October 3, 2016

Hi Everyone!! 

Sounds like it was a good week for you all. A little low key, but those are always good weeks to have. Sounds like Caleb and Hailey are doing great in the activities and I'm glad BYU could get the W!! I'm sure the colors in the mountains are great as they usually are! It hasn't started to get that cold yet. It is starting to change though, we are in the low 70s to 60s on most days. And it is going to be a little off and on rainy for a few weeks. The colors will usually turn here at the end of October to early November if it follows like last year. 

Well with General Conference it was a little slower week. We taught some good lessons and things are going really good with Valorie. We have taught her a few times and she knows it is true, she's made comments that we know she does. Now it's just getting her to let go of the social side of her church, which she's only been a member for 6 months. We are hopeful! Sadly thing with Kiawana have made it that we are gonna have to bump her baptismal date, but we are hoping she will find her desire again and keep progressing!

Big event of the week (besides Conference) was interviews with President! He's said he's going to keep up trying to interview every missionary, every transfer. And props to him cause those are some long days! Ours went SO long! Since he's still new and getting to know people he talked an average about 20-30 min with each missionary when he is slotted 10. Then we had a few problems come up in the zone so a few missionaries took as long as AN HOUR!! Holy smokes! It was such a long day. We showed up at 9am to have a pre interview meeting with him and then we didn't walk into our interviews until around 9:45 pm. My interview with him went great, I love that man! We talked about some problems in the Zone, then he looked at me and said," Elder Carroll I so appreciate you" kinda teared up and said "We are gonna be friends a long time". I'm glad I have developed such a close relationship with him, and he's helped makes this transition to all the new rules and policies so much easier. I'm in a good place with them all now. 

Then we talked about the transfer to come and how Elder Zocca and I will most likely get broken up since there is a need to train new Zone Leaders. (Earlier that day he had said he was on the phone with Pres. Morgan the day before the Morgans will get here this week I think and he's assigned them to live in the Annapolis Stake but will serve with all the YSA wards in the mission) I jokingly said "so you're gonna move me to DC 2nd YSA to be a Rockville Zone Leader so I can work with President Morgan right?" And he laughed, then looked at me and said he actually liked that idea a lot and would think more about it. So fingers crossed! We ended the night with the Johnsons wanting to take us to dinner! So we went to dinner at 10:30 with them to Applebee's haha. Not many people can say they have been in a restaurant with their mission president until 11:30 at night! But it was great, a more casual environment to get to know them even more! 

Then of course the big event of Conference!! Wow I can't believe that I can say I only have 1 more as a missionary!! It's so crazy! But I love Conference so much now. Like I don't know if it's just I pay way better attention than I did back home, or if being set apart helps, but I get so much out of each talk. Like so much!  So we weren't able to go up to the Visitors Center for conference, we tried but we couldn't get an investigator or recent convert to go. Since we are over the Zone we went on an exchange to WP1 and actually got to watch Conference at the Beal's! So I got Conference crab again! Then we watched Priesthood at the stake center. Then both sessions on Sunday at the Stake Center. Like you Dad I can't wait to be able to go to Priesthood with all of you. Only thing that's a little sad during conference weekend is for sure after Priesthood session knowing you all are going to dinner together. But like you, I'm glad I'm here, it will be all too soon we get to all go together next fall. We got to watch all the sessions and the talks were great! I can't really pick a favorite but I did really like Elder Hales, Elder Cornish, President Nelson, Elder Yashita, Elder Oaks, Elder Uchtdorf (Priesthood Session), Elder Eyring (Priesthood Session) talks, wow that got a lot longer than I thought as I was looking at my notes. But you get the idea haha 

Well I hope you all have great weeks! I sure miss and love you all!! But guess what, 83 days till Christmas! 

Love ya tons,

Austin

here's a pic of me watching Conference with my friends

from our district Activity today