Week 49- Almost September

This week was a very good week.  For 12 week training, which is a program we use when we are training, it always gives us an application to apply to the new missionary for the week and for this week it was my companions turn to lead for the whole week.  He did such a great job I was really proud of him.  He is a stud and I feel he could lead right now!  We were able to go on some transfers this week.  I went with Elder Jensen on wednesday and we had a lot of fun and had some very good lessons.  Boy we were constantly laughing and playing with people.  We went to a lesson with a guy who isnt too serious but he called us over so Jensen said in twi he doesnt speak English.  He would talk to the guy in twi and the guy was like wow, white man who doesnt speak english.  We told him that he was from the bush and his father is German.  Well during the lesson I would look at Jensen and tell him he was an Idiot and Jensen (because he doesnt speak English)  would smile and say yeah......hhaha I was having such a hard time not laughing.  I told the guy that he was mad and likes to kiss and talk to goats and the guy starting telling Jensen in twi and Jensen would act mad at me haha and the guy was just laughing when I would insult Jensen in english.  It was a lot of fun!!! I also went on an exchange with Elder Uzoho and he is such a funny guy!  We had a lot of fun and taught some very good people!!  Well our people are doing very good.  J is doing good but we may have to let her go.  She knows the church is true but not willing to follow it, it makes me feel bad but there is nothing else we can do, we will do a lot of praying for her this week.  The S Family is doing awesome.  The gospel has truly changed their life and behavior.  They are three young beautiful girls named A, T and Al.  I look at the way they have progressed from when we first whent there until now....they are the reason I do missionary work.  The first time I went there they didnt even talk and now I cant even get them to quit talking.  The youngest loves sitting by me at church and always gives me hugs.  You can just see them shining with the spirit.  They have came to church for the past 5 weeks and talk to members all the time and the members have done such a great job with them.  I am so happy for them.  They will be baptized this saturday.  The oldest asked me to baptize her, the middle asked Luvhengo and the youngest asked for Uzoho we are so excited for them.    Every one else is doing fine.  At church we had a recent convert bring two of her sisters to church with her.  They are lovely girls.  Their sister is Elder Valdez's recent convert but is staying in our area and she loves the gospel.  She always tries to feed us because she says my older sister in Tema always feeds the missionaries and blessings come and I want blessings haha it makes us laugh but she doesnt have a lot of money so we dont let her!  We will tell her that her bringing her sisters to church will bless her more than what we can do.  We will teach them this week.  Also an old bishops daughter has been bringing her sister to church and we are going to teach her this week as well.  We are dealing with a lot of women in Ghana but women are way more serious than men.  Even you can look in any church and 90 percent of the congregation are women.  I always think of my mother and her example, if it wasnt for her I wouldnt be here today.  So we are excited for this upcoming months we are going to prepare a lot of people those two sisters and a man who has been coming to church and wants to be baptized so we were like ok let us teach you first boss he is a great guy named s!! 

So we had one of our MTC instructor get married this Saturday.  She was actually my teacher, she remembered me and wanted to give me a hug she is such a cool person.  Well she is a returned missionary and is marrying a returned missionary so they wanted the missionaries to come and sing.  We sang at their wedding, of course I led the thing again...gosh I need to join the tabernacle. Boy when we were practicing though and they werent listening I felt like grandma does at choir practice haha I was like boy Im like my Grandma!!!  We sang and it was beautiful.  Well Ghanian weddings after the wedding there is a lot of dancing and refreshments...as missionaries we got fed good.  Well they were doing a dance circle outside the church and I had to join them I like to have a little fun.  I went out there and did the AlQuida a local dance move and everyone went nuts haha it was funny I was just laughing.  I cant dance at all but It was fun. Well on our way back from that wedding we saw another wedding at my last chapel so we went inside and again got fed and got some coke.  Haha we crashed that thing boy it was awesome.  We had no idea who it was but we wanted some more food haha so we went there it was a lot of fun.  I saw Elder Nelson and he looks good, he put on 10 pounds at home haha and said he got sick with the food and said people said he sounded different...oh boy home is going to be wild haha!!! 

Well Family I am pooped out I wrote a lot this time I felt like!!  I love you three so dang much.  Thank you for the emails they mean so much to me!! I am so thankful for my family and the way I have been raised!  I truly have been so dang blessed.  You are all in my prayers every single day. I love you all very much!!!

love you three tons

Elder T-Cars 

Week 48- Subject!!!!

8/18/2014 11:49 AM

Hey family!! How is it going?  It sounded like you all had a great and busy week.  With Fair, the Rodeo, and boating.  I thought this week was going to be the hardest week for me because of homesickness but I didn’t think a whole lot about it.  I wish I could have been there but I will be there for the next one and that I think is why I didn’t think too much about it!  Boy though Elder Jensen and Uzoho and Luvhengo and I were talking about what we do for Christmas and boy that made me a little homesick.  I can’t wait to get moms cooking again.  Dad, Colby don’t complain again boy mom is the best.  Well I am glad you were able to see the family and all is well you were all in my prayers and I was glad you were able to make memories.   Saturday I was explaining to everyone what you guys were doing and it didn’t make me too homesick it kind of made me excited to go home, almost over the hump and on the downhill side.  Family thank you so much for the email though I really appreciate them.  I always love getting them and it’s kind of like a journal each week for all of us, I think it would be great to keep doing this even when I am home so we can have some family history!  I sure love my fam dam!! 

Just to answer some of your questions.  Yeah I am going to miss Jensen if he leaves me and him are a lot of like and would hang out back home.  Overall though I am going to miss this apartment we are so dang close and always have a ton of fun in the apartment.  This has been my best apartment.  Elder Uzoho is like the little brother but is so dang humble and loving so we always have a ton of fun with him and luvhengo likes to have fun and has a great sense of humor so we are always laughing and having fun.  This Ebola thing in Ghana is okay.  I know it won’t come to Ghana by the Airport but it will and can come by the borders they aren’t doing anything.  Well now in Africa the rumor is, is that we as Americans and white people started this virus and sent it here and have a hidden cure to make money off of Africa.  It is sad especially when we are trying to help them but In Africa they always blame everything on white people...hey we have Cholera...it’s because white people are white haha it’s too bad but what do you do.  All is well I think it will be okay!!  I don’t want to leave Ghana I want to stay here this is my mission and I can’t see myself anywhere else so I hope it doesn’t come!!  

This week was really Awesome!! We had a great Zone Training Meeting on Tuesday with the Zone.  Elder Anderson and Elder Bay do a very good job.  The APs were also there.  They did a Americas Gots Talent show except it was a contest for the best finding and contacting missionary it was pretty sweet.  Well not to toot my own horn but my companion and I won...so we are the best finders in Kaneshie Zone, might as well sign us up to be apostles haha it was pretty fun.  Afterwards it was Elder Bays birthday so we went to this pizza place and a place called melcom and chopped pizza and I drank a dr. pepper...boy I love the city sometimes.   Well I was able to meet the APs a little better and Elder Hansen is our new AP...Great guy, we would have got along so dang good I wish we could have served with each other a little more.  We are a lot of like he is going to go home and play college football when he is finished.  Well that was a good day then we were able to have a great week throughout the week.  As well I met a guy from Liberia, His name is Elder Tolar he is a great guy and he plays ball, we got along very good and talked a lot that day.  I thought we had it rough in Ghana but they didn’t even have electricity...you will never catch me complaining again.  I hope we know how blessed we are in the country we live in.  America is so dang blessed.  Well throughout the week we met and had some very good lessons.  We had an investigator that was just visiting for a couple weeks and we felt we had to teach her at least through lesson two so we did that and she loves the book of Mormon.  We were sad to see her leave.  The S family also left.  My companion with Elder Valdez on exchanges were able to have a great family home evening lesson.  They said it was a lot of fun and I know it was a very deep seed planted.  I know they will all get baptized in the future and I was glad my companion and I were able to plant that seed.  The Sa family the three girls are doing awesome it was so dang cute, the youngest is turning 8 years old today and when she told us that I turned to her father and said do you know what that means boss and he didn't know what to say but she answered loudly and excited BAPTISM haha it was awesome. The girls love the church, and are all very excited to get baptized.  They all came to church again this week and are loving it.  We have been teaching my j and have had some great lessons well we had a lesson and told her to pray right after we left to know if the church was true so we came back two days later and asked her if she had prayed.  She said yes and said that she kind of received an answer.  Well her friend she is living with told us that a voice told her that she needs to go but she doesn’t want to leave her church.  So we have been working on her and have been trying to help her understand that this is the lord’s church. We are praying for her and she said this week for sure she is coming to the church.   This is all that really has happened this week and it has been a super busy and super fun week.  We haven’t had anything to funny happen this week.  Things are just normal.  Well we were at a members house and she was feeding us some sort of grounded plantain and palmnut stew well there was a bunch of wild cats around and they were coming trying to get some food well I threw a little on the ground and they would come so they came and I snuck my hand under one and threw it on my companion boy he squealed like a girl haha I laughed and laughed and laughed he was like I don’t like cats man haha I have done that once and every time that family sees him the little girls tell him you scream like a girl haha.  It really made my week.  

For this week I ate a lot of indo-mei and a lot of rice haha and am feeling very healthy.  My voice is back and all is well.  

Family thank you so much for the emails and the thoughts.  As well I was wondering about a one year package with my card to watch some vids haha.  I can’t believe it has been a year.  Time truly flies and I can’t wait to see you guys again.  I sure love you mom, dad and Colby.  Thank you so much for the prayers and the sacrifices you have done for me.  Colby dude I still can whoop you on a bike and will be able to whoop you in a wrestling match when I get home...dad you’re still a wuss and mom your still the best mom in the world haha I love you guys so dang much!!!! 

Love your missionary!!!!

Elder Carson

Week 47- Killing it!!!!

8/11/2014 11:39 AM

Hey family!! It sounded like you all had a very good week. I wish I could be there with you right now but I got to do the lords errand right now.  It sounded like you are really having a good time.  I hope you took lots of pictures I will love to see them.  As well let me know on the rides you went on:)  Did you go to the ice cream store that we always go to? I really am missing you guys right about now and I’m ready to hit my one year, make some one year resolutions and then get home to see you guys!!:)  I sure love and miss you all so much but I am so thankful that you are all safe and doing well.  You are always in my prayers and I am at peace knowing that Heavenly Father is watching over you!!!:) 

This week was really good.  It somehow seemed like a normal week and I feel that my emails are getting more boring and boring but I don’t know what to talk about anymore, it seems the thrill of Ghana has worn off and I feel like a dang Ghanaian.  I mean the other day we were at a funeral and Elder U and I had to take a leak so we found a spot on the wall behind the cars well right after we left it seems it was a good spot because a very pretty girl followed right behind us and squatted and let er go haha it was funny..only in GH haha where you can take a leak wherever and its cool, when I do it though it seems the children have never seen a white one before so they try to come up and get a peak hahahaha I am laughing so hard writing this right now.  So this week was super cool we had some very good lessons and have had some great experiences.  Well one day we were out finding and just talking to people and I saw a man sitting outside a store so I rode by and just thought to myself I wanted some biscuits (crackers) so I should go contact that man.  Well his name was R and he said that he doesn't go to any church (which is way weird in Ghana) and he has heard a lot about us.  Well we talk about why he doesn't go and he told us it because he knows all these churches are false and are ran for a business.  He was a very intelligent man and we told him we would be coming to see him this week we have high hopes for him.  It’s amazing how the spirit works and how it will just lead this work.  It has been so nice to train because my companion is very good and gives me a lot of compliments about how I have learned to listen to the spirit and I always tell him he will obtain it as well which he is and is doing very very good.  We taught J, again my ex-wife, and she is doing really good and is keeping commitments.  She has been reading the book of Mormon and asked us why other pastors don’t use this book because it is so good.  Well we explained to her why and she listened very very good, the spirit did and she said this Sunday she will be coming to church:)  Other than that we have been able to plant a lot of seeds in this area and hope that when other missionaries come they will be able to reap in a little more of success in this area.  I always share with my companion it’s not about baptisms, and how it takes a real man and missionary to know that Heavenly Father is pleased with you even though you aren’t baptizing anyone!! The S Family is moving tomorrow but we gave them a family proclamation and wrote on the back how to conduct a family home evening and they were really happy for that.  We are going to see them off tomorrow.  The father and I had a very long conversation last week about why he left the church but still wants his kids and wife to go.  He shared that he was a ward clerk and saw bishops and members stealing money.  Which happens a lot in Ghana and how he didn’t like being a part of it so he left.  It’s a very good reason and I said one simple line with him, I said Da don’t let those people keep you from receiving blessing from your heavenly father for living the gospel and taking of the sacrament.  I told him don’t let them affect your salvation and affect you from living with your family forever. Just because the members aren’t perfect doesn’t mean the church isn’t.  WE can’t let those people keep us from living with our families forever if we don’t renew our covenants each week then we are allowing Satan and them to win.  We have to partake of the sacrament each to prove to our Heavenly Father that we are worthy to live in his presence and live with our families forever.  Remember this as well Family!!:)  We as well this week met with another member who has a less active sister so we have started working with her.  The Less Active Family the s family is doing really good.  They came to church again on their own this is the third week in a row, we will baptize them on the 30th we are so happy for them.  We wish the father would come back but we can’t force anybody to accept this and live it.  The oldest daughter left as well to university so we were sad about that but when she comes home we will get her taught up and get her baptized.  We as well experienced an African Funeral this week.  Africans they love funerals and they really take the pain out of it.  There is a lot of singing, dancing and praising god.  A member’s mother died so we went to support her.  She was part of the house of Zion church so there false pastor did a sermon.  IT was funny we tried to be as respectful as we could but the members were all laughing it was an experience.  Boy Jensen and I were dancing singing praising the lord, I felt like I was at a freaking high school basketball game but it was fun.  We all wore our funeral ties (black) and had a good time!!:)   Well then Friday I started feeling myself getting sick my throat was killing me, so I was good I was taking my doxy and things but Saturday when I woke up I had no voice haha but I felt and feel super fine but my voice is gone.  Well Saturday was a short day for us because of that but before we went home we met this guy at his house.  He was a super nice guy that we contacted and allowed us to sit.  My companion did all the talking and did a wonderful job.  He asked him what has God done for you in your life and the guy started talking about how babies are made haha and then compared that to how great God is boy we had some good laughs about that after it made our days. 

Well Family! Ghana is still sweet.  I love it here so dang much.  I just chopped fufu at Jensens recent converts house.  Her name is MC and V, we stop by there almost every evening and have some good laughs.  They are shining examples on how the gospel will change your life.  MC is around 60 years old and is so dang funny. Family I am so thankful to honorably represent the lord in Ghana.  I am so thankful for your sacrifice so I can be here.  I have been blessed with such a great family.  I love you all so much and want you to know serving a mission is the best decision I have made.  It has truly changed me from a boy to a man and has taught me so many life principals.  A mission is truly a university for life.  I know this church is true, and I love defending it.  I love you all so much!!!

I love you all tons!!!:)

Week 46- Ebola is not good!!!!!!

8/4/2014 6:04 AM

Well Family we have to pray for this Ebola virus thing to get figured out.  We just have to put our trust in our Heavenly Father and all will be okay.  Just pray that no missionaries will get it and all will be okay.  I am ready and on my game right now so all is okay, we don’t need to worry or let this affect us.  I am obedient and Heavenly Father will protect me.  I appreciate that email and I was already aware of this, I had a bad feeling on Friday that something happened.  At first I thought it had to do with Cami so I was just praying for her then Sunday I realized what was going on just to the west of me.  The spirit will keep me safe and healthy don’t worry Dad and Mom I will be okay.  I love you guys!!!  It sounded like you had a pretty stressful thing to worry about with this whole Ebola thing.  

This week though was really sweet.  We were able to have a really good week this week.  We were able to plant a lot of seeds and have some really good lessons.  M is doing really well.  Boy she is stubborn but she said this month she is going to pray and read the book of Mormon to see if it is true.  I think she knows the church is true but she is just fighting it.  She is like our mother she feeds us every time we go there and she is always taking good care of us.  If stuff goes wrong I am going to her.  We as well were teaching this older man who has just suffered a stroke.  I think I mentioned him last email.  He lived in America for about 10 years and was being taught by the missionaries there.  We went to see him on Tuesday and we had previously asked him to read the pamphlet we gave him but when we asked on Tuesday he responded with when you walked in I thought to myself "For Today I am in trouble"  We all started to laugh about it.  Well then on Thursday we went to see him and we asked if he read it and he said "For Today I am dead"  haha we laughed pretty hard about it.  He is doing really well and we have taught him all of the Restoration and he loves it but we will see if we can get him to come to church. As well we have been teaching the Less Active family the S family.   We have been teaching the daughters and they again came to church again this Sunday.  We were so excited to see them again they loved the church and the members did so dang good with them.  They went and fellowshipped them so well it really helped we are hoping to baptize them the end of this month.  As well we had baptisms on Saturday.  We had 5 people baptized and my companion and I baptized L.  It was a really special program.  I performed the baptism for L and for Elder Jensen's and Uzoho.  It was really sweet I have some pictures but my memory card has a virus so I can’t send them. The S Family is moving at the end of this week so we were very sad.  We planted a very deep seed with this family and we hope that where they move they will continue to progress and be baptized.  I have been thinking a lot about this Ebola virus and these natural disasters in the world.  Family please pray for these people and ask Heavenly Father to help these people.  I have a sure testimony of this Gospel; I have never doubted the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This church is so dang true and if we live and follow the commandments of our Heavenly Father we need not fear.  Know that I am obedient and doing what Heavenly Father expects out of me.  I know that we will be safe here and all is well.  I will keep an eye on it and we will be safe I have hand sanitizer with me always:)  

Family I love you all so dang much.  Please don’t ever forget that.  I love you guys and am sure proud of my family.  Know one thing that if we live the Gospel Principles we will see each other again and we will have eternal happiness.  If there was anything I would want from my family is to follow and keep their covenants so we can live together forever, this is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Love you guys so dang much!!

Elder Carson

Colby Proud of you boss and the man you are developing into, glad you got your truck hope you take care of that thing.  I love you big guy!!

Week 45- Throw it up!! Throw it up!!

Family!! How are you guys??  Well I guess it’s too late to write Kody!! I sure miss that guy! He truly has been a great example to me.  I always think to myself like boy I’m not going to be able to play ball when I get home what am I going to do then I always remind myself that Kody is doing the same thing.  That is so cool he is home I am happy for him.  I was so dang sad to hear about Jacks little sister.  It broke my heart for him.  Keep them all in your prayers.  I know she is in the arms of our Heavenly Father and savior Jesus Christ right now, I am so thankful for our Heavenly Fathers Plan of Salvation, knowing that I will see my family again.  I don’t know if you guys heard about our dance off in our Zone activity a couple of weeks ago.  To say the least me and Jensen should have won that battle but we had a slanted crowd.  Colby!!! DUDE you got your truck you freaking stud!!! Dude get some chicks right away man haha! Dad don’t worry about that sickness.  I always am clean here and am always on the look out don’t worry all is good, I will keep my head up my eyes open and my hands to myself. 

This week was so dang good. The weather this week was awesome.  It has been cool all week, little rainy boy it’s been nice.  This week we haven’t had anything exciting happen.  It was such a good and rewarding week though.  We had 8 investigators at church and L a girl we had been preparing for baptism said she wants to be baptized this Saturday so we are going to baptize her this Saturday we are so happy for her.  I was kind of reluctant at first because I didn't know if she was ready but then Saturday she said a prayer asking God to help her overcome her fears and be baptized. She also said she wants to be a member of the lord’s church and I was so happy for that.  It was such a great experience.  The s Family came to church again but we got bad news that they are going to move at the end of this month so we won’t be able to baptize them, but it’s still a seed planted and yesterday their 10 year old boy wore a tag to church saying Elder I we were so happy.  Then another less active member we have been dealing with, we got all his daughters to come to church this week for the first time they were so happy.  As well we got my wife to come to church this week with her sister that we have been teaching it was so dang cool.  During Church they were just writing things down and the members did such a good job fellowshipping them.  Overall Sunday was a great day.  A lot of people came to church and we were so happy for them.  Dang Sunday is a make it or break it day.  If your investigators come you are stoked but if they don’t you feel terrible.  As well M our mother in this area said this month (August)  She is going to devote her time to reading the book of Mormon and coming to the church. We definitely have planted a seed in her heart.  She is stubborn aww but she loves us.  She always calls us son and she always talks to us about things we love her.  Today is actually a Muslim holiday so it’s a little crazy outside haha everyone is dancing in the streets and Muslims are everywhere.  

 Well family sorry nothing really has happened this week.  We just taught normal lessons with our investigators and yeah have had a lot of fun.  My companion and I are getting along good and the apartment is still cool.  That virus thing don’t worry about it.  President hasn't said anything about it but I will keep my eyes open.  Mom Dad and Colby I sure love you three very much.  I miss you every single day that I am here and can’t wait for the day I can give you guys a hug.  Miss you tons!!

Love you all tons!!!:) 

Elder Carson