Mary was baptized this past Saturday!!
Man planning a baptism during the coronavirus in Oregon has to be a hundred times more complicated than a normal baptism. We had two pre-recorded talks and it was a headache to figure out how to get them on the TV, as well as the amount of people who could attend and maintain six feet (the room with the font is very small). No group singing was allowed so we did two musical numbers.
Mary was SO HAPPY and it was a wonderful day.
Other eventful things this week:
We started teaching this man who goes by Red. He lives in very humble circumstances but he is honestly my favorite person ever. Red uses very colorful language and sometimes he drinks beer in our lessons at the park but he LOVES Jesus SO much. And now he is starting to love the Book of Mormon.
We were having a lesson with Red when we read 1 Nephi 1 together. He suddenly goes, "I'll be right back." and gets up to walk a few steps away. Honestly for a second I was wondering if Red was about to skedaddle away but he stops and screams "HALLELUJAHHHHHHHH" at the top of his lungs. He sits back down and tells us, "I love that." Then we read the rest of the chapter and, of course, Red loved it. I'm not 100% sure if it was more Red yelling hallelujah or the beer, but I love that guy. He had a friend who was a member growing up, so he knows a little bit about it and he is very familiar with the bible.
Yesterday Sister Risenmay and I taught the restoration to a man who actually was straight up crazy. Full fledged senine old man. We were outside in his front yard in the middle of the lesson and we asked, "So what do you know about Jesus Christ?" and he goes, "...I was born in upstate New York you know. I'll never forget when I was born on that kitchen table. My grandma's kitchen table. I was born on my grandma's kitchen table!" I started uncontrollably laughing. He also kept looking down at the Book of Mormon we gave him and going, "I love this book. Look at all these pages? Can you count all these pages! So many..." Carl was nice enough but we aren't going back there.
There's a lot of strange people here in Oregon but I honestly love it. People are very nice and sincere. It's fun to be a missionary and focus on seeing everyone as a child of God, rather than a bunch of strange strangers.
God is good! The church is true and the book is blue.
Sister Carlson
pictures:
Mary's Baptism!
First time back at church since February (My fourth time going to church my whole mission!)
The type of stuff we do after 9pm
