How was everyone's Christmas? Hopefully everything was beautiful and amazing. We had a white Christmas and then it rained and melted almost all of the snow we had. What a blessing! The roads were pretty bad in some places. The people that run the snowplows in Utah need to teach these Virginians a thing or two. Anyway, Christmas was great and it was fun to talk to the family.
I am now living in Arlington. Yes, the same place where the National Cemetery is. We are hoping to go on a P-day and see the changing of the guard. Or at least I am. My companion has already gone, but we live 7 minutes away so who wouldn't want to go again right? I am serving in the Bella Vista ward. There are a lot of english members that have callings here. The bishop is American. Surprisingly, though, my ability to understand spanish has really improved in the last week. Interesting...
We went to a breakfast with the stake president for all of the missionaries in the stake. It was the biggest house I've ever seen. Their secondary kitchen was nicer than most people's regular kitchen. You can imagine how their full sized kitchen was. No words to describe it. His wife was really nice and put together fruit baskets for each companionship and a stocking for each missionary. The sisters each got a pair of gloves and all of the missionaries got some really nice pens that had a designer name on them. I was almost afraid to open it and use it. We're pretty spoiled here.
We had a baptism last night. Her name is Charo. It was so fun to see her come up out of the font after the baptism. I've never experienced that before and I loved it! After the baptism was over we realized that the Elder didn't pull the plug on the drain. The door was already locked to the front of the font so we couldn't just reach our arms in to do it. Guess who got to go wading in the water... Haha, I only went down the first two steps because I didnt' want to get my skirt wet, but I couldn't reach that far with my arm. You can imagine how silly it must have looked when I was standing on one foot and trying to grab the chain with the other. Don't worry, I had pants on under the skirt because it was cold outside. I almost fell in a couple of times, but then we found a clipboard that helped me reach it with my hands and we pulled it. Mission accomplished!
I can't believe it's almost 2010 already! We aren't allowed to go out on the 31st so we get to watch a movie with our zone. We are watching "Up." I'm so excited. It's going to be weird, though. We also get to watch a movie on Halloween. Hopefully everyone has a wonderful New Year. Make some good goals that will last longer than the first few weeks. And make them good spiritual ones too. None of this "I'm going to lose 10 pounds" junk.
I love you all and thank you for your love and support. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope the holidays are filled with happiness for everyone! We sure have had a good time with all of the snow we've been getting. They canceled church on Sunday because of it. I'm not sure exactly how much snow fell. The original estimate was 12 inches, but then I heard that it changed to 22 inches. We'll just say that it was more than I've seen in a long time. Don't worry, though, we still went out and walked in it. We had a lot of fun and made a lot of new friends. Especially on Sunday when we went out and helped people dig their cars out. My forearms, back, and abs were pretty sore the next day. I'm glad I learned how to shovel at a young age. It was hard not to laugh at some of the other people who clearly couldn't run one very efficiently. That's okay, though.
There were a lot of people that we passed who were stuck in the snow because they don't know the art of pulling out of a parking lot when it's all deep like that. We tried to offer to help push them out, but no one wanted our help it seemed like. One man agreed to have us help until we started pushing and my scarf fell down, revealing my nametag and he realized that we are mormons. He couldn't get us away from his car fast enough. Oh well. I guess you can't force your help on everyone. they still have their agency.
The Christmas conference on Capitol Hill was pretty interesting. We went over time on the lunch by about two hours. There were a lot of senators and congressmen that had a lot to say... They were all members of the church that spoke to us and they told us about their missions and bore their testimonies. It was interesting to see that side of them. We got a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus too. Then we got a very short tour of the capitol because we were two hours late for our scheduled time. There was so much history in there that I wanted to look at, but there just wasn't time. There was a room that had statues of people from each state and all of us, like the nerdy missionaries that we are, were taking pictures of the Brigham Young statue. I'm sure it was a big joke for everyone that was watching us go through. Anyway, after that was over we took a mission picture on the steps of the capitol with the dome behind us. It was taken by the official house photographer and it's going to turn out really good because the sun was reflecting off the side of the dome as it was going down. It was so beautiful! Hopefully I'll get a copy of it so I can send one home.
Well, I hope everyone's Christmas is going to be wonderful and full of joy. This really is a great time of year when we get to ponder about the life of Christ and all that He did for us. It gives us all a lot more hope for what lies in the future and strength to face the difficulties. Thank you all for your examples and support and just know that I love you all!Merry Christmas!
Hermana Heather Larsen

Before I say anything else, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Kammi and Brock on the 20th!!!! (I think?) Can you believe that you have already been married for a year?! Congratulations!
Well, I have officially been in Virginia for one month already. I can't believe it. Just when I start thinking that a day is getting long, it's already next week. It seems like there is never enough time to do everything that we need to. We have transfers coming up next week and I'm probably going to have to leave my area. It makes me pretty sad because there are so many people here that I love. They're like my family now. It's going to be really hard, but I'm sure that I'll fall in love with the people in my next area just as quickly.
In two days we have the event that I've been waiting for. We get to go to the capitol building and eat a Christmas dinner with all of the Washington D.C. South missionaries. There will be several Senators and other very influential people there. It has been rumored that we are going to be seeing Senators Reid and Hatch. It'll be interesting to see what they have to say to us since we aren't allowed to talk politics. Basically, I'm SUPER EXCITED! Then we get a mission tour of the capitol. Wow! I guess it pays off to have stake presidents and other members of the church who work for the government. They must have pulled some serious strings for us to be able to do this. I'm also excited that we get to ride the good ole' Metro. My trainer has never ridden it so it looks like I'll be training for a day. Hehehe...
We set 2 baptismal dates for a mother and daughter. It isn't really set in stone yet, but I know they are going to get baptized eventually. It's just a matter of which day. The daughter is 12 years old and was already living basically everything in the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet when we met her. We gave her a copy to read and she really liked it and was happy to find out that there were other people her age that had the same standards as she does. She absolutely loves going to the young women's activities and it is so wonderful that we can count on the young women in our branch to just take the reigns from there. There really is nothing better than the members fellowshipping our investigators. That's your assignment for the week. Find someone that you aren't super aqcuainted with and get to know them. It works wonders for the strength of the ward and it makes our lives a whole lot easier. Missionaries can't do the work without the help of the members! Sorry, I'll stop preaching to the choir now.
I hope everyone is happy and well and that you are enjoying the Christmas season. I never really understood how much happiness we really have until I came here and saw so many people that are without it. God really is so merciful to provide a way for us to return with Him by sending His son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to celebrate His life and the wonderful example that He gave us. Don't let it pass by without learning something from it.
I love you all and hope you have a great week!
All my love,Hermana Heather Larsen
P.S. In case you are wondering about the weather, there isn't much snow here and the temperatures haven't gotten as cold as it sounds like yours have. We only had one big snow storm and the rest of the time it's been pretty sunny. The grass is still green. It rains every once in a while and we had some thick fog the past couple of nights. It's pretty nice. Except the wind feels like it's going to bite your nose off sometimes. That's really the only time I get super cold. I think it will get a lot worse in January and February. At least that's what I've been told.

Welcome to the family Jessie! Congratulations to Jaren and Kathy and the kids. I'll be waiting for pictures just so you know... I'm excited to have another niece!
Well, we had a baptism this week. But it didn't count as an investigator because the boy was eight years old. (His mom is a member, but his dad isn't.) He didn't want to get baptized at first because he was afraid of the water. We took care of that one in a hurry. It only took about 5 minutes for him to be super excited to be baptized. I don't remember if I told you about him, but this is the same boy that we left the children's Book of Mormon and he read 14 chapters instead of the assigned 1. He has since finished it. What an incredible example! Anyway, he had to be baptized three times because his feet kept floating to the top of the water. Finally, the person baptizing him had to step on his feet while he put him under the water. He definitely won't forget that day! We are hoping to set some more baptismal dates this week. Our mission has a goal of reaching 400 baptisms by the end of the year. I think right now we are at about 360. It's crunch time!
We are teaching someone right now named Henry. He was born Catholic, converted to Apostles and Prophets, and then converted again to Baptist. His friend/we think girlfriend is in our branch and he has started investigating the church. He wouldn't even touch the Book of Mormon. You can imagine how funny it was in the first lesson we had with him and my companion handed her scriptures to him to have him read them. She purposefully didn't tell him that it wasn't the bible:) You should have seen his face when he realized what it was. He read the scripture and then shoved it into the hands of his friend just to get it out of his as soon as possible. The real miracle is that we left a copy with him that night with a few assigned chapters and he is now reading the Book of Mormon! AMAZING! He actually really likes it. No surprise there.
I have such a testimony of the Book of Mormon. It changes lives, because it invites us to grow closer to the Savior. There is no other way we can find happiness than by coming to Him. Don't take my word for it, though. Try it out for yourselves! I love you all.
Hermana Larsen

Well, I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Mine was AMAZING aside from the stomach pains from having 4 meals within 6 hours. I still haven't recovered.
I wish I could express to all of you all the miracles we have seen here. If only I was better at writing, but I guess this will have to do. Do all of you understand the power of the atonement? I thought I did, but after the past few days I realized that what I know doesn't even scratch the surface. All I can do is testify to all of you that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He suffered and died for us. Not only so that we could be forgiven of our sins, but so that every pain and sickness, every kind of suffering could be relieved. Any burden that you have can be placed at the feet of the Lord because He has already picked them up for you. The only person that is keeping us from being happy is ourself. Don't hold on to your sorrows! Give them to the Savior. He is ready to lift us and to make us better. We just have to let Him.
I'm so grateful to be able to take part in this amazing work. God's plan for us is perfect, even though we are not. So my question for you is, what are you going to do to grow closer to the Savior and to accept His love and sacrifice for you? We have learned here that it is so much more important to KNOW the Savior, rather than to simply know that He exists. How are you going to develop that relationship with Him? I hope you can understand how important I feel this is. Start now to do the things that will help you understand it for yourself. The first step is prayer. I know it's true, that the Savior knows us personally. He is just waiting for us to know Him.
Hermana Larsen

In case any of you were unsure, Hispanic people LOVE to feed you. I didn't experience this until a few days ago. A woman in the ward decided that she was going to make pupusas for us. I was really excited because I love them! We got there and we started making a cake while she made dinner for us. When we sat down to eat I was shocked to see that there were FOUR of them on my plate. They were each about 5 inches in diameter. I was naive enough to think that I would be able to easily eat them all...not the case my friends. I got through the second one and wasn't sure I was going to live to taste another bite. They were delicious, of course, but SO FILLING. I successfully made it through the 3rd and was digging deep for the determination to start on the fourth one. Each bite I took, I thought was going to have to be my last. I got about half way through it when Hermana Alas (the woman who made them) came in and asked me if I wanted more. I couldn't do it! I told her it was delicious, but that I was so full. My companion had gotten through her third one as well and when I saw her wrap hers in a paper towel and set it aside to take it home my mouth dropped open. I'm sure she just wanted me to know what it feels like to be in excruciating pain and that's why she didn't tell me I could just take some home for later...How loving of her... So I survived it and a little bit later was able to force down a piece of cake.
We went to another teaching appointment later that night with a young girl. We were almost finished with the lesson when her grandmother offered us a plate of food. Of course we can't decline that kind of invitation because these people show their love to you by feeding you. She gave us this huge plate of rice, beans, tortillas, and some hard cheese. I was just praying that there was at least a little bit of space left in my stomach and that I wouldn't lose everything right there on their carpet. I started eating pretty quickly just to get it in there, and my companion was once again kind enough not to tell me to eat slowly so they wouldn't give me more food. As soon as I finished my plate they brought another one. I was starting to lose hope. I got about half way through it and decided that I never wanted to eat again. The girl that we were teaching must have noticed the look of defeat on my face because then she told me that I don't have to eat it all. She was an angel that night when she took the plate from me and put it in the sink.
So now we all know, the art of eating at an investigators house is: eat fast at first to get the food in there, then slow down so that you don't finish your plate before you have to leave. Otherwise you'll regret it for the next day or so. I didn't eat again until lunch the next day.
The Lord continues to bless us here in Manassas and there have been people placed in our path almost every day that are willing to listen to our message. We have started teaching another girl that I'm sure will be baptized. Guess how we met her. We went to the wrong building to go to an appointment (and yes, we had been there several times before). It was a miraculous accident. We teased each other that the Lord is guiding us in our foolishness. Really, though, I know this work is His work and that the gospel is true. The only way we can find true happiness is by coming unto our Savior Jesus Christ and accepting His sacrifice for us.
Until next week, I hope all is well with all of you. I love you all!
Hermana Heather Larsen

Most people think it's a good idea to pack everything you will need to live with for the next few days in your carry-on luggage. I'm here to tell you that you might still want to have some back-ups in your checked bags.
Don't worry, I got off the plane and to the Mission Home with it, but the next day when we went to the transfer meeting, my carry-on was nowhere to be found. I could have sworn that I gave it to the Elders to load in the trailor with all the rest of the luggage. Hmmm...After the meeting, all the vehicles that had been used to haul everything had left, so we had to go to our area without it. Here are some of the things I had in there: glasses and contact case, all make-up, blow dryer and straightener, pajamas, towel, spanish books(including scriptures, Preach My Gospel, etc.). You get the idea. Let's just say it was a fun adventure!
Here's what happened. All the other luggage got loaded in the trailor, but mine and Hermana Gwynn's carry-on bags got put in the back of the big van...which never got unloaded. No worries, I finally got it back on Saturday and all was well again. So the lesson to be learned here is: when you travel, don't put all your goodies in one basket:) Don't you all feel so much smarter because of me? I thought so.
Now on to more serious business. My trainer's name is Hermana Reid from South Ogden, Utah. She is only here until March. We have been assigned to the Sudley B area, which is a new one for the sisters. We love whitewashing! Really, though, it's fun to open an area. Even when it's hard, it's fun. My level of tiredness has been upped about 10 notches from the MTC, which I guess is good because I sleep a whole lot better. Especially in Sacrament Meeting. Oops! It's uber exhausting to try and listen to a foreign language all day. I can't really help it.
We are currently serving in a branch in Manassas. The people there are wonderful. I don't usually know what they are saying, but I try to just smile at them like I love them anyway. I really do love them, though! I think I want to move to Central America after I get back. P.S. I haven't had much of the food here, but what I have had is AMAZING! It's only going to get better. Some of the countries that people are from are: Honduras, Peru, Argentina, San Salvador (Crystal, you're going to love it!), Puerto Rico, Mexico, etc. Basically they're from EVERYWHERE! Surprisingly, the people from Mexico are the minority.(At least from the ones that I've met.)
So my first day here I got to go to a baptism with my companion from her old area. It was really good to get me excited for the work. It also helped my starving stomach that they had some wonderful food there. Pupusas are the best! Hna. Reid is going to teach me how to make them today.
We have a couple of new investigators and one of them especially has been prepared to receive the gospel. I just pray that she can see that. We'll see when we go back if she keeps her commitment to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. I think she will, but that might just be my "greeny attitude". We felt the spirit so strongly in her apartment, I don't know how she couldn't want to do more to always have that feeling. Her name is Flor and she is from Honduras. It's amazing how much you love your investigators from the beginning. We've only met with her once.
We had an interesting experience while knocking on doors. We talked to a man who said that there isn't a need for prophets anymore because Christ already came and fulfilled the law of Moses so we have all that we need. He went off about the Trinity and the Book of Mormon and how it contradicts everything in the bible. (His pastor obviously spends a lot of time teaching his people what to say to the Mormon's.) It's so sad, though, that people really believe that they aren't going to get any more guidance from God. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that we have.
So all-in-all, my experiences here have been great. I love being a missionary and it's way better than the MTC. Big surprise there. Thanks for all your love and prayers. I'm really going to need them with the spanish, but I know that the Lord will give me the gift of tongues a little at a time as long as I work for it. Until next week!
Hermana Larsen

Well, my time here at the MTC is coming to a close and I was looking back at how much I've learned. It's incredible. I don't think any of you would know me if I came home even now. The challenges have been rough, but I have learned and grown so much from each of them. There have been so many miracles while I've been here. One of them was on Saturday. Each week we go to the Referral Center and make calls to make sure people have received the stuff that they call for like the Book of Mormon or the Lamb of God DVD, etc. Last Saturday I was really depressed the whole day, because I have stress with talking on the phone and I had just flubbed up a whole call. My teacher was listening on some headphones and he started asking me the questions like, "How could you have done this and that better?" It was just about all I could take and I was thinking, "How in the heck do you expect me to do this in spanish in a week if I can't even do it in english?!" That was not a good day. So when we were walking towards the RC this past Saturday I was pleading with the Lord for a miracle. I told Him that I would constantly make calls if He would give me someone that actually wanted to listen to me. (Sometimes these people aren't too happy to hear from you.) I only made three calls, before my companion got a chat. (On Mormon.org people can "talk with a mormon") We are supposed to do the chats as a companionship so I stopped taking calls to help her. This man's first question was, "I'm gay. Does that mean I'm going to hell?" Wow... it was an interesting discussion to say the least, but he seemed a little interested in what we had to say. He almost wanted to meet with the missionaries, but he didn't want to even think about changing his lifestyle so he decided not to. It was such a blessing to be able to bear my testimony to him, even though he may not have been receptive to it. I testify that the Lord answers prayers if we will take that first step of faith and work with the expectation that we will receive those blessings.
As I prepare to leave on Wednesday, I know that the Lord will continue to bless me with miracles; and even though not everyone will receive the message that I take to them, I am still extremely privileged to wear the name of Christ every day and bear witness of His gospel and His love for us. We truly are divine children of God and He wants us to have success and happiness in our lives and to receive eternal life.
I love you all and hope everything is going well in your lives. If not, you are stilled being blessed and watched over. Don't forget to have faith and pray always. The Lord is there! Adios!
Hermana Heather Larsen

Happy Anniversary this week Mom and Dad! Also, best wishes for Kord and Liza! Wow, lots of fun stuff happening this week.
So I'm not going to lie, this last week wasn't so hot. Someone once told me that serving a mission is liking emotionally serving a calling for 50 years. I've been riding on what seems like the tower of terror ride of emotions. This week it felt like I spent about 20 of those 50 years. Don't worry, though, it's mostly been good. I think my problem is that I'm still getting back into the swing of the schedule so when I get tired I get super discouraged and it's not pretty. Things are usually looking better after I get a night of rest.
We got our travels plans on Thursday, though, and that made most everything better:) I report to the travel office at 6:00 Wednesday the 11th. Happy birthday to Grandma! I am way nervous, but really excited to get out there and immerse myself in the gospel and the language. It's going to be SWEET! In honor of the occasion, I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting in spanish. I was shaking the whole time, but I think I got the message across somehow. It was actually pretty fun.
We taught the second lesson in the TRC this week. I started crying in the middle of the lesson because I was talking about Grandpa Staples and how I know that he is still living. I was overcome with gratitude for the knowledge that we have about life after death and eternal families. It gave me motivation to work just a little harder on everything so that I can earn those blessings. Thanks family for being faithful and great examples!
I hope everyone has a good week this week. Happy November!
Hermana Larsen

I'm free! I spent the past few days in the MTC quarentine for the flu. As I said last week, on Monday I tested negative for the flu. But then, on Wednesday I woke up with a fever and let's just say it's a good thing I hadn't eaten much the night before. So it was back to the doctor to be tested yet again. It was positive this time so they sent me to lockdown. I went back to the residence hall to pack things for a few days and a security guard with a sweet british accent came and picked me up in one of those little electric cars. He drove me to the "quarentine building" and I was the only sister on the floor for the first day. I wasn't very happy because I had a fever and just wanted to crawl in bed and die, but I had to make the bed first. GRRRR! Then I couldn't take any medicine because I had to wait for them to bring me food. So I slept until lunch came, forced down a few bites and took some ibuprofen and tamiflu and then crashed again until dinner. By the way, they bring you SO MUCH FOOD when you're in quarentine. I didn't even come close to eating half of it. That's pretty incredible when you think about how much food I can normally pack away!
I sound like I'm complaining a lot, really it was a pretty good experience. If anything, I learned what it would feel like to be a leper. We had to put masks on when people knocked on our door and then half of the time they would have put the food or mail or whatever they were bringing on the floor and be as far away as possible when we opened the door. As soon as they saw that we got whatever they were delivering they would disappear. Needless to say, I really appreciated the people that actually handed things to me like I wasn't diseased.
Anyway, after dinner that first day I decided to start reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning to see how far I could get. The original plan was to finish the whole thing, but I grossly underestimated the time that I would be sleeping. I ended up getting to Alma 31.
The second day in there I got a roommate, but she slept the whole time so all I did was read and eat and I took one nap. I read 170 pages that day. Does anyone realize just how awesome the Book of Mormon is? That may sound like a stupid question, but it is so amazing that anyone at any time in their life can find something that applies to them in there. Besides that, the plot is so involved, there is no possible way that Joseph Smith could have just pulled that out of a hat.
Day 3 I got a study plan from one of my teachers so I didn't have much time to read because I was studying spanish and whatnot. The doctor got IT to check out a laptop to me so that I could do some lessons on the computer. That was super nice so I actually had some activities to do to reinforce what I was learning.
Saturday I was so excited because I was going to be freed, but the doctor was really late getting there. I called the front desk to see what was going on and wouldn't you know that the day I was going to get out was the day of the BYU homecoming parade. All the roads were blocked off... That was the longest three hours of my life...
So anyway, I am once again free and I never thought I would be so happy to be able to see people and talk to someone. Being alone for so long changes you a lot. I almost forgot, though, one night before I went to bed I heard some elders on the floor above me singing a song about the swine flu written to the music of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. It was AWESOME! Turns out that one of the elders that helped write it is in my zone so I got the words from him. That is going in my journal because it seriously made me so happy.
The adjustment after quarentine has probably been the hardest part of all of this. I got used to being able to just get in bed whenever I was tired. Not a luxury that I have anymore...I have these huge dark circles under my eyes all the time and I probably look like death, but I'm happy to have a structured schedule again.
We are supposed to get our travel plans this Thursday so you'll probably be hearing about that next week. I can't believe that we only have two weeks left. I don't know any spanish! AHHHH!
I'm out of time, so until next week. I love you all.
Hermana Larsen

I didn't get a chance to get this picture until the 11th. It took me long enough!

First day in the MTC. Don't you love our dork dots? Left to right: Hermanas Tucker, Hogewoning (the one that got transferred), & Gwynn

The District before Elder Crawford left. From left to right: Hermana Gwynn, Larsen, Tucker, Elders Barker, Crawford, Harden, Fisher, Mortensen, Cook

One side of the laundry room. Washers on bottom, dryers on top. There are two more rows. It takes a lot of machines to do laundry for 2000 missionaries a week.

I'm able to keep my bedroom clean, but the classroom is a different story since tht is really where we live.

Doing laundry with Hermana Gwynn.

This week flew by just like all of the other ones. After this thursday we only have two more teaching appointments in the TRC. (That's how we measure our time here.) That's so crazy! I'm not even close to being ready to go out in the field and start talking to people in spanish! I guess no one ever really is, though. I am excited to be totally immersed in the language because that's when I learn the most.
Our first lesson in spanish went pretty well. I wouldn't say that the "investigator" was really converted all the way, but hey, we got the main points of the lesson across and were able to testify. It was super hard, but I felt the spirit as we taught testifying that what we teach is true.
I accompanied my companion in church yesterday. She did a violin solo. It was a Jenny Oaks Baker arrangement. (I know Kendra knows what I'm talking about.) "Love is Spoken Here." It went well and I really enjoyed being able to play the piano.
For the Brown's: do you know Brother and Sister Horne? They told some stories that sounded really familiar about going to Baremejio?? and building bathrooms with family to family in 2004. Anyway, he is a counselor in my branch presidency. They're awesome!
I get to be a host missionary this Wednesday, (assuming I don't get quarentined.) I tested negative for the flu today, but sometimes they do it anyway if you're sick enough. I have a doctor's appointment at 4:00 today. Pray for me! Anyway, I'm excited to get to help people in their first day here. That was a fun one for me...
Kendra, I thought I'd let you know that I met Brother and Sister Holt while I was at my service assignment. They are really nice and they have nothing but good things to say about you. Thanks for being such a good example of how a latter-day-saint should act. I also met Sister Chamberlain in line at the bookstore. She was the one that recognized me first. She and her companion bore their spanish testimonies to us and you can tell her parents that she is doing extremely well with the language. I think she was probably better than me and I've been here 3 weeks longer.
Sorry my messages have been kind of scatter-brained lately. Hopefully I make some kind of sense. I'm excited to be able to see the Greenhalgh's! I love you all and hope you are all healthy and well. (Both spiritually and physically:). Have a great week!

This week went by so quickly! I don't really have a whole lot to say because I can't remember much about what happened. Yesterday I played my cello in Sacrament Meeting and my Comp. played her violin while two elders sang. Everyone else did well, but I've been having a hard time adjusting to a different cello. I miss mine!
Crystal, thanks for the letter! The rest of you...you have a little room for improvement. ;) Just kidding. Anyway, this week was the beginning of class in total spanish. Holy cow! I have to admit, I can understand more than I originally thought, but the speaking is a little iffy. Hopefully it will come quickly with practice.
To the Brown's, I'm so sorry for your loss. I loved Sister Merrill! I know that she lived the kind of life that has earned her wonderful blessings. I pray for Tani to have strength in such a difficult time, and I know that the Lord gives us trials so that we can be strengthened. I'll remember all of you in my prayers!
The mission continues to pass at an alarming rate. In relief society yesterday Sister Martha Johnson of the General Relief Society Board told us that missions are so hard because the Lord is stretching the devil and his hell out of us. How true is that?! It is such a refining experience and sometimes I don't feel up to the task, but I know that the Lord knows when we are stretched too far and He won't break us. We just need to be put under stress so that we can be strengthened and grow.
Thanks for all of your love and support. I love you all and I know that this gospel is true. It is the ONLY way that we can be happy.
Hermana Larsen

This week was quite the doozy. We had been trying to get up and go to the early morning exercise classes, but we soon found out why we have the scripture that tells us not to run faster than we have strength. Thursday I got so exhausted that I physically hurt. I got these monster knots in my shoulder that were giving me headaches. Luckily, one of my companions' family has that same problem so she was amazing to try and rub them out for me. She had to rub so hard that I felt like I had bruises the next day.
That day was also when we were supposed to go to the TRC and teach. I felt so discouraged and didn't have the spirit with me at all. I figured out that every Thursday is going to be difficult so that I can be humbled enough to be able to rely on the spirit when I teach. The lesson turned out pretty well and our "investigator" accepted the invitation to be baptized. Cool! We decided after that day that we are going to forego the exercise classes until we can figure out how to get to bed earlier. (Especially since all of us have been having a hard time falling asleep.)
Sorry if this was pretty short. After conference I felt more compelled to find even more time to study than what we have set apart. How about that talk by Elder Holland?! All of us were sitting there with our pens in hand, but we couldn't take notes because we were all staring, mesmerized, at the screen. What an amazing testimony! I hope all of you know that I too have a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the gospel. It is so important and if you have not yet received that witness of its truthfulness, PLEASE ASK FOR IT! God answers ALL of our prayers.
I love you all! Give my congratulations to Kord and Liza. I hope all of you have a good week and enjoy the weather. I know I will! I love the fall!
Hermana Larsen

Don't Jump Over Railings in Gym Shorts

Things went really well for the most part this week. We had one really depressing day as a companionship, but we found out that it was so we could be humble enough to teach in the TRC that night. (The TRC is where you teach "investigators." They set up the rooms with couches and everything just like a living room.) I was able to bear my testimony about Joseph Smith in Spanish, which was amazing because we had been frustrated with the language that day. I think I got a little taste of the gift of tongues, and it helped me realize how much harder I need to work. Anyway, the lesson went really well, and we were so happy with it that we went homa and celebrated by eating ice cream out of the vending machine while we planned. Pathetic, I know, but that's the closest we can come to a party.

I love gym time here because I get to play volleyball every day. It's GREAT! There is also an early morning workout class for the sisters and the senior missionaries. There is an instructor, and she rotates through different workouts each day. Friday it was kick boxing, and we were all hobbling around like we had one foot in the grave all day after that. Here's a shocker for everyone....We have to get up at 5:45 in order to get to the class in time. Are you amazed? I am. I don't know how I get up that early. All I know is that I get more and more exhausted every day. It was SO HARD to stay awake in the temple this morning. In fact, I cannot claim that I did stay awake, but it was still a very good session. I only drifted off for a couple of minutes.

On Sunday nights we get to watch church movies and the movie last night was Legacy. You know we are all deprived of entertainment and romance when all of the Elders are doing cat calls in that movie. By the way, I saw Elder Dexton Perkins at the fireside right before the film. He seemed to be doing a lot better than I did my first Sunday in the MTC. He's going to be a great missionary. I'm excited to see all of the other young men from our stake come into the MTC. My advice to you would be, "Don't jump over railings with basketball shorts on!" Here's why:

We were going to our residence hall to change for gym one day, and some Elders were racing to the gym. One of them got the brilliant idea to run down the wheelchair ramp and jump over the rail instead of having to go around and down the stairs. I was right next to him when he jumped over , and I heard the sound of ripping gym shorts. I turned to see him hanging from a pole that had been sticking up a little farther than the rail. The bottom of his shorts had gotten caught on it, and he was stuck there hanging upside down by his shorts. It was a pretty high traffic area, and you could see his face turning red. So I was trying not to laugh, but it wasn't working very well. At least his shorts stayed on, right? His companion came running up and was laughing so hard that he couldn't help him down. Right before we walked in the door to our residence hall, I heard him moan, "Oooowww..." When the door shut behind us, we all burst out into so much laughter that I almost had an accident right there. Tears were streaming down my face as we all know that happens when I laugh really hard. Don't worry, he turned out to be fine because he played volleyball with us that day. Whenever I'm depressed about something, I just think about that moment. It has provided some great laughs, and I'm sure it will continue to do so for quite some time.

Anyway, if anyone is wondering whether or not a mission is right for you, I highly recommend it. This is the best thing I have ever done because it is so challenging. Every day I see an improvement in myself, and I know that the Lord is shaping me into something that I cannot become by myself. The atonement is real, and the Lord is truly mindful of ALL of His children. I know this gospel is true and I'm so glad for all that we know about Heavenly Father and His plan for us.

I love you all, and I'll write again next week.

P.S.
I think the MTC is a good indication of what the time perspective is in the eternities. Our teacher put it perfectly when he said, "The days are like weeks, and the weeks are like days." I can't believe how slow the days go, but then it's unbelievable that we already have gotten through another week. It's hard to believe that I'm 1/3 of the way through my MTC experience. Crazy how time flies!

Week 2

Hello from the MTC!

Things are going a lot better than the first week I was here. I'm glad to hear the the fundraiser for the musical went well. Way to go ShaRee! I was also excited to hear the the Greenhalgh's are going to be here in October. My service assignments are in the Senior missionary residence hall every Wednesday morning so it's very likely that I'll see them! I'm excited to be ablt to practice bearing my testimony to them in Spanish.

Elder Holland was the speaker for devotional. We were singing hymns before he came in and we were in the middle of "Hope of Israel" when we had to stand up for his entrance. It just happened to be the line that said, "Hope of Israel rise in might." Wow! I am part of the hope of Israel. It's so cool to be a missionary! Anyway, the talk was so good that I took 5 pages of notes. A couple of my favorite parts were:

1. "The only path to salvation goes through Gethsemane." If we are going to be disciples of Christ, we have to suffer at least part of what He did. It's the only way.

2, "Missionaries are taking part in the same work as the apostles." From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed, you are trying to figure out how you can help the Kingdom of God grow. Welcome to the work!

For those of you who will be learning foreign languages in the MTC, just make it until that first Sunday and you'll be fine. I remember wanting so badly to take off running down 9th East to escape on my second day, but I decided that I would never forgive myself if I gave up. I'm so glad I stayed! This is, hands down, one of the best experiences that I've ever had , and I'm not even two weeks into it. I highly recommend going on a mission. It rocks!

We had a little change in companionships this week. One of the sisters in our district got transferred to an intermediate district, so they put her companion with us. We are now a trio! It's not very easy to try and be on the same page with two other people when you are teaching a lesson. We figured that out this week when we taught our first lesson to an "investigator."(Pretty sure she served a mission in Spain, and she was not making life easy for us. So many questions!) Anyway, we had a rocky 30 minutes after that. I think it was because we were so frustrated. We didn't really talk to each other, and it felt like we were all mad at one another. But I'm pretty sure that we were all just discouraged. We get along really well, and we laugh every day. Hermana Gwynn is the original companion, and she is from Logan. I actually found out today that I was in a lot of classes with her brother, Scott, when we were in the art program at Snow. Small world! She is going to the same mission as I, and we both leave on Nov. 11. The second companion is Hermana Tucker from South Ogden. She is going to Oklahoma City, and she leaves Nov. 9. I am blessed with wonderful companions, and they teach me a lot!

So far we are the only 3 sisters in the zone. All of the elders make sure to stand up for us when we sit down at mealtimes, and they are very good to open doors and make sure we have everything we need. Sometimes they need a little reminding, but the Branch President told us that we needed to help train them to be gentlemen. We do what we can.

Thanks for all of your prayers. I felt them this week, and they were much needed. Being a misssionary is hard work, but I am loving every minute of it! I love all of you!

Herman Larsen

Food for thought..."The shrimp who falls asleep gets carried away in the current." (That's the Spanish version of "You snooze, you lose." We thought it was pretty funny.)

Letter sent Sept. 14

Hola padres!
So I tried sending an email, but I'm not sure that it worked. You'll either get zero or like twenty copies. My computer kind of froze when I went to send it. Anyway, the first day was too busy to comprehend what was going on. The second day I got a taste of reality. FRUSTRATION! I found myself starting to formulate plans for my escape. Don't worry, though, I'm sticking through to the end! Everyone told me how hard a mission would be, but no one warned me about this first week.
My companion's name is Hermana Gwynn. She's fromLogan and she was going to BYU Hawaii. She's really nice and softspoken. It's still hard for me to have to be with someone ALL THE TIME though. I guess I better get used to it and quick because I still have 18 months of it.
It's weird to hear the BYU clock tower and think that I'm not going there. The classes there are cake compared to here. They actually give you assignments. Here, you have to teach yourself.
The food here is okay, but I miss mom's cooking. I also miss my pillows. They only give us one here and you have to fold it in half to make it thick enough. But then it's hard as a rock. Good times! I love sleeping! I had a really hard time staying awake at the temple. We had to be there in time for the 7:00 session so we had to get up earlier than normal.
There are 56 branches here and we only do sacrament meeting with our branch. Relief society is combined with all the sisters and it's not all in a three-hour block for church. Everything is separate.
Here's a sample schedule for a weekday:

6:30 wake up and get ready
7:00 breakfast
7:30 - 10:05 Class (we call it the brick cell)
10:15 -11:05 Gym time
11:05 - 11:30 Prepare for next activity
11:30 Lunch
12:15 - 4:30 MDT (missionary directed time) this is when we do personal, companion, and language study.
4:30 Dinner
5:15 - 9:00 Class
9:00 - 9:30 Daily planning with companion
9:30 Get ready for bed
10:15 Quiet time
10:30 Lights out.

As you can see, there isn't much time to get ready, EVER. It's a really good thing I have the haircut that I do. We usually have to shower at night so we can be ready in time in the mornings. A lot of times I go to bed wondering if I'm going to be able to get up and do it all over again, but the Lord blesses me. I'm doing okay.
So in answer to mom's letter, I don't think adjustment is any easier than yours, but I'm hoping in the next day or two I"ll get into the swing of things and start to enjoy the work more. We have a wonderful branch president and he and his wife take extremely good care of us! (They told us they favor the sisters because they have five daughters of their own. No boys.) They are very encouraging and Sister Watkins says it's her job is to hug and spoil all of us. So no need to worry about me having all that I need.
I love you all and appreciate your prayers. I also pray for you everyday. Until next week, adios. (Literally means "to God.")

Love Herman Larsen

These are the elders at the curb to help with Heather's luggage. Eric asked if they could smile a little harder. Mom has sunglasses on to cover the puffy eyes.

One week to go!

Well, I only have seven more days until I embark on the adventure of a lifetime! Thanks to everyone for your love and support in the decision I've made to serve a mission. I've put the address for my mission home on my page so that's where you can send letters to me in a few months. I'll have my parents put my MTC address on as well, but they won't receive that until late next Wednesday night. I welcome any and all letters that you want to send to me:) If you don't want to write any letters that's okay too. It's why I made this page. My parents will post updates here from the emails that they receive from me. That way I won't have to write 10 separate letters that have identical content. I don't know how many will actually read this, but it's here for you nonetheless. Thanks againg for all of your support and help! I love you all and I'll see you in about 18 months!