When one door closes, two more open

Hello my lovely family!!!

How was your Easter? Better than mine I hope. I was throwing up because of something I ate in the street...lesson learned.

This week was one of the toughest I have had in my entire mission, but as always, my Heavenly Father helped me through it. My companion and I love our area, and love each other, but the branch here is just progressing so slowly that we don´t really know where to start. We don´t have the time that we had in Arequipa to teach all day long because we have to deal with running the church here. All week we worked and worked and worked, until last night when we completely crashed. Yesterday I was sick, so after church and lunch we were just resting, and both felt so overwhelmed with everything that was going on that we just opened our scriptures to find SOMETHING to help us out. Our district leader called us for our numbers and could tell we weren't ourselves, and gave us a few scriptures as well, but I had a pretty cool experience that my Heavenly Father sent the spirit to tell me in my mind and in my heart what it is that is needed of me.

Here in Chivay we are the church. There are no leaders, no one with a stronger testimony than us as missionaries. My entire life, and my entire mission I have been in situations that when my testimony falters, I have someone to look to, or someone to truly help me remember what I know to be true.  We talked about this a lot last night, and it made me realize that when I get home, and when I start my own family...I will be that person. I can´t depend on others. I knew that this was coming. I knew that on my mission I would have to strengthen my testimony to the point that there is no depending on others...just me, and my Heavenly Father.

This week our only investigator told us that he didn't want to pray about the Book of Mormon even though he had read it because he thought it would be cheating on his church...I told him that he wasn't praying because he knew it was true, and he got defensive and said..."No I don´t...I don´t know that." Ah. It is so sad when you see someone who is SO ready to progress, and they just don´t want too. However, this week the Lord blessed us with 2 families that we are teaching now. When one door closes, two more open. He truly is hastening His work, and I feel that...I also feel that He wants those who are truly prepared and ready for this gospel. The Lord has His hand in everything we do. We are His children, and He wants what is best for us...even when it seems difficult or inconvenient.

Love you all!

Be good :)

He will answer your prayers

Oh man....Where do I even start with this week?

Well...we made it! We are in Chivay! This place is absolutely incredible. I´ll be back to visit....no doubt. I love it so much. I sent as many pictures as I could. The weather is cold....we wear 4 shirts, scarves, 2 pairs of pants, and have 4 alpaca blankets at night...with our heater...and we´re still cold. Haha. Imagine driving up to the cabin in the winter, and going to sleep without turning on the heater...that´s about where we are. Haha.

Our branch is POPPIN....we had a whole 6 members there yesterday. My companion and I gave talks, and taught relief society....and I´m primary president. Hahaha. It is seriously the coolest though. The people who come are so fiel, and just so happy to be members of the church. I attached a picture of our relief society yesterday which we combined with primary and young womens.

The work here doesn't move as quick as it does in Arequipa, but I truly and honestly feel that the Lord has prepared this little town for the gospel. Who are we to say that the Lord hasn´t prepared 10 people to enter the waters of baptism in April? Who are we to say that our branch can´t progress? This is the Lord´s work, and we are only instruments in His hands.

President and Sister Zobrist are the greatest Peruvian parents. Last week they drove up from Arequipa and brought up Top Ramen, a heater for our room, hot chocolate, oatmeal, cereal, almonds, and more blankets. Then they took us out to eat for dinner.  Don´t worry...I´m being taken care of!

I am loving my new area, and Hermana Weller who by the way is my exact twin. Wish I could send all the hilarious movies we made doing Zumba at 8:45pm in the plaza...by ourselves. We just laugh all day long, and enjoy every moment together.

The people here are incredible. I couldn't love them more.  I am so happy, and love this work SO much. I know that if I humble myself before God, that He will bless me. I had multiple experiences this week with prayer and receiving answers. Every time I knelt down and asked the Lord to help, I received my answer strong and clear, "I am willing...just let me. I have plenty for you to do, will you do it?" The Lord answers our prayer, He loves us. I can´t say it enough. "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you."

Tansfers and General Conference in Spanish

HAHAHA...Okay, this week I have some crazy/hilarious/awesome news.
I don´t know where to start...I´m gonna explain a little bit.

There is an area in our mission called Chivay. This area doesn't have sisters, it never has. The reason that they have never had sisters there is because it's really dangerous, far from Arequipa, really cold, and REALLY poor. There are two companionship of elders up there right now, and it is TOUGH. They don´t have a pension, and it´s like straight up camping from what I have heard. Well...President called me yesterday to tell me that he is sending me up to Chivay with Sister Weller (from Utah) to open up an area. HAHAHA. I wish I could explain better all of this, but it is just still so hilarious to me. He called me yesterday to see how I felt, and give me the low down on what is needed up there. They have a REALLY small branch, and they meet in a house. It´s starting to go into winter where they see snow, and it gets SUPER cold. So...I head out today with Sister Weller, and President basically told me that I´ll be finishing my mission out in Chivay. We are working with the poorest people in the mission, and I am SO stinking dang excited. Obviously I´m nervous...but when President Zobrist called me he told me the experience he had up in Chivay last week thinking about sending sisters out there, and he said it was a cool spiritual experience because when he interviewed with the four elders out in Chivay they all felt that Sister Weller and I were the missionaries that needed to be up there. It is going to be a CRAZY adventure. I´m sure next week I will have some more pictures and stuff so you guys can get a little feel of what is going to be happening with your daughter. Haha.

Leaving Paucarpata is gonna be sad. I love my companion, and we worked so dang hard this transfer. In the month of April we are going to be having 9 baptisms, and I will miss them all, but I feel so certain that this is what I need to do. Conference this last weekend was absolutely incredible! I was SO inspired. What a blessing that we have to listen to the voice of our prophet and apostles every 6 months, with words directly from our father in heaven. I had a pretty cool experience watching conference too. On Saturday morning before we left to go to the church I prayed that God would bless with the gift of interpretation of tongues just in case I didn't have the opportunity to watch conference in English. Well, I did have the opportunity to watch it in English, but when I got into the room I didn't feel the same spirit that I was hoping for. A thought came into my mind that I needed to do my part if I wanted to receive answers to my prayers. If I prayed and asked God to bless me with this specific gift of the spirit to understand, and feel the truth of the talks in Spanish, why was I watching it in English? I went back into the chapel where my companion was, and ended watching all four sessions in Spanish, and LOVED IT! I learned SO much, and felt so strongly this answer to my prayer.

This work is my absolute favorite. I will never be able to live my mission again, and I know with all surety of my heart that THIS is where I need to be. My life is changed because of the decision that I made to serve a mission.  I feel SO much love for the people I am serving, and I feel so lucky to be here teaching the truth to those who have not yet received it. I cannot imagine my life without the gospel of Jesus Christ, I cannot imagine a life that isn't centered on Christ. My heart has forever been changed, and I am willing to give everything I have to the Lord. He lives. I will never doubt that. I have received countless confirmations to my soul that this is right. I know it with every bone in my body.  All we need to do is ask with a sincere heart, and the Lord will provide.

I love you all! Have a beautiful week!


This is a link to where Carli has been transferred to!

Chivay, Peru

If you are curious to watch General Conference click here: Watch General Conference April, 2014

And now for Pictures!