December 18, 2017

Christmas is close, and it´s HOT down here in Brazil! I don´t have a lot to say, only that I´m excited for Christmas and that I get to see my family! 

As well, Sister Novias and I had a really cool experience at the end of the week! We´ve had a referral for a little while now, and we had planned to visit her many times, but she hasn´t been home. We finally got to see her Saturday night, and she is so ready to hear the gospel! She had a really cool expereince with the BYU ballet. She´s a ballerina, and is hungry for more knowledge about the gospel!! We´re excited to really begin teaching her this week! 

We have a zone conference this week, and it was awesome! The Christmas spirit was really present, and we learned about what it means to be a friend of Christ, not just a servant. As well, what we can do as missionaries to bring others unto Christ. I love my district!!

Sorry this email is so short, we running!!

Love love love!

Sister Carlson

P.S. Pics! We finally managed to take some cute photos together haha! One is with Elder Frenwin (greenie) One with Sister Novias, one with our district singing, one with my plaque and a flower, and mom sent Christmas lights out, so we made a tree on the door! 

December 11, 2017

Good afternoon!

Christmas is close and people are getting more and more festive! It's a little different here, we have the Christmas lights and other things, but it's hot! No snow for another year haha!

We had our Ward Christmas Party on Saturday! It was so much fun, but more so the time before! We had lunch with the Ward Mission Leader Irmão Marcio and his family. Afterwards, his wife Irmã Cátia was running around trying to prepare for the party. Sister Novais was quick to ask if we could help, and we were put to work! I'm grateful for my mom, because every party that we prepared for prepared me for this moment--we were the ultimate sous-chefs! We also had a really sweet experience with her. She was really stressed out, but Sister Novais remembered a particular hymn that she loves to sing together. After we sang one, I asked Irmã Cátia what were some of her other favorite hymns. We sang and sang and sang, the whole house just felt good. The spirit can testify to us in different ways, and He definitely testified to me when we sang "A Child's Prayer" I know that the Lord answers our prayers, even when it feels like we've been left alone. There are times when we feel like we can't receive any comfort, but music can so quickly bring the spirit! Something that I've been trying to do more on my mission is sing when my mind is going haywire. Sometimes I'm mad, or sad, or I just want to be happier. When I have a moment to think of a hymn, the spirit has an opportunity to calm my mind and give strength to my body. What a blessing it is to be a missionary, I've had to learn so much in so little time!

I love you all so so much!!
Sister Carlson

December 4, 2017

This is going to be supa fast, I don't have too much time!

So it's another week two, usually the hardest week for me. But I am so grateful for Sister Novais because she has two transfers left before she goes home, and she has taught me SO much! I'v really had to learn humility in leading because I know this area, so I'm the one that needs to plan, needs to know the way. But at the same time, I don't know a lot about the mission, I'm still relatively new.

Sister Novais has been helping me with learning how to lead, but at the same time take heed of her counsel. Sometimes it's hard to be wrong, but it's only when we're wrong that we truly learn the right. I've been wrong a lot this week, and that's why this week has been one of great growth.

I also want to testify of the power of Family Home Evening. We were able to have a FHE with a family last Sunday and yesterday, and it was marvelous to see the trust we gained after sharing a message and an activity. There was so much joy in the living room, lots of laughter and stories of missions. I know that when we take this time to share a spiritual lesson with family and have a fun activity, relationships can be strengthed. Family Home Evening really is a blessing!

That's all I have time for! I'll try to get pictures next week, I love you all!!

November 27, 2017

Wow this week has been a rush!

I need to write fast, and I probably won't cover everything, but it's great here in Brasil! There isn't really Thanksgiving over here, just Black Friday shopping (for the whole month of November?)

Although we haven't had a turkey feast, we sure had a spiritual feast on Saturday! The day started off uncertain and emotional, but ended with a BANG! Last week with Sister Moura, we found Paloma, the daughter of a less active. With Sister Novais, we visited her again. and guess what? She was so prepared to hear our message! We taught her the first three lessons (The Restauration of the Gospel, The Plan of Salvation, and The Gospel of Jesus Christ) and it was so refreshing to teach with a different companion. Don't get me wrong, I love love love Sister Moura, but because we had been together for three months, we had fallen into a routine of teaching. With Sister Novais, I coouldn't stick to the script, hers was completely different from mine. It was really a time for me to go with the flow (spirit!) and say what I needed to say. It was a great experience for me!

Anyway, that's all I have time for, sorry it's so short! I love you all!

We finally bought coconuts again, and now they have sunglasses haha!

Final pizza night for Sister Moura, with Ana

Just a cute pic with sunglasses B))))) 

Sincerely,
Sister Carlson

November 20, 2017

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all doing well! This week has been good, a little sad at the end, but good!

My first experience is a little sad, but gets better at the end! So Sister Moura and I found an inactive couple on the member list, and we decided to visit them. They were really nice and we talked about their family, and about Christmas. We had a lesson about the plan of salvation, and we invited them to read the Book of Mormon. I felt confident that they would accept because the way Sister Moura asked was powerful, but with a smile, they said no. This is the firmest no I've ever gotten, and my heart actually hurt. I knew that if they would read the Book of Mormon, their testimonies would be strengthened, but they refused. The only thing I could say was "I know that this book is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet" before I started to cry. Sister Moura put it into words: "We're crying because we feel pain. We feel this pain because this is not our invitation, but it is an invitation of our Savior Jesus Christ. When you reject an invitation of Jesus Christ, you refuse to follow Him." This experience was so important to my growth process, and my testimony has been strengthened because of it. This was on Saturday, and to our surprise, they came to church on Sunday. We don't know why because they left straight after sacrament meeting, but I pray that the spirit touched their hearts. I know that when we actually follow the invitations for the Savior, our lives will be blessed.

I also had a great experience with Sister Moura. Today was transfer day, so I have a new companion, Sister Novais. For most of my life, my attitude has been "I don't need friends, I have my family" I love my family so so much, so I reasoned that I didn't really need anyone else. But for Sister Moura, friends are essential. With these two different dynamics, I've really grown. I realized last night that in these past 3 months, Sister Moura has become one of my best friends, and I became so scared of losing my new friend. But this is part of our growing experience as well. We grow when we make new friends, and because of Sister Moura, I really want to be friends with Sister Novais. I'm so grateful to be serving here in Brasil!! I love you all!
Sister Carlson

P.S. A member gave me a jacket that says BRASIL on the back (I think it's a soccer jacket?) so now I'm a true Brasilian:) I'll take pictures and send them this week!!

November 13, 2017

Good afternoon everyone!!

Sorry, I'm emailing so late, we had such a fun p-day today! Sister Moura wanted to buy some clothes for cheap, so we went to Centro! It's a lot like New York City, but more hills, street vendors, and not a lot of cars. It was really fun to explore with my companion, another companionship, and our recent convert friend Luan!

Two exciting things before I talk about miracles! First, I finally received my new plaques! It's Just Sister Carlson now, but I'll always remember my Rollins side;) Second, I think I ate bull's liver yesterday!! Really garlic-y:)

An amazing miracle happened this week on Wednesday. We had lunch with an inactive sister, and it didn't start off too well. It was my turn to share the lesson, and I felt unprepared. As I opened my scriptures to a scripture I thought I should share, another scripture stood out and I knew I had to share it. (I think it's 2 Nephi 4:15) It's about how we can be eternally in the arms of the love of our Savior. The spirit was overwhelming, and the first thing she said after we both shared our thoughts was "Wow that was powerful." We were only able to do this through the power of the spirit. He knew what she needed to hear, and I was able to know through Him. It's so important to rely on Him when we teach but to also prepare beforehand. I had studied this scripture the morning before but had forgotten it in the midst of daily activity. Through the power of the Spirit, I was able to remember what I had studied and share it with this less active sister. It was such a blessing to see the spirit touch her heart!

It's really been an awesome experience to focus on less actives, and I know that everyone needs this gospel, whether they've listened to it beforehand or not.

Sorry, this is so short, but I love you all so much!!!
Sister Carlson

P.S. I think my Portuguese is getting better! I know that this is a gift from God because as my Portuguese skills increase, the members can have more confidence in me! It's so nice to have gained some of their confidence, I now really feel that I have friends here! Que bênção!
P.P.S. Transfers are next week! I'll probably stay here, but I'll let you know next week!!

October 30, 2017

Hello everyone!

The weather here is crazy! One minute we're dying because the sun is really strong, and the next minute it's pouring! I never know if I need to bring an umbrella or sunscreen haha!

Anyway, sorry my email was so short last week, we got home late from the zoo! Sister Moura and I accomplished a district goal, and our reward was a trip to the zoo! It was super fun, 4 other sisters and our recent-convert friend Luan came with us, and we had a blast! I'll attach pictures at the end! Before getting into the serious, I thought maybe you'd all like to know that I ate pig's stomach on Saturday!

This week has been a little difficult. In our area, we now have 18 investigators! But none of them ever have time to see us. With this sad piece of news has come a little bit of a struggle for me--it's been hard for me to be excited about the work. Because of this lack of excitement, it's been so so easy to be pessimistic about the work, to focus on the problems rather than the good things. That is why I am so grateful that at the beginning of my training, Sister Moura set up a habit for us. In our planners, we write a miracle of the day, every single day .So when I've felt that the work was slow, or that my teaching wasn't top notch, I can look back and think "how has Heavenly Father blessed my life today?" It's very similar to the story of President Henry B. Eyring about journaling. When we write down our experiences, we have the opportunity to remember what happened during the day, and see the Lord's hand in our lives. It's been a huge blessing, especially for this week.

One of these miracles happened on Sunday. Sister Moura and I have a less active member friend, and she's amazing. During third hour, we had a training for all of the adults about less actives and how we can bring them back. She bore strong testimony that members need to help, it was a little bit of a reprimand--she talked about how her parents have been inactive for five years because they didn't feel welcome in their ward (not the ward were I'm serving) and something that she said that really impacted me was this: "Please don't stop visiting us. We may say we don't have time to visit, but we really just think we're unworthy to come back to church. So please don't give up on us." What a powerful, heartfelt testimony. This was a miracle because this is exactly what my ward needed to hear to get them to wake up! As members, we have the tendancy to fall asleep where church is concerned, focusing more on the life we live outside of church and not focusing enough of our energy with the church and what we can do to help others come or come back to Christ. This is our calling as disciples of Christ--when we are baptized, we promise to take His name upon us, and that means acting as He would act, and bringing souls to the knowledge of salvation. I have a testimony of this gospel, and that when we invite others to hear this message of happiness, miracles will happen. I say these things in the name of my Savior and brother, Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,
Sister Carlson

October 17, 2017

Good morning everyone!

This week has been so so hot, it's been crazy! Inferno during the day, terrential downpour in the afternoon! On Tuesday we were caught in the middle of the storm! We were at the bottom of a hill too, so all of the water was coming in our direction! We tried running uphill, but the water was up to our ankles and we almost fell over. We were both laughing so hard, it was really fun! Also, I drank my first coconut! I don't have a picture, but the coconut was green and not as sweet as you'd think. It was really yummy!

We were able to meet our new district this week, and a new American is here! I'm not the baby anymore! Her name is Sister Bonham and shes really nice. I like our new district they're really fun!

So yesterday was daylight savings time. Who didn't know? My companion and I. We thought we got to church 15 minutes early when in reality we were 45 minutes late! Ah I was devestated, especially because we missed the confirmation of Filipe, the nine year old that got baptized last week! Sister Moura and I were honestly close to tears!

Besides that, Sunday was a day of miracles. We had many people to visit, and they all lived pretty far apart, so we needed to use the bus to get to each house. For the bus system here, you can pay 3,80 reais for one bus using your bus card, then you don't have to pay for another bus for three hours. For the first bus ride, we both had just enough money for one trip--bussed up to Irmã Marcia's house for lunch, and went next door to teach José about the Holy Ghost. These two appointments took more than three hours, but we needed to bus down to Taiane's house for our next appointment. We tried our cards without much hope of them working, but it said that the three hours was still valid! We were pretty excited, how amazing! After Taiane, we needed to go to our final appointment, very far away. We tried our cards one more time, and they worked! We were both close to tears, our cards worked not for 3 hours, but for 6. This was such a tender mercy for us and really demonstrated that the Lord is watching out for us, and that He cares about everything in our lives, even if it's just a little bus card.

Another lesson I learned was that constant humility is key to finding new investigators. We had a weekly goal of 20 contacts for our district, and we needed to find six people on Sunday. I had little hope, but Sister Moura was firm. On our way to the bus stop, we found two people, and I thought that that was good enough. But we walked for about thirty seconds after and we saw four boys walking in our direction. The first thing I felt was defeat because I knew that Sister Moura was going to talk to them--silly right? We were able to get their information, and we gained six new contacts in ten minutes. It was honestly a miracle, and I learned that when the Lord puts people in your path, you need to take that path swiftly, with courage and faith! When we proselyte, I always have a fear of talking to young people, but Sister Moura loves it. She is such a good example of talking to everyone, because everyone needs this gospel in their lives.   

Anyway, I think that's all I have time for! I love you all so so much!
Sister Carlson

October 9, 2017 - Growing is Good

Good morning everyone!

So today is the first day of new transfers! Sister Moura and I are staying here, and our Sister leaders are staying as well! We're excited for more fun divisions with them in the future!

This week was pretty hard, I won't lie. I think Friday and Saturday were some of the worst days so far on my mission--not that it's a bad thing, I was able to learn an important lesson! On both of these days, it was raining basically all day, and no one wanted to hear our message. Friday was the day we were planning to focus on contacts, people we had talked to before on the street and they accepted our invitation to hear the gospel. But as we went from house to house, no one was answering. so we kept walking and kept knocking. One sister was so sweet, she invited us halfway through our search for people to her house for some Christmas cake and kind conversation. It was definitely a spiritual and sugar boost, one that I sorely needed. We talked to one older women for a long time, but because I was feeling discouraged it was difficult for me to understand what she was saying. Even though we were not having too much success, we were excited for an appointment that night with a nine year old boy, Filipe, that wanted to be baptized on Sunday. We needed to teach him several more things before his baptismal interview, so we were planning on teaching him Friday night and Saturday night at the chapel. But last minute his mom called and canceled our teaching appointment. We were worried that Filipe wouldn't feel prepared to be baptized, so we spent the night trying to sleep with this heavy burden of worry. Saturday was harder because of the lack of success from the day before and on Saturday. It was really hard on Sister Moura, and she was able to open up to me how she was feeling. As she spoke, I realized something. We live in a beautiful apartment. We have umbrellas to keep our heads dry and shoes to keep our feet dry. We both have families that love us so much and are supporting us from home. We have an awesome ward with people that are so amazing. So why were we focusing on the bad things when we had so much good in our lives? This was an important lesson for me because yeah, those days were hard and yeah, sometimes I thought that people using their agency to reject our message was my fault, but we can still have joy when things are hard. Just because someone didn't want to listen to our message doesn't mean that our message disappeared from off the face of the earth. It's still there, and I can still receive comfort and strength from this gospel. I've been reading the Liahona a lot lately, and one phrase that struck me in my heart of hearts was "He doesn't want you to try harder, He wants you to turn to Him sooner". What a beautiful thing to remember! Why would we try harder to improve ourselves in our own strength when we can turn to the Lord for help and improve 10 times faster, 10 times easier, 10 times more lasting? I'm grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord and that I'm able to see His hand in my life, during and after the fact.

Here´s a picture of the family! His older brother
Nycollos was able to baptize Filipe!

Plus, this week ended on a spiritual high! Filipe was baptized on Sunday, and it was an emotional, tender experience. He has two older brothers, one currently serving and the other preparing to serve, and a mother that has been prepared for baptism for ages, but her husband doesn't want to get married. When we've taught him, he's been very shy and I was worried that he was being baptized because it was what other people wanted; but when Filipe came out of the waters of baptism, his smile was bright and genuine, and I knew that he truly accepted this wonderful ordinance and he understood it's significance. I'm grateful and humbled to have been a part of such a wonderful and personal event for him, and I know that when we invite people to hear this message and they accept and are baptized, there is no greater joy. Not only that but after baptism, the temple is opened and new, spiritual opportunities can available to them. I know that this gospel is of Jesus Christ, and His church has been restored and that we have a living prophet that receives direct revelation from God. He loves us all, and we can all feel this exalted love when we turn to His son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, and follow his example of charity and gratitude. In His name, Jesus Christ, amen.

Sister Carlson

October 2, 2017

Hello to all!

I hope you all have had a fantastic week, I know mine has been pretty great!

Every Tuesday, we have a district meeting. Usually I enjoy it because the people in my district are amazing, but last Tuesday, I was ready to cry with joy. Why? Because I received TWO cards from Sister Carlson! My heart was dancing, I actually couldn't stop smiling! It was such a gift too, because earlier that morning I had subconsciously decided that I was going to have a bad day. But encouragement from my twin changed that really quickly! Thank you, Avery, for your loving words and kind encouragement, it was exactly what I needed.

One really awesome experience I had was on Thursday. Sister Moura and I have been teaching an investigator named Flávio for a long time, about at the start of this transfer. He was a referral we received from Church Headquarters, and he asked for a Book of Mormon. He's been a member of many other churchs, and is really smart. He's constantly asking questions, which is a great learning experience for me! But on Thursday, we invited a member to accompany us for a lesson with Flávio. The entire vibe of the lesson was different; it was more of a disscussion, not simply asking and answering questions. I felt like Flávio understood more, and it was a real testament to me that members are important in the conversion of converts. Our goal in bringing Irmão Roberto was to give Flávio a friend, so he felt more comfortable to come to church. Sister Moura and I are praying that he'll take this step of faith and come to church next week!

Also on Thursday, we were informed that tomorrow (or on Friday) we would be moving houses! Surprise! We spent most of the night packing our suitcases and everything else (kitchen utensils, bathroom supplies, pamphlets, etc.) and were exhausted. Then we got a call in the morning that they were coming over to pick us up, give us the keys, and giving us an opportunity to clean our new house! Our new house has so much light, it's really close to lots of things, and we now live close to a less active family! What a wonderful opportunity for reactivation! Anyway, after we cleaned for a bit, we ran to have lunch with a member. Then we ran back to our old house to wait for the elders, they were going to help us move everything. We got everything loaded onto the truck, and then got it to our new apartment! We were able to unload your things pretty fast, and we have settled in nicely. The only problem is that we live on a main road, much different from a main road in quiet Ivoryton, CT. Sometimes I can't sleep, maybe because of the noise or maybe because this is a new house and my body needs to get used to it. Who knows, I'll probably have adjusted to it by the end of the week!

It's been really rainy here for conference, but what a wonderful, different experience conference was! It was completely in portuguese, and it was hard to hear the english underneath the portuguese, so I was on my own! Well, not alone, I think the Spirit was with me. I was able to really write down the thoughts and feelings of my heart, and maybe the Spirit was able to influence me to write something down. I'm still learning how the Spirit communicates with me, it's a journey! One of my favorite talks was by Owen (I don't remember his first name) about repentance. This is what I've been preaching! It was so amazing to see my teachings connect with what he said! Something I'm constantly telling investigators is that repentance is about change, not specifically about feeling guilt for awful things you've done in the past. Sometimes, it is necessary to find forgiveness for those big and scary sins, but most of the time, we need to use it for little things. The changes we need to make in this life are changes that will help us become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. If you are quick to judge others, you can repent and ask Heavenly Father to help you see the good first. What a marvelous opportunity we all have to use this wonderful gift, repentance, that was wrought through the Atonement and suffering of our brother, Jesus Christ!

I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve the Lord and preach His gospel to the people of Brazil! I'm also grateful for the opportunity I had to listen to our prophets, apostles, and others speak and give us divine counsel. I hope that you all are able to feel reinvigorated from this conference!

I love you all so so much!
Sister Carlson

September 25, 2017

Boa tarde everyone!

Thank you for all of your emails, they have all been a blessing for me today!

So we went to Walmart today. This may seem insignificant to you guys in America, but I haven't been in two months. That is way too much time apart from my favorite store. My love was rekindled and I am grateful that a store with cheap fruit and everything I need is only a half hour walk from my house! I also got Sister Moura to like Walmart (today was her first Walmart experience) and I would be lying if I say that it doesn't feel like an accomplishment.

Silly thoughts aside, my week has been good! After I emailed you all last week, a group of us went to an exhibit called human bodies. It was all about how the human body functions and all of the bodies (5) were real. At first, I felt freaked out, then interested, then crushed. The reason being was that they had a group of eight feti, and that is when my missionary mind kicked in and I thought about the ressurrection. Knowing me, I started to cry. I tried to hide it from the others in the group, but Luan (recent convert) noticed and told my companion. I couldn't communicate how I was feeling in português because I was so emotional, so one of the American sisters, Sister Kemp, came over and helped me out. I told her that I know God's plan is perfect, and that everyone's bodies will be made perfect, but the bodies here were taken apart! She told me that Heavenly Father is all powerful and will take care of the people here and that they were here so we could learn more and educate ourselves. It was still hard for me to feel better, but I've been praying for the souls that belong to those bodies.

Sad story aside, we had divisions this week! My sister leaders are Sister Kemp and Sister Leyva, and they are really awesome! I went on splits with Sister Leyva, and it was hard! Their area feels like they have mountains, and not many people were home to hear our message. But we did teach one person, Gloria. She's an old Catholic woman that understands a lot about God and Jesus Christ, and we were able to teach her about the restoration! I'm grateful for her sweet spirit, it really helped encourage me and not feel sad that other people were not wanted to listen.

Friday was also a blessing because we had lunch with Joana, a member with a husband that didn't want to listen to our message. But after we ate, we shared the third lesson with him, with a lot of emphasis on baptism (that was his main concern). What I thought was anger was simply animated conversation and questions. The real blessing is that his heart was touched, and he is willing to hear another lesson this week. Muito legal!

Saturday was another blessing! We were visiting with Kátia, she's ready to be baptized but needs to get married first. We taught her son (who is preparing to be baptized) and her husband. The lesson was blessed with openness and understanding, and we got a reference! Kátia's mother has never been contacted by the missionaries even though her daughter goes to church every week. She wants to learn more, how exciting!

And of course yesterday was wonderful, we got to hear the women's session of General Conference! It was a mix of listening and understanding the português and trying to hear the English under the português. I think my favorite talk was by Sister Marriott. At the end of her talk, she spoke of Christlike love, and that was really strong for me. Something I've realized is that I love my family so much, especially my twin. But Sister Moura is not my twin, she is a different person, and she can't read my thoughts like my twin can. That being said, I have the potential to love her just as much as I love my twin, but I need to learn her love language, which is very different from mine. Something I've needed to ask myself is how can I show my companion that I want to be her friend and that I love her? We've been able to talk about it yesterday and today, and I'm excited for the change that's ahead! I know that when we accept change and strive to become more Christlike, we can receive blessings and increased happiness!

I love you all so much, please keep sending me all of your inspirational thoughts!
Sister Carlson

September 18, 2017

Good morning everyone!

So today is my two-month mark in Brazil, how exciting! This week has been full of exciting things!

First of all, it has been hot! Someone told me we skipped spring and went straight into summer! Because the sun is so strong and I really don't want to have a sunburn, I've been using an umbrella to keep the worst of the sun away from my face. Talk about dainty!
Second of all, I ate half of a chicken heart yesterday! At lunch, Márcia had a Brazilian BBQ (which was fantastic). She showed me a piece of meat and asked if I wanted it. After my brain processed "coração" and "frango", I politely declined. Sister Moura wasn't having it and put one on my plate. I tried to eat the whole thing but remembered half way through that I was eating a heart. I'll be trying to be more open about what I eat in the future!
Another exciting thing was that when we were walking to an appointment. Sister Moura does not like dogs, she does her best to avoid them. We walked past this family, and a tiny little dog suddenly shot out from the open gate, barking like mad. The owners were able to get the little dog under control, but I think he probably would have chased us down the street if given the chance. And this dog was smaller than Hinckley! It was a funny experience.

After I emailed last week, Sister Moura and I got to have a picnic with Sister Kemp, Sister Leyva, and Luan (a recent convert)! After we ate, we took lots of pictures in the park! I'll try to send some, but my camera is not great with computers. It was really fun!

So this week has been kind of hard, but good! With one investigator, Janaína, we were able to talk about marriage in the temple! She and her boyfriend have a tiny little baby named Julia, and she is two months old. When we were there to teach her, Janaína wanted to make us suka (a drink), and Sister Moura was in the bathroom, so she gave Julia to me! I was about to protest because missionaries aren't supposed to hold babies, but no one else was there to hold her. I think I held her for fifteen minutes, she's so cute! I talked to my companion afterward because my goal is to be exactly obedient to the white handbook, but she said that this was alright because I held her to help Janaína out. Anyway, we had a special experience with her. Janaína said that she didn't really want to get married, but when we talked about the promises of an eternal marriage in the temple, her view changed. She kept saying "I want that." Sister Moura and I are hoping for a wedding by the end of this transfer!

On Friday, we had interviews with Presidente Silcox! He was able to share with me something he does to prepare for the sacrament and encouraged me to find something, a hymn, scripture, or talk, that helped prepare me for the ordinance of the sacrament. Then Sister Moura and I talked about our Area Book with Sister Silcox, it was good! She's also the health manager, and the thing she emphasized the most was for me to use sunscreen and drink water, because "you're so white". She must have said it five times, it was funny! 
Sister Moura and I were informed that we would be moving houses this week. Apparently, this is very exciting because past missionaries have been trying to live in a different house for a long time. We'll be living close to a less active family, so I'm hoping that we'll really be able to help them get back to church so they can feel the blessings of this gospel in their lives!

I think that's all I have time for! I love you all so much!
Sister Carlson

Sept 11, 2017

Hello everyone!

Wow, week two has been hard. I think every week two is hard for me. It is a gift and a curse!

On Tuesday we had a zone conference with our zone and Presidente Silcox and his wife. My companion was excited, so I was excited. This was my first zone conference, and I was told that we´d be spiritually filled. so I was pumped. But when we got there and were being taught, I could barely understand anything! I was devastated because I thought that I would understand a little, but it was not so. Week two is always hard because, for week one, you know that your português is bad, and that´s okay. But by the second week, you just want to communicate so bad, and you can´t yet. I still have so much growth to do, which is great! I have 16 months to improve my português, what a blessing! 

This week has also been a blessing because I´ve learned the importance of Christlike love. When I´m feeling discouraged, it is not as easy for me to feel Christ-like love. The adversary knows this about me, so whenever my companion and I would be walking to an appointment and I was feeling inadequate, he would point out small annoyances, things that didn´t really matter. With all of these little things building up to create a big thing, I was overwhelmed. The thing I have to take away from this week is "Calma". Heavenly Father knows that this life is difficult, real people have real problems. But that never means we cannot have compassion for one another. Something I shared with a sister yesterday was 3 Nephi 12:39. It talks about turning the other cheek when someone offends you. For me this week, it meant turning aside my frustrations, taking a deep breath, and continuing on with my day. 

My scripture study has been really interesting this week. I´ve been reading in 3 Nephi when Christ comes to the Americas. I´ve had a couple of questions throughout my study, and I´ve been praying for answers. But the answers have only come through further study and other people. This has been another good lesson for me because I´ve wondered, "Why won´t Heavenly Father answer my prayers?" This was the wrong question to ask!! The real question is "How does Heavenly Father answer my prayers?" I have needed to learn patience this week in receiving answers because it took several days of study until my question was answered. Heavenly Father answers prayers in different ways, through feelings, thoughts, and other people. Sometimes we want a grand voice to come into our heads or our bosom to burn, but most of the time, it´s a little nudge or a passing thought. We need to be attentive to these small things so we can teach with the spirit. 

My strongest experience with this was yesterday when I shared that scripture I mentioned before. We were teaching Taiane, a less active member that is having some personal problems. We were hoping to teach her and her namorado, Vagner, but he was busy. So we asked Taiane what she wanted to study with us. She wanted to study about forgiveness. As my companion was talking, a little thought came into my head. Not the specific scripture, but what the verse was about. So I started to look for it. When I found it, I was madly searching my dictionary so I could explain what I was thinking, and that got my companion´s attention. She asked if I wanted to share something, and even though I hadn´t found the word I was looking for, I started to share 3 Nephi 12:39. As I spoke, I could see that the spirit had touched Taiane´s heart. This was an awesome experience for me because the spirit gave me a thought! And I acted on it! Plus, it was something I had studied earlier that week, which was a huge blessing. It´s a relief to know that I can still be an instrument in the Lord´s hands even when I can´t speak too much português. Sometimes, fewer words can be stronger than many words. 

I think that´s all I have time for! Next week I´ll try to write more!

I love you all!!

September 4, 2017

Bom dia!

Wow it feels like 60 years have passed since I last emailed you all! I have a lot to say, so get some snacks and buckle up!

Tuesday was the day we transferred! I stuck close to Sister Kearsley because I was feeling more than a little nervous. When we pulled into the mission home, my adreneline went through the roof! Elder and Sister Silcox are really great, and made sure we all felt welcome. When I had a moment to think, the tears surprised me! Just the newness and apprehensiveness caught up with me, but it passed quickly and excitement replaced it! I got my new companion Sister Moura and she is amazing! Here in Brasil, I'm her "daughter" (instead of greenie) because she needs to teach me everything. She later told me that she was relieved that I knew some português because she doesn't know much english. Before we left the mission home, Sister Silcox pulled me and Sister Kearsley aside for a second. She said that if we ever needed to speak some english to please call her! Isn't that cute? She said that this would be really hard, but I already knew that! The thing that I keep at the front of my mind when I'm discouraged is that Heavenly Father needs to break me down before he can build me up as the missionary He needs me to be! I'm like a muscle!

After our orientation, Nilton (a member) came and picked us up with his wife. That was when I really realized that my português has a long way to go until I'm fluent! When we got to our house, I felt overwhelmed; it is so tiny! This new home is humble, and I'm really glad that Vila Carrão is my first area, it has helped me remember to be grateful for everything I have. What a beautiful plan that Heavenly Father has given us!

This week has been one of much growth for me. Initially, I was terrified to teach people with my broken português, but it has been really great. The night I got there, we went to teach Jisela. It was a good learning experience for me because my testimony about the Book of Mormon and the restortation have increased. Why? Because I'm sharing my testimony always!

On my first day, we has a meeting with our zone. They are a really fun group, some Americans were able to help me figure out some questions I had. After, we had lunch with Simone. Here in Brasil, instead of dinner appointments, we have lunch appointments! It was kind of hard because people usually speak quickly, so following what they're saying is difficult. My companion is a great lunch companion, she is always engaged in the conversation and sometimes turns to me to see if I understood. Then we taught Evelyn, a thirteen year old that has committed to be baptized next Sunday! What a cool experience! At night, we gave pass-along cards to people. It was scary at first because I couldn't remember my memorized line "Queremos compartilhar este carto com você" (We want to share this card with you). It becomes easier to speak each day!

On Thursday, we taught Regina. We found Regina at her hair salon, it was raining and work was slow. So we taught the first lesson to her! I was asked to give the closing prayer, and afterwards, I saw that she was crying. For a second I was scared she was crying because my português was bad, but then Sister Moura started talking and I realized it was the spirit that touched her. How special that I could be an instrument in the Lord's hands!

On Friday, we had a really special experience with Kátia. She is known as an "infinitivo pesquisador", which means that she's doing all the right things, but she doesn't want to be baptized. After lunch, and we had talked for a while, I asked "O que impede você ser batizada?" (What is stopping you from being baptized?) She then told us about things in her live that had lined up, and how she wanted to be batpized! The only problem is that she's not married, and she has four kids. That's the situation for many people in Brasil; they have a family but don't get married because it's expensive. The law of chastity and eternal marriage are very important topics we teach here! She said she would talk to her husband about marriage once we left.

On Saturday, we taught Flávio. He had contacted the church and asked for a Book of Mormon. The lesson went poorly, to say the least. He is single and there was no woman that could be with us for the lesson, so we sat outside. It was late, and Satan easily scared me with different senarios that could happen. Because I was feeling this fear, the spirit couldn't reach me and I taught shortly and badly. Sister Moura said she couldn't feel the spirit either, so we are both praying that next time the spirit will be present. Flávio lives at the edge of our area, and it was a long walk home. I told Sister Moura about all of the thoughts I had had, and she asked me "Are those thoughts from you or from the spirit?" I didn't know, so we took the bus home.

Sunday was great! Everyone was really nice and could mostly understand me! It was fast Sunday, so I was able to bear my testimony. Something Sister Moura has helped me realize about myself is when I'm nervous, I can't teach. Because of this, she said "Teach what you know, not what you've memorized". This has really helped me in teaching lessons. Another thing she often says is "Calma" or "Tranquila". I am a naturally stressed person, so to have someone like Sister Moura in my life, someone to tell me to chill out, is a blessing! Anyway, that night we taught Vagner and his wife Taiane. He's an investigator and she's an inactive member. They are not married, and they have the cutest 2 year old named Ana! The spirit was definitely with me when I was able to testify about our purpose on this earth. Because I had pushed my nervousness aside, I could speak well and with the power given to me by God. This was a powerful experience for me because it has encouraged me to learn and know all of the lessons like I know about our purpose here. Vagner wants to be baptized, and said he will think about marriage. What a miracle! After the lesson, we had to run to the church for an appointment with the LMA. We actually ran up several hills. Let's just say that my heels are not happy with me!

In our planners, Sister Moura and I have a section called "Milagre no Dia" (Miracle of the day). This has really helped me to have gratitude in my life and to see His hand in the work. Sister Moura is a great companion, she's laid back but ready to get the work done! I've learned so much from her, especially because we've been practicing lessons and words as we walk.

Before I sign off, I want to tell about one more experience! Many people in Brazil know a lot about the Bible, and I've found my lack of knowledge embarrassing. So I started to study the book of Job. Usually, I would be hesitant to study the Old Testament, but I love it! The word of God, both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, are a blessing!

I think that's all I have time for! I don't think I can send picures, my camera is acting funky. I'll try to find a way to send them soon!

I love you all so much!
Sister Rollins-Carlson

Sister Carlson Arrives in the Field

A letter from Sister E Carlson's Mission President

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Sister Silcox and I were excited to welcome Sister Carlson in the Brazil São Paulo East Mission. She has been assigned to an area with a companion who will serve as her in-field trainer. You should receive an email or letter from your missionary in the next 10 days in which she will tell you about her area and her new companion. Her companion has been given the assignment to help your missionary become a powerful instrument in the hands of God in her missionary service. Sister Silcox and I will also do everything in our power to help her have a successful mission experience.

Preparation day for our mission is on Mondays. All missionaries are given the opportunity to email and/or write their families and close friends on that day. In as much as their time on the internet is limited, we encourage all to be brief in their communications.  The use of internet social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other chat sites, including email “conversations”, are not approved for missionary use.  Note also that missionaries are allowed to call home, but only on Mother’s Day and Christmas Day. Should family emergencies arise or you have concerns or questions, please contact us in the mission office.

Letters and packages from home must be sent directly to the mission office. The office address is

Rua Caa-Açu, 229 Belenzinho
03122-010 Sâo Paulo SP
Brazil

We are confident that Sister Carlson will enjoy spiritual experiences and see miracles occur in the lives of people as she dedicates all of her heart, might, mind, and strength to this sacred calling from the Lord. We invite you to join your faith and prayers with ours in her behalf.

Sincerely yours,

President Silcox
Sister Silcox

Last letter from the CTM

Hello to all!

Thank you for your emails, they always warm my heart! Indigo, I'll be praying for your back, and Ivy, I'm so glad you love your room! Also, Connections will be over before your know it! AND YOU'RE BOTH IN INSTITUTE CHOIR I SCREAMED! It is honestly the BEST class on campus and I can't tell you how happy I am that you both are enrolled!

I don't have too much time, so I'll be fast. This last week has been pretty great! To start, I was called to speak in sacrament meeting with no warning! It's something that they do in the CTM, but I thought I would be called this Sunday! I shared 32:28 which is about letting the word of Christ grow in you like a mustard seed, and it will begin to be delicious to you! I bore testimony about how much I love the scriptures and how my time at the CTM has really increased my love for them! I'm glad I was able to have that practice right before I go out to the field!

This week has been a little hard, but that's great! Since Wednesday, we've had some special in field training to prepare us for the field, and I realized how unprepared I am! When the teachers were speaking in rapid Portuguese without breaking to ask if we understood, I felt a sense of major discouragement. But all is well! At night when I was in my room, I remembered that Heavenly Father called me to São Paulo East for a reason. He always qualifies who he calls. It's going to be really difficult right when I get out to the field, but that means I have a wonderful opportunity to really strengthen my faith and love for Jesus Christ and by trying my hardest, I can show Him that I am ready to be a dedicated servant of the Lord! What a blessing it is to be able to serve the Lord with all my heart for 18 months!

I think one of the hardest things will be getting a new companion, I have grown to love Sister Kearsley so much! We've gotten really close this week, and I hope at some point on our missions we'll be companions again! (She's been called to São Paulo East too!) Before, I told her that she was like a sister to me, and her response was "I think so too! I'm glad because these six weeks would be hard if we we're like sisters." I almost died, I not only love her spirit, but her sense of humor! She's really good at understanding the language, so I know she'll be fantastic!

Today was temple day! The Campinas temple is always beautiful, but today it wasn't raining! Totally different experience! The sun is bright today, and we got some cute pictures with the girls in our district. I also realized how much I love the temple today. It is a place I always want to be worthy of entering. And fun fact, the CTM mission president, Presidente Grahl, not only helped translate the Bible into Portuguese, but he has a part in the Portuguese endownment! And his daughter Larissa goes to BYU AND knows four languages! Sister Grahl is the sweetest person, she's so ready to give Mom hugs (which I really miss) and can speak some english, which has a blessing when we first got here. So pretty much I'm distraught that I have to leave such wonderful people, but I know that I'll love my new president just as much!

I think that's all I have time for! I won't be able to email until next Monday, but please still email me, I love to read what's going on! Thank you also for all your prayers!

Eu te amo!

Week 5!

Boa Tarde!

I hope you all are having an absolutely fantastic day! I am feeling just peachy! I don’t have too much time, so I’ll write some highlights from the week! 

Today was THE BEST! Instead of going to the temple in São Paulo, we went to the Campinas temple! It was a little sad that the Saõ Paulo temple was under construction, but wow my experience in Campinas was amazing! The temple itself is gorgeous, the structure is beautiful and the windows are stained purple! I don’t think I’ve been so in love with temples since the temple in Hartford opened! The reason why it was so amazing was because I did the entire session in Portuguese! All of the sisters in my district really wanted to speak Portuguese, but I was really scared to not have the English translation. I prayed really hard for the gift of tongues, and I received! It was a blessing that I attended the temple many times before I left on my mission because when I was lost with the Portuguese, my memory kicked in and translated what was happening! One of my instructors here said that the gift of tongues was anything spoken in a different language, whether it be read or poorly said! That gave me great comfort because no matter how bad my Portuguese is, it is still a gift and a blessing in my life!

It is still difficult to speak a lot of Portuguese at a time, but I’m able to form sentences on my own now! The thing that has helped me the most is my district! For this past week, we’ve had an English Fast all day, excluding meals and questions in grammar class. If week speak English 3 times when we’re not supposed to, no lanche! Lanche is a nighttime snack we receive every night and is very important because we eat dinner really early. This fast has been my saving grace! It’s been forcing me to really think in Portuguese and rely on my two best friends: The Holy Ghost and the Dictionary. When I don´t know a word or a phrase, instead of cracking and just saying it in English, I either look it up or ask a teacher "Como se diz ____?" I hope that all of this practice will help me in the field!

Earlier this week, I had a special experience with the sisters in my district. My companion is Sister Kearsley, and the other two sisters are Sister Bearden and Sister Dailey. We all really like to sing, so we decided it would be nice to sing a song for the Elders in our district. We chose "Careço de Jesus", or "I Need Thee Every Hour". We sang the first verse in English all together (we remember our roots), the second verse in Portuguese with harmony, and for the third verse I was able to sing a first soprano line that I made up. We sang it for the girls in our hallway, and the spirit was definitely there, but it was truly special when we sang for our Elders. I didn’t realize it until afterwards, but I had been singing with the Carlson Quartet! I could hear each of my sisters in each of my friends here. How sweet and tender are the mercies of Heavenly Father!

Sister Kearsley and I finally got new roommates! They are both so nice, and just laugh when I can’t understand or say something (which is often). Also they’re both gorgeous, and people over here are calling me cute! Just look at my roommates please! 

Anyway, this week has been good. I love both of my instructors, Irmão Santos and Irmão Merderios. They are both a riot! They both tell the funniest stories from the missions, and they’re really good about making sure that everyone in the class understands (usually I´m the last to understand an idea). Also, both of my instructors are also my investigators! Irmão Santos is Leonardo and Irmão Merderios is Nilton. With both investigators, we have been taking about the word of wisdom. They both like to drink coffee. So Sister Kearsley and I made a compromise: If they would stop drinking coffee, we would stop eating bread. And it has been so hard! Bread is at every meal! And I love bread! But I am willing to make that sacrifice for them so they can see how much the missionaries love them and want them to have eternal happiness in the gospel. No amount of bread could make me as happy as that. 

It’s been raining a lot here. I just learned that it rains most of the time in São Paulo, and that’s bad because I think about none of my shoes are water proof. Speaking of which, I thought my camera broke today! We were taking pictures after the temple session, and I asked Elder Moffitt to take a picture of us sisters. Right before I gave it to him, I said "Please don’t judge my camera." because it’s very zoomed in and there’s no way to zoom it out, so if you want a good picture you need to be standing far away. But three seconds after I say that he drops the camera and two of the batteries pop out! I just popped them back in and tried to turn it on, but it didn’t. He felt really bad, but I didn’t mind too much because the SM card was alright. When we were on the bus ride back, I took out the batteries again to dry them off because it had been rained when they fell out, and Elder Moffitt found out that I put the batteries in the wrong way! So it still works, but it was a funny experience!  

My time is up! I love you all so much and wish you the best! Tchau!

Sister Carlson

Aug 11, 2017

Boa Tarde!

It has been a week! Time is really starting to fly by in the CTM, and soon I'll be out of here and on the field!

Last week our district had the opportunity to proselyte! I was really nervous, and at the beginning, we weren't able to talk to anyone. One older man raised his hands up and said "Nope!" when I said hello. But it got way better once we crossed the street. The first man came up to Sister Kearsley and I and said we were doing an important work. So sweet! Then (as recommended by a teacher), Sister Kearsley told a young woman, "we’re learning how to speak Portuguese, would you mind helping us for a minute?" She said that she knew english but was willing to hear our message in Portuguese. It turns out she had met an RM at DisneyLand and he had told her a little bit about the church! We didn’t get her information because she doesn’t live in São Paulo, but it was a good confidence booster. For the third and the last person we met, Sister Kearsley and I had a method. We would zero in on someone waiting for a bus, and I would go sit down to adjust my socks (they did actually need fixing). We would say hello and then find a natural segway into our message. One was a kind Chinese Catholic woman, and the other was a young Evangelist woman. The fourth person we talked to was an old man walking the smallest dog. I asked the dog’s name and if I could pet her (which I just realized today was not allowed?) and he was really nice. It was hard to understand his Portuguese, but it was still a good experience. We did not manage to get any addresses for the missionaries in that area, which I was a little sad about, but it was a good learning experience.

Also for the past two weeks, I have has the opportunity to go on splits with a Brazilian! Her name is Sister Cantagesso, and she is so sweet. I was really worried last week because I didn’t know too much Portuguese, but she took that in stride and basically taught the entire lesson. I mainly bore testimony last week, but this week I was able to teach a big chunk of the restoration! In Portuguese! Sister Cantagesso said that my Portuguese had really improved, and I’m so grateful for the gift of tongues! There is no way on this earth I could know this much Portuguese without the help of the Lord! I still have a lot to learn about the language and myself, but I know that with the Lord I can do all things! I’ve also found out that I can speak some Portuguese, but my problem is being able to understand when other's speak. Something to improve!

All of the Brazilians are so sweet. Sister Kearsley and I had two roommates named Sister Santana and Sister Neves, but they left on Tuesday for the field! I definitely cried, but I know that they’ll both talk Campinas by storm! We haven't gotten new roommates yet, so it's been quiet at night.
I love my district so much. There are ten of us, and every person is just a riot! I'm so grateful that six out of the ten of us are going to the São Paulo Leste mission! It's been really fun to get to know everyone and become closer through Volei, Lanche, and TALL. (Volleyball, nighttime snack, and language learning program). I'm also grateful for the sisters in my district! Sister Kearsley has definitely saved my life several times, and we've been getting closer to Sister Bearden and Sister Dailey! A couple days ago, we recorded ourselves doing a round of I Like to Move It from Madagascar, and we could not stop laughing! That night after volleyball, I was opening the window in our room and Sister Dailey came running up behind me and scared me! I almost fell out the window. Good times.

My scripture study has been really fufilling too. I'm in Alma now, and I've loved reading through Mosiah. It's been a huge help to be highlighting and marking up my scriptures. What a blessing it is that a fourteen year old boy had the humility to pray and ask a question, which has changed the lives of thousands of people!

I have to go now, but I thought I'd let you know that I'm teaching the Relief Society lesson on Sunday! It's about Christ-like Attributes, another blessing! The Lord is good!

I love you all so much! Please continue to send pictures! Also I wouldn't mind some snail mail if you had the time!

--
Sincerely,
Sister Carlson

Second week in the CTM

Boa Tarde!!

It feels like a lifetime since I last emailed you all! I have so much to say, but so little time!

After I emailed you last week, I was able to go out and explore São Paulo! Yes, Mr Cheney´s Cookies is a thing, and since we were new, we got a cookie for free! Sister Kearsley and I didn´t explore too much, but the stores we did visit were super cool! Most everyone we´ve met is so nice and willing to communicate even though this language barrier has been a little tough!

This week has been another blur of language and spiritual study. We´ve been told that we need to be more diligent in our language study, and I panicked a little! Here at the CTM, sometimes I feel like I have to choose whether I study the spiritual or the language, and usually I choose the spiritual. I´ve really begun to crave reading my scriptures and learn more about Joseph Smith, which is such a blessing! Now I just really have to balance my time and focus on the language. The gift of tongues is real, but Heavenly Father can´t bring something to my remembrance if it´s not already there! The atonement is a wonderful tool that can be utilized for any circumstance in life, and I´ve definitely been using it to help change my attitude of discouragement into determination!

I´ve been getting kind of sick this past week. Everyone seems worried, but it´s just a scratchy throat, a runny nose, and some occasional crazy coughs. I received an anointing and blessing from Elder Nielsen and Elder Sherrow (elders of my district) and it was a very sweet experience. I am grateful for worthy priesthood holders in my life, and the fact that they care for my welfare. We finished district prayer last night when Elder Sherrow said, "You know Sister, you have six elders in this district that would all be happy to give you a blessing if you need it." Such a sweet thing to say! One of the first things it said in the blessing was that My Father in Heaven is proud of me, and I really needed to hear that! Now, I want to work even harder to become even better!

I´m really grateful for this week. It has been filled with ups and downs, but I think I´ve come out a better person. My companion and I are definitely closer because of it. I´m growing to love her more as I set myself aside and try to understand her. We have very different personalities, needs, and backgrounds, and I´m grateful for this friendship!

Before I forget, I now have two different names among the Brazilians! The first one is Adele (I guess I look like her?), the second one is Sister Legal (which means cool in Portuguese, they don´t like pronouncing my long name!) it´s especially fun during volleyball! It is such a blessing to be with these awesome people, it will not be hard to love my investigators if they are all like this!

Yesterday I was told my mission is the best (which I already know). Here, it is called São Paulo Leste. But the Brazilian I was talking to said it was São Paulo (Ce)Leste! I was also told that my mission was known for match making, as in people found their spouses on the field and got married afterward. I may have given a little huzzah at that knowledge, but who´s counting? Sister Grahl has told everyone in the CTM to "lock your heart" and have an eye single to the Lord, so I will definitely need to use that bit of advice!

Tomorrow we´ve been told that we are proselyting with actual people tomorrow! AH!! I´m more than a little nervous, but the temple trip today was really wonderful in giving me peace. I know that I will most likely mess up when talking to people, but that´s all a part of the growing experience! 

Thank you, I love you!

Sister Carlson leaves for the Brazil MTC

Today Eme Left for the Brazil MTC in São Paulo.  We miss her already but we are so excited for her and the opportunities she will have to serve and to learn and grow.  Godspeed Sister Carlson.  

Passport, Tickets, Money

Um...  My return flight?  In 18 months.  The date?  (Does date math).

Fun with the ladies at the Checkin counter

Picture of a picture of a wonderful missionary

Last photo at the airport with the family!