Tuesday email...

Sorry for the late e-mail, but it comes late as the result of what I think is a pretty legitimate excuse-- Elder Dobyns and I had some sort of NASTY food bug yesterday. We honestly only got out of bed to go check our mailbox (empty unfortunately). However, today we are feeling good, and almost 100% better. So for some exciting news, we re-established contact with some former investigators this last week, the Changs. They are a part-member family that Elders in the past have worked on and off with. They have 2 girls baptized, and 2 unbaptized, and to be honest, they kind of remind me of my family like 10 years ago, and way more sugar-fuled. We went over to their house this week and had a fantastic time! They bounce off the walls, love to play games, and really love the missionaries. We committed them all to pray together every night until we came back, which is tonight. They have been taught nearly everything, and if everything goes off without a hitch, we may be able to set a baptismal date with them tonight. Please pray for them! Also, Alex and Nou both missed out on church this week, so we might have to reconsider their dates for baptism. I firmly believe that they WILL be baptized, it is just a matter of when... Oooooother than that? Not much... I guess I'm just trying not to count down the seconds until I'm home! I guess I'll see you all soon!

2/16/15

Unfortunately, things this week didn't quiiiiiiiite go as we had planned... We switched apartments with the Spanish Elders due to some concerns with their living arrangement. So most of our week has been taken up with moving everything from one side of town to the other. Elder Dobyns and I are glad that it is over with, and now we get to do some real teaching. With the move and transfers and a little bit of sickness, this week wasn't the brightest spot that I've had. It does allow me to tell you a little bit about how my studies have been going. I don't know why, really nobody's fault but my own, but I've had a VERY hard time on my mission studying Preach My Gospel. If I could, I would read the Book of Mormon for an hour every day. That just doesn't work for a Preach my Gospel mission. President committed me to read 10 minutes a day, and now I am very pleased to be able to tell you that I have had a change of heart! I absolutely RELISH the time that I get to spend studying it. I have also been keeping some pretty studious notes in the margins and the notes section. I think my biggest problem was simply making marking it too difficult. This time I've simplified it to marking anything that sticks out to me or anything that I have notes on... Of course this is VERY simple, but as I continue studying it after I get home, I can expand the range of my notes. The same really goes for the Book of Mormon as well: I always get these GRAND ideas of how I want to mark it up, but in reality, the simplest things are the best. My favorite copy that I've had was our Christmas copy that had all of the Atonement marked in red or green. Anyway... I'll be more coherent next week as I'll have more time...

--Elder Larsen

Hey---

Elder Stegner is a liiiiiiiittle bit excited, his Seahawks just won their NFC game and being from Seattle... well you get the gist. Another slowish week, but  we had a little bit of exciting news this past week! We had a referral from our Bishop, and we were able to go contact her this week. Her name is Nou, and last week she asked the Bishop if she could do anything in the way of service for our church. We met with her on wednesday and set up service every Sunday morning where she will come and help us set up chairs. This last week she even stayed for the entire sacrament meeting! She made friends pretty easily, and we hope to continue meeting with her. Wish I could write longer, but duty calls, an early appointment today... 

HELLO AGAIN!!!

The weeks get shorter and shorter, I swear! There is no way that I'm winding down my mission this quickly. Somebody let slip that I only have 10 weeks left. Again, its not like I'm beginning the countdown this early or anything, I just keep realizing that its all coming to an end. We went through a pretty brutal cold this past week, and being in a car share... Let's just say that it wasn't very practical for us to go tract for three hours. President tried to limit our outside activity to under 30 minutes, and in that same letter he said "Missionaries in Canada and Siberia learn to dress warm as part of their normal proselyting so you may need to invest in some warm winter gear if you don't have it already in order to get through the winter" Wait.... Canada and Siberia? You're telling me that I get to take examples from the place where they exiled criminals from Russia? Great. Alright, I'll stop complaining about it, but our proselyting efforts did take quite a hit. We had interviews with our President this week. We studied the talk "free forever to act for themselves" by Elder Cristofferson this past General Conference. I would definitely recommend a review for those of you who haven't re-read this talk. We talked about it for a good while, especially his story about the man who wouldn't do anything for himself. He also mentioned an interesting fact: in the coming year, 75% of the missionaries currently serving will be going home. What?! We think that 10 of the 13 Hmong missionaries will be going home by September. Sorry that there isn't much to talk about this week, it has been a little bit dry... But I still love you all!!

--Elder Larsen

Sheboygan: Week 1

A LOT has happened in the last couple days. Obviously, changing my living situation, companion, and workload is always a little difficult, but beyond that we went from 40 degrees to 0 in about 3 days. That is never ever ever fun. I love Sheboygan. I couldn't really believe it, but it is actually smaller than wausau by about 20,000 people. There aren't even any towns too close by to call sub-urbs, everything else is about 20 minutes out. AND on that note, we have a car here... or rather, we SHARE a car with the Spanish Elders. Not the most ideal of situations, but it sure beats taking the Sheboygan bus system (which I hear is a mess by the way.) The apartment is gorgeous, I can honestly say that it is probably the only apartment that I've been to on my mission that feels like a home. It even smells good! About a year ago, there was a fire in the complex, so they recently remodeled everything. We live right on the lakefront, and even though it is winter, the view can get pretty nice. As for teaching? We are officially in finding mode, and we are just looking to get a few more consistent investigators. We have a few already, but you never can have enough. anywho... I'm sure there will be more to update you all on next week and the weeks following, so on that note, I'll love you and leave you!

Elder Larsen

TRANSFERS!!!

Before mentioning anything else, I have to say that transfers are a pretty big surprise to everyone! So just a little recap of what is going on, so that you'll understand why it is such a surprise... So I have only been here two transfers, I only have two left, I've only been with Elder Lor for one transfer, AND we have so much good work going on here... BUT! I found out this morning that I'm being transferred to SHEBOYGAN!!! That puts me back in a companionship with one of my favorite companions, Elder Stegner! I'm definitely not disappointed to be serving in Sheboygan, and to be with a companion that I already know and love? A very tender mercy. Another interesting thing is that the Hmong area here in Milwaukee is combining with the English area, so Elder Lor will be with Elder Goodale, our district leader........ Strange things are afoot at the MKE (10 points for those of you who can name THAT movie!)
Besides that, more good news with Van and Blia, they were both at church on Sunday again where we had another lesson. They want to be married some time soon in the new year! Also, we met a friend of Eh say and Say Paw, our investigators. His name is Nin, and he seems to have a good amount of interest in learning more. It has been a crazy morning, so I'm going to go do some sport... things to help me relax... LOVE!!!

MERRY MILWAUKEESE CHRISTMAS!

Another great step in the progression of Van and Blia happened this week: They came to church again this week where we had our first lesson with them! We taught the first half of the restoration, really focusing on the authority of Christ's church. Blia has gone to other churches in the past, and in fact, her mother is a pastor at one of those churches. They seemed to understand and take it very well. We had a few members in the lesson actually: Their mother, brother and sister xiong, and Maimoua yang. Unfortunately though, much of the rest of our week was spent finding because our appointments cancelled for the holidays. Speeeeeeeeaking of the holidays... MERRY MILWAUKEESE CHRISTMAS!!! We have quite a fun week planned out, of course Christmas is the highlight, but other than that, we have breakfast with the President, Christmas eve dinner, and a Hmong dinner where we get to eat squirrel (no joke!) I'm very much looking forward to having calls with my family, and I can't wait to tell them that I'll just talk to them in another 3 months! I can't believe that this is going to be my last call... Before I ramble on too much, I'll just wish you all a very merry Christmas, and a happy 2015!