Isatu's Baptism

Hey guys!

Hope y'alls week has been good, we've had an interesting one here. So we moved into our new apartment (like across the street) because our old one was literally falling apart, and it's been a long move. Along with me getting a cold, which we thought was strep throat. So I started getting a headache, and then woke up the next morning and couldn't talk, and was super congested. So that was fun right in the middle of moving. We went to the doctor which took about 4 and a half hours. Sister Bills (our mission nurse) said I probably have strep throat, but after seeing the doctor she said I only had a cold, probs from adjusting to the weather. We finished moving into our new place, after clearing everything, packing, and cleaning the walls with toothbrushes...that was so flipping annoying.

So Isatu's baptism! It was an amazing experience, she was super excited, and the spirit was so strong. So glad she made the decision to follow our savior and enter the waters of baptism. The morning of was crazy, satan was definitely trying to get us down. We stood outside in our suits, and jackets waiting for the trolley in the pouring rain for 45 mins, and then we had to walk another 15 after the trolley ride to get to church, so that was fun. All worth it tho, Isatu is an amazing girl, and I'm super happy for her. I know this church is true, and I love the way it's blessed my life, and the way it blesses others lives. Love and miss y'all!

Pics descriptions:

1-3. Isatu's baptism 

4. Some pancakes I made for me and Elder Makakane 

5. With Elder Sandberg eating Oreos and milk while watching Elenyi (an LDS trio) 

6. Pic of my zone 

 

Baptisms

Hey everyone!

Hope y'all had a great week. We've had a pretty good week here, had some solid lessons. Isatu is getting baptized this Saturday! If you don't remember, she is the girl whose family has been inactive for years, because her Mom works on Sunday, and we just happened to stumble onto their names on our referral list, showed up, found out that Isatu (the daughter) had been wanting to get baptized for a long time, so we got arrangements for her to get to church, and set her with a baptism date! So excited for her.

We got to teach Kamilah again, which was fun. She's got a super fun personality, and she was wearing a shirt that had a koala bear with a snapback hat, gold chains, and like a gun or something, I was like yo that's so tight! We had a good lesson with her about the Book of Mormon, she seemed very interested, and said she would read the Book of Mormon and pray about it.

Yesterday we got to go to the baptism of our zone leaders and that was amazing. I met the girl getting baptized when I went on exchanges with them. She is so awesome! When I went to a lesson with her she mentioned that she had to go into surgery 12 years ago for something, and then during surgery her heart stopped, and she didn't know it until her Mom told her when she was describing her "dream". She said she was in a big open field, with a mansion in the distance, when she started walking towards it she met someone who was very close to her that died a few years before, and he told her that she couldn't go to the mansion because it wasn't her time yet, and then she woke up surrounded by doctors, and everything. So yeah she's pretty great. Her Mom was there too, and she isn't a member, but she kinda bore her testimony at the end saying how much she supports her daughter in this, and she knows it's the right path and everything. It was so awesome. And they had pretty bomb food afterwards.

Hope y'all have a great day, and I miss and love all y'all!

-Elder Carlson 

Pics descriptions:

1. The temple on the way to the zone leaders baptism

Hey guys X 2

Hello everyone!

Hope y'all have been having a good week, we've had a pretty good one here. We taught a couple people this week. Not as many as I would've liked to, but still decent. Isatu went to church and is still planning on being baptized on the 29th. We taught Raquel Williams on Friday, and that went well. She had a lot of questions about Adam and Eve which I was able to answer fairly well. Then we went with Elder Sandberg and Elder Chauncey to Sister Estelle's house, and had a great time there. She's such a funny lady, and it was a super great dinner. ALSO!!!! Our mission got smartphones! So now Elder Makakane and I have an android, personally iPhones are better, but still a much better upgrade from the slide phone we had. Last Monday we played tackle rugby in the pouring rain for about 4 hours, and that was awesome, but freezing, and wet. ALSO!!!! So in these past couple weeks I have eaten 4 boxes of mint Oreos, and two full plates of cookies all by myself...i'm gonna start eating healthier. But in my defense I also eat healthy foods along with them. Like for breakfast I'll eat like 4 Oreos, and some eggs and rice. So it's all good. I also met some crazy guy on the trolley today. He sits next to me and goes "when is your birthday" I go "March 31st" he goes "no it's not, only God can tell u your name, so that's disrespectful" he them does the same thing with my name, and other random crap, then he goes "who is your supreme being" I go "God the father, we worship God the father and his son Jesus Christ" he goes "God goes by many names, so it's disrespectful to call him God" I'm like boi get outta here, no one wants to talk to you! (I didn't actually say that lol) but I was mad, i wanted to say a lotta stuff, but I also didn't wanna get shot so I left my mouth shut. But yeah that happened. Anyway I hope y'all have a great day. Also, congrats to everyone still in choir at Reagan on y'alls fall concert, and at region! Love y'all

-Elder Carlson 

Pics descriptions:

1-2 Me in a dragon onesie (which is now mine) with a gallon of milk 

3. Some cookies I made with an Oreo in the middle

 

 

Hey guys

Hey everyone!

I hope you guys had a great week, and are doing well. Had some good stuff happen this week. We got a new investigator named Kamilah, she's from Africa and she actually reminds me a ton of my aunt Jani just in the way she talks and stuff, she's super great we has a nice discussion with her and we plan to meet with her again this week. You could tell she felt the spirit, and I was so glad because as we would talk to her it was as if her whole opinion of the Mormon church changed, I love that about the gospel! We also got another bible referral and we're planning on meeting with her on Wednesday. Funny story we were trying to find an investigators, and we stopped by this gang smoking weed over on the side of the street, and asked if they knew where the address was. They didn't, and then one of them goes "aye missionaries I think we got y'all drunk up in North Philly" then we're just like nah I don't think so. Then another one goes "yo missionaries gotta turn up too" and then we just kinda laughed and walked away. So yeah that was fun. I know this church is true, and I know the spirit can witness to people of it's truth, I encourage everyone to pray with a sincere heart to know this if you haven't already. I love and miss you all, and hope you all have a great day.

-Elder Carlson

Picture:  

1 - The whole rugby crew from last week

2 - Pday 

3 - Goosen

Post General Conference Vibes

Hey everyone!

This week was pretty nice. To start off some funny stuff happened, so last night we slept at Elder T and Elder Cole's apartment, and I realized the next morning that I forgot hair gel...so I used some of Elder Cole's shaving creme as hair gel instead and that worked pretty great. Another funny story is that in between Conference I was eating some Oreos with milk, and I was about 7 Oreos in before realizing that the milk expired on September 16th, so yeah that was an L. Conference was amazing, definitely different being on a mission watching it. Super sad to hear about Elder Hales, he's truly a man of God, and I'm glad he's in a better place. Also sad to see President Monson not there but I'm glad he was able to watch it from his home in peace with his family. I especially loved President Uchtdorf's talk at the Saturday morning session, it was amazing. We had a couple solid lessons, we taught Aaron about the importance of the Book of Mormon, and how it compliments the bible, without adding on or replacing it, but rather is the piece to complete the fullness of the gospel. Then we stopped by a referral, and it ended up being a family who didn't order anything, nor knew why they were on the referral list, but we then found out they were an inactive family, and their daughter who was ten had been wanting to get baptized, but her Mom (raising the kids on her own) didn't go to church because of work, and her kids couldn't get there, but now we have a ride for the kids every Sunday, a baptism date for the ten year old, and the Mom is going to look for a new job that lets her get off on Sundays. How awesome is that! All because we happened to get a referral for somebody who didn't order a Book of Mormon or Bible, but her name was there and we showed up, I truly believe the Lord had a hand in having that name be there, and for us to go to their house. I hope you guys have an awesome day!

-Elder Carlson 

Pics descriptions:

1-2. Our Wi-Fi got cut off, so the only way we get service is if we are high up enough 

3. Elder Yaranya-tawiah (Elder T) at his finest 

4. Selfie of me with cheerios 

5. District picture 

6. Robert D. Hales quote in respect of his passing