Mother's Day

Hello FAMILY…

I obviously LOVED the phone call. Lol, even though I looked at the time after and had to repent quick. Sorry. Went over a little bit. I gotta watch that. A lotta bit. ;) But I guess this just might be one of my Mother's favorite mistakes. If you're son's gonna make a mistake, maybe it should be on Mother's Day when he calls from his mission and goes overtime. Almost 20 minutes.... I think anyway, again, I wasn't watching, so NO idea. :D

I have to take you all to Taiwan one day and just show you around. I just KNOW that Mom would love it, and Dad would thoroughly enjoy it. Pretty sure if Dad came we'd have to head up to Japan for awhile at one point. Pretty cheap coming from here to there, not including the price of living and food in Japan itself. Anyway, just was thinking of Mom specifically and just KNEW that you would love it here. Just getting to know people and the areas. You would connect with them like none other, and they would love you! I would have a lot of fun with Dad, too. And, if Dad wants to live here he'd just have to get used to heat. I think he'd best like the south, 'cause it's ALWAYS sunny, it hardly rains down here. Taizhong wouldn't be too bad, but it does get cloudy in the winter, and pretty grey, so I dunno.

I've learned that I don't like one hour phone calls. Not enough time. There is so much that I want to share and talk about and hear about you all, and there just isn't enough time. I have a feeling that we're gonna have to set time limits for when I get home. Surprisingly, talking about that on the phone didn't really affect me this time. Although, I wonder if you noticed my clever dodge of talking about when I want to talk about when I come home. If that just made sense.

President Bishop mentions that before we go home we should have a 6 month plan. So I'll start thinking about that when fall comes up. About 6 months before I go home, I'll start setting goals, and making plans. I need money for school, so I need a job quick. I don't know what Dani's husband's work is like, but Raquel mentioned that before, and I didn't want to talk about it, but if that's a good job, there might be something there. I don't know. But I have a lot of goals, and things I want to start changing right when I get home. Dad can write me and talk to me about the whole going home transition when I get into the fall this year. k?

About those goals, I'm slowly setting them and reevaluating as I go about my mission. There's a lot, and I've been abandoning some for later, because there's just too many. But I'm gonna need help with choosing classes, housing, etc... I'll probably be rooming with Elder Peterson or Elder Farr at BYU, or both.

Anyway, that's for then. We'll talk more in about 3 or 4 move calls. My mission is gonna wind down fast. I can't believe it's almost June already. That really freaks me out. I've been feeling like the summer is super far away, but it's just around the corner. My 1 year in Taiwan mark comes up in three weeks. I thought it was like 2 months away. Ugh. Too fast.

Elder Farr is great! From Ogden, Utah. Not much else. Lol, don't know a lot yet, but I'm pretty sure he's graduated from BYU already (he's younger than me), and working on a Masters, but unclear. He's super humble, so it'll be tough to get him to talk. :P

I don't know. There's a lot to think about, but I'm gonna keep writing down my life goals, and just focusing on the area. We have 9 progressing investigators. 11 came to church yesterday, a record for me.

Anyway, we have to work HARD to help these people get baptized this move call. High goals. But lots of people. Good members. I have a feeling that we'll be able to make our goals this move call. Especially with Elder Farr in the house!

It was good to hear from Grandma Hill. Made sure to tell her I love her, you never know, you know? ... ;P

Was Raquel just not able to make it? Hmph.

And JASON!!! Do you know how hard I was praying for you?!!!! SO happy right now. Preparing to turn your papers in... wow. I want to know what convinced you to make the effort? Sorry I wasn't so open through the phone call to congratulate you and support you. I should've been a lot more excited, but I didn't really know what to say. Sorry, just know that I will definitely be attending your farewell and supporting you 100% the whole way. If you need any hints, tips, secrets (lol, sounds like a videogame), cheats... just ask, I don't know everything, but I can help.

Hope Jennifer is doin' all right. Haven't heard much from her end of the spectrum. Tell her I love her!

It's good to hear that the Guads didn't ditch me, or abandon me, or forget me, and that my efforts aren't wasted. I love them so much.

It's really interesting to look back on my family after being out in the mission field for a while now. I look at everyone here as "how can you help the work move forward? Who are you best suited to be a friend for? Who does your story connect the best to? Does this person need strengthened testimony or a new job?" That's how I think. And then, "How do I help you feel/recognize the Spirit and make the right decision to get baptized? Now, looking at my own family, it's really easy to see where I could put more effort as a family member, and how I could do it. I'm excited to go home and get more involved in missionary work, and family history work the way people are here. It's time to be more faithful. I really do feel as though I didn't help a lot in the church when I was there. I know, I told you today already, I had a testimony and I made a lot of important decisions, but I didn't hold a calling from 14 years old to when I left for BYU. Hmmm... Any connections? Yes. I was less-active!! I never shared the Gospel with the Guads, or Grandpa Lee, or Grandpa Carter, or Cathryn and Dave-- Nothin'. Especially in the ward, what did I do to befriend people? Not a whole lot.

:D

So I have work to do. But I'm gonna be here first. I also need to take my Sundays to work on family history, and dig into church history. But not too much time. Gotta be with family first. :D Need a calling, too, but I gotta know where I'm headed for work/school... etc... before I can push for a calling when I'm leaving for work/school so quick. Hmmm.... anyway.

On my mission though, is where my focus comes first. So no worries, I'll talk more about that stuff later in the year.

I love my mission. I know what I'm doing is right. I know that it's true. I know that it can help anyone in any aspect of their lives, it DOES NOT MATTER WHO YOU ARE. Because we are all children of God. So, His Truth applies to everyone. Alma 36:3.

I love it. Every piece of it.

May God Be With You

-Elder Carter

ps- Need my planners, and the stuff Raquel needs to send me, and I still want some way to see/have all my pictures from my mission. You can all send pictures/video with voice or whatever in cheap SD cards if you like. I can send voice recordings home I think. That could be fun. Anywho. Love you all!

I have a mini-tape recorder now. I might just start using that. (Yes, Brittany I have the tape recorder I told you about. I have one, so maybe that might make it easier to do? Let me know!)