Week 6

So this week has really been a good week!!  I loved your emails!!   I sure do miss motorcycle rides don't ever take those for granted! That's the thing my companion and I were talking and its like the first few weeks out here you are adjusting and yet you are just overwhelmed with gratitude and overwhelmed with joy!!  I literally am so grateful for everything that have and I am so grateful for my family back home.

The baptisms were so good though gosh I love the girls we baptize I love to see it change their lives and their families love!!  You can see the joy the holy ghost brings into their lives and that's one thing that I took for granted but how important the holy ghost is to have in our lives! Its truly the greatest gift we can have here on earth to allow us to make right decisions!!   

The language is going good I'm starting to understand it better I can hear more than I can speak its very hard to speak because you have to like lower and higher your voice and some words if you don't you like insult them haha so I'm learning!! 

As well we will baptize two of my boys that I have helped teach this Saturday so I will be at five in my first month and then we will baptize two more at the end of the month haha its going great!!  On our pdays we get up in the morning and we fetch water to wash our clothes and we start hand washing our clothes and that takes about an hour and half and then we clean the apartment and do any other things!! Then we walk up to the market and get some things and get haircuts!!  Then its football time baby the locals say I'm really good too I wish I would have played in high school because they say I'm the only abruney they pass to lol buts its so much fun and then we go to a mans house and he is like a father figure here who gives us bread and honey and we play games its like family home evening and we invite our investigators its so much fun!!

I sure love the people here they are so nice and they always are saying how happy they get when they see my face and they are always offering to make fufu for me!  
I sure love Oda though I think that I will be here three more transfers!! My companion will finish my training and then leave due to him being here almost one year and by that point he will have been here a year so I bet I stay and lead and he leaves!!  I love Oda though its so beautiful and its like home kind of haha kind of country!! Its still very hottttttt I am getting so tan my arms are like brown and I have only been here 4 weeks!!  

 But family I'm doing great and one thing that has been on my mind is in the book of Nephi in chapter 18 verse 21  we are counseled to pray in our families and we will be blessed!! I know we strived to do that every night but we weren't perfect!! Keep that in mind and try your best to always pray and to trust in the lord!! That is what I had to learn was to trust in the lord!!!  If you have trust in him than you know that whatever he places in front of you there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!

 

Family I love you so much and am so grateful for you!!! I think of you all every day!!!!

Love you All so much!!

Elder Carson

 

 

As well we are gong to the temple on the 5 of November so that will be sick I'm so pumped for that!!  Just to go back to Accra will be so cool!!  Our well will be done as well on Tuesday and I'm so happy for that because that means we wont have to fetch water and we will have clean water!!  The people and the members mom I just can't describe how fully converted they are into this gospel some walk miles to get church and some wake up at 5 am to get ready and leave by 6;30 to walk and be there by 8;30!!  They are truly converted people and I really love what they teach in our church is they teach that in the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints we are equal!!  No one is better than anyone and to never judge!  They don't either when someone makes a mistake or when I make a mistake they never laugh they always smile and kindly tell you what you did wrong!!  I really love their examples and they always keep me on my toes haha.  I can't understand twi in the church so I just read my scriptures well now they are comfortable enough with me to just say elder Carson tell us about this and tell us about this haha and I have to be ready always because the people here look up to the missionaries!  

 

I wanted to share a word with you in twi to and try to learn it haha its basic!!

Me-Dowo    =I love you!!!:)

I sure love you!!!:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 5

So this week was awesome!!!! We got rained out almost every single day though so that was kind of a bummer we weren't able to work as hard as we wanted but what do you do you can't fight the weather!! Basically my schedule is way busy! When I get up I start boiling water and make oatmeal, a boiled egg, and bread lol, sometimes I make omelets  usually on Sundays   We have all types of food here I eat a lot of rice and beef sausage for lunch and dinner which is way good and indo-mie which is like top-a-ramen!!  Ha so I am eating good lol!  The other day at church someone said I'm getting fatter lol!!  Then we go out and just find people and talk with our investigators until about 9 and then come home and fetch water for our shower and then prepare dinner and then bed haha its way busy!!

Haha thats the other thing its not rude to tell someone they're fat here haha so my companion will like tell woman their fat haha it makes me laugh!  

This week was kind of cool I was able to eat snail and fufu haha so that was interesting. Snail is kind of good though just really fishy!  As well I will be eating some fufu tomorrow some members are making us some!  But you just get a big bowl and eat with your fingers so that is going to be hard for me but what do you do haha!!:)  Fufu is weird lol you don't chew fufu you just swallow its like trying to swallow a pill every time!!

Its crazy we are going to baptize five people this Saturday I'm so excited and they want me to do the baptism haha I'm pumped for that!  As well I have been adjusting so well its super hot you literally are always sweating its hard but its just part of the work baby!!

The days are flying by so fast though I can't believe it!  I have to say I really love the people here!  They are always so nice to me and they love Americans and they always offer me things!!

I'm a  firm believer that Satan knows that the first few weeks are the most vital time for a missionary!! He was sure eating me up but I was on my knees a lot and I'm so grateful for prayer! I know heavenly father hears our prayers mom so please continue to pray!  Try to have a family prayer every night and your personal prayers as well!!  

The language is going good! I'm learning slowly but surely!! The people are really patient with me and its hard because I have to learn to talk slow and dumb my English down and to emphasize every letter in a word so its been tough but its sure been fun haha!!  I have to say I'm still homesick but I have just learned mom that you have to trust in the Lord!!  I am so grateful for this gospel and to know that we will live with each other for eternity I'm so grateful for that!!  This gospel is true mom my testimony strengthens of it each and every single day!! Its so cool every Monday we have family home evening at a members house! He always feeds us honey and bread!  He is a wealthy man in Oda and always feeds us and helps us feel at home!! He is like family here and its helps!!  I am so grateful for everything I can't describe how much gratitude I have developed sense I have gotten here!! 

So a spiritual challenge this week is to write down 25 things the lord has blessed you with!!!  It has helped me to understand why I'm here on this mission to just write down everything that I have!! I always write in my journal and every day I write down what I'm grateful for!!  It has helped me a ton!!  I love my Heavenly Father so much and am so grateful for him in my life!! It's been a great week though the locals always giving me compliments and saying how happy I am!!:) They always compliment how they can feel that I don't feel that I'm better than them and they can feel of my love!!

Know that I'm so dang happy and I'm so dang glad that I'm serving a mission!! I have been so blessed in my life and to just give back two years of my life is the least I can do!!  

Just a quick thing before my time runs out haha but the children are always yelling abruni haha which is like white man. I get them chanting it and they are all like chanting abruni abruni abruni and I raise my fist and say it with them its so much fun they always come and run and give me hugs and always jump on me!! I really am so dang happy and I am grateful you are all healthy and doing well!!

Its cool too because Africans play music everywhere so its fun to always hear the music and I always dance and they love to see me dance haha so I dance and gosh dang its just a blast here and an adventure lol I'm so happy and enjoying it!!  I love you all so much!!

Dad I love you so much!!

Mom I love you so much!!
Colby i love you so much!!

I think of you every day!!!

I can't wait to hear of your week next week!!

I love you all!!
Love Elder Carson

Taylor's Chapel

This is where Taylor shops for food

Pounding FuFu

Week 4

WOW so I had a full thing written and the computer blacked out haha I’m so upset but I will try again!  I am doing so good though I am getting better every single day.  Things here are getting better and better every single day though. I like the quote I learned in basketball camp; Every day in Every way I’m getting better and better and that’s how it is here I’m getting a lot better!  I eat so much they eat so many carbs here I’m going to be so fat haha I hope!!  Please keep emailing like you do where you individualize that I love it! I love hearing from you as much as possible please continue to be safe!!

Mom!!!!!!!! I loved your email!  I am so grateful for you!  You literally packed me with way more things than I need ha I have everything I need for this whole mission so don't worry I don’t need anything!  Thank you so much for being prepared!!  You driving on that tire haha that is so you lol and that is why I love you mom haha I can just see dad shaking his head when you tell him!  Hey continue for your goal to run that marathon and don't let anyone hold you back your goal was to qualify for the Boston marathon so do that mom don't settle!!  Mom I love your emails and I love hearing about your week so please continue to do that I loved the quote from president and how even a prophet was homesick!  I always tell the boys in my apartment that all I needed for me to relieve stress was to hear my mom’s voice saying hey you can do it!  So I am so grateful for you!  Mom I’m blessed with the best mom in the world!!  I love you so dang much and think of you every day!!! Love you Tons Mom!!:)

Dad!!!  Everything is going good hear I really liked your email.  Dad I will always be honest with you when I email and tell you everything don't worry about that!  Everything is safe here I’m eating so dang much and the water is coming.  My companion is a great teacher and really knows the culture very well so he has helped me out a ton I can't complain I’m starting to get it figured out!  I really have just blended in and have just watched and learned so it’s been great!  I apologize I had a full email wrote and the computer went out so things were lost but dad I’m safe and I love you emails so please keep sending them!!  Dad you’re the best dad in the world and I’m so grateful for you!! Please keep everyone safe dad!! I think of you every day!!  I love you so much Dad!!:)

So like I said I had a whole thing wrote and the stupid computer like deleted it I was so mad but everything is going super good here I loved reading all your emails!!  Please continue to write me emails and letters dear elder works so it’s nice to get them!!  This week has gone by so fast though I can't believe it! I am learning the twi okay its hard to learn but it just takes time so I have to be patient!  The ward missionaries are always over and they have taught me things which are nice!!  They always say they can feel my love and can see how happy I am!!  The culture is so different though this mission is not like they portray missions in America!  First off because it takes time for us to fetch water, wash our clothes by hand, take bucket baths, so that stuff takes time!  My companion is a great teacher though so I can't complain I’m super grateful for him he has taught me so much and is super patient with me! We are teaching so many people though I wouldn't have enough time to write them all down probably 20 people haha we are going to baptize probably five this month I’m so pumped because of that!!!  Ha one day we were out tracking and we stopped at this house and we were talking to the family and I stepped on this flat rack and my companion looked at me and shook his head! Well after he told me that is where they prepare their food I felt so bad!!!  They use flat rocks for that so I have had to get used to that ha but everything is getting better and better every day!!  Please continue to write me personal emails like you do I love them!!

I am being obedient don't worry I have been super obedient!!  It’s so hot here haha I can't believe it.  When I ride my bike it feels like I’m riding through fog haha it’s so hot the black people always laugh at me and say I’m going to be black when I go home!  As well we should do the spudman when I go home I am going to have such stacked legs!!  There is a scripture that talks about being obedient on your mission and you won’t face like hunger or soreness haha it’s so true my legs are getting so stacked and I’m never sore!  We ride our bikes like 20 to 30 miles each day haha uphill and downhill on dirt roads it’s not easy but my legs feel so good ha so let’s do it!!  

I wish I could have gone to the mountains with all of you though!! I really just want to see the fall colors and feel that cold air again! Next week hopefully the computer won't crash and I can get into more detail but know I’m super safe the Ghanaians I swear love Americans!  Half the time when they allow us into their home I think it’s primarily because they just want to talk to me about America haha then we share a lesson and convert them!  It’s really cool here because they love Jesus and know the bible from front to back I feel super unprepared with the bible but companion knows the main questions people ask so he is pretty quick and he teaches me but the people really respect us in general because we are teaching about Jesus Christ so they leave us alone! They are very nice and humble people haha I’m learning more and more about them everyday!!  I love you Family so dang much!!

I love you all so much and think of you Every day!! 

Love you MOM!!

Love you DAD!!

Love you Colby!!!

Elder Carson

This is a hand dug right outside of Taylor's apartment.
 As of today they still haven't reached water.  

Taylor's apartment.  There are four missionaries living in it.

Week 3

Yeah I walk in to meet President Hill and the first thing he says to me is that I am going to the bush. Its crazy here its not really the bush its pretty busy but yeah its really hard!!  I have to fetch water out of a well for water to flush the toilet and to bath in...its soooo cold!!  But they started digging our well so that should change by the end of this week!!  Oh yeah and they dig the wells by hand its not okay and they cut there lawn all by hand with a machete!!  But its way safe here there isn't any worries they have everything I need so I shouldn't need anything from home if you do though please just a lot of pictures I love pictures.

My companion is Elder D from Fiji he is a great guy and a great teacher he has been out a year next month and is a great teacher!! He knows the people really well and they all love him!!   I can't wait until we have water so we don't have to buy water that part isn't very fun we have to buy water to cook, wash dishes, brush our teeth and other things!!  We have taught a couple of people and have committed them to baptism and are going to baptize probably three people this month!!  I love hearing about things that are going on at home so keep emailing like you do I love it!!  I apologize if my emails seem out of place or don't flow i just try to talk from my heart and whatever comes to my head I write!!

That is crazy the weather is like that its soo hot here I sweat so bad lol its like dripping off of me all the time!!  As well riding our bikes I feel like I'm mountain biking every day lol its kind of fun haha i always think of Colby when I am riding and how much you would love it!   They have everything here from shampoo to soap to toothbrushes to batteries to converters its fine so don't worry about me!!  But mom holy cow you packed so much for me and before I complained but I am sure grateful you are such a good mom and packed everything I love it and have everything I need!!  Its funny I'm learning twi and its really hard to learn but everywhere i go the little kids yell abrunie haha its funny it means like white man they love Americans here they are always curious about America i love it!!   They talk really slow so i have to as well they always say you talk way to fast!!  

I actually used the plunger this morning it went really well washing clothes by hand and fetching your water out of a deep well is hard lol but its fine just something i have to get used to!!!  

We have taught a bunch of investigators and the people here are so nice and eager to learn about the gospel!  They love Jesus, everywhere here you see love Jesus so they really respect the elders and love us even if they are from a different church because they know that we are preaching about God and Jesus so thats nice!!  I love you family and I am thinking of you all the time!!
Hugs and kisses

Love you All,  Dad, Mom and Colby

Letter from Elder and Sister Nielson

Sister Carson,   as an introduction we are Elder and Sister Nielson and we are the couple missionaries assigned to the Asamankese district where your son is serving.   We went to Oda the other day to take his luggage to him after he arrived to his new area.    We found him well and happy and doing great.   The two pictures of him are taken in front of a bar but their landlady owns it and we were visiting with her that day about digging a well on her property.    The other one is just some school kids going home in the rain.    We will see Elder Carson about every two weeks or so.   We check on their apartment, fix bikes and just try to be helpful where we can.    He has a great trainer companion and I know he will do a wonderful job.    If you have any questions or comments feel free to email us.    We have a blog that shows a lot about life here and we add pictures to it from time to time.  

Best wishes,   Elder and Sister Nielson.

Taylor with his trainer

Taylor and Elder Nielson.  Check out Elder Nielson's blog
 it is really fun to see all of his pictures.

School kids walking to school

Week 2

(Today was the day before the missionaries were leaving the MTC and it sounds like there was some down time.  Taylor wrote us three times.  I am posting them all here with a space in between.  I loved hearing from him.  I just wish I could hear from him more often.)

Hey family I will try to email a little later today as well and write a little more but I have an appointment in about twenty minutes!  Today is my last day in the MTC and I’m pretty happy with that!  I have loved every minute of it, my district was awesome!  We always were laughing and joking around which made the MTC fly by its crazy how fast it went.  All I can say is the days drag on but the weeks fly by! 

I’m glad things are going well at home please keep me informed I really look forward to your emails and hearing what’s happening at home!  I’m so proud of Colby and how hard he works he is such a good young man I’m glad he is working hard and doing okay!  Tell him to do a little more pull ups though nawww I’m kidding I’m glad he is working out I know he will love it!! 

I will be honest I’m so tired it’s all I can do to keep my eyes open but I’m so happy, I’m so happy is all I can say I’m always smiling and just feel love all the time!!  Their culture is cool I really love it, it’s hard to put in words what it’s like, it’s ten times different than what we’re used to!  This mission and this MTC is ten times different than any other mission or MTC experience!  We have around 80 kids here and you can hear gangster music all the time outside and you can hear sirens and people yelling constantly, you have to be very into the lesson to not be distracted by outside experiences! I have learned patience so much here in the MTC.  It was sad to see my district leave to their missions today!  The food here is the same almost every day I will send pictures of our breakfast everyday (sometimes they add oatmeal) and send our lunch and dinner which is rice and chicken for every meal!  We have however had my favorite meal which has a weird hot dog type meat inside it!  I’m not complaining though don’t get me wrong if you hear the stories and testimonies of the natives you would never complain about anything the rest of your life!  The first day I got here it was soooooooo much to sink in how different it is here you can't put it into words you just have to experience it!  I love this gospel so much I can feel the spirit so strong everywhere I go I love my Heavenly Father and everything He has given me!!  My favorite scripture is Romans 8:39!!  I will try to email you again very soon!  I Love you guys very much!  I love you Dad thank you for everything! Mom I love you!!!  Colby (keep getting bigger) I love you little brother!!!

I apologize if things seem random but things just pop into my head so I write them!! 

Love you all soooo very much!!!

Elder Carson

Well I kind of emailed Dad a little on the other email!!  I think most of the time it will just be a general email to you, Dad and Colby on one but I had a chance to email twice today!  Football with the Africans is so much fun I can't put it in words how good they are though everywhere you go here you see someone playing football!!

I want you to know this is hard! It’s been a cake walk but it’s hard!!  Understand that drinking water all the time, being hot all the time and eating the same food all the time is something you’re not used to.  I say this to not have you have pity on me but I say this because this may seem like a sacrifice but I have never been this truly happy!  When you see little children playing in the street and running across nearly getting hit all the time, or when you see people cooking on coals with an iron pot on the side of the streets by their tin houses you should never complain about anything!  I want you to all know that I emphasize it because it means a lot to me!  Now when I think of this I just simply shake my head because we literally have everything!!  I don't want to seem preachy or seem like I’m lecturing but I just want you to ponder the thought of would you still be close to the Lord and follow His example if you didn't have a dime to your name??  I love you all so much and know you would but it has really been on my mind a lot lately!!

I am so excited to get into the field tomorrow I can’t put it in words!  I feel like I’m somewhat ready but literally the Natives know the Bible and the Book of Mormon by heart I swear I can't keep up with them their testimonies are ridiculous! 

The other day we went and got our Ghana Citizenship card and were able to go to a grocery store!  They have everything here I bought a Snickers and a Coke and oh my gosh it was the best Coke and Snickers I have ever ate in my entire life!  They make them with real sugar and a bunch of other things and it was so bomb!! 

Make sure Dad knows I am safe they have taught us everything here to keep us safe!  The water has a three system filter which is 99.9% effective on cleaning your water; they said you can't get water at home this clean!  They have taught us how to clean and keep ourselves healthy!  I will be fine I have walked around and associated with people outside of the MTC and they are such nice friendly people! 

The roads are so bumpy lol and there is a lot of speeding up slowing down, honking, sirens,  cops with big AK's and haha its wild!  The accent of the Natives I am actually getting used to and the heat as well!  I have actually been sleeping with a blanket but it’s a little cooler here right now!!  The humidity is what’s crazy you go outside and you can just feel it. It feels like a cloud is just covering you when you fill up your water bottle it’s immediately wet on the outside of it!!

I love you all so much and will make sure to email as soon as I can when I find out where I’m serving and who my companion is!!

I love you all so much!!

Love Elder Carson

I just wanted to emphasize on the last email I sent I don’t want to offend you about complaining it’s not geared towards anyone!  However I’m disappointed in myself for ever complaining it is what I wanted to get a cross!!  I love you all so much I am so happy and am so blessed and grateful!!!