Week 27 in the "Pines" and Week 3 in "Mexico !!

The days are slow, but the weeks fly by!!

This is a saying that our daughter in the "Pines" told us one time in a letter.  We didn't really get what she meant then, but we do now.  Sister Carr has just passed her 6 month mark on her mission, and Hermana Carr just passed her 2 month. 
It still feels like both of them just left, and yet it feels like they've been gone forever. How can that be?
By this time next year we will be welcoming home Sister Carr from the Philippines and Hermana Carr will only have 4 months to go.   I know I probably shouldn't be counting the days already, but with Christmas approaching it's hard not to be a little sad without my whole family together.  I continue to be grateful that our girls are having this opportunity to go and serve the Lord and the people of the Philippines and Mexico, but look forward to the day when I will see their beautiful faces, hear their laughter and all my children are again under one roof.
Next week is Christmas and we will get to skype with both of them.  We are super excited!!!!
They both have been having wonderful experiences. Here are some excerpts from their lastest letters.


FROM THE PHILIPPINES

HELLO THERE MY BEAUTIFUL FAMILY!!!!!

  

BOY DO I MISS YOU GUYS. I AM STRUGGLING WITH HOMESICKNESS, I AM PRETTY SURE IT IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR. I KNOW IT WILL PASS. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR MY CHRISTMAS PACKAGE!!!! IT MADE ME CRY. HONESTLY, I JUST CRIED WHILE I OPENED IT. BUT I LOVE EVERYTHING IN IT!!!!! I LOVE MY JOURNAL!!!! IT IS SO CUTE AND OF COURSE MY CAMERA!! PLENTY OF PICTURES COMING YOUR WAY!!!! 

PLUS ALL THE FOOD YOU SENT ME.. OMG!!  THOSE JOES-JOES ARE LIKE CRACK!!!! I AM OBSESSED WITH THOSE. WE ARE SAVING THE CARR-MEL APPLES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE!! I AM EXCITED. PLUS WITH MY CHRISTMAS PJ'S!!!!!!! 

SO FOR CHRISTMAS SKYPE... I CAN SKYPE AFTER 10am  HERE SO I WILL BE ON BY 11:30am PINE TIME!!! YAYYYY  I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!

ANYWAY,  EVERYTHING IS GOING REALLY WELL.  MY AREA IS REALLY REALLY HARD. WE ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE REMAINING HOPEFUL. 

SISTER LANI WHO CAME TO CHURCH WITH US YESTERDAY.  SHE IS AN INVESTIGATOR WHO LIVES RIGHT NEXT TO US...LUCKY HER!!  SHE IS VERY NICE, VERY RECEPTIVE AND SHE SAID SHE HAD A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE AT CHURCH!!!

SO THE LANGUAGE IS COMING ALONG VERY WELL.  OF COURSE I STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN BUT I CAN EASILY HOLD A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE AND TEACH THEM THE FIRST LESSON.  I AM A PRO AT TEACHING THE FIRST LESSON!!! HAHA 

WELL NOT MUCH TO REPORT THIS WEEK.  JUST A LOT OF WALKING AND FINDING.   SISTER B.  AND I GET ALONG REALLY WELL AND HAVE A LOT OF FUN. 

TOMORROW IS OUR CHRISTMAS CONFERENCE AND SO NEXT WEEK I WILL SEND YOU PICTURES!!!! 

GPA...I LOVE YOU
MOM...I LOVE YOU

DAD...I LOVE YOU

SARAH...I LOVE YOU

KATE...I LOVE YOU

MATT...I LOVE YOU

HAVE A GREAT AND SAFE WEEK!!!! 

MAHAL KO KAYO!!

MAHAL,

 SISTER CARR

 

 

 

Sis. C ( 2nd row, 4th from left) with other sisters from her mission.  She looks so happy!  We are grateful for Sis. M for posting pictures on the mission blog.  Now that our daughter has a new camera we are hoping for more pictures to come our way soon!

 

 

FROM MEXICO

Hola mi familia bonita!

 

So, this week has been much much MUCH better! I am loving Hunucma! The people here are seriously so nice. The members are completely amazing and so enthusiastic about helping with missionary work! They contact less actives and help teach lessons, we just need to get more references. That´s a big challenge here. Another big challenge is getting the investigators to keep commitments. We have so many people that say they believe and agree to go to church and do all these things but nada...It´s tough. It´s really tough and we fast and pray that we will be able to know what we as missionaries can do to help them. But I am very blessed to be serving in such a humble area. There is a member here that reminds me of mommy!!! Her name is Hermana Elsy. She´s AMAZING! She has three daughters who are all very sweet and her husband, Hermano Diego, is awesome! We spend a lot of time at their house either teaching or eating! Haha. The people feed us A LOT here! So I might come back fat, haha! I´m gonna try really hard not to though! The food is actually very good! It´s a lot of chicken and fish and black beans and like a soup kinda thing. Honestly, most of the time I don´t know what we´re eating. I just put chile and lime on it and call it a day. Haha, oh and we eat a ton of tortillas! Tortillas for dayzzzz!!!! But I love them, so it´s great!

 

As far as the language goes, poco a poco (little by little). I am understanding a little bit more everyday. I am truly grateful for the gift of tongues! It´s real and I receive help every single day! I am more willing to talk in lessons too. Even if I can´t understand, I at least like to bear my testimony at the end. My testimony is still a powerful tool and I am very grateful to have it and share it. There have been times where I am understanding and Hermana N. will look at me and I can continue from where she left off! That´s the best, when I feel like I can contribute! I can´t do it everytime. There are times when I am completely lost and she looks at me and I just smile. I smile and wait for her to realize that I have no clue what´s going on or what we´re talking about. Haha, Hermana N. is very patient with me and I am blessed! She helps me so much and pushes me to do more everyday! 

 

 

Now SKYPE! I am soooooo excited to talk with you! I have an hour to talk with you all on the 25th! I don´t have a specific time so if you could do me a favor and find out what time I need to call so that I can call with AJ, that would be awesome! I would love to talk with her too! However, it might be too late because we need to be in the house by 9:30pm. And we don´t leave the house until 4:00pm on Christmas so if you could just keep skype open the whole time and look for my call, it would be much appreciated. Haha. I´m really sorry I don´t have more detail. We are still trying to find out whose laptop we can use, etc. Oh, and I don´t have an account, so if you could please make one for me and send me the info, that would be a huge help!

 

But yes, overall I am doing much better! Please tell the Lambriggers I say hi! And tell Randi I say HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!! I love you all so much! I don´t need much right now, but I am SO excited to get your package! We go to Merida on the 23rd so I´m hoping to get it then! Please know that I love you and I love my Heavenly Father! This is His work and I am so grateful for how He blesses me and all of you! I love you will all my heart!!!! Please stay safe and I´ll talk to you soon!!!!

 

Con Amor para siempre,

 

Hermana Carr