Squad,
This week has
been a fantastic week. Luckily for each of you, this will be the last time you
will have to read my weekly email because I will be returning home this
Thursday. I have mixed feelings about entering into this next phase of my life,
nevertheless, the past 2 years has been desirable above all other fruit. I wish
that I could put all of the things that I learned and experienced here in
Maryland! I sincerely encourage any of you that could potentially serve a
mission to forget yourself and go to work in the service of the Lord. And for
those of you who are past the age of serving a mission, there are a million
other ways to lose yourself in the work of the Lord. I'm not going to even try
to explain to you how you will be blessed for doing it, but you will and you
won't regret a second of it!
On Tuesday we
had the opportunity to go to the Washington DC temple, it was fantastic! If you
are ever around the DC area, at least drive by that temple! It will take your
breath away! There isn't really anything better than starting off your day in
the house of the Lord, I invite you to go to the temple this week! After that
we headed over to the mission home and began working on the transfer board with
President Christiansen. We spent pretty much the rest of that day figuring out
transfers and in the evening they took us to Sakura for some good Japanese
food! It was amazing to be around the mission president and witness the
inspiration that he receives on where the missionaries should be transferred!
On Wednesday we
drove out to Frederick and picked up Elder Chambers and brought him back to
Columbia for exchanges. We had an awesome exchange! While we were knocking
doors we knocked into a lady, Sister Brown, taught her the Restoration and
picked her up as an investigator! Solid! Then we had a lesson with a recent
convert named Victor who is from China. He speaks very little English so we
taught most of the lesson through Google Translate on his phone. That was a
pretty cool experience! Then right after that we got a media referral for a kid
named James. We contacted him and he told us that he was watching videos about
Jesus online and the most legit ones that he saw were on the Mormon Channel! I
agree! So he ordered a copy of the Book of Mormon and was interested in
learning from us. We taught him the first lesson and he is seeking the truth
out it's amazing! On Saturday we had the return appointment with him at the
church. We gave him a church tour and he really enjoyed it! He is from China as
well and his only hold ups are that he has social anxieties and that he isn't a
native English speaker so he feels uncomfortable going to church with a
majority American church. He's awesome though!
On Thursday we
took a missionary that was returning home to the airport. His name is Elder
Jenkins, he's a stud! Then on Friday we drove out to Chambersburg, PA for
exchanges with the zone leaders there. I went there with Elder Bird, he's a
stud! Unfortunately, that day it rained all day long and it wasn't light rain
either. So we spent the entire day and evening walking around in the rain
talking to people. That's missionary work right there! Everything worked out
super well, we exchanged back and on our way back to Columbia we stopped in to
see Nancy's baptism in Waynseboro! So sick!! She wanted me and Elder Jones to
come to her baptism super bad because we were the ones that first started
teaching her! It was awesome to see her and a bunch of the people in the
Fairview ward again!
I can't believe
my full-time service as a missionary ends this week, it has definitely been the
greatest thing that I have ever decided to do. I know that the Savior lives and
that he leads this work and this Church. I wouldn't be where I am today if it
weren't for him. Whatever thoughts you have had to improve as you have read
this letter, I invite you to do them because they were from the Holy Ghost. I
love y'all!
Have a good
week!
-Elder Larson
Mission Office Staff |
Tracting in the rain |
DC Temple |
Temple trip with Burtenshaw |
Nancy's baptism! |