Week #17

Hey Everybody!

          I love getting to write you guys. I look forward to p-day not because I get to take a nap, or get an extra hour of exercise... but because I get to write you all and let you know how things are going! This week was a little less of a rollercoaster than past weeks have been. We haven't had as many insane things happen!  Hermana McKee got sick one night, so I went on exchanges with Hermana Noble... who has been in the mission field for one week. So I was kind of worried about our night, because neither of us knew what we were doing, and I had to kind of take the lead in what we were doing.  The night actually went really well. We had a lesson with Jorge (our investigator who wants to be baptized, but is on probation, so he can't). And it went really well. The next two days were LTMs (Leadership Training Meetings) where all of the trainers, zone leaders, and district leaders, went to Scottsdale for the entire day. I know that they need training, but at the same time it was a little crazy to leave all of these trainees alone! I was companions with Hermana Schwartz both days. She came out with me, but already knew a bunch of Spanish before she came. We had two really good days. She's super good about only speaking Spanish when possible (like within our companionship). And as I was with her, I realized that I can just only speak Spanish. Hermana McKee and I haven't been very good about practicing Spanish together, and with having so much time in the VC it's been really difficult. But after those two days with Hermana Schwartz, I decided that is something I want and talked with Hermana McKee and we've been a lot better at it. I have seriously seen such a growth in my Spanish. I'm realizing that I only have 4 weeks left of being trained, 4 weeks left of an extra hour of studies everyday, 4 weeks before I get a new companion that doesn't know the area! So I've really buckled down and I've already seen the blessing come from working harder. 

       This week I hit four months that I have been out. For some reason I was just like that's it?? I feel like I've been here forever! I'm never going to make it, blah, blah, blah. I was just having a really hard time. I don't really want to write it all down because I did that it my journal and it was depressing haah. And then I got some letters from Elders in the field that have been out for a long time that were like wow, the time has gone by so fast--I want it to slow down! and I'm just like these guys are crazy! I was just down and was like I want to go home. I know I would never do that... but I was just not enjoying myself. Then we went and had a lesson with Jonathan. It's actually his birthday today. And I just know that I'm here for certain people. Like yeah... this is really tough; I have so much more respect for others that have served mission, because this is honestly harder than I ever thought it would be--but seeing people change their lives makes it worth it. Plus I'm feeling a lot better about my Spanish... So I'm doing better. 

       Sister Hansen, an English sister in the VC, got the chicken pox this week! How crazy is that? And it's her last transfer--poor thing. So Sister Beckstrand (our VC director's wife) has been really worried about it spreading. I'm just so glad that I got the immunization, and don't really have to worry about it. Because a lot of people think that they had it as a kid (like Sister Hansen), but it was such a mild case that it didn't immunize her. Her companion, Sister Javed, is from Pakistan and seriously so awesome. She's been spending a lot of time by herself on shift at the VC (it's allowed... haha) while her companion sleeps at the Beckstrand's house, because she doesn't want to have to be cooped up. One day we were all in the call center. She was the only one on a call... the rest of us were like chatting online or something. So she dials someone and all we hear is "Hello, is Jesus there?" hahah, we couldn't help but laugh.. a lot. It's "hay-sus" like in Spanish, but she's never heard of that before. It was really cute and we laughed a lot.

       On Saturday, Kellie Marzetta came into the visitor's center with her two little girls, Teague and Hazel. It was super fun to see a familiar face and to talk to them a little bit. She had just come out to visit family and had left all the boys with Tony. That's something I really like about being at the VC... is seeing a familiar face every now and then!

      Sunday's ward correlation was eventful. A little kid pulled the fire alarm (an English ward was having sacrament meeting), and no one could figure out how to turn it off. It actually wasn't all that loud... so everyone just went on with what they were doing. They kept having their sacrament meeting and we kept on with correlation. There were like two people trying to turn it off... It went on for the next hour that we were there... We left and I don't know how long it took.. but they had it off three hours later when our meetings started. So funny. 


I love you all!! Hope everything is going well!!! 


Love you, Hermana Larson

Week #16

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 12:41 PM

 

        So this week has been an adventure. I feel like this place is the opposite of the MTC. In the MTC the days went by SUPER slow, but the weeks flew by. Here the days go by so fast, but the weeks seem super long. Like, I just feel like the last time I wrote to you guys was forever ago! But I'm doing well. It's been a little bit crazy though-- it always seems to be that way! 

        So at the Visitors' Center, we have a schedule by the hour that tells us where we are supposed to be.  We could be at front greet, back greet, giving a reserved tour... but for a couple hours a day we are on media. Media is pretty much just time on the computer. We do the online chats that come in from mormon.org. We call referrals of people that have come into the visitors' center. We teach our online investigators, and we take the calls that come in from pass-a-long cards. These calls... are sometimes amazing, and sometimes really taxing. I know it sounds really easy, on her mission Holly gets to sit inside in the air conditioning and talk on the phone! But this past week I have had some calls that are just so hard and really it's hard emotionally. I can't really describe it. We always get antis calling-which is fine. Sometimes it's annoying or it can be hard to react kindly :] I talked to a guy that was very clearly under the influence of something... he was totally high. He was like the nicest person ever (of course, hahaha) but he was crazy. He had the craziest ideas about religion. I really wish that I could have recorded the conversation. I was trying so hard to not laugh at some points. Yesterday I answered the phone and said "Thank you so much for calling the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this is Holly, how may I help you?" and this girl is like "are you ready for this" and I was like "umm yes?" and she WENT OFF ON ME. Just furious, cursing every other word (which was quite shocking for me, since I hadn't heard any of these words in 4 months) She told me that she got this number off her boyfriend's phone and that I had been going behind her back calling her boyfriend. It was pretty crazy. Anyways I eventually hung up on her because she wouldn't let me say anything. She was just yelling at me. But when I got off the phone it was hard. I don't know. It just made me sad. Then Sister Cottrell was on the phone with some one that had called in and told her that he had a gun to his head. She called the priesthood leader on call to come into the call center, but she didn't really know how to deal with it. Anyways everyone helped her out and everything turned out alright. But it's terrifying because you feel like you have to say exactly the right thing so that they don't do something! Apparently suicidal people call in fairly often. Sister Avila was on shift when this happened and told me that two months ago she was on the phone with someone when they pulled the trigger... it really freaked her out for a while. Anyways. This paragraph is kind of a downer. But the church is really trying to turn to online proselyting... which is cool... but definitely emotionally tolling sometimes.

         Wednesday night Hermana McKee and I had 3 hours in our area and in an effort to find new investigators we went to this trailer park in our area to try and contact some former investigators. We met some really cool people and were also just talking to everyone that was passing by. We saw an entire family just standing in front of a trailer. As we went to go talk to them we noticed that the mom was crying. When we asked what was wrong she told us that she had caught her husband cheating with the next door neighbor. He had just ran away with her and had taken everything. Like seriously everything they had. He took all of the kids papers (they are legal) so they couldn't leave. The mom was afraid to call the police because she's here illegally. The oldest daughter is handicapped and the mom was telling us about how her husband always takes the government checks  and spends it on alcohol. Then she told us about how abusive he is. I could see all the bruises on all of them, but hadn't really thought that that's where it would be from. Like the kids were so abused. They hadn't eaten in days because they didn't have any money. I wanted to help them so badly but I really didn't know what to do. While we were standing there talking to them, someone ran a truck into a trailer behind us. Like drove straight into someone's HOUSE. I was like this place is crazy--we gotta get out of here. It was like 9:15 pm and the area was pretty sketchy. So we left but we got the family's information and called our zone leaders when we got home. They told us to report it to the police and then try and stay out of it. So we did. But it was pretty insane. The next day a lady in our ward called us and told us that her 17 year old son had been sent to prison and asked us to contact the missionaries assigned to the prison and have them teach him. So it was a fun-filled day talking to the police and the prison. haha.

       We found a new investigator named  Jonathan that is 19 years old. He has a 2 year old son, tons of tattoos and has already been through so much in his life. He told us that he has never really been interested in religion in his life but knows that he needs to make a change in his life. But he just knows it's going to be really hard, so at the same time he doesn't really want to. We made a deal with him that he would work with us seriously for 2 weeks and then see how he feels. And he has been so awesome. He's already read like 10 chapters in the book of mormon. He's following through with all of his commitments. We're just really excited for him because he is progressing so quickly. He came to church on Sunday and has already made a lot of friends in the ward.

       Sunday night we had a charla in our ward. Like a missionary fireside where the missionaries sing songs, recent converts come and talk about their conversion and President Ellsworth speaks. It went so well. I sang a song and Hermana McKee played the piano. Emanuel (our recent convert) got up and talked and it was just so awesome. We had some investigators come and it was a great night. It was also fun to see President and Sister Ellsworth. I talked to her and she told me that they had gone to a mission president conference and had met and talked to President and Sister Crawford for a while, who asked how I was doing. So that was fun to hear that!

 

       Sunday night everyone got transfer news. I'm staying here with Sister McKee because I am still in my first 12 weeks. But it's so just weird to have everyone moving around.  I know that that is part of the mission, but I've never really been through it before. And thus far it's just kind of been like this is how my mission is. But now it's changing and it's weird! Sister Avila is leaving and her companion Sister Sordes (from France) is going to be training and Sister that is coming today from the MTC! Sister McKee and I have been assigned to take her for her first night and so we're having a little sleep over tonight. We are excited... except that it makes our P-day end at 3pm. But that's okay! 

     Things are going really well. I love hearing from all of you. I miss you tons. Someone mentioned something this past week about how mother's day is only a month away and we'll get to talk to our families! And I was like whoa... that's right! I totally forgot. But I'm excited. Miss you so much!

 

Love, Holly

Week #15

Well. I don't even know where to start. During the week I keep post it notes where I jot down a note of something I want to say to you all when I email home. Today I have three post it notes FULL of things to say... front and back. So I probably won't get to all of them. But I'll try. 

Wednesday morning I had my first Zone Conference. It was a really fantastic meeting, and was what I needed to help me focus and want to work hard. President spoke about how he knows that we can double our baptisms, and to do that we need to double our finding. So we talked about how we can double our finding. We also talked a lot about exercising our faith to find people. And just know that God has people prepared out there for us. It was cool. We have a goal this week to find 10 new investigators. That's a lot... especially because we are in the Visitors'  Center. But we are going to work hard and we know that we'll find them. 

The rest of the pageant was so good. It's seriously exhausting. So exhausting. We went to bed after midnight every night, and then we technically were supposed to be able to not wake up until 7:30 each morning, but we had meetings practically every morning this week. It was a busy week. Wednesday morning we had zone conference, Thursday morning, Elder Stephen B. Allen, the Managing Director of the Missionary Department, came to the Visitors' Center and gave us sisters a special training. It was seriously so incredible. He really helped us remember that when people come into the VC we need to follow the spirit in knowing how to help them. He is so awesome. It was such a fantastic meeting. He had also come down to see the Easter pageant and evaluate how that is doing. He had apparently come into one of my theaters the night before (I had NO idea) and he complimented me on my Spanish. Which is kind of funny because that night I had been talking to this couple that came in speaking Spanish. I asked them where they are from and they said Leon "something" (which is a state in Central Mexico). But it totally sounded like Liahona Cuatro, which is the Ward I am in. So I was like, "Me too!" And I was like, "Wait I thought you guys weren't members..."  I was so confused. And they were too... after we figured the confusion out they thought it was weird that I was from Mexico and my Spanish isn't great... haha what a good life I have. 


Saturday morning we had a VC prep meeting. We have them once a week where we have training and announcements about what is going on that week in the VC. Also they feed us breakfast. haha. Well you guys are totally going to laugh at this... but apparently every once in a while the VC hires a professionally photographer to come in and take pictures of the VC sisters. So we took individuals, companionship and everyone together pictures. It was funny... I was like only in a VC. I should be getting copies of them that I can send home. haha. 


Saturday night was the last night of the pageant and it was like WOW I made it through.. but also kind of sad watching them take everything down! All the chairs and everything. The grass is seriously dead but sister McKee said that they will just replace it this week. Sunday was Easter! It was a fun day. We went to a park with a family from our ward for dinner. It was actually really good food... but when we were done eating they pulled out all of these water guns and had a water fight. We were like, "We are missionaries!"  But they didn't seem to care. We got soaked. And then the grandpa filled his water gun with lemonade and started spraying us. It was awesome... I was wearing a super nice dress.. but decided not to get annoyed and it's currently at the dry cleaners, haha. 


Yesterday was our P-day and we had a zone activity. I was exhausted and didn't really want to go, but we did it to support the zone. We woke up at 4:40am and drove two hours to this hike called 4 peaks. It was a five hour hike. Which was really fun... but actually kind of scary and a little dangerous. We had members with us that had hiked it tons before... so that was good... but it was more like straight up rock climbing without harnesses at some points. Some of the Elders didn't climb all the way to the top because they didn't feel good about it, but some of us did. I'm actually pretty proud I made it. haha. Anyways... we didn't get home until 4pm so it totally killed our P-day, and that is why I'm emailing today (we have President's permission!) Oh, but mom you will be so proud of me.. I am the only missionary that wore sunscreen! I offered it to everyone else but they were all, " Oh we don't need it..." and I'm the only one not burned. haha. Awesome!


This morning we went over to an Hermana's house that is in our ward. She just had a miscarriage-her fifth. We went to do service and clean her house, but it was just so sad. She was just crying and asking what she's doing wrong and why Heavenly Father is doing this to her. It was heartbreaking. Seriously. I didn't even know what to say to her. Why do things like this happen every week?

I have so many other things that happened but I can't even touch on them. I'm pretty out of time. Sorry.

Love you all,Hermana Larson

Week #14

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 2:14 PM

      So last week I lied and said that my p-day was on Tuesday... and this week I did the opposite!  I actually TOTALLY thought that my p-day was on Monday this whole week until we got to planning on Sunday and I found out that p-day wasn't the next day... I was sad. It's just something you mentally prepare for and then I was wrong! but that is totally okay. This week has been FANTASTIC!! Well a little bit on the exhausting, crazy and busy side, but so good.

Tuesday night was the dress rehearsal for the Easter Pageant... and it's like practically the real thing, we had about 4,000 people there. During the Pageant the Visitors' Center closes, so we got to go and watch it! It's SO awesome. I had heard how cool it was from Sisters that were here last year, but watching it yourself is just so cool. I loved it. The very end is my favorite part. There are like 400+ people on the stage singing "I know He lives" over and over again so loud, and then Jesus Christ is lifted up super high above the angels with this spot light on him... Sounds kind of weird, but it's actually just WAY cool. On the dress rehearsal night they run it twice back to back, English and then Spanish, so I got to watch it twice in both languages which was really cool. There is a part of the Pageant when Jesus comes in riding a donkey but during the Spanish one the donkey was all scared and wouldn't let Jesus ride him, so they stopped in the middle of it and tried to fix that scene... funny funny. 

     We haven't had very much time in our proselyting area because we are at the Easter Pageant EVERY night, when most people are at home. But we've been managing. Wednesday night was the first official night of the Easter Pageant. Each night they pair you up in different companionships, so that each companionship has an English sister, and a Spanish sister. Which is kind of scary because then I AM the Spanish speaking sister. But it has been really good for me because it forces me to talk and practice my Spanish instead of hiding behind my trainer. Then there is like a rotation where you move around stations in the Visitors' Center. We show a five minute video about Jesus Christ's ministry here in the Americas. We have the Christus Presentation. And when you do those two things you introduce yourself and the presentation,  bare you testimony and everything ON A MICROPHONE because there are so many people. Which is super terrifying in Spanish. I mean it's one thing to try and fake your way through when talking to someone... but it's just so scary to talk in front of so many people. So for those things I kind of just memorized things that I could say... because I have to be able to say it fast. We don't have the time that I need to think about what I'm going to say!. Wednesday night while I was working Susan Johnson (I think that is her last name... I feel bad.. but I know her name is Susan!) came up and said "Hi" to me! She is from Arizona and ran the Ragnar Relay with me last October! She took a picture of me and texted it to Kellie Marzetta, so hopefully maybe Kellie forwarded it to you? It was just fun to see a familiar face! And then Thursday night while I was working a complete stranger walked up to me and was like "I'm looking for Sister Larson."  I was like uhh... that's me. It was one of Julie's friends that she works with. He had come down to Arizona because his sister had just gotten off her mission and they all came to see the pageant!  Julie had given him a package to give to me. So that was SUPER awesome and so nice!! (THANKS SO MUCH JULIE!!) He and his sister were both super nice. 

       Thursday we had a couple of hours in our area so we had a lesson with Jose and Antonia who are the cutest couple ever. They have a 5 year old son that is so cute, and she is expecting their second. They've been meeting with the missionaries since like November. We committed them to get baptized on April 28th and we are really excited. They have to get married before they can get baptized, so we are hoping to have a wedding in the next couple of weeks. They are just seriously such a cute couple and we are excited that they are ready to commit and take the step of baptism. 

     Thursday night after the pageant we were super exhausted (we are there from like 5pm to 11 pm every night) and on our way home from the pageant we got a phone call from our recent investigator, Emanuel. I couldn't understand anything he was saying (which wasn't all that surprising because I rarely do when people are speaking in Spanish haha) but Sister McKee couldn't understand what he was saying either (which is surprising because she's awesome haha). So we told him that we would call him when we got home and hung up. Well when we hung up all of these text messages started coming in from his friends, our Elders Quorum president, our District Leader, telling us that Emanuel's dad had passed away. So we called him back right away but he wouldn't answer. So we went over there (he lives super close) and he was sitting outside, drinking and crying. It was devastating. We didn't know what to say. So we just sat with him and cried. Like it was just so hard. I just hurt for him so much. I can't imagine what I would do if my dad passed away while I was here. Emanuel has been here in the states for six years by himself and hasn't seen him family since. He was baptized and then five days later his dad dies. Two members of the ward came over, and then we went home because it was so late. We went and saw him for a while the next day and he was still really sad, but was doing better. He was mad at himself for drinking, but knew that he would get through this. Well then on Saturday we found out that his dad wasn't really dead. His cousin was the one that had called him on Thursday and told him that, and he wasn't really on good terms with the rest of his family so he hadn't called them. But he finally talked to them on Saturday and his dad had had an accident, but was totally fine. SO it was kind of a dramatic week and nothing even happened. I guess it just goes to show how important GOOD communication is. 

     Friday and Saturday nights at the pageant were Spanish nights--AWESOME! We have had five investigators come thus far. Spanish people are just so nice and so willing to learn more about God and Jesus Christ. And there were tons and tons of nonmembers there. We take free photos inside the visitors' center with the cast members and then we get the people's information and if they are nonmembers we have the missionaries come and deliver the picture in a week or two. (Great way to get the missionaries in the door!) But we aren't allowed to send the missionaries without their permission so when you are getting their address you have to ask "Is it alright if missionaries come to your house, deliver the picture and share a message with you?" And usually people are like sure whatever. But I was working the line on Friday night and these Spanish people are so nice. They were like of course! Yes! And this one guy looked at me and was like "of course--it would be such a blessing to have the missionaries in my home." And I was like seriously... I wish this guy lived in my area! On Saturday night I was working out in the bowl (outside, you just walk around the crowd talking to people and trying to get them to come into the visitors' center) and I seriously had people come up to me after the pageant that were like "wow-this is really cool. Is there anyway for me to learn more about your church?" I'm like "Oh boy, is there!" haha. It's just been a really cool week. Sunday and Monday there was no pageant... but the madness starts back up tonight. The rest of this week is English and since it is getting closer to Easter it's going to be busier and busier (at least that is what I've heard!)

    Saturday I worked the vistors' center from 10am-2pm... so I didn't get to watch any of conference :/ It's crazy.. the Visitors' Center doesn't close for ANYTHING!  But I've been watching it on lds.org whenever I get a free moment at the Visitors' Center. Sunday morning I got to watch conference and since we didn't have any investigators there we got to watch in English, which I was actually very excited about! I particularly loved President Uchtdorf's talk, and Elder Nelson's bookstore producing a dictionary analogy. That was hilarious. Loved it. Sunday afternoon Jose and Antonia came to conference so I watched in Spanish. And I actually got a lot more out of it than I was expecting I would!

Sunday night I was working in the Visitors' Center when a family came up to me and asked "Are you Sister Larson?".I was like yes... It was totally Elder Erickson's family. (E. Erickson was in my district in the MTC). They were here on vacation for spring break and decided to stop and say hi. They were seriously the sweetest people ever and it was really fun to meet them! 

     Okay wow. This week has been busy and I haven't even had time to talk about everything, but my time is up!!

Love you all,
Hermana Larson