A miracle and a witness!

Hey! I can't believe this new change actually happened. We saw it like right after it happened from some people on Facebook and just thought "there is no way this is actually real." So we keep checking other facebook pages from the church and it's just BLOWING up. We then check LDS.org, and we were like... WHAT!? Then an email from the assistants saying they had a meeting with President about it, then an email from President and the church... so by then we kinda figured it was real lol. I think it will be really good for a lot of missionaries but really bad for some missionaries. I definitely think it's going to do more good than bad. We called a companionship in the zone to ask them something about a zone activity (one of this sisters is kinda struggling), then we asked them what they thought of the new change, and the one that was struggling sounded super excited. 

Everyone flaked this week. Angelina, Manuel, the Guizar family... Elder Jones was even kinda sick the whole week too. But it wasnt even a bad week. We had our lesson with Tyler which went... ehhhh.... he still doesn't understand how we know, he kinda dropped us haha. BUT he wanted to keep the Book of Mormon, and he was super kind about it all too. Like him and his wife fed us dinner and they gave us a TON of snacks to go with (like a Costco box full of cheez-it bags, box of packaged fig bars, and a box of cliff bars)... so we say he gracefully dropped us  We had a super good discussion about missionaries and what we do. He told us to go back anytime for dinner ("like seriously guys, thats not even a joke."). So we will probably go back in a few weeks or maybe in a couple months to see how he's been.

Another super cool miracle happened this week. We were tracting Friday and knocked into this lady named Frita. At first she said she was okay but then told us to come back on Saturday. So we go back and we have a pretty good discussion with her. She tells us how at first when she talked to us and said no, then she thought to herself "these guys want to talk to you about Jesus, and you don't have time?" (TOTALLY THE SPIRIT). She even wanted to come to church, so we got her a ride to church and everything and she loved it all. She even shared her experience in Sunday School haha so now the ward likes us EVEN MORE. She also mentioned how Sunday morning she started having doubts and she felt like that was Satan haha it was amazing. Honestly... I have no idea how she enjoyed sacrament meeting haha. I mean, the 3 of us DID sing for a special musical number... But the talks (no offense) weren't too good. It was about self-reliance and neither of them related it to being spiritually self-reliant. It's okay, she probably loved it because of what she felt.... plus she's about 80 so hopefully she didn't hear anything. Also! In our discussion she said the Book of Mormon is true.... so that was the main miracle of the week. 🏾🏾

I've been studying from the come follow me manual and doing some catch-up. I love how much the church is focusing on building YOUR OWN testimony... We can't rely on everyone else's testimony and their conversion, just like how the 5 foolish virgins couldn't rely on the 5 wise virgins for their oil. The time is approaching when we will need to have our own testimonies. I think it's amazing how good this new thing helps with that. Have a fantastic week! Can't wait to see my family soon. 

Love Elder Larson 

We found a park :)

When Elder Jones gets into his studying vibe... lol

Happy Valentine's day!

So. Much. Rain.

Valentine's!!!

Happy Valentine's day! I know it hasn't happened yet and I think it's a good thing I don't have a Valentine to send anything :). Our week was so wild! Us as a companionship sat down and figured out our differences so that's good. 

Funny story... Elder Jones set a return appt with a guy in a shower . It was one of the showers where it was a small window at the top of the bathroom and we talked to him while he was showering, it was hilarious! Sadly he flaked his return appointment :(. 

Angelina didn't like the lesson we had with her lol, we talked about baptism because she plans on having her baby baptized Catholic... we think she thought we were pushing her into it all. So now we gotta be a little stand-offish. 

Manuel we think is doing better, he loves meeting with us and he loves reading from the Book of Mormon... so we'll just let him stay that way lol.

A thought came up in an email with my uncle and I loved it. Speaking of the story in Luke 5, "Peter has been out all night and has not caught one fish. Imagine how hard that would be to NEED fish to feed your family, to sell, to live and you go out all night and catch nothing. Peter is cleaning his nets when Jesus comes on his boat and asks Peter to cast out his boat a little, basically so Jesus can use it as a pulpit and teach the people. After he teaches, the Savior asks Peter to go a little further and cast out his net. Peter is the fisherman and Jesus is the carpenter. Surely the fisherman who has been out all night knows better but Peter does as he is asked. Peter casts his net and gets so much fish that the net begins to break; they have to call their friends with another boat to help them with all the fish and there is so much fish that both boats begin to sink. I wondered why Christ wouldn't just bless the nets not to break or not have him catch so much fish or something else but if He could make a miracle of many fish, why go to that extreme on the amount? The scripture in Malachi 3, about tithing, comes to mind. 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 

I have never put those two scriptures/stories together but for me, it is such a 

powerful example that all Jesus asked was for Peter to put down his net. All he 

asks of us is 10% in tithing. All He asks is to minister once a month or do our 

calling or whatever, whatever, whatever, and He blesses us so much that there 

is not enough room to receive the blessings." 

Malachi 3:10 is one of my favorite scriptures when talking about blessings from 

god.

So grateful for all of you! Love ya!

Love Elder Larson 

Moved a crazy lady out of her apt with other missionaries

Applebees for Elder Picketts birthday

We're always so tired at the end of the day :))

Crazy crazy crazy.

Hey! This last week was crazy, not because of what we did but because of everything that is happening with the people we are teaching haha. We met this guy on Tuesday named Tyler, super cool and super sincere. We were tracting... and he let's us in and we have like a hour and a half discussion about a lot of different things (He asked a lot of questions). But he wants to meet in like 2 weeks because he wants to read the Book of Mormon haha! So that should go well... because he's pretty sincere.  

Brian uhhh yeah we won't be able to meet with him for awhile... But he's definitely doing good as far as having God in his life. I cant remember if I said last week, but he calls us his "3 guardian angels"  super cool. But yeah hopefully he contacts the missionaries when he can meet :)). Angelina got fired from her job and she's like.... super happy about it 🤷🏾‍♂️ so she should be at church next Sunday! We have a lesson on Tuesday with her AT a members house 🏾🏾 things just are going well. 

As far as the rest of the people.... lots of people flaked lol. Nobody was home... like we visited so many people and no one answered. It seems to be that way... no one is home or happy when it's damp... cloudy... rainy. 

I can't believe I only have like 9 months left... I feel like my mission has FLOWN by. I love it so much. Everything I've learned and the person I'm becoming. Have an amazing week!

Love Elder Larson 

 That moment when Elder Jones can't park.