Can Ye Feel So Now?

Hello everyone! This week was a week of firsts for me. I had a two day exchanges with Sister Rascano again so I spent a good hunk of time with her, traveling and in Tigbauan. No complaints here though (Tigbauan is swag). We had our second counselor in the bishopric and his family, including a baby and a toddler, work with us This week and wow it was effective. It's really exciting to see our leadership dive into missionary work. We also had transfer calls yesterday and we found out Sister Francisquete will be transferred to La Paz! RIP #citygirl. But that means I will have two new companions. Yep it's trio life for me next cycle. Sister Sadueste and Sister Sulapas will be joining me here in Oton! I've heard nothing but great things about both of them. Now for a run down of the week with some pictures. Duh.

THIS IS WHERE THE SECTIONS START.

EXCHANGES
(see pictures)

So with Sister Rascano we worked a day in Oton and a day in Tigbauan. I'm starting to get really good at packing light but I still always forget something. While we were in Tigbauan one of their interested people gave us a full rundown on Kathniel. As in Katherine and Daniel. Pretty much the chica (tea) is they are this Celebrity Couple that's been dating for forever and they broken up and everyone is devastated. Anyway it was fun to here the Filipino celebrity drama. But Sister Rascano always have a good time working together. 

This photo is us visiting a recent convert! Winslet was baptized a few weeks ago and now her siblings are learning from the missionaries too!

I USED A MACHETE
(see pictures)

This week we got to do a service project in our neighboring Elder's area! We cleaned out an overgrown area of a part-member family's yard. It was full of old bottles and stuff and just lots of plants. Anyway I totally used a machete. And we met a guy named Washington and he said his twin brother is named George. We don't have any good pics but here ya go. 

Ps. Is that how you spell machete?

BYE BYE SISTER
(see pictures)

So Sister Francisquete is getting transferred which is sad for me but really exciting for her. She's been here in Oton for decades. I still have a week with her but it's going to be a sad transfer day for me. But I'm excited/nervous for my two new companions!

OUR INTERESTED PEOPLE
(see pictures)

So as of this moment we have a lot of interested people that have either been taught for like several months now or have maybe had one lesson. No inbetween. But one of the ones I'm most excited about is Francie. She's 16 years old and we just have the first lesson with her this week! She was super focused on what we were saying and had some really great incites from the Bible. At the end we taught her to pray and then I asked her if she would pray for us. To my utter surprised she actually said yes and gave a super solid prayer. Guys. This is big new for the first time she's ever been taught.

We also have Mel who we have been teaching for a while now. Yesterday we taught him and I felt like I needed to be super bold with him. So we taught him about the Book of Mormon again and I was like "have you prayed about this?" " Will you pray about this later tonight?". I was low key stressed but he actually said yes so we'll see how that goes.

We also taught Althea again this week and she was adorbs as usual.

SOME PICTURES OF STUFF
(see pictures)

On our way to Botong

Hehe Jollibee- *do not zoom in*.

CAN YE FEEL SO NOW?

I was studying Alma 5 this week and let me tell you- I was eating that up. Alma is teaching the people about the atonement and what it really means to experience grace and repentance. In verse 26 he says " If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" Doesn't that just hit you like a punch to the chest. Well it did for me. It made me realize how much I need repentance. I want to be able to answer yes to Alma's question. I want to sing the song of redeeming love. I realized that I know others can experience this change of heart and song of redeeming love but I have a harder time recognizing that Christ's redeeming power applies to me. I think this is a trap many of us fall into. It's much easier to believe that another can be forgiven than it is to apply the same principles to ourselves. It's easy to beat ourselves up for still being weak or making the same mistakes again. In Preach My Gospel it says "Be patient with yourself. God knows that change and growth take time. He is pleased with your sincere desires and will bless you for every effort you make". 

Growth and change take time. In order for us to truly change it can not be done by pure willpower. We need and I need Christ. We each need individual experiences with the Atonement and we need them frequently. If we turn to the Lord and truly trust that he has the power that makes us whole we too can answer "yes". While it is difficult sometimes, I'm really working to be able to answer yes. Yes I've felt to sing the song of redeeming love, yes I feel so now and yes I know that Christ's grace applies to me. 

I love you all. I love my savior. I love my family and I love this work.

Sister Larson





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