Elder Austin Carroll

May 2, 2016

Hello Familia!

It's been an eventful week! It started with Elder Cowan getting the call to train on Wednesday and then Saturday the call saying I'm leaving the area. It has been the fastest transfer of my mission here in DC.. But it's was tons of fun. Sad to go but excited to see what the next transfer holds.

So with leaving I don't know my schedule. But let's plan on that call schedule unless I really can't make that work I will email you mid week! So unless I tell you otherwise that will work.

I'll run through the week pretty quick.. Wednesday we were able to go to the temple. I sat next to Elder McDonald of course to extend the streak! I love the temple. It was so great to be in there again. As we go into the Celestial room President and Sister Cooke are always there to great us. When I walked in President grabbed me into a hug and then said "Be ready. Get prepared, you'll be great". So I've kinda been flipping out trying to figure out what that means. Elder Coombs knows the transfer board since he is serving as a traveling AP, and said I will love my new area and comp so we will find out tonight!

We had some other pretty cool experiences this week, example we had a surprise baptism. It's a long story... I will talk about that in our call home! But I wanna share this experience Elder Jenks and I had on Saturday. So Elder Cowan (comp) and Elder Chapman (other roommate) are both training so Elder Jenks and I got to go on exchange together!! We were so pumped. So we thought we would be so busy but all our appointments in both areas fell through. So what did we decide to do?? We walked the mall! We both have been super stressed about getting transferred (again) and just needed to talk. Plus we are the only missionaries in the world who can be the churches public representation on the National Mall. So we started at Union Station, walked to the Washington past the Smithsonaisn, up to the White House, and then back up to Union on the other side of the Smithsonian's. Long
walk. But It was so cool, plus we talked to some members and then a few contacts as well.

So as we walked past the Capitol I got a call from some Spanish Sisters saying they had a referral that wanted to be contacted that day. But it ended up being in Elder Jenks area. But since we were on exchange we were good! So we ran back to the apartment to eat dinner and laid down to take a quick nap. We ended up over sleeping by 20 min and got over to the address. Then we ran into a few catch up that all worked out. Then we finally met Samuel. And he is one of the most prepared investigators for the gospel I've ever taught on my mission. It was one of the most spiritual lessons I've taught, and Elder Jenks and I teach really good together. He ended up going to church with the Capitol Hill guys yesterday and is really set.

This experience was so amazing as all the little details that needed to line up. Samuel calls the Spanish Sisters and they don't know exactly how he had their number, our schedule was open to meet, we over sleep which if we had left on time he wouldn't have been home yet, and even other details that had to line up. I know us meeting
with him was designed by our Heavenly Father to happen exactly how and when it did. It was an answer to a lot of prayers, his seeking the gospel, mine and Jenks finding our purpose of why we did just 6 weeks and then leaving in our areas, and even the Sister who got the call. When I called her after the lesson to tell her how it went, She told
me how this was an experience she has been praying for since she got in the mission as a Visitor Center Sister. There are other details about this that I can elaborate more on when we talk on Sunday!!

Overall it's been a great transfer here in DC 3rd South. I'm glad for the people I've serve and got to serve with. I can't wait to talk to you guys on Sunday!!

I love and miss you guys!!
Love,
Austin

Elder Jenks and I on our National Mall proselyting walk.. Right before this picture we talked to a

Secret Service officer who is a member in Virginia.