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!!!  

Week 1

Well where to begin...I am doing sooooo good I really love it, its gone by way fast and I can only imagine how fast the rest of my mission is going to go!!  I am district leader of the Mormon District and I love the guys so much! We are the only district that sits by each other and eats as a district thus far!! We laugh all the time there is a native named elder Eni who keeps us laughing the whole time we really are like a family and we have only been here a couple of days!  My companion is Elder Ikpah a native from Nigeria he is 25 years old which is normal for the natives here at the MTC the oldest is 30!!  Most Americans are from Utah and most of us are going to the Accra West Mission! 

Well when I was on the plane I sat by a Ghana native named Charity and she was such a sweet lady from the bronx!  She really helped calm my nerves and we talked a lot about the country! When we arrived in Ghana it wasn't as bad as people say it went quite well getting your bags is sketchy the conveyer belts are way different than Americas but you get your luggage! What happens is employees grab your bags and ask for tips to get it back if you say you have no money they give it to you!  But charity had a cousin who worked there at the airport and she grabbed her for me and walked her over to me and said dont let the boys husstle this young man he is my friend and so they took care of me!  An elder however at security when they asked for baggage check tickets the guards asks for tips and if you take your wallet out they grab everything in it a boy took his wallet out and lost around 20 to 40 dollars but i just said nawwwww man I dont have money they hasstle you a little bit but its fine!  hahaha Well on the drive over I got shotgun in the van and here in Ghana there is no driving rules haha pretty sketchy so I am in the front and our driver is honking at people swerving and were listening to loud rock church hyms and I amm like yep I'm definitely in Africa lol!! On the highway since there is no rules we hit traffic and a two lane highway turned into a four lol....crazy!! The highway is crazy people just run across highways and walk on the sides its kind of like everyone trusts everyone here in that sense!!  Everyone carries things on their heads and people walk up the streets and sell and they walk where there is traffic and they put their items really close to the windows!  You nearly hit them when you are driving its so sketchy little kids run across the roads all the time and get really close just like little 4 year children its nuts haha there is shops along the highway and things its so hard to put it down all at once!! I will keep filling you in on the experience over time!!

For the food my favorite meal is breakfast mmmmm its always a lot of bread, a boiled egg, and either oatmeal or some brown stuff who knows and lunch and dinner always have rice every meal and usually its chicken we have a fish a couple times but that's it!! We basically ate carp the other day that wasn't very good but you just plug your nose and eat away BABY!!!!  But my companion is well liked by the natives and I get along with everyone very well we always laugh and joke around.  Their testimonies are so strong and they know the book of Mormon almost by heart and they sing everywhere they go lol!  Our Hymns are sung sooo dang loud!!! 

It is really hot and humid I haven't stopped sweating since  I have got off the plane its crazy but you get used to it and know that everyone else is sweating too!! You walk outside and you feel wet almost lol!!  We went to the temple today and that is the prettiest temple I have stepped foot inside its so dang beautiful its small but beautiful I will send pictures!!!!  The hardest thing I have ate was that carp dang that was sick!!!!  My stomach is doing fine I think it was a combination of things but its good haha jet lag sucks sooo bad I have never been more tired in my life but Im getting back on track and doing fine!! I am sleeping fine I actually use tanners gift like crazy haha every time I get a chance to use it I do its nice but I actually have had to sleep with a blanket a couple nights ha I  got cold so my body is kind of adapting!!  I miss home like crazy but being here makes me so grateful to have a beautiful community i actually get really upset like mad when i think of people complaining.  if you saw this country you be soooooooooo disapointed you EVER complained about anything in your life if you live in America!!  The best experience I have had here so far was playing soccer in the rain with the natives that was way cool only once in a life time can I say I played soccer with Africans in Africa with women and children dancing and playing and singing on the side it was a neat experience!!

I love hearing what your doing at home so keep doing that please I would really appreciate that it makes me feel like I'm a part of it!!  just keep me posted on projects, classes, problems, everything I miss home but its only because I'm sooo grateful for my home and for my family!!! 

Tell Colby to work out as hard as he can because so am I lol!!  I love you guys so much you have no idea I am so grateful for you I have the best family I could ask for!! I love you Mom and Dad a ton make sure dad knows I am safe the natives help me out a ton I am learning a lot already like don't say hey to Africans it is very rude!!!  I only get an hour and that took 40 minutes lol! I love you a ton! Send me the dropbox stuff again lol oh yeah and I bought garments for 1cedi which is like 50 cents for us hahah I bought ten pair top and bottom for 10 cedi!!!!

Love you all a ton...until next week

Elder Carson

Day 1

Family I made it dont worry first thing i want to say is hotttttttt!!!! Second thing is i love it already my stomach is still adjusting but i will be fine!! The missionaries are sick they are way cool i really like them!!! My P day is wednesday so i will email you more that day but i love it and its nothing like the pictures hahahaha but talk to you soon everything went ok though no theft, husstling nothing haha love you guys so dang much!!! Love YOU!!!

Elder Carson

Sending him off!!!

Well, after waiting four months we have sent Elder Taylor Carson off to Ghana.  It seems so unreal to me.  It was hard saying goodbye but I know that he will come back in two years a stronger person.   I am excited to hear of his experiences and watch his growth.  I am attaching some pictures of him at the Twin Falls Airport.  He was the only missionary flying from Twin but when he got to SLC there were around 15 other missionaries all flying to Ghana.  There were more missionaries that met up with the group in NYC.  He was a little nervous this morning but when he called in NY he seemed calmer and was enjoying the company of the other missionaries.  Keep praying for him because I am sure he has some adjusting to do.

Checking in!  He doesn't have to worry about his bags until he gets to Ghana.  What a relief!

Thanks to Cindy Shaw for getting me this great shirt!!  I will look at this picture often to remind  myself that I can do it!