Last Email

Its pretty much impossible to describe my feelings about my last week as a full time missionary. I have absolutely zero doubt in my mind that I made the right choice in staying on my mission. The biggest miracle I have seen on my mission is definitely been in myself. The gospel for me went from being something I wanted almost nothing to do with to something I dont want to go a day without in my whole life. I am eternally grateful for the testimony I now have the relationship I gained with my Heavenly Father. The gospel truly does change people's lives and being close to the Lord is really the best way to be happy. I am gonna miss being a missionary so much! There is no better feeling than walking into something scary knowing that the Lord is with you and that we are there to boldly testify of Him. 

Im keeping it short but I had an amazing last week. My interview was on Thursday and I was told to go get married asap. I went to the Temple with all the other departing missionaries on Friday. We went to a baptism on Saturday for Cody Taylor. He wasnt our investigator but we are really good friends and I got to teach him while on exchanges! I was so stoked for him! Today we are taking the new missionaries out tracting today and have some solid teaching appointments tonight. Missions are amazing!

 

Elder Carper

JOINING MO TAB

These past few weeks we have started a new way of door contacting. Singing Primary songs! It sounds super weird but honestly in places like the rich side of our area it helps a lot to break the ice and embarrass ourselves a little to bring the spirit and help them see that we have the spirit with us! It is super scary but its sooo much fun! We have it down though! Its pretty neat! 

We have been working super close with a new family of 6 that we found. We usually find like 12 or 13 new people each week but lately since we have been working so hard we are finding more prepared people who are willing to make and keep commitments and come closer to Christ. 

We went on exchanges with some of the Spanish Elders in our zone. One of the Elders I was with was from England. He is pretty cool and I learned a ton from him! He is a master finder and his testimony completely blows me away! I am having the time of my life being able to work with these awesome missionaries and being able to learn from them! 

Im keeping it short because there is a lot going on today! Im doing amazing and looking to finish out my mission working my tail off! Im so grateful for this opportunity! 

We are going on exchanges with a District Leader on tuesday and my old companion Elder Hernandez on Wednesday. then thursday I have my departing interview with President wilson and on Friday I am going to the temple with the other Departing Missionaries and we have a baptism on Saturday that I am speaking at. So this week is gonna be busy busy busy!! Love you all!

Elder Carper

TWO MORE WEEKS!

There isnt time in the day nor room to write all the gnarly stuff I get to see in Oildale hahaha. Its my favorite!!!! I love ghetto people, they are just so lovable! Especially when they are tweaked out on meth and are like twitching and super hungry and paranoid. I may as well be a certified Police Officer cause I know exactly what drug does what to you hahaha. For real though I love it! There is so much work to be done!!!!!

We have had a pretty crazy week! Bummer about being a Zone Leader is I think I spend just as much time away from my companion as I do with him. Its kinda sad cause me and Elder Burke have so much fun trying to guess what drug somebody is on. Nobody else gets it haha!

We went on exchanges with some Elders that were struggling pretty hardcore. I went with the one that was having a lot of issues and had the opportunity to talk to him a ton. Honestly he is a fantastic missionary! They both are but they wont work together and compromise. That was what I challenged him to do I was like "You know exactly what you need to be doing in order to be unified with your companion, so whats stopping you from doing it?" and after talking with him for a long time I do that thing where as Im giving somebody advice I tend to say something that is personal revelation for myself. Its pretty interesting haha. It happened once when I was chewing a missionary out for talking about how much he hated his companion in front of a member family.

Anyways the conversation pretty much went like this

"Do you believe that Christ gave Moses the Authority to command the Red Sea to part?"

"yes"

"Do you believe that he gave Elijah the authority to seal families together?"

"yes"

"Do you believe that when Christ was in Jerusalem he healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and while he was here in America he performed miracles that could not even be written down?"

"yes of course!"

"Do you believe he suffered for every single person in the universe? Both sin and affliction?"

"Absolutely"

"So you do think that Christ can help you get along with your companion and help you find some investigators????"

"I should have seen that coming....yes I do"

So ya it was an interesting realization that if Christ can do all those miracles that he can definitely help us find some new investigators and get baptisms. So it was really cool! Im really grateful for that realization! 

Thats all for the week!

Love you all! 

Elder Carper

The pictures are of the Meadows district! We will be in the Wasco district this Friday. 

 

 

"Ma'm can we sing you a song?"

There has been SOO MUCH happening this week! 

Wednesday we had the Missionary Leadership conference down in Tehachapi. Ever Sister Training Leader and Zone Leader throughout the mission came. It was was good to see old friends. It also surprised me how many people knew who I was. I met a ton of new STL's and zone leaders and they are all like "Elder Carper I have heard so much about you!" or "So YOU'RE Elder Carper" they told me it was all good stuff so Im algood with it! 

MLC was one of the coolest things ever, it really was a time for Personal Revelation for my last few weeks as a missionary! Elder Burke and I had to do something super scary though during MLC. Sister Wilson was introducing a new way to contact people at doors in order to find families. We sing them primary songs! So Elder Burke and I got to demonstrate that role play. Yes it was terrifying!! I wanted to die! I hate singing in public. We sang "You are a child of God" to Sister Wilson during that demonstration. The good thing that happened was that we made Sister Wilson cry cause it was so bad. I actually dont know if thats why she cried but its likely! 

We literally spent the next two days after MLC planning for ZTM and planning for our area. We were both so done with being inside that we didn't even try and see anyone we just went and knocked a bunch of doors. I was so sick of being inside. ZTM went really well though. Elder Burke and I were really prepared and were very unified and able to help everyone in the Zone. It was crazy to see how one missionaries doubts could drag others down with them. At times I almost felt like I fought with a couple missionaries to follow the spirit in setting goals instead of being pessimistic. I was kinda frustrated I have to admit! I gave a training on how to receive Personal Revelation for our areas. It was really cool actually, I don't remember what I said but Elder Burke told me it was a good training. I challenged all the missionaries to change for the better. If I can do than anyone can do it!

We went on exchanges with the Meadows District Leader. I went with the DL Elder Culpepper and had a ton of fun! He is a good missionary and we talked about how to help missionaries that are struggling. The bottom line is that love is the key to everything. If a missionary doesn't feel loved than he/she wont be motivated or happy. They need to feel loved and they wont trust their leaders until they feel that way. 

This email is too long but I need to say that the family we found last week is AWESOME!! We have been finding tons and tons of people but this family is extra special! Dallas and Victoria are gonna get baptized for sure! We taught them the restoration and set them with a baptismal date. We went back a few days later and they had gone through almost the whole Book of Mormon! It was chalk full of sticky notes and questions so we had a huge QnA with them. They asked some major good questions! They also came to church this sunday and LOVED it. So things are going super well. Their date is for September 12 so I wont be here but there is a chance that they could be baptized on the 29th of August! Maybe...but its there choice and I dont plan on saying anything! We will see how it goes though!

Love you all! 

Elder Carper

 

 

Oildale

 

Hahahahahahahaha Oildale is sooooo ghetto! I would send pictures but its probably best to show everyone after I'm not here anymore! 

We have been working so hard it isn't even cool. Actually it is way cool! We have had to do so much non-proselyting related stuff its stupid. Missionaries are super needy! They always wait until the last minute to call us and by then they really need whatever they are asking for and so we have to drop everything and drive 45 minutes to get them what they need to keep proselyting and then we hightail it back to our area to try and keep our area progressing and find more people and then someone else does the same thing. Its so frustrating but Elder Burke says that's how it is being a zone leader. I'm glad I don't have to do this for very long!

 

This week was so good for us! We found like 10 new investigators this week that are all like way crazy solid! Our goal is to get a baptism this transfer and so we are pretty decently on track to get that done! We went on exchanges with the assistants on Friday. It was honestly so much fun! We stayed at the assistants house which was so much fun. We wrestled as a companionship and Elder Burke and I got our butts kicked cause one of the Elders was the Utah 180lb state champ. So ya it wasnt much of a fight! I learned a lot from Elder Crandall who is from Sandy UT. I have always been good at talking to people and being really bold but he is just so good at making people feel loved. So that was something I took back to our area and am working on! Its really hard when we run into people that go to the Valley Baptist church that is right next to the Stake Center. There is a HUGE rivalry between the two and the Elders usually get the brunt of it. Its ok though because Im going to love these people no matter what! Especially when they throw out a scripture that says we are saved by grace and not works and that Mormons are a cult. LOVE THEM :) :) 

Probably the coolest part of Meadows Ward is the fact that both the Senior missionary couple in our mission live in the same complex as us. They are literally my favorite people in California! They will do anything we ask them to do and then give us the best life advice. It feels like I have 2 sets of Grandparents over here in Bakersfield! Miracles on Miracles!

Bottom line is the church is true. Cali Bakes mission rocks. Pitbulls are rude. Drugs ruin lives. Book of Mormon saves them. Oildale is ghetto. President Wilson is the Bomb. Davis High sucks. My companion is hilarious. California is great!

Elder Carper

Birthday was Awesome!

I am tired beyond all belief. Elder Burke and I are lucky if we get to bed before 1130. We have so much to do! Not only did we wash in but the other Elders didnt leave us with anything so we have been crazy busy. Our zone had 3 sets of missionaries white wash and there are 4 new missionaries. So we have been running frantic trying to get everyone the supplies they need and still have enough time to find people for our area. Its been a struggle but boy is it fun! I love our zone though it is such a blessing to be here! All of the missionaries are super hard working and super good at missionary work! We are pretty much the best zone in the mission without a doubt! 

My Birthday on Saturday was awesome! The Sheltons who are a senior missionary couple in bakersfield (Mom she was the president of the Utah board of Counselors 4 years ago you know her?) mission took us out to Dickies for my Birthday! Best BBQ in Bakersfield! It was a super hard day to be honest but I felt good about it because what better way to spend your birthday than sharing the gospel with everyone you see? Thats how I view it at least! 

We have had some crazy good lessons with our 1 investigator and a recent convert. The Sheltons came and taught with us! They went bragging to President Wilson about how awesome teachers we were and how impressed she was. Its my goal for President to make Elder Burke an assistant so Im getting some brownie points and passing it on for him! 

Sorry for the short email but this is a great week! The pictures are some of my great friends that have finished their missions! Elder Ripa, me and Elder Easter!

 

 

Last Transfer

This week has been SOOOO GOOOD!! Actually it kinda stunk towards the end but the cool parts were totally overpowering the lame ones! 

Last Tuesday we had to steal the 1st ward Elders truck and drive a couple hours down to Lancaster to a dentist appointment. The guy cleaned my teeth and did my check up for freaking free!! I was like "I have insurance and my parents said to send them the bill" but Brother Powell was like nah, we dont charge missionaries! Members are freaking awesome! 

We had to close our apartment. THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME I HAVE DONE THIS!!! Mom you better love me cause you can bet I now know how to clean stuff! It rhymes with Mr. Clean magic erasers ;) Seriously those things are gold! So we have been trying to clean and close our apartment while still going to lessons and trying to find investigators. We had a super good lesson with Kayla and Jason, they are like the coolest couple ever and NEED TO BE MORMON! For real I love them! 

We got transfer calls and both Elder Hunsaker and I are leaving. Our mission is getting downsized super bad and so the STL's are taking over our area and keeping theirs. I trust them though for sure. Sister Gonzalez is one of the best missionaries in the mission so things will be algood!

So Elder Hunsaker is going to East Bakersfield and for my last transfer I am going to North Bakersfield. Im whitewashing again for the 7th time!!! Im not even worried though, President Wilson called me last wednesday and asked me to serve and finish out my mission as a Zone Leader. So things are gonna be great this next transfer! I couldnt imagine a better way to end it! 

Its so crazy how much a mission changes lives! My own life will never be the same and I am SO eternally grateful for it! Im honestly just happy the Lord let me serve, I have gotten so much more out of my mission than I can ever repay. Its such a blessing! AH I LOVE THE MISSION!

Elder Carper