June 2, 2014

  Exciting news today!  Carson was transferred to a new area.  Mwanza, Tanzania!  

And then he also sent us some pictures from his zone conference in May.  

I'll add more of his letters later but just wanted to show off his pictures for now!

So here is our morning chat and his letters for the week...

These are AWESOME pictures!!!   Which one is your new companion?  

He is just above ojjogolo, and he isn't smiling.

I think I found him.  Why isn't he smiling?

i don't know

Carson's letter to mom: 

 Hey that is awesome sounds like alot of fun and alot of stress. Um i am trying to cope with it too but it isn't easy.  I'm fine but there is always this situation in the back of my mind and it keeps playing in the back of my head how dad said it, Don't like it but i thing i'll be ok. Really don't worry about me.

This week not much has happened but i have a new companion and i moved from Dar.

I am now in the stony city. Mwanza it is just like Utah with the weather it is very nice. and the people are very nice to and they now a little bit of english so all is good.

For sure i love you guys alot and hope you are doing good thank you

love you

Hi Carson,  I'm awake now!  Are you still there?  I hope so.  I'd love to hear more about your transfer and your new companion and so much more.  

ya i;m still here, ya so me and Elder Rawson we left on thursday morn and we have been with are new companions since, it is alot of fun

and in Mwanza we live in a BIG apartment it is almost as big as your guys house.

Who's Elder Rawson?  Is that your new companion?  Where is he from?  The big apartment sounds nice. Is it just the two of you or do you have to share it with other elders?  What is Mwanza like?  Is it as big as Dar?  

So how did things end with you and Ojoggolo?  Where is he now?

Elder Rawson came with me from MTC and no his isn't my new comp. But he is from Wyoming. But My comp is Elder Kabwe from Zambia. ya in our Zone there is 4 of us and we all stay in the same house. Mwanza weather is like Utah it is very nice it is big but it isn't very industries no really asphalt roads or big city like Dar but it is somewhat large.  Well Ojjogolo, we both miss each other alot and before we left he had some big jet fighter glasses on but for sure he was sad, and even talking on the phone with him later he broke up alittle. but all is good. he is still in Kinondoni and is doing good. 

So how long has Elder Kabwe been out?  Are you a junior or senior companion?  Are you still a zone leader?  Sorry that you miss Elder O but that's nice for you to have a change.  And the weather sounds like it will be nice.  Have you been teaching anyone yet or are you still getting used to the new area?  

he is a transfer a head of me, junior yes i'm the Zone leader, My comp is the 2nd counselor in the branch. still getting used to the new area but we are doing our best.

So I'm looking up Mwanza and it says that it's the second largest city in Tanzania and it's north by Lake Victoria.  Am I looking at the right place?  It must be a lot cooler than Dar.  Can you see Mt Kilimijaro from where you are?  

Any big plans today?  Do you still have to wash clothes in a bucket?  Any differences in the food so far?  Or is it pretty much the same as Dar?  

I'm going out for lunch with some work friends today and I hope to send you a package in the mail if I can get it wrapped up in time.  I'm hoping to send you some more Spitz, and I found a tube of maple syrup that I hope fits in one of those cans.  Anything else you would like?  I have some little packets of peanut butter and jam that I found but not sure how many can fit.  Any suggestions?

No but when we came we saw it, not really maybe to go to the beach but after that not much. yes still in a bucket, no but alot more fish. pretty much the same. ahh i don't know but i think i'll pray and fast about that and i'll get back to you on that.

You're going to the beach today?  Sounds fun.  Hope you take lots of pictures. 

I hope when you get done fasting and praying that the Spirit will tell you to write your mother a few more details so she doesn't have to pull every little thing out of you.  I'm dreaming of the day when I open up your email and see a big long detailed letter about how you are and where you are and what you've been doing so that I don't have to think of a thousand questions for you!!   But I'm grateful for anything right now.  It always makes me feel better to hear from you.

So have you been eating more fish?  Ashlee would love that I'm sure!!  Anything else you've done this week.  When did you get to Mwanza?  Did you fly there or drive?  How many missionaries are in Mwanza?  How many members or wards or branches there?

ok but do you sleep well at night?

Thursday morn FLied. 4 missionaries. 44 members.

That's good that you flew to Mwanza.  Wow...only 44 members.  That doesn't sound like a lot.  

So where are you now?  Are you emailing from another internet cafe?  

yes i am at an emailing cafe in mwanza. and waiting for something to come that will never come... huh... Oh well what about you guys any big plans.

Not too many plans this week.  Just lunch out today for me.  Then nothing so far tues and Wed but on Thursday I start my stretch of four night shifts.  So next week I'll be at work when you email.  And then I'm not sure about Dad's schedule but I'm thinking since he ran his horses last weekend and rested them this weekend, that he'll probably try entering them for this coming up weekend.  So that will be an adventure I'm sure.

Any big plans for you?  Are you teaching anybody yet or how is that going in this new area?

Sweet that sounds like alot of fun. I think this week we are going back to dar for interviews with pres. We are working on it.

But i only have 10 minites left so i guess this is good bye until next week so good bye.

Love you lots

love you too.  Have a great week.  Thanks for the chat!

Love ya

yup see ya bye kea heri   (good bye)

Napenda sona na family   (I love my family very much)

Mungu hubariki wewe kwa wiki nzuri   (God bless you for a good week.)

 And here's Carson's letter to his Dad:

oh ok that is ok for sure mom made it seem like fire was going to come out of the sky and burn me. and so all the way to the cyber i have been smelling smoke. so That is good but no worries. Thank you for your advice i hope you are doing well with all that is going on. and i hope Racing is awesome as usually and work too.

As for me i have finally been transferred i am now in the stony city. Mwanza, It is kind of like a African Utah kindly cold but still warm. and it is a dry warm not a Dar es salaam hell fire and humidity crape. Mwanza is nice, I have a new companion from zambia very nice, Hey is really interesting. and also i am the Zone leader here, I defintely could use some advice. Being a ZL is hard and i really don't like this. and even i talked to president and then he said you are the Zl in Mwanza THIS IS YOUR BIG TEST!!!!! oh boy i wasn't to excited when he said that,

But overall everything is good and i hope you are doing well.

Thanks again for writing to me and i to receieve some of your awesome letters again. Oh and also do you keep these letters when your done or throw them away??

Love you lots Carson

It's the funniest thing...I was just looking around Facebook the other night and happened to come across a few pictures with this cute little white missionary.  Hmmmm....does anyone else recognize him?