Elder Carson Reiley: March 14-20 2021

Hey family! (Pictures coming)

Thank you for your email! It is so good to hear how everyone is doing and I am glad it was a good week. I love talking to everyone every week and to answer your question about Joe's daughter, she is a member and she lives in Utah but doesn't have much contact with Joe.

Thanks for the updates in the high school and March Madness life. I am glad the boys won a game and whipped WJ but it sounds like South and Marsh are tough... I am getting a little tired of Marsh but my time is done so I guess I should let it go. Nice job for Ty to go get some dubs at the track meet and he is an athlete that's for sure. Need him to start going to camps so he can play some college ball! Mom it sounds like the movie you watched with Grandma was a good one! It also sounds like my worst nightmare of just choir people singing but I am glad you really looked to learn and then ended up liking it! I can definitly learn from your example. Mom it's super cool you are a sunbeam teacher, that will be such a fun time for you! March Madness is crazy and I am glad you're enjoying it. Jake Shaw sends me about 20 texts throughout the day giving me updates on close games and final scores so he is awesome! I do feel bad for Utah St. because I heard they were so close for a while but hopefully next season is even better and they can make it again! I am glad that BYU and SDST lost in the 1st round too so it makes me feel better.

I love your spiritual thought mom! Parley P. Pratt is a legend in the mission field and we are each trying to be like him and also Oliver Cowdery. They went through so much to teach people the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and when I hear that story I realize I have it easy. Don't get me wrong a mission is hard but they just planted seeds and did what the Lord wanted them to and they were blessed. Thanks for the email!

My Week:

This week was awesome!!! It was the last week of the transfer so we were always out and about trying to get people to church and trying to find more people to teach and it was really awesome. We ended up finding this tiny family out in the boonies and they had never met with missionaries before. They do go to another church but thanks to Lord we are planting seeds in their hearts. The two kids are in high school and middle school and they are alone with their mom so hopefully we can keep teaching them and help them come home to their Father in Heaven.

Just an update on Joe, we met with him and we're trying to do some service for him but nothing has worked out. We did get in a teach a good lesson about baptism and little by little I think he's thinking about it but he also likes his other religion but everyone remember prayers for him because it would mean so much for his family! We also met with Norma and had a good lesson with her and she keeps saying "un dia" or one day, one day I'll be baptized but hopefully that seed will grow. We also have been teaching Juan and he is so awesome! He has a lot of good questions and we talked about tithing quite a bit and almost got into it with him but Elder Williams did a good job of keeping it cool and we ended with a really peaceful prayer and we're excited where we go with him.

This week was crazy because it was transfers and also we had Zone Conference on Thursday so I got to see all the Elders in my last zone so it was really fun. I also learned so much about becoming the missionary I am supposed to become. The training was based on the talk by Elder Uchdorf in April 2019 about becoming a better missionary and I suggest that you all give it a read. Then Sunday we got the transfer calls and Elder Williams has been here for 7 1/2 months so we all thought he was gone but nope, we are both staying here in Basin City another one and I am so happy! I thank the Lord everyday for the opportunity I have to serve here because I love it.

I did want to share a spiritual thought (before this letter get's too long and nobody reads the whole thing😉) but on Saturday Elder Williams got a call from the AP's and he is going to be district leader so I thought it was guarenteed that he would leave and I started feeling overwhelmed because I didn't feel ready with my Spanish or this area so I was going to pick up my bracket and look at it but then I had, for the first time in my life, a voice in my head say, "pick up and read your scriptures instead" and so I started reading in the Book of Mormon and felt a little better and it wasn't till after a few chapters I came across 1 Nephi 9:6 which basically says; "the Lord knoweth all things and will prepare a way for you to accomplish all His works, and has power to do so." I realized not to worry, no matter what happens if he stays or goes or if I go, the Lord knows all things and has a distinct plan for each of us and I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and the peace it brings to my life!

I love you all and hope you have another fantastic week and be safe!!

Alma 31:31

Love Elder Reiley