Monday, April 4, 2011

One Sweet Week

Hello everyone!!! It's been a week.

One sweet week.

Business first:
April 10th is almost here. I need about 8 sets of new garments. That would be nice. Just like last time. Everything else is great.
I'm still here in Anping down in Tainan. It's a new move call today, and a brand new start for me. I was training last move call, and now I'm still going with Elder Turk on my 8th move call. I have 9 more to go. Including this one. I'm exhausted. Did I tell you that? I didn't think it would be possible to get more tired than I was. Well, I'm more tired than I've EVER been. And I have a feeling it's just gonna keep getting more and more exhausting.
Wang Sheng Jie was baptized two Sundays ago, and should be getting confirmed this Sunday. We ran into him at the Carefour (a store) this morning, and he was wearing another earring. I'm not sure I told you about him. He's a great man. He's all there we think, but he gets really awkward around people he doesn't know. I guess you could say he is socially awkward. He wears an earring, we don't know why, but he feels really uncomfortable without it. He didn't wear it at his baptism, and we convinced him to take it off last Wednesday, and it's been sitting in my suit pocket ever since. Well, he went and bought a new one. He was doing great and told us his life had no difference with or without the earring, so we thought he had overcome it. But, he's still wearing it. Love him! He's doing great, and he can still get the Gift of the Holy Ghost, so nothing hindering progress there.
I'm setting new goals, budgets, plans, stewardship goals, Spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional goals... etc. Today is a day full of that kind of writing. Even though there's NO time to do it, I've got to get a move on anyway. There's a lot to do now in my new area. Lots of people to take care of and a new trainee that just came into the mission that is in our district, so it's fun to see that all over again. My last Zone Leader, Elder Cocke just got called as assistant, and Elder Krantz was called as trainer again and white-washed Shalu in North Taizhong. It's amazing to me how well we all know each other as missionaries in this mission. We are super super close. It's made easier by being so close to each other in what counts as a "small" mission. The success is still huge here regardless of the geographical size of the mission.

RC: Recent Convert
LA: Less Active

You mentioned that you were wondering about the saints outside of the United States and how they handle the idea that they are not in the center of the vineyard. Well, here in Taiwan, 1) the people here love Japan and America, whether you are a member or not, 2) They know EXACTLY where they are in the vineyard, and they know EXACTLY how important and HUGE their work is. And they are proving themselves in the frontlines of the battlefield. It's amazing to watch, and to be a part of. I feel as though we don't take it seriously enough back home. We sit in our little bubble of Utah Valley, surrounded by mountains, and fights about whether or not a store should open on Sunday, when the rest of the world is fighting to save lost souls who were baptized just a few months ago, when the rest of the world is fighting just to avoid the scam that is plastered all over the windows, doors, billboards/buildings, and when people skip school, work, play, and their lives to go find someone who just went apostate or hasn't been answering their phone. If you don't answer your phone for a couple days... you'll be visited by a member soon. lol.
It sounds over the top doesn't it? A little too much, but it's not here. It's what is needed, and it's part of the culture.
I'm supposed to ask if you got the packages I sent home. There were two boxes. Sent by Victoria. She asked me to make sure you got them. It sounds like you did, because Dad was wearing ties to Church, so...
Just make sure all that stuff is safe and doesn't get spread all over the place, so I can go through it when I get back. There should be another box coming soon, ba.
I love you all so much!!!
Not a whole lot of time, so sorry-- Not a whole lot written. But I've got a great move call ahead of me with a year's worth of goals to start keeping. Just so you all know, I made almost every single one of my goals for the first year of my mission. So, it's kind of a nice feeling. :D

-Elder Carter
Keep smiling, I am!!!

PS Congrats to Dustin!!  Tell him I love him!!!
And Brittany, you can add Henry to your Facebook, he's a great friend of mine from here in Tainan!!!

-Elder Carter

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