May 25th Pictures

we had a service project and i finally got to wear the hallowed yellow vest! mormon helping hands save the day! i felt like a superhero :) 

the lady we buy pork from let me chop our own meat today. she's a nice lady.

inside the palengke(aka the market)

May 25th Letter- What a Week!

So I remember you asking me if we ever talk in church and actually yes, quite often actually. And it's a lot different than talking in church back home. Whenever the scheduled speakers fall through either me or Sister Acosta will speak. Yesterday I spoke about a mighty change of heart. Sometimes our ward can get kind of noisy. But then I started crying (that's what happens when we feel the Spirit sometimes, okay) and it got really silent. Most Filipinos don't usually cry in public. So when someone starts crying it's kind of shocking. As for me, I'm like the biggest crybaby ever so it's nothing new really. I thought that was pretty amusing. 

Also I don't know if you knew this but the most common way to buy shampoo/conditioner is in a sachet. Like little foil packets. 

Also I really love riding in tricycles. But sometimes it gets kind of bumpy and my insides start to feel like scrambled eggs. 

Also Bro.Danny, one of my favorite investigators, stayed for our Gospel Principles class yesterday! He's come to church a few times now but usually right after sacrament he'll just go home. But this time he stayed! And he's just so happy. He really is so different from the first time I met him. The first time I met him I was so scared of him. We had gone over to their house because his wife was sick and so we just sang some hymns with her and then the Bishop, 1st counselor, and the Ward Mission Leader came over and gave her a priesthood blessing. I asked Bro Danny if he wanted a blessing too but he didn't exactly answer me... The next time we saw him was at his wife's funeral. But it was so weird because all of a sudden he was so open to us and to the ward members. Yesterday at church was the first time I've seen him really smile. It was so cute! It just makes me so happy to help him be happy. And I know that by living the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we are really going to be happy. 

A typical Pday usually involves some meeting. Like today we had zone goal setting. Our meetings are always in Sta. Ignacia, which is about 20-30 mins away on a jeepney or small bus.  Then we will go email. And then go to the palengke. Today we went to the palengke first because there was a brown out and all the computer shops were closed for a while. Then we go home. And then we put away our groceries. And then we clean the house. And then we do our laundry. And if there's time left we get to take a nap (haven't had one of those in like 4 months) or we can write to other missionaries/family/eat/whatever. Until 6. Then we go out and proselyte until 8. Then we go home. Then we plan for the next day. Then we update the Area Book. The end. Pretty exciting. 

Anyways, 

I love you!!!! 

Sister Larson

Sunset in the Philippines

some pics I took while riding in a tricycle... I love the Philippines!
 definitely gives Arizona sunsets a run for their money

Pineapple, families, the computer shop

I think my taste buds might be changing cuz this pineapple wasn't as gross as usual:)

Some families that we are working with.

The girl in the orange dress is a member working with us.  Almost everyday either some youth or YSA will work with us. but it's their summer vacation right now so it's easier to find youth who aren't busy. but we would rather have some of the relief society work with us...

we're still working on it

this is just your typical computer shop. actually this is one of the nicest computer shops.

where we "skyped" for Mother's Day

May 19 Letter-"What a day!" Sister Acosta's favorite catch phrase

Here's something. The other day Sister Scholl (the one from Montana) gave me some gum. Right before I was going to sleep I thought to myself "hmm I need to spit out this gum" but alas I was too lazy. The next morning when I woke up I had gum all over my clothes and on my sheets. But none in my hair. It was ridiculous. I felt like a child. But I guess that's what happens when you don't chew gum for 8 months. 

 

The work in our area is awesome! We have been focusing on finding for the last month or so. And not just finding but finding by the Spirit. And it has really been awesome because we have tons of new investigators that are just getting it! It is really exciting. This June our mission goal is for each companionship to have at least two baptisms and we are already starting to see the miracles. Like for instance the big miracle that every one of our investigators that committed to come to church...they really came!!!!! We had 6 investigators at church! That is the most I've ever had come to church in my entire mission. It was a blessed day! 

Things are good. I am focusing on developing my Christ-like attribute of charity because I just think that so many things depend on love. If we have love for the Savior we will be obedient, if we love the people we will study effectively for their lessons, if we love our companion we will have the Spirit to guide us. So I'm just really trying to feel the love. And I really love you guys!!! Mahal na mahal  ko kayo!!!

 Sister Larson

May 11th-skyping for mother's day and pictures

Skyping for Mother's Day

 braided one of the yw's hair and she braided mine. at a ward activity. and then sister acosta and i eating halo-halo, it's like a mix of different little jell-o shapes, fresh coconut(yuck) ube jam, ice and evaporated milk. basically it's the filipino snow cone. 

Cooked cricket things...YUM!!

happy mother's day from the women of Padapada 1st ward!

Fun Sis. Acosta and El Pato

one night Sister Acosta just walked out of our room like this. It is the biggest poncho I've ever seen. she's great!!

and tacos!!! not as good as I hoped. but the el pato tastes the same!

Beautiful area-Eggplant-Yum!

I love my area!

 we helped plant eggplant! the eggplant here is long and skinny and we eat it all the time. :) yum
sometimes we just fry chunks of it. sometimes we dip it in batter and fry it and my favorite way is called torta.  it's kind of like an eggplant omelet. members feed us sometimes. not all the time but we probably eat at a member's house once a week. One member decided that she's going to have a day that we come and eat at her house each week

 

Letter written to Pres. Martino after Skyping for Mother's Day

I just got finished Skyping with my family and surprisingly, I really am not homesick. Because, honestly,  I know that these months on my mission are so important. And as much as I love my family I know that what I'm doing is the most important work that I could be doing right now.  I had a really great personal study the other day. I reread my patriarchal blessing along with my reading in the Book of Mormon about the Atonement and it just made me so excited for the future. I know that our missions are not just about what we gain personally, but having been able to see the changes in myself I know that I will never be the same person ever again.  I feel like these months are the start of something great. Because I am probably going to spend more years of my life as a member than as a missionary, these months are so crucial to help me understand how important the work of Salvation really is. And I really am starting to get it, like really "get it"

Fields, Friends and dirty feet

we went out into this field of okra and eggplant to find one of our less active sisters and her kids showed us how they jump from rice terrace to rice terrace. crazies. also the little girls love my white skin and arm hair and they wouldn't let go of my hands.

 

Mine are the dirtiest cuz I am the whitest!!

 

 

May 5th Letter-Cheezits-whoo hoo!!

This was just an awesome week! Maybe because it started off with Cheez-its!! Nothing says America like real cheddar.

But really. 

There were just a ton of little tender mercies and miracles. And we are going to have a "sharing time" with our Bishop and our ward missionaries tonight and we are really excited to use Preach My Gospel and really become more united with our ward as we try to rescue and baptize the precious souls in this area. Our zone leaders have recently been stressing the importance of part member families and using the less active members from the ward directory to find new investigators. Just yesterday we went to an area that neither Sister Acosta or I had ever been to. We just had a list of names, no addresses. The very first woman that we saw and talked to was one of the names on our list of less active members. She took us around the area introducing us to other less active members and former investigators. I know it really was a tender mercy from the Lord. He is hastening His work!! I love being a missionary. 

This Fast Sunday we fasted as a mission because in June (President and Sister Martino's last month here) we have a goal for each companionship to have two baptisms. And that's never actually happened in the 3 years that President and Sister Martino have been here. So we all fasted for our investigators with a baptismal date in June and to be able to find those people that will be ready to be baptized in June. And it was awesome! Brother Danny came to church! He's the one who's wife died a few weeks ago. I am amazed at his humility. This trial has opened his heart so much and he is finally ready to accept the gospel. I love teaching him because it's so easy to feel the Spirit during our lessons. He is awesome. I really love being a missionary.  So what new cool things have you guys learned from Preach My Gospel? ;) 

Sister Larson