There's a transfer van with my name on it

Hey there!

To get things out the way, today is indeed transfers. I am also being transferred. Hence, the transfer van has my name on it. I'm headed to Pensacola which is pretty close by and my new companion will be Elder G. That's all I know. Once I get there, I'll get my address to you somehow. I'm excited and sad to leave Mobile. I was just starting to really like it here. Funny how that always happens. Just as I'm starting to like it somewhere, I get moved. Elder O's new companion is going to be Elder H. Elder F is coming here to Theodore (it's the town below Mobile). People are being moved all over the place this transfer! They're white-washing (which is just moving both elders out of an area) many areas and the transfer list is huge!

This week was really good! We did lots of service and helped many people out. We had some fantastic lessons (one in particular stands out but I'll get to that). We raked leaves for a member and did a really good job. Elder O and I decided that we were going to do a great job. We were at it for about 3 hours straight and it showed. We raked and swept his driveway and it looked nice. He was so happy that he fed us lunch. It was deer steak burgers (I've been eating many different things recently) which were actually pretty good. They were a bit chewy but other than that you couldn't really tell the difference.

The lesson in particular I was talking about was with K and C. K is the girlfriend of C who is a member in Semmes. They've been dating for three years and have talked about the church (he's a returned missionary) and she's not as sure about her Catholic faith anymore so she's meeting with us. We invited her to read and pray and Elder O did a fantastic job. I did an alright job and said what I needed to say, but K needed what Elder O had to say. It was a very spiritual lesson particularly when we got to the First Vision. K even started to cry and she couldn't explain why. We were in the Relief Society room so I thought there would be some tissues in there somewhere but luckily C found some Angel Soft so she used that. It was a good lesson.

I had hush puppies and fried catfish the other day. It was pretty good. My favorite part of the dinner was the homemade sweet potato french fries. Man they were good.

But I'm leaving Mobile. I knew that Elder O and I wouldn't be together but I didn't know if I was leaving or he was. Turns out I'm the one to leave. I'm really going to miss many of the people here in Mobile, particularly people like J, A, A, E, K, and C. I'll see them again someday but it's still rough to leave. I feel that I have left Mobile better than I found it and have went about doing good in my time here so I'm happy. I don't know what's ahead but I know whatever the Lord asks of me I can do (with his help of course).

As promised, I have included some pictures from the USS Alabama. Our tour began with some big guns (see picture #1). If you squint and zoom in you can just see Elder O and I posing. We explored the barracks and slept in some fun beds (see picture #2). Clockwise from the top right it's Elder W, me, Elder O, and Elder N. We saw some of the bullets that the 16" guns fired and man they were huge! Keep in mind this is the actual bullet they fired (see picture #3). The actual explody bit was something else. We concluded our tour with the A-12 Blackbird (see picture #4). It's cool because the fenced off area around the plane is technically a part of Area 51 because the plane is there. You'll get to see the dozens of other pictures when I send the card home.

These past weeks I've been noticing in my studies the enabling power of the Atonement. It's really the power that enables us to do things that we ourselves aren't capable of ourselves. It helps us to change, it strengthens us, and empowers us to rise above and beyond our natural capabilities. That is why the Lord is more interested in our availability than our capabilities. The Lord will shape our backs to the burden placed upon us. I have felt this power many times in the past months. Sometimes we pull up to a house and I'm so tired I don't think I can move my arms but after a quick prayer, I get up. Getting up is hard. It requires willpower and motivation. Once I get up though, I have energy, much less tired and ready to keep on working because of the blessing of the enabling power.

I love three things when it comes down to it. God, my family, and Wheat Thins.

=)

All the loves,
Elder Matthew Carlson

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Crazy Times

It has been an absolutely crazy week. I did many strange and odd things that I don't usually do. I ate a mudbug, went on a humongous boat, milked a goat, caught tadpoles, and petted a miniature horse. Like I said. Crazy.

But this week was also a good one. We ran full steam this week and met or passed almost all of our weekly goals. We're still struggling to help people get to sacrament meeting and setting BCD's. If we just keep working the way we've been working, I'm sure they'll come.

Like I said, I ate a mudbug. A mudbug looks like this (first picture). We went over to a member's house and they were peeling crawdads. They offered me one and I peeled it and ate it. It tasted quite like shrimp which I don't dislike as much anymore (I'll eat it but I'm still not a huge fan).

I also went to a miniature horse farm in Semmes. Those horses were so tiny! (second picture). [We really like this picture of Matthew]

I milked a goat which was very strange to me (third picture). I had never milked anything before and at first I didn't want to do but, realizing I was missing out on a cool opportunity, I manned up and milked the goat. It was weird, but I did it.

I went to the USS Alabama today and it was huge! I'll include some pictures next week.

I don't have much time but I love and miss you all!

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Elder Matthew Carlson

Nice and Cool

Hey there!

I'm trying to figure out what to write about. I didn't really have anything crazy or super cool happen this week. Good stuff happened. We had some lessons that went really well and I'm excited about their progress in the Gospel. I'm very hopeful for E. She has real intent and she really wants to know. She has done research on the church and she's liked what she's found. She's having trouble accepting or believing that Joseph Smith was a prophet. However, that's nothing that a study of the Book of Mormon and an earnest prayer can't handle. =)

We had zone conference on Thursday which was really cool. President Jensen talked about being a "celestial missionary" and what we can do to become better. It was really inspiring for me. Doctor Staelli came as well (I'm not sure how to spell his name). He's the doctor who oversees the missionaries in the mission here. He gave us all a little speak about eating healthy. I've been thinking about how I eat lately and what he said really matched some of the conclusions I came to, so that was neat. We had apartment and car inspections and so we cleaned and cleaned. We found this cool stuff called Armor-All. It sounded really intense and like a good idea. It told us to rub it on all plastics and rubber. It worked fantastic! We got a mango scented tree and we were all set for car inspections! We got our car inspection form on it and as far as evaluation was concerned, it only had one thing written on it: "your car smells and feels awesome". Elder O and I got a good laugh out of that.

I'm doing alright. I had a bit of a rough week this week but I think I'm through it. I did learn some good things because of it though. Everyone has trials. A good quote is "We're all like stamps. We can be licked, depressed, and thrown from post to post but if we will just stick to it, we'll get to our destination"

I know I've said I would try to take more pictures, but this week wasn't as good for pictures. There is this very sweet smelling flower that Elder O always stops and smells whenever we pass by it (see picture). I snapped a quick picture and then moved on. I think they might be called "sweet olive" but I'm not sure. Maybe someone who is more skilled in the ways of botany could figure it out.

This week has been one of personal growth for me. I'm pretty sure it's growth for the better, but we'll see.

It's really simple. The Book of Mormon is true. From knowing that, everything else falls into place. The Priesthood is the literal authority to act in God's name and it has been restored on the earth.

I miss you all!
-Elder Matthew Carlson

Spring time is here!

Spring time has come in Mobile, Alabama! (Not Georgia). It's very nice and we've had some gorgeous days. However, the locals here tell me that it will only last for about another week. =(

Things here are moving forward. We've been working on trying to find new people and have found some really cool investigators. We will be teaching two of them and both sound very enthusiastic and very excited about the Gospel. They are both students at USA and sound like they have a lot of potential!

This week was a busy one. I went on a trade-off with Elder L which was really fun. I always enjoy working with him. We went to the space station hospital that I talked about last time and this time I remembered to take a picture (first picture). It looks even more spacey at night when it lights up. It's a nice hospital though.

This week has been a good one for me as a person. I've really learned a lot about the difference attitudes make. I just need to apply what I learn.

We had ice cream the other day from a place called Marble Slab. It's a southern Coldstone.

This week I achieved culinary perfection. I made one of the most delicious soups I've ever made. It wasn't as good as Dad's artichoke bisque but it was up there (second picture). I really enjoyed it and it was really cheap as well. The whole pot cost about 2 bucks.

Thank you so much for the Easter things! I did hide Elder O's eggs and he wasn't too happy about that so he hid mine. He's found most of them but he's still looking for about 4. Hopefully he'll find them before I do. =) To be honest, I was sort of confused when I got Michael's Easter gift. And I'm still not sure what it was. I think it might be a porcupine, a dog, a beaver, or maybe something in between. I was playing with it and accidentally ripped a hole in the bottom and Elder O decided to make good use of broken toy. It is a very stretchy toy (third picture). He wore it on his head like a swim cap. It was pretty funny. The toy is fine if slightly larger.

Another fun time was were parking trying to figure out where to go next since our backup plans had fallen through. Elder O had his door open since it was getting hot in the car and a cat walked up. Elder O and the cat were instantly friends (fourth picture). He named the cat John I think. It was a nice cat.

Things are well and I'm still alive. I'm working hard and striving to become better as a person and as a missionary.

I'm kinda tired right now because I kept waking up many times last night for some reason. But I hope all is well back on the home front.

I love and miss you all. (notice I didn't say y'all)

Sincerely,
-Elder Matthew Carlson

It's Gonna Take Work

Hey family!

How's it going? Good? Good.

This week was a good one for me. It was hard but it was good. We didn't have very good numbers due to a few different factors but we did good work. We met some new people and really worked hard when we could. Elder O might have bronchitis =(. He's on medication and he's been getting better. We've also been walking a lot lately and that hasn't done him any favors.

I've appreciated all the letters this week. I do have a question though. Mom, you sent me a card and it said "expect lots of mail because we looked on the calendar and it is Matthew _____ week". Neither Elder O or I could figure out what the word was that filled the blank. I especially appreciated the Easter package (first picture). It was wonderful. The egg from Michael was the most interesting. I opened it up and brown jiggly things starting coming out and I said, "What is in here?". I opened up the egg and I still don't know what it is. Is it a dog or a beaver? Or neither. I do appreciate it and it made me laugh. Elder O enjoyed his slinky and played with it for many minutes.

On Saturdays every other week we go and help at bishop's storehouse with the M's. It's pretty amazing when we set up (second picture) to see how fast and quickly the tables fill up (third picture). It's a great service that really helps a lot of people who are struggling at the moment. We sometimes get a few of the extra things left over which is nice. We have lots of catsup and syrup now which is cool.

But I love you all and I'm sorry my letter is short this week. I have been learning a lot. My testimony has been strengthened much these past few weeks. I feel that it is becoming more solid and more deep down. I feel that my testimony is becoming an unshakable one which is really cool.

Take luck....when you get it.

Love,
Elder Matthew Carlson

Jellybeans, Volleyball, and the UPS Guy

This letter is entitled: The Jelly beans, volleyball, and the UPS guy. They're all related and I'll soon explain why.

This week has been good. It's been kind of crazy to think that I've already been in Mobile for 6 weeks! It's nuts. I still have Elder O and it's fun. I've been out for 5 months today! Pretty soon I'll be at 6. Then 12. Then 20. Then I'll be done. I'm going just one day at a time though.

People down here drive very fast and crazy. I have to always be on guard when driving. It's kind of tense. I do like the Ford Fusion though. It's a good car. It doesn't turn as sharp as the Corolla's but it does a good job at many other things. It's also is much nicer than the Corolla's.

We have been working and getting things done. Our numbers were a little down this week but I don't really feel too bad as we were still out working and doing things. General Conference ate into some of our time as well but it's not really an excuse.

Onto the three things. It was a Friday and we were inviting everyone to investigator volleyball. We tried to contact B but we didn't have his number. We got his number, called him, and invited him to volleyball. We talked to a lady who said she would give B the message. We then got a knock on the door from the UPS man who was dropping off a package of half delicious jellybeans (the other half are not so delicious). They were cool jellybeans and I was happy that Grandma and Grandpa had sent them (see picture #3). I was proceeding to unwrap said jellybeans when we received another knock on the door. It was the UPS guy again. He asked Elder O, who had answered the door previously, "Did you call my wife?". Elder O was really confused and said 'No. Not that I know of." He looked at Elder O and said "Your name is Elder O right?" Elder O nodded his head. "Well, some guy named Elder O just invited my wife to volleyball." It turned out the UPS guy's name was B and we had dialed the wrong number. It was crazy.

I was really happy to receive the other package of a really cool journal. I love it! (see picture #4) It's really cool and it came just in time.

As promised, I have more pictures this week.

The first picture (picture #1) is of our district. From left to right it is: Elder L, Elder W, me, Elder O, Elder H, and Elder N. I'm not sure what was with the sheep and flowers theme but it was fun. We took a couple pictures and they are all pretty goofy.

The next picture for your viewing pleasure (see picture #2) is of Elder O giving a massive strangle hug to both Elder W and Elder N. They had come over for lunch after district meeting before heading up to Saraland and a hug fight broke out. No one was hurt except for me because I was laughing so hard.

After one session of General Conference, we were walking out of the stake center to go visit some people when all the sudden Elder O shouted "LIZARD FRIEND!" He jumped down on the ground and attempted to scoop up a lizard. Elder W joined in and soon they had captured the lizard friend (see picture #5). After enjoying his company for a minute or two and naming it. Elder O let it go and it scurried off into the bushes. I don't remember what we named him and neither does Elder O so I'm just going to say we named it Larry.

It's been a fun week and I'm doing well. I love and miss you all and I really appreciate the letters and love I have gotten this week.

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Elder Matthew Carlson

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Howdy!

Howdy.

It's been another crazy week. I can't believe how fast this week has gone. It seems like I just got to Mobile a few days ago and already transfer day is coming up in a week. President Jensen told us that we might be staying here in Mobile but we'll see if that changes. Hopefully I'll be the driver. Drivers here are crazy. We were almost in an accident twice because people tried to turn into us or merge into us. Luckily Elder O is a good driver and we swerved out of the way.

President Jensen has been here a lot. We had training with him the other day and he was here for stake conference. He and President Spencer (the Mobile stake president) just think we're doing fantastic. So that was pretty cool to get some of the compliments they gave.

I am doing very well. I am healthy have been sleeping better since I got ear plugs. It seems like about every hour there is half a dozen police cars that go by or someone starting up their 1960's Buick GS that sounds like a small train. Every morning at 5:30 I hear BROWOWOWOWOOOMMMMM!! VRAVRAVRA VrrrRRRRRRR chunk vvvVVVrrrRRRR! I have been enjoying the dinosaur vitamins you sent me and I think they are working. So far, I am the only one in my district that has not gotten sick yet. Everyone else has gotten some sort of sinus infection or this nasty throw-up-everything-you-eat virus.

I do have a favor to ask. My nice Cross pen has run out of black ink I believe I forgot the refills at home. I think they are in the box the pen came in. Could you please send them to me? Thank you!

I have included two pictures. The first is of a gecko/lizard type thing. They are tons of them down here. Some of them can change color which is really cool. Others are just geckos and some of them are just lizards of some kind. One gecko even tried to sell me car insurance. He was on a billboard.

The other night I decided to put my culinary skills to the test and I made my own corn chowder (second picture). It was really good and super cheap. It is composed of 1 potato, 1 can of cream corn, and 1 cup of milk. It was like $2.50 for the whole pot. It's about enough for two meals. I put some cheese and some chives on top. I think some bacon would be good too on top, but I'm too stingy.

I love and miss you all and wish you all the best.

With that mushy stuff we call love,
Elder Matthew Carlson