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

The Temple is the Best!

So its still hot....I think it was 110 yesterday. The best parts of the week were by far the temple! The entire East side of the mission got to go down to the LA temple on Tuesday. It was way flippin sweet! The Howe family from Lone Pine took us down there. It was way sick on the way home we ate at a barbecue place with the BEST sandwiches EVER! We got back in time to teach our Book of Mormon class luckily so it all worked out!

We have been knocking doors like crazy cause I want to be absolutely sick of it by the time August ends! There are a lot of interesting people in Ridgecrest, could go both ways of good or bad haha! We have also been doing a ton of service! We worked in a soup kitchen all day with the Sisters and the 1st ward Elders. It was pretty fun cause we brought hats and the Sisters had to wear these super weird looking nets. Service is basically the best thing ever cause you get to see all of the awesome reactions from people! They really do appreciate it! :)

Its been really cool this week because I have been study Charity almost exclusively and it has been really beneficial! I have learned a lot about what Christlike love is and a lot about how much we have to rely on the Savior for that love. Its probably my favorite attribut I have studied! Anyways thanks for all of your support! Love you guys!

Elder Carper

 

 

Scavenger Hunt and Miracles

Dang this week has FLOWN by so fast! We had a Zone Conference on Tuesday. It was my last one....ya Im not stoked about it! We talked a lot about being a truly consecrated missionary. President Wilson told us that there is only one or two truly consecrated missionaries in the mission, I was really surprised at it. So that is my official goal by the end of my mission. I feel like I am a pretty good missionary, and when things are going good I start thinking that Im pretty great at it but never in my mission have I been truly consecrated. So I was really pondering that this week and praying on what I can do to finish the strongest possible and that was what I think was the deciding factor and an answer to my prayers. Proof that President Wilson is inspired!!!

We went on splits with our Elders quorum and I went with my buddy Michael Hannafin, he is way cool and leaves on his mission in like 2 days. We were really in the right place at the right time and got to talk to a lot of people! One lady in particular really needed our help. It was one of those moments when I am teaching a Gospel principle that I have never thought about and realized that I was not only receiving revelation on what she needed, but what I needed as well. I LOVE those moments!!! This week we really hae had some miracles flowing! We committed to inviting all of our investigators to be baptized on the first lesson and it has been really great! One of our investigators Lana was set with a date for August 22 and we have a lesson with a family of five later this week! I couldnt be happier with how things are going in our area! Well...maybe if the weather went below 107...wishful thinking! I cant even get over it cause the mission is so flippin awesome! :)

Here are some pictures from our P-day Scavenger hunt! The memory is too big to email all of em in one email so bear with me! 

Oh, I rode a train!

Love you all!

Elder Carper