Still in Oregon

July 5th 2011

Hello family and friends!!

 I am still in Milton Freewater, Oregon (my first and only area so far). By the end of this transfer on the 23rd I will have been here for 4 1/2 months! The area has grown on me so much since I first arrived. It'll be weird when then time comes for me to leave, but I won't complain :P Currently, Elder Bale and I are teaching a 17 year old young man that is on fire when it comes to the gospel. He is going to be baptized on the 23rd and the whole ward is excited (partially because we barely have any active young men :/ ) We've got lots more investigators that just need to be built up around here. The work is on fire and I hope that we can just keep it going! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Carroll

It is not easy!

Brett has been feeling how tough it is to be a missionary.   The scriptures give him strength.  Ammon in ancient times had similar experiences.    It helps a lot when he gets letters from friends and family.

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.
29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.
31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us.   Alma 26: 27-37

Milton-Freewater - Life in the Mission

Hello family, friends, and friends of friends that might be investigating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!

I am just finishing up my 2nd month in the Washington Kennewick Mission. Currently, I am in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. A very small town in north eastern part of the state. The work here is picking up well. Not a whole lot of lessons being taught yet, but I feel like our tracting is really helping find those who want to be taught about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just a thought to all the future missionaries out there, you will be learning just as much as the people you teach! It was a very humbling experience my first few weeks and still is. I learn something new everyday. Everything you know about the gospel so far in your life seems so small compared to the amount you learn as you serve the lord. I am not joking. It's a whole new perspective that you have when you are on a mission. It seems like I get by from day to day, just when I am able to find at least one person that day that seeking the truth. Feeling the spirit is all that matters, even when you get a few doors slammed in your face or if you get called a few questionable words haha but it is all worth it. I haven't been taking a bunch of pictures, but I am trying to get better at that to show yall how it looks out here. We have 2 investigators that are so close to being baptized! It gets pretty frustrating when they have been taught all the lessons, but have one or two doubts that they dwell on heavily. That's why praying and scripture study is so important! He listens to, and answers prayers. You just have to be willing to listen and act on the answer to receive. My first transfer (my first 6 weeks) is about over! Maybe I will get transferred back west where all the trees are ;)

And just to let yall know, my best friend Winston Daniels got his call to serve in the Guatemala, Guatemala City Mission! My other best friends, Andy Pehrson and Kevin Lee will be serving in Stockholm, Sweeden and Las Vegas, Nevada! Keep up the good work boys.

Love,
Elder Carroll

p.s. I welcome letters from EVERYONE I know. just saying :D

Milton-Freewater, Oregon

This post is by Rod for Brett.

Brett has been writing every week, but he has not written a letter to post so I will try and give the highlights. The area he is in now is poor. He says he realizes how blessed our family is. They have run into some opposition from a few people. "On Sunday while we were tracting, we were talking to this one guy (he looked like a stoner) around 26 or 27 years old, at 5:00 pm he was still in his AC/DC pajamas and was polite in declining our message. As soon as we were walking out of his driveway, he ran inside, turned up his hardcore metal music to the point that the house was going to start shaking, he came out on the porch and starting screaming "KILL THE CHRISTIANS!!" over and over again. I never looked back. If I had, I would've wanted to punch him in the mouth." He is learning patience and how to turn the other cheek.

His companion is very quiet/shy and this is very frustrating to Brett that he does not talk. He does feel lonely at times. He has enjoyed helping some less active families in his Ward which has been the highlight so far. "I am pressing forward with faith" he said.

If you have time, please write Brett. He would love to hear from his friends.

First Assignment!

Brett arrived at the mission office on Tuesday, March 22 and has been assigned to the Milton-Freewater Ward (Oregon) which apparently meets in Walla Walla, Washington building. His Trainer is Elder Jeremy Ruettinger. He is pictured with President Leonard Greer and Sister Julie Greer.

MTC Times!

This is from Brett over a week ago, so ignore the date above: Hi everyone! I got less than a week left here at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. If you didn't already know, I am serving a two year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I will be serving in the Washington Kennewick Mission (half of my area is in Oregon though) As a missionary, I am only allowed to email family and other missionaries. For everyone else, either close friends or friends I haven't seen or heard from for a while, I can only write letters. I want to hear from everyone! Checking the mail is one of the best parts of my day :)
Things are going great here at the MTC. It's incredible how much I've learned since I arrived just two weeks ago. It is definitely harder than I thought it would be (even though I didn't really know what to expect in the first place). Our 14 hour days are packed with studying, teaching, role playing, and more studying. All day long haha. At the end of my first day it felt as if I had been here for a whole week (and I had only been here since noon), but the the days keep getting better, and they go by incredibly fast. And just to let you know, if you had posted anything on my facebook since March 2nd, I won't be able to check it :/ so you should write me! :D