March 7, 2011

Dearest family!,

Sorry I am writting this one a little late because... you guessed it... I had transfers again.  :( I'm sad because I really love Culturas and Elder Monjarraz and we had a lot of success there. It was sweet! But this is the cool (and scary) thing.   I received a call from the mission President in the morning and he told me that I have been assigned to be Zone Leader and he asked me if I would accept. I was shocked because I really wasn't expecting that at all! But of course, I accepted  and now I am serving in the  Tenayo zone and my area is called Santa Cecilia.  It's going to be awesome because I will zone leader over my 2nd area so hopefully, I can see some of my converts there and my new comp is...ELDER BYLUND! Whoooooooo! If you remember, he was my comp in the MTC and now we get to be comps again. It's funny because during this whole time we haven't even been in the same zone...and now we are comps! :D He is my first American companion and I am his first American comp!  So it's pretty awesome. He has already been a ZL for 2 transfers, so he is going to teach me a lot of stuff.  We are super excited! But I will miss Culturas and Elder Monjarraz. We had some great experiences there.  We made a lot of great friends too and it was hard once again to say goodbye. But that's what happens. Now I will be responsible of about 20 missionaries and I will need to be a really good example. Bylund said to me that we are going to work our tails off and I am totally fine with that. I really think we will have a lot of fun too. The missionaries are awesome and I really hope to have a lot of success. This zone just baptized 13 people yesterday so I think we can do some good... but it will  be hard. Once again, I know the Lord has put me here for a reason and I know that He will help me. I don' know everything, but I  believe with the Lords help that we can have success!!!!

Elder Bylund looking over our area

So that is what happened and that's why I am writting late.  Mom, I have to tell you, the Cruz Soto Family in Culturas are seriously my Mexican family here. They have been sooo awesome and I plan on staying in touch with them. (Plus, we were able to baptize some of their family) Just know they took really good care of me! 

The Cruz Soto Family

We went to the temple too! and I took a pic of the temple at night and it is really cool.  We brought  4 investigators and 1 convert with 2 members. It was a really neat experience and I can't wait to enter the temple here. It's soooooo beautiful.  You just feel so special when you are visiting the temple with people that don't know a lot about he the church. It's awesome!  We hope they will get baptized soon.  The sad news is that we broke our baptizing streak because we weren't able to baptize yesterday..... :( but thats ok, we have some really good potentials.

Gardens at the Temple

The Temple at night

Another cool thing... we were at a testimony meeting a long time ago and then we visited a less active family and we really taught a awesome lesson.  Monjarraz talked about a lot  of experiences he has had and then today we heard the teenage son in that family bare his testimony saying "Thanks to Elder Monjarraz, my family is more active and now I am going to finish high school and turn in my papers for a mission."  Wow!  I consider that a baptism! Because we reactivated him and now wants to serve a mission. That is sweet! His name is Adrian and i really think he will be a great missionary. 

Well, that is all that is going on.   I love the mission and I love the challenges the Lord has given me. I know that with the Lord's help I can be a great leader, I just need to be obedient and follow the Spirit. I love you all so much. Have fun where ever you are. peace!

Elder $ean Larson

Me and the area below