El Dia de Grac

I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY MISSION! Seriously, everyday I am more grateful for the opportunity i have to serve these humble peruvians and serve God. I am happy here and happy with my companion happy with not knowing exactly what is going on in this crazy spanish desert, and happy with the people who sincerely want to learn of the gospel. 

Weekly quote: ´´A donde vas mi gatita´´ That means where are you going my kitty? Then, the next day a taxi driver asked me which of my parents was the cat? Sidenote:They call people with green eyes cats. I know, gross. cats. bleh but it was prretty funny. 

We have had some funny experiences this week. For 1 my comp was studying outside on the roof cause our room is really cold in mornings and the phone ring so i answered and was walking outside so she could hear the message too and the wind blew the door shut. Long story short, we were locked out on our roof for awhile and we were laughing ad just had a good time even though it was a bad situtaion. One thing I have learned a lot of in the mission, is just to laugh at things and enjoy even the not so great moments. Getting mad or frustrated doesnt help anyone or anything. 

We are doing a talent show in our stake and I am a Lion with hna. Klinger other gringo and I dont know why but when we were practicing I was so slap happy that we were lions, tears of laughter!!

Now to the work...

Fany:Latest on her...I asked why she likes having lessons with us and she said, I never knew things like the prophet and commandments like the word of wisdom and I know that these things are from god. I felt something when I went to church that I have never felt before and i just want to continue learning. We are trying all we can to contact her parents so she can be baptized, but they NEVER come to Arequipa. so we might take a day trip to where they live...we will see.

Juan y Ursula: The other day we went to their house and Ursula comes running out bawling and just huggin me and saying Hermanita larsen the rest in spanish sobs that I couldnt quite understand....in this moment I just prayed over and over that I could be the comfort that she needed. I think everything is okay now...she is OCD and is scared of marrying Juan cause she doesnt want to be a burden to him. But they came to stake conference and she said I feel peace that I havent had in a long time. I love helping people. We are going to try all we can to help the mwith their health problems. 

President Zobrist and Hermana Zobrist are so funny we got to hear from them in our stake conference and they are seriously amazing. luh my mission. THANKS TO ALL MY FANS BACK HOME! THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS! I AM HAPPY DONT WORRY ABOUT ME! 

xoxo 

Plz eat a plate of delish turkey and potatoes for me! Much appreciated. 

hna. Larsen

waiiit....wut? Three months?

STORIES4DAYZ with Juan y Ursula. Yes ursula like the bad octupus from the little mermaid. They are our new investigatos and i cant remember if i have talked about them but they basically ran up to us and Juan tried speaking english but i didnt know that...anyway, they wanted to be baptized because they didnt feel the way they did it in the catholic church was the proper way. GOLDEN. we can help you! but first....we are pushing for them to be married. anyway, everyone we present them to think they are drunk. hah. they are. well. unique. But they honestly are my favorite lessons and truly have the faith like a little child. Por ejemplo, I was testifying that they could know the truth of the book of mormon if they sincerely prayed and searched the book of mormon and i asked them to pray and Juan goes Herminita Larsen I know this book is true and joseph smith translated it and then Ursula like rubs his arm and goes Juan you have to read it first. Things like this just make me smile. Also, Urusula asked so how do i begin reading the book of mormon, can i just pray and say god show me what i need to learn. and then the member that came with us goes ABSOLUTELY. haha people´s faith here is just so admirable. Dont worry we left them with a specific chapter to read. 

Some guy saw us walking and goes HERMANITAS! and then just starts belting Joseph Smiths First Prayer en español. and it truly lifted my day. 

We cooked with a less active family that we have been working with since i came and WOW. I felt so so so sick. you know when you eat so much that if you take another bite, the only place it would fit is your mouth cause there is no more room. ya. I really didnt need to eat for the next day, i was full so long. BUT , I thanked them anyway. We made a famous plate here that hopefully when i get back i can remember how to do it and will make it with whoever wants to learn. it is Roco Rellano and it is oooooo so divine. I could have done without the potatoes. 

SAD OF THE WEEK. all during my showers i just pray to make it through cause it is so cold. brrrr. This week there was an earthquake in peru which i guess they have them like every 30 days but i havent felt any of them. It is because we are right next to the volcano Misty. 

Lenin, the member from last week that was not doing so hot called and wanted to come with us to visit people and he is himself again! Prayer works erryone. PUEDO ESCUCHAR UN AMEN!! 

So many of the less actives here left the church cause of other people in the ward, and it is very sad but slowly and surely we will help them recognize why they go to church in the first place. 

dont have much to say. oh ya we had divisions with the sister leaders and i was aasked probably about 100 times if i TRULY was okay or if there was anything i needed to talk about but i will tell her and you all I AM TRULY SO GOOD! I APPRECIATE THE CONCERN!

love you more than the dirt that is permanently stuck in my ankles. 

xoxo

hna. larsen

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Humble Pie Tasting

This week I truly felt like a scripture 2 Nefi 33:3-4 

3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem itas of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I praycontinually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow bynight, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I knowthat he will hear my cry.

 4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers forthe gain of my people

There are a lot of people here who just have crazy problems and lives and at some times in the day I would just cry thinking of their lives and how there literally is nothing i can do to help them, but tell them to have faith in the Lord and wet my pillow at night in prayer. Now let me tell you the story....

Jorge: Our baptism a few weeks ago. Well we went to pick him up for church and his mom answered and talked to us for 40 minutes crying because he was drunk inside and she is worried for him. bummer. she goes on to say that he saw her husband beating her and so many other things and we just listened and said we would help and that is all we could do.

Lucilla and Fam: we had a day of service saturday, taking posters down from the city and then after helping a family move rooms( notice i didnt say house). They fit all their things into 2 small taxi's, including themselves....When we were unpacking the little boy who we teach is 11 just was sitting in the new room, which was dank and absolutely NO ventilation, so super hot and just looking at everything about to cry. I knelt down and told him if he needed anything we were here to help him and most importantly he can ask god for comfort and continue being the strong example to his family.  He began to cry and i dont know if this is against the rules but i just scratched his back for a little while for him to cry...After, we got their whole room looking good after a long time and it took everything i had not to just cry during it all thinking of how blessed i am. This kid is 10 and is the head of the family, cause the mom is sick, and the dad doesnt have anything to do with them and he is such a strong boy. 

Lenin is my best friend here in Arequipa, he is a member and always comes with us to teach. This week he told me his family situation. NOT GOOD. then sunday after church he was standing outside and it wasnt lenin. he didnt have a smile, he was staring at his shoes and i asked how he was and then pretty soon all four of us sistermissionaries were bearing our testimonies and sharing scriptures with him because he said he was seriously thinking of inactivating...It is hard to explain, but it was worse that i had heard his testimony many times. It is solid. and beautiful. I know he will figure things out but after we left him with a prayer i just cried. I HAVE THE BEST FAMILY IN THE WORLD! 

Enough of the sad. I know i am here to help these people so it was cool to feel that this week.

Met this girl Patti, has a ton of faith and has a date to be baptized first week of december. It is crazy asking people to be baptized the first time you meet them, but we could see her soaking every word up as we taught and she has so much faith and asked us within the first  minutes, I want to do what god wants of me...so....of course we talked of baptism. I was so giddy after it was kindof ridiculous. you would have thought that i had just kissed Zac Efron or something way cooler. Same with a couple who everyone thinks is always drunk but they arent. they saw us on the street when we were walking and we showed them the church and the wife asked where can i be baptized, we were both baptized in the catholic church but i dont feel like it is the proper form.....So many people are being prepared it is crazy.

HAPPIES!

1. An elder was praying in enlgish and said the phrase ´´thank you for blessing for dayz´´ ferdayzz. it is true, he bleses us so much.

2. I laughed the hardest i have yet since getting to arequipa talking about modern family with an elder but then it made me think of how we would watch it with our families.

I have fun here. that is important. have the worlds best week.

Here are pics of the room we helped move, all on one taxi. The desert that i am living in. one of my favorite posters we took down. some randoms.

con amor,

Hna. Larsen

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Happy Halloween

Que tal familia? 

Well I am writing again! Thanks for all the love. Halloween is definitely not the same here, but I made sure to save some candies from my package and made sure that I dressed up somehow! Overall, I would describe this week as exactly the desciprion of missionary work is. WORK. Through it all, I had fun!

Oh my yesterday, We were walking (naturally) and we passed a building where men wait outside for work and no joke the whole street was a long line. We pass on the opposite side and every. single. middle aged. man. began with the whistles and ohh mamma and hailo halo holas and i gave a wave and then a huge burst of OOHHHs and AHHHs i seriously was laughing so hard. it is ridiculous. I probably should stop egging some things on but it was just so funny. Yesterday, some guy came up to me and flashed the rock on sign and so I said YAA ROCK ON and then he proceeded to tell me the english words he knew which were basically all the four letter words...haha 

Sundays are probably the least restful days ever and every time we eat after lunch I just want to take a nice nap, but at these moments i need to work hard and forget what is in my mind. 

I read a scripture D and C 88:74 and said to ''sanctify yourselves'' and i was really thinking of what that means and how i can do that and then i was reading in 3 Ne. 19 28 and 29 and they were PURIFIED through their faith in Christ and that is what i need to do here in the mission. I know that I can be one in purpose as I remember that everything is the timing and the will of God. That is something that I was struggling with because a lot of our investigators aren't progressing and we need to move on and find others who are ready and that this is their time.  

It is weird a lot of missionaries just arent happy here in the mission and that makes me sad. Everyone struggles with happiness, but like Nefi he tried to live after the MANNER OF HAPPINESS and think of his life in the wilderness. crazy stuff. we got this you guys. life is happy. we are promised a state of rest if we are faithful. how good does that sound? rest? like cloud 9 for me. 

Love you all so much and wish you the words best week evaaa!