7 Feb 2011

Hello,

Well it has been a pretty good week. On thursday we had interviews with president p.... They were good. I love being in his presence. I asked him alot of questions. First before I forget I asked him about my release date and it is june 28th, and he said in like march or somewhere around there that letters would be sent home to parents to inform them of everything. I talked to him about Elder H..., and the Slys, and I how I have missed them both. I was hoping for some spectacular advice on how to look forward and not back but i didnt get any, he just asked me what he could do to help me. And I just laughed and smiled and said I didnt really know. I also told him I wasnt sure what I wanted to do after my mission and was hoping for some revelation on that too but I didnt get much. He gave me a good answer though he said to take classes in different fields to see which ones I like, it just wasnt anything I hadnt already heard.

He told me about Elder H... though and that he also misses Hampton. But he told me that he definitely felt like I was the one that was supposed to stay in Hampton and he said that so far he hasnt gotten any impressions to move me at the next transfer. So I hope I can stay here again.

Well our investigators are doing well. K..elton is doing really well, partly just because he is holding up strong against his family. His wife has been getting brainwashed by her extended family by them telling her negative things about the church and that we dont believe in Christ. So she thinks that we are crazy. We left a movie with K..elton to watch with his wife called Together Forever, its an awesome movie about being together happily as a family forever (you should watch it sometime :) ), but she refused to watch it with him. But, K..elton is solid and dumbfounded that people think we dont believe in Jesus Christ because from us teaching him and him going to church he sees how false that is. So he is doing good and we are going to keep working with him. I think the best route is to keep helping him become more and more converted and then his wife will begin to see changes in him that are good and hopefully that will open her mind to it more. That may take awhile for her but K..elton is doing well and Presdient P... is pretty lenient on requirements for baptism, which he has talked about alot and is something we also talked about specifically in our interview. Our last mission president required two weeks of living the word of wisdom before baptism but president p... doesnt have any time requirement, but just that they are committed. So he told me that cause we were talking about k..elton in our interview, and then I said that inpreach my gospel it says in the baptismal requirements that they must be living the word of wisdom as opposed to tithing preach my gospel says they just have to commit to do it once they are baptized. So i asked him what the difference was (cause to me president p... almost made it seem like the requirement was the same for each commandment) and he said as long as they have chosen to live the word of wisdom and its been a couple days they are ready as far as that commandment goes. So anyway, that will make it alot easier to baptize K..elton, whcih makes me happy. He said that everyone makes mistakes after they are baptized and that is what the sacrament is for.

My favorite couple R..obert and N..atalie are doing great. We called them last night and they have found a place to live and are moving in on wednesday! So we are going to help thme with that. They dont ahve alot so our help and brother chase's truck will be enough help for them to move. What is also neat is this past weekend was stake conference and Elder Paul Piper from the seventy was there. And R..obert came and got to hear him speak. It was one of the best stake conferences I think I had ever been to, although I am alot more attentive as a missionary than I was back home. But anyway, R..obert really enjoyed it and Natalie was sick or she would have come too. There is just such an incredible spirit and assurance that general authorites carry and it was so present at the conference and everyone that came felt it. One thing that I presonally noticed is that general authorities make so many comments on things the Lord does. They say the Lord does this or that or the Lord often lets us do something and they just seem to know God on a different level than everyone else and much more personally, I feel. I feel that way about the apostles and firstpresidency as well. It is cool. And there really is just such a real, tangible, spirit that comes with there calling, and it was so present at the conference. I just keep on thinking about it. Well off my little tangent R..obert and Natalie are doing great and in there book of mormon reading they are well into second nephi already, and they have continued to say their prayers. At the conference though there were some great talks about missionary work, and that definitely seemed to be the main topic, to serve a mission. The conference echoed President Monsons call to men to serve missions. But there were a couple things that were said that I wrote down Ithought I would share with you. First the stake president said that Jesus Christ came to the world to save us, not judge us. Also a youth bore his testimony and he said their family has a saying that goes "if your scriptures are falling apart, chances are your life is staying together." And then also Elder Piper said that the Priesthood is not limited to time, space, or geography, which is a little bit more applicable here because there are so many military husbands here that are frequently gone, but I still thought it was cool. And that everyday priesthood holders should ask themselves how can I use the priesthood to bless my family today? Well thats about it. The church is true. I love you. And thank you for your prayers. Have a good week.

Love,
Elder Larson