03/04/2013

Dear Family,

I am sending a lot of pictures, so I will try to describe most of them. There are some of me hugging a little kid. He is the son of our pensionista, and his hair is always a mess. Reminded me of me as a kid. Also, there are some baptisms that I had this week. One with my companion crying in pain, which I will explain, and some random pics.

I am going to try to explain the amazing week I had on my mission in the little time I have.

1. There is a package (don't know from who, waiting in the post). So to avoid problems, I am taking an hour drive with my comp to go pick it up because the missionaries in the office screw up all the time, and I don't want it to return to you guys AGAIN. I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!

2. We had two amazing baptisms this week. Once again, I have a testimony I was called to this mission for a reason. One sister is named Sherley. She has been receiving "charlas" since 2010. She finally accepted to be baptized. She has always wanted to, but she had bad feelings against her father who was a member but abandoned his family in 2010. We finally got her to realize that she had to let this problem go, and with a long LONG lesson and tears from everyone in the room, she accepted  The next day she was baptized. The second lady is named Dorkas (she has been receiving "charlas" since Feb 2011). Her parents would not give her permission to get baptized, but my companion and I had a lesson where we just got to know the parents and showed them that we were normal. The dad who is in the picture (he has white hair) said if the church has people like us, he wants his girl to be apart of this. He signed the permission slip and I saw the true happiness come to the face of Dorkas. It is one of my most favorite pictures of my mission, the one with the three of them so happy... He then asked if I or my comp could marry his daughter. It was a nice gesture, but we explained that we were here for other purposes, but that after the mission we would look for wives. hahaha....

3. My companion had a pretty bad ingrown toenail (gross), and the pictures i sent was the pensionista taking it out.  I could not stop laughing. Poor guy. haha. He really has been my favorite comp so far, and the companion with which I have had the most success and most fun.

4. I really want to say how lucky we are to get the ensign. I completely took for granted the amazing revelation that comes every month when I was at home. I challenge everyone in the family to not just read, but study and even memorize passages from talks and stories in the ensign. When I study like that I receive strength and help in lessons I have teach. Do not take for granted those scriptures that come every month like I did. 

5. Next week we will be able to go to the temple, but I don't know if i will be able to write... so in case I can't say it then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKAS AND EMILEE!!!!!  Will someone please write Sarah an email and tell her happy birthday for me too.

6. Finally got some new shoes, but I tell you what, they get destroyed fast here because we walk only in hot sand all day. But hey, who's complaining....

7. I am so glad to hear the members of our ward who are going on missions. What a blessing to them and to the people they will serve.

8. Dad, I would love a copy of your newsletters and also I am going to send a copy of our letter from our president last week anouncing the mission split..... put it in google translate to understand:

    

  "Me siento muy complacido y emocionado al escribirles nuevamente como cada semana, es para mi un gozo el poder hacerlo pues al esciribirles estas líneas siento como si los tuviera frente a mi y eso me alegra, se que no puedo estar con uds cada semana pero mi corazón y mis oraciones si, al inicio de este año les dije que el 2013 seria de grandes bendiciones y que muchas cosas buenas vendrían a la misión, pues aparte de que tendremos otra gira misional que no es usual tan seguidas,   uds serán parte de un gran cambio en la misión, pues a partir del 1 de julio se creará la misión Peru Huancayo, esto significa que nuestra misión se ha multiplicado y uds pasaran a la historia como los misioneros que estuvieron e hicieron esto realidad, podrán decir que estaban aquí cuando esto sucedió,  el viernes la iglesia anuncio 58 nuevas misiones y nosotros somos una de ellas, ELDERES Y HERMANAS LES FELICITO , por hacer esto posible, con su dedicación y esfuerzo lograron que la iglesia pueda crecer y el evangelio restaurado pueda llegar a mas almas

Como dice en  DyC 38:33 “y desde allí  irán a todas las naciones los que yo quisiere, y les será dicho lo que han de hacer; porque tengo reservada una gran obra, pues Israel será salvo y lo guiare´ por donde yo quiera, y ningún poder detendrá mi mano”.

Elderes y hermanas ningún poder podrá detener esta obra, ni siquiera misioneros desobedientes, pero los de buena voluntad

y los obedientes comerán de la abundancia de la tierra de Sión en estos postreros días.   Uds son parte de este milagro, cuanto hemos aportado para que esto fuese posible?,  podemos decir con tranquilidad a nuestros hijos di todo y hize todo lo posible e imposible para que estos milagros fuesen posible?,   si no lo han hecho todavi hay tiempo. Les quiero decir algo

9. I love you all so much. It is a joy to hear from you every week. Thanks to every one of you for helping me all my life. I am here on the mission, I will always be grateful for family. 

10. Also Mom, will you write sister Carle and tell her thanks so much for that puzzle of the plan of salvation that she sent me. I use it to teach a lot... I also made my own portable plan of salvation card. I encourage you all to do the same. Have fun creating one in your own form and creative way.

11. Oh, I almost forgot one more story... I will tell you next week remind me next week there isn't time. ahhhhhhhhhh

02/25/2013

Dear Family. 

   I have so so so much to tell you, and so little time, so I will bullet point this letter.

1. I take back what i told you about my compañero last week. I have had the best and most successful week of my mission thanks to the companionship. He is one of my best friends. It's like having Dallin and Ricky as my companions. He told me that he gets frustrated fast with people who are lazy in the mission, and with his last companion he had had enough... and even though it was wrong, he gave him a reminder. I had the opportunity to meet his last companion, and I would have punched his lights out too.  jk. So don't worry about my compi, we are the best we've ever been. I gained a buddy and hope we can stay here another transfer.

2. Our mission is doing amazing, and like Emilee said, it will splitting into two missions. We will know June 1st what missiona I will be in. I am praying so hard to be in the Hauncayo mission. That has all of this province including cerro de pasco (the worlds highest city). But i know i will go where i should be.

3. I finally got my B-day package. Thanks so much for the cards and the cool pen from Jerusalem  You rock!!!! And Emilee, your Christmas package still hasn't arrived. I am just hoping it gets here before the missiona splits. hahahaha....

3. We had two baptisms last week and should have two sisters get baptized this week. The ward is chalk-full and i am dying every time I have to enter the chapel.

4. Congrats to Soren on the acceptation (?) to BYU. I yelled in english here in the computer lab, "my brother got into BYU!" I always yell important news. I don't even care the people that look at me.

5. I am thankful I haven't gotten any food sickness, but the rapid climate change gave me a pretty bad cough. I lost my voice, and a missionary without a voice is hardly a missionary (no disrespect to the sign language missions). So pray that I can kick this cough in the butt (or bum as mom says. haha)

6. I attached some fotos and you can see the dust bowl I am in, along with my comp and the baptisms we had.

7. I took some money out to get some boots so the sand doesn't keep entering my shoes.

8. i love you guys and hope that you are remembering that every member is a missionary. 

Love, Elder Larson

02/18/2013

My Dearest Family,

So much has happened these past two weeks and I will try to say it all in the little time i have.

1. Two weeks ago we had another two baptisms. One is Winnie. She is a girl that really has an amazing testimony. She has given us so many references to her friends and family, and we had so much to teach.

2. We also had a miracle. A lady who has been listening to the missionaries for a long time finally accepted last Thursday to be baptized THE VERY NEXT DAY, and she wanted me to baptize her.  BUTTTTTTTT the President called and you guessed it, I had emergency transfers. So mom, you were right. I didn't get to see her and her two kids get baptized which was hard for me.

3. The President wrote me and said that he had a special assignment. He said the companion that I was going to was having trouble wailing on his other companions.  The reason he put me with him is because I "could handle myself if a situation arose." I guess that means the president trusts me, and if I end up having to kick his butt I can. hahaha jk.

4. My new area is in Huaycan. It is outside of Lima, and if i could describe it in two words it would be hot and dusty. I feel like I am living in Palm Desert or Las Vegas because all of the roads are sand. I am burning up. The branch I meet in is small but nice. We rent a building to meet in and I can tell the president is feeling really tired. I have never sweated so much in a Sacrament meeting, and I am not even joking, I almost blacked out. Luckily we had a baptism but we are going to have to have the help of members because my area is gigantic.

5. The good part is that I am close to Lima so em your package should get here....

6. Also i never said happy birthday to John..... HAPPY BDAY JOHNªªª

7. I am so happy to be here. The fam bam enjoyed president's day. I honestly didn't even know or remember. haha.

8. I hope all the little chibolos "kids" of whit and Ian and Allison and Nate are fine.... 

9. Please pray that I can survive this heat.

10. I am sending a foto of my last zone and of my pensionista (the lady that feeds me) in my last zone.

02/04/2013

Dear Family.

    I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!! Man, the weeks without being able to write you are hard, but you know what? I am just grateful for this time that I have.

1. first i want to say that i am glad Em got to show you guys the pics that I sent home.  The guy on my shoulders is a member named Kevin. He has a brother on a mission in mexico and is a huge help to the work the guy on the ground is my companion who absolutely hates his face in pictures, even worse than Whitney at 15 years old.

2. After working hard all of January, I was about ready to accept to not have a baptism for that month.  BUT a man named Cezar who is 17 came up to us and said he wanted to be baptized. All of his family are members and I thought he was too. But they all got baptized about three years ago and he didn't because he didn't have a testimony. He had been attending church and said to us, "I want to be baptized tomorrow." Wow, how strong he is. I am so blessed that the Lord is preparing people way before I even get to talk to them.

3. We also had the baptism of Mama O. She insists that we call her that because she says that from now on the missionaries will be her children. Me and my companion baptized her because she can't walk, so we baptized her in a chair. She is a spiritual light also, and I honestly don't know how much time left she has on this earth. I love her like another grandma.

4. I will not be sending any more fotos from these computers because every time I do, I get a virus and end up having to erase them all. I will be buying another big memory card and keeping them until the end of my mission. sorry.

5. It is so cool to be a missionary. It is way tougher than any other thing. I am so tired and destroyed after every day that I shouldn't be happy, but I am the happiest I have ever been. These people are my brothers. Their names and faces are on my mind (like you guys) all the time.

6. I had the best food yesterday with a member. It was delicios, but it was a food in quechua so I don't remeber what it's called.

7. I am sorry to hear about the packages mom and Em. The good news is that I did get all the little pictures from primary. hahaha.

8. I am trying to upload another fotos so you guys can see the baptism of Cesar.

9. I have completely destroyed another pair of shoes too. I will be taking out money to buy a good pair because packages from home don't really get here. haha.

10. I really do miss you guys, and you better write me on dear elder because its free, fast and I can read your cards throughout the week!!!!

I love you guys sooo much and I will talk to you soon!

Love, Elder Larson