Angels all around/Transfers!!

Hey fam! What a crazy week! So first things first we got transfer docs yesterday and I'm leaving Fairfield! I definitely have mixed emotions because I'm really excited to see more of Northern CA and meet new people, but at the same time I'm sad to leave these people I have come to love so much! Let's just say I'm grateful for Facebook and a way to stay in contact with some of these people  I will be going up to Ukiah tomorrow, so that will be exciting! My new companion is Elder Boeher! We will do great together! 

We didn't do too much this last week, but we did do some more service. So we helped at the food bank and also helped at the rush ranch again. The horse stable we are helping build is starting to look pretty nice too! Sorry I don't have pictures haha. What sucked about this last week, is every single lesson we had fell through. The Owens weren't able to visit, Richard couldn't meet, Leila never got back to us, and Tony and Nhoua cancelled! So it was a very slow week other than the service. But they all went to church except for the Owens so that was good. 

Something really cool happened with Sister Owens when we were saying bye to each other yesterday. It was super sad but she told me how much I helped them and their family. She told me that if I was feeling useless or anything like that, I've definitely helped them and I'll continue to help others. It was super special because I was starting to feel.... exactly that... a little useless... it was so cool to hear that from them. I'm so happy to be out here helping and serving others. There is a quote by Elder Eyring that says sometimes you will be an angel for others and other times others will be angels for you. It is amazing to experience that for myself. Keep serving and loving others. Be the angels for other people. I hope everyone has an amazing week! I'll let you know my new address next week! Love you guys!!! 

Love Elder Larson 

Hmong youth

Brother Newsome

President Vue (Hmong Branch President)

The Judds

Be the angel

There is always more to learn

Wow! How is everyone! Not too much happened this past week. 

We did do a lot of service so that was cool! On Wednesday we were able to go teach the youth a lesson that they are going to teach for their missionary month. It was cool to talk to youth that are preparing to serve a mission and answer questions they have. We also were able to go help out at a place called Rush Ranch. Which was pretty cool because we helped build a horse stable! It was fun to get out and do some extraordinary service. 

 

Driving to Rush Ranch

Driving back from Rush Ranch

The Owens were finally moved back to their house but they aren't better. They now have a doctor that comes to their house for a little while to help them. Sister Owens has to take an antibiotic that her body doesn't like.... then she has benadryl to counteract the side effects from the antibiotic. They both still want to talk about baptism for Willow (Sister Owens daughter), and Cora (Sister Owens sister). So we will for sure keep meeting with them and serving them! Hopefully they will be able to recover from this never-ending trial.

We are still meeting with Richard and he's come to church 3 weeks in a row! So that's cool! He has some concerns with our church but he likes coming and learning. We also met with this... Well... this really really REALLY crazy lady. She lives in a homeless shelter and has the wrong idea about our church. It's funny though because she's got the wrong idea about our church and missionaries. She is 49 years old and is dead set on being baptized and becoming a missionary. She is under the impression that if she becomes a missionary she will have an apartment and monthly money haha. It's kinda sad so we are gonna clear up some of those misconceptions the next time we meet with her. Also she might be too crazy to teach.... so that's that. She also is kinda trying to use us. She had us take pictures of probably about 40 phone numbers and asked us to call them . We were like... uhhh we can get you a ride to church and teach you the gospel... haha it was funny.

Anyways, I found some scriptures that I loved this past week. In Alma 37:35, Alma tells Helaman that he should learn in his youth. I'm pretty sure he was in his youth at this time but relating it to something else I read this week, in the end of John when Jesus is about to descend back to his father, he calls his apostles children. Probably referring to show there is still a lot they can learn. It's cool to see that there is never a limit on how much knowledge we can gain. No matter how old or how young, we can always learn. Try to always increase your knowledge in the gospel, because knowledge is power. Hope you all have a great week! Love you all!!

Love Elder Larson 

Dinner with Bishop Purvis!

Uplifting quote!

Dinner messages are a blessing!

Hey family and friends! Thanks for everyone who emailed me their testimony of the Book of Mormon! I hope your testimonies will continue to grow about it. It's amazing how many blessing come from being in the scriptures.

Anyways, not too much to update on. We did a lot more service than usual this week which was good because we are "called to serve," not called to just teach and preach. I love serving people and creating a better relationship with those we serve. 

Sadly, Brother and Sister Owens are both still in the hospital. Theyve been in for about 2 and a half weeks just chillin in their rooms waiting for results. Sister Owens's is waiting for an antibiotic for her infected foot.... her body has rejected 6 antibiotics so far!! Then they are still trying to figure out what's wrong with Brother Owens's leg. Its getting weaker and weaker. But their faith is so strong and they are being so faithful through it all! I hope they will get everything figured out soon! Willow (the daughter) and Cora (Sister Owens's sister) both still want to be baptized, so once all the craziness is over we will be able to work more towards them.

Then Richard Santos is starting to become more and more interested so that's super exciting!!! He came for all 3 hours yesterday and made a lot of really good comments and even said a prayer in class. It was super cool! I'm so excited to meet with him every week because he's super smart in the bible. I just gotta make sure I don't believe EVERYTHING he says because he has some unusual theories... "the world is flat... but they won't teach you that because they don't want you to know." But other than that he's pretty cool! He believes the Book of Mormon is true, and the bible is true but it doesn't have all the truth. There is a lot of potential in him! :) 

One thing that I absolutely love is when I share dinner messages with families. I get to share different things that I've read or what I've studied. Two thoughts I had while I was reading in John last week that I loved. One is in John 15: 13-15. I just love how he refers to us as his friends, not his servants. It's so nice that even though he's our master and savior, he calls us his friends :). The other one that I loved was in the next chapter, the last verse. He's talking to his 12 apostles right before he's gonna be crucified. He tells them that hard things will come to them in their life on earth; but be of good cheer! Because he's better than anything in the world. He truly has overcome the world and with him we are unstoppable. There is nothing we cannot do when we are with Christ. I'm so grateful for my savior and I know he lives. I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Thanks for everything everyone!! :)

Love Elder Larson 

Working out in the morning 

As close to home as I'll get in awhile!

Jelly Belly factory again with squad 

Uplifting quote! 

We are his mouthpiece

Woah! I had such an amazing experience with the Owens this week! It was honestly so cool and so spiritual.

On either Tuesday or Monday (I'm starting to lose track of time), Elder Knowlton and I went to go visit the Owens. Specifically sister Owens. We've recently learned she has had word of wisdom issues. She told us to not make her feel any worse then she already was feeling. After she was asking us like why would god be putting them through that? What's the point? What message is he sending? She felt like she was being punished. We were able to answer some of her questions to the best of our ability and tell her that god is definitely not punishing her.

 
Then on Wednesday we were on exchanges so I was with a Zone leader. We had a lot planned that day and it was about 4:15 and I told him we should go see the Owens, and we didn't even have them planned in. So we went over to see both of the Owens this time and before we left I shared a message with her. I read Alma 7:11-13. Told her that Christ has been through it all and more. I then told her what I was prompted to share earlier that week. I told her that they are such an amazing family, that their faith was so strong and there are so many families that wouldn't be able to make it through with a smile. We both cried for a moment and then we left.

I thought that was the end of it, and it was just an amazing spiritual experience but no. Yesterday Elder Knowlton and I went to visit them again. She told us that she was starting to lose faith and she really needed that visit from us. Then she told us that when she was talking to me on Wednesday she felt like she was talking to god. She didn't know how to explain it. But she felt like I was the mouthpiece for god. She said she will never forget that experience until the day she dies. Now looking back on it, I probably don't remember half of what I shared. The spirit was putting words into my mouth. I'm so grateful to have the spirit guide us to her when we didn't even plan them in.

Elder Hardin (the zone leader) said something to me I will never forget. We were walking down the hospital hall when we were leaving on Wednesday and he said "that's what we are called to do." That's what we are here to do. Invite others to come unto Christ; Teach repentance and baptize converts. I am so grateful that I was able to have that experience and was able to be a mouthpiece for god.

The other thing I wanted to share was expound a little more about our "planned bible bash," a week and a half ago. Even though we sincerely wanted to help them learn the truth. I mentioned last week how they were just showing us contradictions from our current teachings and what the bible says. We thought they were gonna show us where the book of Mormon contradicts the bible. We explained to him that if the book of Mormon is true then Joseph Smith is a true prophet. If Joseph Smith is a true prophet then we have the restored church on the earth today. As I was explaining that to Frank and Demetrius (the two we were meeting) all of that, I felt the spirit so strongly testifying to me that it is true. It strengthened my testimony so much and it showed me the importance of the Book of Mormon. I can truly testify that the book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith is a true prophet of god and we have the restored gospel on the earth today. The book of Mormon changes lives. It WILL make you a happier person. Something I would LOVE for all of you to do is to send me your testimony of the Book of Mormon. It can be short or long or however you want. Tell me how it's changed your life. 

You are all so awesome. I hope you all have an amazing week! Transfers are on the 27th so if you plan to send anything send it before that. Thanks for everything everyone!!! 2100 West Texas St. Unit 142, Fairfield CA 94533

Love Elder Larson

Elder Knowlton tanning his arms in a lesson

Waiting before a dinner 

Uplifting quote