6 Jun 2011

Hello,

Well we have had a good week. The highlight would be on saturday we had the baptism we were hoping for! Her name was P*atsy B*ragg. It was great. She is an older lady so it is harder for her to come to church, but she has an awesome testimony. She has a pretty cool story. She had a son who passed away in a bicycle accident but when he passed away he had been meeting with missionaries, and after he passed Patsy found alot fo the material that the missionaries had given her son and so she started reading it. And very soon after that the missionaries just happened to knock on Patsy's door. And Patsy let them in and Patsy knew that it was right and told us she knows that her son was pleased when she got baptized and said she knows he was at her baptism. It was pretty neat. I believe her.

So that was neat, and then yesterday some friends wanted to hang out with her and she told them no, and that sunday was her church day so she came and got confirmed. She is a very strong lady.

Well that is pretty much it. On Friday there was a zone meeting and I am in the same zone as Elder H*aley and Elder L*andry so it was sweet to see them again. The meeting was on obedience and unity. This Friday I have another District Meeting so I am thinking about what to do for that. I do like that poem I might share that.

I think it would be great to go and see grandma and grandpa. I dont know how I am going to feel when I get home but I would like to see them, so I think I will want to go. Well the days are dwindling down it is crazy. This past week I got my going home papers. I found out all about my flight and everything about gonig home... Maybe if you have some free time you could search for a company that ships bikes, or find out what the best way to do that is.

Thanks. Well I love you, I am doing great. I am emotionally confused cause of going home there are just alot of emotions fighting for attention lol. But thank you for the email and tell everyone at home I am excited to see them and I am doing well. The church is true. Have a good week.

Love

Elder Larson

30 May 2011

Hello,

Well it has been a good week. We are having lots of fun in Norfolk. We had a district meeting Friday that went really good. Everyone said it was great. We talked alot about atonement and sticking to the fundamentals of the Gospel. Ever since Elder Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy came a few months ago I have spent ltos of time studying the atonement and I love studying it and learning of God's love for us.

But I am enjoying this area alot more now. I feel like I am more comfortable as district leader and Elder Kohler and Elder Wolfgramm and I have a blast together. We are always laughing. They kind of remind me of having little brothers. lol. Cause they love to argue about little things and do these little funny immature things to each other but it is always in a fun way. For example, the other day we were at Wendys having lunch, and we were sitting at a booth and Elder Wolfgramm and I were on one side, and Elder Kohler was on the other. And Elder Kohler had a frosty that Elder Wolfgramm wanted, and every time Elder Kohler turned his head Elder Wolfgramm stuck his spoon into his frosty cup to try and steal some of it. And then he came saying stuff like whats that over there and pointing to the back wall to try and get Elder Kohler to turn around. I was just laughing at them. Little things like that happen all the time. lol Sometimes Elder Kohler walks into the kitchen and Elder Wolfgramm is just eating his food. lol. Its hilarious. And Elder Kohler does his share of things to Elder Wolfgramm too. This companionship might not survive if the only change after this transfer is me leaving. I dont know if they could ever stay focused without me lol.

We might have a baptism this saturday. We had two of our investigators show up to church on sunday which was good and it was the first time they came in a while. However the one with a date this saturday did not come so we will have to see how she is still ready. We are seeing her tomorrow.

Well, I am getting scared to come home... The closer it gets the more it is setting in and I feel like the excitement I once had to see everyone is getting buried by the realization that it actually is going to end and this wonderful time I have to be a missionary will be over. I dont want it to end. Just thinking about all the stresses that I am suddenly going to have to worry about once I get home doesnt sound good at all and I would rather just keep being able to only have to worry about serving others. Realizing that it will soon be over has made me realize how much I love doing it. But, I know that is it the Lords will so I am sure it will work out and be for the best.

Well, I love you, and thank you for your email and advice. James, if you get to read this, you are about to start the best two years of your life... There will be hard times, fun times, times where you hate your companion, times where you feel like a spiritual bomb went off and your testimony will be so confirmed, just do your best and all of it will work for your good. Sometimes it takes awhile to see how things are working for your good but the time always comes when you will be able to see. Well I love you. I love you all and thanks for your prayers. Take care

Love,

Elder Larson




NOTICE: This email

23 May 2011

Hello,

Well thank your for the email. First of all, my new address is 6411 crescent way apt 203, Norfolk, VA 23513. And i am glad you got my box there is another one on the way which is a little bit bigger. It is actually pretty big and I don't know how I accumulated so much stuff but i did and it is also stuff that I have not needed so you should be getting that box soon too. I think the predicted day was wednesday.

Well I really appreciate your help in paying for my mission and whatever money transfers you make are fine with me.

Well this new area is good. it is fun being in a threesome. It is getting really hot and we do a lot of biking. We have a couple of investigators that have baptismal dates soon but they havent really been coming to church from what I've heard so we need to work with them. This area has alot of poorer areas, like most of the areas I have been in. Its good though the people are more humble.
I dont know how to handle this district leader position. President Perry told me to call the sisters every night and that i need to really get to know them and be involved with them. I just dont know, I feel like I am terrible at talking to girls and i honestly have nothing to say and the sisters here are to be honest are pretty good looking. SO i feel like its impossible to get to know them without flirting and they all live together. I just dont know what to do. I feel like if I am trying to not flirt they will think I do not like them and if I do flirt i have a quilty conscience, and then on top of that conflict I am somehow supposed to empower them and inspire them and I am still completely knew to the area. Anyway, I know it is not as bad as i think it is I just wish I was better with these types of situations. It would be so much better to just have a district of elders.

Oh well, like I said last time Im sure it will just be a good learning experience. But if you have any advice feel free...Well I am super excited to see you all. I love you and hoep you have a good week!

Love

Elder Larson

16 May 2011

Hello from Virginia!

Well this has been a wonderful week. I am getting transferred to Norfolk 2nd. I found that out last night. They are making me a District leader too. I am pretty excited though for a few reasons. First of all, I am in a threesome which is always fun and one of my companions names' is Elder W*olfgramm and he from Tonga and he is awesome. I have served near him a few times and so a few times I have been able to go on exchanges with him a few times for a day and i had great times with Elder W*olfgramm. He is really funny, and has alot of funny stories, and he was also going to play for the Tongan national rugby team but then went on his mission. He is a bulky guy. So i am very excited to be his comapnion again and think we will do awesome together.
And I am on bike, which I prefer over car alot. We were in a car this area and I just dont like getting in and out of the car all the time going from house to house. When you bike you actually get to talk to people on the way and you get a workout toowhich just feels better at the end of the day. I am gonig to a ward called the Norfolk 2nd ward which is near the beach and is in the Virginia Beach stake.

So I will miss Elder Jones, I never stopped laughing while i was with him, he is so funny, but I am happy .........I kind of wanted to go to another area where it would be easier to finish strong and I definitely got that wish cause my area is bike and and I know at least one of my companions is a hard worker. So I am happy to move on.

I really dont know what to do to be a good district leader though. President told me it was my responsibilty to empower and encourage my district. Well, beside my own companionship, (the one I am going to have) our whole district is sister misisonaries! I know one of them which is sister b*rown she was in hampton with me but I dont know any of the other ones and I am kind of nervous to be their leader and have to organize district meetings. Anyway, I guess it will be a good learning experience.
But this is not why we had a good weekend. I told Elder J*ones when I first got here I had a goal in my mind that we baptize two people during our time here. We were starting the area fresh and we didnt have any investigators and I thought we would be together my last two transfer and I thought if we could get two baptisms by the end of those two transfers that would be a good goal. He agreed and helped work toward that goal. Well we got one with Jerome, and then yesterday Jim got baptized! I am pretty sure when I talked to you on the phone I had said that Jim was scheduled to be baptized this week, like tuesday or wednesday which means he still would have before the time that I left cause I leave on thursday, but Jim was leaving town and he ended having to leave monday morning, (this morning) so we did it yesterday and he asked me to baptize him and then Elder J*ones did the confirmation waterside. It was an awesome baptism, the first one this area has had this year (cause jerome counted for hampton lol), so the ward was really excited and bishop made sure alot of people came lol.
So we were blessed, Jim really just fell into our lap and was really prepared it was nothing we did except we went over there everyday last week to teach him and he would barbeque hamburgers. He had three friendly pit bulls that we played with too so it was a great way to end my time here. He was so ready and the friend who told him about the church was less active and is still working to be active again, but this less active decided yesterday and I am sure it was from jims example, but he decided to quit smoking and now he wants to baptize his wife! So it is cool how Jims friend helped him find out about the church and now Jim is hepling him live the commandments. :) At sacrament meeting yesterday the temple president came down for some reason and spoke and he spoke about families where one person gets baptized first and then later the spouse gets baptized and then they can be sealed in the temple. It was perfect for Jim to hear. Well it was a great week, I am excited to start my last transfer and finish strong. The heat and the humidity are just starting to come alive for the summer so biking should be fun in that. It is hot and thick. I love you and talk to you next week.

Love,

Elder Larson

2 May 2011

Hello,



Well before I forget, I got permission to skype on mothers day. it will probably be around 3-4 ish on sunday that i skype Elder jones and I are going to a family in hampton named the R*ichards. They are fun and they are where I was on Christmas too when i called. President didnt have any problem with skyping at all and I also got permission to use the internet to sign up for BYU classes and for whatever I have to do with that. So you dont have to worry about doing that for me.

I am thinking I might wait until winter semester to take classes because I want to figure out a plan before I jump into school not knowing for sure what I want to do. It also would like to work and earn some money. Which reminds me, will you ask president w*ells if he is hiring for his construction company? If he is not thats fine but it was just an idea I had that i thought would be a fun job.

Anyway, this week has been good. Jerome is doing really great and he is already planning on going to the temple. He is great. He also asked me to baptize him on Saturday so that made me happy. We also had a good lesson with Jim and Megan. Jim is basically ready to be baptized, he has already quit drinking because he found out about the word of wisom through the member that first invited him. And he is just doing really well he said that he feels really good about all of it. Megan doesn't understand the signifiicance of it yet. She thinks both churches (mormons and catholics) are good and even thoguh we explained the priesthood pretty clearly I dont think she completely understood it. At least it seemed clear to us, but we figured we would focus on Jim first since he is so excited about it and ready and then as he understands more and learns more he will be able to explain the sgnificance of authority to his wife so she will understand better. We are also going to explain temple marriage and cause we are sure they will like knowing they can be married for eternity. So they are going good and we want to set a date for Jim this week.

So i was reading first nephi 11 yesterday for my studies and one part that really stood out to me were verses 22-23 about how the love of God is the most desirable thing that we can have and it is the most joyous to the soul. For some reason I just really enjoyed reading and it really stuck out to me that it is the love of God that is the most important thing and is really what the church is all about. There are alot of deep doctrines, alot of imperfect people in the church, but we dont need to worry about that we just need to focus on studying the scritpures and doing what is right so we can feel Gods love, which are blessings of the atonement because the Atonement is the greatest manifestation of God's love. And since we have the fulness of the gospel, we have the greatest access to the atonement and God's love. So anyway, somehow reading that scripture just kind of tied some things everything together to me in my mind in that the most important thing is Gods love and the atonement and that is what the church is all about, and that is what we should focus on, and as we feel Gods love we know what we are doing is right. Well. have an excellent week and I cant wait to talk to you on Sunday! Happy Mothers Day. I love you,


Love,

Elder Larson

25 April 2011

Hello from Virginia!

Things are going good it has beena great week. First I will update you on Jerome. He is doing really well. We were not sure what to do about his baptism. Jerome decided that he wanted to go to the Hampton ward. Or stay there is the better way to say it. So we thought that would probably be fine but we called President Perry to see what he would say. He agreed with us and said that he should get baptized where he is comfortable and then later he will learn more and realize he should switch wards. So that worked for us and we told Bishop M*annis here and he siad that was fine and then I called Bro S*horr, our ward mission leader in Hampton. It was fun to talk to him againa nd I explained what had happened and so the baptism is planned to happen May 7 in the Hampton ward!! YAY. I am really happy for Jerome.

I feel kind of like part of the reason I came here was to help Jerome. He is so ready, and has a strong testimony, I might have said this last time but he is starting his fourth round of the book of mormon. He just didnt quite understand the requirements for baptism and now that he does it has brought him alot of hope, and it is really going to open the doors for him to continue to progress in the gospel. But if I hadnt been in Hampton and seen how prepared Jerome was for baptism before I got here I dont think it would have happened. So, I guess its not me but the Lord who is using me to do his purpose in helping Jerome and I feel very grateful that I can help him and that I was sent to the area that he lived in so we could go visit him.

Elder Jones and I have also found a couple named Jim and Megan, and they are married! It is always good when they are married. SO Jim has been talking to a member of the church who lives in a ward called the Jamestown ward. And he has been talking to him for a few years. Both Jim and Megan grew up Catholic but neither of them really believe, especially him. And they are very humble and open and were asking us questions. We saw them for the first time on Saturday, and they very so grateful we stopped by and apologized tthat they didnt have more questions ready for us. They were very nice and so we set up a time ot see them this coming week. Its on Thursday at 730! Jim has come to church the past three weeks and Megan came this past week. Each of those weeks though they went to a different ward because they werent able to come to ours yesterday and the past two weeks before that Jim didnt know any better. But that is fine he has loved and they both enjoyed yesterday so we are very hopeful for them.

We were talking to Jim yesterday and he is going to massachusetts for this coming weekend but he has already found the nearest church through mormon.org for where he will be staying. So they are "golden." And it is all because a member was willing to share the gospel. Members do so much to help prepare people to receive misssionaries. So maybe you can share that in your stake conference because so so so many people are searching for answers but almost always it is members that have the key to getting them to listen and have interest. So i am grateful we have been able to find Jim and Megan and fo the member that has helped us.

We had a great Easter. Bishop M*annis is really a great man even if he doesn't have the exact same feelings about Jerome. He invited us to his hous for dinner along with a member who just got stationed here away from his family for some military training. So that is what we did for Easter. It was fun and then after dinner we watched a movie called reflections of Christ which I enjoyed.

Our church here is from 11-2 so I will probably call on Mothers Day after church around 3ish my time. Ill let you know for sure next week. We have interviews with president this week so I can ask him about skype. Well things are going good here. I am doing my best and it is fun but I am aware of the little amount of time remaining. I am excited to see you all. I love you and I will talk to you in a couple weeks!



Love,

Elder Larson

18 Apr 2011

Hello,

This was a pretty good week. Our teaching pool has grown a bit. We have definitely utilized the part member list and we also asked for a list with all the unbaptized youth in the ward. We call it a UBY list. Those definitely are good places to start and it always seems to be pleasing to the bishop when he finds out you are working with some of those families.

Well one cool story we had this week was with a man named Jerome. Jerome is a long time investigator who lives in the Newport news area. Well about 8 months ago, he starting attending the Hampton ward and this is while I was in Hampton. I while I was in Hampton he came every week to church. He never wanted missionaries to come teach him because we definitely asked him if we could come by but he said no. And at the time it would have been hard because we were serving in Hampton and he lived in the Newport news 2nd ward boundaries. But anyway, if you fast forward to now, after Jerome coming to church every week for 8 months and us and Bro S*ly talking to him as much as possible at church, I remembered when I got here that he lives in this area. So I was oh we are definitely going to stop by Jerome. So we did. And we talked with him for awhile and we read from the book of Mormon.

Then I was just thinking to myself, Jerome has such a strong testimony, he comes to church every sunday, he reads the Book of mormon daily too, there is absolutley no reason that he should not be baptized. And as I thought that the scripture Mosiah 18:8-10 came to my mind so we read that and verse 10 is a question-what have you against being baptized? And there was a long pause. and no one said anything. And finally he said that you know that I want to be baptized but its the smoking thing. And then he talked about how bad he wants to quit. And he had a sincere desire. And so we taught him as President Perry has taught us, that once people repent and sincerely decide with their whole heart to stop breaking the commandment, that at that point they can be baptized. And furthermore, they will then be armed with the Holy Ghost to help that person continue to obey. But there is no time requirement. So when we taught that to Jerome he got so happy, almost starting crying, and said that that brings him alot of hope. It was awesome.

We continued to talk and we set a date for him to be baptized on May 7! So that is great news. But there is an obstacle. You may be wondering why Jerome attends Hampton. Well besides the fact the Hampton is the greatest place in the world, Jerome had some incidents with some members with the NN2 ward and bishop addressed that and when he did Jerome got offended. So when we were with Jerome we explained to him that it would be best if he could work things out and end up going to the NN2 ward. He said he would pray about. Well he went to Hampton again this past sunday and told the elder phillips and his new companion that he is getting baptized May 7th, which is awesome to hear him say that. But we also talked to Bishop M*annis who is our bishop about ......... I am sure that the Savior would want and invite Jerome to be baptized. So anyway, we will see what happens but either way I am so happy for Jerome and believe that he will get baptized soon!
Well Elder Jones and I are having a blast together. We have alot of fun and get along great. Elder Jones is a very outgoing talkative fun person. He justs loves to have fun which is great. Sometimes I have to tell him to be more serious or more reverent cause he loves to just laugh and laugh. We have alot of fun though. He likes baspketball. he is from Salt Lake city. Well I love you and I am doing good. See you next week.
Love,
Elder Larson