Well, I've been here in Gulf Breeze for almost two weeks now. It doesn't seem like that though. My mission is going by much too fast. Part of me likes it going by fast and part of me doesn't ever want it to end. It's just crazy.
Thank you for all the letters (Grandpa and Grandma I received your letter as the Pensacola Elders gave it to me a district meeting). I really appreciated them all. I really liked Dad's letter about Keith. I knew he had guts. =) Tell him I said hi and congratulate him on doing what he knows is right.
This week as been a pretty interesting. I don't really have any amazing events that happened this week. We did go to a funeral for a member in the ward. She sounded really nice from what everyone said and I kind of wish I had gotten to meet her. We also went to a baptismal service! Ironically, the first time I've been to a baptismal service on my mission has been in Gulf Breeze.
I played volleyball with the ward on Saturday. This wasn't the usual volleyball I had played in the past. This was serious stuff. There were rules and all sorts of responsibilities that the different positions had. Brother M (the volleyball enthusiast of the Gulf Breeze Ward) gave me some good instruction and tips. In the past it was just get the ball over the net. This was pretty crazy. I'm still a bit sore still in my quads - something I haven't been in a while (probably because I haven't jumped in a long time).
Elder B and I are still getting along well. He's a very easy going guy and fun. Plus, he laughs at my jokes so that helps. =)
Anyway, the bishop here is really nice and is excited to make missionary work more of a focus in the ward. It's a good ward and is very loving and tries it's hardest to really be a family. We had a meeting (and lunch) with the bishop (it was stroganoff) and discussed how we want things to move forward. Elder B and I really want most of our investigators to come from members instead of us going out and talking to people. Much of what we've been doing these past couple of weeks is that we identified all the people in the potential investigator section of Preach My Gospel and have looked at all of them. We've found many bad phone numbers and vacant houses. The whole zone is going to Fox Run tomorrow for training on "having the faith to find", so I'm excited to learn some things and maybe we can start finding new people. I know I'm planting seeds but I just want to reap fruit now I suppose.
Picture time!
Here is Elder B (see first picture) at a soccer game that one of our investigator's sons played at. The mom and sons are all recent converts and now we're working with the dad. It was a pleasant day out of the sun and the boys who are only like 10 and 11 had some crazy foot work. I saw jukes and fakes and head passes (they hit it off their head to their teammates). I was quite impressed.
Here's me with the famous F's (see second picture)! He's the ward mission leader in Pensacola. I think he'll be pretty surprised to see me again on Wednesday (I'm going up there for a trade-off).
I've been learning and growing much as of late. One of the things in which I have grown much is in my understanding of Jesus Christ. There were very few Sundays growing up where we didn't go to church and there were none of those Sundays where we went to church where He wasn't mentioned. Every night before family dinner we would pray over our food in His name. I know about Him. I'm quite familiar with the various stories as well as the various parables that he shared with his disciples and the people of Judea. I had a testimony and belief that He was who He said He was. I knew the Atonement was real. But that understanding and that deeper appreciation where that knowledge takes on deeper meaning to become a facet of your life was not quite there. It's that understanding of who He is that has caused me to have really developed a greater love and appreciation for Him. Sometimes I think we all forget that as we get caught up in the hubbub and business of life that we let things become surface level. We brush them off too easily and move on to other matters. But much like any good cleaning product, it is most effective to let it sit and allow it penetrate to the root of the dirt.
Jesus Christ really is the Savior. I believe that and all the evidences I have found point to it. The Church really is true.
I love and miss you all! I'd love to be there with y'all, but I'm a little busy right now. =)
--
Elder Matthew Carlson
