Sister Carr arrives in the Philippines!!!

Safe and Sound!

Sister Carr getting ready to board the plane in Salt Lake City.  This airline employee is the mother of Sister Carr's MTC District leader Elder Finneman, who was also flying to the Philippines. A random meeting, and Sister Finneman took this picture of our daughter before she boarded the plane.  I love how Heavenly Father can surprise us with unexpected blessings!!

Sister Carr arriving at the Mission Home. She and several other missionaries spent the night in a hotel in Manila and then were picked up the next morning and driven 4 hours to the mission home. Sister Monahan, the mission presidents wife, took this picture as AJ arrived and sent it to us to let us know that she had arrive safely. She looks happy and ready to begin her work! We are grateful for this experience that she will get to enjoy and look forward to getting her letters and reading all about her adventures!! We love you Sister Carr!!

Leaving on a Jet Plane !!

Saying Good-bye .....Again

I thought it was tough when we dropped Sister Carr off at the MTC 7 weeks ago, but today was just as hard. In some ways today was even harder because there was no final hug, no looking at her sweet face, just a 10 minute phone call and some "I love you's ", "Good Luck", "You'll do great!!" , "Be safe" , "We are so proud of you".
There were tears on both ends of the phone, from me and from her. Tears of happiness and excitement that she is finally on her way to the Philippines.
 The pangs of missing her hit me all over again as I visualized my daughter sitting in the airport waiting to board a plane that would take her away from her family, across the Pacific Ocean for the next 16 months.  I take comfort in knowing that she has been well prepared, both physically and spiritually for her journey and that she will be serving with other missionaries that have been just as equally well prepared.

As I write this update she is flying over the Pacific on her way to Tokyo. She will have a small layover there and then will board a plane to Manila, from Manila she will have a four hour bus ride to the town of Urdaneta.

Below are some pictures of Sister Carr and her district that is flying out to the Philippines with her. Some of them will be going to her mission and some will be going to various missions in the Philippines. 

Sister Carr and her companions and MTC teacher

Sister Carr and sisters from her district with a photo bomb from an Elder

Sister Carr x2

 

 

Sister Carr and Sister Pace

On another missionary note.....Our daughter Sarah received her passport today. She will be entering the Provo MTC on October 16, 2013 to prepare to serve in the Merida Mexico Mission.  Preparation for her mission has been much less stressful than Aundrea's.
Sarah has another 2 1/2 months before she leaves and we are checking things off our "To Do List" with ease.
Sarah was at work today and unable to talk to AJ when she called. They both were very sad as it will be a while before they get to hear each others voices. They will both be in the mission field at Christmas time so we'll have to see if we can figure out a way to Skype or talk to them both at the same time so they can talk to each other too.

And the adventure continues....................

On a mission...expect the unexpected and have faith!!

Well, on my last update I wrote that Sister Carr had received her travel plans and was getting ready to go to the Pines.
Well, the one thing that missionaries learn while on their missions is to be flexible and trust in the Lord because plans can change. 
A few days after Sister Carr received her flight plans, she was told that she would not be leaving on July 15th with the rest of her district (her district was going to another mission) and that she would be leaving with another district that was going to the same mission as Sister Carr, but they weren't leaving until July 29th and she would be spending a few more weeks in the MTC. 

AJ was disappointed that she wouldn't be leaving with the missionaries that she had spent so much time with and had grown to love. 

I worried about how this would affect her. She sent us a letter that week letting us know how sad she was and how hard it was to watch her fellow missionaries leave when she had to stay behind. She once again questioned herself and whether or not she was strong and faithful enough to deal with all the changes that mission life would bring.  

This week we received the following email from her and some of our concerns were put to rest.
 
Magundang Umaga!!!

 I hope this letter finds you well!! I am doing very well, I actually woke up this morning with the flu pero don't be worried I have taken medicine and dapat(should) be over with it in a couple mga araw(days). I just have a headache, sore throat at(and) a cough.

You will be maligaya(happy) to alam(know) I have grown to love and adore my bago(new) district very very much!! Siymre( of course) I miss my other district pero alam ko that they are were they need to be!!  Kung you haven't already you will tanggap (receive) a mga sulat( letter) from me..bale(well) lahat(all) of you guys will get one.  Pero, just alam that I wrote those mga sulat on Martes (tuesday) when I was talaga(really) sad, pero I am feeling much much better ngayon(now)!!!!

Bale!!! I got my FLIGHT PLANS kahapon(yesterday) for real this time!!!!! I leave next Lunes (monday) Ahhh Excited Ako!!!!!! So ready....pero nervous rin(too)  Alam ko na that it will be a MALACKI (big) adjustment pero I can do it!!! 

Salamat Ama and Ina for lahat of your mahal and support. It means so much to me!! Paki give everyone a hug and kiss for me. Tell them Mahal Kita for me!!!! 

Tell the Lambriggers I say Kumusta at Mahal Kita!!!!

Mahal Kita Ang Mga Pamilya ko!!! ( I love you my family) at Mahal ko ang Ebanghelyo ito ( I love this gospel) Nagapapsalamat po ako para sa oportunidad magmisyion sa pilippinas. ( I am thankful for this opportunity to serve a mission in the Philippines) Alam ko na totoo po ang simbahan ni jesucristo. ( I know the church of Jesus Christ is true)

Mahal Kita!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mahal,

Sister Carr

 

Sister Carr and her district and Branch President and wife

Sister I, Sister C, Sister C and Sister G

Heading to the Pines!!

She can't wait to get to the Philippines

Stripes

 Being a missionary is hard (or so I've been told) and I know our daughters will go through rough days where they feel like they just can't go on. 

The following poem was written by a young man after a particularly hard day in the mission field. He went to bed that night discouraged and feeling sorry for himself.  As he drifted off to sleep he began to dream.

 

 I’m standing alone on the hill. The view is very nice
A man walks towards me and says, “My name is Jesus Christ”
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet
“Arise,” He states, “Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak”
My attention’s towards my Savior, total and complete
He says, “Your mission is similar of what happened to me
I understand how you feel, I know what you’re going through
In fact, it would be fair to say I’ve felt the same as you”
“I even know how you felt when no one listened to you
At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do
I know you don’t like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet
Just remember the donkey I rode wasn’t equipped with 21 speeds”
“I understand you don’t like sweating, in fact it’s something you hate
I remember when I sweat blood from ev’ry pore, oh the agony was great!
I see you don’t like your companion- you’d rather have someone else-
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth”
“It’s hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you
I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack
I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back”
“Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day
I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way
It’s hard not to hear from home when your family’s not there to see
I lost communication on the cross and cried, “Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?”
“We have a lot in common, but there’s a difference between us you see
I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me”
He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love
With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above
I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head
I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed
My companion let out a groan, “6:30 already, no way!”
I sat up and said, “Come on, I’ll even carry your scriptures today!”
No matter what we go through,
when we feel we can’t take more
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ,
He’s been there before

 

Happy Sabado Ina!!

Happy 4th of July from the MTC!! And....I'm leaving for the Pines next week!!Ahhhh!!!

Sister Carr and her MTC District

Happy Sabado Ina!!

 Kumusta po kayo?? Maligaya ako that you guys had an ayos Hulyo 4!!! Ako rin had an ayos Hulyo 4!! We watched a movie called 17 Miracles, had MAGNUM BARS!!!!!!!!!!! and watched the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire!

Sister Carr is learning the language, as you can tell by the beginning of her email to us today. Lately most of her letters have been partly in Tagalog and partly in English.  We can usually make out what she is trying to tell us, but it can be challenging. 

We are so glad that she has been enjoying her time in the MTC, but it will soon be time for her to fly out to the Philippines. She will be flying out next week!!

She writes that her days are very busy in the MTC, but that she is learning a ton and can't wait to get to the Philippines to start sharing all that she's learned with the Filipino people.

Sister Carr and her District celebrating with a little bubbly (Martinelli's of course) the opening of their mission on July 1st!!

I'll have more updates as Sister Carr leaves in a week to start her adventures in the Philippines!!