Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Escuinapa, Mexico 28 Enero 2013

Mi Querido Familia,

Well this week has been pretty eventful and flew by! Elder Cruz and I got to enjoy the rest of our time together this week and were able to have some pretty good experiences. I´m going to be with Elder Clayson this transfer, he´s from Utah also, haha :) but I don´t know what part yet because I´m waiting for him to arrive here in the area with me. There were a lot of changes in the Zone this transfer! In the other branch here in escuinapa Elder Collett arrived too. We´re here in the ´ciber´ (internet cafe) together right now. It´s been fun catching up on what has been going on with the ward over there in Culiacán and hearing about what else has been going on. It was sad to say goodbye to Elder Cruz, especially because now he´s heading back home to Yucatan but I´m happy for him too. I was able to learn a lot from him this transfer and I´m excited for what there is to come.

As far as what happened during the week. We continued visiting Norma, Cristain, and a few other investigators. Norma got baptized this saturday and she was very happy to able to make this covenant finally with Heavenly Father. She seems like a new person now from when I met her. Overall she seems more happy and at peace now. It was a great way to finish the transfer and these are the kind of experiences that make everything in the mission so worth it! We´re excited for Cristain too, he´s baptismal date is in a couple more weeks. We´re going to keep praying to see even more progress their with his family members too and that we can keep finding more people.. This last week we celebrated Elder Cruz´s birthday too! It was pretty funny that we both had birthdays this week and were able to share them together.

It´s really crazy for me to see how fast time is going by. I want to spend all the time I have left inviting people to learn about the gospel and to apply it to their lives. I´ve realized more and more the impact that we can have on our brothers and sisters for good or for bad. I think one of the biggest mistakes we end up making is not doing anything at all, because we think that we´re too small to make a difference. Everybody can make a difference and God has made us in His very image so that we can act, and not be acted upon!! I know that the more we act for good, being kind to others, offering service, and following Christ the happier we will be. I used to try and think about everything logically and there are a lot of logical applications for why we should keep the commandments for example. But the gospel makes things happen that can´t be explained!. Because how would it logically make sense that the more time we spend serving others the happier we will be? Won´t that never allow time for us to please ourselves?.. I know that true happiness is found in making others happy! It´s nice to be loved by someone, but it is even better to have love for one another. That´s something that I´ve learned and now know. It´s easier to love other people too when we remember that Heavenly Father loves us. I know that Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us more than we could ever imagine too, and when we begin to realize that everything else just falls into place.

Thanks for all the love and support. Keep up the great work at home too in work, school, and with the family! I look forward to hearing about your adventures too even though I don´t always have time to respond to them all. As always, you´re in my prayers.

Love,
Elder Carlson

P.S. Photos: 1.) Norma´s baptism 2.) Last P-day at the Cathedral in Escuinapa 3.) E. Cruz and I with a couple members in the branch



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