Hello,
Thank you for the email. We have had a pretty crazy week this week. I don't know if I told you before, but we actually don't live in our area. We live in a city called Yorktown and we serve in a city called Hampton. And every day we had to use a car to drive into our area and use a bike rack to carry in our bikes. Anyway, that wasn't a big deal at all, but on Thursday at about 1 o clock the office called us and told us they needed our car at about 4 o'clock that day and that we would be moving the next morning, which was Friday morning. So they didn't give us much notice at all, and we had to make time to pack all of our stuff among all of our appointments. We had to cancel some of them. And then Thursday evening after we dropped off the car we had to find rides for our evening appointments. So we found members that would be able to drive us into our area and then drive us to our appointments for that evening. And luckily there is a very nice member who has a truck and he was able to help us move on Friday. He came and picked up all of our stuff and then we went to our new apartment.
But the new apartment didn't have anything in it at all. No beds, desks, or any type of furniture. So we spent the day Friday using his truck to pick up beds and also kitchen stuff for the apartment. And wow, there are a lot of small items that you don't realize how much you take for granted because they are already inside an apartment when you get there. Like a vacuum, shower curtain, pillows, garbage cans, pans, plates, a spatula, seasonings for food, and there was no microwave. But we have been blessed. There was a member who had an extra microwave and he gave it to us, our ward mission leader bought us a vacuum and a lot of other small things, and there is a place called the needs network which is ran by a member of the church and they have tons of furniture and other house items that people donate and then the needs network gives it to those in need. They told us we could take anything we wanted. So we got our beds and desks from them. We also got a table and chairs from them too. We have been taken care of well.
Well our investigators are still doing good, but there is not a whole lot of news. No one came to church, which was a bummer but it was mostly because they were doing something for father's day, so it was a decent excuse. We also haven't been able to see them for a real good lesson because we have been so busy with moving. We are seeing Joylyn tomorrow though with our ward mission leader and that should be a good lesson. We are going to have him invite her over to his home for a lesson. Nicole has been out of town but we talked to her yesterday and she is doing well, and we set up a lesson with her for this coming Tuesday. We are also working with this investigator named Emma who went to the SUV fireside and she wants to come to church. We also finally got in contact with the Keaton's agains and we have a lesson with them tomorrow. So we have alot of good lessons coming up.
I have been careful on my bike and did not get into any crashes. Thats really cool that Spencer is going to be baptized in a river. I wish i could be there for it. That is going to be a lot of fun.
Oh and our new address now is 110 Litchfield close, Hampton, Va, 23669
Well thank you for the prayers and I am excited to meet President Perry. I think he gets here on the 28th. Take care and I will talk to you next week.
Love,
Elder Larson
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
June 16th 2010
Hello Family,
Well things are going well in Hampton. We had a really good mission conference. It started at 10 oclock and went until 4. The Spirit was very strong there. We had the opportunity to hear the testimony of a recent convert, and also President Millburn read us notes and impressions from his study journal that he gathered throughout his time as a mission president and that he had selected to share. So those were fun to write down. And then at the end there was a testimony meeting which lasted longer than it was planned to go. But it was really good, and of course everyone was crying. Well, I wasnt, but lots of people were. President Millburn bore his testimony at the end, and then we sang God be with you til we meet again, and then when that song ended all you could hear were sniffs from people crying. Lol. i guess it was a good bittersweet moment. I think one of the biggest lessons a mission teaches is how to get used to change. I was also very joyed to see Elder Shelley and Elder White again. They are doing good, and it was fun to talk to them. Also, we did have transfer calls last night and Elder Haley and I are staying, which I am happy about.
Well Joylyn and Nicole are both doing great still. Joylyn came to church with her kids, and she liked it again and wants to keep coming. She really likes us and the church alot but I dont think she quite has a testimony yet. It is hard for her when she comes to church because she has three kids that are pretty roudy. She has a 5 month old baby, a 5 year old, and a 9 year old and the two younger ones dont sit still. I tried to really help her out with the kids though, luckily I have some practice doing that. :) She sat with us, so I felt like I was back at home being the one in charge to keep the kids busy and quiet. I gave them papers from our area book to draw on and also gave them my planner to draw on and to look at and to beat up to try to keep them occupied. It worked, but Joylyn still has a handful with her little baby. I wish I could help out with the baby but we arent allowed to hold kids, so I cant do much. It was funny I wanted them to come to sacrament meeting so much but then I just wanted it to end so the kids could be taken to primary, which they really enjoy. So I think it is hard for her to focus and enjoy the Spirit as much as she could. But she is still doing really well, and we had another lesson with her yesterday where we were able to take over a member and have them meet each other. Nicole is also doing wonderful. she is out of town this week but she remembered that there were transfers so she wants us to call her and tell her whats happening. But we had a really good lesson with her last week. We actually taught her the Law of Chastity. It was kind of a skip ahead and Elder Haley and I were pretty nervous to teach it but it was what we felt she needed and what we thought would help her out the most. So we taught it. And it went so good. I said a couple silent prayers as we were getting ready to teach it, I dont know why I was so nervous, but my heart was pounding, but then we taught it and it basically went perfect. She accepted all of it, and was so happy we taught it to her. She started thanking us for teaching it to her because she realizes it will help her become better. So I guess thats our little miracle for the week. And we were also with Brian who was doing the mini mission with us and Im pretty sure he didnt say a word the whole lesson. So Nicole is just wonderful, she hasnt come to church yet but she definitely has the light of Christ in her because she recognizes what is right and wrong. We are fortunate to be able to teach her. And thank you for your prayers because I am sure they helped.
Dad, happy birthday. Im trying to picture you with an Ipod touch. :) I cant believe there is an app for a stake. Thats pretty neat. I guess there really is an app for everything. And what kind of car did you get?
Well thank you for the email and support and prayers. We are doing really well in Hampton and are excited for another transfer here.
Love,
Elder Larson
Well things are going well in Hampton. We had a really good mission conference. It started at 10 oclock and went until 4. The Spirit was very strong there. We had the opportunity to hear the testimony of a recent convert, and also President Millburn read us notes and impressions from his study journal that he gathered throughout his time as a mission president and that he had selected to share. So those were fun to write down. And then at the end there was a testimony meeting which lasted longer than it was planned to go. But it was really good, and of course everyone was crying. Well, I wasnt, but lots of people were. President Millburn bore his testimony at the end, and then we sang God be with you til we meet again, and then when that song ended all you could hear were sniffs from people crying. Lol. i guess it was a good bittersweet moment. I think one of the biggest lessons a mission teaches is how to get used to change. I was also very joyed to see Elder Shelley and Elder White again. They are doing good, and it was fun to talk to them. Also, we did have transfer calls last night and Elder Haley and I are staying, which I am happy about.
Well Joylyn and Nicole are both doing great still. Joylyn came to church with her kids, and she liked it again and wants to keep coming. She really likes us and the church alot but I dont think she quite has a testimony yet. It is hard for her when she comes to church because she has three kids that are pretty roudy. She has a 5 month old baby, a 5 year old, and a 9 year old and the two younger ones dont sit still. I tried to really help her out with the kids though, luckily I have some practice doing that. :) She sat with us, so I felt like I was back at home being the one in charge to keep the kids busy and quiet. I gave them papers from our area book to draw on and also gave them my planner to draw on and to look at and to beat up to try to keep them occupied. It worked, but Joylyn still has a handful with her little baby. I wish I could help out with the baby but we arent allowed to hold kids, so I cant do much. It was funny I wanted them to come to sacrament meeting so much but then I just wanted it to end so the kids could be taken to primary, which they really enjoy. So I think it is hard for her to focus and enjoy the Spirit as much as she could. But she is still doing really well, and we had another lesson with her yesterday where we were able to take over a member and have them meet each other. Nicole is also doing wonderful. she is out of town this week but she remembered that there were transfers so she wants us to call her and tell her whats happening. But we had a really good lesson with her last week. We actually taught her the Law of Chastity. It was kind of a skip ahead and Elder Haley and I were pretty nervous to teach it but it was what we felt she needed and what we thought would help her out the most. So we taught it. And it went so good. I said a couple silent prayers as we were getting ready to teach it, I dont know why I was so nervous, but my heart was pounding, but then we taught it and it basically went perfect. She accepted all of it, and was so happy we taught it to her. She started thanking us for teaching it to her because she realizes it will help her become better. So I guess thats our little miracle for the week. And we were also with Brian who was doing the mini mission with us and Im pretty sure he didnt say a word the whole lesson. So Nicole is just wonderful, she hasnt come to church yet but she definitely has the light of Christ in her because she recognizes what is right and wrong. We are fortunate to be able to teach her. And thank you for your prayers because I am sure they helped.
Dad, happy birthday. Im trying to picture you with an Ipod touch. :) I cant believe there is an app for a stake. Thats pretty neat. I guess there really is an app for everything. And what kind of car did you get?
Well thank you for the email and support and prayers. We are doing really well in Hampton and are excited for another transfer here.
Love,
Elder Larson
June 9th, 2010
Hey,
This week has been great so far. Everyone is doing awesome. Although no one came to church on sunday, but thats ok, because everyone is doing great. Last week on Thursday we had great lessons with Nicole and Joylyn. Nicole told us she knows the Book of Mormon was true, and we asked her what that meant to her, and she told us that it means this is where she needs to be. And before we asked her that we reviewed the Restoration, and we were very clear about the apostasy of the Priesthood and how it has been restored and exists only in the church of Jesus Christ, and she agreed. She is golden. I think she wants to come to church and she definitely knows we want her to, but hasnt been able to because of something with her family. I dont really know. We also taught Joylyn and she is wonderful. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and drew out the three kingdoms with sidewalk chalk, cause we teach her on her porch. And she understood well, and she told us she wants to go to the celestial kingdom. She is a really fun investigator too. We visit her alot and she likes talking to us. She gives us a hard time about our wrecks, and she has a strong accent so sometimes we dont understand her, and she makes fun of us for not being able to understand her. And in resonse we gave her a hard time about not coming to church, so she is going to come this week. She is fun, and she is from Grenadia, which is an island somewhere. And its been great being able to take members over there and to go on exchanges with them. Because they get to become involved with the missionary work and then they always ask us about the people we are teaching on sunday, which is good.
So this week has also been fun. There is a young man named Brian Stant in the ward about to go on a mission, and he is going on a mini mission with us for a week. For this week he is basically a third companion. He is with us all day, but stays at his own house at night. It is a very good experience for him to see what missionaries do all day, and to be involved with teaching people and seeing them understand and progress in the gospel and it has also been great for us having him with us. It was our Ward Mission Leader's idea, and he told us about how when he was on a mission he did that with some of the young men he was serving around, and he told us that during those mini missions it seemed like everything went really well and they had alot of success. Well so far that has been true this week. We have found new investigators, and we have tried to see people that we found earlier that said they were interested but we kind of lost contact with them just because they were never home when we went back, well we have gone and seen those people with Brian and we have been seeing lots of people.
We have two great new investigators, which we taught the Restoration to, and they told us they want us to come back before we even asked and they want to come to church sometime soon. And all of our scheduled appointments this week have held, which is not common in missionary work. So Brian has really been a boost to us, and when things are going well thats when missionary work is the funnest, so it has been alot fo fun for all three of us.
I still have both of my suits I am just down a pair of pants for each of them. And its unlucky because back when I was in Newport News I bought a cheap walmart pair of black and blue pants that I could where while biking. That way I could just save my suit pants for days when we have meetings or church etc. Well that has worked out well except this wreck and my dog bite just happened to be on days that I was wearing my suit pants, so those are the pants that got ruined. But I still have another pair for the green and black as well as my two cheap pairs so I am fine.
Yes the pavement comes very fast. This time I didnt even have time to think or to try and fall in way that might do less damage to my body. All I remember thinking while i was falling was a simple "no, not again."
I enjoyed reading Spencers story about repentance. Everytime we teach repentance I start off the lesson by saying ok today we are going to teach one of the greatest ways we can feel joy. It usually gets them interested. I am excited to see your baptism pictures.
Another thing I am excited about is tomorrow is Mission Conference. It is President Millburn's last transfer so we are having a mission conference. I am really excited for it, mostly because I get to see Elder Shelley and Elder White, and talk to them and ask them how everyone is doing in Kempsville. And then next tuesday is transfers, which is crazy because this transfer has flown by, but I am pretty sure I am staying here, which is what I am very much hoping for. I really like it here and we have found alot of people who are ready for the Gospel.
Another interesting item is my lifelong pursuit of trying to figure out how to throw a curveball has been fulfilled. Elder Haley was a high school baseball player so he taught me how. And it was funny he brought his glove and baseball hoping that there would be other missionaries for him to play catch with, but no one brought a baseball glove except him. Well he wanted to play catch really bad, and he asked me if he bought another glove if I would play with him. So I said yeah cause I really like playing catch, and so he bought himself a glove so he can play catch with whoever his companion is. So anyway, we were playing catch a few p-days ago and he taught me the curveball. It was fun, I was throwing it to the right of him and then watching it curve back to being in front if him! Its really easy too, and it all depends on how you rotate your wrist.
Well thank you for your prayers. They are working. Please keep them up, as I know you always do. We are doing great here in Hampton.
Love,
Elder Larson
This week has been great so far. Everyone is doing awesome. Although no one came to church on sunday, but thats ok, because everyone is doing great. Last week on Thursday we had great lessons with Nicole and Joylyn. Nicole told us she knows the Book of Mormon was true, and we asked her what that meant to her, and she told us that it means this is where she needs to be. And before we asked her that we reviewed the Restoration, and we were very clear about the apostasy of the Priesthood and how it has been restored and exists only in the church of Jesus Christ, and she agreed. She is golden. I think she wants to come to church and she definitely knows we want her to, but hasnt been able to because of something with her family. I dont really know. We also taught Joylyn and she is wonderful. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and drew out the three kingdoms with sidewalk chalk, cause we teach her on her porch. And she understood well, and she told us she wants to go to the celestial kingdom. She is a really fun investigator too. We visit her alot and she likes talking to us. She gives us a hard time about our wrecks, and she has a strong accent so sometimes we dont understand her, and she makes fun of us for not being able to understand her. And in resonse we gave her a hard time about not coming to church, so she is going to come this week. She is fun, and she is from Grenadia, which is an island somewhere. And its been great being able to take members over there and to go on exchanges with them. Because they get to become involved with the missionary work and then they always ask us about the people we are teaching on sunday, which is good.
So this week has also been fun. There is a young man named Brian Stant in the ward about to go on a mission, and he is going on a mini mission with us for a week. For this week he is basically a third companion. He is with us all day, but stays at his own house at night. It is a very good experience for him to see what missionaries do all day, and to be involved with teaching people and seeing them understand and progress in the gospel and it has also been great for us having him with us. It was our Ward Mission Leader's idea, and he told us about how when he was on a mission he did that with some of the young men he was serving around, and he told us that during those mini missions it seemed like everything went really well and they had alot of success. Well so far that has been true this week. We have found new investigators, and we have tried to see people that we found earlier that said they were interested but we kind of lost contact with them just because they were never home when we went back, well we have gone and seen those people with Brian and we have been seeing lots of people.
We have two great new investigators, which we taught the Restoration to, and they told us they want us to come back before we even asked and they want to come to church sometime soon. And all of our scheduled appointments this week have held, which is not common in missionary work. So Brian has really been a boost to us, and when things are going well thats when missionary work is the funnest, so it has been alot fo fun for all three of us.
I still have both of my suits I am just down a pair of pants for each of them. And its unlucky because back when I was in Newport News I bought a cheap walmart pair of black and blue pants that I could where while biking. That way I could just save my suit pants for days when we have meetings or church etc. Well that has worked out well except this wreck and my dog bite just happened to be on days that I was wearing my suit pants, so those are the pants that got ruined. But I still have another pair for the green and black as well as my two cheap pairs so I am fine.
Yes the pavement comes very fast. This time I didnt even have time to think or to try and fall in way that might do less damage to my body. All I remember thinking while i was falling was a simple "no, not again."
I enjoyed reading Spencers story about repentance. Everytime we teach repentance I start off the lesson by saying ok today we are going to teach one of the greatest ways we can feel joy. It usually gets them interested. I am excited to see your baptism pictures.
Another thing I am excited about is tomorrow is Mission Conference. It is President Millburn's last transfer so we are having a mission conference. I am really excited for it, mostly because I get to see Elder Shelley and Elder White, and talk to them and ask them how everyone is doing in Kempsville. And then next tuesday is transfers, which is crazy because this transfer has flown by, but I am pretty sure I am staying here, which is what I am very much hoping for. I really like it here and we have found alot of people who are ready for the Gospel.
Another interesting item is my lifelong pursuit of trying to figure out how to throw a curveball has been fulfilled. Elder Haley was a high school baseball player so he taught me how. And it was funny he brought his glove and baseball hoping that there would be other missionaries for him to play catch with, but no one brought a baseball glove except him. Well he wanted to play catch really bad, and he asked me if he bought another glove if I would play with him. So I said yeah cause I really like playing catch, and so he bought himself a glove so he can play catch with whoever his companion is. So anyway, we were playing catch a few p-days ago and he taught me the curveball. It was fun, I was throwing it to the right of him and then watching it curve back to being in front if him! Its really easy too, and it all depends on how you rotate your wrist.
Well thank you for your prayers. They are working. Please keep them up, as I know you always do. We are doing great here in Hampton.
Love,
Elder Larson
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