Week 32

Hello everyone from back home and abroad!! This is going to be a slightly shorter email this week. I have a bunch of stuff to get done today and my comp and I both need haircuts. So please forgive me in advance. We got a few new investigators this week! We have been trying to apply the training we have received from Elder Bennett a couple weeks ago and it have been providing miracles and incredible success. We are seeing really cool things happen as we knock on doors all day long. Our teaching pool is slowly but surely filling up and allows us to spend more time teaching and less time finding which is the goal. We were able to help out at the food pantry a lot this week so that was awesome! I love being able to see people and talk to new people. And I love being able to help out when I can. I think it is great that we can work with another religion and be happy and friends. They sure do love our help when we are there and are very nice to us. Anyway the weather got really cold here last week and my hands were dying. Randomly one night one of the members of our bishopric knocked on our door and gave me a pair of gloves! It was so nice of him and a huge blessing because my hands were feeling it for sure. This ward is just awesome. I got the chance to have my first district meeting with my new district. I didn't know what to expect but it was really powerful. I love having a district full of sisters because they have incredible testimonies and bring an amazing spirit to meetings like that. I am excited to continue to lead this district as best as I can. Friday night was the ward Christmas party and in the hall way I got attacked by my Bishop to give a talk on Sunday. I can't say no to that so I accepted. About Halfway through Saturday I got my topic and Sunday morning during studies I prepared it. It was about 7 minutes long and I thought I did ok. I don't really remember anything that I said. So hopefully it was good. Our investigator MaryJo and all 3 of her kids came to church for the first time! They got to hear me speak! It was great! We talked to B, the 10 year old, and he loved church a lot. Unfortunately yesterday MJ texted us and dropped us. She said she prayed and doesn't want to visit. It was hard to see someone that ready for the gospel not accept it. But I know that her heart was touched by the spirit. She will be ok. That was pretty much my whole week! Hope all is well at home and abroad!! Love you all!!

Quotes of the Week:

"Christ is the light for our mist of darkness."

 "Discouragement will slow progression as fast as sin."

"Don't be afraid to fail forward."

"Faith comes only through humility."

"We don't love people because they are lovable, we love them because we are able to love."

"Fear comes from focusing on ourselves."

"Conversion cannot occur through passive reception."

Spiritual Experience of the Week:

District meeting wins this week. As I was preparing it I got prompted on what I needed to train about. When we started talking about that in the meeting the spirit was really strong and the discussion was really great. I knew I was following the spirit and helping my district. 

Miracle of the Week:

Gloves!!! Oh how I needed a nice pair of gloves and Brother Stoddard helped me a ton. It was a mini miracle that made missionary work much easier and more delightful. 

Spiritual Thought of the Week:

So my talk was on Luke 2 and I loved how the shepards made haste to go see the Savior. Once they were there and they saw what the angel told them they immediately went out and shared it with everyone. It is a testimony to me that we must share the gospel. It brings us joy and it will bring others joy as well. 

Pic: Coolest mailbox ever.

Elder Carruth

Week 31

Welcome to the first day of my 6th transfer! I have been here for forever it seems like. I am not getting transferred and neither is my companion. 7 more weeks together!! Time to change the world!! This transfer has an extra week since the last one was only 5 weeks. Christmas messes timing up. Anyway with the new stake that was created a week ago my district got mixed up as well. Instead of having one set of sisters and one set of elders I will now have 2 sets of sisters. Relief Society!! It will be an interesting change for sure but I am excited and look forward to continue my leadership here in Panorama Heights. Since the other sisters live farther away we will also be getting a car. We won't use it much probably but it will be nice to have. This week was a pretty good one for the work. We had a lot more lessons and had a lot of success talking to people. The highlight of the week for sure was our Zone Conference with Elder Randall K. Bennett of the 70. He spoke last general conference. We got to sit and listen to him train us for 7 hours last Tuesday and it was amazing. The spirit was incredible and he really changed my whole mission. I received personal revelation for me and for my area. He focused a lot on being bold and direct with people. And teaching simply and quickly. It was a powerful day and I hope I can continue to carry that spirit with me though out the rest of my mission. After the end of conference I got to see one of my favorite missionaries and he gave me a big hug. It was awesome and it was just a great day all together. We helped at the food pantry again last week and it is so fun. People are so grateful for all the help especially this time of year. We were applying what we had learned in Zone Conference and it was really working well and the success was coming. Elder Bennett is clearly a servant of the Lord. Later that day we had a lesson with MJ. She is really doing well. We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well as the Priesthood and she accepted a baptismal date in January!! Most likely she will move before then but it was still awesome! We also had the chance to give her a blessing and will give her another one tonight. It was a great night. The spirit was strong. We got a couple new investigators this week. One of them has a wife who might be a member and that would be really awesome. Hopefully we can teach them this week again. Zone training last week was awesome. We had a review of Elder Bennett's training and it was almost as inspiring. The zone leaders randomly called on both of the District Leaders to go up and role play with them. I think we did pretty good actually and they told us they did that to help us gain more district trust. It was good. We went on a mini exchange on Saturday for about 4 hours. Elder Worley came to Panorama with me and we tracted for almost all of that time. The last hour we battled hail and freezing rain. We knocked on doors soaking wet and it was great. People thought we were crazy but that is how important this message is. Nothing is more important in this life than hearing about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing will bless your life more or help you find more joy than that. The water on the ground was freezing as we were walking. It was interesting for sure and a long hour. That was pretty much my whole week!! Hope all is well with all of you!!! Love you all!!!!!!

Quotes of the Week:

Left them at home I am sorry. Next week for sure!! 

Spiritual Experience of the Week:

Zone Conference wins for sure. It was a whole day of revelation and spiritual boosts. It was so incredible and motivating. I can't wait till an Apostle comes to the mission.

Miracle of the Week:

So last week I sent a picture of my bike tire blowing up. Later that same day we got a call from a member who told me he would fix it. In less than an hour I had a new tire and he paid for it all. It was a huge miracle!! A huge blessings from the Lord that allows us to work faster.   

Spiritual Thought of the Week:

I was reading in 2 Nephi 27, comparable to Isaiah 29 in the bible, about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. I realized that the whole purpose of the Book of Mormon was to end the great Apostasy and restore the knowledge of Jesus Christ to God's children. It was really cool revelation to me. With the Book of Mormon we can come to a fuller knowledge of Christ and His teachings and enjoy the blessings of the gospel. 

Love you all!!!

Elder Carruth

Week 30

30 weeks have come and gone and it goes so fast!! Crazy!! It is almost Christmas time!! Can't believe it. This week was a pretty slow one but one of miracles and exciting things! And next week will be exciting too! It is always a good day as a missionary. Last week we had a service project at St. Vincent's food pantry. We were in charge of helping people get there food to their cars and stuff. It was a lot of fun! And I love being able to meet and talk to all kinds of new people and help them. We only got bashed once too which is nice. Apparently we are invited to help every week so we are going to start doing that more often. I really enjoyed it. So I had a humbling experience this week. We were tracting in the middle of the afternoon and we decided to do 3 streets. The first one was really successful! We talked to a lot of people and had good conversations with them. As we started the second street I was excited to continue success. The first guy on that street was extremely rude. Like for no reason. So I may or may not have been a little sarcastic back to him. Apparently sarcasm is something I do a lot. Most of you probably know that already. Anyway as soon as we walked away from him not only did my companion yell at me but the spirit did too. I have not felt that bad in a long long time. The rest of that street was terrible. Doors slamming and people yelling. It was tough. I knew that the only way to fix it was to go apologize to the first guy. Oh how I did not want to do that. My pride was real that day. But the spirit convinced me and I went out of my way to apologize to the person who was just as rude the second time around. I felt better though and the following street was again filled with success. It was a humbling experience where I learned a lot about how to represent the Savior. Later that night we taught MJ about the plan of Salvation. It was powerful and the spirit was strong. I loved it and hope to get her to come to church soon and progress her to baptism. We went on exchanges last week with the Cabezon Elders. I went to Cabezon with Elder Jones. He has been out for 18 months. He struggles a little with the work and loves excuses but he works hard. I enjoyed working with him. We had a 2 hour long weed pulling party with the Chamisa Sisters and I enjoyed getting to know them as well. They are in the other district so I don't see them very often. It was a good exchange. District Meeting last week was pretty good too! I loved it. We talked a lot on focusing on the needs of people and not just teaching lessons. It was good and the spirit was there for sure. So Saturday was an interesting day. We started by tracting and dropped by a less active sister. When we told her we couldn't come inside because she was a lone she was angry. She immediately called our ward mission leader to complain and tell him that he is changing the rules. No amount of us telling her that our rules come from the Prophet and Apostles would change her mind. It was funny to listen to her throw down on our ward mission leader. After that we were riding bikes when my back tire decided it wanted to explode. Like legit explode. There is a 2 inch gash in the tire and the tube is destroyed. It is great and we have been walking ever since! I hope to get it fixed today I just need a new tire. Saturday night was the adult session to the multi stake conference. Elder Bennett of the 70 was presiding and elder Jones of the 70 was there too. That place was packed. 3 stakes of adults. We had to sit on the stage by the time we got there. Yesterday for the normal session we had to go to the local hockey arena to fit everyone. A new stake was created and the stake presidency for Rio Rancho was reorganized. It was so cool to watch the growth of the church. I was happy to be a part of it. That is about all for this week! Love you all!!  

Quotes of the Week:

"The scriptures open the window of revelation."

"Don't let the things you own own you."

"Heavenly Father will always go after the one."

"Success comes with invitation."

"If you wait, the opportunity will pass."

"Out of the death of One was born the power of everlasting life for all."

Spiritual Experience of the Week:

So last week during one of my studies I was pondering on the things I had read. Suddenly I found myself thinking about one of the Sisters in my District. I didn't know why, but I was thinking about things that could be said in a blessing to her. Early this week, that same sister called and asked for a blessing. In the room there was a Zone Leader, an Assistant, me and my companion. When we asked who she wanted to give the blessing she didn't hesitate before choosing me. It was a testimony for me that the spirit had prepared me for that blessing and the same things I had thought about before came back to me in the blessing. It was a sweet experience. 

Miracle of the Week:

We were knocking doors one day trying to finish a neighborhood we had started a while ago. We had one street left. We started up one side of it and by the end I was ready to be done. No one was interested or home even. Both my companion and I got the prompting to finish the other side of the street. So we did. There we found 2 people who are ready for the gospel. 2 people who took Book of Mormons and invited us to come back. It was a miracle to me and also direct fulfillment of my Patriarchal Blessing. 

Spiritual thought of the Week:

So Elder Bennett focused on the fact that success is not in the converting of people and friends. Success is found in the invitation. It is so true. All we need to do is invite people to hear about the gospel, or invite them to church or activities. The result of that is based on their agency and has no effect on our personal success. We need to not fear to invite others to take part in this gospel. It changes lives. It blesses families. And it heals broken hearts. I testify of that and of the fact that our Savior lives. He loves us and wants us to return to live with Heavenly Father again. 

Pic: The face you make when you tire explodes.

Elder Carruth 

Week 29

Hello friends, family, people I know and love how are you? I am doing pretty good! This week was a test of a week for sure! The Lord wanted us to learn something and I sure hope we learned it because the whole week was a struggle. But even in the hardest weeks there are miracles and blessings everywhere. Last P-Day we had a zone wide turkey bowl! It was a mix of football and soccer and basketball. It was pretty fun and a killer workout. I think every muscle was sore after that. Good thing this is a bike area and we got to ride around and work out more!! Wednesday was a pretty interesting day. I was struggling to find some motivation so I decided to say a prayer and plead to my Father in Heaven for strength through the Atonement. As soon as we walked outside I felt encouraged, uplifted and motivated to share the gospel. It was a sweet tender mercy from the Lord and a blessing to me. It didn't come, however, until after I left the apartment. So often we pray for things and wait for the result, instead we must ask and the result will come. It was a really sweet tender mercy from the Lord. Later that day we talked to someone who was pretty drunk. She kept calling herself and angel. Finally at the end she grabbed my hand and stared into my soul and said "When I first saw you.... it was like a magnet.... I could just tell... you are an angel too!!!" It was great. Thanksgiving was this week! What a good day. We were not allowed to knock on doors all day so we spent time visiting members and eating food. We had 2 dinners that day. Some missionaries had like 6 so it was ok. We a really cool miracle that day that I will talk about later. It is interesting to me being a missionary because all the days feel the same. I knew it was thanksgiving and I often thought about my family that day. But while we were working it felt like a normal day so it was easier to be away for the holiday. The mission is full of mini blessings and miracles, you just need to look hard enough. District Meeting on Friday went really well! I got to talk about testimonies and how important it is in our work. My zone leader said I did a good job so that made me feel accomplished. We had a lesson later that day with an older guy named David. Halfway through the lesson he fell asleep. The member we were with decided we should say a prayer and quietly leave. In that prayer the member released David's spirit to the spirit world. It was interesting. Not sure if we will ever see David again in this life.  Sunday was a great fast Sunday. It was the first one in this new ward so I knew I had to bear my testimony. Before the meeting started one of the Deacons in the ward came up to me in the hall and talked to me for 30 minutes. We talked about life and where we came from and all kinds of things. Eventually I asked him if he was going to bear his testimony and he told me he didnt know. So I decided to give him so encouragement. When I went up to bear mine I personally invited him to bear his in front of the congregation. It was funny and two people later he got up and followed through with my invitation. He sat next to me in Priesthood so I have a new friend now. I might pick on a new youth every month and get them all to bear their testimonies. After we got home from church I really did not want to go knock doors. It was close to dinner and we would have to ride all the way to the edge of our area. We went anyway. We only talked to 7 people but the last one we talked to was really interested in learning and invited us back the following Sunday to talk to her about it. It was a miracle from the Lord brought about through diligence and obedience. That was pretty much my whole week! Hope you all are doing awesome and fantastic! Love you all!!

Quotes of the Week:

"Families are the treasure of heaven."

"Sometimes we must endure the darkness to truly appreciate the light."

Spiritual Experience of the Week:
In the midst of my struggles last week I finally humbled myself enough to get a blessing. Probably 5 weeks overdue. During that blessing I felt the approval of the Savior and the comfort I needed to press on. I received revelation that helped me continue the work and brought me a new sense of peace. It was a sweet experience and one I am grateful for. 

Miracle of the Week:

Going back to Thanksgiving. We were walking to go see a member of the ward who just recently moved in. The ward council asked us to go check on her. She lives in an adult community that is locked from the outside. The only person we know to let us in was not available so we had no choice but to walk back home. On our way we met a woman who just so happens to be the sister of the person we were trying to see. Two phone calls later we were inside of her apartment and with tears in her eyes she told us how much she needed to see us. Since then blessings have poured out from heaven for her through the Bishop and the Relief Society. It all started with the willingness to talk to a stranger on the street. There is no such thing as a coincidence. It is a miracle, a tender mercy from heaven to one of God's children. I am so grateful to have been a part of it. 

Spiritual Thought of the Week:

While studying 2 Nephi 7, verse 2 stuck out to me. Our Savior will never abandon us. He is always there for us and through His Atonement we can be brought back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. It is when we struggle the most that we reach out for the outstretched hand of our loving Savior. 

Pic: Thanksgiving at Bishop's house!!

Love you all!!!

Elder Carruth