Alive and well in...

Sorry, It's been so long since you have heard from me.. and you won't get any letters this week either, (I decided to clean my bathroom for my P-day activity) (It was almost alive...)
It was so good to talk to you on .. Was it tuesday? I have lost track already.
it sounds like everyone is doing so good and so happy!!
I'm half tempted not to tell you where I am.. though I will by the end of this
message. Pinky promise..
There is a temple 15 minutes away from here.. but it is across the border and we aren't allowed to go..
Did you know? That my mission is the HOTTEST mission in the world? This isn't
just my opinion either.. it is the HOTTEST mission in the world according to
church statistics. Also, whatever isn't dead wants you dead.. Like Cactus for
example. And pretty trees covered in spikes. And poisonous flowers. But it is
GORGEOUS!!! I love the desert. And that's mostly in Tucson area (there's a hint
where I'm not) Where i am is actually cooler than tucson. It's kind of like
logan but 20 degrees warmer.. and there are palm trees. I saw mexico while
driving here and it took 6 hours!! (long drive. I wanted to be out teaching..)
We are across the street from the most dangerous city in the world (on average
14 people are murdered each day) Though the city i am in is one of the safest in
america. The people are wonderful and kind!

Guess yet? I'll give you a hint...
In ticket to ride there is something that may or may not resemble a [behind]
stretching from LA to houstan.. in the middle of that is "the pass" or EL
PASO!!!!!

Yep Yep Yep. I'm in El Paso, Texas! And I love it. The people are amazing and
it is such a joy to be here. My companion is Elder Wiscombe from Salt lake
area. He's pretty much awesome.
The work here is moving along. It's really hard to tract though.. because
everyone is "devotedly catholic" So we work tons with the members and referals
(PS give the missionaries in Logan some good referals. There are always so many
people who need the gospel.
Anyway, we've tracted a couple times. We had a runin with a minister. She was
very nice, but didn't want to hear anything about the restored gospel. Then
there was a lot of people who don't answer..
Everyone needs this gospel. THey just do not know it yet. I'm always saddened
when people recognize but don't realize what we have.
The people here are so nice. They'll let us in, get us a drink and then refuse
to listen. Not everyone mind you. . . Because we have had the opportunity to
teach a lot. It's wonderful! I love teaching. Some people just don't get it.
And I pray and pray for them to pray. Because if they pray with real intent
then they will recieve and anser. So, pray more for the people. That there
hearts will be softened. It's a great work. And the spirit is so so strong all
the time.
If you invite someone to be taught by the missionaries,
do it in our house. The spirit of the Lord is so strong there! and if not, go
with the missionaries and share your testimony. Help them teach. By the mouth
of 2-3 whitnesses..
5 minutes left...
OH! There is an incredible family who are getting baptized
this saturday! i'M SO SO SO excited for them. They are so ready and they know
this gospel is true. God answers prayers. Other than that, we need to find
more people to teach.
Anyway, I love you all so much! THe sun is hot and I love it!

On his way...

We got a surprise call from Elder Carter today! He was in the airport waiting for his flight to Tucson! He sounds fabulous. He loves the work. He will do great things. We'll keep you posted when we hear from him again! He sends his love to all...

One last thought from Provo

Here is Elder Carter's last email from Provo. He heads to Tucson next week! Holy smokes...

Hey!

sounds like it was a crazy week this week! Tell everyone who knows me
hi :)
i didn't get a chance to listen to Elder Bednar.  We don't have the opportunity
of listening to the CES firesides... However, Elder Ballard came and spoke to us
yesterday!!!  Crazy huh?  We got three apostles in 8 weeks!!   People are lucky
if they get two.  Three is unheard of.  i had a friend who was in the mTC for 12
weeks and didn't get one... Anyway, He spoke of having a desire.  A desire to
serve, a desire for people to come into the church.  A desire for christ to
come.  A Desire is one of the strongest tools we hvae as missionaries.  I know
it is true!  You can tell who has a desire to be here, and who is here for
different reasons.  Desire radiates from a persons soul.  And that's good.  Our
desire has to be so strong in order to pierce the distractions that people have
of this age.  Because, it is very distracting this world that we live in.  Satan
has done a good (well, bad.. it is satan) job distracting people from what is
truly truly important.

Swine flue?  Hahaha they told us a little about it and then put up a picture of
a 6 year old boy licking a pigs snout.  It was funny.  We are not alowed to
shake hands at the MTC any more.  It's odd.... I have taken to bowing, for I
share a floor with mandrin and cantonese speakers.  That and bear hugging the
elders.  hehe I bet you can see me doing that.  (And the Branch Presidency
too... ) ah well.  Love is pretty much incredible.  NO doubt about that.
And I did get the chance to sing in church.  Well, cornered would be a better
way to put it.  i was being interviewed by the branch councelor ( I was
interviewed like every sunday, don't know why.  Probably because I was always in
the room of people being interviewed)  Anyway, bro. Peters said it was a shame
that I hadn't sung or played in church, and that there was only 2 weeeks left.
One of which was fast sunday, and the other my district was singing.  he asked
what I could do.  I said anything.  he called his daughter up during our
interview and asked what she had.  She's a composer.  composes most of the EFY
stuff.  So, I sung abide with me tis eventide.  And I got to put my own spin on
it as well.  The spirit is so strong through music.  I feel like I can much
better bear my testimony through it as a medium than my thoughts...
This is the last week at the MTC!!  I'm doing my dry-cleaning and just preparing
to go out into the field.  We have incredible instructors at the MTC.  They
pulled (a lot) of strings and arranged for true hispanic investigators to come
to the MTC in (ps, Elder Keeler says hi.  Mendenhall does too)  (they are pretty
much awesome.  And he lives in my mission) on our last day.  So basically we are
teaching real people on MONDAY!!! YIKES!!  But it is so awesome.  they are
amazing.  Some of these people haven't even started talking with the
missionaries so that we will be there first contact with it.  Plus, we can only
teach in spanish...  It will be a true test in faith.  But I have been praying
and praying that they will feel the spirit.
A week ago, I had the priveledge of teaching a Lady in the TE, we'll call her
jan.  Anyway, we went in with Jan, she is native peruvian and spoke no english.
We couldn't understand a single word she was saying.. but she said something
about ayunar (to fast) we asked our teacher to find out what she had been
saying.  Apparently, her nephew had almost committed suicide and she wanted us
to fast with her.  We went and prayed really really hard.  We prayed to be able
to understand.  And be able to touch her heart.
It was incredible.  I could understand everything she was saying, not so much
the words, but what she was trying to tell us.  We began fasting with her that
night, and it was a beautiful experience.  She wanted us to put her nephew's
name in the temple.  We had gone that morning, but I knew Elder Pauni was going
tomorrow.   I promised her we would find him and get the name in there.  I did
not know how we would find Joe.  i only see him at big meetings.  But I had
faith that the lord would fulfill his promises to his daughter.  That night, as
we were walking back home from class, I ran into Elder Pauni.  The lord answers
prayers and cares intenly of his children.


Anyway, I love you tons!!  Happy mothers day

Love, Elder Carter

PS, the worthingtons sent me a package.  With corn and rubarb bars!!!  i DIED
laughing!!  it was so funny
PPS Nina, I hear your ears are now Holey!  haha I bet they are cute
PPPS I LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO S OS OS much!!!!
:)

A sigh of relief!

Finals are DONE! Which means...

Stay tuned for pictures from the last few weeks.

Much love...

I'm thankful for…

Okay, john here..
Just to let the world know I'm thankful for many things. Good family, my wife, my mom, my brothers, a tall handsome future son in law, a wise daughter and for the delete key.

Go enjoy the sun!

Life is changing!

The Cantata went fantastically. It was a perfect year, yet again.

We will have pictures on here very soon...

I know I've been a slacker in the blog area the last few weeks,

but I've got good reason why:

I'm engaged!!!

So, as of Wednesday, I have a fiancé.

Crazy, eh?

Let's see... questions you might want answers to...

What's his name?

Larry Merket. He's from North Logan.

How did we meet?

Through a "mutual friend." Ha ha...

Translation: my ex-boyfriend was his old mission companion.

I wrote to him and ended our relationship in September.

Larry ran into him right before he came home in November.

Ex told Larry to look me up and see what had happened,

if there was another boy, yada yada yada, and we hit it off!

He's perfect for me!

How did he propose?

We went for a walk (like we do almost every night).

I knew it was coming.

Larry slowed down at a few significant spots in our relationship,

just to toy with my emotions.

We wound up at my favorite spot on the temple grounds.

As I was looking up at the temple he dropped to one knee,

popped out the ring and asked if I would marry him.

I said "Yes!!" about a million times.

And then we walked home.

When's the big day?

August 8. Mark the date!

-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-

A few side notes:

When Larry asked my Dad's permission,

my dad decided it would be fun to have

the conversation in the Bishop's office, not at home.

Ha ha ha...

Also, Larry picked out the ring

without any assistance from me.

He did a FABULOUS job if I do say so myself!

Also, we decided to do some preliminary wedding dress shopping today.

After 2 short hours of trying dresses on, we had found the dress!

You read that right:

Less than 2 hours and I found THE dress.

Thanks to Melinda at Avonlea Bridal for her wonderful assistance!

Stay tuned...

Love Elder Carter

hola?

how are you all?  just so you know, this keyboard is being...not so great and is not permitting me to do exclamation marks.  so there may be a lot of questions in this letter because that is what is coming out...

anywho, this week was wonderful?  the sky is f?lli?g d?w? the sky is f?lli?g d?w?....  ?k.  this keyb???rd is messed ?p.  i''m g?i?g t? switch c?mp?ters s? it is ?t le?st re?d?ble...  s?d thi?g is i ??ly h?ve 13 mi??tes

 

 

Ok, I switched computers.  !  exclamation mark works.  The a button works.  All is well in zion.

So, the sky is falling down.  It has been pouring the last two days.  This morning we almost drowned on the way to the temple.  The worms were all over the sidewalk basking in the water and muck.  I tried not to step on them.  I feel damp and soggy.  haha but I love it!
I did sealings at the temple today.  It was so cool!  The gospel is so true and families are forever and ever!!  I'm so blessed to have you, my family as those I am with forever!
Elder Holland came and spoke to us yesterday :)  I'm so lucky!  If I play my .. not cards.. right then we might get to hear three in the short time that we are here.  But, he spoke about missions.  How they are amazing and how we have to be converted.  He talked about why the discussions aren't memorized.  It is because people would come home from their missions and then fall away from the church.  Pres. Hinkley said that this cannot happen!  and must not happen.  THus, preach my gospel was born.  it is merely a tool to help the missionary truly know the gospel.  To be able to teach effectively and by the spirit.  He said to always be a diciple of Christ and never turn my back on him.  I won't!  I love him so much and he has done so much for me.  This is the least I can do. . . giving two years back to him.
But, it was intense.  Elder Holland gets fired up.. but I had never seen him this fired  up before!  We pretty much got a talking to.  Don't be stupid was something he said.  So, take that advice.  Don't be stupid :)
I lost one of my companions to spain :'(   I guess he is supposed to be there..  But it feels kind of empty without him.  The night before he left we took some sweet jumping pictures.  :)  i'll try and get some to you.  BUt, my time is almost out.  Sorry if there are any errors in this, but my computers were weird.  But, I love you all so much!
The easter Egg hunt was amazing!  Twister was the favorite and most coveted prize.  I loved it so much!  It made me feel like I was back at home.  In a not homesick way.  It was a blast!
I love the music!   It is so so amazing!  I am going to go check out a violin tomorrow morning so I can play it.  One of the hermanas in my district can almost play the piano part.. so we'll have to work on it...
I love you all so much!  Glad to hear grandma is feeling better.  
Glad cantata went so well.  ONe of the people in the presidency of my branch had heard of it.  I said my parents wrote it :)  I brag..

Love you all so so so much!!
Love, 
Elder Carter