January
28, 2013
Dear
Family!
Sister
Valladares and I have had a great week! We found a lot of prepared
people and are excited to help them progress. We doubled our goal in
finding new investigators which was really excited. We are a little
disappointed that not very many of these new investigators came to
church. It is such an important key indicator. It really helps us to
see who is prepared and who is going to progress. We are going to
focus a lot this week on helping our investigators get to church the
next week. We're going to try doing some church tours like President
Ellsworth suggested, and also have a lot of member present lessons
because we know that as they meet members they will feel more
comfortable in church.
It's
been raining here like CRAZY. Which does not happen very often in
Arizona. But it rained like three days without stopping! I liked
it... but I have a car. We felt so bad for the elders in our ward
that would show up to dinner each night SOAKED.
On
Monday we went and contacted a referral we had named Omar. He's
awesome. He's 23 and has actually been to an English ward 5 times. He
just walked into a church because he was curious and wanted to know
about it. He is from Mexico but really wants to learn English. In our
second lesson we watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration at
the Visitors' Center and it was so incredible! He felt the spirit so
strong. He has always been really religious but he just had never
heard of the restoration before. He said that this is exactly
everything he's been looking for. It just makes sense to him. We set
a baptismal date for February 16th. Then he met the bishop yesterday.
It was a great conversation,
Bishop
Rodriguez: "Hello, how are you?"
Omar:
"Great thanks."
Bishop
Rodriguez: "So you are investigating the church?"
Omar:
"No. I'm not investigating...."
Bishop
Rodriguez: (confused...) "uhh... oh so you are a member?"
Omar:
"Well no. Not yet. But I'm getting baptized so that I can be a
member. And so that I can be a missionary."
Bishop
Rodriguez: "Oh! Wow! That's awesome!!"
It
was awesome. haha. He is seriously so prepared and we are excited
about it.
On
a sadder note... our investigator, Morena, that has a baptismal date
for this coming Saturday is MIA :[ We haven't talked to her in like 5
days. Her phone is like blocked (goes straight to voicemail). And
when we go to her house her aunt and uncle (who she lives with) just
say that she left with her mom and they don't know when she'll come
back or where they went. (and they aren't super supportive and won't
give us the phone number of her mom :[ ) And we've talked to all her
friends that we know, who say that they haven't had contact with her
either. So we are really worried but aren't sure what else we can do.
Sister Valladares and I fasted together yesterday and are just
praying that we'll be able to talk to her and know what is going on.
There were times when we were borderline freaking out. But I know
that if we just do everything we know how that everything will work
out.
Haley
is doing so awesome! Sister Ellsworth came to a lesson that we had
with her and it was great for her to meet her! She is progressing so
much. She was considering for a while moving back to Idaho with her
mom after she got out of the hospital. That is what her mom really
wants her to do. It's the easier decision because her mom would be
able to pay for everything and she would have a place to live. But
that is really not a good atmosphere for her. Staying here is scary
because she doesn't have a place to live or anything. Apparently her
mom is really good at convincing her to do things and talking her
into it. But we are really happy because she has finally made the
decision to go to a rehab center in Chandler when she gets out... and
then move back here to Mesa :] We love her SO much. And we're sad
that while she is in Chandler we won't get to visit her. (It's out of
the mission) But we are hoping to have permission from President to
still call her everyday. I'm not sure if she'll be allowed to have
visitors (like other missionaries) while there but she needs to still
have contact with someone. And then hopefully when she comes back to
Mesa she'll be close enough that we can keep teaching her and help
her to get baptized!
Last
week I started reading the book "Our Heritage" that is part
of the missionary library. I can't believe I've been our over a year
and have never read it!!! It's so incredible all the stories that are
in that book and all the trials that the early saints went though.
Today I read about the Martyrdom of the Prophet. And I love in
Doctrine and Covenants 135 when John Taylor recounts the events. And
especially the verses in Ether that Hyrum was reading. It just is so
perfect for what they were going through. I invite each of you this
coming week (for FHE tonight or next Sunday) to watch the movie
Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration. This is the one that we
watched with Omar this week. It's an incredible movie and each time I
see it it strengthens my faith. Maybe some of you have a copy of it,
but if not you can watch it online at this site:
I
hope each of you find the time to watch it... and I'm in missionary
mode, so don't worry I'll follow up next week :] (We invite, They
commit, We follow up! yayy for the 8 fundamentals!)
I
truly know that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet. And that he
really "did more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in
this world, than any other man that ever lived in it." (D&C
135:3) It's an incredible privilege that we have to have the restored
gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.
I'm
doing so well. So happy with where I am at. I know that my mission
has changed every aspect of who I am. I can't believe this Saturday
we receive transfer news, AGAIN. It was a 7 week transfer and it
still flew by! I honestly have no idea what to expect, but am up for
anything. Whatever the Lord wants from me.
I
love you all so much.
Love,
Sister
Larson
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