"Dear Family,
"...In the last few days I have been asking in my prayers to feel the love of the Savior for me and for my investigators. I have had so many experiences of being in a lesson or teaching with a member and suddenly I just feel an outpouring of love for that person. Often it has happened while singing a hymn. Song is a way we show our love for the Savior and often when we can feel His love for us.
"I also have been praying more for each of you and have felt a deeper love and connection to you in the past week or so. We are all so connected, one to another, by the love of the Savior. Charity is His great love for each of us and the way we must feel love for each other. Without charity we are nothing. We must learn to love one another and sacrifice one for another. It is what the Savior did. It is how we can grow personally.
"When we (collectively or individually) sin, we begin to isolate ourselves. Sin not only separates us from God, but from one another--our eternal family. It is Satan's plan that we lose the connection and it is the Savior's plan that there be a "welding link of some kind (DyC 128:18). We must fight to stay connected. We must sacrifice our own selves to do it. There is no other way. I feel a deep connection to each of you as you sacrifice to write to me, to mention my name in a prayer, etc. I connect to you as I do the same. I feel a deep love and connection to the Honduran people as I knock on their doors and climb the hills where they live and pray for their hearts to be opened. I feel a love and connection to my Savior as I study His life and His gospel, as I represent Him and try to emulate Him. I feel connected to my Heavenly Father as I commune with him in personal and companion prayer. We are to love one another. It is how we show our love to our Eternal God.
". . . He is calling us to come. We must go hand in hand. He stands at the door and knocks (Rev 1:18) and waits ever so patiently for us to hear his voice and understand the call. I know He loves us. I know I cannot make it alone. It is why we came to earth as families. Man was not made to be alone. It is not part of the plan to come alone. We must join hands. We must love one another as the Savior loves us. We must go and do what He is calling us to do and BE. Hand in hand--each connected and part of the family of God. I have grown to love the plan of salvation. It is so complete, so hopeful. I know this life is not the end. The Father wants us to be connected with unbreakable bonds to Him forever. . . .
"I am grateful to be alive, grateful to taste the bitter and the sweet, grateful for changes, grateful for constants--things that never change; I am grateful for the truth. It is what makes us free. I am grateful for each of you and the light you bring in my life--the joy of reading a letter sent from one of you--or of feeling your love at random moments throughout the week. I feel your prayers and testify that God does answer them--giving me health and strength, loving companions, open-hearted investigators, testimony, and faith. I send you all my love, blown with a kiss--
love,
Hermana Torgerson
Carly Jane"
Today I was feeling so very far away from home. I remembered feeling the same way as a missionary and so decided to go through some of my letters home and remember what I said about it then. Interesting that this one was almost exactly three years ago. I am so grateful for my book of folded and stickered missionary letters. I cannot tell you how many times that book has become a source of inspiration to me in the last few years. I am so grateful for my testimony and for the experiences I have had that have prepared me to be where I am now. I am so grateful for the Great Plan that promises us to each other no matter where we are living now. I am so grateful for the golden connection forged in the temple sealing room that brings peace into my life again and again.
9 comments:
I love you my dear sweet sister. I seem to be an emotional mess today and loved reading that letter you wrote to all of us just 3 years ago. Thank you for sharing it us once again. I love you . . . and you are not so far away. Somehow we all seem to stay connected together.
Carly, you are an inspiration to me. I just really love you! Thanks for being such a great friend and sharing that with all of us!
carly, come visit me! we cant be that far away, how long of a drive is it to phoenix? i would drive to you, but with my luck I would go into labor somewhere on the road and that would not be good!
Living away from the extended family is so hard sometimes, especially when you really want someone's shoulder to cry on who completely understands. Everyone is just a phone call away, dont forget! And how amazing that we all know we get to be together forever no matter what happens to us here. Love you!
That was a sweet letter Janegirl. I'm glad you shared that with all of us again. I still have one of your cards in my scriptures and read it from time to time :). I feel so far away too and yet we are just a phone call, text message, or email away. I love you.
Carly!! Or I like sc better! You are so inspirational about what you write... quit it, you're making the rest of us look bad! hahahahahaha, just kidding! I love reading what you write, I can hear your voice in it! love love love you! Mary Hannah
Carly,
Thank you for welcoming me into the world of blogging!
I'm also sorry to hear about your grandpa. You guys are in my prayers.
I like the "blanding adventures"...you are so rad!
Kelly
Thanks for all your love, everyone. If Grandpa passes away, I guess will get to be home for the funeral. I wish I would get to say goodbye too, but maybe it's for the best. I am glad you are all only a phone call, email, or text away. Love you all.
I didn't know you served a mission! Wow, how can one person get any more wonderful! I am so sorry to hear about your grandpa. I wish you the best the next little while, I hope you get to make it out for the funeral!
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