31 May 2011

WELL.. It has been a rather interesting last 4 days...
Weekly planning, Sod, Church, P-day, and well today!
Weekly planning trying to find how to find new people to teach... it has been real difficult to find... well a needle in a haystack. Saturday we had a service project real fun I guess you could say! 5 hours and a little of laying sod in the back yard... Elder Bradley and I it's been real interesting ever since.. I could say that that is not an activity for a person with a back problem and that is all i have to say about that!!!
Church on sunday was way cool of course! running like a chicken with my head cut off. can't wait til the president is gone for a week... I'll really be running with my head cut off! We get contacted for almost anything now anyway, but it's super crazy! It's been great, but real interesting when the councilor has to teach the president what to do! Almost done reading the manuals Bishop and aux manuals both! Been really interesting!
We taught this last week at church about Family prayer and Family and personal scripture study! was way cool! lot of fun... but difficult at the same time! deaf people don't like to listen they like to talk by the time priesthood and relief society start they have had enough of church. well that is the challenge.. love and cooperation!
P-day just the normal day of cleaning, sports, and finally didn't have to do laundry because we just did it on Thursday! been real crazy ever since we went to the temple! lots happening just hope it continues!!

Having a blast! hope all is well!
_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704

26 May 2011

This week has been nuts, but at the same time I'm not sure what to really say! It has been quite an overwhelming week with lots of new and exciting challenges and assignments! The work is going rather well and we are super busy! It has been really eventful the last few days! Today was our quarterly temple trip and was really exciting! We had the whole Zone there and it was a great opportunity so that was why there was no letter this week on Monday! The investigator pool is growing and the Deaf people are becoming more and more curious about the LDS church every time we go and visit! the Lord is helping us to inspire and teach them with the spirit and my companion and I in unity! Well as you Know already Elder Bradley is Awesome! must I say any more than that! not really I'll try and get some pictures sent home soon again we just been swamp recently that there has been no time to do anything! We dropped one of our eternigators this week! we have been teaching her since September of last year and well she is now homeless and we can't contact her anymore! amazing how the Lord works in Mysterious ways in helping is children and his servants know what is best! We have been truly blessed this last week picking up a new investigator Terry Armstrong from California who is here on parole, but is working through the repentance process to get things straightened out so we can get him baptised! He is excited for it! we also set a new baptismal date with a man we have been teaching for a while he is so ready to be baptised it is crazy! June 11! you will learn other things soon cause I finally found time on the drive to the temple to finish writing you back from Family Home evening and they will be in the mail on the way to our appointment tonight! :) SWEET! I love it here!

Hope all is well! Stay safe and get healthy!
Love you all!
--

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704

P.s tell the ward thanks for taking care of you! can't be there to do it and I'm not sure if my body would allow me to anyway... but make sure they know!

16 May 2011

Wow it looks like it has been a heck of a week for you all! and well for us too!! it is starting to get really warm now in the mid 90"s to 100's almost everyday, but it is still getting down in the 70-80 at night! It has been an interesting and rough week! sounds like you and I have been in the same place this week! The Hospital... I was there on Wednesday afternoon to check on spasing muscles in the upper left chest.. it was pretty cool and interesting at the same time but HURT alot!!! We have been doing well ever since! They said that I had muscles in the upper part of my ribs on the left side that were spasing out.. any way it is all doing well and is taken care of at this time!! No need to worry church is taking good care of us here! :) We reset a baptism date this week with matthew and have been going head strong ever since! The Lord love us and is showing us by trusting us! We were put in a Branch counsilors to President Krakowiak. Elder Bradley as 2nd counsilor and me as 1st. Boy is there alot of work yet to be done!!!! President Warren was released as branch president of 2 1/2 years almost 3 and put in as High Counsilor over the deaf branch! clever move I must say! We are looking up to it and moving forward the best we know how with this calling/assignment! :)

Know that I love you all! STOP FALLING APART! Also knoew that the Lord Loves you too!!!!
Good luck and have a great week!

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_

Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704

9 May 2011

Great to see you all this week! :) Hope you all have an awesome week! Take care and have a blast!

Love you

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704

26 April 2011

This week has been truly insane!! We started tuesday in Deming with a new investigator, she is a Jehovah Witness and pretty strong in her faith but is married to a member and is curious about it! we have been teaching her off and on with the video phone as much as we can! one of our investigators is in the hospital with some kind of a stone in her stomach and gall bladder too! she has been a wreck! we are moving her while she is in the hospital! she has made all the arrangements and ready to go through with being baptised! another investigator, GARY, is what you could call golden! He has a really difficult time reading the book of mormon well in fact he can't really read! he has the childrens book of mormon and is reading that along with reading and looking at the pictures! He said he loves it and feels great (the spirit) when we come and visit him! he tries his hardest and has been cleared for baptism on May 7th! :) First baptism in just under 4 years for the branch!! We also have another baptism scheduled for the 7th with another of our investigators, Tamiko. She is a single mother with two daughters ages 2 and 4. Nadina and Princess yes that is her real name! she is also a golden investigator! a member refferal. Tamiko has been searching for the truth and hasn't been able to find it, but she told us that she has stopped her search and found it here! :) it is great to see the lord working through us as we do our best to teach and serve! This is the Lord's work. He is at the head of it teaching and counciling us as often as we will ask!
This week we have been studying about the Role of the Holy Ghost and the Book of Mormon in conversion. As the book of mormon is read answers are found. anything you want to know is found in the book of mormon even how to spend your money of where to go in case of an emergency or how to raise children it is all there! as we read and pray we come to know that is a book inspire and written of God, not of man. Joseph Smith translated the book, but it was only through the gift and power of god that it was brought about! God is real. He knows and loves each of us. As we do our part in studying and learning He will show us who her really is and what he wants us to do!

I love you all! Hope you have a great week! it's supposed to be in the 90's again this week! 75 degrees is cold again so not cool!


_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704

The Lord works in mysterious ways and well all in all has been taking care of us in ways we can't even describe!! We have been absolutely swamped this week! having stuff coming out our ears to the point that is kind of overwhelming at time! and we haven't even had time to think! We will be going to Deming, New Mexico tomorrow for the day to contact a referral. It is about 4 hours away. going to be an interesting day!!! I'm looking forward to it but at the same time i'm kind of not! we have so much to do here in Tucson that we need 2 more missionaries here! We had 3 investigators at church this week and well as always have more work to do! 3 baptisms coming up in May and well we have 3 more refferals to contact!!!! We have been truly blessed this last week!!! We found 1 new investigator this week, another black woman ( not racist or anything) she's really cool!!!!!! she has 2 kids ages 2 and 4. and has been looking for the truth for quite some time! she said the first time we went to visit her that she felt peace for the first time in a very long time and that she really enjoys us coming! She is a single mother so it is really difficult for her! it's great to see the Lords hand in the work every day and to see it progressing!! :) New, fun and exciting things and challenges ahead!

Have an awesome! Remember I LOVE YOU!

--

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704

11 April 2011

Yo you you! ha yeah! it has been an awesome week this week!! we have been swamped and lots and lots of things to do!!! We are looking to be called as counselors to the branch president... President walker suggested that today in our eekly interview so new challenges await us in the near future! I just hope that it won't be anything greater than that!! We are swamped with the work and is so great to be busy!! The Lord has been blessing us greatly and helping us to accomplish his work! we have 2 baptisms that are near in the future which could be very interesting in regards to the work~!! we are having a really difficult time finding recently, but one of our investigators have shown us where several deaf live in the same apartment building that he lives! I love it here and couldn't want to be anywhere else at this time!
we have 4 investigators now 2 that are very near to baptism, and 2 others who are on the way! :) The work is tough, but some of the most rewarding work done yet! Jesus chirst lives, we are his children, and only through him can we recieve salvation and eternal life!
Even with the rain, the sleet, and the ICE!!! this week was great!! I'm starting to get feeling back in my hands and feet from the cold! :) so Life is good! :) I love it need not say more!
Love you all!! Have an awesome week!

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704

Reminder: the above listed address must be used on all letters! on the 15th of this month the letters sent to the old address will be RETURNED TO SENDER!

4 April 2011

Alrighty well there isn't much to say this week!! 2 of our investigators are moving, both because they are being abused, one physically and the other mentally and emotionally, I've been yelled at more this week than I think ever before in my life and well Satan is working hard here in Arizona! The mission has a goal to double the number of baptisms in May and well we have doubled our efforts to make that possible, but with that comes the heightened influence of Satan on the work making it really hard to find anyone to teach, but the Lord is truly blessing us. He is leading us and strengthening us and making us who he needs us to be to accomplish this work! He has lead us to new people who are ready to receive the gospel and need is so desperately. As the Sun comes up in the morning it is a new day not to look back on to what happened yesterday or last week, but to move on searching for the better and HOPING in what comes next.

General conference was awesome!! We, as missionaries, had the opportunity to watch all 5 sessions and also some of the young Women's meeting. It has been great to be able to hear from our leaders! I was also great because one of our investigators came to church and she learned about the Law Of Chastity from President Monson. We had taught her that lesson probably 15 times and she just didn't understand it very well, but this time it sank in! she will soon be moving out and leaving her boyfriend of 3 years, after which she will be a candidate for baptism!:) 10 months of work and she is almost ready for it! :0
What I have learned the most is that the Lord prepares our investigators for the time when he is ready, not for the time when we are ready. He loves to play tricks in and Satan loves to throw in loops, but most importantly as we try our best and trust him he will help us in all we do!

Hope all is well!!
Love you all!

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704


P.s. it is about 85 degrees out :) and I'm lovin life! :) (it was 97 degrees this week!) Jealous? you should be! it is almost perfect! :) yes, that means We have been tanning! haha well at least half of our neck, sunglass face and from the elbows to the hands! :)

28 March 2011

Well not a whole lot this week! No exciting stories, but we had a pretty powerful week!! :) Most of all of our investigators are progressing strong and doing well! Saturday we drove all over the mission! :) Green Valley (yeah it isn't green, They are full of crap!), Sahaurita, Vail, Midvale, Tucson, Casa Adobes, Oro Valley and finally to Marana! It was a total of about 200 miles of nothing but Cactus and yucca plants with a little green in between everything! It has been so dry here this year! fire danger is crazy! had a fire on the other side of the mountain recently was nuts! But all is doing well!! The work is going great!! Companion is back on track and doing well!!! He is going to start to take over the area this week! :) getting him more involved! we were also told that we will be together until I go home that is a long time! haha! time is flying by so fast here is it crazy! hope all is well for you all in that cold place we like to call home! It is so beautiful here!! 80 degrees and getting hot fast! can't wait for summer to get here and be over with! I want the fall weather and the monsoons! :)

Well over and out!! Love you!!


_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Road
Tucson, AZ 85704

New address is now effective! any mail sent to the old office will be returned to sender!

P.S. mom please send the new address to President Jones Thanks

21 March 2011

It's been an awesome and aweful interesting week this week!! everything from not body home to well yes you got it ANOTHER WRECK! The weather has been really crazy! today it is cold about 70 and yesterday and the day prior was about 90! it has been up and down! Nuts! anyway so you are probably wondering what happened with this other wreck!!! well We had just arrived at our investigators house Veronica and we were knocking on the door and talking to the neighbor lady that always tells us hello everytime we come. Her cousins friends came to get their drugs as usual from the lady and they parked on the wrong side of the drive way and the other lady would get mad if they parked on her side, So the lady we were talking to (also the drug dealer) told the lady to move her car to her side of the drive, so she immediately did so. but while doing so didn't pay any attention where she was backing and backed right into the drivers side of the rear of the truck. The passenger (I assume it was her boyfriend because nobody around here is into commitment just live together, sleep together, kind of people) anyway he was drunk, and got all mad and such and called his "friends" for back up!!! and so we got all the information we needed but he (boyfriend) was all mad and such so right after I got all the information and was walking to the car he came up and punched me in the shoulder! haha what a loser!! we then split just like a banana, out of the garbage( ghetto) and right home!! Our investigator was all worried! but she worries about everything!! So that was the awesome part of the week, well the eventful part of the week! and the aweful part was like the whole city of Tucson goes away on spring break and well this was spring break!!! Traffic was a breeze most of the week! :)

The Lord has blessed us and kept us safe! There are three men in this work keeping us where we need to be and safe! so no need to worry! :)

Happy Birthday Kort! I know you probably won't get this, but Love you all!!!

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_


Arizona Tucson Mission
939 W Chapalla Road
Tucson, AZ 85704

15 March 2011

Hola Karlson Familia,
I won't torture you with spanish :)
This week has been so eventful i'm not sure of where to start!!!!! We've been sooooooo busy this week i'm not sure what to say! may things good and bad happened! I'll start off giving you a little of the bad news and wrap it up with the good stuff in the end!
Well you hear many many stories of missionary companions running away and not coming back well this last Saturday mine did just that, but he came back! He ran at about 12 midnight So really Sunday morning and didn't come back until 1 or 2. He took the phone and called the mission president and told him everything! There are no problems with he and I just He is used to the Country life and isn't adjusting to the city life very easily! He feels constrained in the City! I'll give him an AMEN on that one! So he is under heavy watch now! Both eyes on him! Have to go to the bathroom and everything with him! It is a new experience! I'm learning to love him even more! When i have to change his diaper I will DRAW THE LINE!!! He only ran away to the Stake center and played the piano so that is the luck of it all, but the most funny part about it is I SLEPT THROUGH IT ALL!!!!! He told me when we woke up on Sunday!
Anyway for the awesome news! the work is going crazy! we have so many referrals that we don't have enough time to contact them all!! We will be headed to Nogales possibly this next week sometime! teaching a man there now!!! Well in RIO RICO for you that know where that is! 8 mile north of nogales and about 12 miles north of the Border!!! We've been in sahaurita, Midvale, Just north of MARANA, San Manuel, We just haven't touched New mexico yet other than that we've hit it all i think this week!

My back is doing great recently! :) still stiff as ever, but it seems to be improving! I only see the Chiropractor every other week now! :)
The Lord is truly blessing us here!!! Doctrine and Covenants 4 says "there is a marvelous work about to come forth among the children of men" there is no ABOUT in that scripture it is truly coming forth and his work is going forth! :) I Love it here! It is 85 at NOON! :) was 92 yesterday! :) BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Love you all!!
--

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_

New Address:

Elder Korbyn Karlson
Arizona Tucson Mission-ASL
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704


P.S talked with President Walker my return date will be FEBRUARY 15, 2012, so almost a year away! :)

7 March 2011

Bueno dias,

Yep Spanish again! anyway! I think we had spanish food for like 3 meals this week! you know how much I love that! not! anyway things are going well here! it's been a slow week, but we have a few refferals still yet to contact so this week is gonna be busy! we have almost all of our day scheduled out through thursday! it's great to be busy! :() anyway! A lot is happening in the mission right now! the goal is to double the number of baptisms in the mission by May! wow is it going to be a big leap of faith in order to do that but it is going to be great! that will be right before president walker goes home!
We began our search yesterday and as always continues daily!
alrighty before i forget i interrupt my email to give you an update!
THE MISSION OFFICE IS MOVING! APRIL 1ST 2011! ALL MAIL IS TO BE SENT TO THE NEW ADDRESS BEGINNING IN 2 WEEKS!
THE NEW ADDRESS IS:
ELDER KORBYN KARLSON
ARIZONA TUCSON MISSION - ASL
939 WEST CHAPALLA DR.
TUCSON, AZ 85704
All of that must be included in order to get it through because it is the same address as the stake center it must have the line ARIZONA TUCSON MISSION!

Elder Bradley and I are on the same computer today so it is truly short letter today! sorry!

Love you!!


_\../ Elder Karlson \../_



1840 East River Road Ste 102
Tucson, AZ 85718

korbyn.karlson@myldsmail.net

3 March 2011

howdy ya'll,
Wow what an amazing week it has been this week! :) super busy and lots to say but I'm gonna keep it short! :) yep that is right! so you see from the subject heading! WE GOT SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sunday morning we got snow! :) It was so much fun!!! we would called it a skiff or maybe even frost, but here they call it SNOW!!! I love it~! it was gone and in the 70's by the end of the day! :) The weather has been amazing! 75-85 and it looks like it could be warmer soon! aah it is only march! We are hoping for some more rain soon! it is super dry here allergies are awful!!! fire danger is extreme! The work here is moving along great! we have a branch activity planned for tomorrow and well plan for almost all of our investigators to be there! we also received a referral on Tuesday for a Korean woman who we have an appointment with tomorrow! ummmmm but she is very limited in ASL and well from the likes of it and what the other ASL sister said KSL Korean Sign Language!!! that is 6 languages we will be learning! Spanish, English, ASL, LSM (Mexican sign language), NSL (Nepal sign language) , KSL (Korean sign language)!!! can't wait! this mission may seem the hardest thing, but at the same time the most rewarding thing ever too! of all the things I've done in my life, scouting, dancing, traveling, whatever the mission is the most rewarding. My companion is awesome and I'm not sure i could ask for anyone who could be better!! very diligent and loves to learn!! :)
We are also looking forward to stake conference this week! Elder Costa of the 70 will be here to release and call a new stake president so that will be a super big change that is Saturday and Sunday! :) The lord is preparing and we are searching for the many many opportunities to find! :) The lord has blessed us and we are truly greatful for that! well until next time!
P.s. the mission office is moving we aren't sure of the date yet but it will be soon! the new address will be
939 West Chapalla Drive
Tucson, Arizona.
ALL MAIL WILL NEED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING or will not be ACCEPTED AND WILL BE RETURNED!!!
ELDER KORBYN KARLSON
ARIZONA TUCSON MISSION - ASL
939 W Chapalla Drive
Tucson Arizona 85718
you will be receiving a letter in the mail with more information about it from president and sister walker i believe!

love you,


_\../ Elder Karlson \../_



1840 East River Road Ste 102
Tucson, AZ 85718

korbyn.karlson@myldsmail.net

21 February 2011

Hola!
Alright I'll be nice and write in English this time! :) ha ha yeah my Spanish skills aren't that good and well that is practically everyone I talked to this week! They have taken over Tucson! :) not really there are a few white people in the mix! This week as been rather long and well tough! I've been sick most of the week! We think it is the flu which is really taken its toll on alot of the people here in Tucson! it's brought us down hard! many in the hospital! crazy! anyway! it didn't stop us from working of course our determination and my stubborn head kept us moving! No new investigators this week and most of our investigators are either out of town or sick so we couldn't go and see them so we did alot of less active work and it seemed to pay off this week! we had a full sacrament meeting for the first time in well I can remember! It was great to have! typically we have about 20 members there this last week we had well over that upwards of about 30-35 even with all the sickness! it has been a crazy great week and full of lost of surprises! We had a Zone Training this week on Wednesday! It is like a mini Zone Conference! They stressed the many ways we are going to double the number of baptisms in the mission by MAY! last month we baptized 64. but the overall average is about 60! so the goal is 120! it's gonna take alot of hard work but well worth it! :) Lots of nuts and bolts that are being tightened in the mission! We also went to a YSA (young single adult) activity this week to help interpret! it was way fun! Saw the Loftfield's there. that is Stevie's parents! Kyle Gerratt's wife's parents! was cool to see someone I know! :) it was great information about strengthening relationships and receiving revelation! :P Then last night we went to a deaf fireside at the coolest deaf couples house! it was a deaf institute fireside about relationships and how to strengthen them! hmmm maybe they have a problem with relationships recently! or we are supposed to get the hint! hmm cool! any way! hope all is well! love you all!

_\../ Elder Karlson \../_



1840 East River Road Ste 102
Tucson, AZ 85718

14 February 2011

Happy Valentines Day!

Pictures shall be on the way soon!

It's been a pretty rough week this week! It has been pretty slow work! Most of our Investigators have been out of town or really busy (so they say!) We have been going crazy in trying to find deaf people! setting appointments and doing our best to stay as busy as we can! the Lord Has truly blessed us this week In allowing us to teach a Baptist Preacher! it has been truly amazing to see the differences of someone who is really looking to and really researching the church. She has been comparing the book of mormon and the bible side by side for the last 4 or 5 days! well since thursday she has been and has read almost 1/2 of the Book of Mormon!! it is truly crazy!! She is awesome but she won't accept a baptism date! she thinks that the ones we have given her are too soon But we will continue to extend until she accepts!
We have set some pretty high goals and expectations and are looking to achieve those goals and expectations! The Lord will help us as we do our best and strive to Listen to what he is telling us!! The work here is great! The president keeps telling us that he doesn't know what we are doing, but to keep it up and we will see and reap the benefits! The deaf are just a little bit slow to understand, but it will all pay off in the end! He that asketh, recieveth. He that Seeketh, findeth. He that knocks, it shall be opened unto.Continue in faith and nothing shall fail!!

Know I love you all! Once again, Happy Valentines day!

Love,


_\../ Elder Karlson \../_



1840 East River Road Ste 102
Tucson, AZ 85718

korbyn.karlson@myldsmail.net