Sounds like you are all doing well. I thought I'd start off by answering some questions.
1) It rains at least once a week and it rains hard. All the other days are burning hot... haha... so I love rainy days... even though it's only 10 degrees colder and I get all wet.
2) I pay this lady to do our laundry every week, so its nice except I dont see half of my clothes for a week haha.
3) Elder Hakes and I get along great so everything is goin fine with us. He is such a stud and really funny.
4) I have not pooped my pants yet. Elder Hakes had to take a jungle dump haha (which reminded me of the card you sent me, I just got it today) so we went down by this river so he could do work... haha. Elder Hakes was sick on Tuesday so we had to stay home all day he was throwing up and goin to the bathroom alot it stunk ... literally haha. Ill write Caden a seperate letter about that stuff though.
5) We live in our own apartment.
6) I drink the water ... I hate drinking it though... but the members don't understand their water is freakin nasty. haha. I feel bad every time I tell someone no thanks cuz they might get offended.
Alright... so Thanksgiving was on Thursday and we forgot and thought it was going to be on Sunday haha. But then we remembered TG is always on a Thursday. So we went to our lunch appt and the lady who fed us (sister orego) said "Happy Thanksgivings Days" haha. It was so funny cuz we told her it wasn't today but it was on Sunday and right after lunch we remembered we were wrong ... WELL WHOOPS.
But overall Thanksgiving was sweet we had some good food. Oh and on Sunday she said "Happy Thanksgivings Days" again I just said Gracias and walked away :)
So I wanted to tell you all simply what I am thankful for.
I am thankful for :
My family and all they do for me. For their prayers and time spent on me. I am thankful for your individual personalities. I have the best family in all the world...I really do. We really do. I am thankful that I was raised in the church by loving parents who keep the commandments, and keep their coventants by going to church every Sunday and going to the temple frequently. I am thankful for my siblings and every thing I have learned from them. In this life we are blessed with our families to have experiences that help us learn and grow together in such a wonderful gospel.
Which reminds me, last night I taught a really good family about prayer and we read D&C 19:29,39 or it might be 28,38...I cant remember, but then I challenged a really good family (them) to try to pray as a family every night this week before going to bed. It was so sad. They told me " Elder, that is too hard." I asked them if they could just try it one night and they said "Elder, I'm sorry. It is just too hard. We will see." :(
I seriously was so sad and confused. I think about how hard it was at first with our family to do this, it still is, and then I thought about all the blessing we recieved from doing it. I am so thankful for our daily family prayer and scripture study and the effect it had and has on our family. Kids, I promise you you recieve blessings from praying every night as a family and on your own.
I am thankful for the gospel and my mission. This opportunity is once in a lifetime. Dad can testify of that. The church is true, I would not spend two years out here in this blasted place jk haha if it wasn't true. I mean that Brooke, Cameron, Caden, Zach , Mom and Dad... I know this church is true and I have a desire to share it with everyone. With everyone. So kids, find out for yourselves. Don't wait to know. You will be wasting your time if you choose to wait and find out later in life. Start studying the gospel now. Start building a testimony now. A testimony starts out small and it will stay small if you don't put in the time, if you don't share it, if you just sit there and just hope it might just come. Act now and find out cuz I promise you there is a special happiness that comes from knowing the gospel is true and is restored. This happiness is different than anything else. You can't find this happiness anywhere else.
I am thankful for a lot of other things, but I don't have time haha bummer...I guess we will have to wait till next year.
Ok shout outs...
I got some letters this week from Sister Koford, Gma and Gpa Hansen, Gma and Gpa Carpenter, and Mom.
Sister Koford... thank you so much it meant a lot to me. You crack me up cuz we didnt sit around doing nothing all the time at your house, I mean come on... watching Modern Family is very productive.
Gma and Gpa Hansen... I love you so much! Thanks for the letter. It really means alot. Thanks for the encouraging words. I will write you soon, I promise.
Gma and Gpa Carpenter...I will write you soon. Your letter was very touching thanks for the advice. I loved your testimonies. Love you so much.
Mom...I love you:)
We have to go now... but I love you all and pray for you daily. I am sending letters!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok... so I was going to send pictures but the computer doesnt have a card slot! I am sorry next week though I will figure it out:)
Chow,
Love,
Elder Carpenter
