•La ultima carta...basicamente‏......6/04/2012

Buenos Dias!

Guau, es dificil creer que ya me han pasado dos anos como misionero.   (Wow, it's hard to believe that and I have spent two years as a missionary. )  Time really does just go by way too fast. There are times as a missionary that you feel like this is never going to end, but when the time comes to finish, it really feels like it couldn't have been two years already. I think it's also a little different just because of the amount of time that I've spent in my two areas. I have gotten to know all of these people super well because I've known them basically for forever! I've been here a long time and it's just home for me and home for them. We are planning on having a pretty intense last week though, so I'm excited to live it up this week. We've got lessons and interviews all evening tonight, and then Tuesday we have a baptism (for Milta and Ricardo), Wednesday we have another baptism/confirmation for Itzel Chavez (that's a pretty cool story), Thursday we have a big ward Family Home Evening, and then this Saturday there will hopefully be a marriage/baptism in the sisters area that I will sing at. They're teaching this lady named Rossy (pronounced Rosie) that has been investigating for 5 years but couldn't get baptized because she's not officially divorced from some guy back in Mexico and can't get married until she does. They've been really pushing the paperwork and she really wants to do it this week because she really wants me to sing at her baptism. There was a song I sung a year ago at a baptism that she loved, and she has talked to me about it for a long time and how she wants me to sing it at her baptism.

Milta and Ricardo are incredibly solid and excited for baptism! We were afraid that there might be a problem with Ricardo getting baptized because of all of the gang stuff he was involved in and how much time he spent in jail, but thankfully he got interviewed by someone in the mission presidency and everything's good. We had an awesome lesson the other night as we talked to them about how we all met and how the timing worked out. So right before we met them, Ricardo had been trying to make changes in his life, leave all of the drugs and gang stuff behind and everything, but it just wasn't working out. He was going backward, not forward, and life was getting a whole lot harder. He was at the very brink of turning around, giving up, and just heading back to the streets. In the meantime Milta, his girlfriend, just found out that her mom died and made a promise to God that she would draw nearer to Him and make changes in her life. She was going through a rough time and had nowhere to turn. In the Catholic Church she simply didn't feel anything and didn't learn anything. Also in the meantime, Elder Carlson and Elder Lindquist over here in Mesa are struggling because they simply have no people to teach (don't ask me why I'm speaking in third person) and just need something. They pray super hard as they're planning one morning that they will have somebody ready to teach and literally within minutes Sarah Levin calls them and tells them her care-taker asked a question about church, so they should come over and teach her about it. All of the sudden, Milta, Ricardo, and us are all brought into each other's lives at the precise time that we all need it. We had no idea that Ricardo was just about to turn back and give up. Life hasn't been easy since he decided to get baptized either though. He has had so many things happen and so many people tell him he shouldn't do it or that he's betraying them. That night we met with him his car broke down right on the border of our area and he lost a bunch of money and nobody around had cables or anything. He was at one of those tough moments, but we came over, gave him a jump, and he said he's never had so many crazy things happen to him as he has since he made the decision to get baptized. I loved it though, because after he told us about everything he said, "Let's go talk about God! A lot of people would be scared about these kind of things or give up. Anybody else would give up, but not me. Me and Milta are getting baptized!" He just said it with such a determination and jumped into his little gangster car and we went and taught him. Ricardo's so cool. These are definitely people I feel that were brought into our lives for a reason. There's something special about them, and we're pretty excited about Tuesday. Last night that's all Milta could talk about. We sung a bunch of songs for her and Sarah, and read D&C 18 to Sarah to talk about how awesome and important it is to do missionary work. They had been waiting for Sarah's sister Barbara to come home from the hospital all day long, and asked us to pray for her and within minutes after the prayer they called her and said she was on her way. It's fun to see so many little miracles everywhere and think about how God does everything and is so aware of the most minute details.

Everything that happened with Itzel was nothing but a miracle as well. When we tried to extend baptismal dates in the past, her mom just said no, she doesn't know enough and she's not ready. This last Thursday, after we watched a movie about Thomas S. Monson, Karen said out of nowhere that she and Itzel had been talking and that she wants to get baptized before I leave!! At first I thought she said June 30th and I was kind of disappointed, but she actually said June 3rd. Because of scheduling we ended up deciding on this next Wednesday and they're all way excited. Itzel's a way cute 11-year old girl and everyone at church loves her. She's already most of the way through the Book of Mormon and she's super smart. Her mom Karen is probably one of the funniest people I've ever met. She always teases us about being late, or how we don't sing good, or just anything. We have a lot of fun with them, and Karen actually had a really cool experience this week as well. So on Thursday she lost her job and was feeling pretty down and out. We brought over a Liahona for her to read and she said as she was reading it she was just overcome with this incredible peace and she just knew that everything would work out. She had never felt like this before in her life. She said she didn't know if she ever really had a firm testimony or a witness from the Holy Ghost before but this was it. The very next day, her old boss called her and they wanted her back. She's working a ton now, and she knew that this happened because she's doing what she's supposed to be doing. So that was a pretty sweet experience.

For my last fast and testimony meeting I went to the Dobson Ward and bore my testimony right there at the end. I was filled with a ton of different emotions, just because of how much I love the people here, how much I love the work, and yet how ready I am to move on with life. My mission really has meant the world to me. But as I bore my testimony I looked out into all of those faces that I know so well - all of those people that have impacted me and that I've hopefully touched in some way. I especially love the Hansen Family here, who were all tearing up as I was up there. I think a lot about what Jeffrey R. Holland said about his mission and I feel the same way. No mission has ever meant more to a young man than mine has to me. I love everything about it and I'm so grateful for all of the experiences that I've had and been a part of. I have seen the hand of God so clearly in my life these past two years and I see miracles every single day. I love the members of the church and I love how you can see Christ in them and in their families. I've developed a hope, a faith, an assurance that I've never had before. I know that the Lord's promises are sure, and I have truly come to know my savior Jesus Christ. The Lord's work will go forth and I always want to be a part of it.

Thanks to everyone that has helped me and supported me for the past two years. You have no idea how much it means to me.

Con mucho amor, With much love

Elder Carlson (por una semana mas)  for a week more