Week 24 Baptisms, Book of Mormons and Christmas!

Yet another week, the Lord has blessed us with so much!

Makenzie (14) was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by her grandfather yesterday, December 28th!! :) It was such a blessing to be a part of it. This is why I am out here--To invite others to come unto Christ by receiving the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love it! The baptism went really well! Elder Souday and I were able to sing a special music  number and she had tons of support from her classmates! When we first met with her, she didn't want to tell any of her friends, I think just because she was embarrassed. Most of her friends thought she was already LDS. But eventually she opened up about it, made invitations for a bunch of people and posted it on Twitter hahaha. Good day :)

James is stoked for Wednesday (Jan 1st, 2014) and is so prepared for his baptism! It has been a long but interesting road with him over the past (almost) 6 months! I am so excited for him, please keep him in your prayers!

Roxanne is doing good, but is out of town right now. She will be back next week and we are planning on meeting with her again soon. Please keep her in your prayers that she will have the courage to act upon the answer she has received :)

Christmas Eve and Christmas day were a blast! We spent Christmas Eve evening with a great family we have gotten to know very well, and had a great time with them :) We spent Christmas day all day with members and made this Christmas unforgettable! We actually went over to a family's house at5:30am to open presents.. it was awesome hahah :) It was fun to Skype home and see everyone, thank you so much for all who came!

Elder Souday roasting a marshmallow for the first time EVER!!

 Christmas Day with my missionary buddies, Elders Souday, Burt & Westlund!

Skyping with my family on Christmas Day!

Yesterday (Sunday) was super busy! We had the opportunity to speak in 2 sacrament meetings and teach a combined Priesthood/Relief Society 5th Sunday Class! 

So a really cool story... There are some great Ward Missionaries in one of our wards and they recently decided to take a trip around the world by plane! Pretty much just for fun. To make a long story short, their bishop found out about this and challenged each of them to place 3 Books of Mormon during their trip. One Chinese, one Japanese, and one English. They were up for the challenge and placed all of the Books during their trip! Yesterday, the bishop had them talk in their combined 5th Sunday class, and tell of their experiences. The meeting went great and they actually challenged the entire class to place Books of Mormon at the end! 

Jon (the member who's house I Skyped at and one of the guys who went on the trip) asked me about a week ago, to get a bunch of paperback Book of Mormon copies for them to pass out. I had completely forgot until he texted us Saturday night, asking if we had them ready for the next morning. Elder Souday and I had a great time calling and going to about 6 missionary apartments to gather these books--last minute notice Saturday night at like 8pm! haha :) We gathered about 50 copies!

It was an amazing experience to see these ward members come up to the front and take the Books of Mormon to place throughout the next week. Great way to do missionary work!

I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time. There is no other place I would rather be, because of the people that I've met and the experiences that I've had. I love it out here and I am so grateful for this great opportunity to serve the Lord. I know this is Christ's true Church on the earth today.  I wouldn't be out here if I didn't. 

Love you all! Hope you had an amazing Christmas with your families, and hope you have an amazing week! Stay busy, stay safe, you're in my prayers! :)

~Elder Carroll

My favorite scripture this week: 1 Tim 4:12 - "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

My favorite quote this week: "It's all about the principle." - My Uncle Kent

Week 23 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

TYPICAL MISSIONARY CAR PHOTO! LOL

 CHECK OUT THIS GIANT SNOWMAN!!

Hey Guys!

What an amazing week this has been. We have 2 baptisms scheduled for next week!! :) Miracles are truly happening.

James, who we have been teaching since i got in the mission (August 1st), is on date for Jan 1st, 2014!! We have been meeting with him almost weekly for the past 5 months! He is prepared and I am so excited for him! :) Please keep him in your prayers!

This past Monday, we get a call from one of our Ward Mission Leaders and he tells us that a 14 year old girl, Makenzie who we have been trying to reach for the past 2 months, finally wants to meet with us! Her mom went inactive in the Church, when she was 8, so she never got baptized.  We met with her on Tuesday, and had a great lesson! She asked us, "Can I get baptized this Saturday, Dec. 21st?"  My mouth dropped hahaha. We said yes!!  But after talking with her grandparents (who she lives with) they decided December 28th would work better. So we have met with Makenzie 3 times since Tuesday, and have taught her everything required for baptism!  She is prepared and ready to make this leap of faith in her life :) So the baptism is this Saturday, super excited for her!  She asked Elder Souday and I to sing a Special Music Number for the baptism, so that will be fun :) The Lord works in mysterious ways, and prepares people in his own time. What a blessing to be a part of this amazing Work. Please keep her in your prayers! :)

Roxanne, who was on date for baptism for Jan 2nd, has decided to postpone just a few weeks. She seems to be just a little afraid of whats ahead, which is completely understandable. Baptism is a big commitment! So we are meeting with her about twice a week, and I am sure that it won't be long until she sets another date. She said she is thinking mid January. Please also keep her in your prayers!

So last Wednesday (Dec 18th), we attended the 1st Annual Pajama Party for Jesus!! hahaha It was a blast!  A couple of other Elders have a great family they are working with. The only member is the grandmother who was just baptized in August and she is on fire with the Gospel! It was a great time! We watched "Mr. Kruger's Christmas" played games, sang Christmas carols and shared our favorite scriptures! The family who we celebrated with has made it clear that this new tradition is not only for their family, but for everyone!! So if you're not doing anything next year on December 18th, remember to celebrate the 2nd Annual Pajama Party for Jesus!!! 

I am so grateful for this opportunity i have to serve the Lord in His great Work. What a blessing it is to witness these miracles everyday. I am grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and his ultimate sacrifice for me. I can truly not repay that debt. 

Love you all, hope you all have an amazing week and Christmas! :) Stay safe and stay busy!

~Elder Carroll

PS - Ephesians 4:32 - "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you."

"Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard?

Tis not so, all is right." - Hymn titled, "Come Come Ye Saints"

Week 22 Another great week! Video included!

Hey everyone!

It has been an eventful week!! This past Wednesday, the whole mission got together for a Christmas party! We had a great devotional and were able to hear from Elder Summerhayes of the Seventy! Great speaker and meeting! They fed us lunch, then we had a "Variety Show." Lots of missionaries sang Christmas carols and it was a great show. Even Mission President Hansen and his wife sang a few songs!!! haha It was so funny. I was able to play and sing Silent Night on the guitar! I had someone record it, so I've posted the link below.

My old buddies and roommates from the MTC--

Elder's Westlund, Anderson, and Larson

We got to hang out together at the mission Christmas party!

VIDEO

Elder Carroll Sings Silent Night

For the past few weeks, we have been meeting with a few of the local high school seniors for a Preach My Gospel Study. They said they've just started doing it, and that they would love to have us come join in. It's an awesome experience, being able to help them become better teachers and helping them progress towards their missions! I am really impressed with how dedicated they are, having these studies together weekly.

My grandma and Uncle Ryan were up in Salt Lake City this weekend for a family reunion, and I got permission from my mission president to have lunch with them! It was great to see them and visit for a bit! :)  It's kinda unusual to be able to see any family members when your on your mission.  It's just another one of the perks of serving in Utah! haha

This past Saturday, we were able to help with a HUGE service project! A member in one of our wards owns a business where he is responsible to return lost/damaged/fraud packages for FedEx. All of the packages he cant return, he is able to keep! So on Saturday, he teamed up with another guy, and they had a huge "Sub for Santa" day at his warehouse with all of the things he comes across! There is everything there from all types of clothes, shoes, toiletries, toys, books, just anything you can imagine! And he donates it all to the public. So all of the missionaries in the area came and helped out, escorting families so that they could get everything they needed! It was a blast helping out :)

So something really amazing happened this week, but a little background first... a few months ago, we got a text from a ward member, saying that she had a friend (Roxanne) that was so prepared and ready to hear the missionary discussions! We were super stoked to teach her! She's from France and is currently living with a member family in one of our wards and teaching French at the local elementary school. We had an appointment scheduled one night, so we went over. But we we got there, she wouldn't come to the door. So we got a little bummed out and just dropped it. That about 2 months ago. Yesterday, we get a text from the same ward member, saying that she is REALLY ready to have the discussions, and that she wants to be baptized! And that she wants to meet with us ASAP. So we went over yesterday and had a great lesson! Golden is the only word I can think of to describe her. She has been coming to church every week for the past few months, and has been reading from the Book of Mormon! She has also been praying and she said she prayed and got her answer, and that she wants to get baptized! So she is on date to get baptized January 2nd, 2014!! We are meeting with her again this Wednesday :) But this is really cool thing about this whole thing... I know for a fact that my companion, Elder Souday, was put in this area at this specific time. His native language is French!! So a few times throughout the lesson, when she was having a hard time understanding some words (She has only been speaking English for less than a year), Elder Souday was easily able to explain it to her in French, and she understood completely! The Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways. What an experience to be a part of.

James is doing well and is still on date for January 1st, 2014! Keep him in your prayers! :)

We met with the 10 year old girl, Autumn again yesterday! She is doing great! Maybe has a hard time retaining everything we teach, but thats normal! We are going to Temple Square for a private tour this Saturday! :)

We went down to the Conference Center in Salt Lake City yesterday morning for "The Spoken Word", which is the concert that MoTab puts on during Christmas time. Great concert and time! :)

Enjoying the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with

one of my favorite families--The Darlings!

During District Meeting this week, our Zone Leader shared an awesome tradition that his family does for Christmas. They all have their stockings hung on the fireplace, and then they have 1 extra stocking. It's completely white and is a stocking for Jesus Christ. They all write something down on a piece of paper--something that they want to give him this year for Christmas. Then they put it in and strive their best to give him that this next year. I thought that was such a cool thing. What are you willing to give Christ this year? 

Ok sorry for such the long email!! So many amazing things are happening out here and it's such a blessing to be a part.  I am truly blessed by the Lord in His great Work. Please keep Roxanne, James, and Autumn in your payers!

Love you all! Hope you have fantastic week!! :)

Much Love,

Elder Carroll

Week 21 New Companion from Tahiti!!

Hey all!

It has been a cooooldd week! It's been in the low 20's for the past like 5 days! Snowing alot which is good, because when it snows, it's warmer! It's been interesting driving in the snow too! But getting better everyday :)

So I was assigned a new companion last Tuesday, Elder Souday! From French Polynesia, the island of Tahiti! This is his first time in the US, and he has only been speaking English for about 3 months! He is doing very well on his English, but lets just say I've gotten really good at pronouncing my words :) He spent 6 weeks in the MTC learning English, and spent 1 transfer just north of here, in Layton. So he will be finishing up his training here! He is 2nd oldest of 4 children and the only one to serve a mission thus far! He was raised in the Church and his family have been members for about 3 generations.

Get this... he plays guitar and has the voice of an angel! He can harmonize like a boss!!. This last Thursday, I told him how I like to sing songs at members home as the thought after dinner. He taught me how to sing Nearer My God To Thee in French!!  So we have been singing that a lot lately :) He wanted to learn an American song, so I taught him Earth Angel (you know, the one from Back To The Future!), originally done by "The Penguins". He just sings it over and over and over haha Its so funny!

This last Saturday, one of our wards rented out a theater room at the local movie theater and showed "The Polar Express". We got permission from President to go and had a great time with the ward! I haven't seen that movie in forever and i had forgotten what great message it had. Christmas isn't about what we sometimes make it out to be. It's about doing good to everyone, especially in their time of need. I love Christmas, because it reminds me of my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for his love and sacrifice for me. The movie has a great theme. To keep the spirit of Christ with us, all we have to do is believe. And once we believe, we act.

So after this transfer is over, I will have been in my first area for 6 months. I hope they keep me here another 6. I LOVE the people here. I have gotten really really close with some families, and it will be a sad day to leave. It's so nice to be able to just go in their homes and feel like family. I am so grateful to be able to serve in this amazing area.

We are still meeting weekly with James, Cari, Autumn, and Chris. We have stopped teaching Ireland and Reese, only waiting for their parents to get in line and decide if they really want them baptized. Please keep them all in your prayers.

I love this Gospel and this mission. I know this is where the Lord needs me and am so grateful for this amazing experience thus far. I can't wait to see what more the future holds.

Thank you everyone once again, for the emails and letters! :) Stay busy and stay safe, you're always in my prayers. Don't ever pass up an opportunity to share this great Gospel that we know and love. They are all around us :)

Much Love,

Elder Carroll

"Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."  -The Polar Express

My favorite scripture this week! D&C 64:34 - "Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days."

Week 20 To be transferred or NOT to be transferred??

Hi everyone!

November has come and gone.. I've said it once, but i'll say it again.. time flies when you're doing something you love!

With this last week being Thanksgiving, we were fortunate enough to have amazing members invite us to 4 dinners! We only ended up making 3 of them, but we got fed quite well haha I think I gained another 5lbs on that day alone! I'm pushing a total gain in the past 5 months of 25bs, I'm loving it!! :)

Saturday night we went with one of the great families in one of our wards to see the lights at Temple Square! My first time there during Christmas time! Soooo many people. They said it's crazy like that until New Years, especially on Monday nights haha. We had a great time and the weather was perfect :) It's still chilly, but no snow yet! Actually, we were told there is supposed to be a good snow storm coming tonight! So we will see...

This past Thursday was our last District Meeting for this transfer, and our District Leader asked me if i would play piano and sing for it! One of the sister missionaries (who actually goes home tomorrow) was also asked to sing, so i contacted her and we decided to do it together! So we sung a sick duet of Nearer My God To Thee and it went really well! We only had like 15 min to figure out the arrangement, but she had no problem, picking out an amazing harmony :)

VIDEO:

Elder Carroll and Sister Missionary duet

Speaking of singing, I was also asked to sing yesterday in Relief Society of one of our wards. They wanted a Christmas song so I quickly learned Silent Night on guitar and was able to play and sing it for their meeting :) Music carries a spirit like nothing else can bring. I love it.

We have recently starting teaching a new investigator, Nathan! We met with him about 2 weeks ago, and just again this past Friday. We actually met at the local Starbucks haha :) He is interesting. Such a great spirit. When it comes to doctrine, he does not believe in the need for Temples or baptism, or any saving ordinances for that matter. He believes that if we just believe in and turn to Christ, we can be saved by his grace. We had a great 3 hour talk with him at Starbucks. We are meeting with him again, same time/place this Friday!

So transfers are here once again.. My companion, Elder Martin, will be going home. It has been a pleasure serving with him and I will miss him a lot! He is a great missionary.

As for my new companion..I have the blessing and opportunity of training again! His name is Elder Souday and he is from French Polynesia! I will meet him tomorrow and give more info next week!

I thought my address was gonna change with this transfer, but that remains to be seen! I will send an email out tomorrow with my new (or same) address if they decide to move us houses.

After this transfer, I will have been in my first area for 6 months. Crazy! I love it here and hope they keep me here for another 6! I love the members and people we are teaching here. I am so grateful for this opportunity i have to serve here in Utah. My experience thus far has been amazing and i wouldn't trade it for anything. I love the Lord and i love this Gospel.

Thank you everyone, for the support you have shown me! It means so much! Thank you for the emails and letters. I hope you all have a fantastic week, you are always in my prayers!

Stay safe, stay busy. Till next week!

Much love,

Elder Carroll

My favorite scripture this week:  Luke 1:37- "For with God nothing shall be impossible."

Week 19: I am LOVING it up here! Time is flying by way too quickly!

My smile is starting to catch on! haha

Been a great week once again!  November is over this week... Where does the time go???

This last Tuesday we were able to go to Temple Square with Lyndsey and have a private tour by the Sister Missionaries! It was awesome, and the Sisters do such a great job teaching. Sisters carry a unique spirit that the Elders could never compare with!

  

Lyndsey's baptism was this last Saturday and went so well! Elder Martin and I were able to stand as witnesses for her! This Gospel is so amazing. The joy that this knowledge brings is indescribable. Yesterday in her ward, I had the honor, privilege and blessing to confirm Lyndsey, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Lord truly prepares people in his own way. I have absolutely no doubt that Heavenly Father's hand was in every step of where Lyndsey is today. I am so happy for her.

So some more direct notes that i have from Elder Bednars visit last week:

Before he started, the first thing he mentioned was to only write on small plates. He informed us to not write down the things that he was saying, but the things that the Holy Ghost was revealing to us.

One of my favorite points he made, was to pray as Agents. And not as objects. When we ask for all these blessing's in our prayers, then expect them to fall from Heaven, something is wrong. We need to get on our knees and pray like everything depends on Heavenly Father, then get on our feet and work like everything depends on us. Then will the blessings come.

Another thing that also stood out to me during the 4 hour meeting, is that humility is key. If we are prideful, we are in the way. In the way of the Holy Ghost being able to teach people. We must thank the Lord in literally every aspect of our lives.

When one returns from serving a mission, his life should never be the same. It should always feel weird. If you return from a mission and things seem normal, something is wrong. The mission should change me eternally. Become a missionary.. Don't just go on a mission.

This week has been super busy, we have been able to get in 32 lessons this week! The work is truly hastening. The member support here is awesome! The people of Fruit Heights are Kaysville are seriously amazing. I am so excited to see what the future has in store.

This last Monday we were able to meet with James once again! Great news!! His parents (Less-active and non-member) both gave him permission to be baptized! He is solid for January 1st, 2014! We are meeting with him again tonight! He is a great guy and has progressed so much since we first met with him in August!

Cari has accepted to start the "Stop-Smoking Program" and will be starting it tomorrow! It is a guaranteed way to stop smoking (taught by missionaries around the world with great success)! She has already accepted baptism and wants to be baptized, so hopefully after this next week we can set up the baptism!

We have been introduced to a young man, probably 23 years old. He name is Nathan and was raised in Utah and has a strong baptist background. He is very knowledgeable about the Bible and loves to discuss religion. We are planning on meeting with him again this Friday! 

We met with Autumn, the 10 year old girl again yesterday, and had a great lesson! She gave the closing prayer and holy crap, it the most spiritual and heartfelt prayer i have ever heard. It just reminded me of how we should all try to be as little children, and be meek and humble and submissive to the Lord's will.

Transfers are this next Tuesday Dec 3rd! I will most likely be moving houses, so my address will change. I will send out an email asap when i know where my new address is!

Ahhh this transfer came and went... These past 5 months have flown by!! It will be a sad day to leave this amazing area. I have grown to love the people here.. I hope they keep me here another 6 months!

I am LOVING it up here! Time is flying by way too quickly! I love my companions and the people we are teaching and the members in the area! But mostly, i love our Heavenly Father, and this amazing opportunity he has given me to serve him and his children in the great Work. I love every second of this amazing journey.

"To those who wish, time is long. 

     To those who work, time is short. 

     To those who LOVE, time is not." 

                                          - Unknown

Till next week, and much love,

Elder Carroll

My favorite scripture this week:  Alma 34:38 - "That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you."

Week 18 Elder Carroll meets Elder Bednar!

Hey there everybodyyyy!

First off, I love this Gospel more than anything. The joy and happiness that it brings me is indescribable. It is such a tremendous blessing to be apart of this amazing and great Work. The people of the Utah SLC mission are just incredible. What a blessing to be called so close to home where I can visit these amazing people often. I love this Work!

This past week the SLC Mission had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be spoken directly to by an Apostle of the Lord. An Apostle that holds the same keys (authority) that the original 12 Apostles held! Crazy! Elder Bednar is truly a man called of God and is such an inspired teacher. I had the blessing and opportunity to speak to him one on one.  About 2 weeks prior to this meeting, we were given 3 talks by Elder Bednar and were told to study them. He asked us what we learned or got out of them. I was able to tell him something that I learned... We gain our testimonies, when we bear them. He then asked me why that particular part stood out to me at this time. I replied that it was because I realized how TRUE that statement really was.

Elder David A. Bednar

For the past few months, I have been able to bear my testimony, multiple times a day. And I've seen it strengthened each time I do so.  It is amazing. This Gospel is the true and living church of Christ.

It was a 4 hour meeting with Elder Bednar, and I took some notes, but I'll have to sort them out and write about everything that was said, next week!

This past week  we were able to take Reese and his mom, Joy to a "Missionary Fireside" at Temple Square! It was so awesome!! It was all of the sisters serving their missions on Temple Square. They sang songs and put on a great concert and the Spirit was so strong!  I ran into my past companion, Elder Katoa! And also Tamazine Peters from Heritage Academy! It was a great night!

Yesterday we were able to meet again with Alicia (The African American Women who was baptized, but doesn't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon)! We read 1 Nephi chapter 2 and had a great discussion. Her spirit is so strong and she is probably the most humble person I've ever met. She is so great at connecting the doctrine in the Book of Mormon, to her own life. We are planning on meeting with her again next Sunday! :)

Ireland had her baptismal interview this past week and now it's just a matter of her parents scheduling the baptism. Will keep you posted.

Chris is doing great, and we have continued to have scripture study. We are going to go over to his house tonight and see if he is interesting in taking the missionary discussions again. (He's had them before) So we'll see how it goes tonight!

We are going with Lindsey tomorrow to Temple Square! She is still solid for the 23rd of November, so she will be getting baptized this Saturday! We are super excited. It is amazing how the Lord prepares people.

This transfer is already more than half over so that means we only have about 2 weeks left! We currently cover 2 stakes (18 wards), but we have heard that they might split the area, so we will only cover 1 stake. I am anxious to see which stake I stay in, if they keep me in either of them at all. It will be hard to leave either one of them. I have grown so close to families in both areas, so transfers will be a hard day.

Well, I hope you guys are doing great. Thank you so much to everyone who emails/writes, it means the world to me! Stay safe, stay busy, you're in my prayers! Till next week!

-Elder Carroll

PS- D&C 59:7- "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things."

Week 17 Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it!

Hi everyone!

Guess what i just found out!!!!!! We have had a "Mission Meeting" scheduled for the past 2 weeks and today we just found out the Apostle David A. Bednar will be coming to speak to us!!!!!!!!! So crazy. One of the many perks of being called to Utah ;)

This week has been an amazing one. Amazing doesn't even describe it. 

So the other night, Elder Martin and I were informed that some friends of my family (The Tingey's) own a house in Bountiful, (about 10 min south of us) and are renting out the top floor to someone who is really interested in the Church. We contacted the Tingey's and they invited us to come meet her this past Saturday. Her name is Lindsey, and she is what we call a "Golden Investigator". She is currently going through a divorce and has 2 small children. She has been going through a lot recently and had actually ran into a Bishop in Kaysville, in the elevator while she was leaving a therapy session. They talked for 3 hours out by their cars and he introduced the Gospel to her. He gave her a Book of Mormon (actually a quad) with her name imprinted on it. Soon after, she found out that the Tingey's were renting out part of their place. She told us that all these events lead her up to where she is now. She told us, and i quote "I'm missing something in my life.. And you guy's have it. And i want it." I was able to explain to her that she could have it. She said she could just feel it within the Bishop she had met, and within the Tingey's. After a great lesson first lesson, I was able ask her if she would like to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. She is getting baptized in 2 weeks, November 23rd.

This experience was such an amazing testimony builder for me. The Lord prepares people. We never know who is ready of willing to accept the truths taught in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not to judge who is and who isn't willing to accept the Gospel. We must be willing to share it with all men.

We have started teaching a 10 year old girl name Autumn, as of yesterday!  Her father is less-active in the Church, but really wants to straighten out his life. So he invited us to teach his daughter. We had a great first lesson last night and had an amazing spiritual experience with both of them. We invited her to be baptized, but her father wants to talk to his wife first (they are separated, but not divorced yet). Will keep you updated.

We were able to speak in one of our wards sacrament meeting yesterday. I love being able to speak on "Hastening the Work of Salvation". It gets the ward members all pumped and they always come up to us with referrals after the meeting!

So get this.. The other night, I ran into a very closely related relative! Her name is Jeanette Esplin Hugh, and she is half-cousins with my Grandpa Charlie and my dad's side! (Half cousins meaning their mom's were half-sisters) She went to school with Grandpa Charlie and had lots of stories to tell about him! He seemed like an amazing man. She said all the girls loved him and that he was a real charmer! haha. So her mom's name is Amy Heaton and Charlies mom's name is Elsie Heaton. Crazy huh! She brought out this huge book, "The History of the Carroll Family" and let me borrow it! It was so awesome to hear her talk about all of my family. She asked specifically about Uncle Clarence, but i told her i didn't know him too well. It is so awesome to make these connections.

We are still meeting with James, Carrie, Reese, Ireland, and Chris regularly. Please pray for them and also for Lindsey.

I love this Gospel. I know this is the true and living Church of Jesus Christ. What an amazing blessing it is to be a part of such a marvelous Work. These past 4 months have blessed my life eternally and how grateful I am to be able to serve the Lord in His Work. I absolutely love it. 

Thank you everyone who has been keeping in contact via emails/letters, it means so much! I love you all and i hope you are having as much of an amazing time as i am up here! Stay safe, you're in my prayers!

Till next week!

-Elder Carroll

My favorite scripture this week:  Jacob 6:12 - "O be wise; What can i say more?"

P.S.- HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIQUE! :) The big 16!

Week 16- IT FINALLY SNOWED!!

Hey everyone!

So first off, it's already November?! Where did the time go..? It snowed yesterday for the first time! It didnt stay any longer than that afternoon, but it was still a good snow :) It's getting super chilly during the days, and people are saying in the next few weeks its gonna be sticking to the ground!

We were able to visit with Carrie last Tuesday and she accepted baptism! She is on date for Nov. 16th! Please pray for her! We actually just found out yesterday, that she has a smoking problem. We didn't know this before, because we had been meeting at her neighbors house. So tomorrow we are going to be talking about the Word of Wisdom.

We met with James last Monday as usually, he is doing great. He is having some struggles, but his faith is strong. He is planning on being baptized Jan. 1, 2014. Keep him in your prayers.

This past Friday was Davis High's first play-off game. (They went undefeated in the season) But unfortunately they lost! So they are out, so that was the last game we could go to! Something funny though.. We usually are talking to people the entire game so we just walk back and forth to each sets of bleachers on both sides. When we walked over to the opposing teams side (Pleasant Grove High), the entire student section starting singing "Called To Serve"! It was pretty hilarious. The people here are great.

Speaking of the football games, we met a girl named Gabby last week at the game and she told us that she wasn't a member, but she wanted to learn more. Her parents didnt want her to though. She gave us her contact info and we are set to go with her to Temple Square this Saturday! The Sister Missionaries at Temple Square are awesome, so it should be a good lesson!

This past week we visited the Seminary building at Davis, and gave them our contact info. We told them they could call us if they ever wanted us to come in to teach a lesson or something. They said they would call us. We have some dead time during the day's when everyone is at work/school, so we figured why not go to where the people are?

A few days ago, one of our Ward Mission Leaders informed us that we have a Potential Investigator! Guess how old she is? Shes 100 years old! ONE HUNDRED years old!! Apparently, she has had a friend for about 40 years (He's 85) who is LDS and he invited her to be baptized and she said yes! So we are planning on going just north to Layton, to teach her the discussion in the rest home she is in, then she will be baptized in our stake! Crazy huh? Her friend is supposed to contact us soon.

We were able to go to the Bountiful Temple last Thursday, and man is it beautiful. Such an experience.

I love being a part of this wonderful Work. I couldn't be more blessed. I love the area I am in, and i love the people. These 4 months have been the greatest and i cant wait to see what is yet to come. I love is Gospel and it is such an honor to be able to do the Lord's work in spreading it.

Hope all is well at home, Thank you for all the wonderful emails and letters! You are in my prayers! Till next week!

-Elder Carroll

My favorite scripture this week: Matthew 18:3 -"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."