Dear Family!
I am having a great time here in Russia. that is really cool how you have seen some conference. I am really excited to watch it this next weekend and see what I can learn. Did you see Randall Bennett speak who came to speak to us in our mission? Wow, Shane has over 4 times as many missionaries in his mission than in our mission. That is cool how he gets to serve with his old companion again. Mom wants to here some news about Russia, so I will try to share some news. I got to visit Kurgan this weekend, and the missionaries there are really working hard, talking to people, and living their missionary purpose being really good examples for me. They had a baptism, which was a priesthood holder and great to see. Our investigator Anya we passed off to the sisters. Being that she was a 14 year old young woman, we figured that it would be better for them to meet with her. She went to church for the 3rd time this week and her mother came as well. She also has a large ambition to tell as many people as possible that the Church is not bad and that a lot of good comes from it. Here it has been raining or at least cloudy every day for about a week, and it sounds like it will continue to be like that for a while. Mom, on P-days we do not do a whole lot special. We do our studies, clean the apartment, write home, buy groceries, and then we have a few hours before we need to start working again. We looked at buildings one time, or saw the sights, in the past, we have played frisbee or basketball. The problem is that P-day is on a Monday and none of the museums are open on Monday, but if we wanted to we could switch that to a different day to accomodate. Sometimes we go out to eat and in the past I have made good meals. Also, we sometimes go around looking in stores. Seperate from P-days, you can periodically do a cultural activity which are sometimes ballets or a type of folk dance, but we can somewhat choose. Then if I need to mend something or would like to study a little bit more or write or think, we also do that on p-day. Maybe Shane's P-days have been more interesting than mine, because mine have not been to extraordinary. Maybe he can even give some ideas. I also like that I can just talk with my companion.
This week I have been trying to focus a lot about charity and love. In doing acts of charity, it helps us become more humble. I have been thinking about accentuating the positive a lot and especially in the characteristics of others. Erik after his mission told me that I will need to learn that. I have been trying to look for the good, and it makes me happier, and I do not feel guilty about looking at the faults of others. Christ is the perfect example of charity and love and he also called people to repentance. He did not focus on the fact that some people sinned, but he focused on the path of repentance, forgiveness, and becoming a different person. I know he is my Savior, and I am glad to be his servant. He takes recomittment each day, but it feels really good at night to know you have done as the Lord has asked you to do. Of course every night isn't like that because I may have messed up quite a bit, but I know the Lord loves us, and through him we can have success and happiness. I am having a great time on the mission really learning how much the Lord loves me and being able to spread his love to other people. I love you all. Bye.-Elder Larson
