Thursday, May 25, 2017

May letter updates!!! May 10, 17, 24, 2017

May 10, 2017
Running from drunks, eating chile, and being a missionary

WELL HELLO THERE FAMILY AND FRIENDS! 

WHAT a crazy week it has been that’s for sure! 

So, fun story time. This drunk guy, his name is Sebastian. we were walking and talking with this Haitian dude who didn’t really speak any Spanish, and this huge guy stops us, He wanted to talk with us. this dude has two beer bottles in his hand is just plastered. SO, we ignore him because, well, this isn’t the first drunk guy we have met, Everyday there are drunks. And he got angry. my comp decided to talk with him, I was just like, this isn’t going to go well. because the dude got violent. all of a sudden, he grabbed my sweater and my comps and he pulled us close to him. He read our plaques and the name Jesus Christ and it was like he was a devil didn’t even phase him and his eyes were like black. SO, I told my comp “we are running on the count of three”. And we were OFF: this dude started booking it too° and we are laughing and running and we notice, shoot this guy is actually going pretty fast for being drunk! and we freaking hit a dead end! Thankfully we hid and contacted this house trying to get in, nobody was home. he sees us and coms to us and we just go the other way and book it! There were ghetto friends of his on the corner and they helped us out thankfully, but we were OFF.

So yeah that’s a fun story!! Never done that before! but the dude was dangerous! But we are all safe!

As for more spiritual stuff! 

We found a less active who we went and stopped by, and we got in and she just broke down crying. She just expressed how much she needed help, and it was heavy. these people’s lives. I feel at times soo not prepared I am a 20-year-old kid, not a life counselor. BUT, the spirit was soo strong. And it really taught me to just listen. To cry with them. to comfort them. yes, we need to focus on the positive, but we also need to mourn with them. Understand them. That’s what Christ did with Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus died. He just wept with them. 

So, I am trying to be better at just listening and understanding people and their hearts.

SO please pray for Julieta! she is ready to make a change and she came to church!! We were so proud of he, she did it all by herself too! She is going to change! 

And change is good! 

I finished Jesus the Christ!!The book by James E Talmage, it’s like 800 pages of the life of Jesus Christ, I finished it for the second time. WOW. So incredible. It really puts his life in a different perspective! and I really like the invitation, to come as you are.

This church, is a church for people who need help! who are heavy with burdens, who want more hope, or who just want to be better! and you know what is great, we can come as we are! we don’t have to change ourselves to fit into the fake Mormon standard NO!

Come as you as, but also be prepared to change! and I like that. That we CAN change and that he wants us to! God can see our full potential, we can’t see like, barely any of it. BUT he can, and through change, through sacrifice, we become as it says, New creatures! and I know that’s true because I have seen it in the lives of people here! 

I love this gospel. I wouldn’t have given 2 years of my life, for nothing if I didn’t know its principles are true. I love Jesus Christ and feel soo grateful for him and to be a representative of him.

Come as you are, but be prepared to change, and for the better :)

love you all!! 

Elder Carney




May 17, 2017
SOOO KOOL 2 C U
Wow, it was so nice seeing you guys!! (We got to Skype on Mother’s Day!)

So, I am on early today, we are going to the temple in the afternoon and then having a pizza buffet party, so we are writing early!!

It was great seeing everyone and just chill! So weird how much everything has changed!

I have a challenge for all of you!

Look up a talk, by David A Bednar, called Characteristics of Christ. AMAZING. 

I have been really studying charity and it has been so cool! Charity is not just service, it’s part of us. It’s a characteristic that Christ had and used. The talk explains it super good and I am really going to be trying to learn more about it, and of course, ACTING.

I love this gospel because it’s all about ACTION. if we are not trying, we are not acting. It’s like a muscle. If you are not using it, you will never get stronger. It’s the same with the gospel. We need to LIVE it! We know of it, but when we live it, it’s so much different. And I think I have learned that on the mission, because we study the scriptures, we pray so much, we are building our faith every day, and yes, even while the winds and powers of Satan are against us constantly. We have that faith and have that desire. 

This church is a church of action. <and what is so cool about this action, even if we just have a desire to change, is that we will see progress. We will, in the end, become a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we will be like him. 

Now the road is hard, BUT, we keep trying. We keep learning. we progress! and I love that! Other churches here, and in the world, are just a giant social club or a place where they just sing and praise, which that’s ok, they are praising god! But it is so much different. They can’t progress like we can.

True Christianity is so much different. It’s about molding our lives into what the savior showed us. It’s about following him. It’s about sacrifice. But when we give something up, or try to follow him, we gain something more, something even greater. 

That’s the gospel! SO, progress. 

and CHANGE IS GOOD!! 

Love you all so much!! email me and send me pictures!! 

Elder Carney





May 24, 2017
#PENSIONISTA
Hello everyone!

Soo wow, I am out of the ward Departamental and am now an office elder for the next change. We are in the ward called Chena in San Bernardo! I have a full day and wow, it’s a lot of work! Just a lot of little things and I don’t even know the half of it! However, I did get to take the car out for a ride haha I actually know how to drive, I thought I forgot! Chileans though are like Utah drivers, just on crack. They are a lot worse, soo bad. SO, pray that I won’t get in a wreck!

Life here is oh so good. I said goodbye to the ward which was good. I didn’t really have anyone special that made me sad to say goodbye too, but it was a sweet dispedida. The bishop was just a great guy, just a hard worker, and like 30. He and his wife don’t have kids, they haven’t been able too, but they are just such a power couple! Goals! I am sad to be going.

SO really cool news, which I am soo excited for! Hermana Sandra. She is from my first ward in Covarrubias. She was a less active, and she has just had a hard life! man Satan has just thrashed on her. But she is literally the sweetest, most caring soul I have ever met. She is my Chilean mom. Literally just an angel. She has visited me in every ward that I have been in, she has called me just to check in, she is a true disciple of Christ, of compassion, and sacrifice. SO, she has been active now and just a machine in the gospel! 

 AND she is going through the temple tonight to receive her endowments!!!!!!

I am soo excited to go and be with her. That family has just turned around! Her husband isn’t baptized but calls us his children, he is such a great guy! and her daughter, we baptized and her son too actually! 

I am soo blessed. soo blessed to be a part of that family. I thought about it, and I just feel like we all knew each other before this life. and how I feel like I specifically was called here, to this mission, to that sector my very first sector, to be there and with them. to help them, cry with them, grow with them. And man, I cannot express the love I have for them. 

So yeah, all is well here! Excited to be here, it’ll push me to grow and learn more things! We will see, its stressful too, but I’m just going to have fun, work hard, and learn learn learn! Learn all that I can while I still have this time!

I love this gospel. It is so great! it’s AMAZING how the church system works. Truly, incredible! I don’t think there is a more efficient and large organization out there, who knows their stuff, and who ultimately, tries to follow Christ. That’s it. we are all just trying to become more like God, and his son Jesus Christ. 

And I love that! we are constantly trying to become better, to help others, and it’s not an obligation, it’s something that we truly want to do. I love being surrounded by dreamers, by people who love this work and are dedicating so much to it! And they do it, and we do, because its TRUE!

Love you all!! 

Hey, look at my cool signature thing!
Secretario de Vivienda
Misión Chile Santiago Sur

La Iglesia de Jesucristo de Los Santos de Los Últimos Días

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

May 2, 2017!! 2 months!!!!



We bought a cactus and named it Steve!!!


May 2, 2017

2 months!!! EWWWW!

Hello family and friends, 

Wow. So, I woke up today and it hit me, I have 2 months left. What the heck?

That kind of freaked me out! SO weird how time has gone by sooo fast and also at points sooo slow! It feels like I’m in a dream sort of feeling

So, this email will be longer because, well, I have no friends that write me anymore :( Super sad. Life of a forgotten missionary!

It’s been a great week! Here are some dets

  • We did this new idea that I got from a friend in Russia! We took a whiteboard with dry erase markers and brought it outside the metro station, and we wrote a question on it, what makes you happy? and it was SO sweet, a ton of people wrote their answers and we talked to them about it, and got some great conversations and some good references! it was so fun too! So that was a fun new thing!
  • We are trying to do new things to find people! and we are going by the members and wait for it, teaching them to love their neighbors!
  • SOO many times, especially here, people don’t even know or talk to their neighbors! so we are going to change that! But to start off, we have to get to know our own neighbors, so tomorrow we will be baking gringo cookies and going and talking to our neighbors, getting to know them! and we are inviting all the members to do the same, and we are going and doing practices with them and just getting them pumped!!
  • We had a ward activity, a postreton! it’s a dessert, so everyone brought desserts and it was really good! I represented the elders and the sisters and made, wait for it, an OREO cheesecake, it was PRIME! we won an award for it too, not too shabby
  • We are really honestly just trying to find new people! it’s been rough. Man, it’s so hard here! but we will find people. What I have learned is that our efforts are no wasted. NO EFFORT IS WASTED. at times, it feels like it but we are just planting so many seeds and maybe in 2 months, 2 years, or 20 years, those seeds will grow!
I had to give a last-minute talk in church and I really wanted to help this ward. And animate them for missionary work. And so, I prayed and just asked for the spirit to guide after preparing for an hour, and I think it went well! I talked about love, and how we are here to love god and others, and how this love impulses us to share the gospel, because it is the most precious thing that we have. And I just expressed my love for them, and just trying to let every person see, that people need us. They are out there. 

And I know it’s true. SO, people need YOU. they need your example. your testimony. they need you to share your happiness, to share your love. And we can do that through SO many ways!

SO that was our week. really, I am focusing a lot on finishing strong, loving these people, making it count, and just building the faith of others in every aspect.

I love it. I am so grateful for it. And I need to share it! so I invite you all, to go share it! go find those people who need this happiness, this hope. This change of life. It is the best thing we can be doing.


Elder Carney

Monday, May 1, 2017

APRIL 2017 Updates!!

***Note: So sorry, google wouldn't let me back into Elder Bradley Carney's account!  But this techy challenged mom FINALLY figured it out! Ha! So here are this last month's emails! Lots of changes!

April 5, 2017
BLESSINGS!!

Hello family and friends!

Wow, general conference. SO good! Last one watching it in Spanish haha praise Jesus! Nah it was good, but after 10 hours of sitting, it gets a little boring!

But it was so great to hear those talks. Some really hit me, were super good! I just have a new found love for general conference now 

This week was good. It’s been a little hard, not going to lie. I have had a couple of days where the motivation is just super hard. Just have to bear down and grind through, look for the little blessings. Which there are. Even if it means that someone said hello or nicely rejected us, heck, tis a blessing! I will take it!

But I am trying, that’s about all you can do. It’s been hard, YES, but I know that God hears my prayers. And the new video for the Pascua (Easter), is SO incredible. Prince of peace. 

I really have been searching for some peace in my life and every day, and I think we all need it honestly in our lives. And we can feel it through Jesus Christ, it’s such a different kind of peace. SO, I love sharing that video and truly trying to find inner peace, and everlasting peace.

We played paintball today. SO DOPE! Have some nice bruises, nice war scars!

That’s about it. Changes are next week, something will happen. It’s either I am going or my comp is, so we will see. Man, so many downs and a little ups haha but overall, GRATEFUL. to be here, to be a missionary. 

GOD is the best. I am blessed even though I have trials, and even though I struggle. I am human, and I am glad to try to be a disciple of Christ. 

Love you alllll
Elder Carney






These sweet ladies from his very first area almost 2 years ago brought me a birthday card & donuts! They are my Chilean family!!!





We have grapes at our new house so we made grape juice!!!











Wed, Apr 12, 2017 2:10 pm
Subject: THERE IS A GOD

Hello family and friends

WOW. SO, God LIVES:

Do you know why? 

BECAUSE I not only got changed, I am with ELDER CHRISTENSEN!!! Literally one of my best friends on the mission. And we are PUMPED!!

Like they say it’s always darkest before the dawn, well, I am out of darkness and soo excited to be with him! I am now in the north of the mission, in San Miguel where all the rich people live! Finally, I don’t have to be in the ghetto like I have been my whole entire mission! It is a different world up here!

We are in a ward called Departamental!ª So yesterday we had changes and we also had to change houses too with the sister missionaries, oh yeah, there are sisters in our ward too! So, we had to move and it took a LONG time, was a challenge! But now we are in a really nice house, just us two but hey it’s all good!! 

And yeah! Literally prayers ANSWERED!! 

I feel very grateful for this new fresh start, and to just enjoy this time. This precious time! 

SO yeah, happy Easter everyone! 

I am so grateful to share this message everyone, that HE LIVES!! that he resurrected, and how Christ paid for our sins, he died for us, and he rose the third day! And he STILL lives, his power is still here, his church is still here! There are SO many churches and so many great people too, but to be a part of and to KNOW that we are part of his only true and living church, brings so much peace and just a closer relationship with him and with our h
Heavenly Father! I am so grateful to know that too!!

HE LIVES!!!
Elder Carney

 








Random dog on the micro (bus?) with Elder Maser You'd think he'd stay away from dogs after his Rabies incident!!! But apparently not!  











Thurs. April 20, 2017
 WHAT IS LIFE!?

Hello family and friends!

Sooo thank you all so much for all the birthday wishes, you are all the best!

Twas a great bday, all tranquillo, just a normal day!! I will give you the dets!

  • We had ward council, OH MY GOSH. Things get DONE in this ward! I was in SHOCK!! my whole mission, it has just been a struggle and the wards, have been rough! Here, holy crap, leaders work and care!! It was INCREDIBLE!
  • We handed out 1,000 prince of peace cards in the metro! We went and wrote our names on all the card and number, and we got on, and just rode it for like an hour and handed out the cards to everyone! Just saying, happy Easter! or Jesus loves you! it was dope! And if the people didn’t want them, we just smiled and told them to have a good day! God loves everyone so I have to dangit!
  • We made a cheesecake, super good. 
  • We splurged and went and had Chinese food with the hermanas, the sister missionaries! Haha felt like a double date, but they are dope, super chill! Just 4 gringos in the ghetto of Chile!
  • Sandra and Jaqueline came and visited me Sunday in my new ward! they are from my first ward, they are literally my Chilean family. I love them soo much! and they came and gave me dunkin donuts and a birthday card. I am soo blessed. Literally it was so cool to see them!!
  • It has just been great with elder Christensen here. Just been a great week! 
  • Please pray for him and his knee, it’s not looking so hot. He has a torn meniscus and so they are going to see what they can do to help him. We will have more answers next week, but I just don’t want him to go home! It’s been so fun just in a week! 
  • I love this gospel. The mission, it’s just the best, such a unique, and one of a kind experience that we get! TO love people, to focus on them, to help them find a new life and see them change, ITS BEAUTIFUL!! SO freaking hard, but so worth it!!
Love you all!!!
 Elder Carney



Wed. April 26, 2017
 Cambios son Buenos

Hello family and friends!

So, guess what!? I have a new comp now! Elder Sarceno from Texas! He is dope! So, Elder Christensen, his knee was not doing good at all, and so he had two choices, to go home or to go to the office, so he is now in the office to rest his knee, hopefully it gets better! 

So yeah, I am pretty much in a whitewash, haha no idea about the sector or anything! But all is well!! 

We had a good week! Not that much, we really need to find people. SO, prayers are welcome! But I am excited for this challenge! We are just going to have some fun!

I really appreciate the power of prayer. It has carried me and I have learned so much and I KNOW that he listens. And that he wants to hear from us. And it’s really cool to feel that he listens. Sometimes it feels like we are just talking and hear or feel nothing, but you know what, he IS listening to you, and cares about you, and loves you. 

I just have been reflecting a lot about my mission and all that I have learned. Holy crap, I have learned so much, SO much. And I just know, that prayer, it works. That he hears us. That someone is listening and someone knows me by my name. 

SO, pray. Just talk with him. IF you need help, if you feel sad, happy, whatever, just talk to him! HE LISTENS!

Its crazy, time is really flying by. I would have never thought I would be at this point, but  I am grateful to keep working, to have a body that works ,and to share this gospel with people! With my brothers and sisters! Who even though a lot of rejection, lots of mean people, and soo much unkindness towards us, I love em. 

That’s why we have the second commandment. To love one another. And even if they don’t deserve it, you love them. It can be really hard to love your enemies, but we have to do it. We are Christians for a reason, and we have to be true Christians and practice what we preach. 

God. Loves you. He is mindful of you. Talk to him. Open your heart to him. He is there. 

Love you all!!
 Elder Carney