Thursday, February 9, 2017

2-7-17 Tatou te tau faamalo ile agalelei ma le alofa o le Tapa'au Sili oi le Lagi

Family...How are you doing!??

So sorry...Our pdays have been changed to Wednesday over in our mission. That's why you didn't receive a letter on Sunday...our Monday!  Whats going on?? Whats happening?? The pics from the snowshoeing looked so fun! haha!  

Well, so this week and half is beginning to bring in the blessings that we waited a whole transfer for! We're both staying here in Faala so we'll be able to reap the benefits of our sowing! We have 4 baptisms planned for this week, Moaga, Salio, Francine, and Lina! Moaga is almost 30, and when we found him he was having a very hard time. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he has turned 180 degrees and is consistently at church. He is strong and learning to have great faith and standing up for himself with his family of another religion. Salio, Francine, and Lina are all going to get baptized this Saturday too! They're all just little guys 12, 12, and 9, but they are very smart and understand and feel the love our Heavenly Father and Savior have for each of them! Really excited for all of them!! 

Nothing absolutely life changing happened this week, but I do want to share this. There's is a MASSIVE church history book we found in our house that goes over the whole church history beginning in the late 1700's! And it shares a lot on Joseph Smith Jr... the 14 yr. old boy that with the power and authority of God, went on to become 2nd behind Jesus Christ, in shaping the world for the Second Coming of our Savior, through the Restoration of his gospel! I can't really put my finger on it, but it just brings me so much joy to read about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon which he translated with the power and authority of God! I just feel really AMAZING! And at district meeting we all wrote our testimonies about the Book of Mormon, and it was just a really nice time to contemplate and strengthen my testimony by writing it down! Which is a really nice thing for investigators, because if they can gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, then that leads to a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet called of God to restore the Church of Jesus Christ, meaning the true church of God, is now upon the earth, and more than 15 million of Gods children are working to spread it to the 4 corners of the earth! Incredible, isn't it?? I'm just so thankful to be apart of it! 

Hope you are all doing great! Sorry its a little late, love you and can't wait to here whats happening!! 
Love,
Elder Larson

PS. We were walking to some homes and came across these HUGE PIGS, just chillin like villains.
PPS. We bought tons of saimini, but it expired and made us sick, so we kind of made a little bit of a mess in the house.  haha




Nothing like a good coconut find on Pday!

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

1-29-17O Fua a nai galuega o ma'ua!


Hey FAM!!!!

What's happening!?!? Haha don't you worry, it is very hot over here! Everyday, as we begin the day, we immediately start sweating which makes for a long, wet day!

Sounds like Mom and Keats are gonna go party in the snow with snow shoes! NICE! 

So this week....
We are beginning to see the works of our labors!! Five weeks of work is beginning to pay off!! For the past 3 weeks we haven't had anyone to church. We've been working morning to night, and we're FINALLY seeing the fruits of our labors!! It adds new meaning to the scripture in Ether from Moroni..."I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. "
So this last Sunday, we were just praying that we would have some souls at church! We get to Faala 2nd ward, and no one is there. We then went to Vaitoomuli after sacrament was over, praying we would have some investigators there, and we had 2!!! Moaga and Matalena! Moaga is going to be baptized on the 11th! His only problem has been that he hasn't come to church! But he did it! And then Matalena has been kind of a toss up cause we've been hearing from everyone... but her... that she wants to take lessons, but not from her specifically! And then she just showed up to church yesterday with a member! And then this week we found another little guy that just came from Apia to live with his fam here who are all members, so after lessons...he's getting baptized on 11th with Moaga! 

And so this week we're going to begin with the First Vision with Lolofi, the sweet old lady, and please pray for her because if she were to accept baptism, it would be amazing! So PLEASE pray for her to recognize the truth! 

Well, that's us this week, and this week I was going over my notes from a conference we had with a Seventy, Elder Neilsen, that came in October, and something his wife shared has never left me and I was reminded again of it. Sometimes, not just on a mission, we start feeling discouraged because we feel like we're doing all we can to overcome trials, obey the commandments, and love God, but nothing seems to be going right. All I ask is that YOU remember this scripture that Sister Nielsen shared with us in times of trial...in the words of Christ in the book of Psalms 82...
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 

So love yous all and hope yous all have a bomb as week!! Love and miss yous all!!

Elder Larson

Ps..we officially have a bunch of pet chickens now! My comps is Linguini and mine is Gerald!