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

March updates and pics!!!!

Elder Chase Heiner, Elder Carney &  Elder Chase Johnson

(not sure which one is which - except for Elder Carney!)

March 29, 2017

Hello!!

Today is dia de joven combatiente OR Day of the Young Combatant (the missionaries have to stay in most of the day because it gets pretty violent apparently! Prayers!!!)

Sorry family and friend, I won’t be writing today! I am going to be working on some college classes, but I will send pics!!

Life is good. We had interviews with Pres.  and I just really needed it, it’s been a couple of hard weeks! But all is well. I have really felt the power of prayer during these past few days, and I know that he listens. SO, it works! And I know that!

Love you all!!!!

Sorry! Mom don’t kill me!!

March 22, 2017

I am Joseph!

Hello friends and family, 

So, this week, well it’s been a very interesting one. 

It’s been a little hard lately. I have been sick and things with my comp have just been interesting. It’s been a struggle not going to lie. And to be with someone 24&7 who doesn’t really like you or even care, it can be hard. 

But all is well. I had a moment the other day, where I read D&C 127, and I think its verse 2, where its talks about wont water I am born to swim in, how the trials that Joseph Smith was going through seem but a small thing to what he has gone through his whole life.  (Here is the whole scripture he is referencing : 2 And as for the perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.

I really like that. And man he went through soo much, and I love how Joseph truly showed the world what he believed, and how much he was rejected. Man, soo much opposition here to our religion, and around the world. But people don’t know the story, they have never asked or heard from themselves. They need to look to the true source. And I am soo proud to defend my brother Joseph, I know he was a prophet of God. And that his first vision, really changed the world. From that we know that God loves us, and knows us, and wants us to return to him and that we have a purpose. 

SO this week I am not going to focus on all the crap *there has been a lot!( I have been sick, just not been good with other problems!. SO I will focus on the good!!

Fransisca. She is DOPE!! She got baptised a year ago, but just went away. Well, she speaks English! And she is SUCH a white girl haha she speaks fluently and is literally the whitest chilean I have met! And so pray for her! She is such an awesome girl, but is struggling in life! So we had a great lesson with her, and she is really opening up to us!

Pedro. He is a the dope dude from Iceland. And man, he made us dinner. Just unexpectedly. We came and he had this FEAST prepared for us!! It was incredible! I have realized the importance of being grateful, it is such an important principle which mom and dad, thank you for teaching me that!! 

But pray for him too! He has gone through a lot in his life. He also speaks fluent English. SO, we went and visited both of them, and honestly, I think God knew that. The day before was just awful, we worked and worked and just nothing happened all day. It was soo frustrating! Then the next day, I got to be with them and they are just genuine, awesome people, and I needed it! And in English, that was nice!!

God is good! Today we watched, yessss, STAR WARS!!!!!!!!

So, next week we will be inside, so I have to write early Wednesday morning just to let you all know! It’s the day that all the delinquents are out and burn things and rebel, so we have to be inside Tuesday night and Wednesday just to write our families we can go outside! 

I love this gospel, I love you all. 

GO look for the truth. 

Elder Carney

March 15, 2017

Well, I am just here.

Hey family!

Soo this week has been a very interesting one. It’s been a hard one. But I am still trying.

I think the hardest thing has been with my comp, man oh man. it has been a little hard let’s just say that. 

But you know what. Obedience. That’s what I want to talk about. 

Literally just being obedient in all the little things. In this gospel and in life, we can take so many shortcuts and excuses, but in the end, we just need to be obedient. 

So yeah!

We are finding new people! Elizabeth and her family, they are dope! We are excited to teach them, so pray for them! They are new!

I am really trying to focus on the people right now, just put my efforts into them. But yeah!

I am really sorry this is a short email. I am doing good, just need to help out my comp and serve these people! Can’t really say anything else ha-ha, just ´prayers please!

I am grateful for everything that I have passed through. It’s been a ride, that’s for sure. It’s been a ride and I am still riding, and just trying to love it! It’s time to give it my all and serve!! 20 months in the mish. 

CRAZY!!

Love you ALL and miss you!!!

Elder Carney

March 8, 2017

Whaaat’s UPPPP?

Hello familia y amigos y a todos!}

HOW IS EVERYONE DOING? GOOD GOOD!  

So, this week has been an adventure, that’s for sure. 

I am liking the new ward, feeling a little tired of meeting new people, doing that whole routine thing, but all is well! Just slap a smile on the face and enjoy it!

My comp TRUCKS. Literally the fastest Latino I have ever seen. He walks soo fast, which is weird because all Latinos usually walk SO slow. But nope. He doesn’t even wait for me. He just goes. SO, that’s kind of an adventure. He is a good guy. Doesn’t really want to talk to me, I don’t think he likes gringos SO I am just killing him with kindness and just singing to myself walking behind him. Haha not really sure what’s up but eh, whatever}

We had 25 people come to church. It’s just normal to me now! My whole mission is just ghetto haha it’s been great!

We had a Haitian come to church. He doesn’t speak like, nothing of Spanish (nor I English, tis so bad now) and he went to the bathroom during a class and never came back. Awkward. Poor guy was probably really scared!

I had a heart to heart with this guy Pedro. He lives in Iceland. He is DOPE! He is 45 years old, not married, and lives in Iceland so speaks English. He is a member and he is back in Chile for a while, and he asked us to come by. He made a huge pizza for us and my comp was talking to his dad and I just talked with him in English, and it was SO good.  I needed it. he is an awesome guy, just pure service. Pure love. And he just loved me, so at least I have one friend in this ward! 

That’s about it! Pray for me. I am just trying! That’s all I can do. 

God is good. I am really blessed. Really really blessed and just trying to tune into the spirit, and focus on that. And the basics. Love you ALLL

Elder Carney

March 1, 2017

March 1, 2017

I’M OUT!  

Haha hello family and friends!

Well, my time has ended. I got changed! And actually, my comp did too, they are whitewashing it. Which is honestly good. The ward needs it. Man, we tried our hardest, and in the end, it’s up to God! 

But president called us to tell us Saturday, and I just felt really peaceful about it, really good. And sooo I am now in the stake OHiggins and the ward, Los Conquistadores!! (Mom note- a ward is a congregation in a specific area)  haha it’s in the ghetto. Yet again. My whole mission has been in the ghetto, but hey, more fun stories!! 

All is well here! I am with my new comp Elder Alvear from Columbia, he is a good guy! He has about a year in the mission, we are the only two elders in the ward. It’s a REALLY small ward, so it’ll be interesting! We live with two other elders too, thank heavens! Living with just 2 can be boring! But now we have 4!

I am excited for this new opportunity!! It will be good! Last ward, which makes me really feel weird, but hey all is well!! Just going to enjoy every minute. That’s my plan!!

It’s time to just soak it in!!

All is well here! I will miss a lot of people from my old ward, but it’s a new chapter! Time to learn more! Tired. YES. But happy!

All is well!!

Jesus lives! He really does!!

Elder carney