April 3, 2017 -- One More Crazy Week For The Books

What's up peeps!!! This past week was Crazy with transfer announcements, General Conference, lots of traveling and even a baptism. So a lot of change is going to happen this next transfer in the mission and the area I'm serving in. Elder Turner is going to serve as the Assistant to the Mission President!! It's great because I'll still get to see him all the time. I will be getting Elder Shore as my new companion. He is a wonderful missionary from what I've heard, so I'm pretty excited about that. Here is where it gets crazy. The other set of Liverpool elders' area is getting closed and we are taking it over. Elder Vorkink is one of the elders serving there and he is going to join Elder Shore and me.  So we will be in a trio. I've never served in a trio in my life but it sounds like it's going to be a party. We are going to be super busy since we'll be teaching all the investigators from each area. I'm so pumped!!!

On Wednesday Elder Turner and I went and worked with the Pulaski elders from our zone for a day. I went with Elder Crandall and Elder Turner went with Elder Misustin. Working with Elder Crandall again brought back some good memories of when we were together in Elmira. We went and taught this young family for the first time. We taught them about the restoration of the gospel and it turns out that the father had gone to the LDS church as a kid but got pushed away because his mom was opposed to it. The lesson went very well. They were so humble and recognized the spirit that was in the room as we taught. That night, as we were hanging out with the Pulaski Elders in their apartment, I realized that I had or was currently serving with every one in that room. That was a neat realization.

YVONNE AND CATHLEEN GOT BAPTIZED ON FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! The baptism program was great. A bunch of ward members showed up to support them in this wonderful decision they made. It's almost seemed surreal since missionaries have been working with them for the past two years. There were times it seemed like they were not going to make it because of the great opposition they faced and we almost wanted to give up.  But, as they continued to read the Book of Mormon, little by little they gained enough strength to overcome their opposition.

General Conference was amazing!!! I can't believe that it was my last one I will watch as a full time missionary. I always feel so filled and peaceful after watching conference. We watched conference in at the Liverpool church building. I can't wait for the Ensign magazine to come out so I can read and study the talks. Since we didn't have our first session of conference until noon on Sunday, our good friend Pasture Yost invited us to come to one of his church services at the Lutheran Church. We went and, for the first time in my life, I experienced church in a place other than the LDS Church. It was a very different experience than what I'm use to but the people where very warm and welcoming to us.

Besides that, the weather has been getting warmer finally. I'm just praying that it will stay this way. Then I will have survived my two winters in New York. The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good.​​

 

Elder Carlile

 

Yvonne and Cathleen's Baptisms

General Conference Group