November 18, 2013

[I realized that I didn't post the three pictures that Bethany sent recently, and that we received on her 21st birthday!  She timed it well--  So here they are!  These are all from her previous area, the Saco Ward.]

Yes, she's 21!!

Now she knows the secret of amazing refried beans… lard!  Sister Escobar taught her everything!

The famous Buffels, age 104, and her daughter Sally.  She joined the church at age 98 and went to the temple at 99!

Not Quite Winter Yet…

Dear family,

IT IS 65 degrees outside! IT IS SO WARM! It's a great way start the week! 

It was a wonderful week to be companions with Sister Wray because she loves tracting and we did a lot of that this week. It was surprisingly rewarding to me. It was really fun to talk to a lot of people and some were really nice! We got to talk to a minister and share our favorite bible verse, we got to encourage a stay at home mom who felt that people were looking down on her for not having a job, we got to talk to some funny old lady! Oh, and this is a good story- 

So we knocked on this one door and a man in his 50/60s answered the door. It looked like he had just gotten out of bed with his hair sticking straight up. He looked so confused when he answered the door. His wife had just gotten home and told him to tell us it was a bad time because she just got back from work, so we asked when we could come back latter. The man says asked his wife. The wife says "I'm really not interested" then as the man is shutting the door he whispers "come back in the day" because his wife wouldn't be home. hahahaha oh some people. That reminds me! We were also talking to this old man who was raking his leaves and we told him that he could be with his wife for eternity. He just looked at us and says "I don't know about that, that's a really long time. I mean, I love my daughter." 

This week we had some some service opportunities like socializing cats at the pound and helping at the food bank. Augusta is really growing on me the harder I work at it! I just love it for different reasons, just like they told me would happen! 

So I think I am totally going to get into wrestling when I get home. Do you want to know why? Because we stopped by a member's house this week and she is obsessed with it. She is so hard core, I want to be just like her :)

Well, life is good, the gospel is true and we shouldn't have anything to really cry about! We know what we can do to be happy and be with Heavenly Father again! Don't mess with His plan! It's all a test! Love you!

Sista Lassen   

November 12, 2013

Exclamation Point!

Dear Family,

I tell you what WOW!!! That is how I would explain the last week. This week we were able to teach some of the members the missionary lessons and it was really awesome. The spirit was so strong as we were able to testify. Hopefully it helped the members see and understand that we mean Missionary Business!  

Thank you so much for all of the Birthday Wishes! My 21st birthday was awesome! None of the members knew it was my birthday. It was SWEET! We had a dinner appointment and she made an amazing meal and we had Reese's Cake for dessert. And y'all know that Reese's are my drug, and she didn't know it was my b-day! All I could think was Wow, Heavenly Father must love me or something! That weekend my companion and I had fried sea food to celebrate. I was doing 21 the Maine way! Lobsta and clams! 

Saturday was an exciting day of a ton of tracting! The most I have done in one day my whole mission! We went to Windsor which is outside of Augusta to tract. I felt like I was in another country because people were so much nicer there! We knocked at one house and a man answers the door and says,"Oh, my mom would love to meet you, she's upstairs" This was the first time that anyone has ever let me in the door so I really didn't know what to do. Then we walked in and the man's dad says, "she up the stairs and she's a good looking one!"  It was funny. They had old black and white movies playing and pictures of the last supper on the wall. She was a cute old lady and we enjoyed talking with her. Later that day we met a guy who was in his mid 20s and we told him who we were and asked him about his with relationship with God. He told us that he didn't feel he always got answers to his prayers. So I shared 3 Nephi 14:7-11 and bore testimony. It was really cool to answer his "question of the soul" and see the light bulb go off in his head.

[I told Bethany I am glad she is a short little girl so she is on the front row!
I'd hate it if my missionary was one of those foreheads in the back!]  

Sunday was awesome because Elder Gifford Nielsen had a meeting with the leaders of the stake and the missionaries were invited to come. He is awesome and said a lot of what my ward need to hear. And the second best part was guess who was there? The SACO WARD!!!! When I walked in and saw them my face was the grossest, most excited face ever! The first thought I had was, "My family is here!" It was really good to see all of them. I have this thing now that instead of giving my home coming talk in Camarillo I think I am just going to do it in Saco. How about that idea, mom?

[These pictures came from Brother Tim Smith, who is the Ward Mission leader in the Saco Ward.  Awesome!]

Lastly, Monday! Was! Amazing! (I have to do all the ! for Elder Nielsen!) I can't even express how amazing it was and everything that I needed to hear. Maine better watch out because here comes Sister Lassen on spiritual steroids! You guys, Heavenly Father loves me so much! He just knows everything that I need! And he knows everything you need!  He is the most awesome Heavenly Father! 

Sorry this letter is forever long and boring! Love you all!!

Sista Lassen!

November 4, 2013

Getting Used to a New Area

But first, a couple of pictures from her old area!  Hollis, ME with her previous companion, Sister Cowley.

[I asked Bethany about her new area and companion, and this is what she replied today]:

Not in a trio this time. My companion is Sister Wray -- she is from American Fork UT. I don't know how big the ward is, probably the same as my last. About 90 at sacrament meeting but 110 less actives. The buliding is really big! And two wards meet there. It is the same building that my friend Rachel Lafamme from byui goes to! Too bad she is at school!

Do you know what I have been obsessed with?

The Book of John.  How can we be like Christ if we don't know Him! So I have been getting to know Him better :) and it has made all the difference. 

[Now today's letter to all]:

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for the wonderful Birthday Gifts! Don't worry I have only opened one, because I really needed it asap (hymn book :)) It is so crazy to me that I drive 2 hours north to my new area and it is completely different! So something interesting that happened to me this week that only happens on a mission. Is I got to read the Book of Mormon with someone in the Riverview Psycriatic hospital. It was a media referal and missionaries have met with her before. So we went and had to be escorted by security in and out of the building and we had to take the staples out of the pamplet. We really like the guards and they always have cool questions for us.

 

Alright so you know what I am totally pumped for? Live Christmas Cards from the missionaries! Some of the ward members are going to be writing their testimony in a Book of Mormon and we are going to put it in a gift basket and deliever it to their friend and sing a Christmas song! It is going to be sweet! And I am already singing Christmas songs...no judging. This week we got to help a man rake his leaves. It was kind of a miracle that he even let us because we just knocked on his door and asked if we could do service. Most people don't accept service. It was only the second time that I have ever raked leaves! It was really fun and we got to talk to him for awhile.

 

Another thing that I am supper excited for is Elder Nielsen of the 70 is coming a week from today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [This is Gifford Nielsen, who spoke at General Conference about the exclamation point!  I guess Bethany got his "point!"]  That means that I am going to have P-day on Tuesday instead of Monday. FYI. It is going to be amazing! And I talked to one of the office workers and they said that he is packing in information! He is giving the office workers little time to talk so he can talk more (and about more important things) It is going to be a spiritual feast! And I will get to see my old companions in Saco and they can tell me all that is going on with Saco. I am going so excited I AM GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!

 

I am starting to love this area and the people here! Oh yeah and I love you too!

 

Sister Lassen

October 28, 2013

And..... She's still in Maine!

[If you would like her new address, please email or message me in the comment line!]

New Area

Dear Family,

 

Well I was really sad to leave my loved Saco, ME. Being in a different ward makes it ever harder! But that's okay I can't mess with Heavenly Fathers plan! So I am still in Maine...bonus! I am in the capital...Augusta! But the only way you would know it was the capital of Maine is the capital building. One of the members told me that the population here is only 18,000. Isn't that crazy? And even though I am only 2 hours north of Saco I feel like I am in a totally different world. People here are way different and the ward is even more different! But hey! It sure is beautiful here! All of the leaves are just breath taking. 

 

Due to the lack of miles that we can use on our car we have been doing a lot of walking which is good because it has allowed me to get to know the area a lot better. Right now our focus is on the members and working with them to help this area. I have a really sweet Bishop and ward mission leader and I am excited to be working with them. I am just trying my best to know all the members by name and remember what everyone looks like. Thankfully we have a good number of dinner appointments! 

 

Yeah this letter is really boring. Not much to say! We have just been knocking on doors, meeting people, and figuring out what will be best for this area! I guess the coolest part of this week has been seeing how I have changed and improved from when I first came out on a mission!

 

Love you lots!

 

Sister Lassen 

October 21, 2013

Beans + Lard = :)

Photo courtesy of Brother Tim Smith, the Saco Ward Mission Leader

Hello Family,

 

I had a wonderful, but last week in my very loved Biddeford, ME. Oh, and by the way I am in New Hampshire right now at the mission office...Yeah it has been absolutely crazy. So don't send anything to my old area because I won't get it for another 2 weeks. I will start with the crazies from the begining. Monday Sister Escobar taught me how to make real refried beans! I will never ever never buy them from a can again! It was so nice to have real mexican food, because there is no where to get that in Maine. The rest of the week we taught some amazing lessons to our investiagtors. I feel we finally got down how to teach with 3 people! It was so cool to be in full unity with my two amazing companions.

 

Then of course my favorite part of the week was Saturday because Rae got baptized! The Spirit was so strong and I got to give the talk on baptism. She was so excited! Right when she got out of the water she said, "that was it!" and then when we met her back in the bathroom she looks at me and says "I bent my knees just like you told me to!" She was a true Rae of Sunshine! It was awesome because we taught her on the first day of the transfer and she was baptized on the last. That almost never happens here. She was just really prepared! I will send you pictures next week!

 

Saturday night I got the call that I was being transfered I am trying to stay positive about it, but I feel like I left home again! At the end of sacrament meeting they had me go up and bear my testimony. I felt like all I could say was how much I love them! People came up to me crying, which was awful because then I had to be the strong one and not cry! 99.9% of the time we are transferred on Tuesday so that you have p-day to pack, but this .1% was told at church that I was leaving that day. After church I called the people who were picking me up and they told me that they would be there in 2 hours. We rushed home and I packed...good thing I don't have that much stuff! I was picked up early because a missionary got her visa to Brazil and is leaving today, so my ride had to get me early. So last night I had dinner at President and Sister Stoker's house and I am staying with the sisters here until Tuesday when I get my relocation. So yeah, it has been a little crazy.

 

I am really going to miss my Biddeford Maine and all of the crazy people who I know by name and say hi to everyday. I will miss the two chain smokers across the street who sound like a dying animal when they cough, I will miss all of the amazing ward members who are an amazing example to me. I still can't wait until we all die and I don't have to say goodbye anymore.

 

Any guess where I am going to get moved to!?

 

Love you all!

 

Sista Las'n

 

P.S. Can you believe that I have been out for 6 months! A third of my mission gone! IT IS GOING BY WAY TOO FAST!!!

October 7, 2013

"Dude!"

Dear Family,

Dude! Wasn't conference amazing! I am so excited because Elder Nielsen who talked in the Saturday session about ! [exclamation point!] is coming next month to our mission! The elders and I were doing some fist pumps when he talked about missionary work. I can't wait! 

Not much to report on this week! Just talking to people, teaching, and staying safe. The usually awesome missionary stuff. 

I figured out what the secret to life is this week, so that was cool. 

I taught a sweet lesson this week. I talked to some sweet people, I also learned some sweet stuff.

Sorry it's so short this week! I love you!

Sista Lassen

[I sure wish she'd share the secret to life with me--I could use it!]

September 30, 2013

We Are Going to Eat Before Our Lesson!

Well well well, This week was just, you know AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man where to begin!

First of all, this is not at all my work, but the Lord's. I think I am just going to tell you what happened every day this week because it was so good!

 

Tuesday- We were walking and about to cross the street. There was a girl that was coming from the opposite side and I realized that she was the same girl that came to church with her friend, but we didn't get a chance to talk to her because we were talking to our investigator R. When I saw her I told my companions, and we decided that we were going to pretend we were crossing the other side of the street so we could talk to her. When she walked over to us we told her who we were, and she told us she wants to get baptized....OH YEAH. We are meeting with her tommorow. Then we had an awesome lesson with the one of the high council member's nonmember brother in law. It was a great lesson and the spirit was really strong, and then he gave us amazing sandwiches = 

 

Wednesday- We helped out at the soup kitchen and when we were serving, we found out that one of them is a less active member. He gave us his number and address because he and his family want to meet with us! Miracle? I think yes!

 

Thursday- We talked to lots of people who are interested, yeah...we gave out those copies of the Book of Mormon! And we had a great lesson with a less active member.

 

Friday-We had a lesson with R!!! She is getting baptized October 19th! We taught her the first lesson on the first day of the transfer and she is getting baptized the last day of the transfer. I don't know if I will ever meet anyone more prepared! She is already keeping all of the commandments. She is so funny. Then we had a dinner with the Davis family -- I have talked about them a lot. We purposely had our appointment at 4 so that Sister Davis wouldn't feel obligated to make us dinner. And then when we got there, the first thing she said was, "Now before we begin we are going to eat!" I couldn't argue with that...and she made GRAVY!

 

Saturday- WHAT A DAY! M. ... always good, and C. Then we met a less-active member who just got out of the hospital and we helped her wash her dishes. She is from Tampa, Florida and was baptized 10 years ago. I asked if she know an Elder Lassen [Bethany's brother Josh served his mission in Tampa, Florida about 10 years ago] but she didn't. Then we taught R. and B. -- CHEESE AND CROWS, THAT WAS AWESOME. We taught her the restoration and at the end of the lesson we asked her to pray and ask a specific question. We all knelt to pray and then she asked if this was what Heavenly Father wanted for her. She immediatly started crying. After her prayer she said she felt she got her answer. Mmmmm, the Spirit much?! Then we went to the RS broadcast. Wasn't it amazing?! It was really cool beacause I studied the purpose of prophets a little more this week and learned that one of the purposes of a prophet is to let us know the true nature of God. When President Monson spoke I could feel the truth of what he was speaking, and that it was from God.

 

Sunday- Church was so fun because we got to teach primary, and y'all know how much I love messing with kids. And I just love this ward so much. My companions let out to our bishop that sometimes I like to rap songs. My bishop just can't get over how funny he thinks that is. So pretty much the whole ward just teases and messes with me. I can't say I blame them because, I mean...  I guess I do the same thing to them. Later that day we taught another lesson.

 

So yeah, this e-mail is forever long and there were still many other miracles this week. Pretty much I feel like this is my home, and I would be on top of the world if I could stay here for the whole 18 months. I even asked my mission president if I could...  I hope that doesn't back fire on me. No joke. I will just be walking down the street and I will have the same feelings as when I am home. I pretty much love it here and wave hi to all the people we know when we are walking down the streets. So yeah, I just love all the people here. I love the people. Oh yeah?! did I tell you that I really, really, really love the people here in Biddeford, ME aka "little Mexico"?!

Anywho... I am pretty much super PUMPED how about you?!

 

I love you all! But not as much as I am in  love Biddeford Maine right now!!...Not really...but really...sorry

 

Sista Lassen