Week 1 - November 17th 2014

I don't even know where to begin... the last few days have been a blur. I have been here for six days and I feel like I have been here forever. Not in a bad way at all, I just feel like I have done so much, grown so much, and have build strong relationships with my mission district here.

To start off I just want to say, I LOVE THE MTC, I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY, AND I LOVE THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS!!! This week has been so powerful and such a testimony builder for me. God is blessing me in so many ways!

First off, I have been blessed with two amazing companions, Sister Steadman and Sister Zimmerman. They both are 19 years old, but they are awesome! We make a great team and are learning so much from each other. These two sisters are such examples to me in so many ways! I love how in tune with the spirit they are. Not only do we make a good team working together, but we have FUN! We know when to work and we know when its ok to be silly and laugh. I'm loving all the memories we are getting to share together here.

I honestly, don't have much time to write this week so I'm just going to bullet point some of the highlights from the last six days...

Wednesday:

- I got to meet my district (District 6). We have 6 elders and 5 sisters. Everyone is going to Minnesota besides four of our elders are going to Texas.

- We had the chance to teach our very first night here. We were in a group of about 40 missionaries who took turns jumping in and teaching an investigator. It wasn't going so good, so towards the end I jumped in. Our investigator wasn't really connecting with us which made it hard for him to feel the spirit and to know that what we were testifying was true. I was able to stand up and tell him about a personal experience that touched him and got him to trust me. I then was able to teach him about prayer and how to pray (Thanks Andrew for teaching me that- you totally had me prepared for this) and then I asked if we could pray together and he said YES! I got up in front of 40 missionaries and prayed. Oh my gosh, the spirit was so strong! It was powerful! Everyone in that room could feel the spirit. After I got tons of complements and our investigator came up to me and thanked me. He expressed what he felt and how I had brought him to tears. I promised him that what he was feeling was the spirit and that he just needed to keep praying. It was so cool! First day BAM!

- I totally didn't sleep at all my first night (but since then I have slept like a baby every night)... you get tired here!!!

Thursday:

- It SNOWED today! Ahhh! Minnesota here we come!

- Today I worked all day and just felt on fire. I could feel the spirit with me all day as I studied. I felt on fire and was getting pumped to be a missionary!

- I really have fallen in love with being at the MTC and it didn't take much time! I love the spirit you feel here and the constant learning.

- I also have fallen in love with my district. We have started getting close and have begun to feel like a family. We truly love one another!

- I have to say I am also noticing that Heavenly Father is blessing me with strength and energy and also confidence. The spirit is carrying me here and I can feel it!

Friday:

-Today we teach each other how to pray. I was able to pair up with Elder Koster and teach him how to pray. He took on the role of "Brian".... I didn't found out until after that he was playing himself. He expressed to me that Brian believed in a higher being, but really didn't have a testimony of God and Jesus Christ. I talked with "Brian" and you could tell he had a desire to know! The spirit was there as I taught him how to pray and he got on his knees with me and asked God to know if God and Jesus Christ were real. It was simply and sincere, but powerful. Elder Koster was brought to tears. After praying he expressed how he was feeling and I told him that was the Holy Ghost and that was God answering his prayer. He then told me he wasn't playing a role, but that he himself was Brian. And that he had just had his pray answered. He went on to tell me that I changed his life and that I was the reason he will be staying on his mission. He told me that he was my first convert. My heart was so touched and overwhelmed I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Talk about powerful! The Holy Ghost is real. God listen and answers prayers!

Saturday:

- This morning my companions and I had the chance to teach Lexi (she is a member of the church who is getting ready to get sealed in the temple next Saturday). While we were talking with her I just looked at my two companions and saw how in tune they were with the spirit. They seemed to know exactly what to say and how to say things. I said a little prayer at the moment and asked Heavenly Father to help me be more in tune that I too might know what to say to Lexi. Sister Zimmerman had just finished talking about doing temple work for the dead and I just jumped in and started talking to Lexi about her sealing and how excited she was to be sealed for eternity. I then went on and talked about how she has family members in Heaven who also want to be able to enjoy those blessings of being sealed together with their families. I then threw out the challenge to Lexi to do her own family history work that she could bless her family who has passed on before. Lexi started to tear up and tell me how that was inspired and that was exactly what she needed to hear. She went on to tell me that she has known she has needed to do family history, but that she has continued to put it off and when she heard my challenge it was a reminder from God that she needed to be doing that. I realized in that moment that God does help me be led by the spirit and it that very moment the Holy Ghost was able to guide me to know exactly what I needed to say at that moment for Lexi. What a testimony builder for me!

Sunday:

-Church was great today. In relief society we were able to watch an incredible video of Christ blessing others. It was very touching and left most of us in tears.

-Later Sister Zimmerman got a really bad migraine to the point and Sister Steadman and I had to help her walk. She had us ask two of our elders in our district to give her a blessing. Our whole district gathered around to support her and support these elders. It was Elder Darlings first time giving a blessing. You could see how nervous both elders were. I have to say it was one of the sweetest and most powerful things I have seen! As those elders laid their hands on her head you could see their hands shaking, but you could also see the power of the Priesthood work through these two young boys. It was absolutely an incredible experience for our entire district!

-That night Sister Zimmerman was feeling much better and so the three of us decided we needed to run back to the classroom to pick up our stuff that we had left there from earlier this morning. We were already in our PJ's since we had a sick sister... so we kinda had to do a little undercover James Bond kinda thing which was so hilarious! We had fun acting all sneaking as we went to the other building to get to our classroom. We really were doing nothing wrong, but since we were in our PJ's we felt like such rebels. It was so fun and a great way to end the night!

Monday (today):

- My first P-Day!

- We started the day off great by getting to go to the temple (which is all the way on the other side of the street) ;) However, it was freezing walking over at 6:45 am

- The best part of the day was I got to wear my backwards hat, my flip-flops, and my jeans! Oh and let's not forget the 30 minute nap I got! Naps are a forgotten thing here on the mission!

- We also got to do our laundry and had a few good laughs there.

Some random fun facts:

- I love the food here at the MTC (And don't worry Mom I'm eating nice and healthy) :)

- They also have great chocolate milk!

- I have done a few early morning workout classes with my companions (Kickboxing and Yoga)

- And can I just say I LOVE wearing my MISSIONARY BADGE!

Love you all and hope things are going well back home!

-Sister Larson

Sister Larson before she entered the MTC.
Thanks Jessi for the picture and taking our girl to the MTC.

Sister Larson and one of her MTC teachers.

How I came to the Decision to Serve

Over the last several years, I’ve had many meaningful experiences leading me to the decision to serve a mission.  Serving a mission has crossed my mind a few different times.  The first time being when I was twenty years old right before my twenty-first birthday.  The couple of times I really considered going I never felt total peace about it.  

A couple years later, I ended up getting married and sealed in the temple.  Soon after I realized I wasn’t in a healthy marriage. Getting a divorce was something I never imagined would happen to me, but there I found myself.  It has been almost three years since my divorce. Since then I have continued to move forward with my life.  I feel so grateful for my many blessings and for the chance I have to one day meet someone who is worthy to take me to the house of the Lord to be sealed to for time and all eternity.  But until that day, I am trying to fulfill my life and fill it with joy.  

Like I had said before, serving a mission had crossed my mind a couple of times prior to getting married, but after my divorce I figured my time to serve had come and gone and I hadn’t really given it much thought.  Last summer, I was able to meet with my patriarch, who had given me my patriarchal blessing years before.  He asked me if I had considered going on a mission now.  I couldn’t believe what he was saying.  Surely, I was too old now.  I needed to move forward with my life and serving a year and a half mission would surely set me back even further.  That evening, a few different times, my patriarch asked me to consider the thought of going on a mission.  I left feeling very overwhelmed, thinking I needed to serve.  After talking with my parents they let me know that he was just giving me counsel and that I didn’t need to feel pressured to serve a mission.  I instantly felt relief.  

Five months ago, I had the opportunity to go back and visit BYU- Hawaii where I had graduated college.  The first two days I was out there I kept having a strong impression that something in my life was about to change, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. My third day out there, on March 19th, I was sitting outside of the temple writing down some goals I wanted to work on.  While I was meditating there, the sister missionaries, Sister Kim and Sister Sabey, came up to me and started talking to me.  Out of nowhere, they asked me if I had thought about serving a mission.  I answered by telling them that I had, but that my time to serve a mission had come and gone.  Then they asked me to pray about it.  I couldn’t believe how bold these two sisters were, but I promised them I would pray and ask Heavenly Father if I was to serve a mission.  

Not too long after talking with the sisters, I went back to find them and asked them if we could pray together.  They checked out a room in the temple’s visitors center. This was the same room that five years earlier, on February 1st, 2009, I met and prayed with Sister Latu about going on a mission.  I desired a priesthood blessing to receive some comfort and guidance, but I didn't ask if there was anyone there that could give me one. As soon as the sisters and I sat down in that room, they asked me if I would like a priesthood blessing. I couldn't believe how in tune these sisters were with the Spirit.  

I was able to receive a blessing from one of the senior missionaries Elder Multrie.  It was one of the most powerful blessings I can remember ever getting.  My cheeks were covered in tears.  While I was receiving this blessing, I realized that by serving a mission I would have the opportunity to work on all of the goals I had just written down during the past hour in front of the temple.  I was also blessed that Heavenly Father would answer my prayer and give me multiple confirmations so I would know for sure what He wanted me to do.  

Once everyone left that room, I knelt down on my knees and prayed to my Father in Heaven.  I was terrified, scared, and even sick to my stomach at the idea of going on a mission.  I knelt there for twenty minutes, crying, as I tried to get out the words, “Do you want me to go on a mission?” Physically I found myself not able to get these simple words to come out of my mouth.  I told God how I was feeling and that I was going to need Him to make it very clear to me if it was His will for me to serve a full-time mission.  Finally, I was able to ask and instantly the knots and sickness in my stomach left as a peaceful calmness came over me.  I knew then Heavenly Father wanted me to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

I still found myself quite overwhelmed with the idea of leaving for a mission at the age of 27, but just as my blessing had promised me I continued to receive confirmation after confirmation that this was His will and this was what I was supposed to do.  Since then Heavenly Father has blessed me with comfort and confidence.  I have found myself more and more excited to serve my brothers and sisters and share the truthfulness of the gospel with them.  

I am already noticing blessings in my life, but I know my family will also be blessed because of my efforts to serve a full-time mission.  I will be able to do missionary work in my own family.  I will have the chance to bear my testimony each week to my family by sharing my experiences with them in my letters.  I also know my family will be watched over and cared for while I am gone.  I have two very sick brothers.  My oldest brother has been very ill since I was five.  Almost my entire life I can remember telling Heavenly Father that I would do anything for my brother--I would even give my life for my brother.  I have come to realize that giving a year and a half of my life to the Lord is but a small thing to show my faith and willingness.  

I felt like serving a mission was God’s will for me at this time in my life.  I put this in His hands, walked by faith, and after five long months, on August 21st, I received my mission call.  I was called to serve in the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission and will report to the MTC on November 12th, eight months after I turned my will over to the Lord and decided to serve.  I am so excited and have no doubt in my mind that this is where God wants me to be.  I look forward to serving the people in Minnesota and can’t wait to see God’s hand in my life and the lives of those I meet and teach in the next 18 months. Miracles are going to happen!