This week in Kempsville...

Burnt Toast

New investigator

Cut finger...healing now.

Top Ramen Lady (details below)

Pioneer Day Watermelon Eating Contest

Someone might have forgotten to turn 

off the water in the font for the baptismal font.  

Thankfully no damage. Sisters help cleaning up.

More clean up...

GREETINGS FROM VA BEACH.

Well, hey. its been an eventful week. here are the highlights:

- I cut my finger open. 

- We set our investigator Anna with a baptismal date for Aug. 8th :))))) she is 18. we met her through our recent convert, Crissy who just got baptized. Anna babysits for her.  Crissy is being a great embassador and a good missionary for the church already!  Basically Anna already wants to go on a mission.

- We went on exchanges. THE RANDOMEST thing ever happened to me and the sister i was on exchanges with. We pull up to a stop sign behind a car. This old lady driving the car gets out- mind you she is wearing a wig that is OBVIOUSLY A WIG, a super sheer loose dress, and really high heels...and she just starts walking around picking up stuff off the streets of Norfolk and putting it in her car. then she sees us behind her, walks over to her car, grabs some Top Ramen, and then walks over to our car and says "here, you look hungry take this noodle" and then just walks away in the complete opposite direction of her car and just leaves her car there at the stop sign, with the engine running and her trunk open. HAHAHAH we were like WHAT THEEEE. 

- I got a blessing for this terrible cough that I have. I even bought cough syrup. but its not working. *POSITIVE VIBES SISTER CARLSON*

- On saturday our stake had a pioneer day celebration. Which made me miss UT! But it was fun. The Bayside missionaries had a baptism that night so they were filling the font and.........they basically flooded the church. HILARIOUS. pics to come :)

All in all its been a good week! 

When I think back on every week I am so grateful for the eternal perspective of the gospel, and also for God's plan for each of his children. There are hard times, there are trials that although aren't desired, help us grow and make us strong. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are there with each of us every step of the way. They are going to be there to buoy us up. I'm grateful to rely on their strength [Alma 26]. God is good yall.

Peace out.

Baptism week for the Sisters in Kempsville, VA!

Sister Thornton tore some ligaments in her ankle!

Thus the brace.

In the baptism they sang the Primary song "When I am Baptized" 

about rainbows after rain and they came out to see this beautiful sight!  

Life is humid and sweaty...and some more humid. But I am happier than ever. I love the gospel. 

"Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities, and forever and always be loyal to the church.Never forget that you came to earth as a child of the divine Father, with something of divinity in your very makeup. The Lord did not send you here to fail. He did not give you life to waste it. He bestowed upon you the gift of mortality that you might gain experience—positive, wonderful, purposeful experience—that will lead to life eternal. He has given you this glorious Church, His Church, to guide you and direct you, to give you opportunity for growth and experience, to teach you and lead you and encourage you. Of course there will be some problems along the way. There will be difficulties to overcome. But they will not last forever. He will not forsake you.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Look to the positive. Know that He is watching over you, that He hears your prayers and will answer them, that He loves you and will make that love manifest. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in all that you do as you look to become the kind of woman of whom you dream. You can do it. You will have friends and loved ones to help. And God will bless you as you pursue your course. This, girls, is my humble promise and prayer in your behalf, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen." 

-Sista C :)

Now THAT's a rain storm!

It all started before their 24 hour mission with Abigail 

and oh what fun they had dancin' in the rain!

Cami celebrated her 1 year mark on her mission at Krispy Kreme Donuts!

 

Monday, P-Day spent at the Beach-early morning with the Hermanas

Crabbin' at East Bench in Norfolk...Their new favorite past time!

I cant believe its already pday. I have had a good week though! :) Here are some highlights...

-We learned how to make artisan bread....and now we are baking fools! 

-We went on a "mini mission" with a young woman in the ward and it was soooo much fun! It was Friday night to Saturday night... it was hilarious though because Kemspville flooded! (Heavy rainstorm, pictured above) So that made missionary work a little bit....awkward.... Ha, Ha!!! It was raining SO HARD we were driving home from an appt. and I was like "Um, are we floating right now?!?!" Luckily we were right by a members house so we somehow made it there without floating away and made a plan of action. We definitely took time to run around and play outside though :) that was super fun.

-I hit my year mark :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) we went to Krispy Kreme with the hermanas to celebrate 

-Our investigators passed their baptismal interviews and are getting baptized this saturday! :)

and this morning we went crabbing with the Hermanas at East Beach in Norfolk!! 

Life is good. 

XO, Sister Carlson

And then today a cute member sent me this picture at about noon.  They do service for there every Wednesday and today, after they were done, they made cookies for the baptism coming up on Saturday.  The mustaches were in celebration of the 3 year old's birthday!   

This week in Kempsville, Virginia...

Favorite sign of the week!

They caught a Firefly...

Made bread...

Got to stay out past their curfew, until 10:30 to watch 

4th of July Fireworks with the Hermana's!

Went to East Beach. SUPER NICE

Learned how to go crabbing...

Ya just tie a chicken wing on a string, and tie it to 

your leg and wade out and they come right up to it! 

We just did it in shallow water because we can't get in...

Happy Monday Y'all!

Last week for P-day we spent the day at the oceanfront with the Hermanas! It was super fun we just went and wandered around all the little beach shops. The rest of our week went really well! We have been given a lot of good opportunities to teach lately that we are super grateful for! It has just been so hot here. The humidity makes me feel like I am breathing through a wet cloth. But other than that.....ha, ha!!! I'm good!! 

The Fourth of July was fun, but so hard. Satan did not want us to do missionary work that day! Every plan we made just didn't work out...we started visiting members and even they were on their way our the door to do family stuff or go to the beach. Sometimes I forget that people have lives and families and they aren't just waiting for us to knock on their door and change their lives. 

My studies this week have been particularly amazing. One night I was saying my prayers, and ya know how sometimes when you are praying, the spirit just pops things into your head and you don't even really have to think about it? Well that happened and I had this really strong desire to just absolutely 100% know that God was listening to my prayers and that he was really there and that he really cared. Then next morning I woke up and started reading just my daily reading of the Book of Mormon and I "just so happened" to read 2 Nephi 32:8-9: "For if ye would hearken unto the spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. but behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always and not faint; that ye must not perform anything unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate they performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul." So basically the spirit just rebuked me. I just sat there like wooooahhhhhh. Prayer is real. And so is God. and THEN I was reading "Defenders of the Family Proclamation" and it just sums up my life so I thought I would share it with ya. :)

"Each of us has a part to play in the plan, and each of us is equally valued in the eyes of the Lord. A loving Heavenly Father is aware of our righteous desires and will honor his promises to us that nothing will be withheld from those who keep their covenants. He has a plan, but He also has his own timetable. One of the hardest challenges in this life is to have faith to accept the Lord's timing. It's a good idea to have an alternative plan in mind, which helps us to be covenant keeping, charitable, righteous women, who build the kingdom of God no matter how our lives go."

With love, Sista C