Good day t'ya!

Hello and good morning from Wausau Wisconsin! The birds are singing, the snow is melting, and the sun is shining (okay, it's about 32 degrees, windy, and overcast, but that's no way to start an e-mail!) The last week, lets see... Well I guess nothing of extreme import happened, but there was still a lot that went on. We had an appointment scheduled with a potential investigator and we picked up our member, all ready to go... And nobody was home. We were pretty embarrassed, so we tried stopping by some less actives and managed to have some good lessons anyway... but darn!!! I'm not sure if I have told you or not, but we have a member up in the Steven's Point branch (about 45 minutes away) and he has contacted us, willing to bring us to Steven's Point to do some tracting and visits with Hmong less actives in his branch. We of course were VERY excited, because our "area" is technically the entire stake, but we don't have the miles to travel everywhere. We will hopefully start the Saturday after General Conference. Feeling good, feeling happy, and we are WAY WAY WAY excited for General Conference this weekend. We pray for you, and love you!!

--Elder Larsen

Blessings!

This week we had a couple of great surprises for us... First of all (and I know, I know, least important) I reached my year mark this last Thursday! I was very excited, and we were able to celebrate at a member's house with pizza and cake. Our next surprise came while tracting. We knocked on a house and someone from inside shouted "who is it?" in Hmong. We answered her and everything went silent. We were so disappointed, because this is such a common occurrence in Hmong work. As we left to get back in our car, she shouted out of her door to come back! We went and taught a short lesson,  and have a return appointment where we can bring another male (we can't teach single women... no matter how old) and have a more in depth lesson. Our next two surprises came at church. We have been teaching a less active named Cha to try and get him to understand the importance of church. Ever since I have been here, he has promised to come 3 or 4 times, but has never shown. Well, this Sunday he came for the first time in three years!!! We know he is making great strides of progress. And finally, Anthony was ordained a Teacher this Sunday... So much happening, and so many blessings!!

--Elder Larsen

BAPTISM!!!

Anthony Chang Galvan was baptized this last Saturday!!! And it all went........ Well, it all went! So, of course, the baptism was just absolutely the best part of the week, but it certainly wasn't the easiest part! I'll take you through the day, and the many little stresses that tried (and failed) to take us down. It all started early that morning, we were up a little early (6) to make sure we had enough time to get through everything. We left the house at 7 to fill the font, but got stuck behind a train for (I KID YOU NOT) 30 minutes... Frustrating as that was, it was just a little hiccup. We got to the church and found out that the church wasn't unlocked like it was supposed to be. So we had to drive to the zone leaders to borrow their key... Still not too bad. We started filling the font, and I had to go buy a new camera (I checked mine the day before to find that it had a cracked screen... GRR!) THEN Anthony wasn't ready when his ride came to pick him up, delaying the program 20 minutes... Still, everything went well with the program. We were emptying the font afterwards and the pipes had frozen earlier, so water backed up EVERYWHERE! It was so bad that they cancelled church the next day... BUT... Anthony Chang Galvan was baptized!!! He did so well. He couldn't stop from laughing the whole time. The ward has been so supportive, and we had a fantastic showing. He was interviewed to recieve the priesthood and will be ordained and confirmed next week. As crazy as it all was... Was it worth it? 100%, even if it were 100x worse. Thank you for your prayers and continued support. As I come up to my year mark, looking back I can see the Lord's hand working in my mission. LOVE Elder Larsen

Blessed!

We have been so blessed this week (and this coming week as well...) We exceeded every single one of our goals, had some pretty amazing lessons, and didn't die (okay more on that later, but don't get too disappointed in the over-exaggeration.) So, I guess the biggest news of this week is that Anthony had his baptismal interview this past weekend and he was okayed for his baptism... Saturday at 10:00!! I hate to mention it, but the Wausau Hmong area hasn't had a baptism in 2 1/2 years. We feel that this should only be one of many to come. Anthony, again, has just been so prepared. The ward has been so helpful to us, and when we went into the Relief Society room to announce his baptism, before we even asked, the question was posed "do you need us to provide refreshments?". Oh my goodness, I can't believe this day is here! I know that prayers from us, the ward, from home, and from temples across the world. Thank you to all! --Oh yeah... We had a small backing accident in a parking lot. We had spent the whole day tracting, and I felt that I had earned a well deserved little ceasars pizza (with garlic and parmesan crust). I decided it would be a good idea to take a corner parking spot, and somebody else thought it was a good idea to park behind me... I had my companion back me out-- per the missionary handbook rules-- and didn't stop as soon as he told me, and dented our car and the other one. Damage was minimal, no one was hurt, no ticket was given, I felt very sheepish, and my pizza was cold... But I didn't die.

Love Elder Larsen!

Updates!

Not too much interesting going on here in the field, but enough to give an e-mail full of some small updates and insights into my life as a missionary. So finally, the weather seems to be taking a turn for the better. We haven't seen below zero for a few days, and this week we can see as high as 40. Talk about balmy! If I was able to wear shorts, I totally would. Anthony is well on his way to baptism, and a member in the ward, Yee Lang Yang, has really become a father figure to Anthony. This week Yee took Anthony to see the new LEGO movie, and they both had a really great time. We had a small miracle this week. We went to go see a less active named Vang Mai Chang, but he wasn't there. As we sat in our car planning our next move, an Elderly Hmong woman approached our car. I thought maybe she was just getting in her car, but she just waited outside our car and smiled at us. I rolled down the window and said hi, and she asked for some help reading a couple of bills she had (she must have known missionaries can speak Hmong)... Anyway, long story short, we will be teaching her this upcoming week!! Valentines was... Meh. It's funny, as a missionary, that day means almost nothing (sorry to disappoint, ladies!) Other than that... Boring week=boring letter... Just know I love you all, and keep you in my prayers!

Dented, but not done

Yes, this week was another challenge, but honestly, what else is new? Just have to roll with it!! About 2 months back, we discovered a baseball sized dent above the rear driver side wheel on our car. After all of the registering, estimating, and waiting, last week we finally had our car taken in. We were without transportation for 3 days, and just had to try our best to be productive as possible. We did have a few good lessons, and even walked out in the bitter cold a few times. All in all, we survived, and even got our car back before the ward's famous annual chili cookoff. We were truly blessed ;) Anthony continues to progress to his March first baptismal date. We meet twice a week in preparation for his date, and we have seen leaps and bounds in his progression. He is a very different person than he was when I met him in November. Lilly has also bounded forward. She asked for every Sunday off from her boss, and even though she was denied, she said she will keep asking. Lent is a busy time for her work and that also prevents her from meeting with us and coming to church, but she is still progressing! As far as everything else goes, we are just extremely happy to be here! Happy valentines day!! :)

Shorty but a goody!

Like I said, this one will have to be a little bit shorter than normal, but I have some exciting updates! We have a very promising baptismal date! Anthony Galvan is scheduled to be baptized on the first of march!! He has been taking lessons for almost a year now, and finally thinks he is ready. We were talking to him the other day about it and he wasn't sure, but we went back and had another lesson, and he seemed 100x more excited. All I can say is that we are very very excited. I have a new companion, Elder Stegner. He comes from Seattle Washington and needless to say, he was very excited about the outcome of the super bowl (yes, we heard...) All I can say other than this, is that I'm doing extremely well! Almost halfway done, and it goes faster and faster and faster every single day. Again, sorry it's so short, but all is well, and the work is here for us to do, and we are thrusting in our sickles with all our might!

Elder Meej Mom