July 31, 2017 -- Hey, We're In A Pickle

Hey everyone hope all is going well. This past week has been pretty good. The weather hasn't been to hot luckily and Elder Rice and I have seen some cool miracles.

One crazy thing that happened this past week was on Wednesday night. Elder Rice and I were driving back home and it wasn't quite 9:00 when we usually go in. As we were driving, I had a little thought to try the Munoz family. We have not been able to get in contact with them in over a month. Because it wasn't quite time to go in, we tried them. As we pulled up, we saw them standing outside. We went and talked to them and they told us they were in a pickle. Luckily Fernando, the son, was there since the parents only speak Spanish. The people they were staying with had told them to move out. They had an apartment to move into just a mile away but no way to get their stuff there.   The friend that had a truck had bailed on them. I called Brother Silver and asked him for a HUGE favor. I asked him if he could bring his truck and help this family move into their new apartment. Fifteen minutes later, he was there and ready to go. He even brought his wife to help. Two hours and four truck loads later, the Silvers, Munoz family and we missionaries all got the job done. In addition,  the Silver's invited them over for dinner and a lesson that is going to happen later this week. The Silvers are amazing members and I am so grateful for how willing they are to help. We are now teaching the Munoz family. The mom and the son had met with missionaries when they lived in Texas. The mom's uncle is actually a member there so they have some connections to the Church. That's our miracle for the week. I know it is important to listen to the quiet promptings of the Holy Ghost. If I hadn't, Elder Rice and I would have missed out on this neat opportunity.

I went on an exchange with Elder Waechtler in Cohoes this past week and, for our morning program, we got up early and went mountain biking. It was sick!!! The weather was perfect and it was super foggy. We had a good time

Well, all is good in the hood. Have a great week everyone. The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good.

 

Elder Carlile

 

Elder Waechtler

Mountain Biking in Cohoes with Elder Waechtler

 

July 24, 2017 -- We're All Tools . . . In The Lord's Hands

Hey hey hey everyone. It's was a pretty good week last week. Elder Rice and I saw some cool things happen. 

Elder Rice and I went to return and report this past week. Return and report is a meeting the mission president holds one month after the new missionaries get to the mission to make sure they are doing good and to give us all additional instruction. The meeting was on Friday but we drove over to Utica Thursday night and stayed in the mission home with all the other trainees and trainers. It was sweet, President Rogers reserved the queen sized bed for me to sleep in. So, for the first time since I've been in New York, my feet weren't hanging off the bed!!!! The meeting was really rejuvenating. It was hard to say goodbye to Elder Turner. It was the last time I'll see him as a missionary.

Last night, Elder Rice and I had a really cool experience. We got a text from a former investigator named Sara. She was all set to get baptized about a year ago but she got scared and canceled her baptism 15 minutes before. Elders have tried to meet with her since then with little success. Anyway, we get a text from her last night in all caps that said, "I NEED A BLESSING NOW." We were in a lesson so we wrapped up the lesson and hurried on over to her house and gave her a blessing. She struggles from various health challenges so we gave her a blessing of healing and comfort. After the blessing, she was very thankful and said that everything in the blessing was exactly what she needed to hear and she felt a ton better. We then sat down and had a Spirit led conversation about her working towards baptism. She wants to take it step by step starting with coming back to church. We are going back to do the 15 steps to stop smoking program with her on Wednesday. As she brought up some of her concerns, scriptures came into my mind that answered her questions and calmed her fears. Before we left, Sara said she feels like she has been waiting for us to help her move along the path. I can't wait to continue to teaching her. The more experiences I have being a missionary, the more I come to know that I am just a tool in the Lord's hands. He is the grand master of his work.

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

Have a great week everyone,

Elder Carlile

 

Queen Bed Heaven

Goodbye to Elder Turner

 

July 17, 2017 -- All Is Good In The Hood

What is good with it everyone!?! This week has been amazing!! It almost felt like Elder Rice and I were floating on a cloud all week -- at least that's how it felt most of the time.

James got baptized this past week!!!! The baptism went perfectly! There were tons of ward members to support him and the water was warm this time. James' two boys were there plus his friend that introduced him to the church.  And to top it all off, the refreshments were delicious thanks to the Relief Society. He was confirmed on Sunday and all went well with that also. I asked him how he was feeling after he was confirmed. He smiled and said, "I feel great." He is so solid.

Elder Rice and I have been teaching this really cool guy named Jay. He has an awesome story. I found Jay about a month ago when Elder Sutton was on exchange with me in Troy. We saw this rough looking guy with long hair and a scruffy beard waiting at the bus stop. I started talking to him and he didn't look happy. Over the course of the conversation he opened up and told us his story about how he found God.  After about a ten minute conversation with him, we read him Ether 12:27 and left him with a Book of Mormon.  He sincerely said he would read it and got on his bus.  I didn't think we would see him again because he didn't give us his address.  He said he was hardly at home.  One day, about a month later, Elder Rice and I were driving in Troy and I saw Jay.  So we parked, went up to him and taught the Restoration. As it turns out, the night we gave him the Book of Mormon he started reading it and loved it. He said he feels the Spirit when he reads it. As we've continued to meet with him, he has told us more of his story. He admitted that the day we talked to him at the bus stop wasn't the first time we had talked to him that day. I don't remember this but he said that morning in south Troy Elder Sutton and I had offered to talk to him about the Book of Mormon and he told us to get lost in some words a little less kind than those. I hardly remember the people who tell us to get lost but Elder Sutton and I were working in south Troy that morning. It just goes to show that the Lord is preparing people to hear our message all the time. Sometimes people have to be invited to hear the gospel multiple times before they will hear it. In Jay's case it was only two, but by the second time, he said he felt like God was trying to send him a message that he should read the Book of Mormon. So that's what he did. I know the Lord is at the head of his work and guides us each and every day if we will just strive to serve him.

Well, as I like to say, all is good in the hood. The sky is blue, the Church is true and life is good.

 

Have a great week everyone,

Elder Carlile

 

James' Baptism

 

July 10, 2017 -- One Year Older and Wiser Too . . .?

Hey Everyone -  I'm one year older and wiser too..... hopefully. I had a great week filled with lots of missionary work, birthday celebration, and hot summer days!!

James is doing amazing. He passed his baptismal interview with flying colors and can't wait for his baptism on Wednesday!

I had a great birthday. Elder Rice I went to this place called Blaze Pizza with Taylor and my birthday twin Stephanie. We had a good time laughing and eating some dang good pizza. It was pretty neat because I celebrated my birthday with them last year as well. I also celebrated with some members that live in the north country of New York.

One cool experience Elder Rice and I had this past week was when were were working in some of the suburbs of Troy. We were trying some potential investigators. After we got done, we started walking to our car when I had a thought to try this house where we had tracted and talked to the lady before. She was nice but said she had a problem with Joseph Smith. I brushed the thought off and continued to the car and got in. As I was sitting there thinking about it more, I decided we should go try the lady. We knocked on the door, Vanessa answered, and we stared talking. Our conversation turned to the gospel and then she invited us in. We went in and basically taught the Restoration and how she could gain a testimony of Joseph Smith through the Book of Mormon.  It went really well. It just goes to show how listening to the little thoughts that come through the Holy Ghost can make a huge difference in life. This is the Lord's work and he directs it continually.

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

Have a great week everyone, Elder Carlile

 

 

20th Birthday

Tracting With Elder Rice on a Hot Summer Day

Brother Stevens

 

July 3, 2017 -- A "Sweet" Week and a Baptismal Date

Hey hey hey everyone!!! Boy has a lot changed this week!! One of the biggest changes has been getting a new companion on Wednesday! His name is Elder Rice. He's fresh out of the MTC and I get to train him for the next two transfers.... I'm excited. I get to teach him how to missionary!! He's from Palmdale, California and grew up in the Church. He's about 5 foot 8 so there is a huge height gap between us:) He enjoys music and can play the piano. He went to BYU for a semester and is going into their mechanical engineering program, so we get along. He is a really genuine guy and has a good heart.

One cool experience for this past week -- we started teaching this lady named Shannon. Elder Rice and I taught her about the Restoration on Wednesday. It was Elder Rice's first lesson in the field so he got off to a killer start. She was very receptive to the message. She wouldn't let us leave until she fed us some of her cheesecake. So we got to eat a sweet treat to go along with the sweet message of the Restoration of the Gospel. It was pretty neat how we found Shannon. Elder Thomas and I were doing service at some apartments. It was a food pantry that branched out to the people in the apartment building once a week. We give them fresh fruit and vegetables. Anyway, this one lady name Shannon came down to get her food. She was in a wheelchair because she lost her left leg and asked if someone could help carry her bags of food upstairs. Elder Thomas and I volunteered. As we walked up to her room, we talked with her and got to know her a bit. The conversation turned to her talking about how she is looking for direction in life and doesn't know where to find it so we told her we could come back and share a message that would help her find her way. She was very open to it and was very thankful for our kindness to her. It's still so sweet to see how the Lord places his prepared children in the missionaries paths. We just need to be ready for it.

Another really sweet thing that happened this past week is James chose a baptismal date!!!!!!! He's going to be baptized on the 12th of July and I can't wait!!!! Overall, it's just been a sweet sweet week.

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

 

Elder Carlile

 

 

Albany District

Meeting Up With Elder Rasband

New Companion -- Elder Rice

 

June 26, 2017 -- That Water Is Really COLD!

What's good with it everyone!?! This week has been amazing and exciting!! I found out that I'm going to be training a new missionary to end off the mission and I'm super excited. Sadly, Elder Thomas is leaving Troy. It's been such a great six weeks with him. I've gained a great friend for life.

LORELEI GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!! It was a great baptism. There were lots of ward members there to support her in the wonderful choice she made. All went smoothly except the water in the baptismal font was cold because the hot water hardly comes out. After Lorelei came out of the water she yelled, "THAT WATER IS REALLY COLD!!" Luckily I wasn't the one baptizing her. Elder Thomas endured the coldness with her. She has a ton of enthusiasm and she is going to be a great member. I was able to confirm her a member of the Church on Sunday and that is always a special experience.

We tracted into this super cool family this past week. They were very friendly and let us right into their home. We taught them the Restoration and they were super excited to read the Book of Mormon. The people that we taught consisted of a great grandma, grandma, mom, and two daughters, so we taught four generations in the same room. Now, when they get baptized, the two daughters will already have an easy four generations done:) We are going back tonight so we will see what happens. I feel like the Lord has been to generous in blessing Elder Thomas and me in Troy. I really love doing His work and I can't wait to continue doing it with just a wee little missionary for the next two transfers.

Fun fact of the week. Uncle Sam is buried in Troy. Elder Thomas and I visited his grave this past week. His real name is Samuel Wilson. It was pretty cool.

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

 

Elder Carlile

 

Uncle Sam's Grave

Lorelei's Baptism

 

June 19, 2017 -- We're Just Trying To Be The Best "Angels" We Can

Good afternoon everyone!! Things have been going pretty good this past week. A lot has happened as usual. The temps were a little on the hotter side this week but nothing too bad.

 

I had a CRAZY COOL tracting experience this past week. So I was on blitz with Elder Gubler and and it was a rainy day. We were tracting in the boonies of East Greenbush, just south of Albany. I knocked on a door, the lady who answered took a look at me and then excitedly said, "Are you an angel? I hear angels are really tall!" I honestly had no idea how to respond to that so the words that ended up coming out of my mouth were, "kind of." Continuing her excitement, she invited us in out of the rain and instantly introduced us to her family. They were all very warm and friendly to us and were very interested in what we were doing.  So, naturally, we taught all of them the about the restoration of the Gospel. When we invited them to read the Book of Mormon they were more than willing to check it out. As we were talking after, the mom was telling us that she had prayed for angels to come into her life. Overall, it was neat experience. It blew me away because we really didn't have to say anything to get in her door, she just let us in because of who we are. It just goes to show you that the Lord is preparing people to accept the gospel, they just don't know where to look until two angels come knocking on their door :) 

Our Ward had a BBQ on Saturday and it was a huge success!! Two of our investigators showed up to it and had a really good time. James, our really solid investigator, came with his two high school aged sons. We had a good time playing baseball and basketball with them. Ivy came with her two daughters as well. It was a good chance to have them meet some of the ward members.

Lorelei is doing great. She is all set and ready to get baptized this Saturday!!!!! She is super excited and we are as well.

Church on Sunday was good. James, Lorelei, and Ivy were all there!!! There's not many things more exciting to missionaries then having your investigators show up to church. On top of all of that, I was one of the speakers in Sacrament Meeting. It was on a talk from this past  General Conference by L. Whitney Clayton. It was nice because when we would invite our investigators to church I would just say that I was speaking. Elder Thomas is speaking next week and so we're going to keep that up.

Oh I almost forgot! When Elder Gubler and I were on blitz we found this Snapper turtle in the middle of the road!! How crazy is that!

 

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

 

Elder Carlile

 

 

Adventures With A Snapper Turtle