Week #46

December 4, 2012

How has this week been for everyone? It's really hard for me to believe that it is already December. Well mostly because it's not super cool here. Well at night it cools down a bit... but during the day I can still work up a sweat on my bike. But it's okay. Speaking of my bike... CRAZY. I just never really learned the whole bike maintenance/bike repair issues. And I had two flat tires... so I actually had some priests from the branch come and help me this week! haha. They put new tubes in (or so they told me) and I was good to go. Well... then yesterday we got to the Visitors' Center for our shift from 2-6 and when we came out to go back and work in our area... I had another flat tire!! ah! Apparently pretty much every bush here in Arizona has huge thorns and you have to buy a specific type of tubes so that it's thick enough! Well. Last night was our only night to work in our area until this coming Sunday. So I was a little stressed out that we weren't going to be able (our area is a 30 minute bike ride from the VC). But luckily our vehicle coordinator was on his way to come see the lights and allowed us to borrow a car for the night while he repaired my bike :] And today when we go to walmart I will buy the better tubes. Anyways. That was my adventure last night with... maybe too many details! Sorry! haha.

Well this week has gone by so fast with us being in the lights so much that I honestly couldn't even remember what happened... except talking to thousands of people that come into the Visitors' Center. But then I was looking at some of the pictures on my camera and it refreshed my memory :] On Saturday was the long-awaited "greenie breakfast." It's a tradition here in the Mesa Grande Branch that whenever there is a greenie they put on a breakfast for them. But everyone's been busy with work for a while that this was the first Saturday Hermano Azua has free (he's the one that kind of puts it all together and gets really excited when one of the missionaries say they are going to train). Sister Sanchez didn't know anything about it. They make her sit a table by herself, wear green, eat green food. And we all sit at a table facing her and eat normal food. It's kind of silly but it was fun and Hermana Sanchez was a good sport. And it's great for her to have that relationship with the members. They always have the greenies sign this tablecloth that they use each time and it was fun to see all the other missionaries that were trained in this area.

Our area is struggling a little bit. But I'm just praying and fasting that we will be able to stay up on the work and help the investigators that we have to be able to progress even though we don't have very much time in the area. We've had a couple people drop us, we've dropped a couple people, haven't had time to find more, but we still have a couple people that are progressing. But I am enjoying working with a the investigators that we have. Last night we had an incredible lesson with an investigator, Jorge. I've been teaching him for a long time.. like since July. But he is just recently really starting to progress. He's reading, he's praying, he's asking awesome questions. I can tell that he wants this change in his life... but he also has a lot of doubts... not just about our religion but about God in general. But I know that as he does these things and we really help him to feel the spirit in our lessons that he will be able to receive answers to his prayers and know that what we are teaching him is true.

We had a zone conference this week that was awesome. I love the meetings that I walk out of rejuvenated and just want to work harder and become a better missionary. It's so easy to become complacent with where I am in my mission... but that is not what the Lord wants for me. He wants to become better each day and to do everything in my power to help these people progress. I'm so happy to be here on a mission. I'm so happy to be companions with Hermana Sanchez. She's incredible and I learn so much from her each day. I love you all and I hope that things are going well for each of you!

Have a great week :]

Love,

Hermana Larson