FAMILY!!!! and friends!!
I love you all! Thanks for all the letters and packages! I felt so loved!!
i don't even know where to begin, this week has been so full. So, I've been humbled for eagerness of last week, and I am here to announce that my body is TIRED. Oh well, it's a good tired.
Sunday was AmAzING. The sisters all get to listen to music and the spoken word and then we had relief society with Sister Doxey and it was so cool just to be in a room full of sisters! There's a lot more than I expected. And there's a whole bunch of sisters from india and pakistan, which is wonderful and the word is definitely being spread. Sunday night we had a fireside that was so good, and all about how Satan likes to push our buttons and we can't let him! Buttons like, I'm not worthy, I'm tired, I don't like my companion, I can't speak the language, all that fun stuff. But guess what? You can't speak the language. And you won't always know what to do. And you WILL mess up. But you were also called by God and he knows what he's doing. So there, Satan. Oh how I love the gospel. Also sunday night is MOVIE night in the MTC so we got to watch Joseph Smith: prophet of the restoration. Oh how I love that movie!
Tuesday night we had the weekly devotional, and guess who it was? Elder Richard G. Scott. I love that man and the devotional was amazing, all about learning to recognize and work with the spirit. He'd made up a handout for all of us to get from our branch presidents so that we could write down spiritual feelings rather than trying to get everything he was saying. Several things he said seemed to be directed right to me, and were things I've been praying constantly about. Also I got a confirmation from the spirit of my testimony. And he invoked three apostolic blessings on us. one for the sisters, and special shield of protection. So no worries about me :) and then the gift of tongues, and then a recognition of the help of the spirit and a certain knowledge of Joseph smith and the restoration and that the things we learn on our missions will bless us the rest of our lives. I've never heard so many at once. Afterwards was amazing too, because we had a district meeting to discuss the devo and the spirit was so strong and the elders were all crying. Of course, sr. williams and I were crying too, but that goes without saying. These elders are wonderful.
Wednesday I had even more of a confirmation of the power of elders because we had to practice teaching on each other before our first time in the TRC (dun dun dun). Elder Anderson and Elder Glenn taught sr. williams and I and I just was struck as they taught. They are so young and so earnest about what they are teaching. To see someone that age willing to give up girls and school and sports and a cell phone and whatever else to go learn to love and teach people the gospel, it's no wonder people get converted. This work really was meant to be done by young men. Sisters are awesome too, but sometimes I just feel so humbled by the elders. I'm grateful to know them and be surrounded by them.
I got this out of order but Monday we had our first zone conference and oh wow. We watched clips from a talk given by Elder Holland at the MTC in 2000. I have never seen him so worked up. He was talking about obedience and this is what he said, from my notes: "How can we complain about the inconvenience of obedience when what the savior did for us was not painless, easy, or convenient? HOW DARE WE ASK to not come close to drinking the cup he drank for us. If we are going to say we are disciples WE hAD bETTER have something to show for it. And that will be our own moment in Gethsemane, our own tears, our own walk towards Calvary. REMEMBER the name on your plaque and the REASON we proclaim his name." It was incredibly powerful, I want to see the whole thing.
They talk a lot about obedience here. There was another quote, from President Faust: 'faith is the power, obedience is the price, love is the motive, and Christ is the reason.'
Gosh they just stuff you full of goodness here. Also this week we started contacting, which is really fun. I don't know if it really prepares you for the real thing though because it's not at all scary to walk up to an elder and ask if you can bear your testimony. A real person though? eeks. haha just kidding, no fear in testifying of the work :)
what else to say?
remember how i used to be cute? well I'm not anymore, thanks to all your lovely packages filled with sugar. I love being loved, but i would really really love it if I could get healthy snacks, carrots, craisins, broccoli, those little sweet peppers from costco... I'm seriously dying for nutrients. They serve dessert at EVERY meal here. Not that I'm not grateful for the food, I just have to pray for my body before every meal :)
Oh and for mamasita, thank you thank you thank you for the skirt! I love it! and love the pockets! And I made it through one laundry day without ruining any clothing! hoorah! that's all, I'm doing wonderfully. go missionary work, and pray for the people I'm going to meet, that the Lord will soften their hearts!
Love, more times than I can type,
Soeur Larsen
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