Alma 26

Alma 26:27

“ Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto the sucess.”

GOD'S WORK

☆ The inactive father of one of our recent converts came back to church after years of inactivity and their family was finally complete. It's not a baptism but its a forever family.

☆ The Niño family- we met the Niño family this week and they are already reading the Book of Mormon. We asked the Father to offer the closing prayer and he was shy but offered the sweetest prayer for his family. On Sunday Sister came and brought her two youngest children. She didn't want to leave them so we attened primary with them. Best chuch experience I've had in a long time.

☆ Tatay Benji- We shared about the Book of Mormon to Brother Benji and asked him how he would feel if he cohld hold the gold plates. He said “that would be the luckiest person in the world”. When we explained to him that he was in fact holding the gold plates when he was holding the Book of Mormon, he shared the sweetest testimony about how important it is to read the Book of Mormon and act on what it says. He came to church the next day. The Book of Mormon is powerful.

☆ There is a grandmother in our ward who always brings her two grandkids to church. One is a recent convert and the other wants to be baptized but her father will not allow it. Both kid's mother's are inactive members. But on Sunday both of these sweet sisters came to church with their kids. Even if they had to do it without their husbands, they made it a priority to bring their kids to church. 

☆ We had 5 interested friends at church after a few weeks of almost no one keeping commitments.

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Alma 26:30

“ And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of salving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.”

MLC ADVENTURES

MLC always gives me the spiritual boost I need to keep pushing. And of course I get to see some of my besties. 

I tried the neck pillow but I mostly just felt like a bulgarian sausage being strangled. Also none of us threw up #goforgold.

Iloilo Mission MLC- sometimes it's tough to report on our zone especially when our own area is struggling, but legit it has taught me so much humility.

Kalibo zone YMLs- Sister Panuelos, Elder Andersen ag Elder Idaloy. RO ANWANG GAEOG GAEOG SA EOGAN EOGAN. Its an akeanon joke. #palihoguswagkalibozone

Pandan zoneeee YMLs- we're only a part of this zone because we have sisters in Boracay but STILL. uswag Pandan.

HI SISTER PANUELOS. I always think I tanned a little and then I see even just one picture of myself and realize. Wait. That's not actually true. But, Sister Panuelos is sooooo baskoggggg. 

pov. Elder Kunz just spilled the spiciest chica and we are chismosa. 

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USWAG NUMANCIA

I've mentioned before and many of you know but it's been a little bit tough out here. But we are finally seeing some really progress in our ward. We did a workshop on how to minister and fellowship. And someone took this pic. Its not the greatest pic I've even seen and brother is definitely asleep at the front but. Yah. Actually the spirit was so strong.

Later that night our Bishop and Ward Mission leader worked with us. I don't know how to emphasize enough how much that was not the case when I got here.

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Alma 26:12

“ Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.”

It's been tough. It's been frustrating. It's been, on occasion, straight up depressing. There seems to be little fruit of my labor. This week God reminded me the worth of one soul is great in his eyes. But through all this God's greatest work has been me. He has changed me. In loosing myself I have found myself. Even though it has been a refining, pruning and hair-loss enducing experience, God has made me more than I belived I could be. 

I know that God lives. This is Christ's church on earth today. We are his instrumets to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. God loves each of His children. The Book of Mormon is the most correct book of earth and if we read it will can become new creatures. Repentance is real because Christ atoned for us. I know these things to be true and in the name of Jesus Christ, my personal savior, amen.

SISTER LARSON

ILOILO, PHILIPPINES MISSION

AUGUST 2023- DECEMBER 2024