Transfer Day Tomorrow

I don’t know, and won’t know what happens with target lady because I’m moving to a different Zone, Oakton Stake. I’ll be in Franklin Ward, and I‘ll get my new companion tomorrow. My MTC companion, Sister Hickey, has to go home for medical reasons, and I’m going to her area that she just left, with her trainer as my breaker, who was trained by my trainer. My new area will be more like what Isaac has and I’ll not have language study hour anymore. Right now my schedule is:
6:30-7:00am Exercise…7-8 Shower/breakfast/get ready…8-9 Personal study…9-10 Companion study…10-11 Language study…11-12 Lunch/get ready to leave…12-4 Missionary work…4-5 Dinner…5-9 Missionary work…9-9:30 Planning for next day…10:30pm In bed ready to sleep.

I went on two missionary exchanges this month. One on Friday/Saturday in the Stake I’m going to next, and the other on Monday/Tuesday with one of my roommates. My roommate, Sister Battsetseg, is quiet and her heart was acting up on her when we were on exchanges. On Sunday we taught two lessons in members homes, and we got out concerns from our investigators. On one we took a young mother, and on the other we took a recent RM from the Philippians to speak Tagalog for us. Sister Parry in Fair Oaks has one transfer left and she’s super great. She can talk with anyone and makes good cookies.

Oh, and in the stake I’m leaving, they added a new ward and rearranged the boundaries to even people out. The wards are Great Falls, McLean 1st & 2nd, Falls Church, Arlington 1st & 2nd, Langley (YSA), and Bella Vista (Spanish). There used to be only one Arlington Ward.

Yo se que el libro de Mormon es de dios.

I have a couple of sentences on cards that I’ve memorized so that I can give them a Spanish Book of Mormon pass-a-long card. I’ve only used that last one once. It was on Monday.

Do you know what an Aggressive Asian Tiger Mosquito* is? Well, they have stripes and are out all day long, and they cause bigger bite reactions.

*Asian Tiger Mosquito
First found in the United States in Harris Co., Texas, in 1985, the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is now present in more than thirty states. In the Northeast, it has been reported from York County, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Salem, and Monmouth counties in New Jersey. Most alarming is that the Asian tiger mosquito has demonstrated the ability to survive in states as far north as Minnesota and Delaware. Unlike many other breeds, the Asian Tiger Mosquito is an aggressive day-biter and is most active from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It breeds in artificial containers such as tires, flowerpots and rain gutters. It does not travel far from its breeding habitat. The aedes albopictus eggs can survive very cold winters. As a result the Asian Tiger Mosquito has great potential to carry diseases into a substantial portion of the United States.

Sources: AMCA Newsletter, Aug. 1990, Wing Beats. Novak, Robert. "The Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus." 1992. Vol. 3www.cdc.gov
http://www.mosquitomagnetdepot.com/info/asiantiger.html

July 30, 2008-Email from Sister Larsen

Sister Paige Larsen pointing to a map of her zone.

Sister Nelson-Sister Larsen's Trainer

"I’m becoming more confident, and more comfortable with normal missionary activities.

I’m becoming more dedicated then I was." ~Sister Larsen

July 23, 2008-Letter from Sister Larsen

I get to go the DC temple to day! :)

I learned how to pronounce Moroni 10:5 in Swahili from our investigator’s non-member aunt, which totally started a gospel conversation. Her aunt had been a missionary in Rwanda, so she knew her stuff. But she taught in French, so she didn’t have all her words. Roho Mtakatifu is the holy ghost/spirit.

Oh, and I sang the primary song, “We’ll Bring the World His Truth”, that army of Helaman song, in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, my companion played the piano. I made sure I had the song memorized. The first week I got there I asked the music person if we could do that. I did that because one of my MTC teachers said that you can’t always get to know everyone in the ward (in that you need to gain the trust of the members of the ward) so try to get them to know you, and singing in sacrament meeting was one of his examples. We have close to 400 people at church on Sundays. It’s really transient; internships, government training, and school. There is no way I could get to know everyone. So I went waaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone for the good of the work. Man I was shaking after wards but I got through it without any major mess-ups. :)

July 16, 2008 – Letter from Sister Larsen

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

July 16, 2008 – Email from Sister Larsen

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.

4th of July Celebration

This is Sister Larsen and Sister Nelson having a grand time at the home of their investigator Grace with her friends. Sister Nelson writes, "We ate lots of delicious and strange foods. Amazing what you can down on your mission . . ."

Sister Paige Larsen Has Arrived in Virginia!

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.”