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

12/31/2012

Dear Fam-Bam,

 1. It was so good to hear from you guys. Sorry I cut off right in the middle, but the time card I had ran out. But I think you guys know how much i love you :)

2. Mom a little package filled with pictures from the primary arrived. It was so fun (and funny) to read and look at all of the papers. Please pass on the message that I really appreciated every letter and that they helped me remember the Christmas season.

3. We almost had a problem with the baptism of stefany. Her dad didn't want to sign to give her permission to get baptized and wouldn't come out so we could talk to him. His daughter was actually pushing him to the door. He saw us and said something like "hey you're just kids?" I think he was expecting a pastor of the Mormon church or something, and after we talked he had no problem signing the paper... because if the church made kids into men like this he wanted his daughter there. He even came to the baptism and sang the hymns so loud.  I almost laughed. It was wonderful.

4. It is crazy to think that we will be starting a new year. Today won't be the same without having mom say "lets make our new years goals." 

5. Mi compi had a hard day this past week. Every missionary has that one day were he could really choose to go home because you miss your family so much. I told him that if he can make it to three months he will be so changed he won't ever want to go home. We talked about new goals and it seemed to help. I wish he knew how much of a blessing he is to me. A real break/blessing compared to the other missionaries I had before. He is all good now and I can't wait to see the miracles we see together. 

6. sorry to hear y'all got sick

7. Dad mi license is in the office of the mission and so I will call and have them give me the number and send it to you next week. 

I love you all so much and hope you have a great new year.

Elder Larson

12/24/2012

Dear Family, 

It was so wonderful to get that video and hear you all singing. I had to play it out loud so about fifteen missionaries and 5 other latinos were chuckling, but i didn't care. It was awesome to get that from y'all.....

Also, I am totally proud of Soren for fulfilling his role as member missionary. I can tell Soren will be an awesome missionary wherever he goes....

 Well training has been a BLAST!!!!! It was so awesome to have a "greenie" so excited to contact and teach and who really was excited about the work.  I will tell you, my comps from the city and is kinda of a baby when it comes to being out in the middle of nowhere where we are.  haha.  He complained really hard about the cold here and tried to call the president to say that the room we had was not up to par as a missionary should have.  I was so happy to hear the president say, to put it simply, that we have one of the best rooms of the mission and to suck it up!!!!! hahaha. But he really is awesome.  I think he will toughen up with time...

We had the baptism of Natily and i think this foto really describes how it feels after our baptisms.

I also had the amazing experience of having a less-active member come to church. We taught a lesson and I have never felt the spirit so strong. He and I both started to cry and at the end he said he was going to talk to the bishop to start his papers to go on the mission.  He is awesome and we are going to have him acompañarnos for a few citas to prepare him. It was awesome.

For the Christmas party I had to be Santa.... I got up on stage all dressed up and danced around for a couple of songs. It was hilarious.

Oh and I was coming back from Lima, picking up my companion, and I got a call from the President that he forgot to tell me I was also now District Leader, so needless to say I have been praying a lot for the help of the Lord.  One day while i was studying I was readying in prov. 27:23 and this scripture really helped me understand that in the mission I have my area filled with my people and i have the responsibility to look over them...... i don't know thought I would share that...

I am so excited to talk to you guys tomorrow at 8:00 here 7:00 there. You all look so different, especially Lukas. I wish i could skype but there really are no places to skype out here in "bumfly egypt".... (quote from dad).

Remember why we have this Christmas season, and hug all those less-active cats in your wards because a lot of times they just need a friend to go to church with.

love y'all nos vemos mañana,

Elder Larson