04.25.11

I'm happy to hear that you guys had such a great Easter Holiday.  We missionaries must be workaholics cuz we just had a normal weekend.  :)  Sylvester the branch missionary who i was working with went home yesterday so i'm back in a threesome with Elder Jackson and Elder Rapiya.  this week Elder Rapiya will be going down to Arusha to serve in my old area.  Elder Olsen, (from Young Ward)  will be coming to take his place and Elder Jackson ( from Farmington ) will be coming to be my companion.  they should both be here by thursday.  On saturday there was a baptism. it was a good service.  i had asked a couple of the Recent Converts who i taught to give talks and come and give support.  they did awesome and it is so cool to see them grow in the gospel and gain testimonies and then share the gospel with their friends and family.  Next month should be a good month, we have a few baptisms planned and our investigators are just progressing and doing great.  The next baptismal service that we have planned is on the 7th of May. 
So from what i hear you guys are turning into fishes.  i expected things to be different when i return, but i didn't think i'd return to Lake Bonneville and a school of fishes. :) haha i hope that things dry up a bit and that there isn't too much damage.  So i wrote a few letters a while ago, have you received any of them?  Let me know if ya do/did.
Well this week i've had an added appreciation for the restoration, simply because of the knowledge of the Apostasy.  we have one investigator who has done research and found out info about many different religions around the world and the knowledge of the apostasy helps all of it to make sense.  I'm so grateful of the knowledge the Savior has given us and the gift of the Spirit in my life.  I would honestly be a very confused person if i didn't know anything about the Church. we meet people everyday in that situation and it hurts when someone doesn't want to know more or doesn't care to find answers to his/her questions.  but then i've also realized that not everybody is going to gain a testimony immediately.  some things take time, We met a man the other day who met the missionaries back in 1996 in Kitale, Kenya.  he knew a little about the church, but only now does he have a desire to know more.  the Lord truly does work in His own time and in His own way.  but His way is the best, we just need to be our best and follow the guidance that we receive and all will be well. I love you guys, take care and have a great week killing pigs :) 
Love
Elder Larsen

04.18.11

So last tuesday we arranged for a branch missionary to work with me for a couple weeks.  Sylvester is his name, he's from the branch and stays in my area.  We're lucky that the schools are on break this month or else i don't think anyone would have been available and we would been in a threesome for the rest of the transfer.  On Thursday we were invited to a local hospital to teach some of the employee's about drug and substance abuse.  Although, we ended up just teaching them about the Word of Wisdom. :)  It was shocking to find out which drugs were being abused by the employee's there.  In the end I think that we were able to help a lot of people and at the same time introduce the church and let more people know about it's presence in Kisumu.  We were able to watch General Conference this weekend as well.  It was so good, i loved it.  But i don't think the members were so enthused by it.  The room was full Sunday morning when we started, but by the time we ended there were only a few troopers besides us missionaries.  I'll admit it was long, we watched both sessions back to back with only a 15 minute break in between.  We did the same thing on Saturday, I can't remember watching so much TV before.  I had a headache afterward. 
Sorry to hear about all the flood warnings that are bouncing around over there.  I hope that you guys stay warm and dry through everything that's happening.  On the bright side I do know that you won't be destroyed by water....just look for a rainbow :)  I hope you also enjoyed the conference, i know it was a couple weeks ago for you guys.  but it'd be good to review what was taught and strive to apply the things that the Holy Ghost taught each one of us.  It's an amazing blessing to know that we have a true and living prophet to lead and guide us today.  It's interesting to think about all the prophets that are being followed over here.  To hear the things that they teach and then to compare that to what President Monson says. It just strengthens my testimony of the reality that we do have the Lord's mouthpiece here on the earth today.  When we follow those who have been appointed by the Lord to lead us then we can not go astray.  Sometimes it won't be easy, popular, or attractive, but the Lord does things in His way.  When we choose to submit our will to His then the windows of Heaven are opened in our behalf and we will be able to see more clearly the Lord's hand in our lives.  Well i hope that you all have a great week, Love ya
Elder Larsen          

04.11.11

Well this last week was very interesting.  We did a lot of traveling.  Elder Msibi was in Nairobi so I was with the other Kisumu missionaries.  Wednesday we went with the Fox's up to Kitale.  We taught a few people along the way who stay very far from any branch of the church.  It was so nice to see my old area again, the guard at the gate still remembered my name, I was surprised cuz his english isn't all that great.  Once we got there we had a little shindig at the Watt's old house.  The Beecher's now live there.  They use to live in Wellsville at one point in time.  He's a patriarch and was recently approved by President Packer to give Patriarchal Blessings to a few people in the mission who are going on missions.  Wednesday evening we had a great braai (BBQ) with the Kitale elders.  Thursday we traveled down to Eldoret and played soccer all afternoon at one of the chapels.  We also made pizza's in a frying pan for dinner.  Friday was the Zone Conference for the Eldoret and Kisumu Zones.  Elder and Sister Scott were there, they're from southern Utah.  He is a physcolgist. and his calling is something about mental health for missionaries.  Anyway we all had an opportunity to visit with him if we wanted.  We had a really good zone conference, I have some nice pics, i'll try to send them next week.  

My comp has decided to go home, that's why he was in Nairobi.  He joined us for zone conference but i believe he'll be headed home this week.  currently i'm still in a threesome, tomorrow we've arranged for a branch missionary to work with me for a couple of weeks until transfers.  It looks like i'll be in Kisumu for a little while longer.  On a happier note, we had a baptism on Saturday. I baptized Jeremiah and then i assisted Dennis (physically disabled) to baptize his wife, bethseba (also disabled).  It was a very touching thing to be in the font while he performed the ordinance.  Both of them use crutches to walk, but they are an awesome couple.  they stay quite a distance from the church and it is a large sacrifice for them to come to church every week.  The sacrifices that some of the people here make just so that they can have the gospel in their lives is amazing.  They see the blessings that come from the church and they face incredible opposition as a member.  It makes me grateful to have grown up in an enviroment where there is a church, the true church, on almost every corner.  I think i really took that for granted before i came to the mission field.  The people here are such an example to me as far as their desire to be apart of and live this great gospel that the Lord has given us.  Such desire is hard to achieve unless there is a burning in our hearts to truely love the Lord and do what He has asked of us.  When we do have that burning desire then He can really work in our lives and help us to become more like Him, one decision at a time.  i love you guys and i hope you have a great week.

Love 

Elder Larsen   

04.04.11

hey guys, this week we've been pretty busy teaching people preparing them for baptism.  We have one along with the other Elder's this coming weekend and they had two last week as well.  It was a good service and we had a good turn out from the branch, many people came to support them.  this weekend the service will be interesting because of some other activities that are going on.  There is a combined seminary activity for the Kisumu and Busia branches that day, then our baptism and then the branch wants to throw a party for the Fox's who will be leaving on the 13th of this month.  They'll take a group to the temple in SA and then head home from there.  They have a blog, i think it's "foxafricansafari.blogspot."  so also this week we'll be heading to Eldoret for Zone Conference on Thursday, we're planning on coming back on saturday just in time for the baptism in the afternoon. 
This whole week i've been trying to jump rope for about 15 minutes every night and then work out after that.  the other night after about ten minutes, i was drenched in sweat and my comp just looked at me and told me that i was crazy.  I told him that i know, but i have a goal, so i'm gonna reach it. :)  this morning Elder Msibi went to Nairobi so i'll be with Elders Jackson and Rapiya for a little while.  they have a pull up bar so it'll be nice to work on that for a little bit.
I sure do hope that all of you enjoyed conference, we'll get to see it on the 16th and 17th.  I'm looking forward to it.  I'm sure all of you took great notes and are going to review them too. ;)  well have a great week, i love you all.
Love
Elder Larsen