Carter Allred returns from mission speaking Spanish

ROYAL CITY — Lots of young men from this region have gone, or go on missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the purpose of helping people in their walk with Jesus and in other ways.

They usually return with a lot gained personally, especially when they visit foreign lands. Royal High School 2014 graduate Carter Allred came back this summer from Chiapas state, Mexico speaking Spanish like a native speaker.

Upon his return, Carter went to work in the family orchard for a month before going to college. The Mexican orchard workers he’s known for years were surprised when he started conversing like them.

Allred had taken two years of Spanish in high school, but it didn’t really stick. Before going to Chiapas, after graduation from Royal High, he made a stop in Provo, Utah for an intensive six-week Spanish course at the Mission Training Center.

Carter and the others taking the course had three hours of instruction every day from a former missionary who’d worked in a Spanish-language country, an hour of personal study and three hours of conversational practice.

“They matched us up with partners, and we spent the time practicing,” Carter said.

Course completed, Carter flew down to Chiapas. He carried out his mission at five communities that included Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Ocosingo.

“I saw a beautiful place and met beautiful people,” Carter said.

Carter’s mission was to bring people closer to Jesus Christ or to give them their first knowledge of Jesus.

“We went to help people follow the example of Jesus Christ through repentance and baptism. I was happy to take some time out of my life to give back to the Lord.”

Of course, the message had to be delivered in Spanish. Carter met few people who spoke English. He had ample opportunity to practice his second language.

“I improved quite a lot,” he said.

The missionaries were paired. The partners could be changed every four weeks, and Carter had 14 while he was there. They lived together in apartments and traveled together, and most of the travel was on foot.

“We talked in the streets and in their homes,” Carter said. “Most people we talked to were very accommodating.”

At the end, the last of July this year, Carter was satisfied he accomplished what he went to do. He helped individuals and families with baptism, and other people attended Sunday church services.

Carter started his mission in the mountains of Chiapas and finished in farm country. His stay in farm country gave him a look at the state of agriculture.

“They don’t irrigate because it rains enough,” Carter said. “The fields are small, and they grow mostly mangos, corn, papayas and beans. It’s a very fertile area.”

“Very few people have tractors,” Carter added, “There was a lot of hand labor.”

After working August in the family orchard, Carter started college classes at Brigham Young University. He’s thinking about starting his own orchard operation in the near future.

That could give him an opportunity to perfect his Spanish.