Humbling Experiences at the MTC

What Has Been the Hardest Thing About Your Week?

Okay, so my week at a glance. I only have time for the highlights, but here it goes. My comp and I have been teaching (see Note from Jarrad's dad, below) this guy "Jim". Our first lesson went great! We taught the Restoration, and committed him to be baptized!! First lesson!! Our second lesson was rougher, and in between our second and third lesson was probably the hardest part of the MTC. We also began to teach another investigator, Claudia. And as far as what she learned, the lesson went fine, but we'll just say that we weren't teaching well. It was rough. But Elder Hammond and I have really learned tons from that experience, especially me. We have grown that much closer as a result, and I have really come to respect him and love him dearly. So I guess that answers the question "What has been the hardest thing about your week?"

Sunday was probably the second most stressful day, other than our first lesson with Claudia. I had tons of meetings as District Leader (DL) to go to, and it has been the busiest day of my whole MTC stay! But we ended it with watching a devotional given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in 2006 which really pumped me up, and got everyone excited to be a missionary.

(Note from Jarrad's dad: When Jarrad talks about "teaching" at the MTC, these are role playing experiences. Volunteers play the role of interested persons and do their best to assume the identity of someone actually being taught. These practice experiences can be very real for everyone involved and help prepare missionaries for the real thing.)  

Elders Harris, Larsen, Hammond, Van Buren, Jenkins, Boswell.
Sisters Sorensen, Prete, Brewer, Faber.

What Has Been Amazing About Your Week?

The lessons since that critical point have been amaaaaaaazing! Our lessons have flown smoothly, and the Spirit has been super strong. We have had four lessons with Jim, and he has a baptismal date, is "going to church" with us, we "took him on a chapel tour" last night, and he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and is basically golden. I am so glad that I prepared as much as I did before the mission, because I have really had a head start, and the teaching skills are coming naturally. But I am staying humble! Oh, and our follow up lesson with Claudia went amaaazing also! She had tons of questions about the Book of Mormon, which we answered, and then we taught a condensed version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost) and committed her to baptism with a date! And to "bring her family to church" Sunday! We really did not expect the lesson to go as well as it did, because she is [of another faith], but she wanted really badly to know all she could about Christ, and felt that our church had more that she didn't have! Awesomeness!!!

The desk that Elders Hammond and Larsen share in their residence

Anyways, the answer to your questions "What special experiences have you had with the spirit this week?" and "What has been the most awesome thing about your week?" are the same answer. The experiences and the Spirit that I have felt during our lessons have been incredible. And the unity that Elder Hammond and I can teach with.

Latest News on Travel Plans

Yes, I know about the "whens" and the "wheres" of my flight schedule. All of our schedules actually got changed; now we are leaving Monday from the MTC at 12:30 PM, and instead of going to Hong Kong, we are going straight to Sydney from LA. I think we leave Salt Lake at like 6 or 7, so I think some time before then (Utah Time) I'll be able to call.

Elder Hammond got temporarily reassigned to Riverside, CA!!!! The whole district was super excited for him. And Sister Brewer is going to Pennsylvania, but a different mission than Elder Josh Issertell (a friend from Bakersfield). I don't remember which.

You Never Know Who You Will Meet at the MTC

Cami, I haven't met a Peter Howard (Cami's college roommate's brother). Although I have met lots of famous Mormons. I saw Elder Lovin (from Tualatin, Oregon)! It was way awesome! We got to chat for like 10 minutes and catch up. I heard Elder Tanner Mitton (also from Tualatin) is here right now, but haven't seen him. And yeah, I did see Elder Passentino (formerly from Chico, now from Texas) too! Sister Faber was sick, and my comp and I just happened to pass the health office after signing up for haircuts, and I saw her and just stopped in for a second, and then there he was! We chatted for a sec too, but we had to go. It is a suuuuper small world here at the MTC. 

So much has happened that I can't write everything I would like to, but I just want to mention that the Temple today was amazing! I felt the Spirit so strong! The highlight of the temple (other than the experience inside) was walking out and seeing James (Perry) from Studio C! He was walking like right next to me, so I asked him "Hey, aren't you in Studio C?" and we just started having a conversation! Cool, right?

Sisters Prete and Sorensen with Elders Larsen and Hammond in front of Provo, Utah LDS Temple

Who Spoke at the Tuesday Night Devotional?

Elder Oaks came and spoke at our Tuesday night fireside, which was aweeeesome! He spoke about what makes our church different from other Christian churches. And the three things that he said were "A unique testimony of Christ, The Priesthood and keys, and the fullness of Doctrine". That was cool.

Answers to Miscellaneous Questions

Kaysie wants advice or ideas for the physics project with the cardboard box and the marble.

Sorry, Kaysie, I never did a project in physics with cardboard and a marble. First Semester last year I had Mr. White, a student teacher, so we never did that...

Moana wants to know how many name tags they gave you.

Moana, I have 2 name tags, and I can order more in the field. I have one magnetic one, that I put a nice clip thing on for my suits, and I have one that you can put on your white shirt.

Jens wants to know how to set the time on your watch. You might not be able to answer this one, but he likes your watch. (:

JJ, Hmmm... Lets see, I think you have to hold the mode button (on the watch) when you are on the clock setting, and then you press the start button to change the numbers :)

Ezra says be great on your mission. Follow the scriptures on your mission. Follow the bible and the Book of Mormon.

Thanks, Ezra! That is some awesome advice!

Cami is the only one that hasn't raided your stuff since you've been gone. She wants to know if you met "Peter Howard" who is a teacher there and her roommates brother.

See "You Never Know Who You Will Meet" above.

Mom says she's excited hear about how your week went and about your travel plans. Do you have a travel itinerary listing flight schedules and such that you can forward in email? Also, seems like missionaries get to call home from airport. Do you know anything about when you will be able to call? We really hope it's at 3 am.

Mom, I'll tell ya all about my week in a sec :). See above.

Elder Boswell's Aussie Flag in their residence

 Final Thoughts

I have to get going now, gotta get a haircut!

Be good family and friends!  I love you all! The Gospel is true!
G'day!

Elder Larsen

The Black Name Tag