With a Willing Heart

Dear friends and family,

I will have been out 3 months this week, I can't believe it! I also can't believe this weather... All the locals say there is usually snow by now, but it hasn't gotten too cold this week, and I'll take it! All I can say is that prayers are answered and Heavenly Father must be looking out for a little Arizona missionary in for her first-ever east coast winter! 

Beautiful blue skies, but sadly no more leaves

Thursday was a great day at the Priesthood Restoration Site! We had over 100 youth and their leaders from stakes in New Jersey come as part of their youth conference. (Talk about an awesome youth conference seeing all the church history sites on the east coast!!) But they were such a great group of kids with such strong testimonies! We had them all come into the chapel to watch the film we typically begin with, but before we started all of us sisters sang "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul," and I was able to play violin. Music is such a great way to invite the Spirit! Then Sister Agado and I introduced the film, and I decided to share part of 2 Nephi 33:1 with them. It reads, "...for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men." I explained how the key word in that scripture is "unto." The Holy Ghost can testify of truth unto us, but it is our choice to let the things we learn and feel into us, and shape us into who we become. That is how it is for all our guests at the PRS-- the missionaries could give information, scriptures, history, testimonies, facts, background, etc. but it is ultimately up to them to decide what they will take away. The same can be said about anything whether it be church, scripture study, or prayer; it's all up to us to choose to let the Holy Ghost work in us and like King Benjamin's people in Mosiah 5, have the Spirit, "wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts."

We finally got back in contact with one of the recent convert families we had been trying to meet with, the Davis family. When we caught them at home this past week and were talking about scripture study, they told us how much they loved when we sent them a text with specific verses to read. They told us that each time we have done that, what they read always seemed to apply to them! They are such great examples of "likening the scriptures" and letting the Holy Ghost work in them! That is something I'm trying to do better this week -- recognizing how the scriptures I read apply to me, because they were written for us and our day.

Companionship "twinners"

We also met with Cody and Shauna, and their two boys. Something President Anderson has asked all of us to do now is sing before every lesson we teach. We thought it would be a little awkward to sing to our investigators, but it was actually the sweetest thing to see Cody and Shauna's little boys just light up when we sang "I am a Child of God" for them. We talked about how God loves us so much that he wants us and our families to be happy, eternal families. Shauna, who is not a member, seemed especially interested, and Cody, who is a member, was happy to invite us back! We are looking forward to seeing them again! 

I feel so blessed to be a witness of tiny miracles every single day. I have the privilege of wearing Christ's name on my name tag every day, but we all have the choice to write His name on our hearts. Making Christ a part of who you are means actively applying gospel principles to your life. Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson said, "True conversion occurs as you continue to act upon the doctrines you know are true and keep the commandments, day after day, month after month." I do the same things every day as a missionary, but I can't ever let living the gospel become routine, because I should be constantly striving for improvement. Christ isn't asking for us to be perfect people, but to have a willing heart as we follow Him and try our best to be our best. Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Sister Larsen

Halloween fun:  All of the PRS sisters decided to "dress up"
as a crayon box for Halloween.  They were invited to dinner
at the PRS Directors' apartment that night.

Abandoned building?  Nope, guess again...

This is Sis. Larsen's apartment