8 Months Out!!

OI! 8 months yesterday! I´m getting old! I forgot my camera at home! I had some good pics from this last week! The work´s going good here. We´ve got a lot of people so close to baptism! We started off the week with a good district meeting about talking with everybody. We did a lot of practices and literally applied the training the rest of the week! My favorite thing to do is ask for directions to start a conversation (even though i know the entire city of Parnaíba practically) haha! We helped Fabio prepare his first talk as well (which he killed on sunday!) 2 of our baptisms have already given talks! I´m glad they´ve got testimonies that are real! Fabio gave me a late birthday gift on sunday too, a sick italian tie! We visited a lot of less actives this week as well. I visited one recent convert Brendo that missed the last 2 sundays. He´s 17 and thinking about a mission. It was cool to have some mission talk with him, he was telling us about his worries and one of them was different food! hahaha so i was like, well my friend, you didnt know me before the mission! We had 2 rough days where our lunches fell through, BUT we have a mom here that helps us out! The 2nd time lunch fell through, i called a chubby lady in our branch that was willing to share lunch with us :) We had an FHE thursday in Presidente Moura´s house. It was really good, the message was about how we choose our own happiness. We compared it with the story of Nephi. There´s a small scripture that says, "and it came to pass that we lived happily". Its ´pretty crazy to imagine how you can live happily and wandering in the desert 8 years, leaving your riches, getting beaten by a rod, and being rejected by family members, but it really is up to us to choose if we want to be happy or sorrowful. After appointments fall through, i think sometimes, ah screw it, lets just go home, but you can look at it another way as an opportunity to talk to someone else that you have taught before. We did a lot street lessons this week, that actually went well! Transfers are getting close, so we´re pushing hard in our work right now! Do you guys think you can send me a new set of portuguese scriptures? My set i have right now are pretty beat because i didnt have a case, but my bible is still good. I think i´m do for new shirts and pants as well. They pretty worn out and my shirts are all orange from the sunblock! hahah!

AMO VOCÊS!

-Elder Larsen

Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover....

OI!!! TUDO BOM AQUI! Congrats to Jake and Chelsea, you crazy kids! This week was very productive. I have a really good comp that has a fire lit under his butt and can keep up with me! haha! We taught a guy this week that had a huge motorcycle  accident a year ago. he showed us photos and HOLY FETCH....his head was split open to his brain...everything messed up! And today, he is completely fine! He walks normal and everything. He says he owes God one now and that he´s looking for the right religion to follow...and then we arrived..Tada! hahah but he loved everything we taught! We had a family home evening at irma lucia´s house on thursday! We gave the message and focused it on the atonement and missionary work (of course). I represented Jesus (big shoes to fill, i know) and we gave everyone a candy bar. I had to do 5 pushups for every candy bar that someone grabbed to burn their calories for them. We said that some people choose to sin sometimes and others dont, and others sin alot (people that grabbed a ton of candy bars), but regardless, the Savior paid the price for all of our mistakes. I did more than 100 pushups...After one of the leaders, Irmao Euds did an activity where we had a closed shoebox and went around to every person and said, take your anger out on this box over someone you dont like, any way you want. Everyone punched it or put a pen through it, but when it came to me i sat on it and everyone cracked up! He afterward, opened the box and there was apicture of Jesus. He said we have to be careful the way we treat others, because when we are in the service of our fellow men, we are only in the service of our God. We found some sweet families this week as well! We couldnt find a lot of families the last few weeks but now we did! We´ve had trouble bringing investigators to church as well so we fasted and were able to bring 3 young men, all 18 yrs old, to church! We ran around to every house way early in the morning to grab them because church starts at 8! They all liked it though! Everything´s going smooth here though, i really like the guys in our house. We all tease each other and have Grandma Susie jokes out the yin yang! Its so crazy, i never thought a year ago that i would be living in a house with 3 brasilians, joking around with them! But anyways, Love you guys! The Church is True!

ABRAÇÂO!

Elder Larsen

Mother's Day

Hey yall! dont have a ton of time but it was awesome talking with everyone! It was good to get a word of english out! thanks for the love and advice that all of you gave me! Today we taught a young man, rodrigo who´s 18 and is a friend of a member. He´s golden! He accepted everything! We´re going back wed. A sister in the branch took me and elder beraldi to a place called Pedra Do Sal today as well! Its rocky cove thing next to the ocean front! Really cool! We took pictures there real quick today! But other than that, i already told you everything from the last week yesterday! LOVE YA!

Elder Larsen

 

 

I will post pics later!! my computer is acting up! xoxo lacey

New Companion!!

BOM DIA!! Finally feeling better, this whole week i´ve been with diarrhea..i think i lost like 10 lbs! But i´m good now..i think! My comp got here on Wednesday, Elder Beraldi (pronounced Bear owj), from Rio! He is 22 years old and has only been a member for a little more than a year and a half! He´s a brother as well! We got in the mission the same day, but he left for the field first. He was in Açailandia for 6 months before. I´ve been spending this week showing everyone the area, including the other two elders, Puggina and Lucas. I was really stressed out the first few days because my comp is a little shy and i had to take a lot of the responsibility, but now i look at it more as an opportunity to speak more and converse. Elder Nakazoni was a really outgoing and talkative guy, so i depended on him a lot, but now roles have completely switched! I´ve been promoted to cellphone caretaker as well now, so...i guess i´m kind of a big deal. I´ve been teaching a lot of great lessons lately though with elder beraldi. He is very smart and knows his stuff. Its cool to teach with someone new and kind of get a feel of their style. We were walking in the street one day this week and elder beraldi was like, "what is Madfihgiuhvgtr?" I looked at him like he was crazy, but then i finally realized he said, "Massachusetts" hahahha! Its way different with 4 guys in the house now. Elder Puggina gets up at 4:30 everyday, dont ask me why because i have no clue! I marked for us to call from a lanhouse of a member, Amariles. She has 2 computers and said that we could call any time. I just need to know when is the best time to call you guys and what name and password do i use?

Anywho, love you guys! Be talking with you soon!

Abraço,
Elder Larsen

p.s. got 2 packages as well! THANK YOU!

New Companion- Elder Beraldi

Birthday Packages!! 

Birthday in Brazil

Bom DIA! Well, to start off, we played soccer last pday and i just want to say i scored 2 goals on brasilians! hahaha! Anyway,  dad´s right, i´m staying again in Parnaíba! I called from here on christmas and i´ll call on mother´s day too from here! hahha! Elder Nakazoni is heading to Teresina to be financial secretary, so he wont be walking or sweating for a while! And i´ll be getting a brasilian comp again that has a really hard name that i already forget! I think he has about 6 months in the field. There´s another companionship coming here as well, Elder Puggina from my group and Elder Lucas. So i´ll be back to just my old area, but i still need to show the entire area to everyone. I think this will be my last transfer here because somebody had to stay to show the area. I think this transfer will be just 5 weeks as well. I had a great birthday here. Fabio called us at night and was like guys i´m in the chapel right now, can you guys stop by and teach me the difference between priesthoods. So we ran over there and started teaching him. He was seated in the last bench in the chapel and we were turned toward him...2 minutes into teaching i hear..."PARABENS PARA VOCÊ....!" All of the youth got together and made me a cake and gave me ties and everything! I didnt even think anyone knew it was my birthday! It was really cool getting some brasilian love! Before that even, a sister in the ward gave us a full on dinner for my birthday as well! Wednesday i celebrated my birthday again at a couple´s house, Pedro and Pollyana. It was pedro´s birthday on the 24th. Had interviews for Iclé and José Ribomar this week as well, so we went on a division with the zone leaders to do them both. I stayed with E Deaver to do Iclé´s interview. It was funny at the end when he asked who she wanted to baptize her, she turned towards me and was like, Elder Larsen´s a smart alic, but i like him! hahaha! The 2 interviews went perfect! Saturday the YW had NEw Beginnings, so we helped out there a lot and watched their presentation. Afterwards, we had Iclé and José´s baptisms! Henrique, a member, baptized jose and i baptized iclé after. The place was loaded there! Almost the enitre branch was there to support! It was a really spiritual and well organized meeting! It was cool seeing the progress these two made! Iclé conversion helped a whole family that was once really active find a purpose in going to church again and jose ribomar was able to overcome an addiction to alcohol! Sunday they were both confirmed and thanked us both. Best conversions i´ve seen so far in my mission! It poured like crazy on sunday, so it made it hard for people to get to church. When it rains here, everything shuts down because nobody has a car. I´ll be looking this week for a place to Skype on mother´s day! Its getting close! Did mom´s birthday card get there yet? Love yins!

ABRAÇO

Elder Larsen

 

Best Zone = Real Bed!!

OPA! FELIZ ANNIVERSARIO para Khlo Khlo e Colty boy!! Dang everyone´s growing up! Transfers are arriving this next week so i should know this sunday! I have no clue whats happening...elder nakazoni´s been out almost a year now and is almost 7 months in the area and i´ve been out almost 7 with almost 6 months in the area. No other companionship has been together this long in the mission either! I´m hoping i will  go to Tiangua or Sao Bernardo (area that will open this transfer). i had an exciting week this last week here though. tuesday i went on a division with elder vepo and we challenged a young man to be baptized and he accepted! Wednesday i walked more than i have in my life.. Lunch was the far northeast part of parnaiba and our appointment was at jose ribomar´s which is the far southwest part of parnaiba. The people who progress the most live the farthest away!!! So later that night after walking forever, we get a call that there´s nobody at the church to teach seminary...so they leave it to the missionaries..and it was the hardest lesson about parables. parables are already hard enough in english...imagine portugues!! I finally understood it and we taught it well! Everyone was really excited and participated. Thursday went to teresina and i guess we got rewarded for being the best zone because we stayed in presidents house where the rest of the elders stayed in other missionary houses! First time i slept in AC in almost 7 months and a real bed!! I felt like the missionary on The Other Side of Heaven when he got home and slept on the floor instead of his bed! It took forever to go to sleep! It was too comfortable! The conference the next day with Elder Godoy was sweet! He spoke a lot about not being scared to invite people to act. and also that we will always be new at something in life, so be brave and live up to your potential! I got to see elder steed, elder winn, and elder pennington that i knew before the mission so that was cool. We invited Iclé to be baptized this week as well i forgot and she accepted! Her and jose ribomar will be baptized this saturday! She has been having a rough time ever since accepting though because her mom HATES the church. She said to her that she would disown her if she would be baptized. But luckily her dad supported her and gave her a thumbs up. I told her about Coralee and how her ENTIRE family disowned her after she joined the church. She did what was best for her and her own family though and look where her posterity is today! I told her that she could be the difference maker for her future family as well. Satan tempts in the most crucial times until the last second as well. She´s still going strong though! Today we´re going to the district with the zone to play futbol for my birthday! I had about 10 sisters in the ward offer for me to stop by their house for my birthday tomorrow as well! To bad i cant week weight on sweating here all day!! hahaha! Love you guys! Obrigado pelos fotos e cartas! Abraço para todo mundo!

-Elder Larsen

Guerreiro de Deus 

President's House

Chapel in Teresina

a REAL Bed to sleep on!! 

A little Faith = Miracles

ALO!! I´m alive and well! Me and Elder Nak started off the week using the bathroom 10x per day...we ate something funky, but all is good now! I went on a division this week with one of the young men in our ward, Tiago, who´s preparing to go on a mission. Elder Nakazoni went with our mission leader, Cristian. It was really successful! Dad would be proud of the numbers we did hhahah!  We taught a guy, Jose Ribomar, that has major problems with drinking. He lost everything to alcohol, including his family. He is living with his brother in law and his family who treat him very well. When we got to their house, he was shaking and really stinky being a little bit drunk still from the night before. We taught him about repentance and baptism. We told him pretty much that no treatment or anything will help his problem, only exercised faith can help. He was way humble and willing to learn and change. We invited him to be baptized and he accepted! Thursday we went to 3 public schools here and marked days that i can teach english! 1 of the schools, i taught the same day! I taught 5 classes with 50 students in every one! We made these forms explaining about missionary work and about the church in English and i taught it! The first class was a little nerve racking with all eyes on me...i almost pulled a Summer..."BOO!" hahaha! The classes were people of every age as well...even adults! Through the questionaires, we got the names and addresses of over 200 people that wrote down that they wanted a visit from us! We wont be knocking random doors for a while... Friday we visited Jose Ribomar again and WOW, he opened the door, and we saw a guy completely shaved and cleaned up in nice clothes!  What a drastic change he made in 2 days! 2 days before he looked like every other drunk with a scragly beard passed out on the sidewalk. He even talked clear and everything as well!  Strengthened my testimony of the gospel and how it can change, literally change, someone´s life!  Saturday we had Fabio´s baptism! Everything went smooth and had the support of the whole branch! People brought food and everything for after! Fabio is straight up solid and will help the branch here a lot! We later taught a young lady who is the niece of a member that wants to know more about the church! When we taught her the restoration, She cried and was like this is the answer i´ve been waiting for! We hardly even got a chance to study this week, we´ve been so busy! We started at like 9 am every day and didnt get back home until 10:30 or 11! Thats about it for this week though! More miracles coming soon!
LOVE YALL
Elder Larsen