June 27, 2016 -- One Week Wonder

Have you ever looked back on a week and said, "Did all that stuff happen in just this one week?"  Yeah.... it's been crazy, but crazy good. Teaching, service in a soup kitchen, Zone Conference, painting a kitchen, Amish donuts, doing some more service, playing the bongos, more teaching, putting up Hill Cumorah Pageant flyers, and I even got my eye brows plucked for the first time (shout out to Stephanie for doing an awesome job). I know it's a little weird but you never know what something is like until you try it. Anyway, there just seems to be something for missionaries to do around every corner.

Tasha is doing great! We had a great lesson with her this past week. We were able to reset a baptismal date and she continues to progress towards that. Since she came to church this past week, there has been a total change in her. It just goes to show you how the Spirit truly is the teacher and she was able to feel that unique spirit in church. It is a dedicated building where the Spirit can reside.

Anyway things are going good in Oneida. The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good.

Till next week,
Elder Carlile

June 20, 2016 -- Up, Down, and Everything In Between

Holy moly it has warmed up this past week. Let me just say that the farmer's tan and the collar tan are real. These are some of the sacrifices that missionaries have to make -- pasty white biceps and necks.

My theme that I have been focusing on this week is service. King Benjamin teaches in the Book of Mormon that serving others brings happiness -- small or big acts of kindness that you give freely to others around you. This can be teaching others about the gospel of Jesus Christ, smiling at someone and saying hello or what's up, getting donuts and taking them to a friend and visiting for a second, just being there to listen and many many more things. I always think of what my Aunt Alli taught me. If you take a spoon and hold it in front of you looking at it on the inward side then you will see yourself upside down. If you take the spoon an look at it on the opposite side with it pointing outward then you will see a normal upright reflection of yourself. When we focus only on ourselves then we will find sadness, darkness and life will just seem out of whack. If we focus outward on other people, then we will find peace, joy, laughs, smiles and true satisfaction. "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." That may be hard to believe sometimes but I know that it's true. 

I got a new companion this past week. I picked him up in Utica on Wednesday. His name is Elder Burton. He is a fun easygoing guy and likes to have a good time. He loves to do missionary work and we have been teaching a lot since he got here. I'm super excited to see what this transfer has in store for us.

We have seen so many amazing things happen this past week but the one I want to talk about is what happened yesterday. TASHA CAME TO CHURCH!!! We have been teaching her ever since I got here and this is the first time she has gone. Barbara, her Grandma who joined about a year ago, brought six of her other primary age grandchildren so there were a lot of people there. Elder Lee had to hurry and fill up another tray of water in the middle of the sacrament because of all the people. It was a good problem to have. Tasha loved church and was very surprised how well her three kids did in primary. We look forward to continuing teaching her about the gospel.

It has been a good week overall and I am excited for this next week. It looks super busy but for a missionary busy is good.

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

Elder Carlile

 

Elder Burton Has Arrived

 

 

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