September 18, 2017 -- I'm Coming Home

Well.... this is officially my final email as a full time missionary in the New York Utica Mission so here I go. . .

This past week has been really busy but lots of good things happened. On Wednesday I went to the Hartford Connecticut temple with the Cohoes Elders. A member took us and it was really refreshing. We also had a "come and see" fireside last night. It's a fireside where members invite their friends to come and see what we believe.  They see uplifting videos and hear testimonies from recent converts. I had the opportunity to conduct the meeting.  I was a little nervous but overall the meeting ran smoothly.
 

The most valuable thing I have gained in the past two years is an increased testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. It is only through Christ's atoning sacrifice that we are redeemed as true sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. As we strive to keep the Lord's commandments and continually repent when we fall short, we can little by little become more like Him. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in its fullness through the prophet Joseph Smith. I have stood in the places were God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and where much of the Book of Mormon was translated. I have felt the Spirit testify to my heart of the truthfulness of the Restoration of this gospel. I am so grateful that I am able to live in a time where the fulness of the gospel is on the earth with apostles and prophets. 

The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good!

Love, Elder Carlile

 

Hartford, Connecticut Temple

Final Albany District

It's Over . . .

 

September 11, 2017 -- Palmyra Trip

Boy did this past week get off to a powerful start with the Palmyra trip!! Monday night, Elder Harmon and I drove to the mission home and met up with all the missionaries that are going home in our group. 

 We got up early the next morning and drove from Utica to Palmyra. Our first stop was the Temple to do a session there. Next we went and toured the two Smith family homes just down the road and then on the Sacred Grove. We got thirty minutes to walk, ponder and pray on our own. The Spirit accompanies that grove of trees so strongly. After, we went and saw Alvin Smith's grave (Joseph's older brother) and then went to lunch at this pizza place. I'm not going to lie, I've had SO MUCH pizza in the past two years. I would be totally fine if I didn't eat pizza for at least the next six months of my life. After lunch, we went and toured the Grandin Printing Press where the Book of Mormon was first published. Most of us missionaries purchased a replica of the original copy of the Book of Mormon at their store next door. From there, we went to the Hill Cumorah visitors center and then hiked to the top of the hill itself.... that hill will put ya right out of breath. We then got on the road and drove the thirty minutes to the Peter Whitmer farm and visitors center. While there, we watched two of the new Joseph Smith videos on the Priesthood being restored and and translation of the Book of Mormon. After that, we went to dinner.

 

During dinner, we got President and Sister Rogers to tell some of their dating stories and other funny experiences. Those continued on the car ride back to the mission home. When we all got back, we were exhausted and pretty much went straight to bed. We got up the next morning and headed back to our areas. Overall it was such an amazing trip. I'm so grateful that I was able visit and stand in the places where Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and where Moroni appeared and taught Joseph. Throughout the day, I felt the Spirit reaffirming the truth and reality of the Restoration and Joseph Smith being the prophet that Christ's church was restored through.

We got some other news this week. Elder Rice will be transferred in a week so we will both be leaving the area of Troy. President wants to send a new missionary with his trainer to Troy because it's a great area to train in. That means that we are going to be very busy this week getting the area info up to date and the apartment ready before I head back to Utah. 

The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good.

 

Have a great week everyone, Elder Carlile

 

Palmyra Temple Trip
 

Hill Cumorah

The Sacred Grove
 

Group Returning Home Next Week

Leaving a Piece of Me in New York

 

September 4, 2017 -- This Week Was The "BoM".com

Hey hey hey everyone!! This past week has been a good one. For the month of September our mission is focusing on flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon. Since Elder Rice and I have been focusing on placing a Book of Mormon in our daily contacting, we have seen lots of blessing come from it!

One night, Elder Rice and I had an appointment with Bert. We got there seven minutes early so we decided to walk around and find someone to talk to. We got out of the car and saw a middle-aged lady sitting on the corner smoking a cigarette. We went to talk with her and then offered to share a five minute lesson on the Restoration and the how the Book of Mormon came to be. She said that she has been wanting to retrieve her relationship with God and that she wants to stop smoking so she was happy to hear our message. We shared the message and left her with a Book of Mormon. We also promised that, if she would read it and rely on Christ, she would not only be able to strength her relationship with God but would also be able to overcome her smoking addiction through the 15 step program we do. We're going to be seeing her this next week.

We have seen other blessings. There have been multiple times this past week when we were walking around at 8:55, five minutes before we going in, and have OYMed a guy on the street who was very open to taking a Book of Mormon and meeting with us at a future time. It's been the "BoM".com!!! I know that the Lord blesses us when we put ourselves in a position to be blessed.

The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good! Have a great week everyone!

 

Elder Carlile

 

 

Book of Mormon Week in Troy

Historic Church

Taking a Lunch Break with Elder Rice