Hello!! I have a new email! If you'd like to reach me, my new email is natoshacarling@gmail.com

I love you all!!

--Sister Carling

The Last Letter

The end is here at hand... and yesterday was completely normal. 

We had Stake Conference, all our appointments dropped, our investigator told us she was lesbian, and we were told things that kinda scared my ears....a recent convert was just frustrated so we got to hear all about it. So just a normal day for a missionary. 

Last night, I had the hardest time sleeping. It took me at LEAST an hour to fall asleep and I kept waking up during the night. It's here...I'm coming home. It's hard to believe how the time flew. I still see myself as who I was when I first came out...but I'm not. It's going to be interesting to see how everything will work out, but I know it will.  I start school in a week and life is just in the balance I feel like I've gotten to the peak of a teeter-totter just for me to be bounced back to the ground.

Also, It rained all week....Texas has been having a strangely wet and cooler spring. It was mostly 70 degrees this week.

On to the week:

Tuesday we had a bunch of lessons. In the morning, we volunteered at the food bank. in the afternoon, we had our lessons. It was a happy happy day!

Wednesday we volunteered at the Library and since it was raining we couldn't go up to campus...so instead we made follow-up calls. It was great! We had a couple lessons that afternoon and that evening we had correlation/institute.

Thursday we had the LAST weekly planning session. It's crazy. For lunch, we got to go to Fuego...my favorite restaurant and also a CS original. That afternoon, we had a number of appt's where we didn't even really have time for dinner but that's okay.

Friday we had district meeting and it was also Elder Clowards Birthday. It was great to be able to learn more about the Sabbath day. We had a few appointments that afternoon and that evening we went to Bishop Nixon's for the activity. Tim, his son, had just had surgery a couple days before and he was completely out of it. We talked to a few of the members and visited with the investigator we brought.

Saturday we had a lesson with Ben. It went as well as it could for a 11 year old boy...it was good. We confirmed his baptismal date with him. That afternoon we helped people to unpack and we visited Bob and Trudy. That night we were supposed to have a meeting with president and all the missionaries, but then we found John and Laura Lee. They were a family that was willing to meet with us so we couldn't just leave. It was SOOOO AWESOME!!

Sunday...I told you about Sunday earlier.

Monday...today...well I'm mostly packed...I pretty much did all my packing the past couple of weeks and just have a few more things to round up.

And that's my mission y'all

Keep moving forward.

--Sister Carling

​p.s.  This is Tosha's mom.  Her email never came through so I logged on to send it out of her draft folder.  Anyway, I am attaching two pictures that were JUST NOW sent to me!!  We sure appreciate Vanessa for sending them! THANK YOU VANESSA!!!

​Real time pics eating dinner one LAST time at Fuego with Vanessa and Sister Niedert where according to Vanessa, when the manager heard it was Sister Carling's last time before going home, he comped their meal as a thank you for being such a loyal customer.  How Awesome is that!!

 

When The End Draws Near:

Happy Mother's Day!!! It was so wonderful to be able to chat with my family :) It's always the best. 

Monday we had Fuego. I tell you it's like the best restaurant ever. Their taco's are my absolute favorite!! I am really going to miss it. That night we did some finding and went to a part members home to teach their son, Ben. He will turn 12 at the end of the month.

Tuesday we practiced my musical number for Bob and Trudy's baptism later that week. I sang Amazing Grace and Sis Shipley played the piano. Later, we had a few lessons and they were just wonderful! Nothing like teaching with the Spirit! The Spirit is seriously the best teacher. While we were driving around, I randomly saw this guy riding a bike. His handlebars were antlers...like legit deer antlers. If i remember correctly each of them had like 4 points. #texaslivin

Wednesday we volunteered at the library that morning. It's so fun to do mindless tasks like that. It's a good break in the day while giving service. After, we went up to campus to pass out scantrons and mormon.org cards to people for testing. Finals week up here is pretty intense. I've never seen so many people not have time to meet and study so hard. It's kinda crazy. That afternoon, we had our last lesson with Kelly Baker before she goes home for the semester. I was able to help teach her before her baptism last semester on exchanges. It's been fun to see all these people grow in the gospel!! After we went to Bob and Trudy's to walk them through the baptism program. They were both so anxious and excited! We had a few more lessons and then we had correlation and then the "Study Break" Party.

Thursday we woke up early to have Zone Conference!! YAY!! It was AWESOME!! We learned more about the commandments and why we have them. It was able to teach me a lot. At the end, the missionaries going home bore their testimony on their mission...that included me. I don't really remember exactly what I said, but i do remember talking about hearkening and looking. I've learned a lot about that the past couple days. It's been a good reminder. That night we had a few lessons with some part member families and those were great!

Friday we had district meeting and then we did our weekly planning. LONG DAY. After all that, we went over to Bob & Trudy's for one final run through the baptism and to give them their jumpsuits. They are the cutest!! Bob sang for us and we got to record it. It was super sweet!! that night we did some finding and we had another lesson. I LOVE IT!!!

Saturday we went to the Corp final review where we got to watch the A&M Corp of Cadets all march off the field. It was fun! After, we went to the stk center for Bob and Trudy's baptism!! :D Bob was beaming when he hobbled out. It was adorable!! Trudy told us that she was walking on air!! It was the best. that afternoon we had a few more appointments and ended the day with another baptismal date with Ben. YAY!!

Sunday we had church all day. It was my last sacrament meeting before i go home because we have stk conference next week. Bitter sweet!! That night we did a lot of finding and then went to skype our families :) YAY!!! It's my favorite. 

Today I packed a little more. Life is just dandy!!

Keep Moving Forward!!

--Sister Carling

 Sister Niedert, Trudy, Bob & Sister Carling

Trudy and Bob