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