January 9, 2012

(I had to omit some of this letter that was personal, so this is the short version!)

Family... and all those who read this letter on the secret blog that mom put up that I didn't even know about until one of my friends wrote and told me! haha.   I am happy you did that mom.  But it is funny that my friends tell me how they already know how I am doing when the write me haha.

About the interview I had with the Mission President... it was sooooo special.  I had to renew my temple recommend and the interview was sooo incredible!  He really expressed how grateful he was for me and he also taught me some really good principles about staying active in the church.  I know that he loves me and every other missionary in this mission.  We really are like his kids.  It is so wonderful to be with him....intimidating but really cool! haha.  He just knows so much!  (I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a 70 one day. )  I love his dedication to the Lord and to his family.  I will never forget that interview with him!

Mom, I still haven't got the other package! I don't know where it is.... its sad but I am sure it will show up.  I did get  cards from Bob and BJ and Sue and Jeff and TANIA (that is how you spell her name right?) It was so cool because she wrote me in spanish!   I realize that i can practice my Spanish with her, so that will be great!

When is Jared coming home?

Well, we didn't have any baptisms last week but we are hoping to baptize 2 investigators this week and maybe another one other sister.   They all are sooo close but they  are very nervous!  I am confident that they will want to get baptized soon, if not this week! I'll talk about that next time.

I love you guys soooooo much! I cant wait to see you all!  Bye!

Love Elder Larson

January 2, 2012

This is a 'horse' we found... Really just a huge dog

Family,

How fast did that last week go! really! I ONLY HAVE 5 WEEKS LEFT! That is super weird for me. I dont know if I am excited or not! All I know is that the President expects a lot of me this last change.  He loves all the missionaries in our generation (like he does love all missionaries.)  And I just know that I have to work even harder right now because I want to end my mission really, really STRONG.  I remember when I was training  about a year ago, we were blessed to baptize every week for almost 2 months in a row.  I am hoping we can do that again.  We just need to change a bit and sacrifice even more and the blessings will be given to us.  We were suppose to have a baptism last sunday, but they left out of town.  It is the mother and daughter that I told you about. They are really cool and very excited.  I just love finding these "choosen" people here.  That is something Elder Johnson taught us, he told us there are so many choosen people that 2 years isnt enough to baptize them all. And I truely believe him and I know that Mexico is so ready, especially Santa Monica. I just have to trust the Lord more and have more faith in Him.  This is His work, not ours and I assume He wants ALL of his children to be find the truth...sadly I am not always the best working tool.  But I hope to change that this last change!  We are hoping to another lady this week... who is reading and going to church all ON HER OWN!  She is a choosen person and so prepared, but she is  scared of what her family will think  and not sure she wants to take the next step to baptism. I just keep praying for a miracle from the Lord so that he will soften her heart and calm her heart too so that she can make this decision.

Saturday for new Years  we got to eat with the other missionaries and their bishop again and we had awesome food!  GREAT HAM! just like home haha. We came home early at 8 and like we didnt have anything to do....sooo i showered and went to bed. I think that was the first time in my entire mission that I had like 9 hours of sleep! That was sweet!  but then the fireworks woke me up at l12:01  so I guess I celebrated.... I just said "feliz año nuevo" to my comp and went back to bed. hahaha. But that was it!   

I gotta go. I got a lot of work  to do this week!  Thanks for everything! I love you all!

Love 

Elder $ean Larson

His paw compared to mine!

Making sweet Krusteze pancakes!

Taking a shortcut by the stinkiest river ever!

Cool Christmas Tree that one of the sisters made.

Cool Star fruit

December 26, 2011

My Christmas scene!

We got to web chat with Sean on Christmas day and it was amazing!  It was so much fun.  We hooked the laptop up to the TV and we all sat in the family room and visited with him for an hour!  It was almost as if he were sitting down in the family room with us...almost! (We'll get to do that in just a few weeks.)
It was the highlight of Christmas!
Seeing he talked to us on Sunday, he didn't have much to write on Monday, so he just sent the following pictures....

Arcadia's baptism

Arcadia's baptism and confirmation

Taco's from my favorite stand...and ROOT BEER!

This cat was just sleeping in the trash...

My zone at night

Virgin Mary scene, they're on almost every corner here.

Decorating my Christmas Tree

Merry Chirstmas!!

December 18, 2011

Add caption

My dear Family!
 I first want to talk about the Christmas picture.  My favorite part is .... OUR DOG IS THERE! Its true! He really isn't dead! ( Not like how Bryan told me hahaha)  Ok, I can now sleep at night. JK.  But really I was happy to see him but even more happy to see all the family and my cute niece and nephews! Wow! That is sooo weird! Steele a real stud you know!  And the facial expression on Charles is perfect.  I can't wait to see you all again. O wait!  I will get to see you on Christmas!!! Whoooo! I want to see the snow too. We found a family that will let us use their laptop, so i will be able to use gmail video. They have a son that is in Colorado and they talk with him by web cam so they already know what it is like.  If there are problems I will call you and everything will be alright. I will try and get online about 11 30 (12 30 my time) ..... maybe around then ok!  But we are also planning on getting together this Sunday as missionaries and we are going to watch "Its a Wonderful Life"!  Cool huh!? At the last minute, our president said we could do it.  I really don't remember if i have seen the whole movie.... how sad right? But i am super excited to see it.  Now we just have to find it here in Mexico haha.  That could be a problem.

We are working hard and praying to find more people to teach and hoping that we can have a baptism this Christmas.  Please just pray for that! O yeah! I forgot to start off with the good news. WE HAD A BAPTIISM!  Her name is Arcadia  and she is the grandma of one of our investigators.   We taught her and she was so prepared to be baptized!  It was super cool! 

I had another great experience on Sunday!  You remember our convert, Gabriel...well received  the priesthood! whoooooo hoooooo. He was able to bless the sacrament Sunday, which was really special.  I loved it.  That is when you know that this work is true and really worth it!  I just love seeing new members progress in the church and gospel. It gives me great examples and pushes me to work even more!  I just love those experiences.  I can't wait to see the miracles that happen in this last week of the year!  I am so excited!  Thank you soooooooooo much for all your prayers and letters. They help me sooo much and I know that i have the best family ever!

Thank you all and I love you!
Feliz Navidad y Año Nuevo!

Elder $ean Larson

December 12, 2011

Dear Family!

 

Well... i am going to start off with the Christmas call...I mean chat! haha Well, let's do it on christmas then. We have our services for one hour from 10 to 11 (i think that is 9 to 10 your time) then.... I hope that we will have a baptism after so maybe we won't finish until 12ish (11ish your time) I will plan on calling right after that hopefully. So plan getting online like at 11 or 11 30 your time. Hopefully, it will work out. If I can't use the video, I will call the house from here and then you guys can call me back me back on that same number. ok? I hope i make sense. That way I can talk to Blake before he has to go! cool!

 

Well, I guess some of you heard about the earthquake here in Mexico.  Good news is.. I AM ALIVE! haha  It was quite far away where the epicenter happened. But... never the less, I still felt it. It was kinda weird because that was the first time i have actually felt an earthquake.  It lasted quite a long while.  It shook the walls a little and the lights.  Basically everything was kinda waving around... not big and I wasn't scared but you could feel it for sure. So nothing happened here! but it must have been a descent size earthquake to get all the way here. But all is well!

  

 Remember I told you about the guy we are teaching, well he is progressing, but we will see... he is not too sure about baptism but he is thinking about it. He still hasn't gone to church, so after he goes he will get a better idea of what it is like and how he feels about it.  Hopefully that will get him excited. We are hoping that he goes to church with us this Sunday.  He is really cool, but it will be really hard if he does decide to be baptized because he will need to change some things. But it would be cool! 

 

We weren't able to baptize anyone this week, but we have someone with a baptismal date for this Sunday.  She is the grandma of another investigator and she just LOVES church.  We put down a date for this week. She just needs to get her interview and thats it!  Hopefully we will baptize her granddaughter too because she loves the gospel too.  She is working on some things,  but we hope that we can baptize them both this week . We are praying and fasting for them! 

 

Well I really don't have a whole lot more to write. I am so grateful for all the letters you guys send!  I love them and of course, I read every single one... but  I don't have a lot of time to respond to them. I'm so sorry!!  I love all of you sooooo much! I cant wait to SEE you again on Christmas!  It sure will be a special one!  THANKS SOOOO MUCH!

 

Elder Sean Larson

 

p.s. Mom, did you get your letter from me?

December 5, 2011

We ran into one of our recent converts Arturo...he is such a great guy!

Dear family!

Wow! Thanks for the update and pictures of the wind storm.  I can't believe what happened in bountiful! I didnt think winds like that happen there!  That was really crazy to see all the damage that happened. I have never seen any thing like that .  It's so cool how all of Bountiful pitched in to help out! Awesome!  I can't really imagine it. Dad, you can count on me helping you witht the fence when i get home!   I have to admit,  I was soooooo worried for the Christmas train. What a mess it would be if we lost it..... that is the Larson family treasure! ( Aren't you famous for that haha. ) It's good to hear that all you guys are fine!  Another sad thing i noticed in the pics is that.... there isn't any snow on the ground! NOOOOO!  haha.  I know sometimes it is like that, but there had better be snow when I get home or even better... it should be snowing! Thanks for the update and the pictures.  I am glad everyone is alright.

Well we had a really cool week this last week.  We had a Mission Conference with the President Johnson who is a 70 and the area Pres. in Mexico.  It was really neat! It was cool how he taught us... he basically took an hour just asking us questions about some scriptures we read about the doctirine of Christ.  He would simply respond and the ask another question according to what we asked. It was really cool because  the spirit was teaching us more than just him teaching us.  He made us think and ponder about a lot of things and he taught us some new things that we can do and apply in the mission. So i am really excited to apply everything he taught us.  It is weird but i just completed 22 months in the mission and that means I only have 2 months left.   I am excited to apply everything I have learned from these last 22 months and all the new things that Pres. Johnson taught us.  I am super scared  to come home but  I am just going to continue to work hard...and then Feb. 8th is when I will worry about that. But i realize that the Lord expects a lot from us.  After the mission i will continue working hard and serving  in the church  because I love it and I know it is what the Lord wants us to do. 

Umm...before i forget. We are able to use skype or google video for our Christmas call.  I can do it either the 24th or 25th.  I know that Blake has to work Sunday so i am trying to figure it out what we can do. I know that our ward here is only going to have the sacrament service and I am pretty sure it will be in the morning. I am also hoping that we will have a baptism that day... and then I will truly have a white Christmas ! So the call would be after the services and then i think we can  skyp for an hour.  We will eat after that.  Just tell me what ever you guys think...  if it's on the 24th,  I am pretty sure i can call at night or in the afternoon. But you guys tell me what ever you can do and I will do it one of those 2 days.  ok!? 

We are working hard and teaching, but it is a tough area!  We are working with one young man, but he has a lot of questions and concerns. There are things in his life that he doesn't know if he can change.  So we will see what happens there. We are still looking for a special family like the family Mondragon Family. I just want to have an amaizing month in December!  We will keep on working, praying and looking!

Thanks soooo much for writting me! I cant wait to talk to you and SEE you on Christmas! Let me know how things follow up after this great wind mess. THANKS AND I LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCH!  

Love,

Elder $ean Larson

This is Luis...he is amazing

Luis with Sergio and Gina...they are so cool

It's Sergio's birthday

 

November 28, 2011

Family!!!

 

Thanks for the pics!  Whoa! I don't know why... but it is weird to see Greg at home haha. But I am soo happy for him.  He is such a great friend and a great example to me.   I can't wait to see him too!  Man!  Home is going to be different I think, but in a good way.  Just with a new vision i guess.

 

Soooooo.... WE had a baptism!  Luis Angel was baptized yesterday and it was really neat.  So we are so happy for him. He loves studying! He studies with just the Book of Mormon and the index in the back.  When he found out that we have 2 other books and he really wanted them, so we bought  a triple for him. I know he will be  excited to see that. We are so happy! Missionaries always say that December is the hardest month because everyone goes out of town and stuff, but we are going to change that now!  The mission doesn't want to be tricked out by that.  It is Satan that is saying that. So instead, we are going to see lots of miracles!

 

IT GOT SOOOO COLD! I really thought of Utah yesterday. It just got cold, but no snow. Good thing I bought that coat!  Hey, cool fact about my area.  There is an old mansion here called "Ex hacienda de Santa Monica" and  they filmed part of Zorro there and Phantom! cool huh! 

 

I am also learning about some different religions here, like the muslims, which are really interesting and I certainly respect them a lot more.   i also have learned a little about another religion called "Kabala",  They only believe in the old testiement and they believe that Christ.  We are teaching one this week so... we will see how that goes. 

 

We have been helping a lot of people here recently....service. I love service...even though we don't teach, we've been able to  help peoplemove furniture and stuff.   It's really great to serve and it definitely makes you feel good .  I  know that  it can be more important than teaching a lesson, so it is cool. There was also a couple that didn't have anything to eat because they both lost their jobs. We usually aren't suppose to do this, but we decided to buy them some food that they really needed.  It was really really cool.  I love helping others and I am hoping when I get home, that I can find a  job that serves others because it is the BEST and most satisfying thing. 

 

I gotta go! I love the mission! i love all of you! 

Elder S Larson