Week # 44

Happy Thanksgiving week!!! That is so weird to me to think that Thanksgiving is already here. It still hasn't really hit me yet... I think it will when the Christmas lights start at the Visitors' Center! The lights will start on Thursday... but Sister Sanchez and I are still "full-field" until Friday... and then once Friday hits we are there everyday. I'm pretty excited to go back... but I also feel really weird. Like I've been out of the VC for so long that I don't know what to do. and feel like I don't belong there anymore! But I'm sure that it will come back pretty quickly!

Well. I have had my first FLAT TIRES experiences on my bike! I think that I must have run over some type of branch with super sharp thorns on it... because BOTH my tires got super flat. And I barely made it to our baptism on Saturday! It was a miracle we made it to the stake center! The baptism was so incredible. It was the least stressful one I have ever been involved in :] Lupita's son, Jesus was baptized about two months ago.... and he's awesome. He has been through a lot in his life. He's only 22 but he's had a rough past. He's been in prison. But he has changed his life COMPLETELY. He is planning to put his papers in next summer and working hard now to save the money. He's just really solid. And it was such a tender moment to see him in the baptismal font with his mother. His arms were bare with the white baptismal jumpsuit, so you could see all of his tattoos... and I could just feel how much the both of them have changed. I couldn't help but think about where there were a year ago... and where they are today. It was awesome. I'm so grateful that I have been able to be a part of their conversion and just see how the spirit can soften the hardest hearts.

On Sunday there was a mission president's fireside in Spanish and Lupita and Jesus were both asked to speak. It's usually months after people are baptized that they are asked to speak. But she spoke the same day she was confirmed! It so special to be able to listen to them tell their stories and bear their testimonies of the  things they have learned. It's also funny to hear them talk about how bothered and annoyed they were by us when we first started to come by :] 

After the baptism we went to our investigators' Juanita and Alberto to celebrate Alberto's birthday! It was a fun night (too much cake... haha). 

Friday night we had a Branch Thanksgiving dinner! And one of our investigator's Jorge came! I've been teaching him since June and this was the first time that he ever set foot in the church. So it was huge. And I think he had a good time. 

Shout out to my girl LAURA! That received her mission call this week!!! She'll be going to the West Indies mission!! Speaking English! And leaves February 27th! I am so happy for her. Can't believe we will go SO long without seeing each other. But happy that she has accepted the call to serve the Lord.

I am so excited for the holiday season to begin. I feel like it may be hard for me to be away from all the family during the holidays... but I'm also excited to be in the VC so much and spend all this time on Temple Grounds. I feel like I will really have the opportunity to learn the true meaning of Christmas. And see miracles everyday.

I love you all so much!

Love
Hermana Larson

Week #43

Hey everyone! How is everyone doing? Things here are going pretty well. We received transfer news on Saturday night and Sister Sanchez and I will be staying together in Mesa Grande! That is what I was expecting because new missionaries are trained for 2 transfers now... and it's unusual for a trainee to have two trainers. But Sister Sanchez has been called to be a VC Sister for this transfer :] Which will be a really unique and cool experience for both of us. We'll still be full-field until Thanksgiving... but then once Thanksgiving hits we will be in the VC everyday. Which definitely puts some pressure on us to get things going in our area now while we have the time... because things will change once Christmas lights hit! I'm happy with transfer news... not super surprised... but I do expect that this will be my last transfer in Mesa Grande... I'm starting my 5th transfer here. Oh and also because the next transfers fall right during Christmas they moved it up a week (because flights are super expensive during the holidays). So this transfer is only 5 weeks, and the next transfer will be 7. So it'll be interesting to be transferred like 6 days before Christmas! But all will be fine!

Sister Sordes has been transferred :[ It was weird because even though we haven't been companions this past transfer... we have still been living in the same house and I feel sad that she will be leaving the house! But Sister Mendoza is staying and Sister Noble is coming to Mesa Grande. Sister Noble has been out one transfer less than me and was actually trained by Sister Sordes! It will be a fun transfer. Well except that it is started to get COLD here. Okay well not cold compared to Utah or Colorado.... but pretty cold! IT rained on like Friday night and I had my first biking in the rain experience! haha. But ever since then it has been really cold outside. And I'm trying to figure out how to bundle up on my bike. It's hard because then we get going and I get hot... and don't want to carry my coat and such around on my bike during the day... but then night hits and I totally regret that decision! So still working on all of that... We come home each night frozen and just bundle up while we plan for the next day! haha.

Lupita had her baptismal interview this past Friday and passed! We are so excited for her. Her daughter (who is not a member) and her son that was baptized two months ago (and will be baptizing her) came to support her while she was in her interview. So we are so excited. We just realized that we have a scheduling conflict with another baptism here in the stake at 5:00pm on Saturday night. So we might have to adjust something. But everything is going really well with her!

Thursday morning we had our departure preparation meeting in the Visitors' Center. We have a breakfast and then the sisters that are going home share their testimonies and such. Well this transfer we have 4 VC sisters going home! So many. And so weird because I feel like I know these sisters soo well. So weird. But it was a great meeting. Sister Falcon is one of the sisters that is going home. So incredible how fast the time goes by. 

Sunday was Stake Conference here in Arizona for TODOS. It was such an awesome conference! It was a satellite broadcast from Salt Lake where Elder Holland, President Eyring and other leaders of the church spoke. And it was broadcasted to the entire stake. They talked a lot about families and the importance of having time together as a family and not just being so busy doing good things (sports, extracurricular activities, etc...)  that you don't  take time to teach your kids. They also talked a lot about missionary work... as members. And that with so many more missionaries is the duty of the members to take care of the missionaries serving there and caring for them :] I liked that part! haha.

Well today we are going to go over to Blanca's house... on of my recent converts. She's been without work for a month or so now and it's been really hard for her. But she knows how to do nails so we've asked her to do all of our nails and we'll pay her for it. So I'm excited to spend some time with her... and to get my nails done :]]

I hope that everything is going well for everyone! And that Meredith had a super awesome birthday this past weekend :] Love you all! Oh and that Julie's Bridal shower goes well! I'm sure yall will have fun!!

Love,
Hermana Larson

Week #42

Hey everyone! How was Halloween for everyone! I heard about some fun stories from all the grandkids from the parents... but I want to see some pictures of all the kids in their costumes! Sounds so fun!

 

Our Halloween here was pretty fun! President Ellsworth received word from SLC that they didn't want the missionaries out proselyting for safety reasons. So we were inside from 6pm and on. We spend 6-8 "studying" but mostly answering the door to trick or treaters! We didn't have any candy... (we didn't really even think about that!) but I had a bunch of spider rings that Julie had sent me (thanks girl :] ) so we passed those out with a mormon.org card. It was so fun to be there doing it with Sister Sordes and Sister Sanchez from France and from Spain because they don't really celebrate Halloween in the same way that we do and they LOVED answering the door for the trick or treaters. They asked us so many questions about what we were "supposed to do" whenever the trick or treaters came. I loved it. And then at 8pm we turned the lights out and had our own Halloween party! haha. We each came up with a game and played it. My game--we hung bread (I didnt' really have any other food.. haha) from the ceiling and tried to see who could eat it the fastest w/out hands. It was silly... but hilarious. I have some pictures. Sister Sordes even dressed up in an African dress that one of her investigators had given her a while back. It was a fun night.

 

Our investigator, Lupita is doing SO good. I think I told you that last week we set a date with her. On Monday night we went over to her house because her son was turning 16. So we brought some brownies and sang to him. Well when we got there her other son who is 22 and got baptized a month ago started talking to us and was so excited. He said, "Did my mom tell you that she is getting baptized on November 17???" haha. we acted surprised (like we weren't the ones that invited her) and loved it! so funny. Her son is so excited because he has received the Aaronic priesthood and Lupita asked him to baptize her. We are looking forward to it.

 

Well it's been a great week. Actually it just went by so fast. I don't even know what else to write about because I can't remember what happened! But I'm doing so well. Things are going by fast. Transfers are this week... but I'm not thinking anything will change because we are in the middle of training... but who knows. President has been known to do some crazy things!

 

I love you all! Have a great week!!

Love

Hermana Larson