The Boys Are Back

Hello everyone! It's been another week which is unbelievable. I’m almost halfway through my mission which is more than mind blowing. I swear I just finished my training. Anyway its been a solid week. The highlight was 100% Pearl's baptism!!!! I also realized I have been writing my haikus wrong. I've let down Ms. Tompson, my 8th grade English teacher. Rip.

PEARL

She made it! Pearl got baptized!! She passed her interview on Tuesday and was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! 

The day of her baptism we were having a really hard time coordinating with the branch so we went super early to the chapel to make sure everything was ok. And it's a good thing we did. There was no water in the font, the room was filthy and there was no program. Then the handle to fill up the font was super stuck and we couldn't figure out how to stop the drain. I was about 2 minutes from putting rocks over the drain and filling that font bucket by bucket if I had to, when the Powells and the San Jose B Elders showed up and fixed the font. I kinda wish I had just said it was broken and then we maybe could have done it in the ocean. Lifehack for next time. 

Pearl was so happy. After she was baptized we met her in the CR and she was smiling ear to ear and she said “I'm so happy!”. She bore her testimony about how she knows The Book of Mormon is true and I might have cried a little. Also our recent convert Jhea was there and she is single handedly supporting the youth in this branch.

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THE BOYS ARE BACK

You know that part in highschool musical when troy and chad dance around the junkyard and restore their friendship through song and dance? That's how this week felt. We visited our baptismal candidates this week and they are doing good. The title is relevant because they are boys. 

ABU, JOVIE AND TAY!

For those of you following abu and jovie we visited them a few times this week. We were prepared to remove Tatay's baptimial date so we were kinda bummed. But then suddenly Tatay joined our lesson so we approached the subject of his baptism and shared Pearl's story. Then we pretty much were like “so hey are you getting baptized?” And he was like “yes”. I was flabbergasted. He said he realized he wants to feel happy like that. So we reset his baptisimal date and he said he'll go to church now so let's see how that goes. Everyone pray for Tay!

TOTO RIC AND JOEMER

Christian Ric has been on-date for a long time but this past week his less-active dad came with him to church!! He will hopefully be baptized in the next few weeks!

Joemer is 9 years old and his whole family is members but he was never baptized. We visited them this week and he pulled out the picture of the waters of Mormon at the front of the Book of Mormon. And I was like “ oh my gosh Joemer you're literally in this picture”. And he was like “no way” and I was like “you're literally right here”. He didn't believe me but he was so excited that he could be a part of something like that picture. Anyway we asked him if he wanted to get baptized and he said yes! The next day he came running into church by himself and gave me a hug! He said “my dad dropped me off and now I'm here at church!” Presh.

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BIERNES SANTO

- don't comment on my spelling I'm not from here ok

So the people here don't super celebrate Easter but they really focus on and celebrate Holy Week, or the week leading up to Christ's death. It's really focused on his crucifixion and the saints and stuff. Here they actually legit crucify people. People volunteer to reenact. They walk the streets carrying crosses and whipping themselves. And there's like a parade with big statues of saints, “santos” on each float. The crucifixion wasn't in our area so I didn't see it, but I got a picture of one of the santos. Also they believe that good friday is a cursed day it's called Biyernes Santos. So everything was closed and there were no people in the streets. The few people we were able to talk to just kept telling us to be careful. It was super interesting to learn how other cultures celebrate easter. Definitely worth the google.

I got permission to take this picture from the tatay in the background:).

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I BELIEVE IN CHRIST

These past few weeks have been challenging for me but I have learned so much about Christ's atoning power. I read Elder Holland’s talk “Laboring in the Vineyard” again and his final remarks really struck me. He said “Please listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of this labor. Don't delay. It's getting late.” Paul added his remarks in Romans chapter 8. He commented how “the sufferings at this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” through Christ's universal atonement. His atonement is so universal, infinite and perfect that it does not matter what path we take to get there or how long it takes. What matters is that we choose to come back to Christ. Just come back.

In church this week we sang “I Believe In Christ” as the opening hymn and Sister Pernitez and I kinda both cried a little. It was the fullest I have ever seen that chapel and we were all joining together to testify that Christ lives. My favorite line is “ I believe in Christ; so come what may”. I do believe in Christ and I would ask you all to try and do the same.

Love you lots

Sister Larson