Start Strong, Finish Well 🏁🏆🎤⛽️🚗

Dear friends and family,

Lots of things have happened this week; it's hard to write them all...

On Tuesday we had our very last zone conference with President and Sister Anderson, and I have never seen so many elders (and everyone else) cry! We had some great training from them.  President talked all about one of our mission mottos which is on the big banner they hold up when you walk off the plane, and then hold when you get back on, but it says, "Start Strong, Finish Well." As missionaries we have to start at 100%, give 100% throughout our entire missions, and end at 100%. I am so grateful for President Anderson and his example of always giving 100%. He is such a wonderful example of Christlike service and love, and cares personally about me and all of his missionaries. We will miss him and sweet Sister Anderson so, so much! But having President Randall come in next week will be a great way for each of us as missionaries to "start fresh." 

Back in my proselyting days here in Susquehanna, Friday nights were the absolute hardest time to tract because nobody was home... Everyone goes to the local car race track, the PennCan Raceway!!

Racers warming up

Our cheering section:  senior couples,
the branch president and his wife, and Sister Amirault

Starting to fill up seats for the annual "Bike Night". This year they got 138 
donated kids' bikes to give to children who come to the races. So cool! 

About a month ago, the sisters proselyting in Great Bend had been talking to the man who owns the raceway and he asked if all of us would sing the National Anthem at the Friday night races.

  " 

                                                                       Rehearsing "The Star Spangled Banner"

Ready to sing at the races

So we added that to our practices and it went really well! It has been a dream of my mine ever since I've been here to go to the races, and we did. It was a great “finding” opportunity too! We were able to talk to lots of people, hand out some site cards, answer some questions about the site and the announcer announced our next concert (this Saturday!!!) inviting everyone out to it. It was SO much fun and great to get out and be with the community!

I'm really grateful to be where I am right now, walking on sacred ground every day. In President Nelson's dedicatory prayer, he dedicated the site as a place of many different things, but something that has been really special to me this week is a "place of healing." Yesterday I heard the news that my sweet Gram had passed away. I actually felt very at peace, so just after President's call I went on a tour with a darling couple from Maryland and their granddaughter. In the Smith home I was able to talk about the priesthood and how it blesses us, specifically through the promises we make in the temple, which include those that bind families for eternity. Both the husband and wife said they felt that they needed to share with us that even though it can be hard to be away from home serving a mission, our families would be so blessed for the service that we were giving. It was so touching, considering they had no idea that an hour earlier I had found out my grandma had passed away. Sister Francis said she thinks Gram must have sent me little angels to reassure me everything and everyone was going to be okay :) That same night we had our song practice and were singing "I Know that My Redeemer Lives," for our upcoming concert. Many of us have small solos, and the words I sing for mine are, "He lives, my mansion to prepare. He lives, to bring me safely there." What a sweet reminder to me and a special opportunity I have, through music, to share my testimony. 

I recently read a talk I really enjoyed called "The Strength to Endure," by Richard J. Maynes. He says, "The race that is set before us on this earth is an endurance race filled with obstacles. The obstacles in this race are the challenges we wake up to each morning. We are here on earth to run the race, to exercise our moral agency, and to choose between right and wrong. In order to honorably and successfully finish the race and return to our Heavenly Father... We need strong testimonies that will lead to true conversion, and as a result we will find within ourselves the inner peace and strength needed to endure whatever challenges we may face." I'm so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ which does bring so much peace into my life. I know that it is because of the priesthood which has been restored on the earth once more that family relationships can last forever, and that we can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. And I'm grateful for the experiences I've had since being on a mission that have helped to grow and develop my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Sister Larsen

"I just love her (Sis. Francis).  And our mommas
for unknowingly sending us matching skirts for Christmas!"