In Susquehanna!

Dear Family and Friends,

I made it to good ol' Susquehanna, Pennsylvania! This place is SO GREEN.  I am in love! The trees are so thick you can't even see through them. Definitely a "shady woodland" kind of place.

We stayed at President and Sister Anderson's home on Saturday night after we arrived and they were so good to us!

The house is beautiful (green shutters on the outside windows, patriotic artwork inside, etc.) and there are a couple rooms upstairs for missionaries so 10 of us slept in the bunk room... The only kind of sleepover where everyone is out in seconds! Haha.  :)

President Anderson made us blueberry pancakes in the morning and we went to church in Broomall.  I did see the McCarthys which totally made my day!


Sis. Larsen with our friends the McCarthys.  They have a home in our neighborhood, but are currently on a work assignment in PA.  They happen to live in the same ward as the Mission President.  Small world!!

It was so fun talking to them. After sacrament we made the 3 1/2 hour drive up to Susquehanna, and went to the home of one of the senior couples for Hawaiian haystacks and dessert. Everyone we work with is so sweet and we have 4 senior couples here, 2 who will be full time in the PRS (Priesthood Restoration Site). 

So I got my new companion, Sister Gomm. She is AWESOME and we are getting along fabulously.

She's been out since February and has been serving in rural areas like Susquehanna, so she's an old pro.  But seriously, she is so fun, very bold with sharing the gospel and super helpful. She and I are 2 of 12 sisters called to serve at the PRS, but we are kind of unique in that we also get to proselyte as well! Woo hoo! There is only one other companionship who gets to do both... So we will see how our VC directors split up our time this upcoming week. 

We also got either super spoiled or blessed (I'll go with blessed) to get the apartment we did. It's just me and Sister Gomm, in our little place right off Main Street. It totally makes me feel like Annie... And the stairs up to our room really do make me feel like we have to climb all the way to the top of the  Chrysler Building. Despite its little quirks, we love it! The senior couples were so kind to have stocked it with cleaning supplies, food for breakfast, and a bunch of brand new kitchen supplies. They are the BEST!

One of Sister Gomm's converts has prepared to go to the temple, and is ready to go do baptisms for the dead!! Which means we will be going with them to the Palmyra Temple this week or the next, and I can't wait. We have a few lessons this week, as well as training at the PRS, and I'm so excited to get going on the work!

This morning when we went to the library to download emails to read throughout the day, we ran into the mayor, Sister Hurley. Such a sweet lady who is in our branch. She is really excited for what the PRS will bring to Susquehanna. The whole town is talking about it... all 1,600 of them that is. When all 12 of us were walking together last night down the road, people just sitting out on their front porches were saying things like, "Good grief! You girls are taking over the town!" And yes, yes we are. It's hilarious!

We stopped by our branch president's house last night too, and he is the kindest man with the sweetest family. 6 kids, 2 RM's and one graduated senior who is mission bound. Needless to say, they will be such a help to us!

Thanks for all the love and prayers! I can feel them, and am so excited for the upcoming events that will be happening here in Susquehanna! Here is one of our mission scriptures, which I love - Doctrine and Covenants 128:22 - " Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free."  Learn it, live it, share it-- the PPM (Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission) motto. Love you all!

Love,

Sister Larsen