Hi all! April 9, 2014
Mom! I love your email, I’m gonna write you a MEGA long
letter today! Also, I got all your letters! Including the gigantic one from
Benjamin! And the talks by Elder Bednar! Seriously, one of the best batches of
mail yet. Thank you so much, I love you guys.
I only have 10 minutes so we´ll see what I can sum up about
this awesome week
General conference, my favorite is a toss up between Elder
Bednar and the load, and President Uchtdorf with gratitude. My new mission goal
is to be happier, which basically means my new mission goal is to be brasilian
because they are always smiling and happy and positive and joke even when
things get hard. I hit the halfway mark on my mission this week and it makes me
want to cry because (I love you mom) I never want to leave this life, a
missionary in brasil. Damião was baptized on Sunday, and practically the whole
ward was there - he has been working to stop smoking for a month and he is so
sweet. grown man, but doesn’t know how to read. he really has such a desire to
choose the right. Transfers happened but I’m staying put with Sister Arévalo :)
One of the biggest life lessons I´m learning on the mission
is careful observation. You know what the scriptures are? A giant record of the
personality of Jesus Christ. We have the Gospels and a bit in 3 Nephi that
actually show us what He is like, and then we have all the rest of the stories
of good, righteous people trying to be like Christ. The scriptures are just
stories about people. If I can learn more about Christ by studying the story of
Moses or Abraham or Nephi, then I can learn more about Christ if I pay careful
attention to the people right next to me.
On the mission, I´m blessed to be in daily contact with what
the scriptures call, The noble and great ones. And I’ve found that as I pay
attention to other missionaries, the members, and just people we are teaching,
I start to learn more about the character of Christ. What He would do if He
were here. It’s the very essence of that scripture mastery, Let your light so
shine before the world that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father which is in heaven. It’s the center of what Christ teaches in John, that
the apostles saw Him, and therefore also saw the Father. Good, righteous people
with Christ-like attributes help me understand more about my Savior. And I love
this part about the mission. My only hope is that I can be that light for other
people as well.
Elder Alvarenga, one of these incredible Christ-like people,
is being transferred today and I am really quite sad because he has been an
incredible leader, example, and teacher for our companionship this transfer. A
real example of selfless service. I was really quite sad when I heard about the
transfer, but another thought came to me - that this Elder was one way that the
Lord showed His love for me. An instrument in the hands of the Lord, if you
will. And I´m sad because he´s leaving BUT the love of the Lord is always
there, is always constant. The Lord uses different people in different times of
our lives to show this love. The people come and go, but the love of the Lord
is ALWAYS there. For example - I love my mom. Sooooo much. She helped me
understand how much the Lord loved me. Then I went to college, and she wasn't
there anymore. But the Lord sent 5 incredible girls to live with me in Heritage
Halls and I was able to feel the love of the Lord because of them :) Then
things happen, we go our separate ways, and I´m here on a mission in Brasil.
And the Lord still sends people my way to show His love for me - companions,
other missionaries, members, investigators. Every time someone has to leave,
the Lord finds another way to show His love.
So - the Lord loves you very much, whoever you are and where
ever you are. If you are having a hard time seeing that love, just say a prayer
asking for the eyes to see the tender mercies of the Lord in your life. And
then look around and you will see the many different ways the Lord shows His
unique and special love for you :)
-Sister Carroll
No comments:
Post a Comment