It was a "Double-Door-Slammin', People-Chasing-Us-Down-The-Street" kind of week...And I loved every second of it.

Dear People of my life that I adore(:

This past week has been a bit of a roller-coaster to say the least.

We were able to go on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders on Wednesday. I FINALLY got to go to Kelowna and work with YSA. I was pretty happy about that. I don't know if I've just lived in Oliver too long or what, but Kelowna is super fast-paced. It's the "big city" compared to our tiny little town. I loved it though. We found quite a few new investigators and Sister Holm and Sister Willmore found SEVEN NEW INVESTIGATORS for us in Oliver. SOOOO thankful for that. We have been having kind of a hard time finding people to teach that actually "stick with the program" for more than one lesson. So that was a blessing. A huge one.

Thursday after exchanging back we did our weekly planning. Then that night when we went finding, (which I love consecrated finding time by the way. like i really do just adore it with all my heart. every mission should do it.) we found 2 more NI (new investigator)!!! that was super great. One of them we have already met with since then and said she's not ready to change right now and the other one we have a return appointment with on Thursday so hopefully all goes well with that! We also met a lot of really awesome potentials that night while finding. People in this area really are the best. We talked to this one lady who said she used to be Pentecostal but doesn't really believe in God anymore but she wasn't interested in talking, but I was super curious about these shell looking things that were sitting on her porch. These shells were gigantic and there was a big huge pile of them. Before we knocked I said "look at all those shells!!" and Sister Holm was like "they're not real. there's no way." so i said I would ask after we were done talking to whoever answered the door. The lady said that yes they were real and she got them on the Island. She goes every year and there's always bunches of them sitting all over on the beaches there, so she said we could each take one and we did. They are called "Moon Snail Shells" and they are so beautiful. There was also this other guy we met who showed us that he had a Book of Mormon from 1983 (I think she might mean 1893, haha)!!! So crazy. But it was super neat.

Friday we went and got lunch at Subway and there was a guy with an axe there. So that was a little odd. We also had a super fantastic lesson with R. and since he is first nations (native) he does a lot of cool paint stuff with rocks and drums and all that, so he let us each have a painted rock too. I love that people just love to give us stuff haha I think it's so neat!!

Saturday was a pretty great day. We found 2 NI, one of whom is the daughter of one of our Sikh investigators. She is 14 and seems very open-minded and willing to learn. The other one is this super sweet old German man whose wife died a couple years ago, so Plan of Salvation will play a huge role in teaching him. Also, Saturday night was the night we got one door slammed in our face not just once, but twice, because apparently it didn't slam hard enough the first time. So there's that. Haha Sister Holm and I were trying so hard not to laugh on their porch. We had to hold it in til we were a little ways away. I still love these people so much though. They rock.

Sunday was a great day. I just love the Sabbath. It was also a super crazy day. So we went to church and that was great. As the sacrament was coming around, I took a piece of bread but I also accidentally knocked one off into my lap..so Sister Holm decides that she'll just eat that one haha we were trying SOO HARD to be reverent, but it was difficult. Then the F.'s (super awesome less-active hungarian family), who had seen what had happened, just shook their heads at us and they were trying not to laugh too. It was a pretty great day at church. Then after church we get this phone call from President Tilleman (our mission president) saying we needed to come up to Kelowna (a 2 hour drive) so we could be interviewed by him. We ran home super quick, packed an overnight (we were going to have to stay with Kelowna YSA for the night) and drove to Kelowna. There were FOUR baptisms going on and so that's why President was in Kelowna anyways. Sister Holm and I were able to both have interviews with President. It really humbled me and I am so grateful for the Priesthood and how we can become better through the guidance and direction of our leaders. President Tilleman really is such an inspired man and I'm so thankful to be serving under his direction.

Guys, I just love my mission. I really honestly do. There is literally nowhere else inn the entire world that I would rather be right now. In a week, I'll be at 6 months and only have a year left. That breaks my heart. The time has already gone by so fast and there are still so many people in British Colombia to be baptized! Missions really are the best decision anyone could ever make in their life. President Tilleman made me realize something in our interview. Missions are not about us. Missions are not about the growth you experience or the people you meet or the foods you try or the places you go. Missions are about finding, teaching, and baptizing. And if we're not doing that, we are not fulfilling our purpose as missionaries. There are people out there that are literally starving for the gospel, and it is our job, not only as missionaries, but as members of this restored gospel, to go out and find those people and help them receive the initial saving ordinance of baptism. Because without baptism, people are not able to fully access the Atonement, and without the Atonement, we can't return to live with God again. Members and missionaries work together to bring people unto Christ. This gospel is true people! I love you all more than any of you realize and hope you all have a fantastic week(:

 Love, Sister Brittany Anne Larsen

(She forgot to send this with her original email, so she asked me to add it)

So last night we were out tracting and we knocked on this one door and this super sweet girl answers and we start talking to her and then her dad comes up behind her and slams the door so we were super sad and just started walking away, then 3 minutes later we hear "ladies!!!" so we turn around and the same girl is running towards us because she wanted to talk to us more. she apologized for her dad and then we made her a new investigator. MIRACLES HAVE NOT CEASED!!!!!(: THE END.

 

-me and Annie, Jim's little dog that he brings to church EEEEEVERY Sunday

-my rock that Ron painted (it's a wolf) and the moon snail shell

-Apparently Sister Holm got a hold of my camera while I was in the washroom...and she licked my rock. I am just barely finding this out as I go through my pictures. I still love her though..but now I have to sanitize my rock.

-beautiful view!

-we love each other

-Lincoln Log house..in REAL LIFE!!!

-drive back from Kelowna. first time I've seen the sun in weeks!

The Lord is hastening His work!! And we are so blessed to be a part of it(:

Dear Everyone I love,

This past week has been a little strange. Sister Holm and I have had people try to shake our testimonies, but we won't let it phase us! The Lord is hastening His work! We just need to find the people that are ready to hear it and accept the message!

Tuesday after emailing we went and had dinner with a Part-Member Family, the S.'s. That was interesting. Sister Holm and I just realize how true the gospel is when people try to question it's truthfulness. This really is Christ's gospel and it is utterly perfect in all it's simplicity.

Wednesday we had District Meeting and I gave a training. That was great. Then went and had a lesson with D. and G., some of our new investigators. They are so sweet and such a cute older couple. We feel like they are receiving the message pretty well. We just gotta get them to come to church. 

Thursday was a good day. We did weekly planning and then went up to Penticton to have dinner with our Branch Mission Leaders, the W.s, and their less-active daughter and granddaughter and also their non-member neighbors. It was very interesting and we hope we were able to help strengthen their faith, because that is our job as missionaries(:

Friday we exchanged with the Penticton Sisters and I got to stay in Penticton with Sister Foley, who I was in the MTC with. We talked about how weird it was that we've been out for almost 6 months and how fast it's gone by but kind of slow at the same time. We literally went finding all. day. long. It was the most draining day I've had so far on my mission. Knocking on doors from 10 until 7:30. We took an hour for lunch and dinner of course, but it was so exhausting. It was still a good day though. Just one for the books. Finding. All. Day. Long.

Saturday was interesting. By lunch time, Sister Holm and I weren't feelin' too great....we called the mission nurse and she said there had been a bug going around and to just stay near a toilet...so that was fun. Never want that again. No thank you. But we studied the Bible all day so that was good.

Sunday was a day of miracles!!! The F.'s (less-active Hungarian family) came to church!!! So happy. Then they told us that a family from St. George, Utah just moved into their apartment building!! So we have to go scout them out and see if they were just trying to escape all the Mormons in Utah...and show them that they have failed to do so(; so hopefully we will find them soon! And then these 2 younger boys from a part-member/less-active family came to church. The younger of the two brothers (who is ten) said that he wanted to be baptized. So Sister Holm and I basically started to cry when we found that out. So we just need permission right now to teach him and get him baptized. The faith of children is so amazing. The church really is true.

Monday was a good day too. We got everything done before noon. So we went home and napped for like 2 hours. It was the best. Most people do fun things on P-Day like go shopping, or hiking, but no. Sister Holm and I? We love sleep. Then later we went finding and found a new investigator named N. who is super sweet. Then we saw Sister B. (who we love) and the M.s (who we love) and life is just great.

This week has been awesome and every day the Lord reminds me why I am out here and shows me the miracles He has the power to perform through me, His servant! I am so blessed to be out here serving Him and doing what is right and true! I love all of you so much and hope you all have an awesome week(: The church is true guys. Never forget it(:

Love, Sister Brittany Anne Larsen(:

-the white tailless cat creepin' outside our door.

-The best no soliciting sign we've seen yet. we still knocked and talked to the guy, then asked if we could take a picture. #toogood

Miracles have not ceased!!

Dear Everyone,

Hi!! Life is so great! God just never ceases to amaze me and the miracles He performs through us as missionaries and representatives of Jesus Christ.

Wednesday was great. After e-mailing we went finding and found 3 new investigators!! It was so wonderful and we are thankful God was able to soften these people's hearts and let us teach them. Then we had dinner with this less-active family. They are super sweet.

Thursday we went to the chiropractor. Sister Holm is now going too. So we are both feeling a ton better! We also went finding and had our correlation meeting with the W.'s. Sister Holm convinced their granddaughter (she's about 3) that she had too many toes. So she went and got her coat and shoes on so we could take her to go get them fixed, but Sister Holm said the magic words and it was fixed obviously, but nonetheless it was pretty funny.

Friday we had a really great day finding people. We tracted for most of the day, but it was so much fun. I literally have no idea what I would do if I didn't love my companion so much. We have way too much fun together and we love sharing the gospel more than anything. We didn't find any new investigators, but it was still an awesome day!

Saturday started off looking like it wasn't going to be the best day, but it slowly turned around. We were able to have some really great conversations with people, all because of God's timing. It was so amazing. We were driving back from one of our investigator's houses to go to another lesson, but on our way back into town, we passed this man walking on the side of the road, and the Spirit told me we needed to talk to him. I ignored it and kept driving. Then the Spirit basically made me flip the car around and we went back, parked the car, and basically ran so we could talk to him. It was so incredible. He said he had read the Book of Mormon before and it says "And it came to pass" over 1,200 times in it haha we talked with him for about 20 minutes, then gave him our card and went on our way. His name was Rxx and was super nice. Then we had dinner with a part member family in our Branch, the N.'s. They are the best. They have 2 little girls who are so darling and they help me so I don't miss all my little cousins as much.

Sunday was a pretty good day. We found a new investigator named Rxxxxx. We had talked to him about a month before and could never get ahold of him, but then we ran into him again on the street! So that was a miracle!

Monday was great. We did our studies and everything, then go to grab the phone so we can head out the door to get our shopping done and everything, and we see we have a missed call and a voicemail on the phone from some random number. We listen to the voicemail and IT'S RXX!!! Calling to tell us he wants to meet with us! So we have an appointment with him on Friday and we are so stoked about it!! We had had a ton of investigators drop us this past week too so that made us feel so good to know that because we followed the Spirit and turned the car around to go and talk to him that we will be able to teach him. I am so thankful for that!!!(:

I know that God loves us all so much and that He wants what is best for us! Thank you all for being so supportive(: I love you all! Have a great week!(:

Love, Sister Brittany Larsen(:

-For Aunt Niki. Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing! haha at one of our investigator's houses(:

-Sister Holm found a dead bird. gross.

-Sister Holm, K., and me!

-Trying to give a mormon.org card to Elvis Presley...not workin' out so well.

-flowers that my wonderful family sent me for my belated birthday(: thanks guys!!

-I've basically turned into and Old Canadian out here....it's ridiculous. grandma sweater, Canadian hat and all.