07.25.11

Mom,
hey sorry i'm writing late today, we had to be in the office early this morning so that Elder Madise could get finger prints for his work permit.  so we've been running all day.  when we finished with that we had lunch and then met up with a bunch of other elders at the Buru buru chapel to play basketball. it was nice to run and play today.  I want to try to do something every monday of this last transfer and live it up.  i still haven't even washed my clothes or anything that i need to do yet.  My new comp is Elder Aaron Madise from Jo-burg, South Africa.  he's a cool kid, very excited about the work and ready to get r done.  he came last tuesday and we hooked up on thursday after noon.  on saturday we had one baptism.  Yesterday Elder Lurf taught the class of deaf investigators, a whole bunch of new ones showed up.  i never even realized the number of deaf people around me.  i wish i could speak american sign language, i kinda have an interest to learn in now, i might have to try that when i get back.  so this week end we don't have any baptisms but i'm going to try to line at least one up every week from now until i go... only four weekends left. that's a crazy thought.  well i hope that you all have had a wonderful holiday weekend.  i remembered last night that it was the weekend of the 24th, it's funny how i forget some things like that.  so this computer isn't cooperating with the pics so sorry, i'll try next week to send some your way.  have a great week and remember that i love you all so much. 
Elder Larsen

I received a letter from his Mission President thought I would share it.

22 July 2011

To the Family of Elder Larsen

We are happy to inform you that Elder Larsen, through prayer and inspiration, has been called to serve as a TRAINER in the Kenya Nairobi Mission.  This call represents an excellence of personal preparation and dedicated service before and during his mission.  We are grateful for his righteous example, integrity and leadership skills.

This is a calling of Priesthood leadership and responsibility.  As a trainer, he will be called upon to teach and set an example of missionary work for his new companion, Elder Madise that has just entered the mission field.  Training a new missionary is an honor and is absolutely essential and of great importance in the preparation and foundation  of successful missionary work.  We know that Elder Larsen is very capable of this great responsibility and will have a wonderful lasting influence upon his new companion.

Thank you for raising such a wonderful son.  We trust him and rely upon his strengths and abilities in moving forward the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Kenya Nairobi Mission.  The missionaries respect him and look to him as an example of dedicated service to the Lord.  We want you to know that he is living up to his fullest potential and is serving with his heart, might, mind, and strength.

We love Elder Larsen and we know that you do too, and are very proud of him.  We value the service he is giving to our Heavenly Father and we value the example he sets for everyone around him.   Thank you again for raising such a good, trusted and respected son.

Sincerely and with my deepest appreciation for your hand in preparing your son for the work of the Lord.

Steven H. Broadbent

President

Kenya Nairobi Mission

07.18.11

Hey guys,
my last transfer in the mission field starts today!  I'll be training a new kid from south africa, he should be here later this week, fresh from the MTC.  Elder Jimu isn't going far, he'll be companions with Elder Willis ( we're in the same district still).  This weekend we had 6 baptisms, the service went well and its so cool to see so many people in the water every weekend.  This is our last big group until aug, then we should have some more groups enter the water.  yesterday we had some wazungu's from BYU visit our chapel.  they attended 2nd ward.  one of them served in Chile with Cade Wallintine.  there was another sister who served in a deaf speaking mission in california.  she helped a lot in our deaf class.  i was teaching about repentance and she was able to explain a few principles really well.  teaching that class is a lot of work, but it's really fulfilling at the same time.  It's fun to work with the Lurf's and have their help with everything.  Really they've done all the work, it's because of them that we are even in contact with them and able to teach these people every sunday.  President B gave me a call on Saturday, he was in Arusha reorganizing the branch presidency down there and he wanted to tell me that one of the people who i taught and baptized was interviewed and called to serve in the branch presidency.  when i heard that i was so happy.  i don't know if you remember a guy named Amos but that's the guy.  Well have a good week, love ya all!
Elder Larsen

07.11.11

hey sorry i'm writing so late.  today we had a zone activity at a park on the other side of Nairobi so it took a while to get back here to our area with traffic.  the place is called Paradise Lost.  it was pretty cool, we explored a cave, checked out a water fall and rode a camel.  there was also horses, i went and played with them for a second but we didn't ride them.  i'll send some pics next week when i'm at a computer that i can do it easily.  this weekend was awesome, we had 10 baptisms!  9 of them were from our teaching pool, the other was from the zone leaders.  it was a sweet experience to have that many at once, we would've had 15 but doing that many confirmations would've taken too much time in sacrament, so the other six will be this coming weekend. Elder Lurf was able to help with all of the baptisms and with the confirmations.  He also arranged for a group of deaf people to start coming to church with us.  i think there was about 9 that came.  i prepared the lesson and then we had an interpreter signing for me.  it was sweet, i think that was the only lesson that i've taught where nobody is looking in my direction, i kinda felt like i was talking to myself, but the spirit was there and it was a wonderful experience.  There are two members who worked with the deaf in South Africa so they are the ones helping to interpret.  some of the signs are different here so its a learning opportunity for all of us who are involved.  earlier last week we had zone conference, it was my last one and i was asked to bear my testimony.  it was emotional for me but i made it through, i can't believe that i won't have any more of them.  the entire focus of the conference was about Christ, i loved it.  i also got my fight itinerary and i'm sorry to say that i won't be coming home on the 31st like i expected.  so you guys might have to rearrange your schedules to come and pick me up cuz i'll be home on saturday the 27th :)   at about 6:40 pm!!  man i'm gonna freeze, i already do here in the mornings.  Well it's late already so i better spilt, love you guys, have a great week!  

Love

Elder Larsen

07.04.11

Happy Birthday America!!  blow up some thing for me... even if it's just a firework :) 
So this week has been one to remember.  Thursday night, Elder Frost and I went into town and met up with some other missionaries in Nairobi and had dinner at a very nice restaurant.  Endless ribs!!!  it was delicious, i packed down 11 racks before i tapped out.  Both Elder Frost and I were so full the next morning that we didn't even eat breakfast.   This week we have a crazy schedule, tomorrow is zone conference. and Saturday we are planning on 8 baptisms, there was suppose to be 16, but we don't have enough clothes and the confirmations would take way to long in the sacrament meeting on sunday.  so we talked with the leaders in the ward and decided that the best thing to do is to spilt the group in two.  half will be baptized this weekend and the other half the next weekend. 
At the chapel in Buru buru there is a big field where the members can plant a garden.  usually we go there on tuesdays to help people dig or weed or do whatever they need.  well a couple of weeks ago, nobody was there to help, so we decided to plant our own.  we burnt the grass down and then dug up the soil.  then the next week we planted carrots and watermelon.  well believe it or not the seeds have begun to sprout and now we have little mounds of water melon and a couple of rows of carrots. it's pretty cool to see little seeds spring up out of the ground.  i hope that i'll be around to see the watermelon get a little big, i doubt that i'll be able to eat it, but maybe i'll be able to see it.   well have a good week and enjoy the celebrations.  love ya all!!
Elder Larsen

06.27.11

yiippee, i'm so excited to go elk hunting now!!!  i'm glad i have a couple diaphrams to practice with.  My comp just might go crazy with me making all kinds of weird noises.  hehehe so i hope you guys do some scouting.....find us 6 biguns and we'll go slaughter them :) 
this weekend we had a sweet combined baptismal service.  All the missionaries in our district had a baptism this weekend so we did them all together in one service.  Sister Elizabeth was baptized from our teaching pool, Elder Jimu baptized her.  Today we had a sports day for all the nairobi missionaries who could come.  We all went to the chapel here in Buru Buru and played american football and then basketball.  it was a lot of fun, we ran a ton though, tomorrow's morning jog might be a little painful.  Right now we have 18 investigators with a baptismal date, most of them (15) are on the 9th of July, it's gonna be a crazy day so we're working with them as much as possible to make sure that they are all prepared and interviewed before that day, the problem is that we have a hard time meeting them during the week, so weekends seem to be crazy.  church at 2 pm doesn't help much.  but i ain't worried about it, everything always seems to work out just like it should.  i attached two pics of the baptism on saturday.  one is of the group of missionaries and people being baptized and the other is Elder Jimu, sister Elizabeth, and her brother Tony.  I've decided that the members here in the Kayole Ward are awesome, they are so welcoming and helpful when it comes to missionary work.  It seems like we always have referrals who are ready to be taught and the members are usually ready to help us teach.  Well i hope that you all have a great week and that you enjoy the 4th of July.  love ya all
Elder Larsen

06.19.11

so this weekend we had a baptism.  sister carol was baptized by elder Mutadhuba.  it was a sweet little service.  Bro Justice, our ward mission leader asked me to conduct the service, and an RM gave a good talk.  it was right after institute, so not only did we have investigators and the family of carol, but we also had a ton of YSA's attend.  I attached a few photos of the flat, the baptism, and my fellow missionary roommates ( excluding the sister in the photo) :)  the cyber is so fast, i love it.  i can upload pics in a matter of seconds.  i've always been told that the best cyber in the mission is this one, now i believe it.  But anyways, our flat is sweet, the only problem is that today we don't have any water so we haven't been able to wash our clothes yet, i hope there is water tonight so that i can have clean clothes to wear this week.  we have an oven out in the sevant's quarters, it needs a new element, so we're gonna try to get it fixed.  until then we'll bake cakes and brownies at the chapel. :)  there is this orphanage in our area that is basically run by members.  the sponsors are members in the states and pretty much everybody who works there is either an RM or a member.  every week they hire a bus to take them all to church.  oh the Lurf's are there a lot, i was able to see them this week, they are doing good and they're so happy.  anyway back to the orphanage, we're teaching the kids there.  there are 36 total and right now we're teaching 14.  we set baptismal dates for them on 9 July.  As soon as the ward moves into the meeting house in Kayole then we'll be able to start teaching the rest of them.  right now the Kayole ward meets in the Buru buru chapel along with two other wards, we meet at 2:00 pm and the other wards are at 9 and 11.  All them kids attend the 9 am block so for now the primary in Nairobi 2nd ward is doing really good :)    oh i got that package that you sent, thanks for the candy and card, you guys are awesome.  that card was funny, it was playing long before i got the envelope open, but it was skipping so i wasn't sure what you had sent me until i was able to rip it open. 
Well this week i've been reading a lot in the Book of Mormon,  I've been looking for all the references to the Savior and it's amazing how the Lord works in not only the Nephite's and Lamanite's lives, but in our own.  He truly is our Redeemer, He loves us and wants the best for us.  I was studying about mercy and justice and it's amazing how the Lord just fits right into the mix and makes everything a perfect balance.  One thing that i've learned, in a nut shell, is that when we are obedient and just, the Lord has more room to apply mercy at the last day.   so..... lets be good now and we'll reap at a later point in time. :)   well gotta split, have a great week, love ya
Elder Larsen
ps, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!  :)

06.13.11

Mom,
hey sorry i didn't write last week, i was sitting on a bus all day.  i was dropped off late monday night in my new area which is the Kayole ward just out side of nairobi, kinda out by the airport to the south east of downtown.  So my time in kisumu ended with a bang, we had nine baptisms last saturday and i was asked to do seven of them.  it was so cool to just dunk people one after the other.  following the baptism, the branch had an anniversary for the second year as a branch.  we four elders turned the party into a water fight and entertained everyone as we all got soaked through.  Elder Jackson, the black one, got thrown in the baptismal tank!  i think everyone else got the bucket.  its a good thing the sun is hot in kisumu cuz we were all dry in a matter of a couple hours.  sunday was amazing, we had a nice and short testimony meeting after the confirmation of all 9 of them people who were baptized.  this whole week i've been working with my new companion who is Elder Jimu, he's from Harare, Zimbabwe, he's been in the field for six weeks now.  He's a cool kid, i like him and we get along good.  We live with two other elders E. Frost (same district in Arusha) and E. Mutaduba (who i trained last year) This morning we went into the office to check some paper work for my trip home.  it's weird how those papers are getting put together so soon, kinda scary to think about.  oh when i went to that leadership conference in Eldoret i got the package that you sent, the one with the ranch, reese's and calls in there.  thanks for sending that :)   
well i hope that you have a great week and that all goes well, try not to get flooded!  if nothing else then follow the prophet and build and ark. :)  haha i love you guys, have a great week

Elder Larsen

06.06.11

Casey didn't send a letter today.  He has been transferred.  Elder Dick & Sister Janet Tuttle (from Farmington) called to say they had him at their house in Nairobi.  They were feeding him a turkey sandwich, chips and a glass of milk.  Sister Tuttle says he is doing great.  Elder Tuttle says he was happy to talk "HUNTING".  Thank you Tuttles for looking out for Casey.

05.30.11

Mom,
eesh, this last week was crazy with traveling to Eldoret and back.  We left Thursday morning and our Leadership Training was that afternoon.  It was a great meeting, I gave a training about how to improve our DDM's.  That night the B's took us out to a fabulous Chinese restaurant, i haven't had such good food in a while.  Sister B even made us a big chocolate cake, talk about good!  Friday morning we were suppose to return to Kisumu, but the transportation was on lock-down.  apparently the government was trying to improve the quality of vehicles on the road.  but what really happened was all the matatus and buses went and parked outside of town and took the day off.  so we were kinda trapped in Eldoret.  It worked out great though, cuz President Kogo (District President and counselor to Pres. B)  planned a big dinner for all the missionaries that night.  All the Sisters were there and then us and the Eldoret Elders.  Saturday morning we were able to find a little van headed to Kisumu so we jumped in and returned.  Well that was the excitement for the week. This week we have a huge baptismal service planned.  i think the count is up to 9 people getting baptized.  One sister, Agneta, is a referral from the B's.  She works at the local hotel where the couple's stay. Ever since she was introduced to the church in April she's been coming and we've been teaching her.  She's awesome and really prepared by the Lord.  President and Sister B were in town yesterday to visit with the Jorgensen's and Sister B called me this morning, she was so excited cuz she was able to talk with Agneta.  They visited last night and again this morning before they left. 
Oh i got one of the packages, the one with ranch dressing in it.  and i also got a birthday card from kim and cindy.  Thanks a ton, you guys are awesome. 
So I just thought for a second and this is what i can come up with.  I could share about all the wives and children I've been offered, but i lost count.....  so the thing that sticks out in my mind the most as i've reflected on the past few months is just about how i've been able to watch as people progress towards baptism.  as someone allows the spirit to teach them something and then to see that person act on what they've been taught.  that is the greatest joy that i've had in the mission field.  it could be a small change or it could be something big, but being there and helping someone to change their life for the better is a feeling that is hard to match.  Like Agneta for example, we had a powerful lesson on the word of wisdom, we committed her to stop drinking tea and she stopped, just like that, cold turkey.  seeing someone exercise faith on something that you testify of and the spirit has borne witness of, is just cool.  When i'm able to see the hand of the Lord in someone else's life then i'm able to see more clearly His hand in my own life.  I guess another thing that i've experienced a lot of is dealing with companions and working towards unity.  That isn't always easy.  Developing Christlike attributes has been the best way to improve the quality of a relationship between companions and myself.  It's a good thing that they're written down in preach my gospel or else it would've been harder to choose which one to work on :)  so pick one and work on it, see the difference that it makes in not only your actions but in your relationships with others.  Well i'm drawing a blank for anything else, but look through my past emails, i'm sure there are some more experiences in there, 21 months of emails should add up to something, right? I love you guys, take care and have a great week.
Elder Larsen

05.23.11

So this last week went by pretty quick, i don't know where time goes but all of the sudden it's monday again and here i am writting another email.  Let's see, we've spent some time with the new couple, Elder and Sister Jorgensen.  We've tried to show them around a little and help them to know the area.  We ended up not having a baptism this last week, the next baptismal service that we have planned is June 4th.  It should be a great day, I think we counted like nine candidates who should be ready by then.  We were suppose to have a baptismal service this saturday but this week we have a Leadership Training in Eldoret, so all baptisms have been pushed back to the 4th of June.  The training should be a good one.  They've asked me to give a training, so i need to do a little bit of preparing and planning before we make our way up there.  Elder Jackson won't be accompanying me to Eldoret, only the DL's, ZL's and trainers are going, so unfortunately i have to leave him behind for a couple of days.  He'll be with another Elder that is working in Busia while we're up there. 
So i don't know why everybody wants to get married right before i get home, but this is starting to become a little bit absurd.  I know that the Prophets have said to get hitched, but i didn't think that meant to do it right before Casey comes home.  I mean seriously, that just isn't cool. haha jk i know my personal presence doesn't really make a difference but hey, i just wanted to voice my opinion.  congrats all you newlyweds-to-be!!! 
Love ya all
Elder Larsen