Baptism Days Be Crazy

Saturday was a whirlwind of chaos- that's usually how it goes on baptism days! Was the water cold? Yes. Was the water also yellow? Yes. Did we have to fill half of the font with buckets cause it wasn't filling fast enough? Yes. Did people we were relying on say they couldn't come three minutes before the baptism? Maybe. But hey, he's baptized and we are so happy for Giovanni! 

• We did a virtual family home evening with the kids from HEFY (my cousin Lucy included!!!)
• We've been workin out like hard core and we're gettin swole
• We had district conference in person and we get to have interviews with the president in person tomorrow!
• We don't have lunches with members here so you can now call us Chef Pendleton and Chef Carter
• We've been making a lot of tomato soup- yum
• Happy 4th of July to all those Americans! And two my two favorite British Canadians- hope you enjoyed some good ole vegemite
• Queen of Country, Dolly Parton, has a song called "There was Jesus" and it's a banger
• I had to say a prayer in English and I said oportunidad instead of opportunity and it was embarrassing
• You should all give this video a watch running towards the light

Loving the work, loving the people! Till next week!

Te amo,

Hermana Carter

NDH (aka FHE) with the youth from HEFY
(They were quarantined because 4 of the boys in their group tested positive for covid. So we met virtually.)

Giovannis' baptism pics- in front of the temple.

Just a wee bit of manual labor- filling the font

These hogs be huge

Morning run!

Pretty Catholic Church

Hanging with my Homies

Cleanly gorls

Quick trip to the mission office

I'm a City Girl Now

Tuesday morning I hopped in an Uber and left Loma Pyta. I'm sad to see it go. I loved this area. I learned so much, felt so loved, and made some amazing friends. But hey, change is good. So here we go!

My new companion is Hermana Pendleton. She's from Utah, has been on her mission for 13 months, and she's a homie! I'm super excited to learn from her and work hard together. And when I say work hard, I mean we are going to work hard. Our area is in the middle of the city and success wise, it's a hard area. People are really busy and rarely have time to talk, so this means we're going to have to get to work! This area hasn't had a baptism in almost two years, but get this, on Thursday we set a baptismal date. Giovani is 12 and super awesome! I'm excited to get to know him better these next few weeks as he gets ready.

• Our apartment is only 15 minutes from the temple!
• The hermanas de Campo Grande were looking for a house, so they have been living in Moroni (our house) for a month
• 5 girls in one tiny apartment was an experience, but they found a house so we chillin
• Acai in Loma was good, but it is much superior here
• Hermana Pendleton is the Facebook specialist for our area so we've been working with the Asuncion page
• Everyone give Seguidores de Jesucristo en Asunción a follow
• We've been making brownies and Paraguayos freaking love brownies; definitely helps get on their good side
• My cousin is here on an HEFY trip and I was walking to the temple one night and randomly saw her group! What are the odds?!?
• It was so amazing to see me cousin Lucy
• We are helping teach an English class and its making me realize that English is stupid hard
• The stores here in the city have peanut butter and its not in a squeeze bag. Living fancy now!

Thanks for all the love and support. Send some more on Facebook through our mission page.

Te amo, 

Hermana Carter

Last workout with Hermana Gill

My new comp- Hermana Pendleton

Adios Hermana- until next time

Shopping in the city

My cousin LUCYYYYYYY!!!!

Acai goes harddd

Acai.  Acai.  Acai.  Acai.  Acai.  

These were the temporary sleeping arrangements while the Hermanas looked for a new apartment.

Brownie muffins for the win

I spy Angel Moroni (view from our chapel)

I May Have Killed Someone

Don't be alarmed, but when I say I may have killed someone, really I should be saying I definitely killed someone. That someone is Hermana Soria.

The mission has fun little sayings like: your trainer is your mom, the trainer of your trainer is your grandma, and when your companion goes home, well they call that a kill. So, in mission terms, I killed my mother.

This was Hermana Sorias last week on her mission so we kinda went ham trying to fit everything in! We started off the week with intercambios with the Hermanas de Sajonia. It was so weird having a gringa with us for the day who was more green/new than me (Hermana Leeland has been here for three weeks). Finished intercambios with them and went directly into intercambios with the Hermanas de Campo Grande. Had a bunch of lessons, walked a lot, learned a lot, etc. I feel really lucky to have the Hermana leaders as my companions because every intercambio we have I get to see and learn new ways I can improve my teaching... anywho. Ended intercambios with Campo Grande Thursday morning and headed to the mission office for Hermana Sorias exit interview. The next day we had one last lesson together with Juan and then she was off. I'm going to miss Hermana Soria tons! ¡Exito y suerte hermana! 

Hermana Gill and I continued on in the obra. Had lots of great lessons. I had to speak a lot more cause there's only the two of us now, but it's good for me! 

RECORD SCRATCH!!!!

okay so I'm sitting here typing up my email, enjoying my pday, and the zone leaders just call and say I'm getting transferred!! What the what!?!? I'm heading 20 minutes down the road to the big city. I'm going to be in the area by the temple called Moroni. 

This week has been crazy and it just got a whole lot crazier!! I gotta go pack!

• had some bombbb lasagna
• it's winter in Paraguay and, get this, it's actually cold. I definitely didn't expect that! Pleasant surprise
• I love music and I'm really starting to love Christian music! check out Majo y Dan for some bops
• We had quite a few noche de hogares and that was super fun
• I think this week was an all time high for miles walked
• Ricardo is doing great! Getting ready to receive the priesthood!!
• Ricardo's wife participated in one of the lessons with us this week #progress
• Got to call my dad for fathers day! He's kinda the greatest! Love him!
• My dad is super cool
• For fathers day basically every dad in Paraguay was grillin (asado), everywhere you went, the air straight up smelled like steak
• Paraguay beat Bolivia 3-1 in the Copa America (futbol)
• I love this area and the people here so RIP cambios but I'm excited to see what's to come

PS- I am totally freaking out about being transferred. This is my first one. New area, new comp, new apartment. Here I goooooooo!!!

Te amo,

Hermana Carter

RIP Mom

Bomb Lasagna

My mom Hermana Soria

Hermanas de Sajonia

Let's take a poll-Who thinks Hermano Romero is sleeping in this picture?

Ricardo y Nélida🥰

Last lesson together ft Juan

Feliz cumpleaños Pedrito

First lesson in a duo ft Abi

Almost found a Paraguayan girl taller than me.. so close

Adios campo, I'm off to the city now

Toads, Ping Pong, and Gratitude

Once again feeling very grateful... I feel like that's going to be a common theme on my mission. 

I'm feeling grateful for the amazing members who welcome us into their homes and hearts, feeling grateful for my companions who have become my friends, grateful for Hermana Soria's example of hard work, even in her very last days here, grateful for every lesson we teach, every message we share. I'm so grateful to be a representative of my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

You might be wondering, how's Ricardo doing?! Well let me tell ya-I'm beyond stoked for Ricardo cause this Saturday he was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! It has been quite the journey with Ricardo and I couldn't be more happy that his journey will continue with Christ in his life. Big ole woohoo for Ricardo! 

Some highlights this past week:

• Had lots of great lessons 
• Had intercambios with the Hermana's de Palma Loma
• Went toad hunting (just trying to be more like my dad)
• Played some ping pong- I still suck
• Bought a basketball and I'm ready to break some ankles (probs my own)
• Had a lesson with a friend of Hermano Rojas, her name is Lora, and she's great! 
• We have been taking Hermano Rojas son, Carlos, on missionary splits with us in preparation for his mission
• Why is it that whenever I prepare for rain - nada; but when I am so not ready for it - it rains!
• Basically ran 3 miles in the rain - jaja
• Nelida, Ricardo's wife, is a bomb chef and she gave us a giant cake-yummy!
• Hermana Soria said lots of goodbyes this week and it was pretty sad ngl

As a missionary, we finish almost every lesson with a challenge or an invitation. Today I wanted to end my email with a challenge for all y'all. 

When we look for God's hand in our lives, we will be blown away by His influence. I challenge you to look for His hand; look for the blessings in your life. Live this week, and every day, with a grateful heart and I promise it will make you a happier person over all. I am so very grateful for every little blessing I've received. I hope this week you all can recognize them too. 

Te amo,

Hermana Carter

Saying adios to Hermana Soria's hair

Definitely not Handel's, but it will do

Besos (was not a frog prince)

When Nelida legit gave us a whole cake!!

Chulina

Taking Carlos on missionary splits (with Hermana Stratton)

Paraguay knows how to make a hamburger

Familia Romero

WoooooHooooo Ricardo!

Bienvenidas Ricardo

What a Great Week To Be A Missionary

Hola Everybody-

Lots of lessons and lots of pictures so let's get to it.

Ricardoooooo!!

Ricardo is "de oro"!! Every lesson with him, I swear, I learn sooo much. He is flying through the Book of Mormon and told us he has a testimony of its truth. Our most recent lesson with him we were talking about the doctrine of Christ- faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, reception of the holy ghost, and persevering until the end. The spirit was so strong and at the end of the lesson after we had borne our testimonies Ricardo said he wanted to be baptized. I could fill pages trying to describe the experience, the feelings and the spirit I felt that day, and it still wouldn't capture it. So for now I'll just say wow! Wow Ricardo!

I am so happy and content here! We had lots of other amazing tender mercies this week and I just feel so blessed to be a missionary!

• Hermano Rojas is an awesome member in our ward who knows everyone. This week he took us around his neighborhood and introduced us to his friends. Thanks Hermano Rojas for helping us find 8 new people to teach!
• We had another in-person district meeting. It was fun meeting the new people in our district after cambios
• My companionship and the bishop helped organize a temple trip for the youth in the ward.  This was the first time in 2 years lots of them got to go back to the temple.
• Yesterday was fasting testimony meeting and it was the best thing to watch all the kids who went to the temple line up to bare their testimonies of the temple. 
• This week Hermana Soria hit 20 months  in the mission which is absolutely insane!(She got permission to extend her mission and stay out longer.)  She only has two weeks left till she heads home.  She was originally serving in Honduras, but because of the mission had to come back to serve in her home country. 
• The people here are amazing
• We are working with a less active family  and after a few lessons the 9 year old daughter said she wants to be baptized. It was so awesome to see them at church!
• Both my sisters had birthdays, Camden June 1st and Taitum June 4th, so shout out to them! love ya!
• Little Hermana Gill got bit by a dog. Luckily it wasn't too bad and the dog had all the shots. I'm definitely in a different country.
• Eugenia had the opportunity to go to the temple and do baptisms for her ancestors! So happy for her.
• Our neighbors were playing 80s alternative and it was pretty groovy. Sunday Bloody Sunday. Tainted Love. Hungry Like the Wolf. Grooovvvyyyy!!!!
• Hit 2 minutes holding my breath

One topic that I was studying this week that I just wanted to share briefly is that nothing you have done can separate you from the love of Christ. If you feel like you can't be redeemed I just would like to say lovingly, you are wrong. Christ loves everyone. He is waiting anxiously to hear from you, to pore his love over you.  

Romans 38:39- For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Te Amo,

Hermana Carter

Obispo Bogado and his wife.
I'm just a wee bit taller than the Bishop

Ejercicios

Our new amigo Paco

¡Chipa! Paraguay is famous for its chipa which is a type of bread that kinda tastes likes a cheez-it!

No animals were harmed in the taking of this photo

Hermano Rojas is a homie

Big Cheese!

Familia Chena

RICARDOOOO!

I loveeee Sundays! I love Loma Pytã

Eugenia and her family at the temple

Familia Ruiz Díaz

Contacting in our neighborhood