Sept 27th 2010

Hey,

Well I am happy to hear about Battle of the Bell. What position does Austin play? I am glad Mt spokane is doing so well. We are doing really well also. Andrew or Brother White I should say, just keeps doing everything he should. Everyone talks about how good he is and bishop interviewed him and he is worthy to get the priesthood. We also have another baptism coming up on October 16. I forgot to tell you about this guy last week with the baptism and everything, but we are teaching a guy now named Vince Dontjy. We already called him Brother Dontjy though. He is great, he is very humble, and willing to learn, and is very committed. He has had a hard life, and I would say the lord has humbled him and prepared him to receive the gospel. I feel like he alot different than most people we teach, because his concerns are different. Most people have doctrinal or concerns about a testimony, but his concerns are more with overcoming things from past experiences. So he needs your prayers. One thing he is working on is overcoming coffee. It was cool we reviewed the Word of Wisdom and then we taught about fasting, and how great of a tool fasting can be, and he said alright lets fast tomorrow. Before the lesson Elder Haley and I decided we were going to see if he wanted to fast on Sunday with us, and we were going to fast to help him overcome coffee, but he wanted to fast right away and use that day as the day he quit coffee. So we fasted with him and it worked. He said he felt more peace than he had ever felt, and he didn't drink any coffee, and that it is was an answer to his prayers. He is an awesome guy, and I really like teaching him, although sometimes I feel like I don't have the experience in life that he has so it can be hard to relate, but usually there is a doctrine of the church that comes to my mind or Elder Haley's that helps him. We found him because his daughter was baptized in another area of the mission. He has his whole life been against religion, at least organized religion, but after his daughter got baptized, and after some things he went through, he has a turn around or a change of heart and now he loves the church and the people, and especially that no one gets paid. Its also cool because missionaries just happen to run into his son who lives in Texas, and not his son has been hanging out with missionaries and his son told him that he was seeing missionaries not knowing that he was too and was going to be baptized. So the Lord, as always, has his own timing and plan prepared. He will have a great conversion story.

Also, keep praying for the Liufau's please. They are wonderful and I really want to see them get back to the temple. This week we had a lesson with them and we talked about temples and we invited them to pick a day in the next couple weeks to go and visit the temple as a family. Just walk around it and feel the Spirit. They are such a good family and really liked the idea of visiting the temple and they are going to do it. Sister Liufau said that she is going to not like it because she is going to hate being there and not being able to go inside. I thought that sounded perfect.

Well mom, good job inviting Aunt Linda to the Relief Society broadcast. I heard from everyone that talked about it that is was awesome. Just keep telling Aunt Linda how much you love her, and she will get baptized.

Well thank you for your prayers they are working. The members have really started to like us and are giving us referrals. We should have even more baptisms soon like the one with Andrew. There is one great family that invited a mom and three of her seven kids over for dinner while we were there. The timing didnt work out super well, but we were able to have a lesson and we gave them a book of mormon and they want to come to church and so the member family is inviting them to watch general conference with them, which will be great. Well have a good week. I will talk to you next Monday. I love you all.

Love,
Elder Larson

PS I am too good at math to not realize that I am now in the single digits of months left. :) Time keeps flying by