Carey Family

Scott and Sue Family

October updates from Elder Brian

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10-4-2011
Lunes:  So we went over to [an investigator] in the morning and they said that they weren’t going to be able to have the baptism on the 22nd, so they wanted to see if he could do it on the 15th!  We were so stoked!  We have SOOO much work to do before that, but we are putting our faith in God and letting him do the work.  We are really excited for it.  Then we had some crazy finding experiences where we literally found Israel, God’s chosen people.  It was sweet.

10-11-2011
We had a killer week!  We were really, really stoked.  This one should be really good as well, and so we are really excited for the baptism on Saturday.  We decided to put forth our faith, and we sacrificed some stuff!  No music, no mail, 20 min. lunches, and God pulled through!  (He usually does).

10-18-2011
Alright so for the big news:   I AM LEAVING!  Yep, you heard it, I am being transferred again.  I don’t know what it is with me, but this will be my 8th area!  Crazy, huh?!  Most missionaries have 4-5 areas, but me, nope, I get bounced around a lot.  Also, the other news with this is that I will be training!

Second big news:  [Our investigator] GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!  It was sooo awesome.  The service was very nice and very powerful.  Very emotional. I played a piano solo of this arrangement that I wrote of “This Is The Christ”.  It was a debut, and it is way good.  I like it a lot.  Afterwards, we went over to their house and we had a little party with the whole ward (it was big), and that was fun!

10-25-2011
So….I am in VISTA!!!! I am back in San Diego County.  My area covers 1/2 of Vista, a part of Oceanside and a sliver of San Marcos. My companion has been out for 6 weeks, but serving in English, and so now he will finish being trained in Spanish. We were whitewashed and so that has been an adventure just getting around and finding everything.  We have a part-time car (first time in a year), and so that has been fun, pulling out the bike again and riding around.  I am also the District Leader of the Vista Spanish district, and so I will finish off being a district leader.

A Good Start

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Finally started sewing my Thanksgiving quilt today.  Yeah, it was only two 9-patch blocks, and no, it won’t be done for this year,  but I got started.  I cut out the blocks a long time ago so it made me happy to finally start sewing!

Small Victories

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Winter storms make me feel yucky and want to curl up and hibernate.  I experience a variety of symptoms every time a storm roars through and they’re not fun.  So with this storm and the incredibly busy weekend I just barely survived, I wanted to lay in bed and read “David Copperfield” today.  But alas, it was not to be.  I spent the entire day packing up Halloween decorations, putting out Thanksgiving decorations, and cleaning my house in preparation for the college youth group that will be arriving at my house any minute.  (Now that all prep is done, I am sitting with my phone writing to you, dear reader).

You may be wondering at the title to this post.  It’s in reference to the fact that those activities didn’t use to take me an entire day.  Not too many years ago I could roar through the house like a bat out of you know where and have all that accomplished in a couple hours.  Not so now.  I am learning to pace myself, put on some music, and just move at a snail’s pace.  Frustrating, but it’s teaching me patience, I guess.

So here’s the victory: got it all done, got myself cleaned up and beautiful, and had 10 minutes to blog! Not bad!

Doorbell ringing………

September updates from Elder Brian

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9-6-2011
Hey what’s up!?  This is Elder Carey here, still in Mission Viejo at least for another 6 weeks.  Apart from my Greenie area, Mission Viejo will be the longest area that I have had on my mission!  Crazy, huh?!   I get bounced around a lot.  So, this would be the first time in over a year that I have stayed in area for 3 transfers.  I am super stoked though because this is an awesome area and an awesome ward! I love it A LOT!  I am really excited.

9-13-2011
Jueves:  We were on the freeway getting off at an exit, when all of the power went out!  You may have heard about it.  It was so annoying!!!  We were in the car for almost 2 hours stuck in traffic, trying to get home.  GAH!!  It was miserable.

Sabado: We sped over to the church to get ready for the fireside!  WOW, it was a HUGE SUCCESS!!  I was not expecting it to turn out soooo good.  Before every song, we had readers that read scriptural passages from the Book of Mormon about the Savior, and then before the last song, someone was asked to bear testimony. As I performed the last song, we turned all of the lights off, and they prepared a slideshow that they projected on the screen with pictures of the Savior.  They had a lamp, so that I could play and sing.  It was REALLY POWERFUL, there were a lot of tears!  It was super sweet.  I arranged all of the songs for the concert, except the last three.

The fireside went like this:
I Believe in Christ on the organ/piano (my comp and I)
Jesus Once of Humble Birth (sister missionary singing/me accompanying)
A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief (Me playing/singing)
Where Can I Turn for Peace? (Relief Society Choir, me accompanying)
How Great Thou Art (Me playing)
Our Savior’s Love/I Feel My Savior’s Love (Missionaries, me accompanying)
In Humility Our Savior (Me playing)
I Stand All Amazed (Me playing/singing)
I Know That My Redeemer Lives (Me playing/singing)

9-20-2011
We went over to teach [an investigator].  We brought [a recent convert] w/us, and she threw down, it was AWESOME!  Man, there is nothing better than bringing your recent convert with you to lessons.  It is the best thing in the world.  The lesson was great, and we were really happy.

9-27-2011
Lunes:  District Meeting.  It went really well.  I talked about all of the ideas that I have tried over my mission about working with members.  We are excited to make things happen.  I am stoked for General Conference this weekend, it is going to be sooo good.

The latest news

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1.  Ode to Inter-Library Loan: I have a tiny local library with a secret ingredient-ILL.  If I have patience, I can read anything I want, 3 times a month, for free.  Awesome!  This makes me happy.

2.  All Festival of Trees Gift Shop items have been made and turned in for this year.  I am done crafting for that.  I sewed more pillowcases and crocheted more burp cloths and made more cards.  My sister donated the leftover boutique items from her adoption boutique, so all told, I donated over 120 items this year.  That’s 110 more than my required 10.  (For the record, I always exceed the 10 number, but not by that much!)  Now it’s time to do my part for our family large tree in the bidding area.  This year our theme is Joy to the World and we’re doing classical music.

3.  I’ve been working fast and furious this week on Brian’s missionary scrapbook.  Have now finished year one, so am feeling pretty good about that.

4.  Our vegetable garden was retired last weekend and all remaining stalks mulched over with the tractor so it’s now a bare piece of ground.  We pulled out lots of annual flowers last weekend as well, but left in ones that were still blooming.  This week of uber-cold frost has now blackened those, so I need to get out this week and pull the rest.

5.  My new B&W picture wall in the family room is now complete and includes some vinyl lettering, which is a first for us.  After I finished, Scott seemed in a trance, saying we had vinyl on our walls, as if it was something he had never envisioned seeing in his own home.  I think it looks pretty cool and after he became reconciled, he thinks so, too.

6.  Monday night at midnight is Brian’s priority registration time for BYU classes.  I’ve spent a bunch of time working out classes and schedules and am now ready to jump on and get him some winter classes.  That’s for January 4th, when he’ll be home from his mission and then gone to BYU.  Seems soon!