First Letter from MTC

If anyone would like to be on the email distribution list to receive Elder Carter's emails sent from his Mother please email her (Michelle) at "embeesea AT gmail.com"  of course, replace the "AT" with the @ symbol.

Here is the first letter we received from the MTC:

March 22nd 2010

Ni Hao!!

Wo ai nimen! It took forever for me to get my email set up this time. It's all good, but I lost ten minutes of typing time because of it.... The Lord's work moves forward, however.... :P

Moving on... :P

On my first day, I distinctly remember not looking back towards you guys as I officially entered the MTC. Within five minutes I ran into my buddy Elder Falkner from BYU. He is headed to New York, Mandarin speaking. He is in my district along with my two companions (yes, I have two companions) Elder Wheeler (wang zhanglao) and Elder Nelson (ning zhanglao). Elder Near, Elder Falkner, Elder Carmack (district leader), Elder Waters, Elder Rostedt (from Australia), Elder Jensen, Sister Brownell, and Sister Museus are all the missionaries in my district. My district is 11 strong (Elder Nelson's original companion was on the fast track, he's fluent, which is why I am in a threesome companionship). The other new district is 12 strong, and the entire branch is 40 strong. Yes, the new missionaries more than doubled the size of the branch. 18 of us are headed to Taizhong in June. The other district all have past experience in Chinese, and in our district? Nothing. Sister Brownell lived there for 6 months, Elder Rostedt had 2 years in high school, but that was 4 years ago for him, and I have a semester in High school. One of our teachers is a native, li laoshi, and she asked me if I had been speaking Chinese for a while. She was surprised when I told her that I only had a semester.

About my companions: Elder Wheeler is 21 and a 3 year convert to the church from Idaho. He gets to sleep in here. He's used to waking up at 4:30. He's smart, pretty discouraged about his language skills and often looks to me and Elder Nelson for help. Wang zhanglao (Elder Wheeler) has an unwavering testimony however, and we urge him to keep his faith. He finds motivation in the work, and jokes about what'll happen when they send him out and he can't speak. He's already way better than he thinks (and we're just a week in, too). Ning zhanglao (Elder Nelson) is from Nebraska, and he speaks the laziest English I have ever heard. In Ren zhanglao's (Elder Rostedt- the australian) opinion, ning zhanglao epitomizes the "American language". Bantering back and forth with ren zhanglao is absolutely fascinating. It's so much fun! He makes fun of us, and we make fun of him. It's like we're learning more than one language. Australian and Chinese. :P

Our companionship realizes that we have to work extra hard to stay close and get work done, because we have three members. But I've never felt closer to someone. I love it! Wang Zhanlao's testimony motivates me every day, and Ning Zhanglao's laid back attitude makes the day go by easier and less stressful.

About the language:

It's hard. I won't lie. But here's what we are doing already. We are speaking in Chinese everywhere we go, as much as we can, bearing testimony, saying prayers, teaching, and contacting in Chinese. In one week!!! I didn't realize I was speaking Chinese to the register lady at the bookstore, until I looked at her and she had a weird look on her face. I immediately realized that I was speaking Chinese and fixed it. The six-week missionaries congratulated me on having that happen already "hen hao!!" I can understand my teacher when she speaks normally in Chinese, and we help her with her English. It's awesome!!!

I now understand why missionaries say that there is no time to write. I have just over three minutes left. It stinks! There is so much I want to tell you!!! I love it here, and I don't miss a thing back home!! It's still weird how I'm not going to be home for two years though :D But It's all good!

Anyway....

I love you all! Wish me luck, and I will write again on my next P-day which is next Monday.

ADDRESS UPDATE and MTC dropoff

Here is the final Missionary Training Center address for Elder Carter:

Kevin Gregory Jr. Carter
MTC Mailbox # 104
TAIW-TCG 0603
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793


We dropped him off at the MTC in Provo, UT yesterday. His Grandfather was in tow to take pics. Here is one.

Mission Addresses

My address at the MTC:

Elder Kevin Gregory Carter Jr
Taiwan Taichung Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604

The MTC address will get a PO Box number when I enter on Wednesday. Keep in touch for updates.
When I reach Taiwan, this will be my address:

Elder Kevin Gregory Carter Jr
Taiwan Taichung Mission
#498-11, Wu Chuan Road,
Taichung 404-46 Taiwan

This address is the same for packages and letters. Make sure you ONLY send through the postal service, or it will take forever for it to get to me. My address might very well change once in Taiwan, so keep your eyes open for updates. This site will also be the main place to keep up with my mission. My Dad will continue to post as I update the family on where I am, and with pictures. So keep in touch!!! and wish me luck!!! (Facebook is also a place to go for limited updates)

Here I Go, Finally

Following in His footsteps, and in my Dad's, I leave March 17 to serve the Lord in Taiwan. Wish me luck. I'll see you all soon, and keep in touch! I'll post my Mission addresses here and on Facebook, soon. See ya!

A Future Still in the Waiting

Yes, it's here. Finally. This is the future. See it. Love it. Live it. It releases sometime after I leave for Taiwan, and I will not be able to enjoy the companionship of this piece of art as my own. But I assure you that upon my return, it will be part of my life. In Taiwan, the Factories of Fate and Destiny stand strong. Their product will ship numbering in the hundreds of millions. I will be able to see them and watch as people enjoy their wonder and brilliance. But I will wait patiently for edition 2 or 3 when I get back. I can't wait. I just know it's going to be fantastic. Apple does it again. Way to be, Jobs. Keep it up. I hope you become immortal and never die, because without you at the head of Apple, I don't know how it'll keep it's status of Celestial Glory. God uses Apple merchandise. The better Apple gets, the better our lives get, not necessarily because the new product makes our lives more efficient, but because God has it easier running the planet with his iPad. Can't wait to hold my own. Sigh...

Moving Forward

Well, I have a job at Walmart, but it doesn't start until mid-February. So I'll have 4 weeks there. Tomorrow I have a 4-hour interview for a call-center, that I hope I get. Last week, I interviewed for a job at a private insurance company, and got it. But they forgot that we had discussed the fact that I would be gone mid-March on an LDS mission. They told me I got the job, only for me to remind them of my departure. I keep looking for work, and it's slowing down. I am starting to really re-kindle my mower tune-up business, while I wait for something else to happen. I have just about 50 or so days before I leave, and I can't wait. It's not enough, but it's too much. It's gonna take forever for that day to come, and yet it'll come way too fast. But I'm ready. I'm not worried about anything after that day other than doing my best and bringing as many souls unto Christ as I possibly can. Videogames I love playing are being released in sequels all around me and I can't do anything about it. I have a short supply of novels I can read to keep me busy, and the television shows my Dad and I keep up on week after week. I have little projects I am trying to finish before I head out, and, of course, I won't be able to finish them. When I go to the theater, I see previews for fantastic movies that come out after I leave. Apple decides to launch new devices right before I go. I've decided that I am going to be excited for what is available when I get back. I can't wait to go, I'm hunting for things to do, and yet I have too much to do. There's not enough time, but there's plenty. As I am attacked on every front by the adversary, I find solice in the Atonement and in my family. One of my favorite quotes comes from the movie "Meet the Robinsons". "Keep Moving Forward." Like Adam of old, that's just what I'm going to do.

WALMART

I got a job. :D It is overnight at Walmart, so not the most glamorous of careers, but definitely worth all the stress, pain, and overwhelming effort (I know, it wasn't a ton, but it felt like way more than that ;P). So, here I go, turning Nocturnal, and making a bunch of money. Full-time. 5 days a week. Yay. :D

URGENT: JOB SEARCH

Hey! Anyone! I am looking for a job! If you know of anything that would take a temp, that would be great! I leave on an LDS Mission on March 17, so I can work 'til March 16. STARTING ASAP!!! Let me know! I have extensive experience in retail and guest service! Plenty of food-type experience and I have the determination of an angry wasp! My Food-handler's permit is current, and I will be the best worker this employer had ever seen. Sign me up!

Wisdom Extraction

Howdy y'all! There's no picture this time 'cause I didn't want any taken of me after the procedure. Yes, I had my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. But it really isn't that bad. There's not a single side effect except some aching. I'm not even on any drugs right now, and it's the next day! I am still swollen, and the aching is bugging me, but I can function. Just thought I'd let y'all know :D Have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Finals Week Rundown

TEST SCORES: (Before Any Curves)

Tennis:                        92= A
Intro to Health:            96= P (A)
Judaism:                      88= A
Mission Prep:              92= A-
Human Development: 85= C
American Heritage:     57= C
Book of Mormon:       76= B
PDBio                         73= C

Whatever. Shrug.

The End Is Nigh: Part 1: Finals Week 2009

Yup, that's right. It's finals week here at the Y. I have 8 finals. I took one in October, one last Wednesday, and have 6 left. Tennis, Introduction to Health Professions, American Heritage, Judaism and the Gospel, Missionary Preparation, Book of Mormon (Intro to Alma 29), Human Development, and Physiology and Developmental Biology. As I said, I've taken my Tennis and Health finals and I took Judaism today (88%!). So I have 5 left. I'm taking Mission Prep tonight and will hopefully finish out the week on Friday with PDBio. But it would be nice to be done earlier... sigh... The lines are crazy! This pic is just a sampling. The religion testing in the Wilkinson Center has lines that wrap around the entire building's second floor! Luckily I got there later when it was pretty short. I still had to go over to the overflow seating area because the main room was full... It's all good! I have plenty of time to study over the week and I am going to do fantastic on my tests! Wish me luck! Thanks for tuning in to Part 1. Unfortunately, Part II will not be available until 2012. But until then... Hello Taiwan!

Final Cleaning Check: COMPLETE

Yo. John and I just went through our fourth and final cleaning check. I have one more, but that's cause I'm checking out. This was a super intense one and our RA checked everything (he really didn't, but he was supposed to). John and I were rushing and cleaning hard for a straight hour. Our room is IMMACULATE. We should get our money back for how well we take care of this room.

Best SNL Short EVER

I don't know. I just had to put it on here. I love it! Here's the link, if you don't wanna watch it here. HULU.