February 9th- Life is a Roller Coaster!!

LIfe is a roller coaster and especially today. I'm a little late emailing because I spent the day in Manila getting some fingerprints and whatnot at the Immigration office so that I will be allowed to leave this beautiful island. And I may or may not be crying a little bit right now because it is hard to think about leaving my tropical island and at the same time because I miss you all you much and I can't wait to see you. ...And also because Reo spilled the beans and told me that you had to put Hondo down. Man, I was really looking forward to seeing him when I get home. These mangy dogs here have really helped me appreciate our good friend Hondo. Today was really good for me though. Sister Clark was there with us for a little while in Manila and me and my good friend here in the mission, Sister Knudsen, got to talk to her for a bit about missionaries going home. It's hard, but it's good. I know that there is a reason why our missions are only 18 months for the sisters. As much as I would love to be a missionary in the Philippines forever, my body cannot handle it. But just so you know, I am doing a lot better. Maybe it's all the prayers :) Sister Salde and I are doing great. She's super hardworking and we had three baptisms this last week. It's weird to be the "harvester" and not be the missionary who found and taught the investigator. But it's was good and I am excited to be a part of their progression in the gospel. Sister Hewlett is especially dear to my heart and I'm excited to help her continue.  Our little branch, La Paz, is picking up steam and we are doing all we can to help them in the Work of Salvation. Don't you guys worry, I'm gonna cross that finish line, even if I'm crawling when I get there. 

I LOVE YOU!! 

Sister Larson

                                     Sis. Salde made this sweet note for me when i got to our area :)

me and sis salde

The Baptism!

February 1, 2015- Transfered! and new companion Sister Salde

me and my beautiful comp. her last comp was also from arizona  (sister peavler) and gave her an ASU shirt!

and this is our beautiful little house 

that bucket in our bathroom..yeah that's also our shower :)

Well...I got transferred!! Just 6 more weeks and I would've spent a whole year in the Sta. Ignacia Zone. But God knows better and now I'm ending my mission where I began...in the city! I'm now in Tarlac. I'm actually about a 30-45 minute jeepney ride from Tarlac City (and the mission office). My new companion is Sister Salde. She is from Bacolod, the city of smiles.  I really love Sister Salde. I was able to go on exchanges with her twice when she was assigned in Camiling and she told me the other day that on our last exchanges she just felt like we would be companions before I went home. Well she was right! She is a great missionary and I am learning from her. I'm no longer a Sister Training Leader, which is kind of sad because I loved serving in that position. But it's also really good because I have a little lighter load and I can breathe. It's just the two of us in our little house, it's nice and quiet. I think this new area is good for me. I've felt better and more healthy so far, but it's only been a few days so we'll see. 

For the first time ever I'm in a branch! It actually has about the same attendance (about 90) as my  first ward in Cabanatuan. We share the branch with our district leader and his "anak" aka trainee. Our branch had a coordination meeting with almost all of the auxiliaries represented. It was awesome! I'm pretty sure I've never had a coordination meeting like that my whole mission. This branch is really picking up speed. They just need to put their good intentions into action. And I'm so excited to help them learn how to do just that! I feel like I finally know what I need to do and I actually know how to do it! I am starting to understand what other missionaries told me about getting to the end of your mission and finally feeling like you know what you're doing. They were right. Now that I'm nearing the end, I finally get it. Well I guess that's the way life is and that's how we know when it's getting about time to move on :(  

This week I just have been wanting to get back that feeling of being a new missionary. I want to love people like I was able to when I first got to the field. I want to listen to others like I had to when I couldn't understand Tagalog. I have made some goals for this transfer to help me get back to that feeling of being a new missionary with that zest and excitement for the work and that pure love and desire to help others. 

There are a lot of things about my mission that have really come full circle. Like crying. I would cry all the time when I was new in the field because I was frustrated that I didn't understand and wasn't being understood, or because I miss my family, or just because. Now, sometimes I just cry. Because the thought of leaving this behind is really hard. I try not to think about it, but sometimes just out of the blue I get sad and cry. It's hard. Being a missionary is weird. And I love it. I love all the ups and downs and most of all I love sharing my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. He really is my Savior and He is your Savior. He loves us and knows us perfectly. Ahhh. I just have a lot of feelings...

I love you so so so so much! Let's all be missionaries for the rest of forever, ok? 

Sister Larson

January 26th- Super Sick but it's okay, still a great week!

This has been the most wonderful week ever! Well kind of. I'm not super sick, but I guess it's time to admit that there really is something wrong with my body. We just spent 5 hours at the hospital doing some tests. The paper work took longer than the actual tests but all I can say is, I never want to go back there. It's hard for me to admit that there's a problem because it's not something that really keeps me from being able to go out and work...it just makes it very difficult to work. There were a few days this week that we came home, planned, and I went right to sleep, in my proselyting clothes and everything. My body is just not cooperating with my heart. I'm dizzy, have fevers on and off, and headaches. Aint no thang. It's no secret that I'm nearing the end of my mission, and I just want to run! I have learned the lessons in Preach My Gospel, I know Tagalog well, and I just want to give my very best and forget the rest. But my body is holding me back right now. Hopefully these tests will help us figure out what we need to do so that I can sprint to the finish line. Just pray for me, okay? :)

This week we've had a lot of disappointments. It's amazing, but no matter how many times people say they're going to do something we, as missionaries, usually believe them. Maybe it's the hope and faith that we are working on developing. But over and over people commit to do something...and then don't. I thought I would get to the point where I would have a hard time believing people when they said that they were going to do something; But, no, I still believe them. And it still hurts when they don't do what they say they're going to do.  Those are the thoughts that overwhelmed me as we sat in church and our investigators, once again, didn't show up. Then we started the sacrament. We sang "fill our hearts with sweet forgiving, teach us tolerance and love" and I began to think about my Heavenly Father who loves me no matter what and forgives me no matter how many times I don't do what I say I'm going to do. I thought about how He would never get frustrated with me. I really am trying to be like Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. It's a process and I love those moments when I get a little glimpse of our Father's love for us. That's what I'm going to work on this week, really feeling true charity for those around me (even if they don't do what they say they're going to do). Because that's what Jesus did.

I love being a missionary, and I love having a companion that loves being a missionary. I love that I'm not just going to be a missionary for 18 months, but for FOREVER! 

Sister Larson

January 19th-Busy Day!

I'm sorry i had to finish too many reports and change things over for the new year i don't have time to finish a beautiful letter for you, but here's a part of my letter to president Clark...

Since you and Sister Clark introduced the Real Growth theme for the year I have felt that it is exactly what I need. I love getting to dig deeper into the Atonement. There is still so much that I don't understand, but I know that the Atonement is real and there is a real power that comes from that sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Sister Davis and I have had many beautiful conversations about the Atonement and the reality of the love our Savior has for us. She has a deep and powerful testimony and is truly converted to the gospel. She is a fantastic missionary with so many gifts and talents. Sometimes Satan is too good at blinding us and not letting us see what Heavenly Father sees in us. But as we have been able to study about the love the Savior and His great sacrifice for us, it has helped us see and have mpre faith in God's perfect plan. 

I love being a missionary, President Clark. I really love it. 

...

and I know that I will always be a full-time representative of Jesus Christ no matter where I am, no matter if I have a black name tag or not. I love my Savior and I live for Him. 

Sister Larson

January 11-A great and funny week

Hello! How is things? Things over here are still great. Everyone thinks that Sister Davis and I are sisters..even though we look nothing alike. It's a Filipino thing, if you are white, you're all the same in their eyes. But it makes us happy. This week was great. and funny. A lot of little funny things happened this week. Like a goat following us up and down the street. And when we were teaching Roger about the Law of Chastity and I said, "Our ____ need to always be clean" while pointing to my mouth and Rayu (that little boy I told you about on skype) screaming "TEETH!" Yes, Rayu teeth...and also our words. :) And just a bunch of other little things. It's been a fun time. 

Lemme tell you a story...

A few months ago one of our less-active members that we were teaching asked us to help put together a funeral service for one of his employees. We talked to the Bishopric about it and they felt that this would be a great opportunity to help. So we, along with the elders in our ward, and the 1st Counselor held a little funeral service for a young couple whose 4 month old baby had passed away. We really, really wanted to teach that couple about the Plan of Salvation, but they didn't live in our area.  But then a few months ago they moved to our area! But...we didn't go into the neighborhood where they lived because it was so far away from the church. Then at the beginning of December they moved right into our focus area! So of course, we started teaching them. The husband is somewhat alcoholic, but the wife is so golden. She doesn't even know it! She helped clean the church on Saturday (even though there was only one other relief society sister there helping) and then went to visit her mom about 3 hours away. She didn't think she would be able to come to church but to our great surprise she came! Then after church she tried to pay tithing. We had to explain to her that she's not a member and tithing isn't yet applicable for her so we helped her pay a "fast offering" instead. We asked her if she had fasted, but she said not yet. (She's planning on fasting on the day she has her interview for baptism.) It wasn't until later that night when we stopped by her house that we figured out where that money came from. She doesn't have a job. She told us that her husband had given her money to go buy some things at the market. She came back with only handkerchiefs for him. Her husband asked where the alcohol was, she replied there wasn't any. We have a pretty good idea where that 20 pesos for her "tithing" came from. :)

I love being a missionary! 

Sister Larson

us at MLC(mission leadership council)

us with pres clark

do you see what liezel's shirt says!? :) I told her my nickname was bacon and then she started calling me Sister Bacon. Hope that doesn't stick!  

Adorlena's Baptism

January 4, 2015- Another Wonderful Week and Happy New Year!!

Happy New Years! I think I spent my New Years a lot like Dad. Sick. But it was a different kind of sick than I have been. I don't know if that should be reassuring mom, but I just feel like ..."she turned me into a newt! But you don't look like a newt. I got better!" Name that movie. :) Sister Davis and I were both sick. Maybe it was something that we ate. She got better a lot faster than me. Which I was grateful for because she took care of me..again. I call her Doctor Davis. With a British accent of course. It was like food poisoning mixed with a cold/flu so.. that was fun. Now I'm almost 100% better...just that I have a little cold. Maybe it's because of the weather? I know it's hard to believe, but it's gotten a little chilly here on my tropical island. It's actually like perfect weather right now. I'm loving it. 

This week Sister Adorlena was baptized! She had to have an interview with President Clark and it was really cool to be able to be a part of it. Sister Davis and I were the "translators" but she did pretty well with English. Anyways, I learned a lot. I felt the Spirit testify that repentance is real and that our Heavenly Father understands that we make mistakes, sometimes big ones. But that's why He prepared a way. He sent His son Jesus Christ so that when we make those mistakes we have a way to repent and be clean. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that the Atonement is real and that power that comes from true repentance is real. I know that Sister Adorlena felt that power. 

Her baptism was so awesome. A lot of the ward members were there, despite a last minute time change, and some of our ward missionaries even came. She was so happy. My favorite part was seeing her son there with her in the baptismal font as he called her by name and baptized her by the priesthood authority that he holds. It was powerful. There is a corny quote that I heard before I became a missionary. It says,  "a missionary is someone who leaves her family for 1 year and a half so that other families can be together forever"  I really feel that I saw that this week. Sister Adorlena will be with her family forever and that makes leaving my family worth it.  Her 13 year old daughter bore her testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday about how she was so happy and couldn't hardly wait to be sealed to her mom and her father, who passed away, in the temple in a year. I know this gospel is true and that the priesthood is real and that in a year that family will really be sealed together for eternity. 

I love you all!! 

Sister Larson

Sick Sisters!!