Carta Trunky Dec. 20, 2014 & PICTURES

Dec. 20, 2014-
Well unfortunately as this title says I received my "trunky letter" as the mission officially calls it. It was asking me for information regarding my home airport and things like that so that they can purchase my plane ticket. I iwill officially be leaving brasil on June 3rd and getting into Denver on the 4th. I filled out everything and put in your info and cell numbers. The only thing that I was not sure about is if you guys are going to come and get me here in Brasil or not! Have you and Dad decided on anything? If you really really want to come and get me then that would be awesome, if not then that is also totally fine with me! I think we had already talked about this and I had told you that I would be ok with whatever, I think it would be cool to show my mission to you two but I also know that Bradley would probably not be able to come depending on his mission call (if it is international he can´t leave the country as the church will have his passport). I also think it would be cool to just do the traditional experience. Let me know, I thought you had said something about a vacation after I got home so maybe you already have decided, but just send me a quick email to let me know so I can give it to the secretary. Love you Mom! Don´t get trunky!!

Elder Carney

Canteriera Dec. 20, 2014

This week just flew by, there was so much to do, haha but there is always a lot to do so that really isn´t very new! We had a great meeting with President on Monday night, it was the last meeting with the four assistents and so President had us over to the mission home and just asked us about us! It was different, he said he wanted his family to get to know us better and so one at a time he just asked us questions about our families, about our missions, about what we liked most about the mission, our conversion stories, etc. It was really interesting, I loved hearing about Elder Farias, Elder Andersen, and Elder R Cruz. It was great, President is truly inspired. So we had a great night just getting to know each other a little better before Elder Andersen and Elder R Cruz went off to seperate areas. On Tuesday we had transfers and the new missionaries arrived, it was fun seeing them get there and how excited they all were. We went and did street contacts with them and one of the americans, Elder Stott, was super nervous, but he did such a great job, it was fun to see! At the end I told the man that it was the elder´s first day in Brasil and he was really shocked, truly the gift of tongues! We ate lunch with all of them and then took the bus with them to go to the mission office. There we had a really great transfer meeting, although it was so so weird because the missionaries that went home were all really great. There were 14 sisters that went home but it was strange because it was the group of sisters from my group in the MTC!! Ahhh! Really weird, but that´s ok! Elder Matthews went home, that was a big bummer, one of my best friends on the mission, as well as Elder Lima and Elder Costa who both served for 6 months int he office with me and Elder Singleton who was my comp in Itapeva. One of the weirdest parts was Elder Mussin going home! My trainer is officially back in Buenas Aires!!! So Tuesday and Wednesday were just insane as we got everyone off to their areas, talked to the missionaries going home and got them all off to the airport. On Tuesday after the transfer meeting I gave a training to all of the trainers, it was great talking with them and doing some practices. Well i asked Elder Mussin to come in and participate, he had no idea why. I was able to bring him up to the front and thank him for all that he did for me in training me and setting a really good standard for me for my mission and how to fulfill my missionary purpose. It was wonderful to be able to thank him for all that he did for me and help the trainers understand how they can have a positive and truly lasting influence on their companions missions. 

Elder J Silva who was my last companion in Itapeva is also going to be the new mission secretary so now he is living in the same house as me and working with me again, that will be really fun. 

On Wednesday we were finally able to get to our area, I am excited to get to know Elder Farias better, haha after a whole transfer together we hadn´t even taught together, so it was really good. We are excited, our area is HUGE, full of people, and just really good. Unfortunately we are entering in at a time when the members dont have as much trust or love for the missionaries as they could, haha so we are just doing everything we can to help them, build their confidence, and truly serve them. We also don´t have any investigators, we had one who is really solid and could be baptized right now but traveled to a different city and won´t return until february... haha but that is ok, we are starting things off and really working hard to bring other unto Christ! I am excited, it is a great challenge and I know that Heavenly Father wants us to be there right now and that He will help and guide us.

On Wednesday we were trying to figure out who we could visit and which members we needed to meet who were ward leadership, so we started on our way when an unrecognized number called us and I answered and it happened to be a member who was going to go on home teaching visits but his comp couldn´t join him so asked if we would be able to help! We took the opportuntiy and went with him and met several key members and from these members received 7 referrals!!! Heavenly Father truly does answer prayers! On Thursday we also were able to go to President´s house to have a office christmas dinner, it was really great. On the way one of the elders fainted in the bus (it was crazy hot and super super packed) so we got him off and he sat down and drank some water. He hadn´t eaten anything that entire day and it was so hot out with so many people and he´s been sick so that made for a not really good combination! Luckily we were close to President´s house and he could come and pick us up so that he wouldn´t have to get back on the bus. We had a great time with his famiyl with really good food and then we shared what each of us thought as important principles to live by in our lives, and his kids shared their favorite scriptures with us. At the end President gave each of us a tie of his, it was so cool to see, he didn´t tell us the meaning behind each one until afterwards but several of them were his favorite ties or that had an important story behind them. He is a really great man, taught us a lot throught that. On Friday we were able to work in our area again and really start things rolling in our area, haha it has been interesting thus far opening an area. 

Well, it has been a really really good week, I am so grateful to be serving a mission. I love this gospel. I love my Savior. I know that He lives. I know that He suffered, died, and lives again. I know that prayer is real, that we can openly communicate with the most powerful being in the universe, and that He happens to ask us to call Him by the title of Father. I know that our families can be together forever. I know that through faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost we can follow our Savior and be eternally blessed. I love this work, I love helping others change their lives and come to the sweet knowledge that we have received through the power of the Holy Ghost. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas, that we may remember what He did for us, that we may strive to be more like Him, and that we may bring others unto Him. Merry Christmas!!!

Elder Carney

Elder Mussin's  last night

Our Christmas tree

 Elder Farias and I at the temple a couple of weeks ago.

 Elder Gimenez and I with how were dressed that day on our splits in Pirituba last week... haha we were going to an important appointment and it was raining slightly, but then it just POURED, like the heavens decided to open up completely. HAha it was flooding the streets and just raining like crazy, well these people from a mattress store gave us these and insisted that we use them so we walked like this until our appointment, it actually worked out really well!

 Me with four of the sister from my group on their last day, Sister Hauet, Mills, Ward, and Yankura.