03.29.10

Hey guys, so this week hasn't been to exciting.  Just work, work, work.  so i guess that is exciting enough.  :)  A storm came through a few minutes ago and now the whole town is muddy, i'm all wet, and so are my clothes that are suppose to be drying.  we are suppose to be having a baptism on sunday but the guy got mugged a few weeks ago and so getting a hold of him has been tricky because he lost his phone.  but if we can get an interview lined up then he'll be baptized on sunday.  The stake here is taking some extreme measures in the branch that i'm in.  they've called a member of the stake presidency to be the branch president out here, he arrived the same time that i did.  but now things are starting go work the way they should, so far he's done a great job and i feel privliged to be able to serve in this area at this time.  they are working toward splitting the branch, that way there would be a branch out here in Rongai.  so when that happens then the work will go much quicker.  people won't have to travel to get to church.    other than that there ain't whole lot going on.  so have a  fantabulus week, i love all yall!

03.22.10

Hey everybody, how is it?  This last week was pretty fun.  Tuesday we did exchanges with the zone leaders, Elder Harris came to my area and Kikwaku went to his.  Elder Harris is from Lindon, UT.  i think its down by Provo.  then on Friday we had Zone Conference.  that was a really good meeting.  i learned a lot and it was very uplifting.  then this week end was the Nairobi Stake Conference.  We went to the sunday session.  that was a good meeting as well.  the GA was Elder Garith Hill.  He's from South Africa.  He had a really good message for us.  All of the missionaries from both zones in Nairobi were at the stake conference. it was great to see some of the other missionaries i haven't seen for awhile.  Other than that there hasn't been anything else going on, just teaching and meeting new people.  We are trying to get a baptism scheduled, hopefully if not this week then next week we can get it done.  well i think thats it.  have a great week!  love ya

This is where his new apartment is. Second floor is his!

This is in his door way looking at the compound.  Those are water tanks that is used for water in the apartments.

His companion Elder Kikwaku.

This is his room. There is a mosquito net over his comp. bed.

03.15.10

Well this week has been fun.  I planned and carried out my first real DDM (District Development Meeting) as a DL.  I'm still trying to get to know my new area, but its not that hard, its pretty much one long street.  so it's kinda hard to get lost.  Today we came into the office to get some supplies and stuff, and right now we are still here.  the AP's said that they would take us home a little later, the traffic is so bad here that it would be pointless to try and go anywhere at the moment.  But life is good, i really enjoy having an actual supermarket in our area. 

So i haven't gotten your package yet, but i hope it'll be here sometime within the next month.  I'm pretty sure that the package that i sent should be there either today or tomorrow, so keep an eye out and let me know when it arrives.i hope that nothing is broken in there, if it is then i'm gonna be sad.  Well have a fantabulus week everybody, i love you all!!

03.08.10

Well this last week was interesting.  We got transfer news last monday evening.  later that night the AP's called and told me i need to be on a bus tuesday morning.  so i only had about 2 hours to pack.  its a good thing that all of my stuff fits in a suitcase and a duffle bag.  i got to my new area about 6 am wednesday morning.  i tried to convince the AP's that i needed to sleep till 6:30, but they wouldn't let me. so we left their flat about 5 am.  so i'm the new District Leader in this district, and the sisters thought that we needed to have District Development Meeting Wednesday morning.  I was feakin tired from the lack of sleep but it's a good thing that we had it, cuz we ended up planning and putting together a big fireside yesterday for the members in the Langata Branch.  I would say that it was a success, we got the members excited about sharing the gospel.  The  area that i'm now in is called Rongai, its part of the Langata Branch.  this branch was the first branch to be established in all of East Africa.....and its still a branch.  So there is plenty of work to be done.  but the meeting house is nice and cozy, its a nice change from the rented buildings up in the Kitale area.  My companion's name is Elder Kikwaku, he's from Uganda.  he's been here for 3 months now and he's still learning to speak english, so thats a challenge. the flat that i'm now in is pretty nice. but there isn't a oven or a microwave like the last flat i was in.  we just have a small two burner stove.  I'll try and take a few pics for you guys to see of the new place. its basically in a small apartment complex, second floor, two bedroom, one toilet, one shower, kitchen, and sitting room. Well i can't think of anything else to tell you about the area so if ya got questions then let me know.  i love all of you, have a great week.

Elders Molotsi, Chikenge, Larsen, and Kunz

03.01.10

Transfer News:
I'm going to an area called Rongai. its just outside of Nairobi.  Its where we stayed for mission tour.  My comp is elder Kikwaku.  i think thats how you spell it.  it should be interesting cuz he just barely learned how to speak english.  i know that Elder Mangenela was having a hard time with him, so it will probably be a challenge. But i think i'll be going to Nairobi on Wednesday.  i'm not to excited about that bus ride.  but hopefully i'll be able to see Elder Casey before he leaves for southern utah. love you have a great day!!

Elder Larsen 

03.01.10

Click on the youtube link below. The pictures in this video are from President and Sister Watts.  The pictures are of the area that Casey is serving.  The video was made by there Granddaughter.  Wow, how blessed we really are. The church is so true. Enjoy the video!!
youtube of President and Sister Watts

03.01.10

Well this last week has been pretty fun.  All of the missionaries in Kenya traveled to Nairobi for mission tour. it was good to meet everybody and finally be able to put names with faces.  there were a few general authorities that were there with us.  Elders Kolliker (seventy), Jensen (seventy) and Turley (church historian).  they all had some good messages for us, it was a really good meeting.  While we were there we stayed with the Elders in Rongai.  the traffic was so bad that we almost missed our bus on thursday morning.  haha i had to stop the bus as it pulled out of the parking lot so we could get on it.  Saturday was my six month mark, so Elder Molotsi and i burnt one of my ties.  it didn't want to burn at first, but we persuaded it :)  i can't believe that i've been gone for six months.  time has really flown by since i left.  i sent a package home today.  it should be there in two weeks. haha i can't believe all of the stamps on that box!  it's kind of a funny site.  but it has stuff in there for all of ya.  i hope nothing is broken.  While i was in Nairobi i got a letter from grandma Larsen, that was sweet i love letters.  tonight we will find out transfer news.  i'm pretty sure i'll be moved, the AP's told me that Kitale has treated me well and to make sure that the Ndun'gu family feeds me well.  so i'll most likely be moving somewhere on Wednesday.  The church has upgraded the myldsmail email system, so my new address is casey.larsen@myldsmail.net.  Please email me at that address not at the gmail one.  love you guys hope you have a great week!!   

02.22.10

So mission tour is this week so tomorrow morning i'll be getting on a bus.  Then thursday morning i'll be on another bus coming back. Wednesday will be one big meeting with a few general authorities and all the missionaries in Kenya. This last week hasn't been very exciting, just another week, work all day and sleep all night.  wait, wednesday and thursday i was on exchanges with elder hawke.  that was pretty fun.  we had a good time here in kitale and sikhendu while elder molotsi went out to webuye to do a few interviews.  but nothing else really happened.  haha this saturday i mark six months!!  time sure has flown.  it feels like i just left and now i've been gone for six months.  kinda crazy.  i think i'll burn a tie.  hhhmmmm yup i'm
gonna do it.  :)   have a great week, love you guys.

elder larsen

02.15.10

Hi everybody,  so this week was pretty fun.  On friday we built a mud house.  its harder than you think to build a mud house.  have you ever thought about making that much mud, and mud is heavy!  but we had a good time and i slept really good that night. :)  I'm attaching a few pics of the house construction.   when we first got there there was this team of four oxen hooked up to a wagon hauling a load of water for the mud.  i wasn't quick enough to get a picture of them but it was cool to see.  they reminded me of  Kim's horses.  only there wasn't any harnesses or reins. then they left so we started getting water with the Watt's truck.  there is a pic of me carrying water on my head.  haha the bucket i'm carrying is a little smaller than the ones the women were carrying, haha and mine isn't full.   they were walking up that hill with full buckets and they didn't use their hands to balance it.  they got some crazy balance.  Well i hope all of you had a great valentines day.  Mine was awesome, i didn't do anything different, and i didn't spend a bunch of money on anyone. :)  but i did wrap up that elephant that i have.  i'm gonna send it and some other stuff as soon as i get a few letters written for all yall.  i have this box, but the elephant is a little to big for it. haha i hope it doesn't break.  if it does then dad will have to do a little repair work with the wood glue.  i think its gonna cost me about 3000 ksh so i'll be breaking the bank sometime soon.  Next week will be Mission Tour in Nairobi!  Its should be a good time.  We'll be traveling to Nairobi on Tuesday, Wednesday will be the conference and then Thursday we come back.  and then the week after that is transfer week.  I'm excited for Brandon!  Brazil will be pretty good, but i don't think it will be quite like Africa. :)  It'll be a great day when there are four "Elder Larsen's" in the mission field!      

This is a house for a widow.

This is Casey carrying water to the house.

The fast offerings paid for this house and the branch did most of the work!

She will put on the finishing touches on it!

Most people over there have this size of a house with walls in the middle.

It would be one room and one bedroom, with 5 kids and 2 parents!!

02.08.10

Well this week was pretty normal.  except for friday.  Our Zone Leaders came up to do our interview for us.  i went with Elder Casey while Elders Molotsi and Nkhoma went to take care of the interview.  Elder Casey has to be one of the funniest people i know.  its never a dull moment with him around.  i took him to some members homes. one of them had a baby, it was about a week old.  cute little feller.  Our baptism was a little delayed but otherwise went according to plan on saturday.  Elder Molotsi was the lucky one to get wet this time.  it was kind of a chilly day so i was glad that i wasn't chosen to do it.  its so hot here that if it gets down to about 70 i put on a long sleeve shirt.  i think i'll freeze to death when i make it back to Utah.   this heat is nice, but i still love the snow.  haha right now i want to throw a snow ball or make a snow man.  

this last week while we were tracting, we taught a couple, lesson two. that was the first time i have taught the lesson without the book of mormon.  it really strengthened my testimony/appreciation for it.  we are so lucky to have the knowledge that we have.  the book of mormon clarifies and makes everything understandable.  i hope all of you are reading from it daily.  it's strengthened my testimony and has answered every question that i've had.  

well i love you guys.  have a great week.   make a snow man for me!!!     

Elders Larsen, Casey, Molotsi, and Nkhoma

Molotsi, Esnus, Casey, Paul