Faith as a Grain of Mustard: New years, Divisions, and corny inspirational thoughts

JANUARY 6, 2014

Hi all!

This week has been so strange, and next week is going to be so strange, and all and all time is just FLYING by! I have been doing divisions like crazy! I spent a few days, including New Years, with a really sweet Bolivian sister in another area. Everyone here goes to the beach for new years (you think I’m lying when I say everyone. I’m not. the streets are DESERTED!!!!! imagine downtown salt lake city, with literally no one. that was how Mossoro was) but there were apparently some people left over, hiding, because there were fireworks going off all night! We spent a little bit of time at a members home, and she taught me how to make cuzcuz! it’s so yummy! And impossible to describe...I will just make it for you when I come home!

Then Sister Christensen went to Natal for a mission leader thingy and I am in this weird limbo without a companion! I mean, I’m never alone but it’s still odd. I spend the mornings with the other dupla in our house, and then go out to work with Camila, a member who is AWESOME!!!!! She is my age, and preparing to go on a mission, so it’s great for both of us :) her testimony is inspiring

Once sister Christensen gets back, we will be doing another division with some other sisters and then TRANSFERS!!!! dun dun dunnnnnnnn!

(So mom, don’t worry when I don’t email on Monday, next week pday is Wednesday. it would not surprise me if I had some interesting news. Things are gonna get changed up)

So this past Sunday was a little hard. We didn’t have any investigators at Church and our baptism fell through...and then Sister Christensen left (rather unexpectedly). So I was feeling a little down. And then I just was thinking during sacrament meeting, you know Heavenly Father it would be really nice if (insert awesome hymn here) was the sacrament hymn today. it would make me happy. AND BAM! Not 30 seconds later, they announce the sacrament hymn as what I was just thinking of! It was a nice tender mercy.

So i was thinking, Heavenly Father really has all power. He can do anything He wants. He knows me, He loves me, and He has the power to take away all my frustrations. He could have arranged things so Sister Christensen could have stayed here an extra day. He could have gotten my investigators to Church. He could have taken away all my problems. BUT. He didn’t. Because He trusts me and He knows that I can handle them and He wants to give me the opportunity to grow.

I was reading a talk by Elder Oaks yesterday that basically says (I’m paraphrasing):

God has the power to send legions of angels to do His work on the Earth. But He doesn’t. He chooses to allow us to do the work instead because He knows that it is only through these experiences that we will become the people He knows we can become .

So...God knows what He is doing. And when things get tough, be grateful because it’s a sign that God knows you are capable. And don’t get too dejected to miss all the tender mercies, the little blessings that He sends literally every hour!

I love you alll SOOOOOO MUCH. Beijos and cherios por tudo.

-Sister Carroll