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