From: Braydon Carter <braydon.carter@missionary.org>
Date: Sun, Apr 14, 2019 at 9:03 PM
Subject: Not just now, but a life time
Date: Sun, Apr 14, 2019 at 9:03 PM
Subject: Not just now, but a life time
Hello Brothers and Sisters!
I have so much that I hope to share with all of you today! This week for me was just so spiritually empowering. And I have a lot of thoughts to share!
To start off I had an awesome P-Day. Last week we were able to meet and become very good friends with a man named Phillip Tan. He is the sweetest, most caring man in the world and I hope I can be friends with him forever. We met him a couple weeks ago as we were helping some other Elder move around and Phillip was our Lorry driver. Little did we know at the time that he was a member of the church, and it had been a little while since he had been. Well, time went on and his wife gave us a call asking if we could come over and meet with them. We happily agreed and became great friends right off the get go. We talked about and shared our love for the Savior and for His blessed words. It had felt like we were best friend from the pre earth life and we had just had a reunion. So he came to church with us on Sunday and was welcomed with open arms. Then he had made plans with us to go fishing the next day and it was INCREDIBLE!
Phillip took me and 3 other elders from our house to the ocean where we were able to spend some precious time together and just talk and fish. I have never really been super into fishing, but sitting down with some good people at the ocean talking about how good life is was a great way to do it. I was able to try something that I had never done before, to hand line fish. It's where you get your hook and bait and just launch it into the water. I have to say, I think I have some mad fishing skills in my blood because I was able to catch a nice size fish that day with just a line in my hand.
Ok! Maybe it wasn't so big. It was a poisonous puffer fish and we had to throw it back in the water anyways. But it was still way fun, and a day I don't think I will forget for a long time.
Then onto the second great thing of the week. We have been teaching an amazing young man named Chris. He has been so prepared for the gospel and loves everything that we are able to share with him. A lot of time, he will call us and ask when we can meet again and talk about the things of Christ. We had met together at the Church one afternoon and we had one of the most powerful meetings I think I have ever been a part of. At one point, we were all tearing up and crying because of the power of the spirit in the room. We have this awesome lesson about how following Christ can be really hard sometimes. We shared the story of Peter with him, the one where after Christ had died Peter went back to the boat and fished because he was unsure of what he needed to do. As we shared this story, we were all very much touched by the spirit and realized we didn't want to go back to our ships, not after we knew how much God and Christ had to offer us. In the mix of all this emotion, Chris looks up at my companion and I and said. " Yo, Carter, Lowe, can you promise me something?" We nodded our heads and expressed we would do anything to help him. Then he continued and said " Bro, you can't make this a 2 year thing. People need you to do this for life. So please promise me, when you go home you won't stop doing this." We were both taken back. It was as if we just had a talk with our mission president. We both agreed. It really took me back and helped me see that the world really does have a lot of good. It also helped me see that all of us are an ESSENTIAL part of God's plans. For those of you who have returned home, has your mission ended or just began? I hope for me that once I go home after these two years it will just be a start to an eternity.
The last thing I want to share with you is just the power and truthfulness of the things our dear Prophet and the Apostles say. I know that they are truly called from the Lord. Our branch was able to get together just on Saturday and Sunday and watch conference and it was amazing.
My favorite part of conference was the simple message of we can all do better, and receive so much happiness from the Lord. When I started my mission, I would get asked why I am here a lot. Why am I still here? What is your why? Ect. Ect. For me, I realized something so big in conference. It's not about the big, and elaborate things, but the simple and little things. I know the church is true for some very simple reasons that everyone can experience. First, I know that God our Heavenly Father loves me. He loves us. As I have been able to fall down in prayer and talk to him I have felt just the absolute joy and happiness that comes from Him. I know He loves me. I. Have. Felt. It. And so can you. I also know that Christ suffered for our sins. Not just so that we can feel bad and do better, but so that we can be perfect. Christ has made it possible for the strong to become stronger. His gospel will always feel us with a " You can do it" feeling. I know that's true. And so can you. Lastly, I know that The Book of Mormon is true. Every time I open that book up I feel the love and the power from it. It has some of the greatest advice and help, and it's not in the words. I have felt and know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. And so can you. Don't take it from me but try. Pray and ask God if He loves you. I know that you will get an answer. It may not be immediately but I promise you will. I also know that the Atonement of Christ is so real. But don't take my word for it. Just try it. And lastly the Book of Mormon is the most amazing thing on the planet. I know for myself as a teenager didn't give it the time it deserves. But as I have been able to read it everyday since June 27, 2018 I know that it is so real. But don't take it from me. Try it. And ask God in the name of Christ if it's true. You'll know. Don't take my word for it.
I love all of you so much! I hope all of you have the most amazing week! I can't wait to share more with you next week.
Love,
Elder Carter
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