JFK ... THE RIDE!!!!! (Changes?)

Hey Hey Hey,

Sounds like you all had a crazy week. The Car!!!! Im glad to hear they are all fine. Brooke you are a beautiful daughter of God:) Zach good job with baseball. Cam youre cool. Caden you drool. Jk youre cool too:)

Well I am sitting here inside a new internet café next to my MTC comp Elder Johnson! Yup I am in a new area with a new comp!!!!! and no it is not Elder Johnson he just happens to be in the district. My new comp is Elder Olds! He is super legit. He has three changes more than me. He is really cool though I get along with him really well.

My area is .... KENNEDY a!! Super American right. The area is really sweeet though. The members here rock! ok funny story so at changes elder winward (who i replaced) told me .. bro you are going to love the Senas! I said, " no way there are Cena´s (dinner appointments)! hahaha he goes," no haha sorry theyre a family the sena family." ... awe man it was so funny i got so stoked to have dinner appts. oh well. But yeah the Sena family is so awesome. I love them. They just have this spirit in their home that is different. I showed them my pictures. They think you guys are all stunning haha. They were dying that mom looks so young. They said luckily their son wasnt home cuz he would have died over brooke hahaha.

But yeah the members are really cool i will prolly tell you all about them later.

So really quick, limpio. I love limpio. It was such a sweet place to be born in. I cried when i said by to the orrego family. When i called them and told them i had changes the hermana cried and told me that they didnt think it would be so soon. When i was there with them they told me they are never going to forget me! I then shared with them moroni 8: 3 and told them that i would never forget them and that they are always in my heart and my prayers. It was so intense i never thought i would care about a family so much. I really love them. Hno. Virgilio Orrego is going to haiti this december to work and rebuild abunch of stuff for the military for one whole year. They want to get special permision so they can get sealed early. I am praying that is all works out. They are so awesome though and i know i will always be in contact with them.

So i feel even more comfortable with my spanish this week. Everyone treats me like im older now and not like a baby haha. It is cool though cuz not only my spanish skills are growing but my teaching skills are sky rocketing. I also have been trying to improve my bowhunting skills hahaha. But yeah, i am focusing alot on being a missionary that teaches with power and authority. Just like ammon when he was filled with joy when he saw an opportunity to use his power and authority to teach the lamanite people the gospel. Read the story about ammon another time and you will understand what i am talking about. I love asking people questions. It is so important, cuz it helps me see my investigators level of understanding.

Well i dont have much time left well whoops i couldnt print off emails this morning so yeah. Also you can look up my areas on google maps on the lds.org web site it is really cool you can see a good sky view of the streets i am walking try Limpio Paraguay.

Well have a good week and next monday i will send some pics.

PEACE Love,

Elder Carpenter

Limpio week 26 or something ... changes? ... Quizas

Hello People,

How's everyone doing? It appears that you had a great week. Brooke, I did sing you Happy Birthday, so know I was thinking about you.

I was happy to see Michael and Josh chillin at the house with you guys.

Shout outs:

Michael and Josh you studs I'm happy to see you guys were chillin at the house with my fam. I got your email Josh and I wrote you a letter. Michael, I wrote you a letter too. So both of you should get them hopefully soon!

Grandpa and Grandma Hansen! I got your package this week! WHOOO HOOO. It was opened though :/ Everything was still inside I think...so I got Cadbury Eggs... which rocked!! Already ate em! I got the chocolate bunny and a letter and also the poptarts which are eatin and the froot roll ups!!! I hope that was all there was. I think it looked fiine it just was retaped by Paraguay mail service. I love you guys so much. I loved your letter. I hope you know you are forgiven haha and please forgive me...I stink at writing letters, but I got one out to you last week!

Last week I sent the letters Mom!!!

Don't worry about packages being opened just make sure anything that looks valuable is hidden somehow.

Dallan, I got your letter! I love you Bro! Thanks for the super sick scripture! Expect a letter soon.

Also quick favor. Mom can you send me a package sometime with used ties maybe from a DI or something. They would be nice to have so I can give them to members when I leave my areas. They don't have to be too nice, the ugly ones are usually the cooler ones haha.

So changes are this week. I am thinking I'm out sí o sí. I have been here for 6 months now and that is usually the most people stay in an area. I love Limpio. I don't want to leave my converts or the members but my time has come. We will find out tonight though, so I am really excited to know what changes. New comps, areas, etc.

Ok paraguay facts / legends ... so there are a lot of Germans here in Paraguay. How they got here...I am not really sure, but they all speak German, Spanish, Guarani, and a few english and portuguese. Really smart people actually blond hair blue eyes blah blah blah. Well I've heard that they are descendants of ........ Nazi run aways. In WW2 apparantly a group of nazis and their families fled to the promised land of hiding becuase they were told by their leader that their city was about to be destroyed, so they got ready to flee and realized there was no way out so they had to return to there homes to retrieve ships and sailed to the promised land of safety. I forgot to mention they brought all their precious gold and silver and all other posesions with them. They arrived to the land and headed to the land inward (Paraguay) where they established there homes and families. They lived amoung a people of a similar story who are descendants of ... the Lamanites, but luckily they did not get destroyed by the "Lamanite" people. They then began to change their Nazi ways (I'm sure) and were blessed in the promised land with super nice houses and things. I am sure there are german members i just have yet to meet one haha.

Well that is my version of how the Germans got here hahaha.

So this week was good. We have been working really hard. I enjoy sharing and teaching the gospel to these people. I am starting to find a teaching method, it isnt the best yet but it works. I still have a lot to learn. My view on working changed a little bit. I realized I am here to warn everyone to share this message with everyone I can. I am here so they can have the chance in this life to accept the gospel. So i have been trying to talk to everyone i can. I am trying to improve my teaching so when i present them the message, so when i warn them, that they might understand and accept it. What is sad is some people will reject it and already have. We have had investigators disappear off the face of the earth, call us and tell us they aren't convinced, literally run away from us, you name it its happened. My favorite is when they hide behing the open window. We can clearly see them, they just think windows are not see through though really weird right haha. Even though some reject it...others accept it. The feelings that come from this are so sweet. I love it. People like Virgilio, where a complete change is just visable. The gospel is true, it changes lives, it blesses lives, it gives life. I love this work it is the greatest work there is ;).

Well I would love to go on... but I got to go.

Dad, I am super proud of you. You are so cool! You really are. The ward is blessed to have you as a leader.

I am so happy we have such a wonderful plan of happiness. I know our ward is strengthened by this plan.

Family you all are awesome I will let you know what happens next week with changes. Time is just so fast haha. 6 months in Paraguay already.

Mom, Mother's Day is coming up:)

Stay sweet and have a great week.

Love,

Elder Carpenter

limpio a week 22 or something like that haha.

Hey everybody,

So you guys had a good week it looks like! I'm glad to here that.

Dad, you are a champ. How does it feel getting a spiritual upgrade haha? I am super happpy for you and your new calling. I bet it was cool to be ordained a High Priest by grandpa.

Mom, I hope your birthday was great. I thought about you alot... I even sang you happy birthday haha.

Brooke, I didnt forget about you :) I hope you have a great 17th bday. I will be thinking about you to. I will prolly sing you a little song who knows haha. I love you a bunch and hope you are happy.

Cam, so guess what I heard ... the FOO FIGHTERS were in Argentina this last week! So close some member said he almost went to see them. I also heard some FF in the streets this week it was great.

I got two funny stories.

The first is pretty old...I just forgot to tell you ... I think. So there is this guy we know. He is the boy friend of a member and is really cool he just doesnt want to listen to us. This story isnt really about the gospel by the way haha! Still havent taught him, but anyways we hear that he has never been beat by any missionaries in chess even Elder Tensmaier who was on the chess team. So obvio we had to give it a try ... and pdays I have been playing right, right, so Hakes and I went and played him ... Hakes lost, but I destroyed him hahaha. He got so upset he gave up but I told him we got to finish it all the way out so we continue and then I was two moves away from beating him and ....... he hit all the pieces off hahahaha!! I won Gané I flippin beat him the first haha. It was so sick he told me good job, but he wants to play me again. Still havnt... but hey I'm the boss now. This has nothing to do with the gospel but I thought it was funny haha.

Second story I call this one the Easter Miracle...

So the Limpio ward had an Easter party last week on Friday. They had a bunch of food and invited us over to have lunch with them. They had a bunch of chipa, soda, bread, and chorizo ( sausage) haha. Well there was just a bunch of food and everyone was eating hard core. Well we ended up leaving early to work. we stopped by the Orregos home later the next day. They told us that for some reason the ward never ran out of chorizo. Everyone just ate and ate and yet there remained a giant bowl of chorizo. The bishopric took it outside where more people were playing soccer and it still didnt run out haha. They had to split it up between members to take home. They say it was an Easter miracle (jokingly), just like when Jesus fed all the people fish and bread and it fed everyone. No matter what they tried for like 5 hours it never ran out.

Well this week was nice. nothing too crazy happened. I feel super comfortable with the language now. I still have a long way to go but it feels nice to be at this level right now.

We got to go to the Temple on Tuesday! The Paraguay temple is amazing. It only has one endowment room so pretty small. Almost all the workers are from the states. It was sweet though. We got there by 8 am and I got to do confirmations of the Holy Ghost for the dead while others did baptisms. It was really cool confirming people in Spanish. Then we finished up doing endowments. I did everything in Spanish. It was so cool. It was so spiritual. I lovd the Celestial room. It was like I was at home. I just loved it. I felt so close to my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I have such a strong testimony of the Temple. I love being in the Lords House. It is so peaceful and pure. I feel so uplifted when I am inside. There is no stress no bad feelings. When I get back one of my priorities will be regular temple attendance. I would love to work there again if I have the time. The blessings are just to great to miss out on. If you havnt been to the temple recently and you have a recommend please go. You cannot miss out on the blessing we recieve in the Lords house. If you dont have a recommend please get one, do what ever it takes and go. I promise you all that there are blessings of pure happiness peace and joy that await you in the Temple. Mom and Dad, I am so thankful for your examples of temple attendance. I remember all those times you both headed out the door to make it to the temple. Sometimes we didnt want you to go, but now i understand why it was so important to you. I remember your example by making it to the temple once a month. You both are amazing! I love you both.

SHOUT OUTS:

Koford Family.... WELL WHOOPS bahahaha. I was laughing so hard I figured it out in less than 30 sec by the way , I mean come on what else would it have been. You rock Sis. Koford! I think about you guys alot. Your family too has been such a great example to me. I will always look up to you all. Love Elder Carpenter

The weeks are flying by here. Next week we have changes again. Crazy right.

Well I love you all and hope you all are having a great time. Now I will send pictures whoo hoo.

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Carpenter

 

 

 

Limpio A semana santa

Hey Everyone,

¿Mba´e te co? ¿I´porante?

It seems like you guys are all doing well so that it good. So this week was pretty good. It was the Semana Santa here, all centered on Christ. It is kind of catholic based but still has good meaning.

So I thought I would tell you guys about the food. People here like to make chipa, sopa and chipa wuasu. Chipa is this super dry brick of bread that tastes like well gold fish mixed with sand, and you know you are eating the better type of chipa if it squeeks on your teeth. Yummy right haha. Also sopa is corn based its alright. Chipa wuasu is good my favorite. Looks like sopa but tastes so much better. The part that stinks about all these foods is that the majority of the time they are super dry and Paraguayens dont offer drink until you ask. So I don't know... it just is more of a pain than a pleasure to eat.

Anyways,

This week I had a division with our district leader. It was super fun. I needed a break from my comp haha. But on the other side my Spanish is sky rocketing. I feel like I can speak really well now. It doesnt always role off my tounge how I would like it to, but I feel like when I teach it just flows. I truly am experiencing the gift of tounges. There is no other expaination.

Well I studied alot this week about our baptisimal covenant. It is so awesome. I was reading the sacrament prayers and just really pondering them. It is such a great covenant we have. We are promised to have the spirit with us always ... think about that, always. I just feel like there is so much more to this gospel then what we would think. There are so many levels of faith. President Madariaga shared with us a really inspiring talk that he prepared. He said there are different degrees of conversion. He refers to these levels or degrees as the Celestial, Terestial, and Telestial. The difference is so great. When we are converted to the Celestial degree of glory, are will becomes the Fathers. We consecrate our selves to Him. This can be done in so many ways too. It doesnt mean you are perfect or that you are just short of exaltation, it means that you live the gospel with reason. I love the quote from a talk in conferense i cant remember his name but it was from a seventy, he said, One can be active in the chruch, and not active in the gospel. Let our conversion be celestial. Desire the things of God. Dont just be active in church but be active in the gospel. The other two degrees have their qualities but i dont have time to expain haha.

I think we could all increase our faith a little. There is always room to improve. I strongly recommend that everyone strives to increase their faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement. I know that if you do this, if you make a sincere effort to further your testimony in Christ and His atonement, your faith will grow in ways you may have not even expected. I know this because i have experienced it. I have felt a differance in my life that has literally changed my desires. I have a greater love for my Savior and my Father in Heaven. I know they live. I know there is a plan for us that will allow us to live with our Heavenly Father after this life. It is all made possible through the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is perfect.

So Dad, I read this quote this week I thought you might like it. It is a Lorenzo Snow Quote, Dice " como el hombre es ahora, Dios fue una vez; como Dios es ahora, el hombre puede llegar a ser." Cool right. Also I listened to the God is the gardner talk this week. I loved it. I downloaded a bunch of talks onto my ipod. I have a bunch of the clasics. I really love McConkie, He is the man.

I love you guys i always pray for you. When I say you guys I am not just refering to my family at home but all my family, and my friends. You are all important to me.

Quick shout out,

Mom, I love you. I wrote you a letter for your birthday, but you won't get it on time. I want you to know I will be thinking about you.

Untill next week, everybody stay classy and do good in school.

Peace,

Elder Brandon Carpenter

PICTURES!!!!

 Limpio

 Just a little exam!

Elder Carpenter and Elder Hakes! 

New Bishop!!!

Baptism of Virgilio