Summer is (Finally) Here!

Our garden is under two shade trees, but it is still growing well: Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Beets, Tomatoes, Beans, Zucchini, Cucumbers, and Marigolds.

Lizzy and Gretchen at Eagle Lake today

Peter John with his cousin from Colorado

Everyone had to make their own castle with found rocks for decoration

 It feels good to enjoy warm weather. We are preparing for a busy few weeks ahead.  The month of June flew by because of all the non-stop action.  We moved the end of May, Peter John and Lizzy enjoyed a week at  Bible Camp, Ethan and I went to CO for TLI meetings, and we attended a Larson Family Reunion the last weekend in June.  In the midst of all the busyness, by Grandma Beverlee Frank passed away here in town.  She had been suffering congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and diabetes.  It was hard on the kids since they were separated from us when it happened (Ethan and I were in CO at the time), but God comforted us all and we were reunited.  The funeral was very uplifting as we thought about Grandma being in heaven with Jesus.  That made it joyous, though we were grieving.  The girls and I sang "Blessed Assurance" at her funeral, and the whole congregation sang many Gospel songs that brought comfort and hope.  We finished the funeral with a special piece that my sisters and dad sang together called "I've Got A Mansion."  Grandma loved country music and especially country Gospel music.  This was a great way to end, thinking about heaven and God's blessings to those who belong to Him.

Gretchen's First Violin Recital

This was Gretchen's first year taking violin lessons (her second year playing).  She performed two pieces from the Suzuki book 2.  This is her second piece "Bourree" by G.F.Handel. What a smashing performance!

Garden Party on East Vasa

Yesterday I went over to the garden to hoe the weeds that are coming up around our seedlings. We finally got some rain last week, so the garden started to take off.  You may have noticed that these pictures of our family planting seeds are in a different garden than previous years.  There is a good explanation to that!

In December we moved out of Ethan's parents' house so they could put it on the market for sale.  The house we are renting was up for sale as well, and it has now sold.  We are in the process of moving to another house on East Vasa, and thankfully it has a garden!  The owner of the house invited us to plant seeds a few weeks ago before we moved in so that the garden got going.  Honestly, this gift of a garden made this dramatic change a little easier to deal with.  In every difficulty, there is ALWAYS SOMETHING TO THANK GOD FOR.

The best thing to we can thank God for is for the everlasting nature of our redeemed lives in Christ.  Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ will not perish. We can look at life from a heavenly outlook where the temporary things in our lives have less weight to them.  We can look at things as only things. Life does not consist in the abundance of things one possesses.  Actually, this abundance of things really weighs us down!  "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to Him name." Hebrews 13:14-15 and Psalm 17:15 "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."  God has chosen us for Himself and given us a great home--a place prepared for us--to look forward to in eternity.

Off And Running in May

Ethan returned from Liberia Sunday, and he has had little jet lag to contend with.  Ethan was very blessed as he taught at the college in Ganta. He had twice as many students as originally expected and the classroom interaction and participation was outstanding. The weather was very hot and humid, as this is the hot season near the equator. He said the food and hospitality were amazing!!  All in all, the trip was a success, and we pray will bring lasting fruit in the lives of the believers being trained at the college.

Teachers l to r: Eric Alexander, Philemon Yong, Ethan Larson, Liberian hostess, Howard Foreman, Liberian host

The kids and I were well at home while Ethan was away.  It was very busy while he was gone as is usual.  Ethan's parents and sister were in town to clean out their house in order to move to Arizona.  We put on a last minute garage sale Saturday, and were completely blown away by the success of the sale.  They sold all the furniture except the pool table, and most of the smaller items went very quickly including the antiques and many of the household items they were selling.  God blessed them so much!  We were also very grateful for the Christian friends who helped us.

We are still praying about our future as we prepare for ministry with TLI.  We are very excited to serve God around the world through theological biblical education.  We are still in the support-raising process and have raised approximately 60% of our monthly budget.  This week Ethan and I went to Maple Grove to visit a classical school that is also a charter school (free public school education) that all four of our children have been accepted to. It appears God is opening up an opportunity for an excellent education for our children there for this coming year, surprisingly because many children remain on a waiting list in order to be accepted at this school.  We are waiting, however, on the finances and housing that would be necessary in order to make this move down to the Twin Cities possible.  This remains a matter of prayer for us as we wait on God to provide and direct our path.  A missionary friend reminded me yesterday of how God directed Paul in Acts 16 with the vision of the man from Macedonia and how God had stopped him from going another direction.  Also, he reminded me of Proverbs 19:21

There are many plans in a man’s heart,Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

God has a plan! We continue to wait on God and trust in Him.  Please pray with us about these decisions.

Another noteworthy piece of news is that our church is moving into their remodeled building this weekend.  Ethan has been working hard all week getting the sound system up and running.  He is there now!  Gretchen, Lizzy, and I will be working in the nursery Sunday, and we are looking forward to having our own building after renting the YMCA for several years. I just hope my child with the stomach flu gets better by tomorrow!!!

The kids and I had a great time in Underwood yesterday for the 4H Jr. Garden Day. We scooped a lot of dirt for their potted plants, seeds, and terrariums.  I have cabin fever for summer! It has been so cold here! There is a chance of snow and rain today still! Haha!  But at least we are starting to get some green grass.

God bless you all!

Crashed

• Little dots and lines appeared on our computer screen as Gretchen was writing her science report. This was traumatic for an eleven-year-old who had been writing her paper for a month already!  A few weeks ago our computer crashed, so this update will be bare bones with no pictures. Fortunately Ethan often backs up our computer on an external hard drive, so all our files and photos were not lost!
• Liberia, West Africa is the next destination for teaching and raising up leaders. Ethan will be teaching with a team from Training Leaders International at a Christian College in Liberia  April 18-28.  Last week he got all of his vaccinations completed and sent in his visa application. Now he is preparing his Systematic Theology class and studying hard.
• Our church is remodeling a building downtown, so Ethan has been actively involved in that as a deacon of the church. this is the fourth time he has helped a church plan, order, and set up a sound system and speakers. What a niche! His gift has certainly been used to serve the Lord, though.
• Easter was great and we are SO grateful to know JESUS CHRIST, our RISEN LORD! I did manage to sew some dresses for the girls out of some wonderful old patterns that were given to me. It was exciting to help Gretchen sew her own skirt for the first time ever. She did most of the basic sewing and I finished up all the tricky parts and handwork. I wish I could show a picture here, but it will have to wait.
• Gretchen turned twelve on Saturday, and we bought her a guinea pig with peachy colored and white fur. She named him Mr. Peaches McGillicuddy. This animal has been so much fun so far and has kept the kids so occupied that they have no time to fight! A blessing indeed.
• School of Choice had their open house last week, and there was no lack of projects and writing displayed. Peter had built a wonderful model of Mount Everest with his dad for his project on the Himalayan Mountains. They built it out of cardboard and paper mâché, and it included the route that Hillary and Norgay took in 1953.
• I am still busy homeschooling, doing some periodic childcare, and teaching music lessons every week (piano and guitar). We have only a month and a half  left of school. how are we going to finish our math??? 

Regards,

Elysia

Good Friday Prayer

Isenheim Altarpiece by Mathis Grunewald

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:7-14

Dear Lord, we want You. I want to treasure You above all other things. I pray that Ethan and I would have such a clear vision of You and such a love for You that our regrets and laments from the past would fade, our worries and desires for the future would diminish, and that we would be left with Jesus only as the affection of our hearts. Let us not live for ourselves but for Jesus who died and rose again, and who lives in glory. Amen.

Act Now

Savesaeed.org. Visit this site and sign the petition on behalf of our friend, Saeed Abedini.  Over a quarter of a million people have already signed the petition asking for the actions of the U.N. and other organizations to work towards the release of U.S. citizen, Saeed Abedini, from Evin Prison in Iran. He is currently serving an eight year sentence because of his Christian faith.