Transferred to Santa Barbara....

Attending the temple with Luis

“I am doing good. It was a super awesome week actually. I am getting transferred up to Santa Barbara on Tuesday. So I will be busy this week. I'm super excited but also sad to be leaving Moorpark.”

"We got to go to the temple with Luis last week. I got to baptize him for his grandpa and a member for his grandma. It was super cool! It's always so fun to go to the temple. Brooke is still doing really good too. We started teaching another guy named John this last week too. He is engaged to a member and is getting baptized this Saturday. So I will be driving back for his baptism this week. They are getting married in October. And since he's getting baptized that means in a year I can come back for when they get sealed in the temple!!! We already talked about it and are all super excited Haha so I'll be looking forward to that."

Jody is giving a talk in Sacrament meeting on missionary work and so he asked Elder Carter a few questions. Here’s how he responded:

Q: What helps you the most to share the gospel with others?

A:  First and foremost, the thing that helps me share the gospel is my testimony and love for the Savior and all he's done for me and all of us! I also love the scripture Mosiah 28:3 when Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah talk about how they want everyone to feel the same peace they feel and they can’t even stand the thought of people not knowing what they know. 

Q: What experiences have changed you the most to be more confident in yourself?

A:  Where I have built my confidence the most is when I get out of my comfort zone. Doing something that stretches me and makes me do something I usually wouldn't. There’s a quote "there's no growth in the comfort zone, and no comfort in the growth zone" and it's so true. Confidence is built through experience! 

Q: In what ways have you learned to listen to the spirit?

A:  The best thing I've learned about the spirit is that you just have to act. When you get an impression that is good to just do it. I heard someone say that you have 5 seconds after an impression to act before you start talking yourself out of it. So just pray for the spirit to guide and when it does trust it! 

Q:  Give me a good conversion story if you can.

A:  I have been fortunate enough to see quite a few people accept the gospel on my mission. One person that stands out to me though is a lady named Aileen. I was able to see her through the whole way from finding the church to her baptism. She is divorced and has two awesome kids. She also has an incurable disease that she has to get treatments for almost monthly. Sadly, all it does though is slow the disease down and prolong her time. When we started teaching her we taught the plan of salvation and she loved it! She had us re teach it to her kids a couple days later and loved knowing that even though her time may be limited here on earth that she would have the chance to live with them again! I was able to see her a few months after I left the area and her baptism and she is super involved with the ward and looking forward to January a year from her baptism when she can go to the temple for her endowment and more blessings! This gospel really does bless families!!! 

Q:  What recommendation would you give to the ward back here to help them share with their friends?

A:  The advice I would give the ward back home would be to read Elder Uchdorf’s talk from last general conference and apply it! Especially where we live just bring up the gospel in natural conversation and invite. People love to be invited! To dinner, FHE, Wednesday night mutual, church, anything. Just to invite them. 

Q:  Finally. What would you ask of the ward that would help you the most?

A:  I would just ask the ward to pray and do what they can. Just try and make someone else's life easier every single day! 

Elder Schoen and Elder Carter in Moorpark, CA