April 28 Letter-Wore out my first pair of shoes

How many miles have I walked?  You know, I've actually wondered that for myself a few times, I wonder how many miles I've walked in one week. So if you want to know I guess a pedometer would do the trick.  Especially now in this super bukid, rice fields, area. My favorite shoes have worn out, but good thing I have another pair of handy, dandy crocs. I was a bit worried about my ankle actually because it was still pretty swollen even after a week, but Sister Acosta and I rubbed some kind of like IcyHot oil on it and tried to massage the swelling out and now it's doing a lot better. But still a little swollen around my ankle bone. 

Today at our zone goal setting one of the elders said it was like a mini mini general conference because we went around the room with each companionship telling about miracles they've seen in their areas and what things they are doing that are working for them. It was really neat to hear about the other missionaries areas and I really felt that this is undoubtedly the Lord's work, not the work of us 18-24 year old missionaries. One companionship talked about finding this golden na golden investigator. They were looking for someone else, but when they stopped to talk to this man he insisted that they stay and share a message with him. He had rejected all of the other religious groups that had stopped by his house, but as he saw those missionaries he really felt something different, he said. Now he is progressing towards baptism. Our zone leaders told us about their recent convert named Danny. When they first met Danny he was wearing a dress and make up. Even though it was awkward at first, they kept teaching him. And it's been amazing how much Danny has changed. He started wearing boy clothes again and stopped wearing makeup. The Sunday after his baptism(last week) he bought a new pair of shoes so that he could work with the elders. He is going to be a great missionary. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and it has the power to change people. 

In our area we've been trying to be better at using our planners to their fullest extend and really use the Lord's time wisely. And we have seen miracles. Just little things like meeting a former investigator that already has a strong testimony but for some reason the other missionaries just stopped teaching her. Or like the time we started to introduce ourselves to someone we didn't know, only to find out that she was the less active member that we had been looking for. I know that this is the time of harvest and that the field really is white. 

I love being a missionary! 

Mahal ko po kayong lahat :) 

Sister Larson

Pictures of the beautiful rain

Some pictures of the rain we had this week and some little girls that just were laughing at me. I still don't know why they were laughing but it was so cute

 

Albert (the one who just got baptized) and his wife Riza were having a bit of a lover's quarrel when we stopped by to visit them. So we made them make a heart with their hands he he he 

 

Pioneer Status? Wore out my first pair of shoes

I finally wore out the shoes I've been wearing for the past 7 and a half months. I don't know if it's "pioneer status" yet, but getting there...

 
I don't really know what kind of lizards these were but one of the members (the teenage boy in the pic) is in charge of feeding them so he let us "pet" them. it was gross and scary.

My lovely sprained ankle

The ward members made me go to this lady who massaged my ankle and I cried like a baby child and then she stuck some leaves on my ankle and I felt like pocohantas

 

 then I made a brace out of cardboard and clear tape. it wasn't very helpful. but later my district leader brought over some co-ban (mom's favorite stuff!) and some traumeel. it was a lot more helpful.

April 21 Letter-Easter already?

So I didn't know it was Easter until um...Saturday night. What the heck?!  But then Sister Scholl gave us some Peeps her family sent a few weeks ago so then it was okay. Did I mention that two other sister missionaries live in our apartment too. Sister Scholl was in the MTC with me, we're the same "batch". She's awesome and she's training Sister Gerardo. Just a fun fact.

I guess I'll catch up on the Easter spirit this morning by watching videos on lds.org and listening to Handel's Messiah. 

I sprained my ankle on Thursday morning when we went to the funeral of the sister I told you about last week. Here the cemetaries are all above the ground cement boxes and there's no other way but to walk on top of the boxes and well I'm not very good at the whole walking thing so whoop there went my ankle. I couldn't walk for about a day and a half but then I got a priesthood blessing from my district leader and the pain went away. However, the swelling did not. It's still really swollen and awkward to walk but the Work goes on. 

But Albert was baptized and confirmed!! It was great :) We've seen so many changes in him and his wife in the past few weeks. The baptism itself was pretty interesting. The water in the font was a nasty greenish brown color for some reason. Some of the members blamed it on the rusty pipes. Then after his baptism, Albert mentioned leaving his sins in the water and it just clicked! Hello! The reason the water is so gross is because everybody has been leaving their sins in the water when they are baptized! Joke lang. :) 

Yesterday the Relief Society sisters were planning a swimming activity. Not cool. They like to rub it in our faces that we can't go swimming (in a friendly sisterly way of course) But it is perfect swimming weather over here. It's getting warmer and warmer. Sometimes we'll be riding in a jeepney and I feel something dripping down my leg, so I turn to see if something spilled on me..nope just the sweat from my knee-pits. Happens every time. 

Also I'm so excited to hear about what you've been learning from Preach My Gospel. An apostle said you have to study it too, so hit me up! Share the golden of nuggets of truth from that blessed PMG! 

I LOVE YOU!!!! 

Sister Larson

PS that video Because of Him--AWESOME!!!

Palaspas for Easter

                                                                                                            Palaspas for Easter Awesome!!    

           our beautiful chapel and a beautiful sunset.

             

well I'm out in the middle of nowhere so maybe that's why I didn't see some of the things you've heard about happening on Easter in the Philippines. I did see a couple of the people reenacting the
suffering of Christ, but it was just more weird than disturbing to me.
I guess some of the die  hard Catholics will put some cloth over their face and whip
themselves and I don't really know. that's all I saw. but it's my
 one and only Easter in the Philippines so I guess I missed out. 

                                                                                                          

                                  

April 14 Letter-7 months! only 11 more, how did that happen?!

So much happened this week it seemed a lot longer than just 7 days . I don't really know if I can put into words everything that I am learning.  Being a missionary is so interesting to me. It's almost like Heavenly Father gives us a chance to see things from His perspective. Right now in my life, nothing else matters to me but the gospel of Jesus Christ. There's no distractions. No Facebook, no Google, no TV, no "Babylonian" music. My purpose to help people come unto Christ and while doing so I know that I have come closer to my Savior as well.

But like Heavenly Father we have to let people use their agency, which to me is the most frustrating part of missionary work. Some people just don't get it! And I know that's how Heavenly Father feels about me sometimes. There are so many parts of the gospel that I didn't get until my mission, and there are many more that I still don't get. 

This week we taught one less active sister whose children are very active in the Church. She feels like she's not doing anything wrong by not coming to Church because she's busy and her children go to church, so that's good enough. She's lost her eternal perspective. She was actually one of the first members baptized in our area about 20 years ago. She's a pioneer who has lost her way.  During our lesson with her, I decided that I will never get so busy that my family and my duty to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints suffers.  

We also visited another less active sister whose story is very different. Just over a year ago this woman joined the Church. But because of severe health problems has been unable to come to church most Sundays. The last time she came was at the end of March. She was only able to stay for Sacrament meeting because of the pain she was in.  None of us knew that that was the last time she would partake of that ordinance in her earthly life. She passed away yesterday. 

The contrast of these two sisters really hit me this week. One whose testimony was still relatively new was able to stay true to the faith to the end of her days. While the other who has been a part of the true and living Church for many years has lost her way and loosened her grip on the iron rod. I am so thankful for this time in my life to be able to see a little bit of what Heavenly Father sees. I hope that when He thinks about me He is not worried about if I will endure to the end. I want to do everything in my power to hear the words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant" when I am done with my 4 minutes on this earth. 

I love you all so much! I wish you could feel how sincerely I mean that when I type those words!!! Keep holding on to the iron rod! Don't you dare let go! 

Love, Sister Larson

Albert's Baptism

Happy Birthday MOM!!

Sister Acosta loves Balot. nasty!

and she helped Sister Rizza kill some chickens. so gross. I will eat the nasty chicken all day but I can't handle the gross blood and guts. P.S. she's the less active member who's husband is getting baptized.

 

 

 

 

this is a beautiful part of our area, by some of our part member family's homes. 

example of my nasty dirty feet. they get like that almost everyday

we ate chicken feet! and chicken heads! eating a big chicken brain and eyeballs wasn't as gross as eating the whole body of the little baby chicken

 

 

 I have learned so many bad manners here. We sat on the table and ate with our hands. Sorry I'm not sorry about it. 

April 7 Letter

I am so jealous that all of you guys already got to listen to our awesome prophet and apostles! But this weekend I'll get to hear from them...and word on the street is that it's gonna be in English! Hopefully. 

Things are good in our area. We have a baptism coming up. His wife is a less active member and they have been learning and growing in the gospel together. It's been so good for their little family. They have one daughter who is 2 and the temple is the goal! I can't wait for them to be sealed together. But baptism first, of course. 

You'll be happy to hear that I shower every single day. I kind of have to because we come home caked in dirt and sweat. The temperature is awesome...ly hot! Our zone's theme right now is "99 F ind the one!" Get it? Because it's like 99 degress farenheit. Ha. ha? 

Sometimes I just feel like Dory. I'm swimming and swimming and swimming. And I just keep swimming and swimming. But sometimes when I'm about to start floating and take it easy, Someone pushes me and I have to keep swimming. And sometimes it's hard. Sometimes I have to swim in deep waters. And it's hard. But I know that I am being pushed towards something greater than I can understand. I am learning to swim in deep waters. Don't worry, I still love being a missionary, even though this is most definitely the hardest thing that I've ever done in my life. Ever. But I relish the challenges the Lord gives me, because I know if the Lord gives me a trial it means He wants me to learn from it. 

That's all. 

Mahal na mahal ko po kayo! 

Sister Larson