The temple and life. 26 August 2009‏

Last week was once again our temple trip. I adore the time they provide for us to spend there. The inscription on each of the temples worldwide speaks volumes in few words. Holiness to the Lord The house of the Lord.In Doctrine and Covenants 121:45-46 the importance of temple covenants is layed out. "Let thy bowels also be full of charity... and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly" proceeding we find the ever important "THEN shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God." I testify that in temples that's exactly where we are! "And the doctrines of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion and thy scepter shall be an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion and without compulsory means in shall flow unto thee forever and ever."This is the temple and I've felt it this week! What awe stricking promises! We've been asked to do some small things differently in our missionary work. They will take great effort but we're eager to do them. President Rhodes said this week in the last 1 to 2 percent of obedience lies 25% of the blessings. Sa ada is to be baptized this week. She's a wonderful woman and we look forward to it. Nychcheing Reath is doing well and is a great fellowshipper for Sa ada despite both of them being new at english.We're working on using our time more effectively. I'm really happy! I'm finding it a pleasure to consciously BE OF GOOD CHEER. We most definately have reason so to be!

Love,Elder McCarty

Here's a picture just sporting the classy threads I was sent in a package! THANKS!

Limelightless Heroes 19 August 2009‏

Revalatory experiences are common as a representative of Jesus Christ. This week there have been many. Perhaps foremost in my mind today is the epiphany of the unsung hero. We met with Sa^ada Magarsa sunday. Sa^ada is from Ethiopia. We knew relatively little about she and her background before sunday because she speaks limited english. However we can tell she feels the spirit when we teach and she clearly has shown desire to be baptized. Sunday we had an appointment for the first time with a translator present. My heart ached as we learned about her story.Fleeing the upheaval in Ethiopia Sa^ada had gone to Somalia. There her husband left her to come to canada. He eventually was able to provide a way to bring her and her two sons to a land of freedom. As they continued here her husband told her she was not allowed to leave home. He went to extremes which she explained and as she did I wanted to weep for her. It suffices me to say that she was severely mal-treated.He told her "I brought you from somalia to be my servant and to take care of the children." She had desires to go to school and to learn. She went against his demands.This man turned to anger and his anger turned from her to their children. The police were called and delivered sa^ada from him. THIS is the time we met her.The government provided a way after about 2 months living in a shelter, for her to have a place to live. She was moving in when we met her and offered to help move her in. She didn't have much but we did what we could.Eventually the Lord provided a way for us to finally get to her the book she had told us she would like. We gave her a bus map and circled the route, time, and place she would need to get on and then get off to come to church. We wrote the time of our meetings and she has since then been to church EVERY week. She told us that she feels comforted when we share the scriptures with her and wants to be baptized. She answered the baptismal interview questions to us and we taught everything we needed to to prepare her for her baptism.This woman is alone in a world where she's defied the evil that would have held her captive and now is on her own to provide, to learn, to battle through the fallen world and she is finding added faith and strength through the gospel light!I love Sa^ada for the valiant daughter of God she is. Her story led me to realize that each of us fight battles. Some small some great but NO MATTER WHAT, let's each choose to be a hero in our life whether we're sung or unsung for after all each may recieve the same reward of hearing the blessed words "Enter into my rest ye beloved."I love and miss you all! The work is marvelous and the ward is starting to realize how hard we're working. The people here are phenomenal and I count myself blessed of the Lord to be where I am doing what I am.

Thank you

Eldre McCarty

p.s. For the first time in a long time I felt moved by the thought of unsung heroes to the point I'm writing a poem that I'd like to make into a song on the piano or guitar. I'll send the poem when it's complete.

0450 Sunday afternoons! Someday I'll be able to do the same. Believe it or not I'm posing. Unlike when I was young I can no longer sleep in crazy positions like this... Brother davidson however is quite asleep. :D I'm going to print it out and put it on their fridge this afternoon. This is the family we live with! They're wonderful.

0441 Peter and I. Peter is a biking maniac. He wears Harley davidson pajama bottoms (Which is why my glance was takin from the camera) With a skull belt buckle (you're correct in thinking "wait pajama bottoms have no belt loops") and a fantastic smile! What a great man. He gave us some pretty nice cards he made himself!

Andrew Allan McCarty Happy Birthday 8-11-09

No mass letter from Eldre McCarty this week. So, I posted a poem I wrote for him. He sent letters directly to those who wished him a happy birthday. He felt touched by all the love!

A Mother's Baby

By Becky Lane Warner

A mother’s baby is a very sweet thing

Last of her own lullabies she will sing

In her heart, as a child, he will always stay

With no new baby to pull her away.
She cuddles and holds him until he’s too old.

She spoils a bit and rarely will scold.

You’d think he’d be awful, expecting his way

And thoughtless of others he meets each day.

Yet watching him grow has been quite a surprise

Her baby grows up right before her eyes.

His gentle concern for others all around

His inherent wisdom keeping him ground.
Humble and patient, still he raises the bar

He sets his sights high, and strides out a far.

He bolsters his strength when he feels beaten down

Honest and open, his wisdom renown.

Friends seek his counsel and his comfort as well

A spirit about him that casts a spell.

He chooses a mission to far distant lands.

People of Canada’s fate in his hands

His influence leaving a spark that burns bright .

Peoples lives change from the darkness of night;

Into the bright sunlight of hope, faith and truth;

Sparked by his joy and the humor of youth.
I still want to hold him and cuddle him near

Dry away teardrops and drive away fear

As Samuel was offered to God, for to mold,

This mother is waiting, her baby to hold.

All my love,

Mom

for a view of the poem with the pictures see if at :

http://mcwarnerfamilies.blogspot.com/

Woot! 5 August 2009‏

Separation anxiety a little bit from my australian. Yes it's true Elder Mckay went to grand prarie far far away. I've learned a lot from him and once again can feel the tearing of transfers.Here stayed I with Elder Williamsen for at least six more weeks. Life is wonderful and miracles frequent.An investigator expressed the desire last night to be baptized! None other than Leerena St. Louis. She's a nice girl and married (maybe) to a less active that we found through her! ha ha very neat.My companion and a member were there since we were on splits and they were teaching when she mentioned "I want my children baptized." Brother Woodruff inquired and then taught that children are saved by the grace of christ. She lit up and asked to be baptized! Amazing the way the spirit works.Nyacheing and Yual Reath along with Nyacheings husband Simon are now working to go to the temple one year from this last weekend! They're a wonderful and beautiful family that my heart has become knit to. I have a heart full of love for the wonderful people here!

Life is wonderful and I miss and love you all!

Don't forget about me!Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Eldre McCarty


75 Macaroni and cheese Top of Roman? NAY This is a delicious meal of a breaded chicken sandwich and grilled ham and cheese on perogies! I eat pretty well and I'm still down to 170 lbs! I'm withering away!

76 Heritage days! 80 cultures gather together and sell food and souvineers from their countries. We saw lots of neat things and enjoyed serving the food bank collecting donations and handing out maps! Really neat experience!

77 Always wanted a picture like this one! This is just before heritage days! How else was I to fit in the frame?

78 Seng Sup Shin! One of the cutest little boys I've ever seen. He's like a teddy bear but he climbs on everything! I had his older brother snap a shot!

Loving Kindness 29 July 2009‏

It's a wonderous summer morning in the south west side of Edmonton. The sun is shining and it seems more common lately that our summer mornings are much like spring mornings in Utah.The work is moving forward by the hand of God at an amazing rate. His matchless power is undoubtedly pulling this great work along. This week we've been blessed by many powerful and some humorous expiriences.

I'd like to start by writing to you an entry in my study journal. Our mission is focusing on Chapter 6 Christlike attributes this transfer (oh by the way it's a new transfer and we're staying the same.) I decided to focus on a different attribute for each week. To bring that focus I've decided to memorize one scripture each week for the attribute I'm focusing on. This week is Charity.

Here begins the entry:

July 28, 2009 was a day I hope to retain in rememberance. Attending the transfer meeting (of which we had no part except permission from President Rhodes to attend,) very profound things were said. [I asked permission from President Rhodes to go so we might say farewell to the departing missionaries especially past companions Elder Sean Kipp and Elder Olive Kilifi.]

A sweet crisp breeze lightly blew carrying upon it's wings the tender feelings of reuniting comrads. Old friends whom we've poured out our spirits and hearts with and for in the great cause of redemption for the fallen world in which we live.

Shortly we were ushered into the chapel where the meeting began.President Rhodes expressed in his remarks some extremely tender feelings and we had a powerful experience with the powers of heaven. The time came for each new missionary to matched to their trainers and the spirit remained. After, each departing missionary [all of which are friends some of which my heart is knitted to] bore testimony and taught one principle. The spirit flooded my heart and I truly felt Loving kindness for all that were in the room.

As our day unfolded the buffetting of beelzebub turned onto our path. While seeking our Zone Leaders at their apartment they didn't answer the front buzzer. We decided we could tap on their window from the back. As we tried to get their attention a woman three floors up began to say some things to us. We told her we were simply trying to contact our friends and that they didn't answer the buzz though we were certain they were home. She told us we had to leave the premises because we were trespassing private property. I fought my carnal self which wanted to explain to her our situation and decided she didn't care. I bowed my head as we prepared to ride our bicycles away and after sincerely apologizing to her we left.

This was a hurdle for me. I worried, have I learned anything on my mission if I can't respond more meekly to such a situation? We fought murmuring and the feelings so disturbingly opposite to those blessed emotions only hours previous.

July 29,2009 [this morning] I was reflecting upon my goal to be more charitable this week. The experience of the previous day didn't cross my mind. Studying and seeking a scripture to memorize one stood out 1 Nephi 19:9. Reading and pondering I recalled the incident and one of my thoughts I distinctly remember having "how can I be like Jesus, perfectly loving and meek, when it's so un-just the way I'm being treated?" I had even defened my feelings with the scripture 1 Timothy 4:12 "let no man despise thy youth."1 Nephi 19:9 "And the world because of their iniquity shall judge him as a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it, and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yeah they spit upon him and he suffereth it because of his loving kindness and his longsuffering towards the children of men."I felt the loving kindness towards the woman realizing that the way she treated us (obviously not as severe as the way Christ was treated) was out of iniquity which is misery. I felt the distress and the urgency of her need for peace and felt the peace as I repented of my iniquity in feeling such unrighteous feelings toward her.

I praise the name of our merciful Lord forever. The life of a missionary is great and I love what I am learning. I miss you all and pray that each of us may come to further our charity towards the children of men.

Love,

Eldre McCarty

Pictures:55 This is Elder Sean Kipp. He's home now! I love him and learned a lot from him. We're past companions, present friends and future wake boarding buddies! :D

53 Elder Olive Onelani Kilifi. Not rare among the people of the polynesian islands Elder Kilifi is a man of tremendous heart. I hope we'll stay in touch and I look forward to the great things he'll do for this world!