I know you thought Cami would be off social media for a year and a half, but not so!  

Here's the Instagram Page Cami references in her email.  

She is THE most resourceful person for keeping up her Social Media status, 

I've ever seen!  And she doesn't even really have to try that hard.  Little stinker! HA!

Oct 27, 2014

Cami's favorite weekly treat!  This is the frozen yogurt place they go to every P-Day.  They love the good Christian people who run it and look up to them for closing their restaurant on Sundays to keep the Sabbath Day Holy despite that they are in a touristy location.

Sister Carlson & Sister Bassett putting Quarters in the ceiling of Surfin' Spoon. The owners are professional surfers and put quarters in the ceiling at surfin spoon. It's tradition there that they do where the wood shrinks during the winter and all the money falls out of the ceiling and then they donate it to surfers for autism

Cami & Sister Bassett on the Beach watching the sunrise

Awwwww! She loves us!

Seafood Festival...NUM!

Hiiii!

Wow. What a blessed week. I first have to start off my email by saying HAPPY ONE YEAR to my best buddies Elder Bryner! :) Never thought this day would come and now here it is haha! It has been a great week - Sister Bassett and I found 4 new investigators and couldn't be happier about it! It feels so good to have people to teach :) Last Monday we went and got some frozen yogurt from our favorite place called Surfin' Spoon (that has turned into a weekly event), the cool thing is that we all bought T-shirts and the owner took a picture of us and posted it on their Instagram page! We had dinner with the Bishop's family that night and they said "hey you guys made the Surfin' Spoon Instagram Page!" Ha,ha! So that was fun. You can find my face on there :)

On Wednesday we went to Spencer Yachts in Wanchese and had English class and it was probably my favorite class so far! The subject was about health and we taught them "Head, shoulders, knees and toes!" I took a video of them doing it which is pretty great. Ha,ha! I will try and send but it was seriously so funny! Everyone was laughing and trying to do it as fast as they could and we were all just dying!

On Thursday, a member of the ward had us over for dinner and it was so much fun because she taught us how to make soap! She is really into healthy natural living and so we made it all natural and used essential oils to make it smell good and put oatmeal and all this great stuff to exfoliate and it was so much fun! She invited us back for this week to come and can food with her so we are looking forward to that! :) I''m just learning all kinds of life skills on the Mish! Ha, ha.

On Friday i got a package from home that seriously made me so happy because my beloved sweet Mother sent some Coconut Banana Bread and it felt so good to eat something that my own mother had made in my sweet home in Utah! Haha. I'm a girl that way...but it was so sweet. Made me smile :) There were many highlights of the week, but I think the one that stands out the most was after a lesson me and Sister Bassett were driving home listening to the MoTabs (typical) and Come, Come Ye Saints came on and we were both just crying through the whole thing and at the end we look at each other and just start laughing. That song just gets to me every time! I always think about the pioneers and all the things that they went through and I am humbled immediately. It motivates me to be better and to forget about myself.

So far on my mission I have come to realize that I am happiest when I lose myself in the service of others. Loving others is so easy and I am so grateful for my opportunity to serve and to put the Lord first in my life, above everything else. It is quite the experience. I have so much love for this area and the people in it and feel just BLESSED. There is no better feeling than knowing you are being or doing something good for someone who is in need. I love ya'll so much and hope you have a blessed week!

Much Love, Sister Carlson :)

Cami's new Companion-Sister Bassett at a cottage on the beach!  

Yes, that is the surf behind them.

Yummy Fried Twinkies at the Seafood Festival on the Outer Banks.  

Residents call it  the OBX!

HELLO HELLO.

Stinkin' good week this week! I am loving my great comp Sister Bassett and living with Hermana Gray and Hermana Johnson! They are such good examples and so much fun to be around. Like seriously I feel so blessed!! 

The tender mercies of this week started on Pday, with one of the members in our ward. A few weeks ago she brought a non-member to the fish fry and we were able to talk with her and get to know her, and next thing we know, she gives her friend, who is the member of our ward, some money to give to us and the Hermanas for a little extra spendin cash! SO KIND. So on Pday, we went out to lunch together at this bomb sandwich place called Jersey Mike's and then went and got some frozen yogurt at Surfin Spoon! :) We are just so grateful to that person for being so kind towards us and she isn't even a member! *BLESS-ED*. 

Tuesday we went and did service for one of the members in our ward and I just not only love doing service but love doing it for this specific member because she is so sweet and welcoming!! People are so great.. If there's one thing that I have learned on my mission so far, it is the type of member I want to be when I return home! I am going to have the missionaries over every day. Haha. 

On Wednesday we went to English class with the Hermanas at Spencer Yachts and it is just the greatest thing. I absolutely love that! They are so much fun to be around and SO HUMBLE and the next day was Hermana Gray's birthday and one of them gave her this little cheesecake and it was the nicest thing of my life! Good people are so great. 

On Thursday we went and a lesson and dinner with a recent convert and it was so cool because we went to his family's cottage on the beach and it was like amazing! I was like hmm... I could get used to this.. it was great though and the rest of his family aren't members but they are such great people and we just loved being around them! Thursday was Hermana Gray's birthday and it was so much fun! We baked her a German Chocolate Cake and decorated their study room with all these balloons and stuff and it was so fun to be able to celebrate with her! :) I am now the youngest of the house...19 year old reppin. 

On Saturday we had the opportunity to go to the Seafood Festival for dinner with Sister Hoffman and that was the experience of lifetime!! There was a ton of fresh fish and it was incredible because we ended up running into someone we have been wanting to have a lesson with at The Festival and we ended up setting up a dinner appointment with her this week and we are going to make soap! We are super excited for that! Also on Saturday night after planning we were getting ready for bed and all the sudden the fire alarm starts chirping...and we were like GREAT! Haha, we couldn't leave and didn't know what to do because we didn't want it to keep us up all night.  The wonderful Brother Paul Kelly came to the rescue with a 9 volt battery and we were able to sleep that night :) 

There are so many tender mercies each day and it has been humbling to live so close to the spirit to be able to recognize Heavenly Fathers hand so evidently in my life. I am just so grateful for all ya'll and all the support you show me! It makes me smile every time I get to see a picture from home or get on and see so many emails! I LOVE YA'LL! Have the best week ever... peace and blessings from the east coast!! :)

Much love, Sister Carlson :)

Hello everyone!

It has been a wild transitional week but things are going great here in Nags Head! On Monday my comp Sister Garvin headed home and is now safely (as far as i know) living a normal non-missionary life...SO WEIRD. But I love her and am so happy for her!!! Being in a trio with the Hermanas for a few days was probably one of the funniest things of my life! I loved it!!! We had a lesson with a less active sister and read the Book of Mormon and naturally...I rocked the Spanish Book of Mormon...;) It was so great! 

On Wednesday I went to the English class they teach at Spencer Yachts and we decided that us as English sisters need to come and be at the class too so we are going to start doing that each Wednesday because they have to have a 3rd female anyway in order to be in there with all the men who want to learn Spanish, and it's just super fun! It really was just so hilarious. Hispanics are great. So humble and willing to learn. 

On Thursday we drove to Portsmouth where Hermana Gray and I got our new comps Sister Bassett and Hermana Johnson! We are all loving living in the same house and being excited and dedicated to the work! It really is great. Sister Bassett is from Fresno California, has been out for almost 17 months, loves to run, and went to BYU before her mission. Before she came to Nags Head she was in Newport News. This is her last transfer. We are getting a long great and over past few days she has talked about how on her mission in each area after she leaves, the area explodes and there are all these baptisms and how most of her mission she is the one who has done the foundation work and hasn't really been there to see the fruits of her labors, and that is what we are also doing in Nags Head! There is a lot of planting seeds--but hey, if that's what it takes to build the kingdom then I am more than willing to do whatever I need to do! We are all working for the same cause and there is no failure, only feedback :) 

Missions are huge learning experiences- it's crazy how much I've learned in just a little over 3 months.  I am grateful for each experience! There really is no way to describe a mission until you experience it.  I know that it is something I will cherish forever. I am so grateful for this gospel and for all of the many many, many blessings that it can bring into each of our lives daily!!! 

The book is blue & the Gospel is true! (haha!) and GOD IS IN THE DETAILS. I've seen it first hand. 

I love all ya'll SOOOOOO incredibly much and hope everything is going great! have the best week ever!!!!!! 

Love, Sister C

 This week's adventures took the girls to the Wright Bros. Museum

 The museum is literally, in their back yard and rich with flight history.

Cami and Sister Amber Garvin during her last full week on her mission.

Sounds like a plan to me!

Hello Everyone!

I just have to start by thanking everyone who writes me each week because I am sitting in the library busting up laughing at the things ya'll say and so happy to see cute pictures of everyone! It truly is the highlight of my week. Thanks for being the best fam and friends ever!! :) Your support means the world to me.  

This week has been crazy busy but great. Right after emailing last week we started to pack up our old house and started moving stuff into the new house and let me tell you that was an all week project. We just barely got mostly settled in yesterday to the new house-still a few things to do but at least we have most of it done. They say you learn a lot of things on your mission--I learned from this experience that I want to do as LITTLE moving in my life as possible. :) 

We got to go to Portsmouth in Virginia on Wednesday and watch the new "Meet the Mormons" movie and it was so so good! You all should go and see it!  It's funny because it talks about 6 different Mormons around the world and one of them flies an airplane and does a "candy drop" and he goes over Elizabeth City, North Carolina which is like an hour away from my area and where we go every first Friday of the month for Zone meeting. And then the last story is about a missionary from Salt Lake that gets called to South Africa...and for anyone who knows me knows I have a very special part of my heart in South Africa. :) Haha so it was kinda funny that out of all the places in the world, those two and Salt Lake were two of the places!! After watching the movie us and the Hermanas went to dinner at Chic-Fil-A and it was like the happiest moment of my life! We don't have a Chic-Fil-A in Nags Head so it was like a delicacy. Haha, pathetic I know. Don't judge. 

General Conference was BOMB as usual. Elder Bednar's talk was my favorite. It was fun/interesting to be somewhere other than Utah and watch it broadcast from Salt Lake. Different, but I liked it. :) 

Last night was transfer calls and today is kind of sad because it is Sister Garvin's last day in the mission field :( She flies home to the good ol SLC tomorrow at 7 am! I am going to be staying in my beloved area of Nags Head and my new companion is Sister Bassett! This coming transfer is her last transfer in the field so we will only be comps for 7 weeks but I look forward to the fun times and hard work I will get to share with her! :) .....Kind of interesting that I keep getting comps that are almost done with their mission haha. But, all is well :) Transfers don't actually happen until Thursday, so I am going to be in a trio with the Hermanas that we live with from today until Thursday! All of their investigators are probly going to be like: "Who's this white girl that doesn't even speak Spanish?" Ha,ha!!! It will be fun though I'm excited! :) 

It seems like everyone is doing well.

I keep ya'll constantly in my prayers and am so grateful for each of you! Have the best week ever!! :)))

All My Love,

 
Sister Carlson :)

It's the end of September already and Cami continues on her 18 month vacation...

I mean mission!  

Cami and Sister Garvin shopping...

I mean proselyting.  

Awww.  I'm just joking.  They are clowning around on P-Day.  

I think they should start a new show, LDS Missionaries under cover.  

It could air right after the Kardashian's!

I think Sister Garvin got the right girl to get her ready for real life again...

and I think Sister Garvin got her ready for the next 16 months of her Mission life!  

Love that girl!!!

 Cami reunites with Sister Fife at Zone Conf. Sister Fife was her MTC Companion.

 Cute girls.  Silly Elders!

This is Cami and Amber's favorite place to go for FroYo!  

It's closed on Sunday so they are subtly trying to convert the owners. 

Stay tuned on that one! 

If you don't make it to the end of this letter, Cami has a new address:

Sister Camille Carlson

116 Windjammer Rd. 

Nags Head, N.C. 27959

This address is slightly better than the Kill Devil Hills name.  AARRRGGHHH!  Matey! 

I'm sure they think we have Cowboys and Indians out west here...by the name of their towns, 

I'm thinking they have Pirates with Peg legs walking the streets there! :) 

Hey ya'll!

Where to begin...Wow! We had a crazy busy week this week- which I love! 

We had exchanges at the beginning of the week in Virginia- Greatbridge Area and I got to be a part of probably the most spiritual lesson so far on my mission! The young man we were teaching is engaged to a recent convert and we were able to have a RM and his wife there and we truly felt the power of member present lessons. it makes the biggest difference in the world and there's a huge impact of the spirit when there is a strong member there, testifying of the truths that we teach people. It was so cool! 

Friday night us and the Hermanas put on a ward talent night and it turned out to be super successful! :) We were so excited to have so many people involved and excited! 

Saturday we helped some members move in the morning and did some service for Bro. Kelly. Our mission has started this thing on Saturdays called "walk and talk" where we walk around and just talk with people that are outside about the gospel from 1-4 on Saturdays so we did that and we got to have some really great gospel centered conversations so we are super excited to go back and hopefully teach those people! We are in the process of finding new people to teach so walk and talk has great benefit for Sister Garvin and I :) after walk and talk on Saturday we went to the annual fish fry that a family in our ward puts on which was great! Lots of fresh catch and good people to be around :)  We (us and the Hermana's) sang in church yesterday and it was probably one of my other favorite-among many-experiences of my mission so far. We sang the Youth Theme Song for 2014 "Come unto Christ" and I did sooooo good at not crying through all of it...and then I accidently looked at the investigator we had at church and Bro. Kelly and then I cried at the end. Everyone said they were really touched when I started to cry though so it's all worth it because the whole reason we wanted to sing was so we could touch hearts! :) 

We got word this week that we get to move in with the Hermanas so we are going to be doing that today and are SUPER excited about that!!! So....for all those (which should be all ya'll) who are sending me letters, I have a new mailing address and it's: 116 Windjammer Rd. Nags Head, NC, 27959 :) I'll be expecting lotsa mail in our new mailbox haha!!! That will be a joyous thing. This week we get to go to Portsmouth on Wednesday and see the new "Meet the Mormons" movie and we are way excited for that...you know you're a missionary when you get excited about a Mormon movie. 

This week is my last full week with Sister Garvin as my comp! I just love her so much and I can't believe it's already October and time for her to leave but I am so excited for her and the great things that Heavenly Father has in store for her! ANYWHO...I hope everyone is just doing so great! I miss all ya'll so much but I am so grateful to be a part of the work of the salvation all at the same time! 

Have the best week ever everyone!!! :)

Much love, Sister Carlson :)))))

This is a picture of a group who had dinner at the gal's house on the left.  She is playing the piano for them for them to sing this week.  She said Cami has a beautiful voice.  The 2 next to her are the Spanish speaking Hermana's.  The guy in the middle is a guy Cami has talked about a lot in her letters.  He's made great strides to change his life and has ups and downs trying to embrace the gospel.  We're praying for J!  Then Cami and her Comp.  Not sure about the guy on the right??? 

This sweet sister sent me this picture after their Sunday dinner yesterday.  Bless her.  She FB'ed me and emailed me as well.  She is AWESOME for taking care of our baby!  No pics this week, other than this one as Cami was on a slow computer today at the library, or maybe LDS mail was having troubles, but she couldn't get any of them to send.  Hopefully, next week we'll get double!  

And now a word from Cambolina...

 Hey ya'll!

Hope everyone is doing well! Our week has been a transitional (?) one. We are kind of in the middle of all of our investigators fizzling out and finding new people to teach--so that's what we are focusing on this week! 

Last week we had the opportunity to have Zone Conf. in Virginia Beach--it was so great! The theme was D&C 6:36 about fearing no man and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Sometimes as missionaries, it can be intimidating walking up to complete strangers and talking about salvation. Weird I know. Ha,ha! But it was perfect in the fact that we have to remember that salvation is so important that we don't need to be afraid because it's a message that everyone needs in their lives!! So that makes it okay :) An elder and a Sister from our zone played a special musical number on the violin and piano and the song was Bring the World his Truth or Armies of Helaman or whatever its called and it was Sooooo powerful and good. I cried. Which is weird because I never cry. HAHAHHAHAHA. Anyway-I felt the spirit so strong and it was pretty incredible to be there with so many valiant, obedient, missionaries. THE CHURCH IS TRUE. Then they talked to us about something we are doing coming up.  

On Nov. 1st we are participating in an event called a social media split. This is where different members are with us through the whole day, taking pictures of what we do as missionaries and what our lives are like and then posting it to social media for the world to see. We're doing this because the Book of Mormon musical is coming to Norfolk, Virginia-so our mission is taking part in Elder Bednar's talk at Education week and "Flooding the Earth with Good" and posting positive messages on Facebook. If you haven't watched it yet, you should.  Here's the link: https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/to-sweep-the-earth-as-with-a-flood?lang=eng.  So that will be really cool to be apart of. :) We are told to look at the musical as a positive opportunity to share our beliefs because it is actaully a really good missionary tool and opens doors with people who are curious after seeing it--I love that the church has taken that stance and turned it into an opportunity! :) Again, did I mention? The Church is SOOO true! 

We have a lot planned this week and we are really looking forward to it! On Friday we are having a Ward Talent Show- and then on Saturday there is a big stake "Fish Fry" that one of the big families out here puts on and supposedly there will be lots of people to share the gospel with so we are definitely looking forward to that! :) We always like lots of opportunity to talk to potential members so hopefully we'll find some new investigators! Stay tuned! :) 

Have the best week ever! :)