Wild and Wonderful West Virginia!

This week has been a little rough and a little slow. We have been able to meet with a few people but haven't been able to find too many people to teach which makes the weeks go by a little slower.

 

We have been able to continue to work with and teach Jenna and she is doing awesome. We gave her Mormon and Moroni to read out of the Book of Mormon and it has been pretty funny seeing what she likes about them. We were reading Mormon with her and she said she liked the fighting out of it because she has a good imagination and could imagine herself there which I thought was great. I always try to point out the things more related to the gospel just so she can relate it to herself and continue to grow. Patty has been doing great too! She started reading the entire Book of Mormon and has already read all of 1 Nephi, 2 Nephi and Jacob. She has been reading like 6-10 chapters a day. It has been crazy and it is so cool to see how excited she has been about it. She has really been understanding it and enjoying it and it has been great.

 

We were able to have a Zone Conference this week which is always a good experience because President Pitt is just such an amazing man an he always helps me out so much in this work. It has been really cool to see the changes that have happened in our mission and ever since the new year, we have had one big focus. Get back to the basics. Study the basics of the gospel. Learn the basics of teaching skills. Learn the basics of finding people to teach. Help and serve the members. Everything is all focused on being more simple in all we do and as a result becoming the best missionaries, and the best servants of the Lord in this great work! As I have been able to do these things it has been great to see the blessings. There is still much work I can do but it all has to do with focusing on the basics.

 

Last night we had a cool experience too. Both of the Sister Missionaries in our ward had a really bad feeling yesterday. I'm not exactly sure what happened but they asked us to give them a blessing and to go over and bless their home as well because they just didn't feel safe there for some reason. After giving them a blessing and praying with them they said they felt much more peaceful. It was a great experience and it is always so cool to be able to use the Priesthood to bless others.

 

Thank you everyone for all of the prayers, support and love. I really do appreciate it and am greatful.

Love,

Elder Ryan Carter

 

“It’s not what you do once with all your heart and every ounce of strength that counts, nearly so much as that which we do every day, whether we want to or not.” -President Pitt

Transfers are on Thursday…no Friday….no Saturday!

So this week got a little bit crazy with transfers so we didn't see a ton happen because of it. We were originally supposed to have transfers happen on Thursday, then it was supposed to be Friday morning, then Friday afternoon, then Friday Morning again and it finally ended up happening on Saturday. Elder Davis finally made it here Saturday around 530pm and it has been pretty crazy since then. Elder Davis just turned 20 in January as well and he has been out on his mission for 9 months. I don't know a ton about him yet, but he said he is from Payson, Utah and grew up in California. I'm excited to be working with him and hopefully this will be an exciting transfer!

 

Valentines day wasn't too exciting as a missionary... Especially since the day got a little crazy not knowing what was going to happen with transfers. But at night some people from the University Ward came and pranked us and covered our door with hearts so that was pretty fun.

 

Sorry not too many exciting things have happened since Thursday. I'm excited for this week though so hopefully I will have more next week to share with you all!

 

Love you all!

Elder Ryan Carter

 

"If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest of times in life can be a blessing." -Henry B. Eyring

 

"It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I just knew I had to do it. So I did." (Quote from story in 'Mountains to Climb'

 by Henry B. Eyring)

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Staying in Mormontown! Jenna got baptized! And I almost got killed by a bat~

Well it has been a crazy week and a half! I'm not really sure what has happened and what hasn't happened but lets start of with some crazy news. Yesterday we were at Dollar General getting some cake mix because it was Patty's birthday so we wanted to make her a cake. Next thing I know I turn around and I see something flying in the store... at first I thought it was a bird but no... it was a BAT! It was pretty small until it flew at my face! I literally had to drop otherwise it would have an into me! It got a little scary for sure!

 

But last Saturday, February 8th, Jenna got baptized!! It was such an incredible experience! I felt really bad though. She has anxiety and the first time she went under she came up choking on the water. I later found out it was because she got nervous and tried to take a breath on the way up. But if that wasn't bad enough her toe came out of the water so we had to do it again. I was scared because I thought she would get frightened and not want to do it again but she did and her toe came up again so I had to hold her under until her toe went back under! But it was so amazing! She is just so sweet and has been so happy ever since. It was super sweet though. We went over the Monday after her baptism and she told us she thought we were never going to come back and see her. How sad... Of course we are going to keep going over but it was so sweet how worried she was about us.

 

It is crazy that today is my last day serving with Elder Kamauu. He is going to Oakland, Maryland, which is is our zone so I should still see him at least every few weeks while I'm here. I'm so excited to be staying in Morgantown though! It has been so great to be here and I'm so excited to continue to work here and try to find more people.

 

I love you all! I hope you have a wonderful week!

Elder Ryan Carter

 

"Sometimes courage is that little voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow'" -Thomas S. Monson

 

"Always remember that Jesus Christ- The creator of the universe, the architect of our salvation, and the head of this church- is in control. He will not permit his work to fail." -M. Russel Ballard

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If anyone wants a snow day, Morgantown's the place to be~

Well once again thank you to all of you that wished me a happy birthday! It was definitely a little different than usual but it was still great! Let me start by telling you a little bit about how it ended. So... we had finished a daily planning around 930 and we hear a knock on the door. Now just to let you all know, nobody ever knocks on our door... especially at night. But so Elder Kamauu goes and answers the door while I was finishing something up and what does he walk in the room with? A cake... from where? COLD STONE! I got an ice cream cake! So good! Oh but wait there is more... Around 10 there is another knock on the door. I go to answer it this time and who could it be? Papa Johns. I got a pizza! So unfortunately we didn't eat any of it that night because we weren't hungry but we go to bed and the next thing I know at 10:45 as I'm laying in bed I heard another knock... WHAT?! Not gonna lie I was a little upset I had to get out of bed... but I was also really confused. What else could it be. My parents are great but what else? It was Pizza Hut with another pizza! But here is the catch. I'm signing the receipt and I just catch of the glimpse of the name! Elder Kamauu's parents got me a pizza for my birthday!!!! How awesome are they??? So it was a pretty good birthday!!!

 

But during the day we were at the campus from 10-2:30 talking to people and passing out hot chocolate in like 20 degree weather. It was a little cold but a lot of fun! So again thank you all for a great birthday!

 

I'm so excited for this Saturday though! Jenna is finally getting baptized! She had her interview on saturday and is ready to go! Every time we give her something to do she does it that day after we leave! She stays up until like 11 some school nights because she wants to read the Book of Mormon! She is just so great!

 

Oh and yesterday the library was closed. We got a FOOT of snow out of no where. It has been quite the winter for sure!!!

 

Love you all! Thank you for all the prayers and the support! You all are so great!!!

Love,

Elder Ryan Carter

 

“Doesn’t  it seem foolish to spoil sweet and joyful experiences because we are constantly anticipating the moment when they will end?”

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MORMONTOWN!!

What an awesome week! Well actually I just emailed Thursday, so what an awesome weekend! It continues to snow here in Morgantown and be really cold but the work goes on. This weekend we saw an amazing miracle! Jenna is on date for February 8th!!! I am so excited! We taught her a great lesson Friday night and it was just so exciting. Almost a little too exciting for Elder Kamauu! He did great though and the work just has been awesome! We haven't really found too many more people to teach but the people we have been teaching are truly amazing and so prepared!

 

Church got cancelled yesterday because of the weather so we ended up spending some time over at our bishops home. We had Patty and Jenna over, and taught them the Plan of Salvation and then hung out with the family and just had a great time!

 

Sorry the letter is going to be short since I'm just writing about the weekend but it has truly been a great one!

 

I am so very grateful for all of you and the thoughts and prayers. And also for the Birthday letters! Great appreciated!!

 

I love you all!

Love,

Elder Ryan Carter

 

“Though storm clouds may gather, though rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments.  There will be nothing in the world that can defeat us.  My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not.  Be of good cheer.  The future is as bright as your faith.” -President Monson

 

“Do you want to be a butterfly bad enough that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar?” -President Pitt

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!

So just in case y'all were worried about me, I'm still alive and well. We got like 6-10 inches of snow in the last few days and the high has been like 15 so it has been quite a crazy week. But with the snow like half of Morgantown was closed and so we had no way to email. Oh and for all you kids, school has been out all week.

 

It has been a fun week though! With the weather it has been hard to get out as much so the work has been a little bit slower but we have still seen some success. On Tuesday we went out after dinner and taught a lesson to Jenna who told us she wants to be baptized she just doesn't know when because it is a little scary for her since it is new to her. (She is only 11, and had never been to a church before meeting with us, but her mom is a less active member) We are hoping that tonight or sometime this weekend to be able to set her for a date in the next 3 weeks. She is so ready, she just needs to be taught and overcome the fears she has. She is one of the sweetest and smartest 11 year olds I've ever met. Along with her we are supposed to have another investigator at church which is exciting! We don't have a ton of investigators but the ones we have are awesome and so prepared!

 

Also this week with all the snow we got to go sledding!!!! There is a park on the street we live on with a big hill that we went sledding on at night as we were walking home. A member stopped us and made us go since Elder Kamauu had never been. It was a lot of fun. Other than that, not too much has happened this week. Just a lot of trying to stay warm and meet with people that will let us inside!

 

I love you all! Talk to you in a few days. Hopefully I won't get snowed in again....

Elder Ryan Carter

 

"True happiness is not made in Getting Something. True happiness is BECOMING Something" -Marvin J. Ashton