One of these being sadness. So many fantastic missionaries left The
Great California San Diego Mission today. I am humbled and honored to
have known them. BUT It's not like they're actually dying. All is well
;) A especial thank you to Sisters Stirland and Purcell! You two changed
my life for the better! Thank you. Just.. Ya, thank you so much.
All the other emotions I can't really describe. Excitement?
Anticipation? ALL OF THE ABOVE?!? Yes. Mhm. I WILL sprint to the end
these last 6 weeks of my mission and work my absolute hardest. This
transfer WILL work wonders for both me and those whom I teach. I LOVE
being a missionary more than anything in this world. I thank my God
everyday for allowing me to be here and to participate in his great
work :)
Speaking of the work, let's just jump right in!
So I haven't raved and ranted too much about our investigator G,
but G!!!! We were introduced to G through the Assistants to
the President. We've now been teaching her for about 3 weeks and MY
GOODNESS! She brightens our day :D
She will CONSTANTLY have these incredible questions to ask that are so
profound.
"How does the Plan of Salvation effect your personal lives?"
"Why did you decide to serve a mission?"
"What story in the Book of Mormon helped change your life?"
We can't get enough of them! It's so much fun to teach her. Yesterday
at our lesson with G, I felt the need to straight out ask her if
at that time she knew the Book of Mormon was true. She answered with a
solid YES and reconfirmed that she was ready for baptism. We'll be
going with her this week to the Mormon Battalion! G for G. She
truly has drawn closer to the savior and it's exciting to watch!
We had to push K's baptism back a week. BUT! The priesthood is real
and after having received a Priesthood blessing from Elder Bird, K
re-committed these past few days to never touch the stuff again!! We
had to explain the situation a couple of times to a few different
individuals. I could hear sister Pitcher in the back seat texting our
leaders saying: "Coffee... AKA the devil..." đŸ˜‚Sisters Pitcher and
Davis fill my days with laughter. Really. If you could sit and watch
our trio interact for only a few minutes, there would be a huge smile
on your face. I love these sisters. They took the set-back like
champs!
A few more things to laugh about:
As we drove up to visit one of our less active members named Kim, we
were surprised to see her wearing a tutu.. "HELLO GIRLS! I'm going to
be a fairy this Halloween!" Tis the season ;)
During one of our Power Hours at Mesa College, Sister Pitcher was
accidentally throwing pass-a-long cards at people.. "WAH! I'm so
sorry!". Within that same hour, we were able to accomplish our goal of
handing out AT LEAST 3 Book of Mormon's and inviting someone to be
baptized! To close it off, we were able to converse with two Deaf
student's heading to class! They weren't quite ready for the gospel,
but both Sister Pitcher and I LOVED the opportunity.
The best memory of this week will have to be the image of Sisters
Davis, Pitcher and I traveling through UCSD campus trying to find
Aly's apartment while holding a huge Pizza. We brought along one of
Aly's main fellowshippers Kristine (Miss Pilkington's look-a-like) and
she pranced along side us while wearing no shoes #YSA. We were
startled to find in our ventures a tall tower on campus with the 7
deadly sins flashing across the top of it's peaks in neon bright
lights. We gazed up with puzzled looks. Just then Aly came flying
around the corner and directed us the rest of the way to her home. She
actually lives in the great and spacious building.. HA!
Once there, we sat and planned together Aly's baptism and set up a
time for her to be interviewed. SHE PASSED YESTERDAY!
She also dyed her hair blue and wants to wear a One-zee (no idea how
that's spelt) to her baptism. Aly. Coolest med student you'll ever
meet.
Last but not least THE MISSION PRESIDENT'S DEVOTIONAL!
A came. G came. Kwon came. AND P CAME!
It was one night I will NEVER forget. My heart nearly burst just being
in the same space with the other missionaries in general, but then
having everyone we invited show up?? Tears. My heart sung as the
recent converts stood to bare powerful testimonies that Jesus IS the
Christ and that this IS his Church. How grateful I am that those
emotions in my chest could then make their way out through my voice.
Singing with Sister Cortello was amazing, I LOVE baring my testimony
in music. There is no easier way for me. I'm so happy that she and I
with Sister Whitcomb could share our souls this way at our last
Mission President's Devotional. Those things change people's lives!
Mine will never be the same and I'm glad.
After the devotional concluded, A hugged me and asked me to adopt
her, G cried and thanked me, and K gave me a firm handshake. As
I walked up to P, she stated "There really IS a General inside of
you. You commanded the room with your voice. I could see your lips
move but the song of an angels is what was heard."
While speaking she handed me a note that read:
"Moroni 6:2 Neither did they receive any unto baptism save they came
forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto
the church that they truly repented of all their sins."
With an arrow pointing for me to flip the paper to it's opposite side,
I continued reading:
"I'm ready to be baptized."
She hugged me as I sobbed.
I love the Lord. I love this work.
Fire came as President spoke directly to me that night "He will carry
you home." That he has and that he always will. In God I trust.
Let the Lord carry you home friends! We are strangers here :)
GO ALL OUT! BE ALL IN!
-Sister Carlson
P.S. Getting to see all of our investigators meet President Schmitt
was hilarious. P started talking about transfers in front of him
and didn't realize he was the one in charge. He soon told her that he
was and she flipped. "YOU CANNOT MOVE THESE GIRLS! Sister Carlson HAS
to sing at my baptism!"
"I know, I know! She has to sing at my funeral!"
He walked away telling her he still needed to pray about transfers..
Alas. We all stayed ;)
Hanging up Christmas lights.
