What a beautiful week! 3-25-09

Last week we joined Fort Mcmurray for a time and I was able to see Ashley Oneil who is doing fabulous! I'm so pleased with her strength and determination to live the gospel. She is the one recent convert from the days I served in Fort Mac.

Saturday at 4 oclock we had the baptism for the three amigos. My soul loves them! I can feel such a strong bond that transcends the language barrier. Elizabeth Hernandez asked me to baptize her. It was touching for me because the only real communication we've been able to have were smiles. She has such light in her eyes. As I pronounced the baptismal prayer in spanish I felt the peaceful assurance and rememberance the spirit brings. Upon Confirming her husband a member of the church I felt once again the words come to my mind even with the difficulty of having a translator.

We taught a woman named linda for the first time last night. She needs a change. Elder Kilifi and I each testified to her and at the same time felt prompted that she needs to know she is a daughter of God. Her current living situation is with an older man who makes it difficult for her to read the book of mormon or do what is right. He abuses her verbally from what she told us.To be able to testify to her of her importance and the specific and perfect plan God has for her was an experience upon which no price can be placed. We helped her last night to understand how much God desires her happiness and that she will be able to see her loved brother who committed suicide three years ago.

This work is amazing. I feel near tears as I reflect on what has happened in the short time I've been serving. I anticipate that much will yet happen that will fill my soul with joy!

Thank you all for everything you do. Please pardon the lack of pictures again. I will do my best to send some next week! I saw evidence of Gods hand every where I turned. I'll praise His name forever.
God bless you all!
Love, Eldre McCarty

Sheesh! Life is good 18 March 2009‏

Last night we met with our three amigos Sergio Elizabeth and Omar. They are converted! The spirit has such great power.When we met the showed us an article in the news that had the horoscopes on it. They informed us that both Sergio and Elizabeth are Virgo. It just so happens that this papers horoscope read thusly, "An Elder will comfort you, a compassionate man will calm your fears." Or something similar.ELDERS we are! They were so excited. I took a picture of the horoscope and then a picture with them. Unfortunately my camera card reader is not here! I forgot it. MY apologies.

Then in the course of last night they also informed us that they were not married by anyone with authority. According to the Laws of Mexico however and according to their hearts and thoughts they are married. We explained marriage and that they may need to be married before baptism. We thought the day was going to be postponed.Calling president Rhodes we discovered that if they are lawfully wed according to mexicos laws we ought not force them to be married just to have it on paper.The baptism is on! I love Heavenly Father and His wisdom.Johan is on track for the week to come and seems solid and committed. A missionary nearly was sent home last week. His situation was serious. The First Presidency had to make the final decision.I have a great love and respect for this Elder. I knew he didn't want what happened to happen.I knelt down and pleaded with God that our dear prophet and his beloved counsellors would feel the earnest prayer of insignificant little Elder McCarty. I prayed that Gods will be done and that if possible my dear friend would be allowed to complete his mission in dedicated service.Later that day we recieved a phone call that says my prayer was answered and in a quite direct way. The prophet instructed that God wants this Elder to stay.I feel deep and powerful love for those I am serving and serving with. The people and land of Canada has become beatiful to me in the same way the people of Alma found the land and waters of mormon to be beautiful in mosiah 18:30.I know Gods hand is in our lives. We ought to and can trust in His almighty arm. Our paths He prepares and when we choose to be happy by our actions, the blessings of heaven and eternity are ours.My prayer for EVERY soul reading my words from afar is that happiness will be yours.

I love you. Thank you and may God continue to bless you.

Eldre McCarty

Yee haw! 11 March 2009‏

Picture Description!

I don't know which number is which but here are the descriptions for the photos.

Elder Kilifi and I with Elder Richards and Elder Marble eat good! See all the fruits. It's actually a fruit store not even just the section in superstore! YEAH Pretty sweet. It's not too shabby the way we eat I promise. That lady started asking me questions about the church because I told her I needed to take a picture because I'm far away from my family and they need to know I'm eating well!

Another one is of me trying out brother Laubmans crazy back fixing machine. I don't think it worked. It went up and down and moved my legs but I wasn't sure what it accomplished! ha ha











Lastly is a picture of our district minus the sisters and plus the Elders serving in whitecourt. This was the last time I have seen Elder Wright. He's an amazing man and has been through a lot to be here.




This week we had marvelous miracles.You may remember our good friend Johan Fernando! He bailed a little while back to Sri Lanka and some of his last words to me were that he had lost faith and couldn't understand why God would keep his family away from him. I bore my testimony to him to no avail that night. I feel a love for Johan that is strong. After hanging up the phone with him a prayed for around 30 minutes in tears pleading for a second chance with him and that his fail would be restored.Last week, Elder Kilifi answered the phone. The voice on it sounded familiar though I couldn't decipher and words. When Elder Kilifi asked "Who's joan?" I sprung from my chair to the phone.I will share with you that the joy I then felt is amazing! I feel strongly that Johan will be baptized and that his love for God is going to carry him. Heavenly Father is so merciful to his little Elder McCarty.In other news The three amigos (Sergio, Elizabeth, and Omar) are on for baptism in a week and one half. Elder Kyler McCarty wrote me this week telling me how to testify for him to them that they will feel many things and one word he used, Tranquility. Last night when asked how she felt when she prayed about the book of mormon and joseph smith she replied "tranquilo." The spirit knows no country lines and apparently is fearless towards the extreme weathers of paraguay and canada. The promise came after the fulfillment but it is no less a testimony to me that all things are done in the capable hands of our merciful creator.I am doing better at writing in my journal these days. I hope I can create a record that will be a testament to my family of the beauty and simplicity of the gospel and the way in which it blesses our lives.I love and miss you all. Thank you for your letters this week they were all marvelous and have helped me to feel full of love.I am grateful for your support and prayers!

Love,Eldre McCarty
P.S. Things at bullies barber didn't end up happening but Elder Kilifi gave me an african man hair cut. He calls it a fade! Unfortunately dad it's too short for corn rows. And Elder Kilifi said he doesn't know how to do a lightning bolt.:D Life is good.I love you

Weeks roll on! 2009-04-03 (march 4)‏

Canadians write their date strangely! I think that's right but I may have gotten confused so I clarified. This week has been a good week. Elder Kilifi and I are getting along. The biggest differences we find are that he is Tongan and brown and that I am pasty and something else. Today we're going down into the slums on 118th avenue (where many of our investigators live) to get our hairs cut in an all african barber shop. I honestly think I may be the first white guy to darken their doorway! ha ha It should be interesting to see what happens. Hopefully they don't pull some joke and buzz a lightning bolt into the back of my head. I could see it happening. President Rhodes would have a word or two I'm sure. On the other hand were I a super hero I think such a haircut may be manditory.Throughout our efforts we have seen miracles left and right. The disappointments seem nearly par in frequency of occurrance. I am learning a new level of love for the people. Elder Kilifi is teaching me how I must know the investigators very deeply and God is showing me that I can Love them with or without that! Our mexican investigators are amazing! I feel a strong love toward them and the desire to share what I know to be true with them. They speak very little english so our communication runs far more shallow than our respect and adoration. I'm thankful for your prayers! Thank you for your support and encouragement by your words and deeds!
Love,Eldre McCarty

What week don't the miracles come? 25-02-09‏

WOW! The gospel of Jesus Christ and the spirit by which it's communicated know no bounds. This week in our labors we've been blessed with 6 investigators who have agreed to be baptized and confirmed on a specific date. By the looks we ought to increase by at least two more today! The Lord does His work and FAST.
This week I have participated in french and spanish lessons in which the investigators have agreed to be baptized when they know the truth of the book of Mormon. Glorious! I testified in probably horrible spanish and assisted in the translation of our lesson into french. Also this last week we met with Nynetu Dorway who is a man from Liberia. He has great faith and tells us he feels so much like he has learned the plan of salvation before that he's convinced other churches teach it. We explained the reason it rings so true is because it IS and also because he has been taught it before this life.
Julius Tago a recent convert blessed the sacrament this week while another recent convert Banbi Mulatu passed the sacrament. The truth of those ordinances and the confirmation of the spirit came to me with power. Such joy filled my heart as I witnessed fresh testimonies and able sons of our God participate in bringing to me a remission of my sins. I truly feel blessed to see how we are, even after all our labors, yet unprofitable servants.
I never before understood how much faith can get us through such real and physical situations. On exchanges I was in the passenger seat of a Georgia driver driving in a canadian blizzard. Though we found the curb a few times I felt at least a douzen times the tires grip where they shouldn't have and I would not doubt that angels helped as I prayed fervantly. It's quite a sight to imagine and humorous as it is there is no way we made it through our exchange without help from above.
I miss and love you all!
May God bless and prosper you.

Thank you for your prayers and your support.
Love,Eldre McCarty

(Here in canada almost everything ending in ER is switched to RE so I decided I ought to conform my name too.) Ex. Centre, Theatre, etc...

2/18/09 No mass email but a few comments from his letter to MOM

Thank you mom. 
The insights you shared exhibit faith, hope and charity. Sounds like you're firmly rooted upon the three legged stool of christianity and therefore built on the rock of Jesus Christ. You may have heard it before but those three virtues are often referred to as the three legs that hold up the stool of christianity. Moroni 7 is such a phenomenal chapter on how those three interact. 
I love you for all that you teach me.
The fact that whatever happens in the eternities will be taken care of as we take care of keeping the commandments of God is SO true. 
The current Card that I keep with my camera doesn't have ALL of my pictures on it but it has some. I actually keep my camera in my pocket to be certain It's available when there is a kodak moment. ha ha I will keep it in mind though. I had a scare this morning that I thought I lost my full SD card. my heart jumped a few times.
Speaking of pictures and also the weekly email I haven't done them yet. I hope to be able to but I'm afraid I may not have time. I decided that it is far more important to write to my diligent mother to remind her how much I love and appreciate her than to write everyone at once. You may say that you think I should have writted everyone but I feel strongly that I made a good choice. 
You deserve all the good I and your other two sons can give you. We are who we are because you chose to be who you are.
Thank you thank you thank you.
We all love you and are happy to support you in any way possible!
Love,
Elder McCarty

How sweet it is! 11 FEB 2009‏

Kyler's mission and my own seem so alike despite the fact that he's in Paraguay and I'm in the frozen baren canadian tundra (slight exaggeration in hopes of increased the number of packages filled with deliciousness.)Transfers this week happened also in Londonderry. My companion Elder Kipp got moved to a Young Single Adult ward in Millwoods stake. He is awesome and I'll miss him. I wonder how he will do in a YSA since he is the ladies man type and his mission is winding down! ha ha We gave him a hard time.My new companion is Elder Kilifi! He is THE MAN. A big bold Tongan from south cali and presently rooted in seattle. He's a rugby player who has full ride scholarships at BYU and Cal state. Needless to say... I beat him up all the time. (the trouble comes when he wakes up.)Actually we're getting along pretty well. I feel similar to my South American Brother. He had transfers this last week also and has a new companion. The reputation Kyler mentioned having is no less than I expected and such a great one to have!Since we've been working together Elder Kilifi and I have been SO blessed by the Lord. I don't know how he is so merciful to us but despite the difficulty we find in keeping up with the new investegators He's given us we still are blessed with more! We're finding lots of people who are SO elect.Today I have a forged testimony of Faith. When I was told who my companion was to be I heard a lot of things from the missionaries around us in the city. I decisively kept my mind open and gave Elder Kilifi every benefit of the doubt. Rightfully so! I was a little afraid but I prayed for faith and recieved that marvelous gift and to my pleasant discovery Elder Kilifi is amazing.The work is progressing and exploding. I testify that powers far greater than ourselves are pushing this work along. Truly the spirit of God like a fire is burning! I love you each and miss you! Keep your pursuits steadfast and your sights raised.Keep yourselves in the tender care of our Father in Heaven.

Love,Elder Drew McCarty

Pictures:

ALRIGHT!

Top picture is of Elder Kilifi and I here at emails! I literally took it just NOW.

2nd picture is at the first baptism I've been privelaged to perform. Her name is marina Hewko and despite her family's disproval they still supported her and consented to her baptism. She's solid.

3rd picture is of me with My australian friends cool specs on! They look far better on him but I thought I'd get a picture. He got transfered down to greenfield so my guitar lessons are finished.

Last one is one of Elder Kipp and I with the Onzias! They are an amazing family from Sudan that were in Refugee camps and all sorts of stuff. They were baptized shortly before I came into the area. They're amazing!

Love, Elder McCarty