Week of Wild Adventures

January 30, 2012
Howdy! I think this time may be my favorite small town because of how everyone talks, its da best. On Monday last week, Sister Sperry who we live with offered to take us up to Jamesport where the Amish community is and we had a fun time up there! Although all the shops are closed on Monday, we still had fun looking at everything. Their Amish furniture was amazing, I wanted to bring a lot of things home from that store. They are talented!

Tuesday we had a lot of trouble with teaching then I got a really bad headache which put a big damper on our day. That night we went up to Adam-Ondi-Ahman (AOA) for dinner with the missionaries that work up there because they are assigned to come to our little branch. They invited us up for dinner with everyone and the Christensen were in town from SLC for their monthly visit. Elder Christensen is an emeritus of the seventy and is such an amazing man. He is under the direction of the First Presidency of the church to keep track of the AOA missionaries. I didn't know this but that area and those missionaries is in an entirely different mission than anywhere else and their mission president is the Prophet! No, they don't get to met the prophet....I already asked :) But after dinner, Elder and Sister Christensen gave a little devotional which was amazing. Elder Christensen talked about how we come to the earth to learn how to be perfect. Well Christ had to learn how to become perfect. In the scriptures it talks about his birth and one scripture about him teaching around age 12, then one scripture to describe his life from 12 to 30. This scripture is what helps us see how WE can be perfect. It is in Luke 2:52. Growing in wisdom (intellectually), in stature (physically) and in favor of God (spiritually) and of man (socially). I had never heard that described to me before and I will never forget that either because that is like our formula of where we need to improve. In life we set goals and a lot of the time its in different categories. After learning about Christ's life in that verse, I really see how and where my focus needs to be so I can truly grow in the way Christ did.

Thursday was a very interesting day. We taught our investigators and did our best to try to find more but it wasn't the day of finding. On our way out to dinner in the even further boondocks, I saw a bunch of hay barrels and I remembered my training having a picture on top of one so I of course wanted my own. We pulled over, I was deemed to go first by Sister Barnum and my attempt to climb on top of a round 6" hay barrel was hilarious for any observer. Eventually, she helped me up from the side and it was her turn next. I helped her up with the bracing her with her foot in my hands and trying to help her up. When I tried the first time, my footing slipped and my face went right into the hay barrel! It hurt but I was determined to get her up on top too. She made it up but then was stuck between two hay barrels on her hands and knees. Just then I looked back at the road only to see a school bus driving by and I couldn't stop laughing. She made it to the top, we took our pictures and off to dinner we went! While we were driving, I told her about the school bus and she laughed/screamed of embarrassment. I couldn't stop itching my face as we drove and she pointed out to me that I suddenly had white bumps all over my face and sure enough...I did! All over my face, my eye lids, my hands, my scalp. Don't worry, they have kind of gone down and now I just have little red dots where there used to be white bumps haha. A memory to last a life time!

Saturday we taught Carissa with a member from the ward, Elisa Brose who is about 25 and was baptized about a year ago. They knew each other too which was so great and helpful for Carissa. We started going over the Plan of Salvation and Carissa asked us if we think that the Garden of Eden is on the Earth to which we all three were stumped for words! In our minds were thinking, ha...yeah its like an hour away! But we couldn't just come out and scare her so we eventually told her we did and we knew where it was and she was so excited to hear that it was so close! It was amazing because I have never had anyone ever wonder that before and here we are so close to that sacred land. While we were there, her boyfriend Justin came in bleeding from the neck grabbing his phone and rushing off to the hospital! He had cut himself at work and they all left to go meet him there. Luckily, it wasn't too bad but he did have to get 4 or 5 stitches. We kept on visiting and teaching that day though and found 2 new investigators who are so awesome. Earlier this week we found a mom and her 2 girls who referred to their family as the 3 chicks haha. We have been very blessed to find some new people to teach and that they are so open to hearing a life changing message.

Yesterday, Justin and his little 2 yr old boy were the only ones to come to church! We were totally surprised because out of all the people to come, he had a legitimate excuse but he knew he wanted to be at church. He is an incredible person. Justin and Carissa had us come over to teach them after church which went really well. We taught the Plan of Salvation again since Carissa didn't get to finish it and we knew that they both had questions that could be answered through that lesson. Their friend Becca was there who brought an interesting turn in the lesson, we had to try our best to not just blow her off but keep it focused on true doctrine. By the end as we were about to introduce the spirit world and go into the resurrection eventually, Justin said how there is a resting period for our bodies until the 2nd coming then we are reunited to be judged for our works. We were in shock! He totally understood the gospel and the plan without really knowing why he ever thought that in the first place. We are so excited for them and their journey in this church. It was fun for me too because normally I am not the scriptorian in the companionship but I was thinking of scriptures left and right! It was an awesome feeling :)

I was reminded a lot yesterday about how short our life here on earth really is and how important it is to use our time wisely. It boggles my mind sometimes but I am so very grateful that we have this blessing of being here to experience life and to make the best of it! I couldn't think of any other way I would want to spend my time then out here in the boonies with the dear, the stars, the people and the gospel lighting my life. Its incredible! I love you all and am grateful for all the fun stories I hear about what is going on back home :) God speed!!

Love

Sistaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Larson