Sister Larsen in the City of Brotherly Love : Coincidences are When God Chooses to Remain Anonymous

Dear friends and family,

Hello, hello, hello! I can't believe how fast July is going by; it's crazy!! We are experiencing a bit of a "monsoon season," except it will downpour for 20 minutes and then you look out the window again and would never know it. Humidity at its finest! :)

A little "Backyard Ice Cream" hits the spot on humid p-days!

I took a tour with a couple a while ago, and the woman and I had a wonderful discussion as we talked about those who lived here in Harmony. How there is no coincidence that they met people, went to places, or had experiences that would shape them into who Heavenly Father needed them to become. She told me that as young person she had heard, "Coincidences are when God chooses to remain anonymous." I thought that was just so cute!! And this week I definitely have felt of Heavenly Father's awareness for me.

On Tuesday night Sister Francis and I were able to take a family on a tour; the Buckners, who live in the heart of New York City. We doodled around the visitor center with them for a while (they were SO excited to see all of the interactive stuff we have) and we got to talking. Brother Buckner mentioned that he and Sister Buckner have been EFY session directors for the past 10 years, primarily for BYU-Provo, and were actually on their way there to be session directors again. Naturally, I was super, super excited to hear that a) because I absolutely love EFY and b) because my sister, Heather, was going to be there when they were!

As we sat in the film I was thought about my own EFY session directors and honestly couldn't remember any of them except for my very first one. The film ended and we made our way down to the homes and as we walked I couldn't help but wonder if I was taking my very first EFY session director from 2011 and his family on a tour. I remembered that director had five kids and was from New York City, and I still very distinctly remember a fireside he did with us. When this man was a teenager he made a list. It was a list of things he wanted to accomplish in his life, but better than the wishy-washy stuff you write on a bucket list and more specific. Every Sunday night for years he would look at his list and add, take away, or check things off. But he would prayerfully consider his goals, and make plans for achieving them (which sounds a lot like what missionary work is). One of the things on his list was to work for Broadway. He prayed about it, felt it was a good thing, and then took the steps he needed to, and in a matter of months found himself helping direct Broadway musicals. He challenged all of us sitting in that auditorium to create our own lists, review them often, and with Heavenly Father's guidance, achieve what would help us grow and reach our potential as a son or daughter of God.

When I asked if Brother Buckner was the same man I was thinking of, it turned out that he was!! I was shocked and he was relieved. He said, "I worry about the kids who come to EFY with us, and if they turn out to be firm in the gospel. But we know we did our job right because we've got at least one on a mission!"

The first time I really became interested in serving a mission was at EFY, and it was through an EFY counselor I received the confirmation that I was making the right choice in serving a mission. The first time I really remember feeling my Savior's love strongly for me was at EFY, and now I have the special opportunity to share that love I feel with others every single day. Are all of these experiences mere coincidence? Of course not! Sometimes Heavenly Father allows us to see a small part of what He does, of His perfect plan to help us guide us in our decisions and even everyday actions. When we look for His hand in our lives we will always find it.

Look for those tender mercies and the little "coincidences" Heavenly Father gives us because they come daily. Hurrah for Israel!!

Love, Sister Larsen

Picture highlights this week: