Wednesday, April 20, 2016

I'm Feeling 20!! 4/20/16 AND 4/13/16

April 20, 2016
I’M FEELING 20!!
Hello family!!!

Wow, so what all happened this week? Oh thank you sooo much for the birthday cards and for all that, I am sooo thankful to have all of you in my life! I just love ya! And yeah this week. A lot has happened!
So my birthday, man. I am just sooo blessed. Literally, I am so thankful to be here, to have these people in my life! This family surprised me with a huge lemos cake and that was just super cool, family Gallerardo, they are just awesome! And then, at night time, our ward mission leader, Ricardo, he is deaf, him and his wife, they are just awesome, and they threw a huge party for me! Haha no joke, I walked in and there was sushi, and a huge cake, just food everywhere, just really, really cool. I sat down and I kind of just was flooded with an emotion of love. Love for these people. How they spent their money on me, a little white gringo. I just was overwhelmed with love! I know how Christ feels, how much he loves each and every one of us. I AM BLESSED. so blessed.
Oh it rained for like 4 days straight, and at first it was just AWESOME! I LOVE THE RAIN! Was walking around just in my jacket, just dancing in the street, haha I love it! Everyone was in their patios and inside, and crazy, good Brad Carney just in the street, haha we didn’t have jackets or anything, it came without any warning so I just soaked up the moment, literally! So that was fun! Our house on the other hand, yeah looks like we are going to get a new ceiling! Haha one room like flooded, and it’s not even our house, we are living in a different house! Haha so it’s now 6 elders just crammed into like a living room, but we make it fun! 
All the while, on Sunday, we had 1 hour of church because of the rain, attendance of 25, haha going strong! When it rains or any weird weather happens here, the people just shut down, haha they don’t do anything! But funny thing, they also cut the electricity and the water!!! Haha so we truly didn’t have crap! Just waiting for a huge earthquake to happen haha! No, but we were walking around our sector and at night time, it was like pitch black, I was a little scared haha not going to lie! So weird, everyone was in their houses sleeping at like 6 pm, there was nothing! But we just kept on trucking, in the rain, without light, or water, haha but it was good!
But everything is good now! Oh, we played tennis today for pday, man I miss tennis! Haha still got some in me, but just ate with a family too, they invited us over and so they are awesome! But yeah, that was my week!
Literally blessed. It’s been good here. We had a conference yesterday with our Mission President and Hermana Cook, they are just incredible. So much respect for them. Literally, they are awesome. I love this mission. I know I can’t compare it to other missions or presidents, but I feel just so blessed to have President Cook as our mission president. It was a conference about humility and pride, something I can work on, haha, we all can work on! And repentance also. 
The atonement. Wow, I love it. I am learning about it every day. I can’t even describe my feelings for Christ, to have his name on my plaque, to wear it every day. I am so blessed to be a missionary, to learn of him, feel of his love not only for me, but for others. The mission is the hardest thing, ever. NO joke, but I am Just blessed. Just blessed. Come unto Christ. Learn of him. Invite him in. He is real. He is watching over you, ready to uplift you, ready to heal you, ready to make you into who he knows you can be. He is our Savior. He is my best friend. I love you all and am praying for all of you this week.
LOVE LOVE
Elder Carney



April 13, 2016
WHAT UP WHAT UP!!
HELLLOOO family!

So this week, first off, story time. 

We were talking to this drunk guy (there are many here who wander the streets!) and all of a sudden, he starts going off about Americans and how cold they are, how they don’t kiss on the check to meet people like they do here, and how they only do handshakes, and all of a sudden, this guy gives me a hug and I was like, ok, this is weird, and he freaking kissed me on the check! I pushed him off and was like, salta po lado which is pretty much like, get out of here, nasty!! It was so nasty, so that was scaring. Freaking Latinos!

Anyways, this week was good. So I have been sick this whole week and kind of just miserable. Not really been fun at all, but I just kept trucking, kept going even harder. As a trainer, you want to be an example 24/7 and I realized, one morning, that I physically and mentally couldn’t function, I had been going so hard and didn’t take any time to rest. And was about to throw up, so I just laid down and was out for like 2 hours. The other elders in my house, homies, they came and were like, you are stressed. You need to get better. I finally realized that I was stressed, haha its hard! Doing everything alone pretty much! So I listened to this talk, about how we need to treat ourselves now, rest up and heal before we can keep moving, because in the future you are going to take more time to heal. And so yeah, I was like, shoot I need to relax, I can’t do all this on my own! 

So Jesus take the wheel. I am learning to take things slower, to ask for help more, and to not be sick! Haha I hate being sick, but it was just a good life lesson. We can’t run faster if we don’t have any energy. So yeah, treat yourself, learned that!

It’s been good. This week was good but man, its tiring! Life is just interesting here! Oh we moved out of our house! They are doing renovations on it, so we are in a house with other elders for now, and not sure how long we will be here. They are tearing up our kitchen and bathroom, which is probably good because its super crappy! Pics will come later! But yeah!

It’s been cold lately! Winer is coming, which I am excited for but also not! Haha it’s so cold in houses here, they have no insulation haha so pray for me that I won’t freeze to death! Because I don’t have that much fat to help me!

Other than that, life is good family. Jesus take the wheel, I truly can’t do this on my own, like Carrie underwood states. Haha but not joke, we can’t do it. We truly can’t. So here it is, invite him in. Trust him in your life. He knows it, he knows everything, just let him take control!

I love you family, all is well. Also, not excited to turn 20...noooo!!! I refuse to grow up!!!

LOVE YOU ALL


Elder Carney

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

LIFE JUST GOT REAL! 3/30 & 4/6, 2016

April 6, 2016
WHAT UP WHAT UP!
Hello family!!!

Soo yeah, this week has been good! Wow, sooo I am really tired! haha training, I never thought it would be so tiring, haha its different that’s for sure! Because you have to be an example 24/7, but with someone watching your every move, every second haha its been good! My kid is from Columbia and he is a good missionary, he has a lot to learn! He knows the language though haha its almost not fair haha we are doing good though. Trying to love him get to know him, trying to teach him! Hard, yes. The mission is hard. So hard. But possible? Yes.

And yeah so this week I finished the Book of Mormon for the first time in Spanish! We did it in 3 months with the mission and it was such an incredible experience. Like, wow! I did it! Haha did I understand every bit, nope, but I did it! It’s so cool, because I know it’s true!  I did Moroni’s promise, that if anyone asks God, with real intent, to know if it is true, they will receive an answer, and I did that- I just knew it. I know it’s true. I love telling people that too! IT’S TRUE; READ IT! The book is blue and its true!

Also, Stanley, our Haitian. I just love that guy. We haven’t been able to visit him but last night, it was pouring rain and he was home and he is just the best! HE prayed, he prayed and asked if it is true! Haha but it is so weird teaching in English haha I love it though! I wish I could do it more here, but I love Spanish too! 

General conference was super good! I loved the talks and just love feeling the spirit! Haha it was all in Spanish which was fun, at like the 10th hour I was just done though haha tired! But I am excited to hear it in English too, or read it in English, but it was just so good! 

Life here is good. I could use prayers, its tiring haha but I love it! I love the people. Even though some are very difficult, even though people scream at us or slam the gate in our faces, or just ignore us, it doesn’t matter. Children of God. And I love ‘em. Is it hard to love them sometimes? Yeah, it is honestly. But I know that if God loves them, heck, that means so should I. I love you all. I am so grateful for this gospel, its true!!!! I invite all to open their hearts, really discover for yourself. IT TRUE!!! And I love it so much!!

Much love!!
 Elder Carney

 BRADLEY and his new companion in the tallest building in Santaigo!!!


March 30, 2016

LIFE JUST GOT REAL……
Hello family!!!

Soo shoot, looks like I’m pregnant...nah I’m a trainer!!! I have a kid!!!! And he is a Latino, yep from Columbia, Elder Garzon, he is a really good guy, just trying to get to know him and it’s just weird because he knows Spanish and I don’t...haha so I have to train him to be a missionary. And I will be honest, its super stressful already! Haha but I’m excited! It will be good! So this means I will have another 3 months in my sector which is good, but we are going to change this ward around! So yeah, I’m a dad!!! His accent though, man it’s so weird haha have to get used to it, how he speaks! Haha never thought that would happen anytime soon! What is cool is that 2 other guys from Colorado from my group, Elder Maser and Elder Brown, we all got lost together in Atlanta, yeah they are training too! But training gringos, which is cool! Someday I want a gringo to train, but for now, got to train this guy! But life is good. I’m alive, the 29th was good, we just stayed inside and played board games and chilled, wasn’t really a vacation though haha we did a super deep clean of the house! But yeah life is good family. I want to hear about your lives! I am sorry this is short, super short, but I love you guys and yeah, life no mas! Love you all, praying for you daily and I wish you all the best!!!!!!


Elder Carney