Diary of a Missionary Mom!!: July 2014

From the Philippines to the Yucatan!!

It's been a month or so since I've posted updates for my girls. They have been extremely busy teaching and working hard to serve the people of the Philippines and Mexico.
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From the Pines ( AJ's letters are filled more and more with Tagalog. She has a hard time speaking and writing in English now)

Hello po my beautiful at amazing pamilya!!! kumusta kayo?? mahal kita at namimiss kita!!!! Pero masaya ako po dito (:
I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of july!!!! next year lahat tayo ay home for the 4th whoo hoo party party tayo!!! haha

Oh yea transfers... well I am still here in the same area!!!! Which I am super happy about pero nagtransfer si sis kini ): pero my new companion is super sweet!!! you want to know why?? she is from Cali!!! yup from LA actually!! well the san fernando valley mismo!!! Si Sister Hansen!!!! she is super awesome!!! I am excited to be with her!!

well everything is going really well here!! I'm not gunna lie it is stressful leading an area. there is so much i want to do, and 6 weeks is not a lot of time. Last transfer sis kini and I worked really hard but I feel like there is so much more we can do!! I really love this area!!! i just want to leave it better than what i found it!!!
So our focus still is using the members...remember members are the best finders!!! and FINDING!!!!! I can just feel that this area is about to explode with people who are ready for this gospel!! We just need to find them!!!!!!! w
We have investigators who are coming to church and are progressing but it will be a while before they are ready and able to be baptized. ): but I know someone seguro maraming tao are waiting to hear this great message!!!
Well what else...I hit 13 months this past saturday!! which is crazy ang balis balis. I was reading this past week some journal entries from this time a year ago, it is amazing,the strength the Lord has and is giving me everyday to carry out His work!!! I love my mission!!!! it is hard, but fun and a blessing!!!! I am so glad that I am still here!!! I am grateful talaga for this gospel in my life!! if you would have asked me a year ago if I would ever make it to 13 months...my answer would probably have been very uncertain. haha but ulit I am grateful that it was hard for me in the beginning. I learned I can't do this with out my Savior.
Well pamilya have a safe week!! Mom, Matt and Kate be safe on your drive back, PLeASE!!!! I love you all with all my heart!!! please be safe and obedient in all you do and I will write you next week! and I'll be home for christmas!!!!

love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love,
Sister Carr

Sister Carr and KK, caught in a rainstorm

Sister KK and Carr

Sis. Carr and Brother and Sister Echo Hawk

Sis. Carr and Sites

Baptism Day for this family

It's a tradition to burn something on your one year mark in the mission field. Sister Carr burnt her pillowcase in celebration of 1 year in the field!!

Helping plow a field. Sister Carr loves to serve!

More service....helping out at a church members home.


Sis. Carr and her companion have been teaching and serving this lovely couple.

Sister Carr has no running water in her apartment so she has to go outside each day to pump water from the well in the back of the house. She says it's no big deal....life of a missionary!

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From Mexico (This was one of the best letters we have received from Sarah in a while. I love the way she bears her testimony of the work she is doing and the love she has for her Savior and Heavenly Father.)

Hola mi hermosa familia! Cómo está? Espero que estén bien ustedes!

I seriously cannot believe how fast time is flying! Can you believe we are halfway through the year?? That's crazy!

So the past few weeks have been good, but hard. We dedicated a little more of our time contacting, which isn´t easy. So we didn´t have too many lessons, but it was good because we are finding more people to teach!

Ismael, the most recent convert that we have, is going strong! We went over to his house to visit him and he told us that he had just finished reading 20 pages in Gospel Principles! He is a true convert and it`s amazing to see how he just wants to know more! Ugh, I will forever thank the Lord for allowing me the privilege of helping this man find the gospel!

Oh, and the temple was wonderful! I did baptisms, but only baptisms. I didn´t get to do confirmations. I will tell you which names I did next week. But it was AMAZING and I will send pictures next week as well :)

One thing that I am grateful for this week is how the Lord has helped me reflect on the missionary I want to be and how I can improve. I am almost halfway through my mission (I complete 9 months on July 16th! AHHH!!!) and I began thinking about my progress and I asked myself the question: ¨¨Am I becoming the missionary the Lord needs me to be?¨ And then I asked myself, ¨Am I becoming the person the Lord wants me to be?¨ I continue thinking a lot about this. I am almost halfway through my mission and I feel like there is so much still that I have to learn. I am constantly wanting to learn and find ways to improve. It`s hard, but it`s supposed to be. I have really been talking to Heavenly Father about the plans He has for me and I am learning more and more to just trust in Him. I do trust Him. I trust that He knows what`s best for me, even if there are things that I want. I trust that He loves me and wants me to be happy. And I trust that if I do ALL that I can, He will help me become the missionary (and the person) that He needs me to be. Something I struggle with is giving up my will completely to the Lord, but then I think of the phrase: ¨Alone I am but a smudge, but with the Lord, I become a masterpiece.¨ I love this phrase and I want to apply it throughout my life! And I think of how I can apply it to those that we teach. The Lord can make masterpieces of those that have been tried and tested and need help to become what the Lord knows they can be. There are so many people in the world that just need to know that they have the potential to live beautiful lives if they will put themselves in God`s hands...

This is my own personal goal. I want to be obedient and put myself in the hands of my Heavenly Father so that He can guide me and allow me to reach my full potential as a missionary and as His daughter. I want to help others do the same! I talked to one of the assistants to the president today (he goes home in August) about what has helped him do all he can as a missionary. He talked to me about the importance of time and how it is the most precious thing the Lord gives us. It is up to us to decide how we will use it. There really isn´t that much, so let´s not waste it! This really hit me. It can be applied to everyone! We must always seek to do the will of the Lord in every moment or we will find that we have not used one of the most precious gifts we have in the way the Lord intended. I want to use the time I have left as a missionary and the time I have given to me in my lifetime to do the Lord`s will. To trust in Him. If I do my best, I will not fail!!!!

I can testify without a single doubt that I know Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, our loving older brother, and the living Son of a living God. I know with all certainty of my soul that God exists and loves us more than we can comprehend. I know that He has provided a perfect plan for each and every one of us and wants us to have happiness in this life and in the life to come. I testify that the gospel is true and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the restored church of our Savior Jesus Christ and that it is the ONLY true church on the face of the earth. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ the son as a young boy and was called to be the first prophet of the last dispensation. I know that Thomas S Monson is called of God to be a prophet in this day and recieves revelation for all the world. I know the apostles are also called of God to be seers and revelators and to help guide Christ`s church. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and evidence of The Restoration. I know that I am a representative of Jesus Christ and I am called to proclaim the truth. I bear testimony of these things with ALL my heart. And I do so in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you my dear family more than you know and thank you for everything! Please continue to strengthen your testimonies and do all you can to do the Lord`s will. Please be safe and have a wonderful 4th of JULY!!!!!!!!!!! ´Merica! :)

Les AMO con todo mi corazón!!!!!!

Hermana Sarahbeara :)