Where Sister Larsen is serving the weather is hot and humid. She writes, “I love my camelback water bottle. I bet Isaac really uses his camelback backpack since he’s on a bike.”
Where Sister Larsen is serving there are many people from around the world. She wrote, “My Stake is the one in the mission that has the little bit of Washington DC in it. So many people are here from around the world. People keep lists of the people they talk to, of what countries their from, and the list can be near a hundred. People are usually only here for a little bit, like for school or training for the government.”
Sister Larsen wrote, “I keep having to learn new ways to greet and hug people from other cultures. It’s nice when I know what I’m doing; otherwise it’s awkward.” Sister Larsen learned the custom for greeting people from Eritria. She writes, “In Eritria they hug gently and touch cheeks 3 times changing sides after each one.” Sister Larsen went on to explain that Eritria is a small country at war in Africa near the Middle East.
Paige posed this question, “Have you read, ‘Ask In Faith’ by Elder Bednar from last General Conference? Are you being missionaries? It is part of the baptismal covenant to stand as a witness at all times, in all places. Are you being an active witness?”
This link should take you to Elder Bednar’s talk from April 2008 General Conference:
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-31,00.html
In 1 Nephi 1:8, Nephi is describing a dream his father has had, and it describes God as being surrounded on numberless concourses of angels. He is usually described like this. We are taught that we were with him before we came to this earth. So in the margin I put 'surrounded by his children'. His children are always in his presence before we come to earth and he wants us to always be round him. He wants us to talk and be helped by him and Jesus Christ. We are 'his work and his glory'. All the energy he uses is for us. He is the greatest example of being a dad.
I’m working on being able to pronounce, or memorizing Moroni 10:5 in Swahili. We have a family from Rwanda that’s Seventh-day Adventist. Her grandfather was a Seventh-day Adventist Preacher. So religion is part of their family. If you have any tips on pronouncing Swahili, I would not be adverse to it. :)
My MTC district Sisters say I’ve changed the most, because I’m really coming out of my shell to them. I really do talk to more people now then any time in my life.
I've been doing well, no homesickness, never once, even in the MTC. I only ever really think about Isaac, and thinking I wish my release date was closer to his. Already knowing I'm going to dearly miss being on my mission.
Elder Larsen writes, "I love it here, and I love the people. Oh, and I’m speaking Spanish even though I’m an English speaking missionary. The Spanish missionaries are too far away and never come down here so I’ve been working on my Spanish at lunch and on p-days. I now know enough to give a pass-a-long card, explain what the Book of Mormon is, and get a return appointment, but not enough to teach. So I mostly use Spanglish, which seems to endear me to them."
Life is good in the city of Marion. We got 14 new investigators this week alone. We usually get somewhere between 1 and 3 per day. So even in the Bible belt the field is white. The work is good, and I love it! There is nothing like it.
Still lots of dogs and no leash laws, but I’m getting used to it. The other day a dog was running after us when we were on foot, and I don't know if you know this, but you can't out run a dog on foot no mater what. I got nervous, but my companion just yelled stop! Stay! When it kept barking he yelled no! Stay! And we just walked away. It was pretty cool.
One thing I learned yesterday is that you can't trust your gut, just the spirit. The other day we knocked on the door to a house (we don't tracked often but we do, do it) and I made eye contact with the man one house down. He shook his head, which I took to mean, don't stop here. No one was home at the house we were at, so as we passed by his house. We talked and were friendly, but I wasn't intending to teach because we only teach people that want to be taught. I was wrong and he let us share our message, and we committed him to read certain parts of the Book of Mormon we gave him, and we got a return appointment, which qualified him as new investigator status.
Life is good, work is hard, fasting is tough, but the lord is watching out for us, and we know that as long as we are obedient that if anything bad happens it will be for our good; like its says at the end of section 122 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is great to be here!
Sister Paige Larsen writes, “My companion’s name is Erica Nelson. She’s from Riverside County in California, and she has been out for over a year. My MTC comp’s trainer was trained by my trainer. Sister Nelson is really good for me. We’re in a car and biking is optional, but we’d need to get one of the bikes fixed first. We do walk, track sometimes, and street contact. We go to the Metro commuter station more often then other places.”
Sister Paige Larsen is serving in the Falls Church Ward of the McLean Stake near Arlington, Virginia. She reports that she has a great companion. They have language study with the Mongolian sisters, Sister Munkhnaran and Sister Battseseg, each morning to help improve their English. Sister Larsen has learned that it’s important to teach with the spirit. She writes, “It's been good, I'm opening my mouth more, loving the people more, and understanding how far apart things are.”
