June 13, 2016 -- We Found Sasquatch!!!

Last Monday, Elder and Sister Lee, a senior couple that works in the office, got a bunch of missionaries together and took them on a hike to Bald Mountain and then took us all to their cabin for a BBQ. The hike was amazing!! It's in the Adirondack's (which are huge by the way). I took over 60 pictures and made some crazy videos and we even found Sasquatch!!! I took a picture and got him on camera (see below). The BBQ was delicious. We had hot dogs, burgers, potato salad and many more yummy things to eat. Overall the company was good and the hike was flamazing -- definitely the best P-day activity I have ever done. 

The coolest thing happened to Elder Smith and I this past Tuesday. We were on our way into Subway to get some lunch when a lady stopped us. She looked like a mess but she asked us if we were church people. We said yes, of course, and then she asked if we had a second to talk. We said yes and found a place to sit down and talk. She started telling us about the situation she was in. Let me just say it was a rough high stress situation. Elder Smith was able to relate to her and that really brought comfort to her. After about a half hour of talking, we were able to counsel her on the best direction to take. Most importantly, we encouraged her to pray and talk with her Father in Heaven. We testified that she had a Father in Heaven who loved her perfectly and that he wants to communicate with her. She felt a lot better after our talk and we said a prayer with her and went our separate ways. I know that the Lord sends his children in need to us missionaries because of the experiences we have had in our lives. We are prepared to help these people to connect with their Heavenly Father.

Last night I said goodbye to Elder Smith. He is heading out of the mission at the end of the transfer this week. I will always remember the laughs and the funny videos that we made together. Through thick and thin we stayed together in the past 7 weeks. I love you man.

Since I will not be getting a new companion until Wednesday, my temporary companion is Elder Wright. My new companion that I will pick up on Wednesday is Elder Burton. He will come back to Oneida with me. I'm excited to see what this next transfer holds in store.

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

 

Elder Carlile

 

 

Bald Mountain Hike

Sasquatch!!!

 

June 6, 2016 -- Weddings and More Weddings

Spring is such a beautiful time of year in New York. I can't tell you how many amazing sunsets I have seen in the past week... well maybe I can.... it was 7. This week has yet again been packed full of so many different things.

 

There was another wedding for someone in the ward this past week. They had it at Verona beach. Elder Smith and I were able to kick it a bit with Brother Turbee and the Branch peeps. We all had a good time at the wedding. I promise that Elder Smith and I are drinking lemonade in the one picture I've attached.... it's definitely not anything else.... The view of the beach was great and it was a good chance to talk to some people about our Church since the majority of the people that were there weren't members.

 

Wayne continues to amaze me. He is truly on of the elect. He's a person that the Lord has prepared to receive the gospel. He has never missed a commitment that we have given him. He has read up to 1 Nephi 10 since last week and continues to read and ask great questions about what he is reading. He is a very kind man and is truly searching for truth. It's so exciting to see his faith and relationship with God grow little by little as he meets with this missionaries and reads the Book of Mormon.

 

President and Sister Rogers made a visit to the Oneida Branch this week with some of their family that is in town. Their small grandchildren sang a song in Sacrament Meeting and it was wonderful.

This will be Elder Smith and my last week together. He will be going home at the end of the transfer with all the departing missionaries. I am so grateful for the time I have been able to spend with him in the mission. He has become an even better friend of mine in the past transfer. Through thick and thin, we have been by each other's side. I'm going to miss you man. Since all the departing missionaries go to the temple two days before the transfer, I will have a temporary companion for those couple of days. It's going to be Elder Wright. He is the shortest Elder in the mission so I will be sure to send a pic of us next Monday.

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

Elder Carlile

 

 

Verona Beach

 

Drinking Lemonade With Brother Turbee

 

 

May 30, 2016 -- Everyone Is Dancing, Happy Wedding

This week was so busy that I can hardly remember what happened. It has been super hot and the humidity is real. I have enjoyed the bright-looking days though so I can't complain.

President Rogers came with us to see Wayne this week. He tries to go out and work with all his missionaries when he gets the chance. During the lesson, Alma 30 was shared about how we have all these things to prove that there is a god. It changed Wayne's whole perspective. Now he is taking on the mindset of God is there until proven otherwise. On one of our other lessons this week, he decided that he needed to read the whole Book of Mormon. He has been hesitant to read it in the past because of how long it is but his faith is growing and continues to grow as he keeps the commitments Elder Smith and I give him.

We also had a wonderful lesson with Tasha this past week. Elder and Sister Lee came with us to do the lesson. Elder and Sister Lee are one of the office couples and they are serving in the Oneida branch while they are here. They came so they could meet Tasha's kids because Sister Lee does primary in the branch. Tasha has been hesitant to come to church because she is worried that her kids will misbehave. The Lees were great with Tasha's kids and now she is going to come to church this next week.  I am looking forward to that.

We had a wedding in the Oneida Branch this past Saturday. Brother White and his girlfriend have been coming to the branch for the past two years and they finally decided to get married. Now that they are married, Sister White wants to take the missionary lessons so she can get baptized. The White's goal is to go to the temple and be sealed as a family. They have one primary-aged girl named Honesty and they also have a new baby that is 2 weeks old. I am super excited to be a part of bringing their family closer together.

I have been able to see the blessing of the Lord's hand in the mission work this week and am super grateful for it. The sky is blue, the Church is true, and life is good.

Until next week,

Elder Carlile

 

Summer Tracting in Oneida

Happy Wedding in the Oneida Branch

 

May 23, 2016 -- Check That Off My Bucket List

This week has been pretty great. Spring had taken its full effect in the beautiful country of upstate New York. I thought Utah got green in the spring... I was dead wrong. You can look out and see all the rolling hills in Oneida. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't beat the mountains in Utah, but I sure do enjoy it.

Berla and Steve took Elder Smith and I out to dinner as the Turning Stone buffet. Boy let me just say the food was wonderful. They had everything from meat to Chinese to seafood and so much more. Elder Smith and I didn't eat all day in preparation for this. It was a dinner full of tasty food and good company.

Elder Smith and I were able to meet with Tasha. We were not able to meet with her at all last week because she was sick with a nasty flu. We are glad she is over it now though. We had planned on going and teaching more about the plan of salvation with her but during the lesson the Spirit took over. She opened up and shared her mourning about a child that had passed on very young. Elder Smith and I felt that we should turn to Moroni 8 talking about the salvation of little children. As we read the scriptures the Spirit filled the room. Tasha said she got the chills and instantly recognized that it was the Spirit comforting her. I am grateful that I was able to be a part of the Lord's comforting Tasha in that very moment. It's a most worthwhile feeling when one of God's children sees the truth of this gospel.

On a different note, Elder Smith and I were trying some former investigators one day when we pulled up at this house on the outskirts of Oneida that had tons of different animals. As we were walking up to the door, this peacock started following us.  We walked to the door where the guy let us. We talked for a little bit and as we were leaving a he told us to watch out for that peacock because he's not to friendly. As we started walking out to our car, the peacock continued to follow us. It would get closer when we turned away from it and then back off when we turned around. It followed us to out car in the road. I was standing by my car door and the peacock was right next to me. I needed the peacock to move so that I could get in the car door so I kicked at it, didn't actually hit it, to scare it.  It puffed up and jumped like three feet in the air using it's wings making an angry peacock sound. I hurried in the car door and then drove off quickly. The peacock started trying to chase us. Elder Smith and I started busting up laughing as we thought about what had just happened. Now I can check getting attacked by a peacock off my bucket list.

Anyway the sky is blue, the church is true, and life is good.

 

Until next week,

Elder Carlile

 

 

May 16, 2016 -- I Can't "Express" How Grateful I Was to Have "Panda"

This week got off to a great start with our Zone training meeting in Utica. As a joke, Elder Smith and I both bought a fake pair of glasses and wore them the whole meeting and then the rest of the day because we wanted to look smarter:)  

On Wednesday we had to make a trip out to Albany for some mission busyness. When we found out that we were going to go to Albany, Elder Smith and I instantly knew what that meant............... LUNCH AT PANDA EXPRESS!!!!!!!  I haven't had Panda in over 8 months so let's just say it was about time to get my Panda fill. I was so excited that I took like five pictures of all of us eating there.

Teaching Wayne had been amazing. He is super logical with a sincere desire to find truth. Sometimes he ask questions that I don't think that most members of the church have thought to ask yet.  I love it though because that means that Elder Smith and I really have to be know our doctrine. He always keep the commitments we give him like reading in the Book of Mormon, reading a conference talk, or praying. We are really just trying to focus on building his faith.

Elder Oaks said something this past general conference that really stuck out to me.  He said, "Our efforts to improve our observance of the Sabbath day pose a less stressful example of opposition."

I have tried to improve my observance of the Sabbath the past two Sundays and noticed a tremendous difference.  In doing this, I have been able to focus on the positive and more spiritual side of things, and the number of spiritual experiences I have had has increased greatly.  I know that the opposition is there but yet I still feel happy.  I know that it all starts with giving your best effort to improve the Sabbath day.

Love, Elder Carlile

 

 



Zone Training May 2016



Looking "Smart" at Panda Express

 

 

 

May 9, 2016 -- Mother's Day for Missionaries

Boy has it been an exciting week for Elder Smith and me -- Mother's Day, Elder Smith's birthday and we picked up a new investigator.

 

There is this man named Wayne. He met with missionaries over a year ago and has expressed interest in meeting with missionaries again. He is an older man that is intuitive and very friendly. The missionary that met with him a year ago got special permission to come up with his companion and meet with Wayne and us so he could "pass the torch on to us." The lesson went super well. Wayne has a lot of good questions about the gospel. He accepts the Book of Mormon and loves it when we us the scriptures to answer his question. The Spirit was strong during the lesson as we turned to the scriptures and testified of what we read.

 

Later that day Elder Smith and I went to Berla and Steve's to celebrate his birthday with a wonderful steak dinner with really yummy sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. The company was wonderful as well as the food.  Elder Smith and I were sure thankful for the hospitality of Berla and Steve.

Mother's Day was greatly anticipated. The Elders in our branch decided to throw a surprise lunch after church. We had sandwiches and lots of desserts. We went to Berla and Steve's house to call home. I was so excited to see my family again. I enjoyed talking to Katie now that she is home from her mission. I was only a little jealous of their trip to California. I miss being around them but I know that I am meant to be in Oneida, NY right here right now in the Lords service. Being able to skype with them makes them not seem so far away. It's weird to think that I've already made 2 of the 4 calls home in my mission. Time flies when your busy.

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

Love, Elder Carlile

 

 

 

April 25, 2016 -- A Week of Unexpected Events

As I look back on the week I can hardly remember what I was doing at the beginning of the week.  I think that's a good thing... Anyway Elder Sonny Smith had a really cool experience this week.

One day, after we had finished online time, I had the idea to go the this small clothing store called The Merry Go Round to volunteer for service. We went in and started talking to the owners. Their names are Merry and Keith. At first we talked about random stuff like NBA teams and other things like that but then the conversation turned to religion. We all started talking about our love for Jesus Christ and then, in the middle of the conversation, Elder Smith shared a story called Pushups for Donuts. They loved the story so much that we gave them the copy. After about an hour of talking about Jesus Christ and what we do as missionaries, they invited us to come over to their house some time to have dinner with them and talk more about religion. I am looking forward to meeting with them. As we were leaving, I was talking to Keith.  He is a doctor, by the way, and he said, "I know that we were meant to meet today. I really needed it." It just so happened that this was the first time in months that Keith and Merry were able to come work in the store due to health problems that Merry has been having. We said a prayer with them and went on our way.  I know that meeting them was not a coincidence. The Lord sends his missionaries to help his children in need and I am grateful to have this opportunity to be on the Lord's errand full time.

On Sunday morning Elder Sonny Smith and I got a call from President Rogers. He informed us that an Emergency Transfer was going to take place. Elder Sonny Smith was going to a new area and Elder Tyler Smith was going to be coming to Oneida with me. Elder Tyler Smith has been going through a bit of a rough time and so hopefully this will bring a good change for him.

 

After we got off the phone, Elder Smith and I were shocked. We went to church where he said his goodbyes to members in the Oneida branch and then we went to say goodbye to some more people. After that, we went and he packed. We drove and met the other set of elders halfway and exchanged Elder Smith for Elder Smith. Yes they do have the same last name. No they are not related and yes this does mean that we don't have to make new pass along cards. It was weird to say goodbye to Elder S. Smith. It feels like he just got here. These past five weeks have flown by but the good times we had will always be remembered. 

 

I can't wait to get to work with Elder Tyler Smith. I have gotten to know him pretty well on exchanges and other things. I love the kid and we get along super well. He's been out for three months and is from Idaho. He loves potatoes and is proud of it! We started off this companionship right with a game of PIG this morning for our workout. I can't wait to see what new adventures lay in store.

 

Till next week, the sky is blue the church is true and life is good.

 

Love,

Elder Carlile