July 19, 2011

Hello Family!

I was glad to read your letters, and I really enjoyed the letter that mom had written. I thought it was really powerful, and I feel that you have grow a lot since I have been on my mission. It is a pretty cool effect that is going on that being on a mission is such a great blessing to those around and families. Thank you for raising me to go on a mission. I am having a really great time. It is really cool how Shane had a baptism this past weekend. Baptisms are really just a wonderful experience, and It leads life into happiness, if we are willing to keep those covenants we make. We obey and serve the Lord, and he will infinitely bless us. Oh, sorry that you didn't get a warning that I wouldn't be writing yesterday, but we had to go to a different city to pick up a missionary. He will be serving in my place in the area where I am currently serving, and I will be moving to a different area in Ekaterinburg. President Rust called me to be an assistant, and I will be serving with Elder Decker, who was in my group at the MTC. I have a lot to learn, but I feel like I will have the opportunity to learn a lot and learn how to better love and work with others and do the Lord's work here.

Good job dad, it sounds like you do a very good job indexing. It is fun how you went to the movies with Kylie. Continue to be a good example for the children. I know they love you all greatly, Mom.

 

This week, we had the opportunity to speak with a Cuban. He is black, and I try not to miss the opportunity to talk to black people when I see them in the middle of Russia. I don't always get to, but this time, I asked him if he spoke English, he did not. He spoke spanish and Russian really well. He has lived here 10 years, he has a russian wife and a child, and he works as a trainer and as a musician at a club. He was really nice, and he said he may be willing to meet, ut we will see what happens.

Shane, I too will be doing a little training after getting back, because I have gotten a little more stomach weight. Continue the hard work. Let us all press on in the work of the Lord. I love you all, and I would like you to reread together the note that mom wrote to me. I really enjoyed it, and I would think that dad read it, but I really did enjoy that. Family should be the reason that we do anything we do why we are here and any position that we are in. It's God's plan, and in order for it to work, it's got to be done God's way. I love you all. Bye. -Elder Larson

July 18, 2011

Dear family,

I am doing well, but it has been raining quite a bit here. It feels like I am in Oregon, and it is a huge contrast from last summer. I don't think I live near those smokestacks, sorry mom. If it is by a lake, then it is too far west and not enough north. Where I live is an area slightly seperated from the rest of the city but not far. It is by the Uralsky heavy metal factory, so it is in that division of the city, and in that division, it is on the northeast edge where I live. It is by some new building. I am excited to hear that Erik will be in Provo. Means that he'll be close by and we can even possibly go to the same school. We had the opportunity to give a blessing this week to a sister missionary in our zone. She is a convert of about 3 years, but she is one of the most faithful people I have met. It help me understand how much faith really makes a difference in life, and her mood and situation really changed after the blessing. I know that priesthood power is real, and it helped me know how blessed I am. I thank you dad for being a worthy priesthood holder in our home, and I know that has influenced my life greatly. I would be down for that marathon if you are really serious about doing it. I believe that you can, it would be pretty macho (you agree mom), and as long as you prepare well, I don't think you would die. There is a sister in our zone that has ran a marathon in the past. But it would really be fun. My companion and I run periodically.

 

President Rust is great. He hasn't served a mission, didn't finish school, but he says that he has made big changes in his life through the atonement of Christ. He and sister Rust lived in Utah, he worked in an oil company, Shell, they moved, he stayed, another company came. The company he worked for wasn't honest, he didn't keep his mouth closed, and they fired him. His mom said not to worry, and Chevron asked about him. He got on with them, moved along a line of promotions till he was asked to go to Moscow where he lived for 10 years, until he retired after he was called as President. He is very loving, hugs us, and wants us to work hard, work with members, and help build us up.

Thanks for the package mom. It was healthy and tasty. I love you all. Bye.-Elder Larson

July 11, 2011

Dear family,

I am doing well, but it has been raining quite a bit here. It feels like I am in Oregon, and it is a huge contrast from last summer. I don't think I live near those smokestacks, sorry mom. If it is by a lake, then it is too far west and not enough north. Where I live is an area slightly seperated from the rest of the city but not far. It is by the Uralsky heavy metal factory, so it is in that division of the city, and in that division, it is on the northeast edge where I live. It is by some new building. I am excited to hear that Erik will be in Provo. Means that he'll be close by and we can even possibly go to the same school. We had the opportunity to give a blessing this week to a sister missionary in our zone. She is a convert of about 3 years, but she is one of the most faithful people I have met. It help me understand how much faith really makes a difference in life, and her mood and situation really changed after the blessing. I know that priesthood power is real, and it helped me know how blessed I am. I thank you dad for being a worthy priesthood holder in our home, and I know that has influenced my life greatly. I would be down for that marathon if you are really serious about doing it. I believe that you can, it would be pretty macho (you agree mom), and as long as you prepare well, I don't think you would die. There is a sister in our zone that has ran a marathon in the past. But it would really be fun. My companion and I run periodically.

 

President Rust is great. He hasn't served a mission, didn't finish school, but he says that he has made big changes in his life through the atonement of Christ. He and sister Rust lived in Utah, he worked in an oil company, Shell, they moved, he stayed, another company came. The company he worked for wasn't honest, he didn't keep his mouth closed, and they fired him. His mom said not to worry, and Chevron asked about him. He got on with them, moved along a line of promotions till he was asked to go to Moscow where he lived for 10 years, until he retired after he was called as President. He is very loving, hugs us, and wants us to work hard, work with members, and help build us up.

Thanks for the package mom. It was healthy and tasty. I love you all. Bye.-Elder Larson

July 4, 2011

Hello family,

I hope your headache goes away mother. It was nice to see the pictures Shane (maybe it will motivate me to do a little better in the picture taking area). How strange it is that Alex leaves so soon. I hope Erik gets the job. I would love to see him there in  Provo. Hello Jeff Rodgers. Mom and Dad, could you forward my emails to him at jeffrey.rodgers@myld​smail.net . Too bad your team lost dad, but it is always fun regardless, and too bad Alex could not go with you to the temple. I saw advertisements for transformers 3 here, and I think it only came out a week later from America, so they have all the same big films here too it seems. I probably didn't mention the quartet because I made a mistake. (Not a good excuse). I cannot remember the English name to the hymn we sang. I sung the male version of alto, so the 1st tenor?. When we practiced, we did some part change ups, so I remembered the second verse, but then when we performed, I sang that same part for the 1st verse, so I started singing the wrong verse. I caught myself pretty quickly, and people said they like it. It was fun. I enjoy singing, but there is not often an opportunity to sing like that.

It has been kind of warm here. I must have forgotten how your weather feels like.

This week, one of the best things happened on my mission. I was able to see someone get baptized from the start to the finish, and she was really great. One of the best parts is how much the members and the ward got involved. She was a member referral and came to church before we even met each other. members helped at the meetings, members sat by her, and members had a large role in the baptismal service. I was able to baptize the sisters' convert a few weeks ago, but it was great to see a ward member baptize Lidia (our investigator). That member is also a rock solid man. Lidia really helped me see how the Lord prepares people, and she really was prepared and accepted everything. She had somehow stopped drinking coffee before we had talked about the word of wisdom, and she understood the purpose of tithing right away. It is really exciting to be part of the Lord's work.

Happy 4th of July. In celebration, I would like you to sing or read the hymn, America the Beautiful together and discuss what the words say, the blessings you have received, and obligations we have in respect to those blessings. I thought about it a little bit, and it touched me. I have met President Rust, and he and his wife are great. We will have zone leader council tomorrow, so we wil get to know him a little bit more. I love you family. Bye.-Elder Larson