I went through the temple in Spanish on Saturday!! It was AWESOME! I felt like I was going through for the first time again. The spirit was so strong! One of my first progressing investigators received his endowment and we were able to be there. It was Henry. After doing a session we went to a sealing. The very first couple that I visited in the mission is now sealed in the temple. The Alas family. It was so amazing. I was very grateful that I got to see the progress of so many people manifested in the covenants that they made in the temple. Besides that, it had been FOREVER AND A HALF since I had gone. It was a super long day, though, and my companion and I were pretty dead for the rest of the night. We got home and planned after a couple of lessons that evening and then I went straight to bed at 9:30. Some other missionaries called at 10:20 to ask about an exchange that we're going to do with them. I remembered talking to her, but I couldn't remember exactly what I had said the next day so I called her back. Luckily, we had a coherent conversation even though there were, indeed, some parts of it that I didn't remember.

So here is a miracle that I hope I never forget. There is a man in our branch that has been inactive for more than a year. We went to visit him in the beginning of February with his wife (she's active). Before we went over, we had been visiting with a member of the Relief Society Presidency. She was planning the Valentine's Day activity and was looking for someone to be a DJ for the dance they were going to have afterward. She found out we were going to visit Brother Alpire and asked if we would ask him for her since she knew that he had done some of the branch dances in the past. Well, we got to his house a few days later and this man was way sarcastic with us the whole time. At times he was pretty rude and he made it obvious, or so we thought, that he didn't really want to come back to church. We asked if he could do the activity and he said that he would only do it if a certain brother from the branch called to ask him. We set everything up, he got the call he wanted, and then came to the activity and did the music.

That, in and of itself, I suppose could be a miracle. But it gets even better. My companion had the thought the next day to make a thank you card for him and have the relief society sign it. She said she thought it would be a nice gesture, I think it was inspired. She put the card together, and we took it to church and passed it around the Relief Society. It got put in the mail a few days later and we forgot about it after that. The following Sunday we got a special surprise at church. Hermano Alpire. He told us that he was back to church to stay and asked when we were going to come visit with him and his wife. We set up the appointment for the following Sunday. The next Sunday (this fast Sunday) we were sitting in sacrament meeting listening to testimonies. I looked up on the stand to see Hermano Alpire sitting there waiting to bear his testimony. I was SHOCKED. I couldn't understand what had caused him to come to church in the first place, let alone bear his testimony. I would soon find out.

He stood up and started talking about how he hadn't been coming to church for quite a while and said that he was waiting for a visit from the missionaries. Some sisters finally went to the house to visit them. After that he started thinking about going back to church, but still didn't really want to. Then, he got a card from the sisters in the church after he did the activity. He explained how he felt so much love from the branch and that when he read that card he knew that he needed to come back to church. As he was bearing his testimony he started to cry and said that he knew that God was aware of his needs and thanked the relief society for that card that made him come back. Hermana Barrero and I were both sitting there with our jaws dropped all the way to the floor. We had no idea that a thank you would have so much of an impact in the life of someone. When we went to their house later that evening his wife brought the card in to us. He grabbed it and opened it up to read the notes again and said, "This is the card that changed my life. I put it in the living room next to the pictures to remind me." He handed it to us and I almost started to cry. The man that we were visiting was completely different from the one we had visited the first time. His heart had been touched, softened, and changed all because of a "thank you." Don't underestimate the power of those two words. They can change the direction of someone's entire life. I'm grateful that my companion was following the spirit when she decided to make that card.

After that the conversation changed to when we were going to finish our missions and come back and visit. I told him that it wouldn't be long until I was back with my family. He told me that when we come back we already have a meal planned with them in their house. By the way, he's Bolivian. They never let me down:)

Sounds like I'm not even going to recognize home when I get there. You better send some pictures quick:) I'm excited to see. So here are a few random pictures. The car and mailbox are from when we had the ice storm. That was crazy. I've never seen one of those before. In one of the other pictures you can see a bruise on my arm. Yep...I'm still clumsy. Especially when water and stairs are involved. Haha! I thought for sure that I had broken my tailbone in that fall. It was a rough night to try and sleep after that. No worries, though. I got better in about a week. Ask me about it when I get home. It's a good story. The other picture is me with my companion, Hermana Barrero. She's great. We're hoping that they leave us together for the next transfer. Yep, we have transfers next Thursday. Everyone pray that I don't have to pack my bags yet again. Here's a secret, though. I still haven't unpacked all the way. Just my desk. I decided that it's just easier to live out of my suitcases. I have to give a talk in sacrament meeting on Sunday. I thought I was going to get through my whole mission without having to do that, and then they give me an assignment right at the end. Great! That's okay. It'll be good practice. Interesting how you think that missionaries get really good at giving talks on the mission. I haven't had much experience with that, but I have learned how to have a lesson. That's different, though, because you get to have a conversation with the people who are listening to you. I feel like when I just give talks I make everyone fall asleep. Oh well, maybe someone needs the naptime;) Well, meet our newest investigator. Marvin. His story is actually pretty funny. We talked to him last Sunday night for a really long time outside on his friend's porch and tried to set a return appointment with him at the end of our lesson. He almost agreed to meet us at a set time the following Saturday and then last minute just decided that we should leave a card with our number on it and he could call us to set something up. Normally, in the mission world that means, "I don't want to have anything to do with you and I just want you to stop talking to me." So, of course, we erased him from our plans for that Saturday. On Friday we got a call from a number that we didn't recognize. My companion answered the phone and when he told her that it was Marvin she had no idea who he was. We both had completely forgotten. It wasn't until he asked if we were still going to meet the next day that she remembered. He actually called back! I think that is definitely a first in my mission. Who knows, though, I have a terrible memory. So we met him at the library the next day and had a pretty good first lesson. He's from Guatemala and is really good at talking a lot if you let him get away with it, but it's fun teaching him. We taught Carmen again today. She came really close (or so we thought) to a decision to be baptized without us even asking, but then explained clearly to us that she would need a lot of time and patience from us before that happens. The good news is, though, that she's doing everything she needs to in order to progress towards that. We're pretty faithful that it's going to happen, we just don't know when. Remember her in your prayers! Have a happy Valentine's Day! I love you all! Hermana Larsen

Well, I'm sure everyone is dying to hear the details about my new area. So here they are...I live in Annandale, VA. We live with members in a very...VERY...VERY large house. They go to an american ward so we just see them in passing when we leave in the morning and get home at night. We get a room and bathroom in the basement and share the whole downstairs with them (except they hardly ever use it) which includes: foosball, ping-pong, a pool table, dvd player with projector and surround sound, and lots of space to move around. We also pretty much have free reign over the kitchen and she provides all the dishes and spices. Nice! Don't worry, we only use the dvd player for church movies and exercise videos in the morning:) It's fun watching stuff in sign language and trying to pick it up. The recent convert that we visit only does American Sign Language in answer to Mom's question, but her family only speaks spanish and is working on learning sign language. That's why we visit them.

My companion is Hermana Nichols. She was going to the Air Force Academy before coming on a mission. She claims Colorado as her home and she's a really hard worker, which makes me very, very happy. I would be completely fine with finishing my mission in this area. There are a lot of challenges that we face, but a lot of blessings that are received. Hermana Nichols has been here for about 6 months so she's pretty sure that I'm going to be taking over the area after this transfer. That means that I drive all the time so I can learn my way around. Speaking of driving, we drive a Chevy Malibu. Man those cars are fat! It's so hard to turn around in them. I feel like I'm driving the old Impala again except if I have to back up my companion has to get out of the car and help me. Not fun. Remind me when I go shopping for a car (not that that's going to happen any time soon) to get a car with a good turning radius. These things are ridiculous!

Well, I don't have a whole lot of stories for you because I'm still trying to remember everyone's names here. I'll try and think of something better for next week. Love you!

Hermana Larsen

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays. I really enjoyed them. Especially since I got to be back in the spanish program. I love these people so much!

It was an interesting day at church on Sunday. I had to translate all of sacrament meeting and all of Relief Society. It was especially difficult because it was fast and testimony meeting. Towards the end we had already gone over time and one of the members of the bishopric stood up to say that only those that were on the stand would be able to bear their testimonies and he asked them to keep it under one minute. Instead of saying less in their testimonies, they spoke faster. It's so hard to be listening and speaking at the same time. I felt like my head was going to explode. I was really worried about it, but the sisters that I was translating for really seemed to enjoy the meeting, even though parts of it were made up...oops. I still have a long way to go before I know spanish.

After church that day we went to visit with some recent converts. They're awesome (probably due to the fact that they're from Bolivia). Anyway, we went and read a chapter from the Book of Mormon. We read 3 Nephi 17. One of my favorites. It was especially fun to think about how Christ prayed for all of the people there. Can you imagine? I started thinking about what Christ would pray for if he were praying for me. Kind of interesting to think about and I'm not sure I ever came up with anything for an answer, but it would be really special to hear a prayer like that. When we got to the part where the children are surrounded by fire and angels come and minister to them I was about ready to cry because I felt the spirit so strongly thinking about how that happens so many times in our lives and we don't even recognize it. Undoubtedly the Lord sends angels to minister to us every day. I decided that I was going to watch for them from now on. Not that I'll be able to see them, but I bet if we were all looking for little miracles every day that we would feel them. All we have to do is become like a little child. Sounds easy, right? Haha. But it's a good goal to have for the New Year.

Les quiero mucho.

Feliz año nuevo!

Hermana Larsen

Happy New Year everyone! It was great to hear from you all. One thing Blair said to me has been stuck in my head ever since Christmas. "Sprint to the finish Hermana Larsen." That's exactly what I'm going to do. I have a feeling that I'm going to see more miracles in these last two transfers than I've seen in the previous ones. Rumor has it that at transfers I'll be going back to the Sudley branch...my first area. Hopefully that's true. If that happens I'll be serving with a missionary from Venezuela. She was born in the U.S., though. The best part is... she's a really hard worker:) We're gonna tear it up! So here's a great miracle for you. Do you remember Grover? Yes, the one that's preparing to serve a mission. (By the way, he loved the scriptures and was impressed that his name was spelled correctly. Good work Mom.) Well, when I was there we were never able to meet at his house because his parents didn't want to have anything to do with the church. They also wouldn't give his little sister permission to take the lessons. Well, I went on exchanges back to Bella Vista a couple of days after Christmas and found out that the elders have really started winning the hearts of the family. Hermana Trepanier and I went to buy some dinner from them (I really wanted Bolivian food and they happen to sell it) and had a short lesson with Grover and his sister. I found out the next day that the elders went by and set his sister with a baptismal date AND his mom agreed to take the lessons! They are going to try and get his sister baptized before Grover goes to Bolivia in three weeks so that he can be the one to baptize her. If that happens then they're going to invite me so that I can see it. I'm so excited for them! He's been such a good example for his family. Pray for them! Especially that his mom will hear the lessons with an open heart and mind. I loved the whole exchange in Bella Vista. I got to eat more tongue! If I really had a strong stomach I would cook it for you when I get home, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet. I do just fine eating it and it tastes pretty good, but there is no way you're going to get me to touch a raw cow tongue. Not even with tongs... Don't worry, Mom, I took really good notes on how to make tamales. We're going to have to stop at a latin grocery store on the way home from the airport so we can spend some time in the kitchen. You'll be happy to know that I haven't changed much since the beginning of my mission. Apparently I still don't talk much. We were visiting with some members last night and one of them was the one that gave the lesson in the gospel principles class. He was asking how we liked the lesson and we told him that it was really good. He started telling Hermana Aulava that it was my fault that he didn't finish the lesson on time. She started playing along and they started teasing me about how I "never stop talking". Clearly this was a sarcastic conversation. We mentioned that we would be having transfers next week and he said that Hermana Aulava would be glad to get rid of me so that she could get a word in every once in a while in the lessons:) Yup...we had some good laughs at that one. It's not true all the time. I do talk to people. It has gotten better since I started, but sometimes I still have problems coming up with conversation starters. I also like observing people first before I start interacting with them. I think I still have a long way to go. I got some good notes from everyone in the ward yesterday. Tell them thanks. They all told me about how Dad is doing such a wonderful job as bishop. Except Brother Rasmussen. He just wanted to know how the Redskins are doing:) I think he's asking the wrong person. Haha! I have no idea. Anyway, I'll be sending a letter for the ward soon to thank them...hopefully. I'm excited for New Year's Eve. I can't believe that it's already going to be 2011. Anyway, we're going to watch Toy Story 3. It better be good! Enjoy the Chinese food! Save some eggrolls for me! Love you,Hermana Larsen