May 24, 2010

Hello Family!


We actually recently got mail, because it only comes every six weeks, and the transfer is actually in its latter end. I got the misdirected dear elders that you sent when I was in the MTC the first week. I thought that was funny.

Kurgan is not too large. It takes about 50 minutes to go from one side of the city to the opposite side by bus, and that is the big city part. There is water in Kurgan. There is a river that is not too far from where we live and there is a small lake right next to where we live as well. I have not seen a jet statue, but there are two Lenin statues in the city. There is also a monument for World War 2 Veterans with something call the eternal flame, oblast, and a massive plack of people who served and gave their life. There is another statue of a general there. There is an altogether different monument for people who gave their lives to the more recent wars Russia has been involved with, and there is a statue in the park. I have seen most of those with just daily activity. The sun gets up very early now. This morning I unintentionally woke up at 4:19 and it was already fairly bright outside. When we go to sleep at 10:30, it is still a little bright as well. I actually do not eat a lot of traditional Russian food because we make our own food. We have had blin though, which is like a thin pancake. I have also eaten other Russian pastries. Bread is very inexpensive here, and I eat that all the time for a snack. A medium sized loaf is probably 50 american cents.

I am understanding more and more, but it is actually a lot tougher to speak, but I will keep going strong. Elder Kordon turned 20 on Thursday, and the zone leaders came that day as well to do splits. Elder Ellsworth from Mesa, Arizona and Hanson from Utah. Elder Hanson has been here 6 months and Elder Ellsworth a year. They are very good with Russian, and they are also great, motivated, obedient missionaries. They taught us after coming home from a zone leader conference the importance of faith in the work. Every action we make needs to be motivated by faith, especially in missionary work. If we exercise faith for the people we serve, miracles can happen. We need to know the Lord will help us in all things if we put our trust in him. Recently we have been teaching the Atonement to help people understand the sacrament, and how Christ suffered for us so that we can return to him. Sometimes on the street, you see people who are drunk, poor, or hurt. Christ suffered through it all - all their pains he has felt. He can lift our burdens. I love you all. Remember Christ and his Atonement always. He loves you even more. Bye. -Elder Larson