Chapter 37: Tales of Answered Prayers

Hiya!

This week has been pretty fantastic. First off: I got to go on a field trip! To South Shields, another area in my zone. I went on an exchange and got to be companions with Sister Ahola for the day. She's still in training, so it was fun to be with a missionary who's actually younger than me, in real life and mission life. So that was awesome.

Me and sister Ahola! 

I still make ridiculous faces. #somethingsneverchange

And then we had awesome lessons with Zhang Yi and Rui Feng. I didn't have any Avatar analogies this time, but they are both making such great progress! Zhang Yi talked to us about how he thinks he's finding answers to prayers, and he said, "I think maybe we can get answers to our prayers from other people. Does that ever happen?" And we told him yes, yes it does. Then Rui Feng said to us excitedly, "I actually like reading the Book of Mormon now! The more I read it, the more I love it!" And we were able to tell her, "We love it too!" So this week our lessons have been amazingly spiritual. I could tell that in them, it wasn't just our investigators who were growing spiritually, it was my companion and me as well. 

Big ship from Russia 

Pretty South Shields right by the River Tyne 

To top it off, Sunday was great. I'd been praying all week with a problem I was having, and then on Sunday morning during personal study I happened to be reading Alma 5, a chapter that answered my question. And all of the talks and lessons in church on Sunday kept answering my question and gave me further ideas for how I need to fix my problem! One of the speakers in sacrament meeting told about her conversion story and how her prayers were answered. She said that it was amazing to her how, despite the fact that millions of prayers are offered around the world all the time, Heavenly Father knew her and listened to her prayer and gave her an answer she could recognise. I know that is true.

So this week I hope you all are listening to the still, small voice, because Heavenly Father is just waiting to answer our prayers and help us. I know He listens to us and loves us. I love you all! Have an awesome week. 

Love,

Sister Larson

Baptism on Saturday!
Me, Angela (member), Sister Lu, Sophie (investigator/recent
convert of other sisters,) Sister Monroy, Sister Rossi

We were playing around on Sister Monroy's camera

Chapter 36: Avatar Aang Saves the Day

Hello everyone!

This week was super awesome. First off, our Chinese members, and some of the investigators, go to go to the temple!! Yay! All of the members did baptisms for the dead and the investigators got to walk around and enjoy the Spirit on the temple grounds. It made me a bit jealous, I wanted to go so bad, but I'm glad they had that opportunity. It made me realise how much we need to go the temple when we can. It's an act of service, but it's also necessary for our own spiritual growth. So, go to the temple when you have the chance!! 

I had a great learning experience this week. We were teaching Zhang Yi, our investigator, about the gospel of Jesus Christ and explaining the five steps back to Heavenly Father: faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. He didn't really get it, so in a moment of inspiration, I realised that I needed to liken this doctrine to him. I knew he watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, and of course, I watched that too, so I did a bit of an analogy. Just like Aang needed to master four elements to fulfil his purpose, we need to take these five steps to fulfil our mortal purpose. But he doesn't master any of those elements in a day. It takes weeks of learning and daily practise to get there. Same with the five steps: we don't gain faith overnight. Repentance doesn't happen after one prayer. And endure to the end? That takes a lifetime! It is through the small daily decisions and actions that we begin to climb those steps back to Heavenly Father. And just as Aang mastered the elements and became the Avatar, so can we fully envelop the gospel of Jesus Christ into our very beings and return to our Father in Heaven to an eternity of happiness, peace, and continuing creation. 

So yeah, I was rather pleased that I could help him understand that doctrine a bit better, (he loved the analogy) and I was so grateful that I could receive divine help when I needed it most. Remember that if you don't understand something about the gospel or think it doesn't apply to you - it does. Just try and you'll find the inspiration you need to make it make sense to you personally. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week! Keep on keepin' on! :)

Love,

Sister Larson

P.S. The pic is of my district! Elder Thompson, Elder Adams, Sister Monroy, Sister Lu, me and Sister Rossi are probably the most awesome district ever, full stop. :)

My box that holds my cool Chinese/pinyin/English Book of Mormon.
I'm so proud of it. It looks so awesome. I'm awesome.

Pretty fall leaves! By a cool old church that I forgot to take a picture of. (oops) 

Good thing there are five thousand cool old churches in Newcastle.

Me and my companion! Early to a tea appointment, so we had time for a few selfies.

Chapter 35: More Teaching and Possible Flynn Rider Sighting in Newcastle

Hiya everyone!!

This week has been so great in so many reasons. First off, we did some awesome finding this week and found a lot of new investigators! It was so great because with most of them, we scheduled a teaching appointment right there on the street in our first contact with them. So many miracles.

One of these street contacts was an awkward-awesome moment for us. We had met this guy on the street and set up an appointment with him at a certain time. He showed up on time and brought a girl with him. We were like "Sweet! Two people!" And then we asked him sort of awkwardly, "So, is this your friend? Classmate?" And she just smiles and says "No, I'm his wife." And we were like .... uh, that was really unexpected but hey cool! It just makes me wonder what he thought I was after when I stopped him on the street and asked if he was a student and could we maybe meet up with him sometime.... Either way, the lesson went well with them, and so hopefully we will be able to continue teaching them! 

Also this week, we had a spiritually enlightening weekend... Not only was it Conference, but right before the Sunday "Morning" Session (it airs at 5 pm here in Jolly Old England) the Elders had a baptism!! Doris had a great baptismal service, the Spirit was so strong and she bore the sweetest testimony towards the end. She said, "My friend told me it was going to rain and be cloudy today, but right before my baptism, the sun came out and it was warm. I know that Heavenly Father is proud of my decision and I'm so glad I decided to be baptised." So amazing!

General Conference was wonderful! I noticed a pattern of speakers talking about how we need to put God first in our lives, and also that He is the source of all knowledge and truth: not other people, certainly not the Internet, and not ourselves. I know this is true. I have seen people progress and change for the better when they pray and read their scriptures, and I've seen people stay stagnant and struggling when they don't. So remember that Heavenly Father is the ultimate source of light and help!

I love you all and hope you have amazing weeks! 

Love,

Sister Larson

We celebrated Sister Rossi's birthday last p-day and had a little surprise birthday party!
We even had the birthday song in Italian for her. :)

 All of us with the beautiful Newcastle sights of the Tyne Bridge and Gateshead Millenium Bridge.

 Random creepy mannequins that looked Halloween-ish, even if they weren't meant to do so.

The random bar is because it said Flynn's bar and i figured that apparently before Eugene Fitzherbert settled down and changed his name, he owned a bar in Newcastle. I thought I was really funny, but none of the people I was with got it. *sigh*  The struggles of being the only American in your flat.

Chapter 34: Barbie Queue!

Note:  Meagan apparently was very excited about this Barbie Queue, however it is not mentioned in the letter itself, only the subject of her message, and in the caption for a picture.  We're sure it was a very fun event.

Helloooo everyone!

This week was really busy. We were teaching so much! It's been so great to be here in Newcastle with so many Chinese people.

Some of the most exciting news is that we have two new investigators who are scheduled to be baptised! Izzie and Jessie are both uni students, of course, and they are both so awesome. Izzie came with us to church after meeting her on the street once, and then we started teaching her. She is really starting to like being with the members and learning about Jesus Christ. Jessie is pretty quiet and shy, but she has a lot of faith and is very accepting of the doctrine we teach.

This is us with Yiling, an investigator, and her daughter Ellen for a birthday celebration for my companion, whose birthday was a few weeks ago.

Zhang Yi is also doing well, he has some conflicts with political affiliation and being baptised, but he is reading his Book of Mormon and continuing to feel the Spirit, and that's the most important thing anyone can do in their study of the gospel.

Our Chinese group also had two new members come in to it! They've been members for a while, but it's exciting to see new faces and have more people to help build up the Chinese area of Newcastle!

This is us at the ward Barbie Queue last Saturday!!
Izzie is standing right next to me with the gray jacket.
The rest are either members, investigators, or random Chinese people.
I love how I'm the only white person.

Well this week has also taught me a lot about humility. One of my favourite scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants says: "Be thou humble and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers."

I love this because of course we all need the Lord's help. There isn't anything we can do on our own. So if we are just willing to confide in Him and ask for His divine help and then do all we can, we will receive answers and the strength to get done all that we need to get done.

I love you all so much! Have a great week! Remember to read your Book of Mormon and say your prayers. :)

Love,
Sister Larson

Chapter 33: Meagan Learns Math: Faith+Work=Miracles!

Hello everyone!

This week has been really really great. All of the new students have finished arriving here in time for school to start today! So our finding efforts have been really good. We met one Chinese girl on the street on Friday and within five minutes of talking to her she said she would come to church with us! She loved church and had a great experience, so that was one miracle.

Sister Rossi, me, Sister Monroy, Sister Lu -
They said make a funny face, i apparently missed the hidden meaning of
"Make a funny face, but make it look cute."

Also at church on Sunday, we had our Chinese sacrament meeting, where we go into a different room and with all the Chinese people have the meeting all in Chinese. I was asked to give a talk for this meeting - and I was super nervous. But I think it went well. The best part was that all of the speakers spoke about the Book of Mormon and how it can change lives.

Me, Rachel, Sis. Monroy, Lee, and Sister Lu -
Rachel is our investigator and Lee is a member. They're both so great!

Which leads into the biggest miracle - last night, we called an investigator to invite him to an activity and said we missed him at church. He said he was sorry, he slept in, but then he said very excitedly, "I read the Book of Mormon and I felt something really different, it felt so good! When can we meet and have another lesson together?" Sister Lu and I were pleasantly shocked - this investigator earlier had flat-out rejected our invitation to be baptised, and then here he was, wanting to meet with us, excited about the Book of Mormon! It made my week and truly testified to me of the power of the Book of Mormon.

Me and Sister Lu, waiting for the bus and trying to keep ourselves entertained. :) 

In sacrament meeting, a speaker talked about how the Book of Mormon is like the textbook for our lives. We can learn so much from it and we will find ourselves truly prepared for all that lies ahead, if we first just crack it open and study it. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, I know its lessons apply to all of us. Reading it every day truly will bless our lives and allow us to feel the love of God, just like it did for our investigator.

I love you all and hope that this week went well! 

Love,

Sister Larson

Chapter 32: Come, Let Us Anewcastle

Hi everyone!

So this week something finally exciting happened to me: I went to Newcastle! Yay! It has been so fun being here already. There are so many more Chinese people, and a lot of great Chinese members to get to know and teach.

First off, we had a fireside this Sunday where our mission president came and spoke. He was pretty great, but the highlight was our potential investigator, Anna, who came. She said that she loved the hymns and that she feels safe and calm in the chapel. It was so great! We are probably going to start teaching her this week, and I'm just so excited. Yay for a bigger teaching pool! 

Me and Sister Rossi, a sister in my flat, wearing our super-cute onesies. :)

We also got to work with some recent converts, Freddie and Paul. They both were baptised in August and they're both really amazing. Paul just gave his first talk in sacrament meeting this week, in English none the less, and he did so great. His testimony is so strong and simple. My favourite thing he said was that he felt happy when he passed the sacrament for the first time, and that he knew it was because he was serving others.

Me and Sister Lu, my new companion!
She's cute and she's really good with being bold and finding people.

So of course I miss Hull, because Newcastle is a lot bigger with more people and I'm a lot busier. But I love it! I know my e-mails have been lackluster lately, probably because I was in a rut with being stuck in my old area. But with the new area, I've found that I've been trying even harder to be exactly obedient and improve myself. 

It's the same with living the gospel: sometimes we get stuck in a rut and we don't know where to go up. We just have to figure out a way to change something, even if it's not as drastic as moving to a new area, and then we will be able to be on the up-and-up once more. 

I hope you all have had a wonderful week! Love you all!


Love,
Sister Larson

Chapter 31: Bound for the promised land!

Dajia hao! (hello everyone!)

That's right, it's transfer time and I am leaving Hull to go to NEWCASTLE!!! I am super duper excited. That is the area where the video I sent last week was talking about. That will be the ward I will serve in. And the Asian missionary is my new companion, Sister Lu! 

Me and my comp with our hair braided together.  We're so weird.

My farewell party with the Wilemans! They decorated the kitchen with a Beauty and the Beast theme, so cute.

So this past week was basically just stressing about transfers, trying to get everything ready, and saying good-bye to the members and investigators here. I've been going through ups and downs of sadness and excitement, but I know that the Lord will send me where I need to go. I'm also way excited to improve my Chinese because there are so many Chinese members in Newcastle. 

Me with the young single adults: my comp, Vania, Toni, me, Victoria

The other highlight of the week was talking to Tina, one of the Chinese less actives here. She has been pretty great and we've seen her almost every week, but this past week she really really opened up to us and we had a wonderful conversation with her about life and how to deal with the challenges she's facing. We basically just pointed her towards the scriptures and prayer because we both know that those are the only sources of true peace and happiness. Heavenly Father wants to talk to us and bless us, but first we need to approach Him and ask humbly for His help. 

Well I hope that everything has been going well for all of you! Remember that there is always one you can turn to for any problem or trial, and He will always listen to your prayers. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Larson

Me with the districts in Hull and Beverley

A few extra notes from Meagan's letter to the blogmaster (dad):

They call it the Promised Land because there's so many Chinese people and lots of investigators all the time. It's where Sister Dahneke jsut was, I'll be serving with her baby, Sister Lu, from Guangdong, China. I will be taking Sis. Huang's place. So I'm just following my mom all around. but i'm way excited and kind of nervous.  my chinese is going to improve so much, so yay, but I just hope i can keep up and know what's going on! i know i definitely can't get lazy and need to be remembering how to teach the lessons.