September 19, 2016

Hi everyone!! 

Okay to answer your questions- Elder Zocca has been out for 17 months so just a little longer than me. And he was called French, he's served in the French program and Amharic program before going English to serve in leadership. But like you said super cool about him getting to teach in Swahili. And no there are no sisters close to our Ward haha. Nor do I think there ever will be. Just the 6 elders in the ward here. And Elder Zocca had been in the area for one transfer before I came here. So the bed bugs got taken care of.. We threw out the mattresses, bed frames and box springs from the room and did a spray treatment. And it's now been a week and a half with no one getting bites and no bed bugs seen so I think we are in the clear. 

Well this week has been a whirlwind trying to get things going. Going to a new area is always interesting because you know how to do the missionary work, but you are re learning the people in the ward, the people you are teaching, and your area. But it's been good. This past week Elder Zocca and I gave a Zone Training on missionaries extending and following up on commitments. I'm happy with how it went and President was there and really complimentary of how it went.

Then the story I wanna tell this week is about the investigator we are working the most with. So her name is Kiawanna. She's had a pretty rough life, she was using crack-cocaine for a while but has since gotten off of that. She is a pretty accurate representation of what this whole area is pretty much like. But she has such a desire to change, and ever since she first stared meeting with missionaries she has wanted to change. And slowly she is, we have her on baptismal date for October 16th along with her two twin kids Issac and Kyana. We are super excited and hope we can resolve a few more W.o.W. problems and get them all baptized! Elder Jenks was actually one of the missionaries that found her, and at Why I Believe last night I got to tell him about how she was on Date and he was so excited just grabbed me in a huge hug and told me how glad he was that I was down here to finish what he started! When we both got called as Zone Leaders at the same time he came down here before he was called as an AP last transfer.  

Sunday was our other hi light. So we got asked by the Stake Presidency to be a part of this panel Q&A at a Stake Mission Prep fireside and it was tons of fun! Plus I saw some familiar faces from WP2 there! After that we had to fly up to the VC late for Why I Believe. And it was a blast! We are holding onto that since its about the only thing they haven't taken away... yet. We are hoping they won't. But it was so nice to see some faces I haven't for a while like Elder McDonald, Elder Cowan, Elder Chapman, and all the other great friends I've made out here! I love getting to serve in DC North, there's no mission like it in the world. So unique and truly "The Greatest Mission in the History of Life"!! 

Love you all!! Hope you have great weeks!! Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, you guys are the best support from back home!

Love,

Austin 

Elder Zocca and I found a license plate this week.. It's now a souvenir for me

Reconnecting with DC Zone! 

September 12, 2016

Hi everyone!!

Mom why did you have to google Anacotia.. It was better you didn't know haha. But I'll talk more about the new area in a second. But yes Scott is the one I saw in the temple. And being over Suitland stake now I'm gonna for sure try to visit him and some other WP2 members when I get the chance to! 

Well as you would expect with a new area and new companion it's been quite a bit of adjusting! But it's good!! It's fun to be back down in Suitland stake, while staying in the city as well! It's a great combo. Plus as well getting to serve with Elder Zocca has been a party and a half. I have known Elder Zocca since about February and have been great friends.. having a friend as a companion makes doing the work so much better. Elder Zocca is from Tanzania and came to the states for college. He went to the U because he's going into medicine and he was baptized while he was there. So he's only been a member for about 3 years and is the only member in his family, he's a little older so he's 25. But he's a stud, such a great guy! 

Our area here is super weird. So part of it is in Anacostia, SE DC so super ghetto and everything. But then we have some surrounding Maryland so it's like southern Maryland, nicer neighborhoods. So just a really weird combo. So when it gets dark we can go work in really safe areas. Also don't worry, in the ghetto people really respect clergy and Jesus so they don't really mess with us. They sure love their Jesus people around here haha. But there's a lot of work going on here so that's super nice to be really busy! Also the ward is more of a branch. No joke 40-50 people TOPS in sacrament meeting yesterday. 5/6 people who participated in blessing/passing the sacrament were missionaries. So it's gonna be an experience here!

The week was a good one! Tuesday feels like forever ago.. But it was filled with saying bye to tons of people in the DC 3rd Ward. It was hard to leave, inner city wards are so interesting but it sure has a piece of my heart now. Wednesday was transfers so we had errands that entire day with all of that as well of Thursday had errands. Because we had to deal with bed bugs.. Look the whole cute "don't the let bed bugs bites".. No. don't ever say that again. Bed bugs are Satan. Long story short a missionary in the apartment I moved into had bed bugs in his wood bed frame and was getting bites but they couldn't figure out why until we found them in the frame. Luckily they hadn't spread to the mattress or other beds so we were able to do a self treatment and all is well in Zion again. 

Sunday was for sure the hi light. There was a really big inner-faith walk in DC to remember 9/11 and we had missionaries up there as Volunteers and since we are still in the city we got to go. So we got to walk around to all these churches and help direct people, answer questions, pass out water, take pictures, all of that fun stuff. So it was pretty cool to get to be up in all of that. There were about 45 missionaries as well as President/Sister Johnson there. After that I got to have a super cool experience of going to listen to Elder Zocca teach. I say that cause he has a group of refugees in Silver Spring, Maryland that he teaches in Swahili (his native language in Tanzania). It was so humbling to be in the refugee community and watch these people get taught in their own tongue.  

Overall things are going great here. I'm feeling like I'm on a bounce back from the downer I've been in recently. I'm feeling a lot happier and things are looking up. I'm so glad to have all your support back home. Sure love and miss you guys!!

Love,

Austin

Inner faith walk. This is from on of the Indian temple where we ran into Pres Johnson

We found Gandhi

 DC 3 Goodbyes

Shawn and Charisma 

An investigator I loved, Sayid. I'll have to tell his story sometime soon!

Skip!

 JS! What a guy!!

September 5, 2016

Hi everyone! 

Well this week was one with ups and downs. First off the baptisms of both Kyrie and Hailey didn't end up happening. So on Tuesday we went to do the baptismal paper work and Kyries biological Dad showed up and said he couldn't be baptized cause he's not ready to decide and he's a 7th Day Adventist and that Kyrie needs to experience more churches before he decides. Then right after Kyrie grabs me and apologizes he can't be baptized and that he "already made my decision, I wanna be baptized in your church!" Then Sunday came and we get a call from Hayley's Dad during Sacrament saying Hayley won't be baptized cause she's not old enough to decide and also needs to experience more churches. Mind you he's a member. I was soo mad. I tried reasoning with them and showing them that they might not think they are old enough but the Lord does. And then I hate the argument of they need to go experience other churches. Ugh. Super frustrating. So we had a full font and I had to get dressed in Whites to go pull the plug. So that was pretty depressing. 

Also this week, we had another MLC (Mission Leadership Council) where President announced more changes. Like no more zone activities, can't leave your ward boundary on P-Days (so no National Mall if you're out of the city), and no more transfer temple trip (we will go 4 times a year now). So those were all super frustrating. And little petty things like no more colored socks... So it's been tough. But I've realized there is not going back to how things were so I just have to try to be positive and make the most of it. I want to enjoy my mission not just endure it. So for our plans today we are just gonna see some guys from the ward and I have to get packing. 

Okay now that you think I'm in a deep depression here for the hi light of the week! Remember Scott Jenkins? RC from White Plaines 2nd? Anyways so he has super bad health problems, and was taken to the Georgetown Hospital in DC and that's covered by sisters, so as the Zone Leaders we cover it for blessings. So we got a call from the Elders down there asking for us to go give him a blessing on Friday. So of course we went! It was so good to see him! Then yesterday we took him the sacrament and visited with him. It was so nice to reconnect with him and see someone I've gotten to love so much! 

To top the week off, transfers are this week so the call came out.... I am leaving. It's a ton of mixed emotions. After 6 months I'm kinda ready for something new, but also super sad to see it go. This ward is a crazy one, but I love them. Serving in a inner city ward is a special experience. I have 3 options of where I could go, DC 2nd YSA (still in the city), Anacostia (Ghetto of the ghettos), or Annapolis. We will find out tonight and I'll make sure to send another email to let you know where I'm going.

I love you all! Miss you tons, I hope you all have awesome weeks!!

Love,

Austin

-The quick email we got later that day when he got his transfer information-

I got called down to Suitland as a ZL in Anacotia. So welcome to the Ghetto of ghettos!! Plus I get to be with Elder Zocca who's a way good friend! I'm really excited! Plus I can go on exchange to WP2!!

Love you all, talk to you soon!!

-Elder Austin R. Carroll 

Giving Scott his blessing!

 Since Scott had an infection when we went do the sacrament we had to wear these clothing cover things... 

August 29, 2016

Hi all!

Well it was a pretty good week here in DC. Things are starting to cool down a little, but it would be nice if it does more!! We are still sweating it up pretty good here. 

This week was a really regular week for missionary work, we did pretty good on lessons taught and had some exchanges with elders in the zone. We do have a baptism that should happen this upcoming Sunday though!! So Sister Hardy is a less active lady and we stopped by cause she has tons of grand kids that she has legal custody of and have been baptized and we found out she has two that are over 8 that haven't been baptized yet. So for the past 5 weeks we have been teaching them and now Kyrie and Hayley should be baptized on Sunday! We are super excited and we will make sure to keep ya in the loop on that one!

Other than that it's been a week of letting adjustments sink in. It's been kinda a hard transfer just having so much change. Usually mission presidents don't make changes so fast I feel like, but since Baltimore missionaries came down it made the changes happen faster since it was a mold of two mission cultures. And it's been super hard. The two big overlying things the church has made policy changes are just with us being more effective with our time and not traveling as much. They have been quoted saying they don't want us to make friends because we should be focused on the work. And you know me, I'm a people person and I love getting close with people. So it's been hard. Just that I can't see these guys I've gotten super close with. But we are moving forward, it's hard but it's not gonna change back so I've just had to get over it and move along. It's really hard when you are feeling like you have to prove yourself as a missionary and leader to your companion, but things are getting better. We've had some good talks and it's improving I feel like.. 

Missions are hard, but so worth it. Biggest thing I've learned this transfer is hard things are good things. And I'm glad things haven't come easy for me on and off the mission so far. Learning to work for your reward is worth it. I hope you all have great weeks adjusting back to school!! I miss and love you all!!

Love,

Austin

We drove past a High School on Friday and it's the start of 

Friday Night Lights around here!! Man it was rough, we wanted to 

stop and watch the game so bad!!

Always reppin the 801!!

 

August 22, 2016

Hi everyone!!

I cannot believe that it is already time to get back to school!! And that this is the last school year I won't be apart of!  Time is flying! But it sounds like everyone had pretty decent weeks. 

That's awesome the Morgan's got to come speak to the ward! I'm so excited for them to get out here.  It's always fun to have a familiar face in the mission! I'm not positive about splits but we have senior couples come to lessons with us quite often so both Pres and Sis Morgan could come out depending on where they get assigned. It will be fun to have them in 5 weeks! 

To answer you questions- we talked to President about flipping areas and he's still trying to make a decision. He has a lot of things going on so I don't really think it's the top of his priority list. There are quite a few details that he has to consider. So I'll keep you in the loop! We are suppose to talk more on Tuesday with him. 

This week was another pretty same old same old mission week. The few highlights were Zone Conference, Stake Coordination (not really a highlight), and Why I Believe. 

So Zone Conference was on Wednesday and it was really good! A little hectic and not as smooth since it was the Johnson's first one. But it was still super good! I gave a training on helping other missionaries more confidently share their testimonies. And then the Johnson's focused on teaching the Restoration. It was great to spend time with them, they really are like parents out here to me!

Then it was Stake Coordination.. Ugh. How much I hate those stupid spreadsheets. But we have gotten it down so it onto takes us about 2 hours. But now we had to take the Excel app off our iPads cause it's not a "Church Approved App". So say hello to 4-5 hours next time we do it.  Pres Cooke said we could use it but Pres Johnson is very by the book so we have to wait to get it approved by Salt Lake. 

Then Why I Believe was sweet!! First of all we get to see other missionaries which is amazing! I miss all my friends in other zones. I got to see guys like Elder McDonald, Florence, Jenks, Mellen, Cowan. Almost everyone! Plus even better Ismael was there!! Felt kinda bad for the Laurel guys but he wanted to come sit with me hah. I love that kid! And the on top of that Josephine Chamberlain was there with a few of her boys! So in one night I got to see two of my favorite people I've worked with!! It really made me feel good and remember the good I've done on my mission so far, especially in the kinda work slump we've been having in this area. 

Things are going good out here. It is getting cooler which is a relief and we are fast approaching another transfer which is crazy to think! There's a high probability I'll get transferred out this time and there are two places which are probably my most likely, College Park ZL or DC 2nd YSA ZL, which I would be super excited for either! So we will see soon! 

Have a great week getting back to school! I love and miss you guys!!

Love,

Austin 

Ceasar (guy who loves missionaries and feeds us) at our Ward FHE this last week 

Ismael & Me at Why I Believe 

August 15, 2016

Hi everyone!

Things are starting to get back into the normal routine around here! It was sad to see Chico go, but we have him set with some Visitors Center sisters to stay in touch with him thorough Facebook and things like that until he gets to Zambia and reconnects with the missionaries there.

About switching to South. So I served there with Elder Cowan so it wouldn't be too bad if it happens since I know the area and most the people they are working with. Just the thought is our area is super slow, and their area is too much work for them. Cause they are the French missionaries so they cover the whole stake for French then the South area just for English and it's gotten too busy with French. So President was gonna think and pray about it the talk to us at Zone Conference this week about it. 

I am so jealous of you guys getting to watch the Olympics.. I'm sure they have been tons of fun! Only 16 days until College Football starts and that one will be rough on me haha. I'll make it though. 

This week was a pretty good one.. Except for the fact it was so freaking hot here!! The heat index hit 109 this last week. The humidity.. Man if felt like a sauna. Let's just say I'll probably burn all my shirts before flying home and just get one new one to come home in. But it's all good. I got to go on exchange with some of the Spanish elders and had some good appointments as well.. We have started playing Prose-Ball for some finding. Which includes us balling kids up in our shirts and ties. It's a ton of fun and we actually get people to become more interested in the church. Plus we are a pretty good duo.. Especially since Elder Sherratt is 6'5" haha

Thursday was by far our highlight. We had interviews with President and Sister Johnson and they are the best!! I'm glad I was able to get to make a immediate connection with them. I talked to both of them for probably 30 plus minutes and they were both great talks. I'm comfortable enough with President to tell him I'm getting a little burnt out on the area and he talks to me about mission business a lot. They are just so awesome!! 

But the coolest thing happened during interviews. So a guy named Paul showed up and wanted to talk to missionaries. He told us his story and how he's been jumping from church to church trying to find the true one. And he kept coming back to the Mormons. Long story short he felt like he needed to come to the chapel so he could be taught. No one is usually at the chapel on a Thursday at noon. We taught him an awesome lesson that President even came and sat in on for a few minutes and we are going to start teaching him.  It is so cool to see how the "coincidences" of life are not that at all. But the Lords hand in our day to day lives. He cares about Paul enough to prompt him to go to the church when we are there, and he cares enough about us to prompt and help us as well. If we are mindful and watchful everyday we can see miracles. I know God was and still is a God of miracles. 

I hope you all have great weeks getting ready to go back to school! I love and miss you guys!!

Love,

Austin 

I'll fill you in in them all next week! They are grand kids of a less active.  We are teaching the 

two that are 8 and 9 trying to get them baptized. It is a crazy house with all the kids but nothing a 

video on the iPad can't fix haha!

August 8, 2016

Hi everyone!

Yeah the transition is setting in a little better. We have interviews with President this week so I'm excited to be able to talk to him a little more about everything. Like you said when we are serving others and serving with them our prospective of them will change. So I'm sure it's just a matter of time for the 2 missions cultures to be able to better mesh. But it will be all good!

My week was pretty uneventful as well. So this might be a boring email. (Yes Mom I know you are saying any email is a good email..) We just did some settling into the area, a few zone errands, but ended up teaching a good amount of lessons! 7 investigator lessons, which for this area is pretty good! We are teaching a part member family where the wife isn't a member as well as two grandkids of a semi active grandma. So it's good! Especially with this sad news.  So Chico is moving back to Zambia. So we are sending a baptism to Africa, cause he had all the lessons taught and was ready to have his interview. That was really rough. Then on top of that Alex dropped us pretty much. But said he would meet with us after 2 weeks of reading the BoM on his own. So hopefully he will and we can come back and keep teaching him. But if not we will just move on and find others to teach. This area is pretty slow though. I'm kinda getting sick of it but there is talk we might get flipped down to the South area which would be AMAZING! I love that area and it is such a active area! I'll let you know any updates on that next week!

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. I'm glad you are able to interact with all the old ward members! There are so many good people in the two wards back home. I will still claim most of Bellevue as my home ward!  

Love and miss you!!

Austin

Official Year Mark Shirt Burn!! 

We went to the Library of Congress and the Capitol Building for p-day

Almost all the DC 3rd Elders.  Just missing Elder Stubell and you have the 6 of us 

that serve in the ward together.

My new companion, Elder Sherratt, is the tall one to my left.