Funny Quotes and BAPTISM!

Dear friends and family,

Really not a whole lot of supreme excitement happened this week.  For one, one of our previous less active members who we then activated again carried the boy to church this week who had been run over by a motorcycle, because his mom said she's too old to do it again.  So... their whole family was able to go to church because of the service of a member. This member served a mission many years ago, but then married a non-member and stopped going to church.  Eventually his wife left him with three young kids 17 and younger.  He's now a single father but is an amazing example of faith and kindness and has given us many referrals and is always willing and looking for ways to help with missionary work. That member who carried the boy is the father of the 17 year old who we baptized this Saturday.  She is amazing and we love her and her family so much.  We hope that her 14 year old sister will be the next to be baptized.  They are amazing and a huge inspiration to me and... SO many of the people in the Philippines are just so amazing and such great examples to me.

So here's where I start some of the funny things that have been said this week.  

Last week for church, I dressed up more than normal and wore contacts (this was the first time this ward has seen me in them, I think.)  Later on, one of the members said to me in Tagalog, "Sister Larsen, I heard one of the single young adult girls say on Sunday that she wished she was pregnant and her baby had your face."  That is the strangest compliment I have ever received.  However, when I wore contacts and one of the members said, "Wow, your eyes are like a cat (green)" that one made me pretty happy.

One day, when we were reading from our missionary handbook, I was reading a part that said, "Serve with all your heart, might, mind, and strength" but instead I read it accidentally as "SURVIVE with all your heart, might, mind, and strength."  Haha.  Sometimes, so true.

My other favorite was the member who talked on Sunday and said, "For all you single sisters here... I'm happy for those of you going on missions now (someone had just gotten her mission call that day.)  BUT.. kung pwede mag-asawa, MAG-ASAWA KA NA."  (If you can get married... GET MARRIED NOW.)  Our Bishop looked at me and Sister Cooper and was laughing so hard.  Some members said to me, "Sister Larsen... dapat mag-asawa ka na!  Get married already!"  Hahaha.  People tease us so much.

Yep.  Things are good. ALMOST PASKO!  ALMOST CHRISTMAS! Love you all!  

ENJOY to the end!

-Sister Larsen

They gutted the piano cuz they're redoing the entire church now, and were spray painting it black.  It's awesome.

This next photo is called "Childhood Dream Realized."  Yeah.  'Nuff said.