Just call me Sister No-Mail

HI! So that title is not supposed to make anyone feel bad. well, maybe a little because i didn't even have any letters from the mission office, but it's fine. see ya'll in 5 months anyways. but seriously, all my mail that is getting sent to sooke is getting lost, so just send it to the mission office:

8440 Williams Road

Richmond, B.C. v7a 1g6

Aaaanyways, what an eventful week! So can i just say how much i LOVE victoria? seriously, it is the best place ever. i went on exchanges there this past week. YOU NEVER RUN OUT OF PEOPLE TO TALK TO. it's awesome. We met this woman named Lily who we talked to for like half an hour who said she usually takes the bus but decided to walk that night. what?! miracle. i sat on the ground with this guy and tried to share the Plan of Salvation with him because he was just hatin' on the world. too bad he wouldn't listen. But this is the best one. There was this Chinese man that we met towards the end of the night, his name was Yong. He didn't speak a lot of English, but I was able to bear a simple testimony in Chinese to him of what sister Han has taught me how to say. "I know I am a child of God. I know the Book of Mormon is true." We asked if we could pray with him, even though he didn't understand everything we were saying, his English was still pretty good. When we said amen, he looked up and said "i felt something!" and pointed to his head and shoulders. We told him that it was the Spirit! And we got his phone number and address and passed him off to the Victoria Chinese Elders! So I am really hoping that things go well with him. And I love it when people recognize that there is something different about the message that we share. It was absolutely incredible.

This work really is God's work. I know it with all my heart.(:

xoxo
love always, Sister Brittany Larsen(:

-favorite people ever. seriously, ever. shout out to the Smith Family!!!

-flower?

-don't mind if i do. this guy gave us some flowers to eat from his garden haha it was actually really delicious.

-beautiful East Sooke(:

"What would the Lord want me to say?"

HI GUYS!!!

So I guess you could say this week was pretty good. Our investigator friend H. came to church yesterday!!!! woot woot! Transfers happened (I'm staying in Sooke with Sister Han), we talked to lots of people, and lots of people told me to "go away, you're annoying." SO i guess I must be doing SOMETHING right with trying to make sure EVERYONE gets home to our Heavenly Father again. Sorry if I get a little over-excited about it sometimes. It's only THE WORK OF SALVATION that we're doing. Whatever. #hatersgonnahate
So on Saturday Elder Daniel L. Johnson from the Quorum of the 70 came to our Zone Conference. It was so great! So spiritual and I learned so much about what I can do better as a missionary and how to work with our members more effectively. I am always so humbled when we get to be in those meetings because the Spirit always teaches me so much on what I need to work on, but it is in such a spirit of love that you just take it and run with it. It's basically awesome.
So, the title of this email is what I've been trying to emulate as I've gone about my week. It happened especially in sacrament yesterday. Sitting there thinking of what I wanted to bear my testimony on, and so it came to me during the passing of the sacrament that I should share my testimony on trials. And so i made the long walk up there (plus we were sitting in the middle of the benches, so that's awkward scootching past everyone), and shared my testimony. There have been a few instances on my mission when I have an almost out-of-body experience because I am standing there saying something, either in sacrament or to a person at the door or on the street, and I hear the words coming out of my mouth like it's not me. It is super bizarre but I love it so much. And every time that happens I just recognize how much the Lord really does fill our mouths with the Spirit when we are trying to help His children.  I love this work so much and I will never stop being a missionary.(: love you all.

xoxo

sister brittany anne larsen

-me and sister Han and E. (a recent-convert)

-pretty moon last night

Random Week

Well, I can't really say that I know what's happened this week because it went by so fast. We've been tracting lots, found a couple New Investigators, strengthening members, bringing back less-actives, etc. Really just the usual stuff, but i love it so much. I've really learned what it means to truly love your mission. Transfers happened, and Sister Han and I are staying together in Sooke, so we are both happy about that(: hopefully we'll see a baptism this transfer! pray for us(:

xoxo love always,

sister brittany larsen

This sign is on the house of R., who now happens to be a new investigator! He is so solid!

but we didn't see that sign the first time we went to his house.

-how tired i am all the time #soattractive

-how i have to study my scriptures

-Me and Sister Han(:

-The gorgeous view from Sooke Harbour House

A week of miracles

Well, this past week didn't start off too hot. On Monday when we went finding we were doing this street that was a bit more of a hike rather than a walk. It was fairly steep, but nothing I didn't think I could handle. After all, I'd survived worse places to tract on my mission. So I figure I'll be smart and drive to the top of the hill and then we can tract down one side and then walk back up, that way we'd only have to walk up the hill one time. WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT WALKING DOWNHILL IS MORE HAZARDOUS THAN WALKING UPHILL. We are almost to the bottom of the hill (like literally 2 houses away from the bottom) when I step on a rock and lose my balance and start flying down the hill trying to catch myself (sister Han said I looked like a bird) and fly like a good 10-15 feet before i finally hit the ground HARD. Book of Mormon in my hand went flying, I'm full-on lying on the ground trying to make sure I didn't break anything while laughing my head off because of what just happened. Sister Han is trying to make sure that I'm doing okay because I'm just sitting there laughing, brushing off all the rocks and dirt off my skirt. I really thought I dislocated my knee cap, but we went home, cleaned it up, and I just had to ice my knee for the night. It was pretty ridiculous and the bruise is still there. That was about the most exciting thing that happened during the week.
On Tuesday we FINALLY FOUND A NEW INVESTIGATOR!!! It's only taken us all transfer long, but it finally happened. His name is R. and he is so solid. Super stoked to keep teaching him(:

Friday was definitely one of the highlights of my mission. We were able to go to the Provincial Wide Girls Encampment for the Young Women all over BC! It was such a spiritual experience. Each set of sisters was assigned a group of young women, then they got to ask us questions. It was so neat and the spirit was so strong. In a world where we get "no no no no no no no no no no no no no no" all the time, it was so neat to be able to have these young girls ask us questions about what missionary life is like and why we decided to serve and what advice we had for them. Such a sacred experience. 2 of my recent converts were even in my group(: Amber and Marissa!!! It was so great to be able to see them again(: what amazing young women!

Friday night was exciting as well because the Abby YSA sisters got to stay with us, sister Rogers (who formerly served in Sooke), Sister Hobbs (one of my past sister training leaders. love her) and Sister Johnson (one of my favorite sisters of all time). It was basically a party. and we rapped the night away. about missionary life. haven't laughed that hard in months!

I love serving as a missionary. there is no greater calling. there is nowhere else I'd rather be(: I love you all!

xoxo
love always, sister brittany anne larsen

-the devil hill

-my left knee. look at how swollen that thing is!

-went to the beach for lunch on wednesday. found some cool shells and glass there(:

-sister hobbs(:

-rachel, amber, me, and marissa!!<3