Week 30: Love One Another

Love these guys!

Hello!

The Lord is GREAT! I am so thankful for him and for the infinite sacrifice he has made for me and for everyone.

We have recently been trying to fill our afternoon's with visiting the High Priest's (old men haha) in our 2 stakes and have recently had an amazing experience with one of them. We made an appointment with him and were just planning on visiting and sharing a short message. When we got there, he said "I hope you like pepperoni!". He ordered a pizza and fed us lunch! After eating and talking for a bit, he told us that he had been married for 45 years, until his wife divorced him about 5 years ago. He had been inactive most of his married life, but has recently returned after his divorce. I am so proud of him. He lives alone in a tiny home and says he is very lonely most of the time. We read a chapter from the Book of Mormon before we left, Alma 5. This chapter and it's doctrine have never stood out to me so much than at this time. We had a great and very spiritual read with this great man and have scheduled to come back every week to read from the Book of Mormon with him. He bore a beautiful testimony to us (without realizing it) and expressed his love for our Savior and His Infinite Atonement. If you get the chance, read through Alma chapter 5, and answer the questions that Alma asks the people, for yourself.

The Lord's Atonement is and INFINITE ATONEMENT. Infinite in: Power, Time, Coverage, Depth, Suffering, LOVE, Blessings, and Divineness. There is never something to big that we have done, that the Lord has not already paid the price for. Use the Atonement. Use His love. D&C 18:13 - "And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!"

This past Saturday, one of our bishops took us to his warehouse of 48 antique cars. FORTY-EIGHT! He took us around to literally every single car and told us everything he knew about it. There were some 16 yr old priests with us also, and one of them asked how much a certain car costs.. 1.3 million!! Crazy. Got some sweet pic's of his 1983 DeLorean (with the world record of only 300 miles on it!!) and his 1967 Lamborghini! :)

Boston and Jaxon are still both on date for this Saturday and next! :) Also, Cari is back on date for March 15th! She was originally on date for November 16th, but it fell through because of her smoking habit. Along with them, we are currently teaching 6 other individual people! Pam and her less-active husband Jeff have been to church 2 weeks in a row! Pam told us that her and Jeff stayed up one night till 1am reading the Book of Mormon! She is awesome! The Work is great :) Please keep Boston, Jaxon, Pam, and Cari in your prayers!

Yesterday at church, the congregation sang the hymn "Love One Another". The lyrics have never stuck out to me more plainly and touched my spirit so greatly than at this time. I have no idea why.. This Gospel is truly amazing. 

"As I have loved you,
Love one another.
This new commandment:
Love one another.
By this shall men know
Ye are my disciples,
If ye have love
One to another." - Love One Another

I invite you this week, to take a specific time out of your busy schedule, and do something out of your way to help serve a fellow brother or sister. I can't tell you how much I have come to love serving other, and serving our wonderful Father in Heaven. The Lord will bless you, and touch whoever it is that you serve.

Thank you for the emails and letters that you have sent, it means the world to me! Always fun to know whats going on back home :) I love you all! You are in my prayers! Stay busy and stay safe :)

Much Love,

~Elder Carroll

My favorite Scripture this week - Romans 5:19 - "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

This photo is for my buddy, Elder Andrew Johnson :)