MARCH 5, 2012
First email from the mission field!!!! YAY!!!!
The MTC was great but let me just say, the field is so much
better! The flight from Salt Lake to Chicago was fun but I sat by two members. We talked about missions and stuff and it was great, but I was itching to teach. While at Chicago I ate and talked on the phone with the family pretty much the entire time. Then I got on the plane and sat next to a guy. His name was Shane. We just about talked about everything but religion for most of the flight until he said something that I used to lead into it. I asked him if he was religious and stuff and he said he was a Baptist for most of his life and that the past few years he had been going to a Methodist church. He then said he was really open and felt that there was more to religion and was kind looking for more. I know....Golden!
We talked about our religions for a few minutes and he asked if I thought it was strange that the Bible just ends like how it does. I then proceeded to talk about the Book of Mormon and living Prophets today. He took the BoM and promised to read. He really liked the idea of more scripture. I gave him a Mormon.Org pass along card (Thanks Grandma Kathy) with some sections to read
and told him about mormon.org. I also got his info and have referred him to the missionaries in his area!
We got out of the airport and about died! It's been around high 70's every day with some pretty good humidity. I was used to it by the second day but the first day was killer. We drove to the church building, had dinner, had orientation, meet with the President, and got our assignments. I'm companions with Elder O'Sick and we are serving in Vicksburg, MS. Our apartment is right behind that Battle Field Park. For those of you who know my Friends Jake and Brendon, O'Sick is a mix between them...Antonces we get along perfectly! There are two other Elders and two sisters in our area. Elder O'Sick and I, Elders Clark and Higgs (Higgs
is a visa waiter for Monterrey and came in with me); we share an apartment, and Sisters Urie and Abeshire. The sisters are English, Elder Clark and O'Sick are English and were companions, and me and Higgs are Spanish. So what the President ended up doing is putting me and O'Sick as the Spanish Elders because O'Sick has pretty much become a Spanish missionary out on his mission. They are a ton of Spanish speaking people in our area. Elders Clark and Higgs are mainly English. Higgs isn't the best at Spanish but is getting better.
We have basically taught a bunch of Spanish speaking LA(Less active) members and one Spanish investigator and have done a bunch of door contacting but nothing has come out of the door contacting yet. We get feed every night. The ward is
amazing at feeding us. We have a calendar just for our meals and it's full for the next month and a half! The spanish people in our ward are so amazing. They feed us the most and have been a great help to my Spanish. I can pretty much understand everything now, as long as they don't speak to fast, and say most of what I want to say. IT'S AMAZING how much I have learned in the past few days! Yesterday for Sacrament meeting, we had to translate for the Spanish people. They had us in another room and all the spanish speakers could pick up head set if they wanted. IT was way weird but I did ok. :)
We are having so much fun. The four of us elders can really work and study hard but we can have a blast too! Our area covers a huge chunk of MS and a little bit of Louisiana, so, I've been in two new states this week! The food and people are
amazing here! Everyone says hello because we are "Church People" or I've heard "Spiritual People" a few times. I love this area! It is so beautiful and nice. It's great! I love it so much. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't care if my Visas never ever came through. I'm excited I want to go to Mexico, but I wouldn't mind staying here. I'm loving the opportunity to share the gospel with people and to talk about what makes me different from everyone else. We get asked about who we are and why we stick out all the time. It's cool. This might be weird but I'm actually enjoying contacting. Once you get over the initial hello of the door approach, it's fun
to talk to people. I'm hoping that we can find some people who will be receptive of the gospel here soon. Pray for the People of the Jackson Mississippi Mission, esp those in the Vicksburg area. I love you all lots! I'm praying for you all!
Sending my Love,
Elder Carter
The MTC was great but let me just say, the field is so much
better! The flight from Salt Lake to Chicago was fun but I sat by two members. We talked about missions and stuff and it was great, but I was itching to teach. While at Chicago I ate and talked on the phone with the family pretty much the entire time. Then I got on the plane and sat next to a guy. His name was Shane. We just about talked about everything but religion for most of the flight until he said something that I used to lead into it. I asked him if he was religious and stuff and he said he was a Baptist for most of his life and that the past few years he had been going to a Methodist church. He then said he was really open and felt that there was more to religion and was kind looking for more. I know....Golden!
We talked about our religions for a few minutes and he asked if I thought it was strange that the Bible just ends like how it does. I then proceeded to talk about the Book of Mormon and living Prophets today. He took the BoM and promised to read. He really liked the idea of more scripture. I gave him a Mormon.Org pass along card (Thanks Grandma Kathy) with some sections to read
and told him about mormon.org. I also got his info and have referred him to the missionaries in his area!
We got out of the airport and about died! It's been around high 70's every day with some pretty good humidity. I was used to it by the second day but the first day was killer. We drove to the church building, had dinner, had orientation, meet with the President, and got our assignments. I'm companions with Elder O'Sick and we are serving in Vicksburg, MS. Our apartment is right behind that Battle Field Park. For those of you who know my Friends Jake and Brendon, O'Sick is a mix between them...Antonces we get along perfectly! There are two other Elders and two sisters in our area. Elder O'Sick and I, Elders Clark and Higgs (Higgs
is a visa waiter for Monterrey and came in with me); we share an apartment, and Sisters Urie and Abeshire. The sisters are English, Elder Clark and O'Sick are English and were companions, and me and Higgs are Spanish. So what the President ended up doing is putting me and O'Sick as the Spanish Elders because O'Sick has pretty much become a Spanish missionary out on his mission. They are a ton of Spanish speaking people in our area. Elders Clark and Higgs are mainly English. Higgs isn't the best at Spanish but is getting better.
We have basically taught a bunch of Spanish speaking LA(Less active) members and one Spanish investigator and have done a bunch of door contacting but nothing has come out of the door contacting yet. We get feed every night. The ward is
amazing at feeding us. We have a calendar just for our meals and it's full for the next month and a half! The spanish people in our ward are so amazing. They feed us the most and have been a great help to my Spanish. I can pretty much understand everything now, as long as they don't speak to fast, and say most of what I want to say. IT'S AMAZING how much I have learned in the past few days! Yesterday for Sacrament meeting, we had to translate for the Spanish people. They had us in another room and all the spanish speakers could pick up head set if they wanted. IT was way weird but I did ok. :)
We are having so much fun. The four of us elders can really work and study hard but we can have a blast too! Our area covers a huge chunk of MS and a little bit of Louisiana, so, I've been in two new states this week! The food and people are
amazing here! Everyone says hello because we are "Church People" or I've heard "Spiritual People" a few times. I love this area! It is so beautiful and nice. It's great! I love it so much. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't care if my Visas never ever came through. I'm excited I want to go to Mexico, but I wouldn't mind staying here. I'm loving the opportunity to share the gospel with people and to talk about what makes me different from everyone else. We get asked about who we are and why we stick out all the time. It's cool. This might be weird but I'm actually enjoying contacting. Once you get over the initial hello of the door approach, it's fun
to talk to people. I'm hoping that we can find some people who will be receptive of the gospel here soon. Pray for the People of the Jackson Mississippi Mission, esp those in the Vicksburg area. I love you all lots! I'm praying for you all!
Sending my Love,
Elder Carter
The last week of his time in Mississippi is in the first email on the Mexico page.