August 27, 2018

Good morning beautiful family of mine!

I don't have a ton to say this week, sorry! But here we go...

Tim was baptized!! Wow!! We are so so happy for him - it's been quite the battle to get him to this point, and it's going to continue on till the end. I am eager to help him continue on this path of discipleship and towards the temple!
We had exchanges this week which was so fun! I went over to the sisters area with Sister Enkhbold and it was so refreshing! I haven't been out of my area on an exchange for like 3 or 4 transfers! And I know as soon as I say this I'll be transferred, but it was fun to be on a bike! We had two really great lessons and other good contacts, so fun! (I also just adore Sister E, so we just had a ball together!)

Have a great week everyone! Love you all!

Sister Carlson

August 20, 2018

Good morning, everyone!

This week has been another full of absolute miracles!! The Lord is blessing us so much and I am just floored ever single day. Heavenly Father loves all of His children, and I'm so grateful for the minister that I've given and that I've received.

We started with exchanges on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sister Peterman came to my area with me and Sister Cook went with Sister Enkhbold in her area. We extended longer than intended and it was inspired and we saw so much success. Tuesday was a very hard day for me (it just felt like one blow after another), which ended up making Tuesday not as effective, but Wednesday was wonderful! Sister Peterman and I ended up going to an apartment complex and tracting the whole top floor. We found two lovely woman who were accepting towards our message, and we are excited to teach with them this week! Tracting does work (and it was a miracle especially because neither of us were very excited about it)! 

Friday was so SO incredible. It was our mission tour, and we had Elder Renlund of the quorum of the 12 apostles and Elder Cook, Taylor, and Alder of the 70 come and speak to us. WOW!! (We're so spoiled haha) It was so uplifting and edifying - it was all centered on God's love and appreciation for the work that we were doing. It was an incredibly special experience, and I left feeling so so happy. I know that God loves all of His children, and I know that Elder Renlund was inspired to say specific things for specific people to comfort and touch them. There were so many things that I was personally able to draw from what was said to make me a more powerful missionary and daughter of God. I know that Elder Dale G. Renlund is an apostle and prophet of the Lord, and I will always be (this word isn't strong enough, but) grateful for this privilege to have him in the Idaho Boise Mission.

Saturday was such an incredible day! In the afternoon, we were going to see Debbie, but we met this lady named Laura outside the apartment. She had crutches and was getting a cart of groceries to take inside and she had her dog, so we offered to help. We chatted with her for a bit and she was interested in learning more. It was 3:30 and there was a baptism happening at 4, so we invited her and she came!! Wow!! I felt like we were on The District or something! She came and had a wonderful experience. She asked us questions and she accepted the invitation to come to church!! Wow, what an incredible, amazing miracle! We're going to teach her later this week and we couldn't be more excited!
What a whirlwind of a week! I feel so blessed to have a Heavenly Father that loves me and His all children here. I know that as we trust in Him and follow the spirit, we will be lead to those people who are ready and prepared to receive His gospel. He loves us. I know that without a shadow of a doubt. I hope that all of you will never forget that. Find strength in that.

Love you all so much!! Have a great week!

Sister Carlson

PS - Grandma and Grandpa Carlson! Thank you for asking to stop by and see me, Sister Bartlett called and told me that you had asked. She was very impressed by all the missions you've served :) Thanks for thinking of me!

August 13, 2018

Hola Familia!

Good morning, President Bartlett.

This has been a week of so many miracles!! I know that these have come because of all the efforts of members, non-members, previous and current missionaries, and the Holy Ghost in preparing the people that we are now teaching. I'll just share a couple with you all :)

Kaylee and Milly, our two 9 year old friend in Hidden Springs, are both eager to be baptized! They are so precious. With family schedules and some hesitation it's been hard to meet with them, but we were able to teach both of them this week after months of trying! 

We received a referral from Sister Doughty (stake president's wife) about 2 months ago for Alicia and her husband in Hidden Springs. But this week we were finally able to have our lesson with them!! They are both starting from ground zero (no religious background), so it was really wonderful to talk about the Restoration. When Sister Cook recited the First Vision, Alicia was extremely touched by Joseph Smith's experience. It was a very tender moment, and the Spirit was there in the room with us. They have been prepared for Christ's gospel for a long time, and we are so thrilled for the opportunity we have to teach them.

So that's four new people we're teaching in Hidden Springs! That's a miracle in itself, going from 0 to 4 in a week!

There's another woman named Debbie and I love her so much. She's a hoot and a half!! She is very excited to teach us the basics of sewing, and so far we've both made pin cushions with her assistance :D She's had previous contact with the church, so she is very familiar with everything - she even has her own quad! She came to church yesterday and we had a wonderful time. I am so happy to have met her and have her in my life! She's so awesome!!

Those are my very most favorite people related miracles....and now here's my favorite not related to our people. Drum roll please!! We got a new car!!!!! With air conditioning!!! He is beautiful and we named him Captain Moroni :)

I think that's about it! I am so grateful for all of these blessings that the Lord has giving to us - each of these people are changing my life for the better, and I'll always be thankful for this opportunity I have to work with them in this capacity. I am grateful to be a in this area! I am grateful to be a missionary! I love this work and I know this is Christ's church restored to the Earth today! What a wonderful work (and time) we get to be a part of!

Love you all so many!! 

<3

Sister Carlson

August 6, 2018

It's been a week!

The work has been okay, we're just waiting on some people and letting them use their agency! It's hard, but necessary haha!

This Sunday, we had the opportunity to teach Gospel Principles in the Boise 13th ward and got to help out in a youth Sunday School in the Hidden Springs ward! We talked about service and sharing our beliefs about eternal families and homosexuality. Both were so fun!! I think the core of the both was simply this: God gives us commandments to make us happy and healthy. Just look at the Word of Wisdom. We know the harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco. It's the same with the Law of Chastity and service. We might not understand everything right now, and we're all given crazy trials (and we don't even remember the life before this to help us out!), but God gives us these guidelines and asks us to have faith. He knows us perfectly, and He knows our full potential. I've seen in my own life the blessings that come from obedience to His commandments. And that's all we do as missionaries and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - we invite others to taste the sweetness of the gospel and find true, lasting happiness.

Love you all! Have a great week!

<3

Sister Carlson

July 30, 2018

Good morning family and friends!

This has been a long and tough week! But the miracles definitely out weight the negative things! We were blessed with so many things, I'm grateful for all the tender mercies Heavenly Father gives to us to keep us going :D

On Thursday, we had a lesson with a refugee family from the Congo. It's been hard to catch each other (since Sister Johnson and I started trying 3 months ago), but we got to have an amazing lesson! Sister Cook knew of a member in her first area that went on a Swahili speaking mission and he got to come with us. Wow! It was so helpful to have him there! When we were first explaining things, Mmambwa (the dad) kept getting off track and was asking off topic questions, and Brother Dick simply said "you have very good questions and we'd love to answer them, but before we do, we'd like to share this message with you, is that alright?" in his native language. The spirit really softened Mmambwa during the lesson and by the end, he said that we would read and pray, and that this was something that he might be able to believe in.

Then yesterday after church, we were in a certain part of town and all our appointments fell through. There was someone we were teaching that we haven't been able to see in a while close by, so we started to go over there and we met Chance. She is in her 70's (she doesn't look like it) and she is so prepared for the gospel!! She has had so many incredible experiences in her life, and she is so in tune with the spirit now. We had a long discussion where she shared her story and we shared some of the plan of salvation. We are so excited to meet with her again!! She was probably the biggest miracle of the week! :)

The theme of this week was one of tolerance. I LOVE this theme!! There were amazing talks given yesterday about it, and we were all spiritually fed. As we seek to be more tolerant, as we correct ourselves when we are intolerant and pray for the Christ-like attribute of charity, we will be able to see the people around us as children of God. We will be able to reach out in love to them and help to edify and uplift them. We will be able to make the world a better place. I want to be able to be more Christ-like and tolerant so I can be an even more effective instrument in my Father's hands!

Have a great week everyone! Love you all! <3

Sister Carlson

July 23, 2018

Hi everyone!

Wow, this has been a crazy week (then again, transfers are always crazy!). Yes, you heard right! Transfers! Sister Johnson got transferred down to Twin Falls (right next to the temple!) and I got Sister Cook! She is so SO awesome. She's from Pennsylvania (woot east coast reppin!), she went to USU (double woot) and she's 25 (woot whaat). She has so many amazing experiences to share, and I know that this area will be changed because of her (it already has!)

One of those miracles that we saw this week was on Friday, our first full day together. At the end of the night, we were driving past these houses and we kept going and Sister Cook said "I think we need to turn around and ask those people back there if we can help them with their weeds." I quick flipped a quick (and safe) U-turn and we went and talked with this woman outside her house. She and Sister Cook related really well with their line of work / interests. She accepted a Book of Mormon and said was could come back!! It was a miracle we even found her (the spirit is so real!!)!

On Saturday we has a lesson with another friend of ours. The miracle in this situation was that we brought a member with us and they fit together perfectly! We'd been bringing this sister out with us constantly and all of the appointments be brought her to fell through (I felt SO BAD every time!!!), and this was the perfect lesson for her to be in. Wow! And, even crazier, we went and visited a returning member after the lesson that and she actually KNOWS our friend (though work) and would like to be involved in the teaching and bring her to church! Double wow! We have been wanting to get this member involved with the work, but it's been really difficult. The Lord knows what He's doing!

I am grateful for the spirit and for His guiding hands in this work. With the push towards acceptance and loving one another (if you haven't watch Elder Soares' video A Friend to All!!), we know that this work is hastening!! May we work on not judging others (including ourselves) and keep up with Heavenly Father's pace!!

Love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Carlson

July 16, 2018

Hi everyone!

Transfers are this week! With this transfer winding down and my trainer going home in 2 days (I am so excited for her but also so sad!!), I've been reflecting a lot on my mission and how I've served so far (and how I want to serve for these last 6 months). I've come to learn a few different things, through experiences and through the Spirit. I am grateful for the invitations I've been given - to act and become better. Our Father in Heaven wants us to succeed in this life ("succeed" meaning returning to live with Him again) and He wants us to always be improving. This process of improvement and change takes a LOT of humility (speaking from experience hehe). But humility is a sign of spiritual strength, so what can we do to be more humble so we can become the people He needs us to be? We need to feed ourselves spiritually!! I love what Sister Brazil Carlson said in her weekly email last week about focusing on Christ and what He's done for us, and singing hymns when our minds wander. We also need to be consistently and sincerely feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon (and other resources that we've been given) and praying for that gift of humility. In Sunday school yesterday, we were reading from the old testament about King Solomon, after he's built the temple and is giving the dedicatory prayer. In 1 Kings 8:61 he says "Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statues, and to keep his commandments, as at this day." What does it mean to "let our hearts be perfect" before God? This week I've pondered a lot about the Savior's atonement and how it enables us. Obviously, it's because of Him that we are cleansed from our sins, but He's done so much more for us. Through Him we can make our weaknesses strengths, we can have our hearts and souls mended from any pain or damage, and we can be sanctified. When we are meek and humble, when we are repentant and ready to change and obey His will for us, then we are being perfect in heart. He already knows our thoughts and intentions, but when we are honest with Him in prayer, and we seek His help and guidance, we are being perfect in heart before Him. How can you be more perfect in heart? What goals have you been invited by the Spirit to make? What plans will you create to meet these goals? I know that I have a lot of things to work on this next week (and for the rest of my life!), and I know that He will help us along as we consistently strive to meet our goals that have been prayerfully made. 

I love this gospel. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and what He's doing for me - doing TO me. I love the tender mercies that Sister Johnson and I receive each day. I love my family. I will always grateful for this stretching, hard, and wonderful experience of being a missionary. I know that He lives and He loves us.

Have a great week everyone!

Sister Idaho Carlson

I forgot to include some little miracles that happened this week, so here they are :)

Sister Johnson pulled out our part member family list and we decided to try this one family, but they had moved just a couple weeks prior. Through them, though, we found a family of 5 who is ready and prepared to receive the gospel! Sister Johnson and I are very eager to start working with them!

Another miracle was yesterday, we met a woman while walking around trying to visit part member families. She's otherwise religious and has had a lot of experience with the church. Her family is going through a really rough patch right now, so it was very good timing for us to offer a message of love and comfort to her (re-enforcing what she already knows to be true). We set up a time to meet with her again too, and we are excited for that.

That's just 2, but I thought I'd put them in :)

Love you all! 

There was this one lady we tried and she had this little piggy bench outside her door, so I decided to sit on it and have my companion take a picture :) (Sister Brazil Carlson, this reminded me so much of Madam Wheaton haha!) 

July 9, 2018

Hi everyone!

This week I spent 35 hours away from my companion! :O Don't worry, it wasn't anything bad haha :) We got to do exchanges with Sister Peterman and Enkhbold from Friday to Saturday, and on Tuesday Sister Johnson has a missionary leadership meeting to go to, so I was in a trio with Sister Irish and Manuia! What a fun time, I love all these sisters! (and sorry, I don't have any pictures :'( I know, I'm the worst!) Also this week was the 4th of July and my one year in field mark! So many crazy things happening, life is exciting :D

We had some really good, rewarding lessons this week. In both of them, we taught the Restoration and more importantly talked about people's needs. I learned a lot about Christ-like love, charity, forgiveness, and leadership (I think all of those could probably just be under the umbrella of charity). All of us would like to become better people, and the only way we can truly do that is through Jesus Christ's atonement. It's because of Him that we can do anything - He saves us from physical AND spiritual death, enabling us to return to live with our Heavenly Family again. When we pray for help in certain areas (with Christ-like attributes) and give everything over to Him, then we can really improve. But it does require work on our end, of course! We need to always seek to be forgiving, charitable, service oriented (the Savior ministered and served one by one, and we have the amazing opportunity to do the same with this improved ministering program), etc! As we consecrate our time, efforts, and everything else, we will be able to become the instruments that He needs us to be. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission - with all the joys and trials included - to be able to learn these important lessons. He always want to teach us more, we just need to be ready and willing to receive what He will give!

Have a great week everyone! Don't forget to hang onto the iron rod (read the Book of Mormon!) and stay on that straight and narrow path (to eternal life)! Love you all <3

Sister Carlson

July 2, 2018

Good morning family and friends I love!

This has been a really awesome week! It was a really long week, but we had so many miracles given to us that it made up for anything negative that happened :)
One of the most exciting things is that last night, Sister Johnson and I had the opportunity to use family history as an contacting approach!! We were trying to visit a part member family and they didn't seem thrilled to talk to us at first, but I asked if I could pet the wife's puppy and we struck up a conversation! (If possible, I will always ask about the dog and pet it and then talk to them :D) After talking for a few minutes, I asked her where their last name comes from and she explained, then she talked about her own last name and her Scottish and Irish heritage. I pulled out my own fan chart and showed her my grandma's last name, McDougal, and she got so excited and was talking all about Scottish and Irish culture and her family. We told her that we could help her make a fan chart of her own and she got so excited. She is actually very good friends with one of the members in our ward and we're going to set up a time where we can all meet together and help her with her fan chart! We are so excited to work with her in this new avenue, and lead into the gospel through this!
Another exciting and amazing miracle is that Tim Miller is back in our area!!! He went through a rough patch for the past few weeks, but he's back and rearing to go!! He wants to start the lessons back up immediately and he just looks to happy. Sister Johnson and I are so so happy!!
So if you haven't heard, Preach my Gospel had been edited and updated after 14 years!! All the missionaries are raving about it ;) Sister Johnson and I have been teaching the Plan of Salvation a lot this week, and the new points of doctrine that we are sharing is absolutely amazing!! In the section about the three kingdoms, we used to only talk about celestial, terrestrial, and telestial, but now we talk about the three degrees of glory within the celestial kingdom!!! WOW!! That leads to more focus on the family - "salvation is a PERSONAL matter, exaltation is a FAMILY matter!" I am just so blown away and excited!! This is the dispensation of the fullness of times, and we need to keep up with all the changing and moving parts! The work is hastening!!
In teaching and studying the Plan of Salvation this week, I've been pondering a lot on God's love for us and the importance of families. With the recent political turmoil, this has been a topic of conversation this week. But I know that God loves ALL of His children. Every single one of us. He loves us enough to give us prophets, scriptures, and families. The family is the most important social unit that existed in the life before this and the world today. We have the greatest opportunities to grow and learn in families. God wants us to be united together forever in families. But there are people who have never come to know of God's love, they haven't gotten the chance to accept Christ as our Savior and make the critical covenants to return to God, and they haven't had good families. I know with all my heart that God still cares. He gives all those people an opportunity to do those things, to participate and taste of those blessings in the spirit world and the millennium. All that is wrong on this earth will be made right. It is because of Jesus Christ that our Heavenly Father can offer us this mercy. Christ saves us from both physical and spiritual death. I know that as we follow Christ, as we accept Him as our Savior and live His gospel and His commandments (which includes making covenants and receiving ordinances such as baptism and other saving ordinances), and we endure to the end, we will be able to return to live with God again in our families. God loves us. He loves YOU!

Have a great week!

Sister Carlson

June 25, 2018

Good afternoon, everyone!

This was kind of a rough week for Sister Johnson and I, but we definitely saw miracles, and I was able to see the love that God has for these children in this area.

Brooke dropped us last Monday evening. She expressed some of her concerns and was very firm in her decision this time. I know that her time will come, but I can't lie and say I wasn't crushed. But I know that she'll be ready at some point, and that will be an amazing and sweet day! I love her so much, and I know that she's being prepared for all the blessings that God has in store for her! God is so good to us!

Sunday evening, Sister Johnson and I were able to connect with one of our potential investigators (Lynette) and have the most amazing lesson. She had really amazing questions and the spirit was there. The flow of our discussion was just amazing! It was a miracle that we reconnected with her, every time we've gone for the past little while, she hasn't been home. And at the end of a pretty discouraging week, we could have easily turned in for companion study. But we didn't! We followed the promptings of the spirit and were lead to her! I am so grateful for the gift of the spirit.

That's one of my biggest take-aways from the week, is that of personal revelation. God wants to help guide us through the turmoils of life, and that's exactly why He gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost. It truly is a gift. When we pray of direction and study His word and ponder in our hearts, we will come to know His will for us. It way not be in the way and the time that we want, But He will always answer. He is always there. Trust in Him!

Have a great week!

Sister Carlson