /><br />My mission has been quite the adventure. I wouldn't trade the experiences I'm having for the world. Sure, everything is incredibly difficult, but it's shaping me for eternity. Elder Flake and I are getting along well as a companionship and I'm hoping I can stay another transfer in this area. We're having so much success right now! People that other missionaries gave up on have now started to progress and one even got baptized! I just want to get another one! <div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJ2iRhM5Cxs0lOgHiFBtGF1sCr0Hegd928acRY6BHp8f1E9cZQ6I2C58eBMALWZywfPbPCjJl09mDHtuy_sr3pUFy9aBy1m02jMgyaC_rDBXvlxZ2TdOWJQewD6vvIJB1KGYqmOLBiiQ/s1600/IMG_0467%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJ2iRhM5Cxs0lOgHiFBtGF1sCr0Hegd928acRY6BHp8f1E9cZQ6I2C58eBMALWZywfPbPCjJl09mDHtuy_sr3pUFy9aBy1m02jMgyaC_rDBXvlxZ2TdOWJQewD6vvIJB1KGYqmOLBiiQ/s400/IMG_0467%255B1%255D.JPG" width="300" /></a>I'm grateful for the Gospel in my life. Without it, I would be lost. Even just the knowledge that I am a child of a loving Heavenly Father is enough to carry me through on hard days. It's that knowledge and that joy that makes me want to share it with others. People are lost without the knowledge that we have. Surely you know someone with whom you can share the Gospel. I invite you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, to do so. <br /><br />I love each of you and am grateful for who you are and that love that you show me. <br /><br />Have an excellent week! </div>
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Elder Carroll</div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-56659995293525058752015-11-02T07:05:00.005-08:002015-11-02T07:05:55.710-08:00Baptism!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">October 19, 2015</span><br />
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Good morning folks! <br /><br />It's been a crazy and wonderful week as we've been preparing for Nubia's baptism. We almost didn't have time to teach our other investigators, but still managed to have one of the most successful weeks of my mission. These past couple transfers have proved to me that if you work hard and put your trust in the Lord, He will work miracles. And that's exactly what He continues to do for us. <br /><br />L (Joven) progressed this week. We were finally able to fast with him so that he could come to church next Sunday. He went through the fast with faith and real intent! We have really built a desire in this young man, and it's showing in his prayers and that way he talks about the Gospel. He's still definitely a work in progress, but with some time and some church attendance, I think he'll progress toward baptism. <br /><br />"Other" L has been sick this week, so we were unable to meet with him. We scheduled an appointment with him tonight, so let's all pray that it doesn't fall through. He really just needs to come to church and show some real initiative. We'll get there! <br /><br />The rest of the week was focused on getting Nubia prepared for her baptism on Friday. So we taught her the remaining lessons she needed, got her some baptismal clothing, set up the program and made all the calls, and addressed any doubts or concerns she had. Let me tell you. This woman is amazing. She's been through an amazing conversion process and is fully committed to the covenants she has made with God. She hasn't wavered since she made the decision to be baptized. <br /><br />Let me tell y'all about the baptism on Friday. So we got there early so we could fill up the font. This new building is awesome! The water heater is tank-less so there was never a shortage of hot water! We ran the water for over two and a half hours and the temperature never even dropped! But that's beside the point. So we filled up the font, set up the chairs, pulled out the TV, and made sure that the programs were set out. And then.....the baptism. We were so happy to see so many people attend. Nearly all the branch members came! That's how much support Nubia has. So we had our opening prayer, hymn, and baptism talk, and then it was time for the actual ordinance. Nubia's son, Edgar, got to baptize her. I was so happy to see that it went perfectly! And then right when she came up out of the water she gave her son a huge hug. It was a beautiful thing to see. Then I sang a special musical number "Señor, te necesito" (or in English, "I need thee every hour.) It went super well! I was proud of myself! Music always brings the Spirit, so we made sure to have a special musical number. After that, Elder Flake gave a talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost and we had some closing testimonies and welcome to the branch. Everything went beautifully. I'll attach some pictures. <div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8uh8EbGbtlwjFCrdBIYys-rZXVBXDkwEeLtJfbWyfGX1ilUwPCOZjZltHCwxfIPcGshU9B4MJd9YrINz1frdLFiDM-BPYPmA-OR-qmoARGCib4SZb67NWYJ3Gy9t7ke_w8d6wZVtqvI/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8uh8EbGbtlwjFCrdBIYys-rZXVBXDkwEeLtJfbWyfGX1ilUwPCOZjZltHCwxfIPcGshU9B4MJd9YrINz1frdLFiDM-BPYPmA-OR-qmoARGCib4SZb67NWYJ3Gy9t7ke_w8d6wZVtqvI/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />So here's some of Nubia's story. She's 54 years old and she's been searching for a church her whole life. She's always had a good heart and a lot of faith, and she was searching many years for a place to show her faith. Six months ago, she wanted nothing to do with the church or the Book of Mormon, even after the sisters invited her to read and pray about things. She just refused. So then they gave her to us, hoping that maybe we could work some magic. So we started being bold with her and answering her questions about the Plan of Salvation, particularly the after life, and her eyes began to open. We then started showing lots of videos (because they bring the spirit and teach very simply) and she just started to understand everything. She then started to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and was able to receive multiple answers about its validity. As we continued to answer her questions and give her the hope of another chance to see her loved ones, she couldn't say no the baptism. So we set a date and the rest is history. I think what really made the difference with her is realizing just what the Gospel can bring her. She had the hope of seeing her loved ones again, and she used that hope to motivate her to action. Now she no longer has that hole in her heart, or that thing missing in her life. I remember during the talk on baptism, Sister Pouliot (sister missionary) said that Nubia's family was smiling down upon her. During that moment, Nubia just began to cry. She knew what she was about to receive and that through being baptized, she could perform saving ordinances for her loved ones. In fact, she already did THREE family names in the temple. That's how serious she is about this! She's just amazing. <br /><br />And that's the story of Nubia. She was confirmed yesterday and is now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. All of that because of our diligence in teaching her the truth and in her diligence to seek out answers from God. Simple, but beautiful. <br /><br />And that was our week! Now we just have to get out there and continue to find those that will receive us! <br /><br />Thank you for your prayers in my behalf. Y'all have an awesome week! <br /><br />Elder Carroll </div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-62097629442266505632015-10-19T07:52:00.001-07:002015-10-19T07:52:51.711-07:00We did it! Or I guess...she did it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">October 12, 2015</span><br />
<br />Good morning! <br /><br />It's been an awesome week serving the Lord. We had a lot of great successes this week and I really enjoyed being part of the teaching of so many of Heavenly Father's children. I have found that most of my joy as a missionary comes from teaching a powerful lessons to investigators and just seeing the Spirit fill the room as their faces shine with excitement and with the love of God. <br /><br />We were able to experience that this week with a couple of investigators. The first is N. I've kept y'all well informed about her progression toward baptism. A few weeks ago she accepted a baptismal date and began preparing herself spiritually for that day. This past week we were able to complete the teaching process (for now) with her to be baptized. She's been super motivated, keeping commitments, and "one hundred percent" as she says. So we taught her a couple of lessons, set up a baptismal interview, and she PASSED with flying colors! I was able to sit in there during the interview to translate and she just blew me away. Elder Brown, the zone leader who was interviewing, thought I was faking the translation to him her answers were so good! She's definitely done her part in learning and studying the doctrine of the restored Gospel. So she will be baptized this Friday at 7 pm. I would love to see you all there! <div>
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The next one is L. He's the 18 year old. We had a great lesson with him about the Sabbath day and he seems motivated to keep it. We went to his house and he had watched some general conference talks on his own. I guess he just liked conference that much (or felt the Spirit) so he made the effort to watch some more. We plan to visit him tonight and start a fast for him to be able to make it to church next Sunday. He's really progressed these past couple months and I can see him being a great member. We just need to remember to pray and give him spiritual experiences. <br /><br />We've also been meeting with M, our Jehovah's Witness friend. Lessons with him require a lot of patience just due to the nature of the situation. He's a missionary, and we're missionaries, so naturally we all just want to talk. The important part is that we make it a discussion, not him just reading out of his little books. We've gotten into a lot of good discussion about why their doctrine isn't correct and who God really is and it's opened my eyes to just how true the church is. I understand pretty well the JW doctrine (having studied it a little bit) and it just doesn't make sense at all. It's almost tragic how much it takes away from our potential as children of God. They claim that we don't have spirits, didn't exist before this life, cease to exist after we die until the resurrection, and that the purpose of God is to have us all living happily on a paradisaical earth forever and ever. Allow me to expound upon our doctrine a little bit. <br /><br />We are all spirit children of our Heavenly Father. We lived with Him before this life as spirits. We loved and honored our Heavenly Father and wanted to experience a fullness of joy just as He did. In order for us to do this, God presented a beautiful plan. In this Plan we would come down to Earth, obtain a physical body, make choices and experience trials and hardships, but also experience joy and happiness. God also knew that because we would be given the ability to make choices that we would make decisions that were not in harmony with His teachings. In other words, we would sin. He knew this from the beginning, so He provided for us a Savior, who would enable us to overcome the consequences of sin and overcome the world with would live in. Through our obedience and through accessing the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would one day be able to return to live with our Father in Heaven with a fullness of joy, having gained experience enough to truly understand the meaning of happiness. <br /><br />Doesn't that sound pretty good? We have a divine potential and it comes through our obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. Part of the Great Apostasy was the removal of these plain and precious truths, which in turn, limits people's potential. Even just the simple knowledge that we are children of God and that we lived with Him before this life opens our eyes to the possibilities of our existence. Without it, we cannot even begin to comprehend who we really are and why God put us here. He just wants us to be HAPPY. We have to be here so that we can one day be eternally happy. That's it.<br /><br />So now that I'm done rambling, just remember how blessed you are to have the restored Gospel in your life. Remember that because of it, you know where you came from, why you're here, and where you are going. That's a priceless blessing. I'm just hoping that we can help Monty see his true potential as a child of God. I'm sure we'll figure it out. <br /><br />Thanks for listening. <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll</div>
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Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-30223561798269925022015-10-18T21:28:00.002-07:002015-10-18T21:28:50.909-07:00Tell me what kind of man would I be, living a life without any meaning...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">October 5, 2015</span><br />
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So....if I remember correctly, this was a great week! Time continues to speed up as I approach the end of my mission. In the beginning of my mission, the days were like weeks and the weeks were like days, but now it's just "everything is like an hour." Needless to say, I still have a lot of work to do. <br /><br />We have a baptism coming up on the 17th for N, and I am fully confident that will go through. Our job at this point is to teach her everything she needs to know and make sure she is on the path to LASTING conversion. The last thing I want is to baptize a less active. She says that she is 100 percent and I can see that light in her eyes. She's just happy! When I got here, she was kind of "bah humbug" about everything, but she truly has gone through a change as she's learned about restored truths that have calmed fears that she has held on to for years. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be here to bring her into the fold. <br /><br />We also had a lot of success with our other baptismal date L. He's progressing nicely. We got a member over to visit him and it went really well. We continue to promise blessings and ask him how he feels and he always says things like "if those blessings are really there for me, I want them. I know that baptism will be a good thing and will only bring good into my life." I hope that we can continue to help him progress toward his date. We've been trying to get him to church, but he has not made it yet. I think this weekend could be it. We just need to fast and pray a little more. <br /><br />OTHER L is doing well. He's the 18 year old who's been investigating for a while now. We finally got him to church! Well, conference. But for what it's worth, he really enjoyed it. He really liked what the Apostles said and even found some things to apply in his life. We plan to fast this week with him so he can come to "real" church on Sunday. I think he's starting to get a little excited about the Gospel and I'm almost positive he has a testimony now. I really hope that he can continue to follow the Spirit so that he can make sacred covenants with the Lord and receive life-changing blessings. <div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgdsdeX3wHCRT9W0xNUpBuZiKIRgzZ3bikEbMz6sG8IGzQ_7C-QPdvzJ9aeiqqicpcAMrX4q81W1kECWwKviQ-T0PofJKU1Y6e3TwCrwLPT9uOMql68lYuMCSsNdUYpOwPJ4GZfH7WDQ/s1600/IMG_0444%255B1%255D+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgdsdeX3wHCRT9W0xNUpBuZiKIRgzZ3bikEbMz6sG8IGzQ_7C-QPdvzJ9aeiqqicpcAMrX4q81W1kECWwKviQ-T0PofJKU1Y6e3TwCrwLPT9uOMql68lYuMCSsNdUYpOwPJ4GZfH7WDQ/s640/IMG_0444%255B1%255D+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><br /> Conference was very enlightening. I always enjoy listening to the words of the prophet and apostles. As some of you know, conference is like Christmas for missionaries, so we really enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed D. Todd Christofferson's talk about the need for the church. I've met so many people on my mission who look at the message of the Restoration and say "the church doesn't matter. It's not the church that saves us, it's Christ." Or "we are all part of the church of Christ. Anyone who believes in Him is part of that church." Or "we don't need apostles anymore. They left their message and now it's our job to study their words." We don't need apostles? We need apostles simply because us "Christians" are not unified under one body! We believe in different things! God called the apostles to proclaim truth, correct error, and administer the ordinances of the Gospel. The church has those same purposes: 1) Proclaim truth 2) Administer the ordinances 3) and keep us under one head, that is Christ. If we all believe different things, we cannot succeed. I liked one thing that Elder Christofferson also said. He talked about people who don't join a church because "spirituality is something personal and can simply be done in the home." His response? There are things that God cannot and will not accomplish unless we are all together to carry out His purposes. Look how he mobilizes the members and missionaries to spread the Gospel! He needs everyone working together. It's our job to be part of the work. <br /><br />Sorry for the rambling. I just get excited sometimes. Some other things that stood out to me were the age of President Monson, the sustaining of three new apostles, and the testimonies of the Atonement and sincere conviction of the apostles. President Monson looked a little tired this session. In his talk yesterday morning he was struggling to stay standing. I'm sure we were all praying for him as he delivered his powerful witness of the Savior and of following his teachings. I'm grateful for his service and I hope that we can all continue to keep him in our prayers so that he can finish his earthly mission with health and happiness. I'm grateful for the sustaining of the three new apostles, Elder Rasband, Elder Stevenson, and Elder Runland. The only one I really know of is Elder Rasband, so it'll be nice getting to know the other two through the years. I love the apostles and I'm grateful for the words they share and the revelations they receive. They are commissioned by the Lord and hold the charge to carry the Gospel to the world. It's our duty and privilege to follow their counsel and learn from their examples. For a long time, President Packer has been dear to my heart. I've always loved his words and his witness of the Savior and the Atonement. In my heart, he was truly a witness of the divinity of the Plan of Salvation and of the reality of the Atonement of the Savior. All of the apostles share the same calling, and we need to be sure to heed their words so that we can experience the blessings of eternity. <br /><br />There I am rambling again. I tend to do that a lot. Well....I better wrap this puppy up. It's been a good week and I have been uplifted spiritually. I hope that you all were as well. Please continue to keep me in your prayers as we strive to find the elect and bring them home. <br /><br />Love,<br /><br />Elder Landon Carroll<div>
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Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-76147346601353218822015-09-27T21:16:00.000-07:002015-10-05T07:27:48.410-07:00Carless, but not careless.September 28, 2015<br />
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The title says it all ladies and gentlemen. We were without a car this whole week, but that did not stop us from, being successful. We were still able to work hard and teach some really great lessons. We're really starting to establish ourselves as a companionship here and I'm really excited about the direction the work is heading. <br />
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Some of our successes this week included....<br />
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Getting N to Stake Conference and making sure that she had a great experience. I can see that she is just getting happier and happier as her baptismal date approaches. We were not able to teach her this week apart from Sunday school at church, but I have full faith and confidence that she will make her baptismal date. That's on the 17th of October by the way. <br />
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We also had a great lesson with R. He's our old man from the Dominican Republic. He says that if he comes to know the Book of Mormon is true, it would mean to him that this is the correct path. He says he hopes that it is. I know that it is. <br />
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Stake conference was wonderful yesterday. We had a general authority visit, Elder Zwick of the seventy and he was just amazing. He gave a wonderful talk about how to come to know Jesus Christ personally. He gave us four things to do: 1) Read and study the scriptures daily. 2) Pray daily. 3) Go to the temple. 4) Follow the prophet. He told a great story about a time he accompanied President Monson to go do a hospital visit (yes, even the great prophet does those) and he said that when they walked through the halls, people would get very quiet. A couple people asked to shake his hand, and he ended up taking them to separate rooms and blessing them. And then he gave the blessing that he went there for. He's just a perfect example of Christ-like love and service. We need to follow him. I know we only hear from him every six months, but just imagine what he does when we're not looking. His life has been an example of service, and we need to follow him as we try to become like the Savior. Oh, and I got to translate his whole talk to the Spanish speakers. That was pretty cool. <br />
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Another thing! We went and visited our Jehovah's Witness guy M and had an interesting engagement with him. I brought another elder on exchanges who knew a lot about the bible and things like that, and we just kind of went at it. I told him to go at it subtlety, and he did his best. We did our best. Their beliefs are EXACTLY why we need the Book of Mormon. Because without it, we cannot understand the Gospel. Sure, the Bible contains the fullness of the Gospel, but without the Book of Mormon, we could never understand everything it's saying. Actually, I got up and gave my testimony of that very point during district meeting. I brought my JW Bible and held it up for everyone to see. I said "This book right here has changed my perspective on everything. It's because of things like this that we need the Book of Mormon. People are lost chasing after worldly philosophies when the truth is right under their noses. Let's give it to them Elders and Sisters." Unfortunately I got told on by some missionaries for that, but President James says it was an awesome testimony. But that is the truth about things. M shared with us a bunch of false information that is accurate supposedly because they went back to the original transcripts to verify everything. The only flaw with that is that THERE ARE NO ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS. So he tried to indoctrinate us, but failed miserably. We're going back this Friday to teach him the Restoration and see what he thinks. <br />
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Well, I am running out of time so I'm gonna close. Please continue to pray for us as we try to bring souls to Christ. The Gospel is true and Jesus Christ lives. Don't ever forget it. <br />
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Love, <br />
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Elder Landon Carroll</div>
Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848355303015434501.post-51260961939941860372015-09-15T08:49:00.000-07:002015-09-15T08:49:14.403-07:00Well, the leaves have come to turning and the goose has gone to fly...September 15, 2015<br />
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Fall is in the air! I walked out yesterday to knock doors and I was just smacked with Deja Vu. I kept telling Elder Flake "It feels like my birthday. Like all my childhood birthday picnics and stuff." And then it turned into "It feels like Halloween." The weather has been beautiful these last couple days and I just have this familiar feeling right now. Like...I'm home or something. I guess this time of year has always kind of been my favorite so it's only natural. <br /><br />We had a lot of success this week. I talked about some of our investigators last week. Now I'm gonna fill you in on their progression. <br /><br />N has skyrocketed! She had some doubts about some things last week, but I was able to clear those up in Gospel Principles on Sunday, so I knew she was progressing. She really loves all the doctrine of the Plan of Salvation. She has a lot of concerns about death, so the restored truths of the restoration really help her to understand where her loved-ones are and what's going to happen to them. We went to teach her on Thursday night and she had a lot of questions about the Restoration through Joseph Smith, so before she asked any more, I popped in the Joseph Smith movie and we just went. After the movie, she didn't have any more questions and I could tell that she felt the Spirit. After explaining that she will get baptized, but wasn't ready, I asked her what was holding her back. She didn't really say anything, so then the conversation magically moved to the fact that her son is being deployed in January, so if she wants him to baptized her, she needs to get baptized soon. So we set a date for the 17th of October....and it's super solid! She will be baptized on that day. No doubt in my mind (uncle Rico voice). Now we just have to teach her the commandments and get the members involved and she's good to go. I'm excited! <br /><br />We were unable to meet with our golden investigator, L this week, but we dropped by and gave him a Plan of Salvation to read. Apparently he hasn't been feeling well, so hopefully next weekend is promising. <br /><br />R is still well....R. He's got so many weird ideas in his head and he's just a little hard-headed. He didn't come to church for some reason, but he says that he loves meeting with us and he asked a super good question on Thursday. He asked "If we all lived with God before this life, then why did God even put Adam here on the Earth?" That means he's starting to process things a little bit! This is the key to destroying his false beliefs about the Fall. I'm hoping to make a lot of progress with him this week, so we'll see what happens. He's just sooo hard-headed it's not even funny. <br /><br />So there's a few of our success stories this week. Our diligence continues to pay off and the Lord is continuing to bless us with miracles. We do the work, he supplies the sheaves. It's that simple. <br /><br />The Lord has been trying my patience lately. I just want every lesson to go perfectly so I can baptize, but it just hasn't been going that way. I start teaching and people just start talking about absolutely nothing. It's incredibly frustrating. My gospel principles class was taken over by talkers yesterday and a lady who asked "why is Joseph Smith's name not in the Bible?" Does she even know what she just asked? Hmmmm maybe because the Bible was written two-thousand years ago? People just don't like to think logically sometimes. That's something that I love about the Gospel. In its fullness, it makes perfect sense. There are no holes in any of the doctrine, unlike that of other false churches. Sometimes I just want to force my understanding of things down people's throats, but we all know that it doesn't work that way. Christ never did it that way. He asks us to be patient and teach the people exactly what they need to hear to progress in the Gospel. It's hard sometimes, but that's really what makes a convert. Unless people understand the personal relevance of the gospel to THEM, it doesn't matter what we teach them. That's my testimony of the matter. <br /><br />Well. enough of the rambling. It's been a good week and I hope to continue to have success. Please pray that we can stay diligent and that we can figure this difficult week out. We have to turn our car in for repairs for five days this week, so it's gonna be very hard to get to some of our investigators. Please pray that the members can step up and that the Lord will provide for our needs. <br /><br />Have a good one! <br /><br />-Elder Landon Carroll Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14272734865531771333noreply@blogger.com0