It's been a really fun, productive week!
A few days ago, we helped the YSA sisters put up lights at the
temple!!! It was quite the endeavor haha! Sister Weidmann had this
super long poll thing and we would try stringing up red lights all
over these older, dying trees. It was so much fun! I mean common'...
it was at the temple 😉
Yesterday we also helped YSA at a members home, digging out weeds! Wes
(le member) gave Sister Seo this little shovel.. Because she's cute
and little. Everyone laughed. Later, he found this little fork in the
dirt.. So he handed it to her and said "to go with your shovel" and
everyone laughed a looooot harder :)
Sister Seo is like a real life anime character heh!
This morning I auditioned to sing for the next Mission President's
Fireside! Sister Whitcomb accompanied me! BLESS HER HEART! Oh and
we're hanging out with her pretty much the rest of the day! WHICH
REMINDS ME! It's both of our 5 months mark... Which means next month
is our 6 months... Which means I'll be 1/3rd of the way done....
Crazy. Too fast.
Some cool experiences this week!
The other day we got a phone call from Mandarin sisters and they told
us there was a man at the temple who really wanted to speak with us.
We were all.. Ok why not, we don't have anything set for a while. So
we drove over to the Temple and met a man named D. His first words
were "I really want to be baptized". WELL OK! We talked with him a bit
more and he was really set on putting his life together and submitting
his will to the lords. His testimony was burning and instead of giving
him a date to work towards for baptism, we simply just asked him how
soon he wants to get it done. He picked Halloween 😆
Now we're just going to do our part in helping him get there.
This week I gained an even brighter testimony on patriarchal blessings
and how important taking the sacrament is. The past few weeks I was
struggling a bit with a few mental mountains. Just hick ups that were
dragging me down and I felt really discouraged. I didn't know how to
over come because really, overcoming meant not only changing my
behavior but the way I think. I've never knelt so much in my life
asking for something so badly. But God knows me better than I know
myself. Through earnest prayer and study, I was able to receive
answers to every hard question I had, I could feel God's love for me
and through the prophet's and apostles received direct revelation from
conference. Sunday, I also fasted for not only myself, but for those
i'm teaching. While waiting for the bread and water to be passed, I
took out my patriarchal blessing and just read. Read about my mission,
read about my family, read about what I can do to over come this exact
challenge I was facing. One of the answers I received was to forget
myself and go to work :) interesting how turning outward and serving
others heals the soul. Once I did partake of the sacrament, I felt and
over whelming amount of love and piece. The atonement is real. Christ
suffered for me so that I could be out here on a mission telling
people how they can feel what I've felt. Total joy. Our heavenly
mother is real. I know without a doubt that is Gospel is true and it
can heal you and make you a better person.
So... It's become a thing now where everyone has a spirit animals XD
Sister Hendrix is a brown bear, I myself am a fox, Sister Weidmann a
lioness, and Sister Seo a hyena. HA and it fits them all so well ;)
Ah! I need to tell all y'all more about Sister Hendrix! She of course
comes from Georgia in a small town called McDona. She comes from a
family that has all but her grandmother fallen away from the church.
It's made her strong and I love being around her. I've gotten into the
habit of saying "yes ma'am" and "yes sir". AH! She's the best haha.
Yesterday, she submitted her entire family into Mormon.org so that the
missionaries could stop by ;)
Welp! I know I wouldn't be the person I am without this Gospel. Joseph
Smith truly did restore this church and he was a FANTASTIC man! I love
reading the Book of Mormon over and over just to feel of it's spirit
testify to me that what I'm doing is right. It's a book written of God
and his prophets, not of man. We actually as a mission have decided to
read the BoM cover to cover before Christmas! It's been amazing.
Nothing is more important than this work and I love losing myself to
it. I've fallen in love with the people here in San Diego and I can't
even think of the heart break I'll feel when I have to leave.
I think I mentioned this to Jenny, but any of you in Utah or around
there should go take a tour at temple square when Sister Weidmann
returns next month ;) she can even give you the tour in German! I love
her so much it hurts... Don't even want to think about next month when
we drop her off. BUT at least my family can go visit her. My sister
from another mister. Who lives in Switzerland... Haha! Love. Her.
Soooooo much.
Keep on Keepin' on folks. This church is true.
-Sister Carlson
