May 6 In response to the questions, I'm doing very well!! And yes, i think i will baptize someone this week!! ;D We're having a triple baptism on Saturday, with two investigators and one eight year old, awesome!!!! Chloe is ten (a friend of the smiths' daughter), Trish is Chloe's mum, and Grace is the Smith's daughter.
Baptism!!! Trish is the older lady, chloe is the dark haired young one, grace is the other one. bald guy is Brother Smith (Dean), and then there's me!
May 19 In other news, we're going to have another baptism on Saturday, an 86 year old lady from Trinidad! It's fairly exciting!
May 26 Baptism was amazing, it went perfect! She's 81, and absolutely no problems during the baptism whatsoever! :D wonderful and spiritual. and yeah!
In my patriarchal blessing, it tells me that my children will be the brightest jewels in my crown. Really that's about it. It never really meant much to me until a couple years ago when it totally dawned on me while looking at my children and grandchildren gathered around the dinner table, laughing and teasing each other and trying to get all the little kids to eat, that they were indeed bright jewels. And I was so lucky to have them and so glad they had grown up to be such great people.
President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: "Sisters, guard your children. ... Nothing is more precious to you as mothers, absolutely nothing. Your children are the most valuable thing you will have in time or all eternity. You will be fortunate indeed if, as you grow old and look at those you brought into the world, you find in them uprightness of life, virtue in living, and integrity in their behavior" ("Walking in the Light of the Lord," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 99).
On Mother's Day, Harry would always sing me a song. Before he left on his mission last spring he videoed a song for me to play on Mother's Day since he would be in the MTC. This year we got to Skype. Which is so wonderful- like having him here to visit. He sang a couple songs and played the piano. We talked while he drank hot chocolate. Elder Ballard gave this counsel: "Mothers, teach your children to be sensitive and aware of the needs of others. Teach them to know and to practice basic principles of good human relations. ... Put your arms around your children, look them squarely in the eye, and tell them to learn these skills because you want them to be happy and successful on their mission" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1976, 130; or Ensign, Nov. 1976, 88).
Harry is one of the sweetest and most sensitive boys I've ever known. I really worked on being a good mom with Harry. I had made so many mistakes the first time around. But I really do believe that Harry was born kind and generous, caring and sweet.
I often think about how the Savior took time to bless children. 3Nephi17:21-24 21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. 22 And when he had done this he wept again; 23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones. 24 And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.
I know that the Savior loves Harry. I know that he is known and loved by his Heavenly Father. He IS a bright jewel. I'm so glad he is my jewel.
I remember getting this picture of Harry along with a letter introducing us to his first companion who would be training him for the next12 weeks: 16 May 2012 Dear Brother & Sister Larsen, We are pleased to let you know that your son, Elder Harald Douglas Charles Larsen, has arrived in the England London Mission. He seems very happy to be here, and is anxious to get to work. We are excited to have him here and look forward to getting to know him better. Soon after he arrived, we introduced him to his first companion, Elder Maryan Boysyuk. He is a wonderful young man and one of our very best missionaries. Elder Boysyuk will teach your son the joy of sharing the gospel. They have been assigned to work in the Romford area in the Romford zone. I have attached a picture of your son with myself, Sister Patch and Elder Boysyuk.
Harry LOVED Elder Boysyuk. He taught him so much. Harry was a little sad when Elder Boysyuk went off to be a zone leader. I think there's a special bond between a new missionary and their trainer. It seems like such a short time ago that Harry was being trained. But now, parents in Utah have probably received a letter and picture introducing them to their son's first companion and trainer...and it just happens to be HARRY. My companion is amazing, his name is Elder Allred and he's from St. George, UTAH!! xD Man, it's so fun being with this kid, he's like a spiritual firework, faith! ...he's a lacrosse player, apparently he's pretty good. He's 6' 3" so I feel pretty short... but that's ok! we go running in the mornings... ugh! xD but yeah, it's really fun to be training, it's also really neat to hear a missionary praise you so much, especially when you don't think you're too noteworthy of a guy :3 so this week has been awesome! I'm training a kid from Utah, it's rather exciting to expose him to the real world ;) I very much enjoy it!
And he's a blast, kid is a dork, kinda like the rest of my family ;) but yeah, we've been working hard this week, which is a good change for him!! I've put him to sleep in several odd situations cuz i've tired him out so much. Twice on the bus, twice on a recliner before we were about to teach a lesson with some members, and once on our floor :3 It's so much fun!!!
I hope, when his 12 weeks are up, Elder Allred holds Harry in as high regard as Harry did Elder Boysyuk.
xD oh man, it's gone by so fast! :O like seriously, where'd all the time go?? o don't talk about going home yet! xD i'm still here ;3 i've got a whole 368 days left! then i'll be done, and then yeah i might be sad to leave :3 but hey mum!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!
I tried and tried to tell Harry how important it was to learn piano. And he took lessons from some really good teachers. But he had his own ideas and guess who's wishing he'd stuck with it? I'm also learning to play some things on the piano since my mission, and Elder Gonzalez is teaching me pretty things :3 and i can play a few hymns as well. Oh how i wish i would have listened to you about piano when i was younger!!! I'm sorry mom!!! But i guess i'm more sorry to myself xD I'm gonna FORCE my kids to play an instrument when they grow up ;D
Harry wanted to play drums...and guitar...
We are always asking for funny stories. Actually, any stories. This one is great and I am soooo glad Harry is feeling inspired. As for the funny story, oh have i got a good one this week.... so we were knocking on some doors ten minutes before an appointment, and we did so for about eight minutes and we were about to walk down the street to the appointment, when the spirit whispers to me... "one more door." and i totally ignore it, saying oh man, i wanna sit down, but the prompting persisted so i turn around and walk back to the next door, and my companion spins around to follow me... we knock on the door.... and a dog starts barking. not usually a sign of an interested investigator, just from experience ;) but we wait for someone to answer, and a little girl comes to the door! then from between her legs emerges a huskie-german shepherd mix looking dog, and it RUNS up to us!!!!! THEN!!!!!! It commences to mark Elder Gonzalez as it's territory... he got peed on!!!! XDD Then it ran back inside having finished it's job! the little girl apologized and closed the door, I was in stitches!! And Elder Gonzalez' best suit was a bit wet... This is my testimony that God has a sense of humor!! ;)
In England (well, actually Europe) baptisms are hard to come by, so here's hoping this one happens. Elder Gonzalez was contacting some potential investigators from several years ago who were never contacted and set up an appointment with Phillip, we didn't really know anything else about him at the time. So the time for the appointment comes and we walk to his house, his wife answers and ushers us in, how nice! Then we go into the living room and meet Phillip! He's from Ghana so he speaks Chwii (i think that's how you spell it? Probably not, but you say Etesay to say hello, which he thought was awesome that i could do that) and we had a nice little chit chat to begin. Turns out he met missionaries ages ago in London but then fell out of touch! We had an absolutely amazing first lesson with him and he fell in love with the Book Of Mormon, he understands the passages that he reads better than most members I know! During our second lesson we invited him to be baptized on April 27, and he said.... oh. well, what time? and inside we just jump up and down for joy!!! xD so with a tentative time of 4 o'clock on April 27, Phillip from Ghana will be baptized!
Perhaps he has difficult days, but he never mentions them to us. He continues to tell us what a wonderful time he's having. He's happy and feels blessed to be on a mission. I guess maybe its true that doing what The Lord wants us to do will make us happy.
BIG NEWS!!!!!!!!!! I CAN EMAIL FRIENDS NOW!!!!!!! WOOP WOOP! So Justin needs to give me his email, and Emma and company, and all those beautiful people, if you can get hold of em, tell em to email me! so speaking of the fate of my mission!!! I'm leaving Bury!!!!!!! :OO so sad! I love these people so much! this ward is amazing, i feel like they're more than my ward family, just like they're family family, ya know? But it's always fun to be in a new place. I'm going to Kettering! No longer in a car area! Apparently it's walking and bus travel, no biggie. and my companion is Elder Gonzalez!!!!!!!!! He was in my district last transfer!! He's only been out for three transfers, so I'm senior companion again! We're gonna tear this place up! ;DD He's awesome, i already know. and before he left, we told each other that we'd serve together, turns out we were right!
Sorry, no pictures but here's a funny for St Patrick's Day:
