Happy Middle of January!

Hey there everyone! I can't believe yet another week has gone by and I'm sitting here in this smelly internet cafe writing you another email. I always love reading your letters.

Well, it's been a really great week. This week we've been keeping in touch with (name) every night, and he's doing really well. He's getting baptized this Saturday, and he told us he wants to meet with us beforehand so he's not late and he can get all ready. He's been continuing to share the gospel with his friend Sister (name), and she's been telling him she feels really good when she reads the Book of Mormon. It's so great to see not only the change that the gospel has wrought in his life, but also how he can't contain the joy that it brings and is anxious to share it with others. I'm really excited to see him enter the fold of God.

We've also been continuing to try and help the other Brother (name), who has twin 7-year-old sons. He, unfortunately, does not want to "rush into" anything and thinks he needs to "understand more deeply" this church before he will be baptized. I really feel like his deeper concern is something else--possibly fearing the ridicule and rejection of his parents and friends. I've been praying hard for inspiration for this man, and I want to continue trying to help him.
We've also been working with the man who read the entire Book of Mormon in two days. He seems to believe God exists, but thinks of him as cruel and unfair because his life has many challenges. We're going to focus on Christ's atonement and God's love for him and try to help him feel that comfort and strength that comes from trusting in God. That's what this is all about for me: I'm here to help people who've been living their lives all alone come to know that there is more peace and happiness awaiting them than they could possibly imagine if they will only turn to Jesus Christ, the life and light of the world.

I read a Liahona article this morning in personal study which kind of pertains to this. It was a member who is a rancher for sheep commenting on the parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10:1-18. She said that often her flocks are all mixed up with other sheep when they're watering, but all she has to do is call them and all of her sheep come running. They recognize her voice. This is why we are commanded to pray and read the Book of Mormon every single day. We need to come to know the voice of our Master so completely that the second he calls us we come running. We don't want to be caught mixed in with all the sheep that don't know him. And we want to be like sheep in that we run away immediately if someone who is not our Shepherd calls us. This means when temptation comes, we get out and we don't listen for even a minute. I love the fact that I am able to spend these years of my life helping others to feel the matchless joy that comes from turning to the Holy One of Israel.


I Love you all!!!

Love,
Carter