Elder Carr and Elder Ahumada are on fire!!!

Yep, that's my new companion's name, and that's what people keep noticing about us.  WE ARE ON FIRE!
 I had a great and safe trip here.  We got to stay our first night at the Mission home.  President Wilkey is AMAZING, and he really has a lot of faith in me; at one point he pulled me aside and mentioned how he feels that I am an answer to his prayers.  Sister Wilkey is INCREDIBLE and she just loves us so much; she takes care of us too, and hounds on us like a mom to keep us healthy, haha.  On Tuesday, we went to the transfer meeting, and I was assigned to be with Elder Ahumada (aw-maw-duh).  He's my trainer; he grew up in Conneticuit, but in a Chilean home, so he speaks fluent Spanish and English.  He's so awesome, he's been out 20 months, so he knows what he's doing, but he still listens to my opinion and really respects me as well. 


Me & Ahumada



Basically, we are in the Georgetown, MA area, which is one of the 3 Spanish-speaking areas in the mission, but the only Spanish speaking branch is in Lawrence, so anyone that wants/needs a Spanish-only ward from the Georgetown or Methuen area just goes over to Lawrence.  We basically only speak English around here, except when we go to the Haverhill area which has a lot of Spanish speakers - mostly from the Dominican Republic.



So the previous missionaries lived in Haverhill, and that is where all of their work was centered. Our apartment is in Georgetown now, and that is where President Wilkey wants us to spend over half of our time, so we are essentially opening up a new area.  Oh and by the way, Elder Ahumada is also new to Georgtown (he was in Methuen before)  so since he and I are both new, we are doing what is called "shotguning an area".  It's good and bad I guess.  It's hard because we have little to no information/organization with which to get started working, but it's great because we get to start with a brand new clean slate!

So with that said, we've been working SUPER hard this week on getting things organized and getting acclimated to the area.  We haven't had much success at all, but we've finally established a great foundation with the ward members and with our knowledge of the area; now we are looking forward to this next week to be full of hard work, and hopefully success! haha.  It's so fun out here too, because as we work hard, the members are able to notice our efforts, and it makes them want to help us more, so we just continually get pumped with our work!  Oh by the way, tracting has been interesting, we've been threatened several times, and on our very first night; we were just tracting across the street from our house and got the cops called on us for no reason (silly neighbors).  Haha, figures that would happen with my luck.

Well, I'll tell you all more next week, but be sure to let me know if you have any questions for me.  You can write to my mission office address and they will forward it to me, or for at least the next 5 weeks, my home address is:

Elder Dustin Carr
256 East Main St.
Georgetown, MA 01833

Well I love you all!  thank you for your love and support!

Elder Carr

Letter from Mission Pres

NEW HAMPSHIRE MANCHESTER MISSION

2 Bedford Farms Drive Ste #208

Bedford, New Hampshire 03110-6532

Mission Office: (603) 471-3285

Mission Home: (603) 472-8388

April 20, 2011

Peter & Julie Carr
2090 Hooker Oak Avenue
Chico CA 95926

Dear Brother & Sister Carr,

It is a pleasure to report that your missionary son, Elder Dustin William Carr, has arrived safely in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission. I have interviewed him and found him ready and willing to serve the Lord.

We have prayerfully selected a companion to serve as a trainer for your son. Only the finest young men are selected for this vital assignment. His Trainer and companion:        
                        Elder Sebasthian Ahumada

We know you join with us in desiring that Elder Carr be a successful and devoted missionary. Your weekly letters of encouragement and love are essential elements in his development. You may write directly to his personal address or you may send letters to the mission office address that is printed above, and they will be forwarded. Please write his first as well as his last name on the envelope. You may also communicate with your missionary through the church e-mail service only.  Our missionaries are allowed to send and receive e-mails to and from immediate family only, on Mondays.
   We thank you for the opportunity to share this marvelous time with your son. We rejoice in the great blessings that will come to many wonderful people here in northern New England because of Elder Carr’s devotion to the work of the Lord.
   With Best Regards,
   David L. Wilkey
   President, New Hampshire Manchester Mission

April 15 Leaving the MTC - Finally!



My Branch Presidency: Bowers, Hansens, Merrills.  Love them!



Some things are too coincidental to be a coincidence.

So yesterday I got my reassignment, and I have been called to the Manchester, New Hampshire Mission! 

I was speaking to the MTC President about my friend who lives in that area.  After thorough additional consideration at Salt Lake City it was decided that this is the right mission for me, all agreed that this is  the place where I am to be reassigned.

I leave the MTC on Monday, and will have a good loooong talk with my mission president, and there will most likely be some very specific and strict rules for me in my mission.  I know that no matter what is to come, I will be blessed for being obedient to the rules and doing the things I am asked to do.  I am committed to being 100% obedient.

I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that mission calls truly do come from the Lord, and he has an elaborate plan for me that will change my life forever.

I love you all!  Monday I'll be in NH!

Elder Dustin Carr

April 8 and still @ MTC

I'm going to serve the Lord, and NOTHING is going to stop me.

 

That's right.  I had an appointment with a doctor yesterday in order to clear up everything that's we've been trying to figure out with my digestive system.  He said they will probably send me home to figure it out there and get better before serving.  I sat in shock for a minute as he told me about going home, and then I looked him in the eye and said, "No.  You are not sending me home.  Going home is not an option.  I have a duty to fulfill.  I'm going to serve the Lord, and nothing is going to stop me."  With a great smile on his face, the Dr. replied, "Well then Elder Carr, that's the attitude we need!  now let's get to work."

 

We both decided that due to many different circumstances, it would be better for me, health-wise, to be in the states; so he recommended that I get reassigned.  Long-story-short, I'll be here another week.  Next Wednesday, the reassignment committee will meet and decide if I am to still go to Mexico, or if I am to be reassigned to the states, and where.  BTW, the reassignment committee is led by a member of the Quorum of the 12 at any time, so his decision will be wherever the Lord needs me the most, and I have so much faith and confidence in that.

Evolution of Missionary

 

I'm completely ok with being here longer and then being reassigned.  I love the MTC, and I do feel like a mission in the states would be best for me, it that is where the Lord needs me the most.  So please don't think this is anything negative; but rather see it as a great blessing and opportunity in my life.

 

Yesterday, I got a dearelder letter from Chelsie in which she said that it is quite possible that I was called to Mexico at this time so that I could be in this specific district and zone of Elders, so that I would have the opportunity to teach them something, and they would all have the opportunity to teach me something.  Already, I have seen how true this is, and how blessed I have been to be here even longer to be with these specific missionaries to learn so much from them and teach so much to them.  The Lord's hand is in this work; every bit of it.

 

Well I hope you all enjoyed conference this last weekend.  It sure was amazing!  I hope you all listened to President Monson's talk about temples.  I challenge everyone who reads this to take up on the opportunity and blessing that you have to have temples all over the world.  I challenge you to go to a temple at least once a month, and for those of you who are within walking distance, go every week!  I know that you, your family, and your relationship with your spouse will be greatly blessed.

 

I love you all! take care!

 

Elder Carr

 

p.s. thank you Derry seminary for your letters! I will be writing you all back this week! keep up the great work!

April 1 @ MTC (really, no foolin)

There is a purpose why I am still here.  A definite and clear purpose.

A lot of things have changed this week, but it has brought on some amazing days, and some of the greatest feelings.  First off, I've been delayed for 2 weeks for "medical hold" so the doctors have more time to figure out what's wrong with me before sending me to Mexico.  My district left this last Monday, and I am now in the district just below mine (I sent pics, so they should be up soon).  I just love this district, so it's a huge blessing to be with them. 



Missionary version of girls' shoe pic.



Also, Elder Grajeda, from the district before mine, has also been delayed for medical reasons, so he and I are now companions, and it is amazing!

Elder Grajeda is just so fun/funny, but he also knows how to work, teach, and speak Spanish really well.  He and I work really well together.  But we both realized something so much more important after we went to the Tuesday night devotional.

In the devotional, a member of the 70 told a story about 2 Elders that they watched come into a Taco Bell.  The Elder simply bought their food, ate it, and left, without uttering a single word to anyone there or to each other.  He stressed how the Elders were taking a "lunch break", and how there are no lunch breaks.  Elder Grajeda and I thought about this, and then something hit me;  I realized why I am still here.

With Elder Taylor Wasden,
 who apparently has
grown a foot or two.

I felt the Spirit very strong at the moment, and realized that by choosing to sit with Elder Grajeda in our room, reading the Book of Mormon, closed off from everyone else, that we were taking a "lunch break".  And I also realized that that is not why I am here, but for something so much more.  I am here for everyone else.  And while reading the Book of Mormon is a wonderful thing, it does nothing for the other Elders in my zone that could really use my help.  So Elder Grajeda and I  have both had some amazing experiences with the other Elders and we have helped them a lot.  Through all of this, I have found that there is a reason why I am still here, and it is not just for me, but it is for everyone else.  I have found so much happiness in this new found reason - true happiness.

Well, I gotta run, but as for now, my mailbox is switched to 274, so I'd love to still hear from you all! oh and I'm planing on heading out on the 11th, but I maybe be reassigned to the states.  I'll let you all know what happens in next weeks email!

I love you all! thank you so much for your support and prayers!  Enjoy conference!

Elder Dustin Carr