Weekly update

Hello everybody!

 

 

This week we've worked a lot with our Korean investigator, Yusong. He came to Melbourne to study English, was a rescue diver in Korea, and he is one day older than I am. He's pretty cool. Right now we're helping him prepare for baptism in November, and our current hurdle is the Word of Wisdom. Yusong loves to go to parties and drink beer. He does it almost every night. We talked with him about how we can't hear God talk to us if we are letting other substances control us. We gave him an "experiment" of not drinking beer for seven days to see how he feels. We also bribed him with an ice cream party if he succeeds. He loves ice cream a whole lot. :)

 

 

I love you all! Sorry for the short note this week! Next week I will manage my time better. :)

 

 

xo Sister Larsen

Another Week in the AMM!

Dearest family and friends,


Every time P-day rolls around, I forget what I did during the rest of the week. Thank goodness for daily planners.


We have been teaching a family (that's right! A family in the city! That itself is a miracle!) for the past couple of weeks. The mother, Esperanza (Espy for short) is from El Salvador and she is absolutely gorgeous. The father is out of the picture, but her two children, Matilda (10) and Johnny (4), are wonderful. Espy so desperately wants her children to have a solid foundation to grow up with, unlike what she had. She needs the Spirit in her home so badly and she drinks in any opportunity to help her children learn about Jesus Christ. They will go to the family ward next door to the city starting next week, and we can't wait for Espy to meet some other moms and for Matilda and Johnny to go to primary!


We found out that our miracle Persian investigators don't live in our area so we have to hand them over to the elders in the next area. We're sad that we don't get to teach them anymore, but we're sure they will be in good hands. We got to teach a transition lesson with the elders, which was really cool. The elders were excited to work with investigators who have such real intent! They are honestly a miracle. As long as they get baptized, that's all that matters. :)


Yesterday was Masaru's 25th birthday! He absolutely does not look 25 years old. Probably closer to 17. But he's excellent. We sang happy birthday to him after church and he sang along with the biggest grin on his face. Then our Korean investigator, Yusong, gave him a hug. I don't think I've ever seen two Asian men hug each other before. It was pretty delightful.


Time is starting to really fly by. I've almost been out eight months! When the heck did that happen?! I never, ever want this to end! But I know that it will, and I hope that when it does I can remain a full-time disciple of Jesus Christ, even if I am no longer a full-time missionary. I love this work!!


Thank you for all your love and prayers!!


xoxo Sister Larsen

An Apple Seed

Dearest friends and family,


General Conference was amazing. I loved every single talk. We are so blessed to have a living prophet for our day and to be able to receive guidance and revelation from God through him. To borrow a word from my friend Sister Jowers, I exhort you to watch it if you haven't!! I promise that something one of the Apostles or other leaders says will speak to you. Heavenly Father is so aware of us and He speaks through His servants! I testify that that is true!


I just wanted to share one miracle from this week. Sister Stevenson and I met the most amazing man named Christopher. He is from Bosnia. We met him just as we left the church to go GQ. He was literally the first person we said hello to! We invited him to see the church right then and he agreed! He is the meekest, most humble, gentle man. He spoke of the energy he felt walking into the church and how he felt a connection with Sister Steveson the moment she opened her mouth. We talked about the Atonement and the healing power of Christ and baptism. The whole time, Christopher kept saying how special he felt to be there. He told us about his grandmother who was very religious and had walked to Jerusalem twice in her life. When we invited him to pray, he paused for a few minutes to remember how his grandmother used to pray. Just before we left, he pulled a tiny apple seed out of his pocket. He had found it at a park earlier that day and picked it up to save it. It had the smallest little green sprout growing out of the top. He kept it because he hoped it would grow into a great tree one day.


Christopher came to General Conference and loved it. He said that he wants to join the church so he can feel that special feeling all the time! He will be taught by the elders in his area and attend a different ward, but hopefully we will be able to see him again. Meeting him was truly a blessing and a miracle!


The day of miracles has not ceased! God still speaks to His children through prophets who hold His authority! Of those truths I testify.


Much love to all of you,


Sister Larsen

Letter from last week

Dearest, darlingest, family and friends,

 

It's transfers again! (How did that happen?!) And I am so blessed to be able to stay in the city with Sister Stevenson!!! We are both so excited!! Most missionaries don't get more than two transfers in the city, three if they're lucky. So I am definitely lucky. :)

 

Things with our Persian friends have been very happy/sad this week. Happy because: we got to teach three lessons with them this week, and their countenances have changed so much. Mohammed told us that he wants to have a family that is established on Christianity. He seems so incredibly different than when he first walked into the branch. Sad because: we found out that they don't live in our area and now we have to hand them over to other missionaries. :( I don't mind too much as long as they still get baptized, but I just hope that the transition is smooth. It can be pretty hard on investigators sometimes to change missionaries, let alone six investigators who have been taught for a whole transfer. But we'll see! I have faith in them!

We had the most amazing lesson with Masaru this week! A couple from another stake came to be translators! Steve served a mission in Japan, and his wife Satomi is from Japan! Satomi said a prayer in Japanese and Masaru was so, so excited! He had never heard anyone pray in his language before! All three of them just lit up and chattered away about the gospel and temples and the Plan of Salvation in Japanese and it was beautiful! Sister Stevenson and I grinned from ear to ear. Masaru is just the bomb.com.jpn.