"Christ is the Reason..." :)

Hey Everyone!! :)

Well, i had to stick with the "title theme" of following the mission values and realized that Christ truly IS the reason!!! :D He is the reason we do anything!! especially go on a mission! :) He is the perfect example of what missionary and a person should be like and i love Him!! :) He has done EVERYTHING for me and all He asks of me is to dedicate fully 1 1/2 yr of my life in serving Him and his children! :) What an AMAZING opportunity and privilege that is!! :) i'm so grateful!! So this week has been crazy awesome!! i have soOOOO much to write and not a lot of time!! So sorry if it's super choppy but hopefully it will all makes sense!! :) hah So first we had an AWESOME Valentines Day!! It was so fun! We frosted cookies, got fun packages (thank you to all!! :) ) taught, and "heart-attacked" peoples doors! (3 out of the 4 houses we got caught!!! hahah ridiculous! :) hah but it was way fun still!) We also had Zone Conference that day which was way awesome! Great things were taught and heard and they gave us a way good lunch too! (which is good and bad! I heard calories don't count on a mission?? wish that was true!! :) ha ) This past week we also ate at our Ward Mission Leader's home (Bro. Monson) and he texted us later and said we made it into the "great missionaires of Stillwater" club!! so WOO HOO!! That text seriously made our day though! We love our ward members!! and the people of Stillwater!! :D We also got to teach Activity Days this week which was a blast!!! LOVE those cute girls! They were so good and participated a ton!! They are way smart and it was fun to teach them about the Restoration and we gave them each a Book of Mormon to write their testimony in and give it to someone! :) Speaking of amazing kids.. our bishop gave us the NEW F.S.O.Y pamphlet!! which of course MADE MY DAY!! I just lOvE the youth and especially the FSOY pamphlet!! it is way sweet! (that was random but it made me really happy!! :) hah) I LOVE our Church's (the Lord's) standards!! They are TRULY the way to TRUE and LASTING happiness in life and for the eternities!! As we follow them we are able to go to the temple!! And if you are always striving to live temple worthy you can and will make it to the Celestial Kingdom!! Which is incredible!!!! :D Oh, i just lOVE the "Plan of Salvation (Happiness!!)" It is so perfect!! :D This past thursday was Sister Draper's birthday! And let me tell you.. it is SOOO hard to do/get something for your companion on a mission because they are ALWAYS with you!! hah i tried my best to surprise her and do the little i could! ha she seemed way happy and surprised so that's good!! :) We also had many miracles happen that day!! There were some slightly rough parts but it finished being aMAZING!!! One of our awesome investigators came to the Relief Society Activity we had that night!!! and they surprised us!!! it made our day!!! (and Sister Draper's birthday!! :) hah) We had many other great lessons and miracles/tender mercies happen this week which ALLLLLL come from our amazing and loving Heavenly Father!!! and i am truly sOOO thankful!!! Heavenly Father is the best!!!! :D We also had Stake Conf. this weekend which was WAY fun and sweet!! TWO of our investigators came too!!! yay!!! it made our day!! :D We also got to pass out programs to everyone that came in so that was way fuN!! :D Another cool miracle of the week was we have been goin to this one lady's house with the "Quit Smoking Program" because she wants to quit but she wasn't interested in the church or anything so the 2nd time we went over we talked about it with her and said we are always here for her (her support system etc.) and at the end she ASKED us if she could get a Book of Mormon!!! And what do you think we said?? .. OF COURSE!!!! :D ha! we have one in the car!!! so we ran out and got it and gave it to her! -Miracle :) Also this past Sunday was our bishop daughter's baptism!! Her name is Kara and she is suuuuuper darling!! i love her! They have a great family!! The Spirit was so strong there! and i even had the priviledge of french braiding her hair!! :D ha it was so fun! I also got to cut one of our investigators hair on p-day! She just randomly asked (during a lesson) if we knew anyone who could cute it for cheap? and she didn't even know i cut hair!! hah she was sOOOOO excited!!! and even thanked Heavenly Father in the closing prayer!! it was so cute!! so of course i cut it for free and both these experiences made me so happy i could actually use the hair skill i know on my mission!! :) hah yay! Okay, so TODAY was AWESOME!! (tuesday-the library where we do emails was closed on monday our pday so i'm writin it today! ha) I have 4 words!.. Service. Is. The. Best!!!!! :D Today we got to go to Sister Stewart's (amazing and super sweet lady in our ward who's son-in law is Nate Clark from our homeward!!!! crazy!! hah) house and help her paint the trim in some bedrooms! it was sOOO fun and i LOVED talking with her after!! She is so awesome and it just made my day we could help her out and get to know her better!! She reminds me of Aunt Jen which made me wAy happy! and they have a beautiful house!!! holy cow! :) ha So Service made my day today!! (Mosiah 2:17) Well, we've got to run off to our dinner appointment! but i hope everyone has an AMAZING day and week!!!! i love you all sOOOO much!!! You are all so incredible!! and are in my prayers!! Keep praying for the missionaries and missionary work!! It's amazing and the Lord truly has people he's preparing and are prepared to receive us and His gospel!! Don't be afraid to share it!! Everyone knows it's true deep down!! :D I love you all!!!

Love, Sister Carlini :)

ps. Quote of the Week: "Service makes life meaningful." :)

 

PICTURES!! :) Descriptions below...

Picture Descriptions!! :) (sorry kind of a match up game! ha cuz i can't see them when i send them!)

SO! We had a GREAT Valentine's Day!!! And it all started out with us frosting HUGE sugar cookies (sent from Sister Draper's mom) on pday (monday-the day before) which was sO fun and sO yummy! :) 2 of them are of my "I got a package" excitement face!! :) ha (thank you mom/family and ash and kristina!!! :D love you!!) The big group ones are of me and my Zone at my first Zone Conference!! (which was ON Valentine's Day!) The ward members made us an AWESOME lunch with SUPER cute decorations!! and that way cute 'poem!!" love it!! don't worry i kept it for my journal! ha The 2 of Sister Draper and I was when we went out to eat for her birthday (which was last thurs.) and we went to lunch at Qdoba! it's kinda like Costa Vida! yum!! The TONS of breakfast food is because our bishop loves us too much!!.. ha he dropped that off one morning!! hah and the one with us and the two ladies and cute little girl at the table is our AWESOME friends that we visit/teach that came to the fun "Chocolate Night" Relief Society activity we had!! so fuN! love them! :) And the one with us Sister and Pres. and Sister Taylor is us outside after Stake Conference (which was at the Highschool! ha) Hope you enjoy!! :)