"This is the end, beautiful friend"

Dear Family,

 

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I am freaking out. I have not the slightest idea what to do with myself these days.  I am working, but my work is coming to a fast hault and I am beside myself. It does not help that everyone keeps reminding me that my mission is coming to an end. I am pondering the imortal words of Jim Morrison who once said, "This is the end, beautiful friend,"  I still have some more things to take care of however, so I  will not allow myself to forget that. 

 

I still have much more, I have to get those two people into the water before I can call it quites.  I am working on that however.  It was cool hearing the baptims anounced in the sacrament meeting.  It is something that made me feel good inside.  It seems that Heavenly Father has heard our prayers and has made it possible for us to have what we´ve worked so very hard for.

 

I saw a picture of mom today. Minha nossa, as the brazilians say, she has changed. I think that we´ve all have changed. I am excited to see what the world has laying in store for me, and hope that it is good. But alls good in the São Borja.  To answer Erynns email, no it has not snowed here, but another part of the state it has.  It just gets cool and rainy. It is not a fun thing, however, right now it is nice and sunny. I´d say it is in the mid 70´s.  I am ready to get back into the swing of things.

 

Love,

 

Elder Caleb S. Carriere

Life without worms is GOOD!!!

Hey everyone,

I am getting super excited about what will happen here in a couple of weeks.  Not that I am coming home or anything like that but it is likely that we will have a couple of really good baptisms here in São Borja, The Land of the Presidents.  They call the city this because two brazilian presidents, one of whom as assionated, were born and raised here.

We have changed tatics of our work and it is finally going right. We are inviting everyone for baptism. People are quite open to the idea.  Many have accepted our invitations for the water.

One man that we were teaching is finally wanting to get baptized and he has quit smoking.  It is a answer to many prayers of many people.

Life is good. I am without worms and or any other parasite.  I am working and Heavenly Father is blessing the work which is being done. I know that I am happy with what I have done until now.

Everyone here in São Borja is just doing great. Although there has been a lot of our investigaters who have been to the hospital this week.  One of whom because of this trip to the hospital is now free of his smoking habit.  Thank goodness for the almost pnenalmania ( the sickness where lungs fill up with liquid.)  He has a very good chance of being baptized now as well.

I love you guys and I hope that you all are in good health and excited for life as I am.

Love,

Elder Caleb S. Carriere

Working my Tail off....

Hey everyone,

I am doing much better than I had been. I am now back in São Borja and working my tail off to make up for the lost time. My work is getting better and I am really excited for the weeks to come.

I had to get my second talk of my mission on Sunday.  My companion and I discovered this on Saturday morning when there was no time for me to prepare. I was a little nervous but it came out well. Our mission president has been really reenforcing the importance of the Book of Mormon in our lives and in the conversion of those who come in contate with it.  We discovered many things pretanning of the final judgment and the book.  For instance, those who served missions, or those who are Elders of the Church, will be held responsible by Nephi and Moroni about how they used the book, for they are the two people who suffered most to make it come to fruition.  With that information,  we are now compelled to walk with a copy in our hands and I am using it more and more, so my talk was about the book.  I said many things which to be honest  I do not remember. I was filled with the spirit and just winging it.  I had litterally no time to prepare a talk, but I managed to fill up 15 minutes and would have gone on longer, but I looked at the clock on the back wall of the chaple and felt that I needed to give the second counseler in the district presidency time to talk.  Not to brag but I really felt good about my talk. If I could remember what I said I would give you a part of it right now, but I don´t so I wont.

Well family, it is getting closer and closer to that faitful day when I walk down the tarmack and give a great big hug to you all; until that time I love you all and hope the best.

Love Elder Caleb S. Carriere

Parasite...

Hey everyone,

I would like to give thanks to everyone that said a prayer or worried about me in the last couple of days. I am getting alot better and I feel that I will return to work here in a couple of days.  I have a perisite that was causing all of my woos, but now, I am great.  I am taking so other medications and I am feeling really good.

I am excited to get back to work after my 2 weeks vaction, or rather stay in my house.  I have to say I hated it. I was so bored. I really wanted to just get back to work and keep on trucking, but I am a stubern old fart who needs to work to feel useful.   I am really excited to see what these last couple of weeks hold in store for me. 

I am here in Santa Maria because they wanted me to see the doctor of the mission, Dr. Felipe.  He is really cool. He is a young guy.  He lived in Canada for many years and speaks english fluently.  He said that there is a bug that lives in the waters of Rio Grande do Sul, and more than likely it was that bug that got in to my system and started to mess with me.  I am getting alot better now and so do not worry your pretty little heads off. Alright?  I am going to go back to work here in a couple of days, and then it is off to the races until the end of my mission.

Love,

Elder Caleb S. Carriere

Kissing disease, I don"t think so!

Ôla,

Como é que temo, espero que vocês estejam bem.  Eu estou mais ou menos. Fui ao hospital duas vezes esta semana; estou passando por muito mal no estômigo. Espero que você não fiquem preocupados comigo. Vou sobreviver.  Vou ter que fazer um monte de exames, de sangue, etc. Para ver o que que tenho.

I had a kind of a strange week.  I did not work all to much. I have been kind of sick and was told by the mission president´s wife to stay home, and rest. So I have been and I continue to do so until she tells me otherwise.  I am however alright, just really really tired. I think I´ve got mano, or the dreeded kissing disease. Which if you think about it does not make much sense in the fact that it has been, let me see, oh yes more than 4 years now that  I have not kissed anyone so it is a little bit untruthful to call it that. Although the doctors do not know what it is that I´ve got so here in a couple of days I will do a blood test, and urine test, and poop test, and they will take a x-ray of by chest to see what the heck is wrong with me, but I will be fine. My companion gave ge a blessing and in the blessing he said that I would get better through these things that the doctors fine.  Do not worry. Will come home alive and well. And worse comes to worse I will come home a little bit early and you will get to see me.  Although I do not believe that will happen.

I got a funny phone call from the mission president last night saying, "Hey stop stressing out, you only got 5 more weeks.  You can hang in there."  Of course all that was said in Portuguese, and does not translate completely to that but that was his intent.  He was just calling me to get the phone number of the missionary couple in our city.  Oh and by the way, I discovered that the missionary couple and our family are related.  They two are Murdocks, but not.  The couple is actually named Brother and Sister Minor, but he says that he has family line of Murdocks in Ceder City, more than likely since he is from there and is a relative to those Murdocks I figure that we are some kind of a cousin couple times removed.

Well love you all and  I will see you soon,

Love

Elder Caleb S. Carriere

I am not "Trunky"

Hello family and friends,

Once more I am closer to coming home. My companion loves to remind me of the end that fast approaching.  He says that I am "trunky," however I believe that he is more trunky than I about the return home, however I will not lie, I am excited as all get out to come back home.  I do think about it often, but I am trying to be more focused on the here and now rather than the then and later.  It is a strange feeling. I really do not know how to handle myself.  It is rather an odd feeling of excitement a pure fear of the things to come. I am confident, however, that I will return home and everything will work out for my own good.

We had a family come to church this Sunday, out of the blue. It is an answer the prays of my companion and of mine own. We had one of the worst weeks. It was a week that proved and tested my patience.  I never wanted to just call it a quites and pack up my bags as much as I did last weeks.  It has been rather difficult to say the least of the matter.  We were going to baptize a man this week, but he continued to smoke and it has been two weeks that he has not been to church, so last Sunday when he did not go  I took it like a kick in the pants. Really hard.  I was depressed and ready to throw in the towel, and this yesterday he did not go again, but the Lord brought to us another family who as being asked if they were already baptized said, "Not yet, but that is why we are hear."  I was so thankful to hear those words at that time.  I had made a promise to myself, the president, and also to Heavenly Father that I would not "die" until the first of August when I will be in Santa Maria waiting to renew my temple  recommend and also take a class given by the mission president about eternal marriage.  I received as Paul put it in Hebrews 11, the proof of testimony.

I am very glad about all of this, and hope that everything will go alright, with this family.

Love,

Elder Caleb S. Carriere

Look on the bright side of life... just like Brian said!

Hey family,

How are you guys doing:?  I am just fine.  I cannot complain too much. Although I have been stressing out  about everything as the mission is coming to an end. It is weird to think that here in 50 some odd days I will be taking a jet plan home. More than likely next to the guy that I sat next to on the way here. Elder Talyer.  He´s a good kid. I was his companion for a couple of weeks. 

This week was a really good week. More than likely one of the best weeks that I have had on my mission. I am really excited for what comes, but all that I know is that I have to try my hardest and trust in the Lord and those who are around me.  It will happen, and I feel it.  I have had some really spiritual experiences this week, and I realize that I am not alone in my cause, or rather the cause of the Lord. 

My companion and I are getting along just fine. He is learning really quickly. I like being a trainer, but at times there was something's  that they learn in the CTM, that does not work, and I have to beat it out of him. It is a complication  but you do what you can. I really like the kid. He is really good with the members.  He can manage to get referrals from them which is something that I am not so good at, so it is a good combination. I am good at street contacts and getting members to go with us to teach lessons, and he is good at getting them to give up their friends and family members to be taught. Dream team, if I do say so myself, and I do.

Well family I am without words, but just remember to always look on the bright side of life just like Brian said. 

Love,

Elder Caleb S. Carriere