ADVERSITY=MONEY$$$ & HALLELUJAH's!!!

What's good?

This week was filled with adversity and tender mercies and miracles! I have a few gray hairs after this one, but it was definitely a good one! To start out, we had zone training and it was cash money #3hunna!!! The theme of the zone training was discipleship and after the first training we had a break out where we had the missionaries teach about the Atonement and midway through we stopped everyone. We had them all complete step 1 in the addiction recovery program booklet and then have a chance to pray on their own and ask for forgiveness. We then brought everyone back in and restarted teaching about the Atonement again after they just experienced it themselves. It was amazing to feel the difference of the teaching after the missionaries took a chance to repent and invite the Spirit back in. You could feel a huge difference just walking into the room, it was a special thing to be a part of.

On Saturday we had the opportunity to see Troy and Katrina get baptized, but the process was a whole lot more complicated than you would think! Troy is Renee's son (Renee was baptized a month ago) and they have been doing awesome in the gospel but have been struggling financially and their electricity went off for all of last week. Because of those circumstances their family divided up and was living with different family members around the city. On top of that, all of their minutes on their phone (except for Renee's) ran out so we couldn't get a hold of anyone but Renee. The day before the baptism we couldn't get a hold of Renee at all because she left her phone in the car of someone that she works with. So then we didn't even have a middle-man to communicate with. The day of the baptism we got a call from Troy on his brand new phone saying that he is still looking forward to being baptized, thankfully! Then when it came to going to the baptism everything in the world was coming at Troy, including while he was getting into the car to go to the baptism his phone dropped and shattered. Amidst all that he still got to the baptism! Katrina, to remind you, the day of her baptism 3 weeks ago woke up with a high fever and was unable to attend that day. She was in good health and at the baptism on Saturday but afterwards she lost her taxi card which would result in her being late to sacrament meeting the next day to get confirmed so she will have to get confirmed in 2 weeks (stake conference is this week). Troy was confirmed and everything and is already talking about going on a mission! There are many more things that happened but I don't have enough time to type them right now haha...

In the midst of the craziness that happened this week, we were able to pick up 3 new investigators, Myron, Lola and Lee and we had some solid lessons with them! We also got to throw down on Sebastian's less active family that is preventing him from going to church because they are too tired to stay for all 3 hours of church! Missionary work is fun! In the end, I think Katrina said it best when she got out of the waters of baptism on Saturday: "HALLELUJAH!!!!!!"

Have a good week!!

-Elder Larson

VHouse

Katrina!!!

Me and Big Troy!!

Bro Goodwin (Samara's dad) & the Squad

Katrina & the Squad!

HOLLYWOOD TANS

Squad!!

How are y'all doing? This week was really hectic and it seemed like we didn't get anything done but at the same time we took care of so much stuff! Pretty much everything that we have to deal with over the course of a transfer all fell into last week, plus some extra stuff too. Nevertheless it was a good week, or as Fergie would say, it was glamorous.

To start out we were playing ball and I rolled my ankle #oldman so that made the week 1.7x more adventurous already. Then the next day we had some money lessons with Katrina and Steve (returning less active that grew up in the bloods). Favorite quote of the day that was used by one of the people that we are working with in a lesson: "That was an amazing prayer Elder. Your voice sounds like a mix of Fergie and Jesus". (Heck yeah I referred to Fergie twice in a missionary email). Then the craziness commenced. To begin, I made the mistake of eating some left over African food that has been in our fridge for a while and that really messed my stomach up #nice and then we went out looking for a new apartment with our housing coordinator. We are moving at the end of the month which will be good! Then we did some service with 40 mph winds coming at us. Then we taught the Book of Mormon class that the ward mission leader here holds every week. Then the next day we had zone conference all day which was super good! They talked a ton about working with people around our age because we are huge examples to the people around our age and they are really open to change (I will refer to this in a little bit). Then we had a meeting with a bunch of the leaders in our stake, after which we had interviews with our mission president. Then we had an appointment with someone that ordered a Book of Mormon and when we got there we realized that we didn't have any copies of the Book of Mormon with us!! #noobs After contemplation we decided to not go to the appointment because we know what happens when missionaries don't come prepared with a Book of Mormon to a lesson (watch Saratov Approach). So we decided to go to Chic-Fil-A because it was 8:30 and we hadn't eaten yet. Inspired decision! While we were ordering our food one of the workers approached us and told us how his mom is a Mormon (he is around our age) which sparked a bunch of questions from one of the other workers (that is around our age;) that I was able to answer. After eating I felt like I should go and talk to the kid whose mom is a member and get his information and he mentioned to us that he has been meaning to come to church one of these days, he just doesn't know where the church is at! So I asked him for his phone number and the other curious worker interrupted and gave me his phone number and told me that he wants to learn more too. Money!!! Chic-Fil-A is inspired!

To continue, we had baptism interviews for Troy and Sebastian and they both passed! Then we had an all day blitz in the Chesapeake ward to rescue a bunch of the less actives in the ward. Also we held our district leader council that same day. In the midst of all that we prepared everything for zone training which will be tomorrow. And there are other things that I know I am forgetting. Wild week!

Troy and Katrina will be getting baptized this week and we are super pumped for that! Miracle that happened during the ward rescue effort: we stopped by a really less active member who didn't answer so we decided that we would call her to see if she still lived there. She answered the phone and we explained that we were the missionaries and that we hadn't seen her in a while and we were just checking up on her. To paraphrase what she said back: "Oh wow. I'm actually outside the Twin Falls Idaho temple right now for a temple picture." What are the odds??!!!

Have a good week!

-Elder Larson

Hollywood tans?

Porch chillin with Greg

Beware of Turtles

SEBASTIAN!!

Gucci ,

This week was Gucci. You already know that it was super crazy aka lit fire swag #300!!! A bunch of crazy stuff happened this week, both good and bad. So I'm gonna start off with the bad first... SO on the day of her baptism,,,,,, Katrina woke up super sick with a very bad fever. Dang, that is not lit fire swag #300!!! In case you are unaware, the adversary works SUPER hard with our investigators the week before (and especially the day of) their baptism. And he is very obvious about it too! BUT, fear not because the Lord is at the head of this work. Katrina has cancer of the bones so her immune system is weak because of all the chemo therapy that she was devastated that she had to miss her baptism but she will be getting baptized in a few weeks when she is fully recovered. Keep her in your prayers!

Now it's time for the lit fire swag #300 news! Elder Jones just got transferred here last week and he is a stud!!! We are gonna have the sickest transfer and get so much work done! He's from American Fork, UT (fun fact- only my second (of 11) companion from Utah!) We've already had a ton of fun and seen some crazy miracles. This last week we picked up a new investigator, Sebastian, on Monday. He is the one that showed up to church with his family that has been less active but is coming back. Anyways, on Friday when we went back to teach him, he already got an answer about the Book of Mormon! While he was reading it he received a some very important personal revelation and he recognized that it was because he was reading the Book of Mormon so he knows that it is true! So we put him on date for March 11, so money!! He's solid! March 11 is gonna be a good day, Katrina, Greg, Sebastian and Troy should all be getting baptized on that day. That's what's up!

Anyways, I hope y'all have a lit fire swag #300 week!!! You know we will in BMORe!

-Elder Larson

The only nice place in Baltimore!:)

Dolphins Crib!!  @ BMore Aquarium!!!

Elder Jones (5 head)

RENEE, REBECCA, AND SAMARA'S BAPTISMS

Squad!!!

What's good? This week was awesome! First of all, we had 3 baptisms on Saturday! Renee and her daughter Rebecca and then Samara all got baptized this last week! It was such a sick experience! Funny story behind the baptism: we went to the church an hour and 15 mins before the baptism started to start filling up the font and then we went to go print out the baptism programs and we didn't find out until 25 minutes before the baptism that we forgot to put the fonts plug in! Oops!!! So we didn't have nearly as much water in the font as we would have preferred for the baptism, in fact it barely went over our knees, but it all worked out! I got to baptize Renee and the first time, I'm not gonna lie, we were not even close to getting her all the way under the water haha.... But somehow miraculously the second time she was fully immersed and it all worked out! I was super nervous about that! Rebecca and Samara weren't a problem at all thank goodness! It was awesome though!

On top of that we have been seeing all sorts of other amazing miracles! Greg is another one of our investigators and he came to their baptism and is looking forward to his in the beginning of March. Katrina is going to be getting baptized this Saturday which we are really pumped about that! Picture in your mind what you think a typical older, super positive, Hallelujah, Baltimore black lady would be like, and that is Katrina!! She is the best!! The week after that Troy, Renee's son, is getting baptized as well. He came to church yesterday and he was telling us that he is super glad that he did because while he was in church he opened up his Book of Mormon and the first thing that he read was about baptism, so he knows that he needs to get baptized now! Super dope! Also we had a less active family in our ward show up to church (they are from Africa) and the were all in these sick ritualistic robes and they told us that their cousin just moved in with them and that he wants to be baptized so we are going by today to go teach him! Super cool! Good stuff is happening here!

Also yesterday we got our call-outs and we found out, to our surprise, that Elder Howard is getting transferred and I'll be staying here for another one. Dang! I'm super excited to be staying but I'm gonna miss Elder Howard! Elder Jones will be my new companion, he came out with me!

I hope y'all have a good week!

-Elder Larson

Rolls Royce in Bmore

We get that money!

Ferrari on the same day we found the Rolls Royce, dang!

Samara!!!

Renee and Rebecca!!

L to R: Troy, Marvin, Renee, Rebecca, Tyion #TheSquad

AMERICA!

TEMPLE TRIP & 5 ON DATE!

What's up??

I hope y'all had a crazy but fantastic week this week. This week was temple week so we got to go down to the DC temple on Friday it was awesome! Every time I go there I learn so much and receive a bunch of revelation! The DC temple is the best too, it's super pretty!

On Tuesday we went on exchanges with the assistants and that was a ton of fun. On exchanges you see some of the best miracles!! On Wednesday we had MLC in Frederick all day long and at night we had our Book of Mormon class and Katrina came to that and loved it! Interviews were on Thursday and Renee came so that she could be interviewed by our mission president and she passed! Her and her daughter Rebecca will be getting baptized this Saturday, we're so excited!!

Also this week we had 4 investigators come to sacrament meeting! Renee, Rebecca, Katrina and Greg were all there and loved it! It's always a good thing when investigators love church here especially on fast Sunday because in testimony meetings in Baltimore some crazy stuff is said hahaha.... I've heard multiple people swear over the pulpit bearing the testimonies (don't worry it was in an positive (kinda) way). But it's ok when people are converted by the Spirit then things usually work out good!! Katrina is on date to be baptized on February 25 and Greg is on date to be baptized on March 4. Money!! Greg was taught by the Jones Falls elders and they put him on date but they found out that he actually lives in our area so now we are teaching him haha! Yay!! Samara Goodwin will also be getting baptized this Saturday, it's gonna be a good week! Also this last week we picked up Daisy (Purnell's wife) and Deandre (Renee's nephew) as investigators! 

I hope y'all have a fantastic week!

-Elder Larson

Bal-rat (Baltimore rat) in comparison to Elder Howard's foot

Chesapeake Squad

Elder Howard and Elder Larson

LIFE CHANGING (as a missionary) WEEK & FAMILY OF 11

What's good???

This week was good! To start the week off we had a good lesson with the Silvers at their new house in the hood of Baltimore. They are all doing well and Renee is on date for baptism for this Saturday. We are not sure if it will happen this Saturday but if it doesn't it will for sure be in the coming weeks. Things are really crazy for her right now and especially because it is the week before her baptism (because things are always really crazy for investigators the week before baptism (#adversary)) but she is a stud so it will all work out!! Her kids will be getting baptized as soon as they can get to church 3 times  so it should be within the next month. Katrina is doing really well but she missed church this week so we will have to push her baptism back as well. Samara is still doing well and planning on getting baptized on Feb. 11. Please keep our investigators in your prayers!! The adversary desires to sift them as wheat!

On to the life changing story... (I hope you didn't get your hopes up for this because it probably won't be exciting to you at all if you're not a missionary haha). But this week we had a worldwide missionary broadcast and they changed a bunch of stuff in the daily missionary schedule. We used to plan at night when we would get home at 9 PM but now we plan in the morning, now preparation days are longer and they cut out a bunch of the numbers that we have to record each week, called Key Indicators, so we will just focus on the results which are teaching repentance and baptizing converts! I'm pumped about the changes!

This week we found 2 new investigators, their names are Doug and Justin. Justin is a part of the Bigaba family (the gigantic family that we are teaching) and he is the 11th member of that family that we have officially picked up as an investigator. Huge family!!!!! He seems really solid and hopefully we can get them progressing!!! 

Anyways, God loves you and Joseph Smith was a prophet and if you don't know that for yourself then pray and find out! It has blessed my life so much! Have a good week fam!!!

-Elder Larson

Stephani J is super bummed that I snagged a selfie while she was doing her hair!! #oops

DO MISSIONARY WORK!!!

What's good squad???

This week was good!!! We started off the week with a crazy lesson where we brought a member and basically the member and the investigator bashed with each other for an hour!! But we somehow brought it back and it ended up being somewhat spiritual. Haha good stuff! Things are going well with our investigators though. Renee is doing well but she has been facing a bunch of opposition. This week a last minute opening came up for her on a house that was nearby where she was living with her mom so she jumped on it. It was good that she found it and everything but the timing of it was not the best for her, she already has so much crazy stuff going on in her life and it is starting to pile up on her. But luckily we had an amazing lesson with her and with her member friend Sister Starks is really supportive to her and has helped her out a ton. All week Renee was working on her new house, she even worked on her house all Saturday and through the night until 8 Sunday morning. The amazing thing is that she still came to church! So much faith!!!

One of the investigators that we found this week, Ed, is the reason (I believe) that we share the gospel with anyone wherever we go.  We taught him the Restoration and when it came to the time that we taught him about the Book of Mormon he shared with is that he already had one.  Several years ago he drove a shuttle service at the airport for people going to and from the airport.  One day he drove a man that shared with him something very special (in his own words).  The man didn't have much money to leave for a tip but he did have a copy of the Book of Mormon that he left with Ed along with a brief explanation.  Ed told us how he was very grateful (I would presume eternally grateful) and that it was the greatest treasure that anyone could ever give him (again from his own words).  What seemed like a simply placed Book of Mormon that would collect dust on somebody's shelf for years really was a seed planted that is now ready to harvest.  Member missionary work is so important!

Katrina, Samara, and Renee and her kids are still planning on getting baptized at the beginning of February. Good stuff happens when you are on God's team!!! #RideWitUs!!! 

Have a good week!!

-Elder Larson