Serving Like Our Savior

Dear friends and family,

This transfer has just flown by! I can't believe I only have one more week here in Philly! (Note from Alicia:  Sis. Larsen sent this letter Monday morning.  Monday afternoon she emailed her dad to say the mission president had contacted her and she may be staying in Philly for one more transfer; she'll find out next week.)   I have learned so much in the past six weeks and  I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had to be here in this wonderful city!

Such a fun mural -- veggies!

This week was a slower teaching week, but we had some really neat experiences while we were out and about finding! We stopped by a woman named Pang. She is Hmong, from Laos, probably 4'8 and the cutest thing
ever! She let us right in and brought out waters and a big bowl of fruit and had her grandchildren watch "Hallelujah," with us. She loved it and all the pictures of people's family members, and how everyone in the video were from different parts of the world, but believe in God. Pang told us how she used to go to different inner city schools where the kids would be fighting and she would teach them how to love one another. She talked about how the world is a much better place when we put our outward differences aside and love each other as children of God. She said talking about herself, "tiny lady, but big heart!" 

We were showing the Easter videos out on the street and came across a Haitian man, Junior. We hadn't seen anyone react so strongly (a.k.a. Feel the spirit so strongly) to the video until he watched it saying, "wow," through the whole thing. He told us his mother had passed away in the last year which had been very hard for him. It is different talking about the resurrection with someone when they are thinking of a specific loved one they know will live again. He invited us to come meet his family and share the video with them as well, so we hope to see them all very soon.

I also love, love, loved General Women's Broadcast on Saturday! It was so good, and I liked that all the talks had to do with service and when we serve we should serve out of love. I think serving in this area I've come to love so many different people, more than I thought I could. In the past week I don't even think I could name all the places I've met people from... Bangladesh, Ireland, Liberia, Mexico, England, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Ghana... And even though we are so different, I see them as my brothers and sisters, and I want to serve and love them! I loved the scriptures from Mark 14 that Sister Burton talked about, "...she hath wrought a good work... She hath done what she could..." Selfless service does not require us to give anything more than our heart. It doesn't have to be preplanned, or cost money, or be physically exhausting. What the Savior has asked of us is to give our hearts, and love others as He would.

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Pray for specific opportunities and people to serve & love! I know we feel the Savior's love for us more fully when we lose ourselves in lifting others as he would.   Hurrah for Israel!

Love,
Sister Larsen

Happy Easter from the Philly Three and Ciana!