We are Survivors!!

Dear friends and family,

We survived the last week of pageant!!! In the past 10 days we've had 6,400 people come through and this past Sunday was our busiest day, hour for hour, with pageant visitors and cast members coming to see the site. It's crazy that the two weeks we have been talking about for the past six months has come and gone... And we did it!

It's hard for me to even think of specific experiences this week... It's all a blur of lots of guests and rain and tours and hats and buses! But there was one day this week when Sister Francis and I were the only two in the building on a half staff day and everyone else on a tour. A father and his children walked in, and the kids were so cute!! One of the little boys told us, "I have been waiting my whole life to come here!" Darling!!! But because it was just a man and children we couldn't take them on a tour to the homes. So we figured we could buy ourselves 25 minutes and start them in the film. We said a prayer that everything would work out so this man and his children could go on a tour to homes without waiting around for forever. The movie was coming to an end and nobody was back. We didn't want the dad to feel awkward or the kids to get impatient if we couldn't take them. We went in to end the film and the dad asked if they could look around the visitor center before going to the homes. As they were looking around and playing with everything Elder Richardson came up from a tour and was able to take them to the homes! Our prayer was answered and all worked out perfectly! Obedience brings blessings and exact obedience brings miracles... Even the littlest ones :)

I also did my fair share of fan-girling (I was actually keeping pretty cool and collected) this week because Hank Smith and John Bytheway both came through on a tour with their families! And if you know my family (mostly my sisters) you know we especially love John Bytheway. I talked to him for a little bit as he and his family waited to go into the house, and he had come here about two years ago before the highway was moved for the site. He thought everything the church was able to do in such a short amount of time was amazing, and it really is!! Heavenly Father really had a perfect plan for this site in when the land needed to be purchased, when the permits for the road relocation would be given, when the community attitude would change and they would be ready to welcome us. It all worked out just as it needed to!

Summer flowers on site

I'm so glad I get to serve in this beautiful place with such wonderful people,

A special district meeting -- the AP's, zone leaders, district leaders, and us sisters

and share the glorious news of Christ's restored gospel with literally thousands. Whether those who come through our doors be members or not, my missionary purpose does not change because I have been called to "invite others to come unto Christ." I know Heavenly Father prepares everyone I talk to to learn new truths or deepen their testimony of things they already do know. And He is doing the same for me, and all of us as we have new experiences and grow to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Love, Sister Larsen


And a few of the creatures we've seen on site as of late:

How cute is this little guy?  So close to him, too!

Sign me up for National Geographic -- I caught it's tongue in the picture!

Not the clearest shot, but we weren't going closer to try again.  A bear.  :)