Diary of a Missionary Mom!!: Hola and Kamusta !!!

Updates from the Philippines and Mexico

We finally received some pictures from our missionary in the "Pines". It had been awhile since she sent us some pictures and her sister in Mexico has been great about sending us pictures every week. We love to see their smiling faces and look forward to each weekly email.
Their missions continue to provide them with many learning opportunities and challenges as well. It's all part of the experience and they both continue to tell us how much they love the countries they are in and the people whom they serve. Here's some of their most recent emails and pictures.

From the "Pines"

Week 31.....Well this week was a fast and good week!! You are so right mom, time is flying by! Already another transfer has come and gone! We find out Wednesday who is transferring, President said Sister Bono and I might be companions for another transfer...so we shall see!!!
Since today is our last pday for this transfer we had our zone activity! For our zone activity I taught my zone how to play soccer!! haha it was so much fun but it made me so so so so homesick. I miss watching and playing soccer. AND with the World Cup coming up..it kills me that I won't be home. Uggghhh. The last world cup was so much fun!!!! Anyway...keep me posted with everything!!!! VIVA ESPANIA!!!!!!

Anyway, this week was good, Brother M. and his whole family came to church yesterday and he is progressing really well with his W.O.W situation. He hasn't smoked once. And yesterday Brother N. came to church again, He is progressing very well too and we are excited. Brother Moi and Sister C. didn't come to church yesterday): they went to another area...so we will have to see what is going on there.
Let see what else...well on Saturday we had a pretty sad event happen. As we were eating lunch our neighbors house caught fire. I was sitting at my desk and Sis. B comes running in yelling " may sunog! may sunog!" ( there is a fire!). I ran outside and there was just this huge black cloud of smoke. It had been pretty windy here and as the family was cooking something caught fire and it just grew and grew. Like no kidding it was huge...it burned down 2 houses. Don't worry we are fine and were in no danger. I just got stressed out because about an hour before the fire there were about 5 kids playing outside in front of the house. Good thing that nobody was harmed. The families that lived there are safe but they are left with nothing. It is so sad.

I am going to get sappy for a second...I miss you guys so so so much!!! Hermana Carr...you look so beautiful in all your pictures!!!!! I miss you.

I miss all of you guys!! Sometimes I get stressed out about how much time I have left. It will be another 11 months before I get to see you all again and I just pray everyday that we are all kept safe so that ALL of us can be reunited when Hermana Carr and I come home. Pero, I am LOVING my mission. I love being a missionary!! It is hard work...really hard pero there is no substitute for the experience and knowledge that I am gaining.

Mom and Dad that you for your testimonies and thank you my beautiful family for your endless and unconditional love and support!!! It means the world to me!!!

I miss you guys everyday, but this is where I am needed and this is where I will stay until my 18 months are complete.

My family, I love you. I love you more and more everyday and I need all of you to be safe and happy everyday.

Have a good and SAFE trip to Arizona!!! Send all my love to everyone!! Mom tell the Keel couple I say hello & that I love them! and Kate tell Conner Parks I say Hi too and that I am doing well, I love the mission and the church is true!

Please have a good and safe week family. I love you all with all my heart!

Continue to be obedient and look for opportunities to serve and share the gospel.

I am proud of all of you for helping the missionaries in the Ocean View Ward! Patuloy!!!

Mahal ko kayo to the moon and back countless times (:

Mahal,

Sister Carr

Week 32...............Well first things first...I got transferred...again! haha. I'm about 45 minutes south of my last area. I am actually right next to Urdaneta. My new companion is Sister S. from Utah. I am tied 2 for 2 now. Two Filipina companions two Americana companions. She is awesome! I already love her!!!!

Well to be honest not much to say except that I got transferred and I am just adjusting to the new area. I love it here! We have a Mall in our area and it is just like America! PLUS I have been reunited with Sister M. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are in the same zone woo hoo!!! She is too funny! Sister M. and her comp Sister Br. waited for me at the church with a sign to welcome me to the zone haha It is going to be a fun transfer!!!

Sige, I am going to send PICTURES!!!! So short email.

Pero, my beautiful family I love you all so so so much. Please be safe this week and have a good week.

Kate! I am so happy and proud of you for all your hard work. Keep working hard and keep me posted about school!!!

Again, I love you all so so so so so so much!!!!!!! Please be safe and continue to be obedient!!!! Blessings are waiting!!!!!

Mahal kita!

Mahal,

Sister Carr

A true DP lover will always find a way to get their drink on. She said there was a military base near by and she was able to get one from a vending machine!!

A tiny tree and a scented candle makes this missionary happy !

She's wearing the Christmas jammies and slippers we sent her in her care package.


Ewww.....chicken foot on a stick!!

From Mexico

Hello my darling family!

How are all of you? Mommy, I´m so sorry to hear that you got sick :( But very glad to hear you are doing better! And Katie, I´m very proud of you for going out with the Sistinaries. I know it´s hard and not always fun, but we need you! The members are so important to missionary work and I can tell you honestly that the sisters appreciate it!!!!!!! So thank you for your willingness to help. You will be blessed :)

My week was good, but hard. The language is still frustrating me bit. I´m just not learning as fast as I want to and it´s REALLY hard to be patient. Every American missionary here tells me it takes time, but I just want to know it already! Haha, I know with time I will understand. It´s been a little hard with Hermana N. and Hermana C. because they can understand each other and I´m left just sitting there... Sometimes I feel a bit lonely, but I know that the Lord has blessed me with two amazing companions! I seriously love both of them! Hermana N. knows the scriptures like no one I´ve ever seen and Hermana C. is HILARIOUS! They both have such strong testimonies and I want to be like them!

So yes, the language is still hard, but I´m learning. I had some investigators tell me this past week that I´ve gotten better, and that I´ve lost weight! I was like ¨YEAH!!!!!!¨ hahaha. I was excited! It is wonderful having one companion that speaks only Spanish and then having a companion that can speak English because I can ask how to say something and then practice it. It´s a huge blessing!

Oh, Daddy, I thought of you this week because we went to a member´s house to eat and the father was reading "How to win friends and influence people". But in Spanish of course. But, I understand the title and told him that we have that book! And then today I thought of Matt because a store was playing the song What Does the Fox Say! Haha I laughed so hard!

I think of you all constantly and keep you in my prayers! Please continue to stay safe and faithful! I truly know with all my heart that this is the Lord´s church. We are doing His work. I cannot express how grateful I am for all I have learned in my short time as a missionary! I´m excited that I get to continue to learn more and more! Yes, the learning process is HARD, but worth it! And I can see the Lord´s tender mercies everday! He blesses me constantly! I know that my Redeemer lives! What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

I love the Lord and I love you all! Thank you for everything!!!!!!!

Con amor siempre,

Hermana Carr

Look!! I finished all my pumpkin!!

Traditional Mexican dress

Hermana Carr and some lovely ladies.

Yumm!! They found some Magnum bars Ice Cream bars!! Her sister was able to find some in the Philippines too. Our family loves Magnum Bars!!

Shopping.....not sure if all the carts are this small or if these Hermana's just decided to be silly. I'm thinking they were just being silly.

Even hard working missionaries need to take an Ice Cream break!


Hermana's in the gospel

While our missionaries are out teaching and sharing the gospel we took a little road trip to Arizona this past weekend to attend the open house for the new Gilbert Arizona Temple.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temples are a very important part of our faith. This is a beautiful building and we had the blessing of going with some wonderful friends of ours.