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

03.28.11

This week was good, we had a baptism on saturday.  Memory was baptized by Brother Eliud.  We've been teaching Memory ever since i got here so it's been a long time coming.  We had a nice little service and it was a good day.  Elder and Sister Fox will be returning to Arkansas in a few weeks.  We're gonna miss them around here.  On sunday they both gave great talks and we had a great sacrament meeting.  You know i remember when they came into the mission field, i was up in Kitale.  now they're leaving and i'm still here, funny how that works.  Today they showed me a good place to buy material and a good tailor, i'm gonna have a suit made.  I thought about doing like the pastors do here, a really shiny suit or a brightly colored one.  but then i'd just be wasting my money, cuz i'd never wear the thing.  I'm gonna go back next week and see if i can find some nice gray material, we'll see what'll happen.  We found out that we'll be watching general conference on the 16 and 17 of April.  I don't know when it is for you guys, but i hope that you take the time to pay attention and listen to what the spirit has to tell you.  on that weekend we had 7 baptisms planned, but now we're gonna have to reschedule them cuz they don't want any other activities on that weekend.  I think we might end up splitting them, putting some a week before and others, if not all of them the week after.  there will also be a group of members going to the temple that weekend.  this is the first group to go from Kisumu branch.  the branch was organized in may 2009, almost two years now.  i think there are three families that will be going, it'll be a great week for them to be sealed together and to be able to do work for their ancestors.  Well i hope that you have a great week, love you tons.
Elder Larsen

03.21.11

So this last week has been really interesting.  Tuesday, wednesday and thursday i ran around with a couple of nairobi elders and ran errands and helped to prepare for the mission tour that we had on Friday.  We had to take Elder Mutaduba to the hospital cuz he was sick, we had a few appointments and met people in town, then we also helped the sisters who were preparing the food for friday's meal.  it was an interesting week, but i'm glad to be back in my area where i can teach people all day long and not have to worry about anything but our investigators..  Friday's meeting was pretty cool.  Elder L. Whitney Clayton presided. He and Elder Koelliker and their wives were there.  It was a great meeting, they talked about establishing good habits and patterns now, so that we can follow the Lords pattern.  it's amazing how there are patterns all around us.  they focused a lot on marriage and being equal partners with our spouse.  then there was a time to ask questions and they responded and it was pretty cool.  there wasn't any doctrinal questions, he said he didn't want them but the questions focused more on the church's organization and how things work within the church.  he also spoke a little about a few of the reasons about the changes that came with the new simplified thingy for us missionaries.  anywho, it was a great meeting and i enjoyed it.  Elder Clayton is a great man and i enjoyed learning from him and Elder Koelliker.  Saturday we had the privilege of avoiding the Easy Coach bus.  Elder and Sister Fox offered to drive two missionaries up to Kisumu and Elder and Sister Tuttle (Humanitarian Aide Missionaries) were going up right behind them.  so our whole district was able to ride in the back seat of a truck instead of in the bus.  Elder Msibi and i rode up with Elder and Sister Tuttle.  They're a great couple from Farmington, UT.  They arrived in Kenya about a month ago, so they haven't been here for long.  but they are so lively and excited to be here and dive into the work.  they are very into the outdoors, so needless to say, we got along great.  When we arrived home we found two friends running around in our compound, Morice our guard/branch mission leader/neighbor bought them and we decided to buy them from him and feast.  it was funny to see two birds when i opened the gate.  but speaking of a feast i forgot to tell you about the feast we had thursday night.  we went to a restaurant and on thursdays their special is endless ribs, so we all got it and we ATE.  it was so good, i haven't had such tender meat in a long time.  i think i finished about ten racks or so.  if they woulda come a little quicker i think i could've put a few more racks away.  but it was nice, i'll send a few pics of it. That night was also Elder Dalling's birthday, i don't know if you remember him, he was the elder that i met up with at the airport in SLC.   I also attached a photo of a service project that we did a couple of weeks ago.  we went and dug in a shamba (field) at a local hospital.  they grow some food there and needed some help preparing the soil, so the elder's quorum got together and we took our jembe's (hoes) and slashers and prepared some soil for planting, its really good that we did, cuz the rains are now here. 
So i hope that you guys have a great week and that you look for and do your best to develop and follow patterns that the Lord has established and wants us to have in our lives.  i know that one easy pattern is the pattern of prayer. as we do our best to develop and maintain a pattern of prayer that is one that builds a personal relationship with our father in heaven then our lives will be blessed and we will be in a position to gain and receive guidance and counsel in our lives.  prayer is so important, sometimes i feel like we don't understand the power that comes through a simple prayer.  but as we pray and allow our Father into our lives, then we also allow Him to bless, help, and guide us at all times.  i love you all and i hope that you have a great week.
Love
Elder Larsen

03.14.11

This whole week i've been taking cold showers.  last monday i while washing my clothes, i decided to soak in a little Vitimin D and my back got FRIED.  i was outside for less than one hour, before noon and i still got burnt.  the sun on the equator is no joke!!  juwa kali sana!!!  So saturday we had three baptisms in the branch, one child of record, one of our people who live on an island, and Elder and Sister Fox's grandson came to Kisumu to get baptized!!  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there for the baptism.  Saturday morning i jumped on the bus and headed for Nairobi, that's where i am now.  Sunday i attended church with Elder Lipengah in the Mountain View Ward.  that was a tender mercy from the Lord.  I felt like i was in church and everything.  Sunday night i was invited to President and Sister Broadbent's for Elder Kunda's farewell dinner.  We had amazing food, i felt like i was at home!  Sister B is an amazing cook, just like you mom.  Today I went to the immigration office to get finger printed, that's the reason why i came to Nairobi.  If i wouldn't have come then i'd have been legal to get arrested, tomorrow!  that's the second time that i was within one day of being in big trouble with the immigration department.  This week i'll be working with the elder's in Nairobi.  i won't go back to Kisumu till saturday.  All of the missionaries in Kenya are coming in on Thursday for a meeting with Elder Koeliker and Elder Clayton.  Then on saturday i'll head back to kisumu.  An area in Mwanza was opened up today.  Elder Lipengah and Elder Jimu flew down there this morning and at the end of this month President B will go down and organize the branch.  So i finally finished the old testiment, it took me forever!!! there are so many cool stories and things to learn from that section of scripture.  I just love it.  Don't forget to study your scripts everyday!!  Have a great week, love ya all!
love
Elder Larsen

03.07.11

Mom,
This last week has been fun.  Thursday we were able to prepare the body of Brother David Rabari for burial. It was an interesting experience, but I'm grateful for it.  I can definitely rule out being a mortician as a back up career.  We all decided that we would rather work with people before their spirit leaves their body rather than after it does.  Then Thursday evening we cooked some hobo dinners in tin foil on charcoal.   holy cow, they tasted amazing.  We need to do that more often.  it was so good!  it was like a taste of home, who knew tin foil could produce such amazing flavors in kenya?  While our dinner was on the coals, we ( me, Elder Bakker and Elder Mangenella ) lit our pants on fire!  First we doused them in kerosene and then stuck a match. it felt so good to see them things go up in flames.  :)  you know, if i was a sister then i'd be going home next week?  that's awful weird to think about.  
Friday the Zone Leaders had a conference with President and Sister B. and the Assisants.  After they finished that, they invited us to lunch to celebrate Elder Msibi's birthday.  President bought us all double cheese burgers and sister B made a cake and loaded it with Chocolate frosting.  hehehe, it was delicious!  Oh yeah, Elder Baldwin was with us last week as well, he came in with Elder Munatsi last tuesday night.  Elder Munatsi went to Nairobi for health reasons and Elder Baldwin worked with us in a threesome till saturday morning when Sister B came and inspected our flat.  she was impressed and told us that we're doing good.  So there you go mom, i'm not living in a pig sty.  haha i thought it was dirty and so did Elder Msibi, but i guess she's seen a lot worse in the mission.  anyway, we cleaned up good this morning and now it's really clean!
Saturday we went to the funeral of Brother Rabari.  that had to be the most interesting thing i've ever seen. it was outside, they had a few tents set up in a U-shape with the coffin at the top and the speakers on the right side of the U.  We sat right behind the speakers under the tent.  there was probably about 500 people there.  they had a catering service (member's business) there that had been providing meals for like the last 3 days.  it started at about 9 am, we showed up about 1 pm.  when we got there we had to sit through a few more pastors before the Church's (LDS) program started.  the first guy stood up and began to yell at everyone in Kijaluo while his translator yelled in kiswahili.  I can't understand Kijaluo so i listened to the interpreter.  that went on for about 15 minutes and then they sat down, then two other guys stood up, one began his yelling spree in English and then his interpreter yelled in kijaluo. that was another 15- 20 minutes.  it was the most interesting thing i'd ever witnessed.  i've heard about the funerals here, but this was the first one that i've been able to attend.  finally after the pastors finished, they did a little fund raising and then the Church's ( LDS ) service began. this whole time a rain storm was brewing from the lake and heading right towards us.  but as the Church started it's service the winds changed and it went right around us.  The service was completely different than everybody else's.  It was a simple program with only three short talks and a spiritual thought.  but the spirit was there, and i'm sure that those who were listening were touched.  after the talks they moved the body to the grave ( 30 yds ) and dedicated it, then returned to the tents and had a closing prayer.  President Kogo from the mission presidency was presiding at the service.  it was a really good experience and it was good to see the members from the branch give support and represent the church well. 
Well that was my week, sorry to hear that you got flooded again, that's no fun at all.  i feel like i wrote a novel, so sorry about that.  but i hope that you all have a great week and that you continue to enjoy your wonderful weather over there.  try not to freeze and I'll continue to put on the sun block :)  haha jk.  i love you all.
love
Elder Larsen

Me and Elder Msi

The burn fest!!!

Me, Elder Rapiya in yellow, Elder Lipengah in navy,

 Elder Mangenela in red and Elder Bakker in light blue.  

02.28.11

Mom,

haha i think it's funny that you say that life seems to be treating me good.  its funny cuz this whole last week, we haven't had water.  our tanks have been dry since last tuesday.  We've been taking sponge baths and drinking our water storage.  we were just about to pack a bag and stay with the other guys but, sunday morning the water began to trickle in so now were doing good.  Water is so precious, unfortunately i never realized it until i didn't have it.  the worst part about the situation was trying to do the dishes.  it's so hard to wash something with limited water.  But even with the water problems, we had ourselves a great week.  We had a baptismal service on Saturday and on sunday, one of our recent converts received the priesthood.  it was a really good weekend.  

haha, mom i was ironing my shirt this morning and i thought that if you could see me, then you'd just laugh.  do you remember the little squirt bottle that you sent me with?  well it's worked great until a few weeks ago.  now instead of shooting a mist of water, it has a jet-stream.  so i hang my shirt off of the ironing board, stand about 5 feet away and spay my shirt from a distance before i iron it.  it works good :)

anywho, so this week will be interesting.  about a month ago there was a member who past away.  he lived in south africa for quite some time and he was endowed.  Well the burial and funeral will be this weekend.  So we missionaries, as the only people who are endowed in Kisumu, have been asked to dress the body in preparation for the burial.  Still not sure about how i feel about it, but it needs to be done, so we're gonna do it.   It'll be a good service project for the week though.  

Well, this week i've been impressed with the blessings that come from keeping the commandments of God.  Obedience is never blind if we know the consequences of our actions, there is always a result from every decision that we make.  its up to us to know the results of the choices that are before us.  sometimes, we have to make a hard choice that hurts now so that we can get to a better position in the future.  as we consistently choose to follow the Lord and his servants, the prophets, then we'll always be standing in a holy place.  We'll be choosing to keep the commandments, not because someone else is, not because we're told to, but because we know and are aware of the results.  if we have the vision of where we want to be, then we'll be able to make the choices that will get us there as soon as possible.  The Lord knows where we are and the situation that each of us are in.  He knows what we're going through and he also knows how we feel.  if we turn to Him for guidance and counsel then we'll always be pointed in the right direction.  alrighty, have a great week and take care not to freeze to death.  :)  love ya

Elder Larsen

02.21.11

Elder Msibi and I had a great week.  We had many lessons and we're working on baptisms this Saturday.  Tomorrow we'll go on exchanges with the other guys and get the interviews taken care of.  This Sunday I'll be hitting my 18 month mark, that's kinda hard to believe, time is just flying.  I think Elder Bakker and I will be burning some pants :)  haha it'll be good. Today we went on a little hike above Kisumu.  We got to a point where we could see the town and surrounding area and also the lake.  We stopped by this little traditional house on the way down and talked with the old baba and right there on his house was this huge spider!  just chillin in it's web.  the guy didn't speak english and his swahili was rusty, but we had a good conversation, took a couple pics and then went on our way, but that spider was big.  So i hope that you guys enjoy the snow while you can.  the weather over here is hot, all day, everyday.  although there was two consecutive nights where a storm came through and it rained.  that was nice, it cooled down enough to turn off my fan at night.  usually if i don't have it on all night then i just sweat to death.  Ever since Elder Msibi came up here, i've learned what it means to "cry repentance unto the people"  that is what we literally do, every person we meet, we'll teach them to repent and then tie it to the restoration somehow.  before we've always just gone straight to the restoration.  but now we teach them how to repent and why it's important.  i think Elder Msibi is so funny, he always has this one line that just cracks me up, but it makes sense.  he'll always say, " one day we will die"  and with his accent, when he says die i just want to laugh.  he's such a great missionary, i've learned a lot from him so far.  he has to be the most polite and respectful person in this mission.  I've thought a lot about the message that we share as missionaries lately.  Repentance is so awesome!  we have the opportunity to clean ourselves and start fresh.  We can change, improve and become a better person while leaving the past behind us.  one thing i've learned lately is that no matter how good we are, we can always be better. There is always something we can leave behind because there is something better for us.  That's what the Lord wants us to do, to change and become like Him, and its possible with His atoning sacrifice.  we can start fresh every week as we partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants with our Father in Heaven.  It never ceases to amaze me how simple and yet profound the gospel of Jesus Christ is.  All we need to do is live it and we'll see the windows of heaven open.  Well take care and have a wonderful week. 
Love ya
Elder Larsen

here's some pics of my flat and Elder Msibi.

here's another pic, for ya.  this truck full of mattresses caught on fire so we were able to catch a few pics.  talk about some smoke!