HOWDY!!! (I just love saying that) Thank you sooo much for all your wonderful support, I'm the luckiest Sister ever!!! But my missing all of you propels me to make the absolute most of my time here because I am missing out on time with y'all! I prolly brag about y'all too much to my district/zone but I don't care!!!!!!! This week has had a whole lotta ups and downs, not gonna lie... The highs are super high and the lows pretty low, but I wouldn't trade it for anything so I'm loving it!
I had the opportunity to meet my new mission president and his wife on Saturday :D They are AWESOME and sooo nice! Sister McKonkie I immediately loved, her happy spirit is infectious and she is so inspirational! President McKonkie has so much spiritual power. After we all talked to them, I was sooo pumped! But at the same time I feel a lot of urgency and pressure to make the most of my time here. I am learning a lot about myself here.
I never considered myself the type to be like "go, go, go!!" all the time...but I am kinda doing that. I am having to learn to calm down a bit and not beat myself up about things. I tend to grade myself pretty harshly and it was affecting my companionship because my perception of my work affected their outlook. I really love my companions, we are all very different but learn soo much from one another. There are things I have to learn and let-go of, like not being so freaking stubborn!
We have to keep all our feelings "good" so that we can feel the spirit. The spirit is really the fuel for everything, and I am learning how to listen and heed its promptings. That is something I don't feel I am as good at. But my sisters are very in-tune with the spirit, and are very good about making decisions on their feelings. I tend to want to just motor through and "Git' 'ur done" and be as efficient as possible with our time. Its really hard for me not to feel absolutely stressed about the language. There is so much I can't say!
I sooo badly want to carry on a normal conversation, at a pace faster than that of a snail . And to make some PUNS!!!! Oh how I miss those! Gratefully, one of the elders has a knack for wit, and I can relieve some stress via lame jokes. Yesterday we went back and forth and back and forth...using the subject of tic-tacs. It was great fun. It was a moMint of joy and felt fanTacsTic. I am really loving Czech though. I am so grateful for the joy I find in learning it, I cannot wait to combine that with love of the people! I memorized "My Purpose" in Czech and the "First Vision" :)
(Courtney's Note Here: These are the excerpts Carley memorized in Czech)
My Purpose (as a missionary)
Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.
The First Vision
I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17).
Back to her e-mail...
And I'm figuring out the cases. They're tricky. Sunday was beyond wonderful!! I loved the message and cried a lot (a common occurrence here in the MTC I might add, darn spirit keeps gettin' in ma eyes.) Missionary work is evolving and growing and spreading so much joy and bringing more and more people to the Savior! The adapting of the Church to the technological advancements, I feel, further proves that modern-day revelation is powering it. Heavenly Father is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The guidance of a loving Father never ceases, I am so grateful to have this knowledge. I am so grateful for the peace in the Savior I have felt, He comforts and gives me courage. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and Thomas S. Monson leads our Church in righteousness today. I love the Book of Mormon and I know it is yet another witness of Christ's perfect love. I am so grateful to share this message of hope and joy to the people of Czech and to anyone willing to listen. I am so grateful for the support of my family and friends, I can feel the surges of spiritual power that I know comes from your thoughts and prayers on my behalf. I can't believe I am going on my 5th week being here! AHHH! What the heck?! Time's a'flyin. But I am loving it!!! :)
(Courtney's Note: The following are notes to individual members of our family. I hesitate whether or not to include these every week because sometimes they are a bit personal, but at the same time, it's so much easier to find all the e-mails in one place (on a blog) rather than search through archived e-mails individually...so excuse us if it gets a bit sappy)
Dal, I heard the Heat won, what a shame. And, I read your Mormon.org profile (Courtney's Note: you can check out his profile here: http://mormon.org/me/CGNM/DallasSchoen) to my district, hope ya don't mind. Had to. SOOOO proud of you. Thankyou for your dearelder! That's awesome that you're already working on the language that will help you sooo much! As far as advice on what to read and study, anything and everything is great. (is that vague enough for ya?) jk. I would practice feeling the spirit in Portuguese, that will be the best motivator and help to you. Getting out of your head and just feeling the words with your heart. I think I recall you saying you started the Book of Mormon again? That's wonderful. Read a new copy and mark all your favorite scriptures and I challenge you to give it to someone before you hit the MTC. :) Hit the mission ground runnin.
I love you and I know you'll find great friends in high school that understand your beliefs (if you need some, just find the band kids!!!!)
Mommacita, you brave soldier. Re-plastering the pool! haha I told everyone that in my class and they are mighty impressed with your extensive skillset, as am I, as always. I am super dee dooper excited about this care-package not gonna lie!! :D Just any touch from home feels heaven-sent!! I love you and miss your voice too :( I miss our time together and how alike we are!!!! (I know. I never recognized how alike we thought until being with my companions!) It's really hard not being with you, but I hope you are getting some good laughs from Cassidy and Dal and Dad too, and church-friends and zumba-friends and all those people you so easily befriend in passing!!! I love you sooo soo sooo much!
Courtney and Cam, I will write you a letter too but just know you are ALWAYS in my thoughts! And I miss you! I loved spending that quality time with you in Carlsbad, and am excited for future visiting-opportunities I will have no matter where you are!
Daaaad??! I miss the tons of puns and the always wise guidance. Thankyou for taking care of my card stuff and I would LOVE those Czech study books!!! I thought they weren't allowed but they are so the more the merrier!!!!! I am just trying to soak up the language and the spirit as much as I possibly can! And thankyou for sharing some of your mission experiences.
I feel like that girl from Magic School Bus that is like, "Well in my old school..." but like "Well in Texas..." or "Well in my family...." haha I love and miss you!
So that's it from Carley this week! She's a doll, isn't she?!
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