Explains my entire week...
Trails. Satan. Etc.
It just means something amazing and life changing is about to happen.
Confront your trials and face your fears.
Also... Speaking of Elder Holland, HE'S GOING TO BE HERE IN 3 DAYS.
I've already been having dreams of meeting him haha! My excitement
level CANNOT be measured.
All is well! Sister Essymba and I have literally been playing "Come,
Come Ye Saints" on repeat for the past 3 days. Life=theme song.
She also taught me a song in Kota! (One of the 13 African dialects she knows)
It goes as follows:
"Yow bay ya papay yow bay ya
Koomoo NA goo gala yo bay
Papa bung a buh bana"
Now.. Video tape yourselves reading THAT and send it to me so I can
make my companion smile ;)
Once upon a time,
Sister Essymba and I were driving in the car. She declares to me out
of the blue:
"Sister Carlson,
When my grandmother was 14, she was lost in the forest for 5 years.
She came out of this experience knowing everything about the earth.
Which leaves will heal you, which leaves will kill you. She is a wise
woman.
... I know.
The work!
Keep breathing deeply because we're still so busy I can hardly keep
up! I'm starting to think that's just how life goes in La Jolla.
#doublecover.
It's been kind of fun connecting with those whom I knew a year ago.
For instance:
This week we had a lesson with a gal named J. We invited H
to come along since they are both UCSD students (reminder, I taught
H a year ago when she was investigating) J LOVED the Plan
of Salvation and it was incredible to hear H's testimony of when
she first was taught the plan. It struck me at that moment that I was
surrounded by converts (and a soon to be recent convert). How
beautiful this gospel is and how often I am reminded of that by my
very own recently converted companion. To hear a converts testimony is
equal to non-other. I would say that's true even in my own family.
(Thanks dad)
I am so thankful God allowed me to come back to La Jolla. We've been
visiting so many people I already had connections with and it is
bringing miracles. Drawing people back to the fold and inviting others
in! There is no better work.
With the thought of drawing others in, I would like to end with a few
notes I took at the last MTE's. President showed us a short clip of
David A Bednar, standing in front of these missionaries, telling them
how to pray ha!:
"Please bless those that aren't here his week, that they will be here next week"
Totally faithless. That is the prayer of an object. That prayer in
essence is: we're not going to do anything.
Instead- "we thank thee that we could partake of the sacrament, thank
thee for the spirit, we are now going to conclude this meeting and go
home, Heavenly Father, today we're not going to ask thee to bring
people to church next week. We're going to go do it, and we're going
to do it now. Everyone here knows at least one person that is not
here. We're all going to go get them. We're going to go to their homes
and ask them with love, why weren't you at church today? Can we help?
I have no authority, if he bishop doesn't like what I'm praying, he
can ask me to sit down, but he hasn't asked me to sit down. So I'm
going to keep going. We always talk, we hardly do. We don't need any
meetings to do this. We're going to go. Please inspire us so that we
do not now all go to the same house"
Pray with the expectation to act. 25% would come back if we acted. Ask in faith.
Cut the fluff.
Fear not.
I love you all
-Sister Carlson
Our apartment
