December 10, 2018

Hello!!

I thought I´d just start out by letting you all know that I have 9 days until I come home! hahaha it doesn´t feel real! 

Anyway, this week has been good! Lots of things happened, we had splits on Thursday! I love my sister leaders! Sister Hirtle got sick again, so I left with Sister Rocha in the morning to contact Eliana (media referral) and she is a firecracker! Before she asked for a Book of Mormon, she watched the Joseph Smith movie, others church movies, and searched about the Book of Mormon! She was so excited to start reading! She´s from another faith, but her testimony in missionary work is incredible--we´re excited to really start teaching her and her family! 

In the afternoon, I went to São Miguel with Sister Castillo and we ate lunch, visited Leyticia that was baptized this lastSaturday, and we taught Jhonathan, who accepted the invitation to be baptized as well! We were on fire!!

At night, Sister Hirtle regained some strength to visit Maria in our area, and we were able to see that she wasn´t ready yet to be baptized. It was sad, but we understand that some people need more time than others. Thursday was super effective!!

But in the past few days, the pain in my companion´s legs has gotten worse. Please pray for her!!

I love you all! Until December 20!!

Sister Carlson

December 3, 2018

Hello everyone!!

Wow, this week has been great!! Well, it ended well, but the beginning was a good learning experience as well!

So we started this week with lots of appointments marked, but everything kept falling through! To be honest, I was getting a little frustrated because Sister Hirtle was finally better, so why was nothing working out? Oh, ye of little faith hahaha. We still kept working, but I was a little sad that nothing was working out. But I didn´t have to worry, the Lord prepared the way for us!

On Saturday, Light the World started! Sister Hirtle and I were able to go to a nursing home and talk to the people there. There were some seriously tormented souls there, and we were able to comfort a few of them. At the end, we were allowed to sing two Christmas hymns, and we both felt the spirit enter the house, and they recognized it too. It was a sweet experience, and I was grateful that after some dissappointments, we were able to help in such a real way.

So Saturday was blessed, but Sunday was truly the day of the Lord! After church, we taught a member´s boyfriend. This is the third lesson, and we felt that it was time to invite him to be baptized. And he accepted with so much excitement, we were blown away!! The Lord has truly prepared him for this moment, and we´re hoping that he´ll be baptized my last Sunday on the mission! What a joy it is to serve the Lord, to be His hands!!

I love you all!! Two weeks!

Sister Carlson

November 26, 2018

Good (early) afternoon!!!

Well this week has been something! My companion has gotten very sick, and basically this week has been running between medical appointments, going home to rest, and work when she has the strength. It has caused me to contemplate my mission, what I´ve already done, and what I´d like to do in these next 3 weeks. 

Something that I´ve learned about the Lord is that He is satisfied with whatever type of sacrifice we give Him. It can be a coal or a diamond, He is still pleased in receiving our sacrifice. That doesn´t mean we can settle for less--we need to strive every day to be better. But some days, we aren´t strong enough, and we can only give a little. And He´s still happy! Just because we had to stay home for most of the week doesn´t mean that the Lord was dissappointed with us--quite the contrary! Sister Hirtle is His beloved daughter, and if she pushed herself and got more sick, He would be devestated. And yesterday, we were blessed with lots of investigators at church, and she had the energy to teach two amazing lessons! I can clearly see the Lord´s hand in our work. I´m excited that my companion now has the strength to get back to work, because now I´m going to sprint to the finish line and onto my next mission!!

I love you all, have a fantastic week!

Sister Carlson

November 19, 2018

Good afternoon family of mine!

I have exactly one month until I come home--how scary is that? Hahaha just kidding, I´m excited that I have one more month to work as hard as I can to bring souls unto Christ! What a blessing it is to serve here in Brazil!

This week has been studious--my personal study has been amazing! I had a spiritual journey on Saturday, I was able to read Alma 4-9, including Alma 5! What a marvelous chapter to study! It´s so interesting how every time I read this chapter, something esle impacts me. I´d like to write down verses 33-34, the part that touched me the most. I only have portuguese, so you´ll have to translate:)

33. Eis que ele envia um convite a todos os homens, pois os braços de misericórdia lhes estão estendidos e ele diz: Arrependei-vos e receber-vos-ei.

34. Sim, diz ele, vinde a mim, e participareis do fruto da árvore da vida; sim, comereis e bebereis livremente do pão e da água da vida

I think this part is so beautiful because the Lord is sending us a personal invitation: to repent and come unto Him. It´s so simple! We must be humble of heart to continually accept this invitation, sometimes it´s hard to push pride out of the way to taste of the bread and water of life. But when we succeed, it is so sweet! I´m grateful that God loves us so much that He gave His Only Begotten, and that They love us infinitely. They invite us to come knowing that we can´t be perfect, knowing that we´ll sin. But They still want us by their sides! How wonderful it is to know that I can trust in this perfect God, who loves me so dearly! It´s the least I can do to serve for a year and a half to show others this love, to bring others unto Christ. I am so grateful for the time I´ve had on the mission, and how I still have one more month to preach the gospel! One more month to learn who I want to be when I get home. One more month to be who God wants me to be. What a marvelous opportunity. 

I love this gospel. I love my Savior, and the sacrifice He suffered so I can one day sit by His side. I love this life that I have to everyday choose to be better. I´d like to leave this testimony with you, my beloved family, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sister Carlson

November 12, 2018

Hello family!

I have no time today, but this week has been something haha! 

We have had a hard week, my companion and I, but we´ve been able to really study about the Savior and relearn what it means to have a testimony. I am so grateful that I´m a full time missionary here in Brazil, and that I have the opportunity to preach the gospel, even if people cannot understand the worth of the gospel (a treasure!) I´m grateful for the health that God gives us so we are able to fulfill our callings. I´m grateful that life is full of difficulties so we can learn and become better than we are today. I love this gospel and this opportunity to live!! I love my Savior Jesus Christ! What an honor it is to serve in His name! 

I love you all so much, have a great week!!

Sister Carlson

P.S. Pics of district p-day! We had a bbq!!

November 5, 2018

Good afternoon everyone!

Sorry for login in so late, Sister Hirtle and I had an adventure today! We decided to sleep. clean the house, and go shopping at the center close by! I´m a happy missionary with a cute new skirt and 2 new shirts haha!

This week has really been a blessing, we´ve really been able to find more people to teach and the gospel has been so sweet to share. Everytime we teach a lesson, I have a stronger testimony that what I´m saying is true, and that happiness is here! We had a blitz on Thursday (when our district helps us contact people in our area) and we were able to find some people that are truly ready for our message! I´m grateful to be a missionary!!

I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Sister Carlson

October 29, 2018

Good afternoon lovely family of mine!

So this has been an eventful week! But to start off, I´ll go with the exciting news! I fell down the stairs on Saturday! That´s the first pic I sent hahahaha I´m so graceful that I may have torn a muscle in my foot oops. But I´m fine now, I can walk normally and I don´t want you guys to worry--I´m explaining because I wanted to sent this pic hahahahaha:)

We also had our Zone Conference this week, and Sister Hirtle and I were able to finally take a cute selfie! We learned a lot about obedience and humility, things that are always good to remember! We also studied some conference talks, and it was wonderful to talk about how we have prophets and revelators today to guide us back to our celestial home. I love this gospel!!

That´s all I have time for! The other pic is of our district, we played volleyball! It´s fun to remember that I´m competetive haha!

I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

Sister Carlson

October 22, 2018

Good afternoon everyone!

This week has flown by! Sister Hirtle and I have been so blessed in this new area! We are getting to know the members, past investigators, and are receiving lots of member referrals! This ward is so special, and we are so excited to help it continue it´s growth! 

I´ll take pics to send this week! Sorry this email is so short!

Love you all!

Sister Carlson

October 15, 2018

Hello All!

This is going to be the shortest email in the world, but I´ve been transferred! I´ve returned to my favorite zone São Miguel, and I´m in a neighboring area Camargo Novo! Sister Hirtle and I are opening this area, which has always been elder!! We´re the first of sisters to serve here, and the ward is so excited, as are we!! I´m close to where I served at the beginning of this year, and I´m so thrilled to be back and to serve the people here and bring them unto Christ! What an honor it is to be a full time missionary of the Lord and to do His will! 

I love you all, have an amazing week!!

Sister Carlson

October 8, 2018

Hello wonderful family!

How much more grateful I am for you guys after conference haha! Wow, conference really was incredible this time around! It's always wonderful, but the changes made are very exciting because we are really being prepared for the second coming of the Lord. The focus on family, love, faith, and the plan of salvation were all things that will help us grow and prepare to be reunited with our Heavenly Parents.

My favorite talk was by Elder Rasband, about how to confront fear, gain faith, and allow the curing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ heal us of our wounds. When we are full of darkness and fear, the light of faith cannot enter in to heal us--we need to leave a space for the light to enter in and expulse the darkness. Emotional healing takes time, but when we have faith in Jesus Christ, who has already paid for our sufferings, we can feel a lightness and a happiness never felt before. I am so grateful that we can truly be healed and helped when we reach out. Christ will never forget us because we are engraven on the palms of His hands. He loves us so much, so much more than we can comprehend. 

I love you all so much. Continue strong in your faith in Christ, don't let go if it for anything!

Sister Carlson

October 1, 2018

Hello everyone! 

This week has been wonderful! We had the opportunity to teach some very special people this week, two of which accepted to be baptized! It´s so amazing to see members and missionaries working together to bring souls unto Christ--that´s the only reason why these two elect children of God accepted the invitation to be baptized! The Parque Industrial Ward is very strong and has lovely members ready to help! Their examples of Christ-like service are an inspiration to me, and make me want to work even harder! I hope that I can be a help to the missionaries when I come back home as well!

I´m sorry this email is so short, but I´ve run out of time! I love you all so much!

Sister Carlson   

September 24, 2018

Hello my gorgeous family!

This week has been full of miracles! I have learned a lot about what it means to be a representative of Jesus Christ, and how my example affects other people. It has been such a blessing to relearn that God loves me and that I´m important in His plan.

One of the biggest miracles that we had this week was during my division with Sister Oliveira! We had received a referral the week before, so we went to give a priesthood blessing to her husband who has cancer. Their interest in the gospel and eternal families was intriguing, and we are so excited to go back to teach more about the gospel! 

We also had our zone conference this week, and we had a spiritual barbaque!! It´s so wonderful when you prepare to be spiritually uplifted, and you leave with a head pounding and a heart full of gratitude and wonder! President Miller is a man inspired of God, and he helped my faith grow. I was able to share my testimony of my love for the Savoir and how I take His name upon me (Mosiah 5:6-7) and I felt complete. I love being a missionary so much!

I love you all so much, have a fantastic week!

Sister Carlson

September 17, 2018

Hello lovely family!!

Sorry to write such a small email, but this week has been great! We had a baptism on Sunday, and it was wonderful! His name is Stefano, and his wife is a member. They are both so excited to be sealed in the temple in a year, it was such an honor to be by their sides in this special moment. I have such a testimony that families can be together forever, and that baptism is really the first step to salvation. 

I love you all! Stay safe with the hurricanes!

Sister Carlson

September 3, 2018 - ACTUALLY in the countryside this time!

Hello! 

Forgive me for writing you all so late, but today was transfers!! And I have been transfered to Parque Industrial in Sao José dos Campos! Woohoo I'm in the country! I was super sad to leave Sister Jobran, but Sister Carneiro (my new companion) was also her companion! I'm sure we'll get along great!

This week was full of wonderful things, one of them being our mission tour with President Adukidis! I learned a lot about how I can work harder and be more effective as a missionary! Proselyting skills, rating faith, and testimonies are all things that I needed to learn and to remember so that I can do bigger and better things in my new area. I'm so grateful for this opportunity the Lord has given me to be in a new area and to be with a new companion! I'm grateful to find our who I am as a result of hard work preaching the word! I'm grateful for difficulties that I have, so I can grow and become a better daughter of God. My heart is full! 

That's all I have time for, but I love you all so much and I'll make sure to take a picture of my companion to send next week!

I love you all!!

Sister Carlson

August 20, 2018

Hello my beautiful family! 

What a week!! This week has been full of learning experiences, and I feel like I have grown a lot! I´ve learned to manage stress better and how to truly rely on the Lord. 

The weekend was full of blessings! On Friday, we had divisions, and I was with Sister Silva! She is so cute, and her testimony is so strong! She only has four months on the mission, but she has been called to be a sister leader. She said she didn´t feel prepared, but President Miller told her that "God didn´t call you to teach, He called you to learn". How profound, I love that! We truly learn so much in leadership positions, and it´s important to have the humility to learn what God needs us to learn! We were blessed with 5 new investigators, and we are so excited to start working with them! 

On Saturday, we had 2 activities in our chapel, and we got to be there! So Mogi Centro had their activity in the morning, and we went because there were some potential investigators there to play soccer. We 4 sisters were able to teach the restoration when they weren´t playing soccer, and I felt so full sharing my testimony with these young men. At night, we had our activity about  missionary work! It was a real blessing to prepare all of the activities, lessons, and videos to enlighten and teach the people that were present. 

Basically, this week I learned what it means to have a testimony of Jesus Christ. It means loving Him so deeply that you can´t help but testify of Him and His holy mission. It means preaching with confidence, because this gospel is true. It means studying more about the life of Christ so you can understand and love Him more. It means sacrificing things of the world to gain the things of heaven. I am so grateful to be a missionary, to be here in Brazil and to preach to this people. I love life because of Him--He made it possible to live free of sin. How grateful I am for His infinite sacrifice that He suffered for me, for my family, for my ancestors, for my future children, for people that I don´t even know. But He know them. He loves them. He guides them. May we all do as Christ does and lift those that are downtrodden!! In His holy name, amen.

I love you all!!

Sister Carlson

August 13, 2018

Hey everyone!!

This week has gone by in a flash! It´s been so wonderful to work in God´s work! I´ve learned a good bit from zone conferences, the examples of others, and personal revelation!

But as I said, we had our zone conference this week! It was amazing to hear the lessons that God was ready for us to hear, just in the moment we needed it! My favorite lesson was that of Sister Miller, the President´s wife. She still doesn´t speak portuguese, but she has a sister translate for her (it was precious!) The theme that she taught was on virtue, something that it simple and complex at the same time. Virtue mean purity of thought, and when our thoughts are pure, we act in accordance with that cleansliness. This purity of thought also allows us to be better instruments in the hands of the Lord because purity invites the Holy Spirit to live within us, and we can´t teach the restored gospel save it be that the Holy Spirit touches the hearts of the listeners and testifies to them that what we are saying is true. How profound! We also talked about faith and how planning helps the spirit guide and bless our everyday work. I was spiritually fed for sure! 

We also had a very sweet experience on Sunday! We were eating lunch at a recent convert´s house, and when we went to give the message, we went into the living room to talk with him and his aunt, Teresa. I had never met her before, but she was all curled up on her bed and didn´t speak much. I asked if she had ever heard of the Book of Mormon, and when she said she hadn´t, I explained how it came to be, and shared the story of Enos. As my companion and I testified of the gift of repentance and prayer, we could feel a sweet spirit in the room testifying of what we were saying. I´m grateful for this experience and the time I have here in Brazil to testify of the restored gospel wherever I go. How amazing is that? 

But I think that´s it! I hope you all have an awesome week!!

August 6, 2018

Good afternoon! 

Sorry for writing in so late, it´s been rainy all day and it was hard to leave the warm, comfortable house into the cold, dreary world to walk until the LANhouse hahahahaha:) It´s been rainy this entire week, and I´ve been told that winter has ACTUALLY started now, in August, so now it´ll just keep raining and be a little cold. Beats baking in the sun! 

Anyway, this week has been good! On Sunday, we were able to contact a referral and we met a lovely woman that has been prepared for the gospel. Sister Jobran and I both felt a very special spirit when we were talking to her, and we left a Book of Mormon with her that she said she would read with "much love and care"--how precious! We weren´t able to mark a return appointment because she´ll be going into surgery on Tuesday, but we´ll definitely be calling and making sure that she´s alright! 

But I think the most special experience was on Friday, when we were eating lunch with a member. She has two children, Kayque and Yasmin. Yasmin is an 8 year old full of energy, and Kayque is 19 with severe disabilities. Sister Jobran loves Kayque and has told me a lot about him, but Friday was the day that I got to meet him. The spirit was very strong in the room, and I could feel the love the God had for this teenager that was unable to do anything for himself. It was very special to stand beside him and talk to him for a while. I´m grateful that God loves every single one of His children, it´s not important how capable we are or how often we fall, He still loves us. What a blessing!

I think that´s about it! Sorry I didn´t take pictures last week, I´ll make sure this week I take a bunch to send next Monday!! I love you all, have a great week!

Sister Carlson

July 30, 2018

Good afternoon everyone! 

Wow, this week has been full of things to do! Medical appointments, district meetings, proselyting, the works! The Lord really does bless who He calls with energy and resiliance hahaha!

I learned a lot this week, but I think the most fulfilling day spiritually speaking was on Sunday. I received pure doctrine, and it was wonderful!! As it was the last Sunday of the month, all of the adults were together to learn about ministering. Our branch president was our teacher, and I can testify that he received direct revelation for our branch--it is always awe-inspiring to see God´s hand in action! He started by writing a list of active members that were not present (which was by no means small) and then asking everyone who knew why they weren´t there at church. He went on to day that we as members of God´s church--who have accepted coventants which can be found in Mosias 18:9-10--are in a very real sense responsible for the other members that aren´t at church. And ministering is about love now, not just about duty. We can send texts to ask how people are because we care, not because it´s close to the end of the month. And ministering is a very real thing in our branch because lots of people aren´t attending church, so if it stays like this, our branch will close. The branch president pleaded for us to do our ministering to bring lost sheep back to the fold. And then in gospel principles we learned about working hard. So interesting that being productive is a gospel principle! But it´s true! As with our sweat we earn our daily bread, we are able to be humble and remember our God. Something that I shared with the class was something I learned from my mom and my grandma. Whenever I would complain about cleaning the house because I wanted to goof off, they always said "First we work, then we play, then we´re happy for the rest of the day!" I said that as I´ve grown, how I understand this phrase has changed. We truly will be more happy if we put our work first, because if we just spend the day playing, it has no reward. As good as it is to work, we do need a break every once and a while. That´s why we can achieve ultimate happiness when we work, then play. One of our purposes on this earth is to be productive, but also to have joy! Let us be joyful in the work!

I love you all so much!

Sister Carlson

July 23, 2018 - 1 year behind me, 6 months ahead of me!!

Good afternoon lovely family of mine!

So today was transfers, when everything changes!! 18 areas were closed and reopened, almost every area had one missionary leaving, and it has been stressful down here in Brazil. But Sister Jobran and I have been fine because the Lord has blessed us with the opporunity to stay together in Jd. Ivete! I am very excited to be able to work with my brazilian sister in bringing souls unto Christ!!

But this week has been great! God is merciful to all of His children, no matter how many times they doubt or question personal revelation. I am one of those children that He has been merciful to! On Friday, I had the opportunity to go to the temple with Ester, a recent convert that is my mission mom in Jd. Ivete! I asked permission for President Miller if we could go and do a session, and he authorized it!! It felt wonderfully reinvigorating to be in the house of the Lord. I had a personal question for the entire week, so I decided to ask in the celestial room. I was able to receive personal revelation from promptings and the scriptures. I left on cloud nine! But the next day, doubts started to eat away at me and I felt like I was drowning in some unneeded stress, so I asked an Elder to give me a blessing. And God gaveme the same exact response that I had received in the temple the day before. With my mind more at ease, I went to Church on Sunday, only to hear the SAME response in Sunday School! Ha! The Lord is so perfect!! I love this experience that God gave me, because I learned several things from it. 1)God will respond wherever you are, you just need to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit 2)When you doubt, you are free to ask again and 3)When you receive revelation, ACT!! God is perfect and is ready to help us when it is necessary, but we have to be willing to do our part, or the blessings will be lost. This transfer we are planning on working harder than ever so we can receive the blessings that are in God´s hands, and that He´s just waiting to pour down on us!! I love this gospel, and am proud to say that I am a member of the restored church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!!

I love you all, have a blast this week!

Sister Carlson

July 16, 2018

Good afternoon everyone!

This week has been great, with today being the best! We had our first zone p-day in Mogi das Cruzes, and it was a blast! Photos below, we basically hiked a gigantic mountain in our area and ate cookies and sandwiches at the top. It was so much fun to be together with our zone just to joke around and take pictures together. My legs will complain tomorrow, but I´m really grateful that President Miller has given us the opportunity to gather together like this so we are able to feel more unity within our zone!

Something that I learned this week is that whatever happens, we can choose to be happy. Happiness is a gift of God, and we always choose whether to feel it or not. Sometimes we feel frustrated with others, but that doesn´t mean that you have to allow the situation to bring you down. We had a very difficult situation on Wednesday morning, but the only reason why I was able to come out the other side with a smile is because Jesus Christ is my Savior and He loves me. That will never change, because He is the "same yesterday, today, and forever". Our mortal situation will always change and grow, but Christ is constant. He is reliable. He is my Savior. Nothing else will ever be grander or of more worth than this. So we can be happy! I love my Savior and am grateful for the sacrifice He did so I can have "happiness without end" (Mormon 7:7)

I love you all so much, have a fantastic week!!

Sister Brazil Carlson

--

Sincerely,

Sister Carlson

July 10, 2018

Good afternoon family!

Sorry I´m writing a day late, yesterday everything was closed because it was a holiday, so President Miller liberated us to write today. Also we got to know him on Wednesday, and he and his wife are fantastic! This past week has been really great! I have learned a lot, and am grateful for the trials we receive so we can be made stronger!

When we were teaching some recent converts, they were watching some horror films and left it on as we talked. For anyone who knows me, I hate horror films and feel scared very easily. This week was an active decision to choose fear or faith. Never before in my life has the contrast been so real! There was one night when I didn´t sleep a wink because my mind was playing over and over again what I saw. The next night, I read 3 Nephi 6-15 before bed and pled with the Lord to protect me. Yes I did my part in studying out the word and asking for divine help, but the incredible thing was, was that when I focused on Christ, I slept like a baby. When a scary image would make its way into my head, all I had to do was think of a hymn and remember of my overflowing gratitude for my Savior´s sacrifice. We don´t have to be driven by fear, we can be set free by our faith in Jesus Christ. What a wonderful reassurance! I love my Savior and all He has done for me! 

I hope that you all have an amazing week! 

With lots of love,

Sister Carlson

P.S. We had a party on Saturday with our branch--super fun!

--

Sincerely,

Sister Carlson

July 2, 2018

Hello everyone!!

I am very zazzed right now--Brazil beat Mexico in the World cup, and the streets here are crazy!! Right after they beat Mexico 2-0, 1 motorcycle and 3 cars passed us with people screaming and shouting victoriously. It is a very fun time here in Brazil:) Sister Jobran and I went out for victory ice cream because they won (also I may be a huge soccer fan now??)

Anyway, this week has been wonderful! Something I have really learned is actually focusing on people´s needs, like the Savior would if He was walking amoung us. One day after lunch, it was time to leave a message with the members and leave to go proselyting. We ended up having a very long and spiritual conversation that was very interesting to follow. Afterwards, I said to Sister Jobran, "Sister, I´m glad we had that long conversation with them, but I think we stayed a bit too long?" and she responded, "No, Sister. This family is one of the families that doesn´t trust in missionaries. Because we stayed and listened, we are starting to gain their trust." I never thought about that! Missionary work is about bringing EVERYONE to Christ, not just people that don´t know Him. Working in a branch is interesting because the members need us more than ever. And something that I learned from a past companion is that when you work with members and can show them that you are a reliable missionary, you can teach their friends, which is a much more effective way to find investigators! What awesome lessons to learn!!

I love this gospel, I love this opportunity to fully live. As my beloved Grandma Joanie said, "Living in Christ changes what it means to be alive....for in Him we live and move and have our being." How gracious and loving our Savior and Heavenly Father are--I love Them!! 

I also love all of you, have a fantastic week!!

Sister Carlson

Pictures!!

1) I FOUND A GIGANTIC PINEAPPLE!! Lol, it´s actually a tree:) 2) There´s grafitti close to our house, and these wings are so cool!! 3) Me with my victory ice cream:)

June 25, 2018

Good afternoon everyone!

This week has been one of much spiritual learning, so wonderful!! But I need to start off with a sad reminder: President and Sister Silcox will be released as couple over the São Paulo East Brazil mission on June 29, 2018. We as their missionary children are very sad to let them go, but as well are excited for President and Sister Miller from Canada to be welcomed to Brazil. 

As I said, this week has been great! It was our last Zone Conference with President and Sister Silcox, and the spirit was tangibly powerful. When they bore their testimonies about the mission, I regained appreciation for my calling as a missionary, to be able to physically put the name of Christ over my heart and accomplish His work. These two spiritual giants will be sorely missed, but I was grateful to have this Zone Conference to hear and internalize their last testimonies and lessons. I hope that one day I can be like them, and like all the other wonderful examples in my life!

Also, my personal study has been more than fulfilling this week. I´ve been studying Alma 32-39, and these chapters are absolutely full of doctrine that are mindblowing even though I´ve read them before! The Lord has blessed me with revelations that I didn´t know I needed. He is merciful and giving to His imperfect children! I was also able to study the conference talks from this past conference, and it has been so fulfilling!! I was able to learn a lot about meekness and humility, and the Lord told me that´s what I needed to talk about on Sunday in Sacrament meeting! The Lord again blessed me with the words to say--the material and the portuguese. In reality, I think I learned more this week than any of our investigators did. I´m excited to keep learning and growing so I can better serve the people of São Paulo Leste Brasil!! 

I love you all! Have a splendid week!!

Sister Carlson 

June 18, 2018 - 11 months on the mission!

Good afternoon my awesome family!!

I hope that everyone has had an amazing week, mine has been one full of learning experiences! My first week in Jardim Ivete, my legs are definitely feeling it haha! It has been wonderful to get to know this area, and to be able to use the gifts that God has given us so we can further His work.

I have found on the mission that a small gift that He has given me is to understand maps and to know where I´m going. A fabulous gift when you have a walking mission! One day on the way to lunch, we got very lost, and the Sister that was making us lunch was very pressed for time. Sister Jobran didn´t work with the map at all last transfer, so it´s been a rollercoaster this week! When she was feeling ready to give up, I asked for the map and where we were. With the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, I was shown where her street was. And lunch was simply lovely. I´m grateful for the gifts that Heavenly Father gives us so we can grow, so we can teach. I´m grateful I have this opportunity to work with Sister Jobran in this area, and that we can both learn and grow and be better disciples of Christ because of our time together! 

Have a fantastic week! I love you all so much!

--

Sincerely,

Sister Carlson

June 11, 2018 - Transfers!!

Good afternoon family!!

I´m writing here at 5:00p.m. in Jardim Ivete, Mogi das Cruzes. What what?? I was transferred!! My new companion is Sister Jobran, and I´ve been placed in the countryside!! How cool is that?

To say it in a few words, I´m grateful for change. I love Jardim Romano with all of my heart and I was sad to leave, but I am really excited to teach different investigators, work with other members, and be rejuvinated by another area. Also, this area has some crazy hills, my legs are going to get so muscular!! The Lord knows use perfectly and knows what we need when we need it, when we need to stick it out and survive, or move on and grow with newness. I´m grateful for the experience I gained with Sister Chaar and all of the things I learned, and I´m excited to learn different things with Sister Jobran. Also as a note for everyone that was worried about Sister Chaar, she was able to come home on Wednesday of the past week, and she´ll be going home in 3 days for her body to recooperate. I don´t know if I mentioned it, but the doctors thinks she may have firbomialgia, which effects the nerves that interpret pain. She is returning with honor, and I´ll always be thankful for our time together. 

But because she had 10 days of repose, I had the opportunity to have a division with a member! Her name is Emily, and she´s 14 years old, but oh my gosh she is so ready to be a missionary!! She was so happy to learn how to teach people, and was very pleased with different methods of teaching. We teach in 15-20 minutes, our goal being short, focused lessons that leave our investigators waiting for us to come back. It also allows us to visit more people. She said "wow, it´s so much more effective!!" And this was an opportunity that I needed, because being cooped up in a hospital/home sick is stressful. To have a day focused on the work, focused on bringing the good news of Christ´s restored gospel on earth was so refreshing! I couldn´t stop smiling, and I remembered why I wanted to serve a mission. When we help others find the happiness that we have with the gospel, we gain superior happiness. I´m grateful for the time God has given me to serve a mission, and that I was able to leave with a member to teach my people one last time before I was transferred. I love this gospel and my Savior, I am filled with excitement to do His work here in Jardim Ivete--a branch!!

I love you all!!

Sister Carlson

June 4, 2018

Good afternoon everyone!!

So this week has been one of the hardest weeks of my entire life, which is helping me grow!! I told you guys last week that my companion has gotten sick, but it´s escalated quickly. I am in awe with Sister Chaar, because the Lord never gives us trials that we can´t handle, and this is one of the heaviest trials I have seen someone bear. 

So, on Tuesday I had a division with Sister Malan because Sister Chaar couldn´t leave the house with all of the pain she was feeling, and our area was needing some care. Working with one of my best friends is great, I´m grateful that I had a little time to leave the house and focus on my investigators. Wednesday we were only allowed to leave the house for lunch, and we had to come back right after because Sister Chaar´s pain was reaching unbearable. Thursday after lunch, we were walking home, and her body stiffened up again, so much so that she couldn´t walk anymore. So we called a member to take us to the hospital (for the third time in the past two weeks) but we went to a different hospital that had an orthopedic doctor, so they did a whole bunch of tests to see what was wrong. She ended up having to go to intensive care and I could only come back the next day. So on Friday I came to stay with her, but I couldn´t stay the night because I was very emotional and it made Sister Chaar nervous, so Sister Queroiz stayed with her Friday and Saturday night. Sunday night Sister Malan stayed with her, and tonight I´ll be staying with her. So this past week has basically going back and forth between home and the hospital, and they still don´t know for sure why she´s feeling this type of pain in her back and what they can do. But they said they might let her go home tomorrow or Wednesday, so we´ll see. I´m just grateful for the support that God sends us through others. I was very scared the first night in the hospital, but Sister Malan, Sister Queroiz, President Silcox, Sister Silcox, and many other sisters have been nothing but supportive and ready to help us in whatever way possible. God loves His children and takes care of them, but sometimes He lets them gain experience. Experience isn´t always easy, but it is necessary for our growth. (Doctrine and Convenants 122) I´m so grateful for this opportunity to grow and to learn new things, that the Lord trusts me enough to try my best to support His beloved daughter Sister Chaar. I´m grateful for this opportunity to learn to trust more in God´s perfect plan as well, because His ways and His thoughts are higher than mine. 

I hope you all have an amazing week!

Sister Carlson

May 28, 2018

Hello beautiful family of mine!!

I hope you all had a wonderful week this week! Mine was splendid, although in a different way! This week, my companion got sick, so much so, that we went to the hospital! She´s on the road to improvement, but it may be a long one. Long story short, we needed to stay at home for most of the week, and I learned a powerful lesson about what Christlike love is, what pure service is. Of course, because I´m human, I wasn´t able to perfectly serve, but I´m grateful that the Lord trusts me to take care of one of His beloved daughters. The love I felt for Sister Chaar was incredible because I had a strong desire to take away her pain, I wanted to do everything possible to help her feel better. While my feelings were strong and at some times painful, imagine how Christ felt! He wanted to give us a way out of earthly pain, so He took on all of our sufferings so we have hope of a better day tomorrow! My testimony about the work of the Lord has deepened--we are called to serve everyone, not just people that don´t know the gospel. Yes, missionary service is focused on people that have no knowledge of the gospel, but when we focus on serving companions as well, we grow so much more. I am so grateful that even though we worked less, even though Brás couldn´t be baptized, that the Lord took two of His imperfect daughters and helped them learn something that they still needed to learn. I´m grateful that my ability to love another like Christ loves them and to forget myself has increased just a little bit. I´m grateful I have been polished a little more. I´m grateful to be here in Brazil!!

I love you all so much! Please continue studying the scriptures to fortalize your testimonies!!

Sister Carlson

May 21, 2018

Good afternoon!!

This week has been really wonderful! So many things happened, and it was really incredible to see the Lord´s hand in our work. 

We had another baptism! His name is Ruy, and he´s a friend of a member. We´ve been teaching him for a bit, and his conversion is amazing! He has had lots of problems in the past--with family, with addictions, with lots of things. But he has made huge changes in his life because of his firm testimony in Christ. Ruy has felt the Lord´s influence in his life since he was little, but when he invited him to be baptized, he got so excited and was so ready to leave toxic things behind him. I know that change is hard for everyone, but that when we focus our eyes on Christ, that is when we can make necessary changes so we can be His disciples. We can leave addictions, hurt feelings, and problems in the past as we strive towards the outstretched hand of Christ. Ruy´s baptism was beautiful, there were lots of people to support him there, and we felt the spirit so strongly--he left the water with tears of joy in his eyes at the prospect of leaving this old life behind him. What a testimony builder for me and my companion!!

We´re planning another baptism for this Saturday as well! His name is Brás and his cousin is a member. He has such a strong testimony, and we´re just working out the details so he can gain his key to enter into the kingdom of heaven! I´m so grateful I have for the opportunity to help people come unto Christ and follow his perfect example! 

I love you all so much!! Have a marvelous week!!

Sister Carlson

May 14, 2018

Good afternoon everyone!

So this week has been really great! Not only did we work hard and get to talk to our moms, we also had a miracle baptism!!

I´ll give a little summary of what happened! So his name is Rubí, and he´s been going to church since last summer. He hasn´t wanted to get baptized because he wanted to learn more. With Sister Chaar, we worked really hard to see what more he felt like he needed to learn. Turns out, that he thought he needed to pass some sort of test to get baptized like you need to at school, and he thought he wasn´t ready. So we read the baptismal interview questions with him, and everything was great! His testimony is so strong! Then Irmão Jonas (the member helping us out) demonstrated exactly how he would be baptized. When we asked him how he was feeling, he said, "That´s it?" We responded, "Yes! So will you be baptized this Saturday?" and he´s so funny, he said, "Oh, okay." In reality, the spirit led that lesson. Many Sisters have taught him without finding out why he needed to wait, but the Lord knew his doubts and his questions, so he inspired our explanations. Rubí´s smile when he came out of the water was so bright, my heart was so fill for him!! I´m grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here in Brasil, with people so receptive and open to religion! I´m grateful for everything that Sister Chaar has already taught me, and am excited to learn even more!!

I love this gospel, and that my family can be eternal because of it!!

Stay safe and healthy this week!! 

With all my love,

Sister Carlson