"Stayin' in Stillwater again!" :)

Hello hello!! :)

So we got transfer calls last night and as the title says.. I'm sTaYiN' in StiLLwAtEr!! :) Which is funny because (last week) i REALLY felt like i was being transferred! but i guess not!! hah I'm excited though because i LOVE Stillwater! :) Sister Draper is staying too and this is the first time she's been with the same comp. for 3 transfers in a row!! So we are just beatin' records all over the place! :) ha Transfers are so crazy and slightly stressful because you nEvEr know really what's going to happen?!! hah but they are great :) Anyways! This week has been GREAT!! :D (except for the fact i really thought i was leaving this coming week so planning for this week was weird.. hah but maybe i just got an EARLY prompting?? hah Learning how the Spirit speaks to you is an interesting thing.. it is SO awesome!! and yet so hard sometimes.. ha Especially as a missionary where you are trying to be led my the Spirit in basically EVERYTHING you do! :) ha It's definitely a process but when you DO know and recognize the Spirit prompting you and you FOLLOW IT..now that, is a beautiful thing :) No wonder Elder Wadell says, "Your mission in training ground for life!" It's definitely great training ground for learning how the Spirit speaks to you! (and sOOO much more!) I love it! :)

So cool story.. A couple weeks ago while i was here (at the library) emailing.. I was sitting next to a man and i felt prompted to give him a 'mormon.org' card so i did! (i wrote a little note on it too) The next time we were at the library we ended up sitting by him AGAIN! And he turned to me and said, "hey! I look at that website and it looks interesting.. Here's my number and you should call me sometime so i can learn more" :) ... UH-MAZING right??! I was like okay!!! :D hah so we ended up calling him later and met with him this past week and read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and gave him one and he said he would read it! And we are meeting with him again this week!! :) Woo hoO!! It was awesome, so pray for him :) He's a nice guy and his name is Jon :)

Other highlights of the week = YESTERDAY!! Easter Sunday!!! :D it was SUCH an amazing day!! :D Fast and Testimony Meeting was great! I bore my testimony (which i've never been SOO prompted to do EVERY month!! hah but i guess that makes sense since i'm a missionary :) ha) but in it i talked about "Knowing That We Know" (inspired by the gen. conf. talk by Elder Callister Nov. 2007) and talked about how i gained my testimony of this gospel and how "I Know i Know this Church is true" :) And I will testify to you all.. That how i've come to KNOW that this Church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) is True is by LIVING IT and by listening to the SPIRIT testify to me (through good, warm, peaceful & happy feelings) the truthfulness of it and the principles of the gospel that i live :) Such as prayer, scripture study (Book of Mormon), the TEMPLE!! etc. :) I KNOW that YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE TOO!! :) And if you don't, you CAN by LIVING IT and opening your heart to the answer you will recieve as you listen to and for those feelings of the Spirit letting you know and confirming to you its truthfulness! :) What an AMAZING thing!!! To KNOW you KNOW that the Church is true!!! :D I lOVE what Elder Callister said in his talk .. "There only has to be one witness, but that witness must be yourself!" :) Such a powerful and amazing talk! and SO true!! i highly recomment reading it!! (it's not very long either! :) )http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/knowing-that-we-know?lang=eng

So after Church we had an incredible meeting with the Bishop!! :) (it was kind of like a 'you might be transferring' meeting) and he said some of the kInDeSt things!! He is so awesome!! We had a good hear-to-heart and it was just great! :) What a blessing to be apart of such a great ward and to have such a caring bishop that makes missionary work and 'his missionaries' sUch a focus!! :D We are sO grateful! :) After that we went to dinner at the Minton's for Easter!! And it was delicious!! And she gave us each Easter baskets!!! sweetest thing ever!! :D Then we got to give a "Youth Book of Mormon Fireside" which i, of course, LOVED!! :D It was so much fun!! :) i just love the youth!! You youth are INCREDIBLE!!! :D Keep up those strong and unwavering testimonies of Christ and this gospel and you will never regret it or go astray!!! The Lord blesses those who are righteous and being good is the best thing to be!! :D And truly the happiest way to live!! :D So keep it up!! :D You are aMaZiNg examples to me and to all those around you!!! :D And Heavenly Father is so pleased with you- His precious sons and daughters! :)

It was sO cool to be on the 'other side' of a youth fireside and actually be the one/Missionary GIVING it!! It made me think back on all the awesome firesides i went to as a youth!! :) It was really cool! We watched some awesome video clips (testimony of BofM by Elder Holland and "Small and Simple things" where it shows the power and influence giving away a Book of Mormon with your testimony in it can CHANGE LIVES!! :) ) We played a fun 'game' with teams and asked them a 'life question' such as "what is the purpose of life?"or "Does God know me?"and had them search for the answers in the Book of Mormon!! It was awesome! and sO awesome to see all these youth anxiously engaged and searching through the Book of Mormon! :) I loved it!! :D I can only imagine what a sweet sight that is to Heavenly Father when we search our scriptures, love, cherish, and give them away to others to share the gospel :)

I challenge each one of you to pray about who you should give a Book of Mormon away to and write your testimony in it and pray for the strength, courage, direction, and words to say to DO IT!! :D I promise you will be blessed! And not only you, but the person you give it to will be blessed immensley as well!! :D

You are ALL so INCREDIBLE!!! :D I am sO grateful for all the amazing examples you have been to me!! Thank yoU!! :) I pray that the Lord will continue to bless you in all your righteous efforts and life!! You are the best!!! I love you all so much!!! The gospel is true- you and I both KNOW IT!! :D Have a super wonderful week!! And shine your light! :) Have a great day!!! :D

Love, Sister Carlini :)

ps. QofW: "As a fire will not burn, except the flame be revealed, a testimony cannot abide except it be expressed." -Elder Callister :)

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"We should be on our knees every morning and night pleading with the Lord that we never lose our faith, our testimony, or our virtue. There only has to be one witness, but it must be yourself." -Elder Callister :)

*Picture descriptions!! :)

1. We went to a frozen yogurt place with our district called "Orange Leaf"!! It was way good!! I just love all these great missionaries! They are great examples and friends!! :)

2. The pic with me and the super cute little girl is Isabella! :) We had dinner at her house (members in our ward) and she got a pet HEDGEHOG that day!!! crazy right??! hah it was the cutest little thing ever and his name is Sonic!! (haha so great)! and Isabella is definitely one of my FAVORITE little girls in our ward!! She is sUch a good girl!! and so sweet! :) The Sunday i gave a talk she drew a picture of me giving a talk saying "Go to the Temple" and put a sweet note on it to me!! it MADE MY DAY!!! :D She's the best! :)

3. We got to color eggs with the Monson's!! :) I lOvE that family!! :D They are the best! They signed up to feed us the day before transfers this week (before we knew what was happening) for our "Last Supper" (in case one of us got transferred! hah) they are awesome!

4.I woke up on Easter Sunday and was getting ready and said "Happy Easter!" to Sister Draper and she said "you too! ..I think the Easter bunny came.." and i was confused and looked into the living room and saw an EASTER basket and candy or ME!!! with a note!!! :D Sister Draper (aka 'easter bunny') is the best!!! Made my day!! :D

5.So for Easter we had an Easter Feast at the Minton's! And Sister Minton gave us EACH an EASTER BASKET!!! how sweet right???! Oh my goodness we have the greatest ward ever!! i love it!!! :D What a blessing!!