Fun facts:
-There are DEER EVERYWHERE. Sister Fillmore and I go on walks and go to the community college track to run in the mornings and literally the deer are everywhere. It's like they replaced all the college students here on campus.
- Sister Fillmore and I watched a CHIC FLICK! Well... the closest thing you can get to a chick flic with church movies. If you've ever seen the pioneer movie Legacy.. that was the one! It's kinda cheesy but Sister Fillmore is a hopeless romantic so we enjoyed it.
-I LOVE my mission president and his wife. They do a Facebook live to all the missionaries every Sunday - this week they showed us pictures of them dating in high school (so cute) and talked about patriarchal blessings. They call the Lives "Call of the Wilde" (that's their last name haha).
Some Spiritual thoughts/events:
-"What are you doing with this time God has given you?" -Sister Gong.
The church broadcasts special missionary-only devotionals to all missionaries every Tuesday. This week Elder and Sister Gong spoke. Sister Gong talked about how in the future we will look back at this time and have to answer to God when He asks, "How did you use the time I gave you?" It definitely got me thinking about what ways I want to grow during this quarantine. How are you using this time?
-The Book of Mormon has a special spirit about it.
Sister Atkin used to testify of this to people all the time - it doesn't matter sometimes what you are reading, this book will fill you with peace. Sister Fillmore loves to call it God's love letter to us.
Basically Wednesday was a crappy day for me. I felt no motivation and like an ineffective missionary. After dinner I started flipping through my Book of Mormon I read for conference. I looked over all my markings and I was just filled with peace. My attitude totally changed the rest of the day. I love that book!
-Breathing life into some dry bones.
Have you read Ezekiel 37:1-5 recently? Probably not because it's a very obscure story. Ezekiel is taken to a valley of desert and dry bones and God breathes life into the bones.
Well Sister Fillmore and I stumbled on this story by reading David Butler's (one of the Don't Miss This guys that we hear about but unfortunately aren't allowed to watch) Facebook post about it. We LOVE it and how it can relate to us. Life can definitely have times where we feel dry. In a spiritual rut. But God breathes life into us. Not only literally because He has granted us life, but the gospel brings meaning into our lives. Even during trials or times in our lives that are bland, God breathes life and motivation to us. Because we know who we are and why we are here. We know that He loves us.
Honestly I couldn't be out here doing this without Him. I couldn't be living away from my friends in family, in a tiny apartment, inside all day, with someone I've never met before, staring at our phones and calling random people all day without Him. And I'm happy! God has breathed life into my life and I want to help others find the hope and peace that I have.
If any of you know anyone (especially inactive or non member people) who would be willing to listen to a 10-15 message just about hope and peace let me know! We can get special permission to call people out of state since we are quarantined.
Sister Carlson
-accidentally matching at Walmart
-we are becoming chefs (those are blue light filtering glasses because we are staring at our phones all day)
