January 24, 2011

Hey Family!!!

How is everybody going???? HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this week i will be completing a year in the mission!! It is soo crazy how fast time is flying by!!!! I cannot believe that i am here a year in the mission. At times it doesnt seem liek it. I feel like my spanish should be better and i need to learn more about the things that i am teaching. I guess sometimes i dont feel satisfied with myself, but i need ot have patience with myself like with everybody else...

That is crazy that Sean has left on the mission! I cannot believe that... How great!!! Those are good stories that the Bishop has about his mission!! I hope that my mission stores will have goood use like those, even though they arent like those stories.

 

I think that it is funny that matt has new doggies. It sounds cool that he want to hunt mountain lions!! That shoudl be interesting. I think that the pepper story is super fuinny dad!!!! super funny!!!!!

I am glad that everybody is doing good!!! I hope that mom is feeling better and that she can get over the ache in her body!!!My prayers are always with you all!!!!!!

My week went alright. This next week we have a baptism here in Las Flores. It will be great!!!! The lady that will be baptized is the mother of a recent convert. But this lady is super super ready for her baptism!! Yesterday we visited her and we reviewed the baptismal questions and then we talked to her about the Temple. Just hearing about the baptisms for the dead and the opportunity that her ancestors have to listen to the Gospel makes her cry from joy. She has been sooo happy learning about the Gospel and the blessing it provides her, and i have been super blessed to have been able to teach her. It has been a blessing teach ing her and learing form this experience.

That has been the highlight of this last week in the work. We are going to have this ladys baptism on the 29th. Other than that, my comp and i continue working...

I love you all and i hope that you all have a great week!!!!! How are the grandparents doing?? Good i hope!!! My prayers are with you all and i am very thankful for the letters and your concern for me!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!

Elder Shane Larson

ps. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TELL MOLLY I SAY HAPPY BIIRTHDAY AND THAT I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 17, 2011

Hola familia!!!

How is everybody doing there at home?? I hope that everybody is doing good there and that there arent any problems of any kind!

Your Sunday school class sounds pretty fun dad!! I love to hear about the things that you learn. I think that Bro Greene is a very good teacher and he is very inteligent as well. I bet that it is fun having him as you teacher!!! Be sure to tell him that i say hi!!

First of all, to answer your questions :) I did watch toy story in english because there are only 3 latins in my zone and there were only 2 there and one knows english. There are about 196 missionaries in this mission, and there is about 18 to 20 missionaries in my zone. I think that there was about 60 missionaries when we went and ate at the house of the president.

We had just had transfers, but i did not get transferred anywhere. I am still here in Las Flores with my companion Elder Espinoza.That means that i will be here for at least 2 more tranfers, i think. Other than that, there hasnt been anything very new going on. My comp and i are still working and we are helping the area progress!!! That is the best part. We are seeing a lady, her name is Maria del Carmen, progress and come closer to her baptism. She will be baptized on the 29 of January. She is the mother of a member and enjoys what she learns. I also think that she has seen the blesssings from the Gospel in the life of her daughter, so that helps motivate her!! It is really great to see somebody understand the truth and then change. 

Las Flores is really relaxed, maybe too relaxed because the people dont want to listen and stuff, but we are still trying. I think my favorite area would have to be Berazategui. I am not sure why, i have liked all of my areas just some more than otheres. I like the zone of Quilmes though, that is a fun zone. I think what makes the area is the people. The places are different but the people that you meet and the other missionaries make the area that much better.

Other things that happened in this week were that we had another lesson with the pastor that i mentioned earlier. He had read a few parts from the Book Of Mormon. When we were in the lesson he began to tell us what he thinks about the Book Of Mormon. I know that his views are different. But i could feel a calmness in me during the lesson, tell me that the Book of Mormon is true. He has to find out for himself in the prayer. I am not sure that he is willing to do this task, but he says that he wil continue to read and to study the Book Of Mormon.

Last week in Sunday i had to direct the music. The last song was "My Saviours Love" number 113 in english. The congregation didnt know it, so it was me, my comp and one or 2 others singing. It was a fun/funny experience but i thought it was good. I really loke that song anyway so maybe ill have to give a solo when i return home. 

I have been learning how too make different types of food, so maybe when i get home i can cook for everybody. 


I have finished the Book of Mormon this past week!! I have began to read it again and i am already learning new things and i am only in chapter 7 of 1 Nephi!! I encourage everybody to keep up on their reading!!! The Book of Mormon is priceless!!!

I love you all and i pray for you all!!! I hop ethat you feel better Mom and i hope that everybody is safe and happy!! Time is sure flying by, and i am about to complete a year!!! I hope that everybody takes time to enjoy life and to remember to do the Gospel Basics :D

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Shane Larson

ps- was there a tornado in AZ? People here are telling me that there was...

 

January 10, 2011

Dear Family!!
I am happy that everybody is doing well and that Hans is doing well. It looks like Gabe is doing great in the mission and that he is being well feed- definitely a good thing. McKell sent me some pics of the family party and that looked way cool and way funn!!!! There are a couple faces in those pics that dont look tooo familiar but i am excited to meet these little guys soon!!!! That is cool that you were able to go hunting dad. Sorry that you hadnt seen anything... that is always a bummer. But, the good thing about hunting is it is time to bond with the family and spend time with those that you love. As well as you get to witness the beauties that God has created in there natural state!!! I love that sooo much, I love the outdoors!!!

I knoe that it is good to be humble and to always have hope in Christ. That was a good story that Bro. Coffman gave. Everybody goes through trials and difficult times, but those times are set forth to make us stronger. It is interesting the trials and tests that we are put through in this life, but it is very comforting to know that God loves us and that He wants us to succeed and to be happy, as well as Christ suffered what we all suffer, no matter how small or big the tthings we suffer, and he will always help us. That should also be comforting in mom{s position.


We didnt do anything for new years, we only ate at the house of an investingator on newyears eve.New years i washed clothes and read a little bit and did some chores. Church has about 25 members that come and i got to direct music this week and i teach the class for the investigators and new members.The funny thing is that the congregation doesnt know the hymns well, so my comp and i were the only ones singing (and i was directing).... it was kinda emberrasing, but oh well. My shoes are doing well and i think that they will last the mission. and we dont do much on pdays. Last week we watched toy story 3 as a zone and today we ate breakfast in the house of the President with other missionaries.....that was fun becuase i got to see other missionaries and old comps.

This past week we i had finished the Book of Mormon again. I love this book and it definetly brings us closer to God if we read it diligently. It truly holds the mysteries of God. An interesting experience happened this week... I went on  exchanges again and the place i went very enjoyable. The members there are super nice and it was really fun to get to work there. I worked with an elder from Chile named Elder Vergara. My comp stayed in Las Flores with my district leader. They did a contact on a bus and the guy with whom they did the contact is a pastor of another religion. But they set a lesson with him. My comp and i went to the church where he preaches, and lives, and we had a lesson about the Restoration. It was pretty cool. It was interesting becuae we were teaching him in his own church, but he told us that he thought it would be good to find out if the Book of Mormon was true. He told us he would pray about it, but his prayers are a little differetn so we will help him with the prayer next time.That was an interesting story that we had this week.

Other than that, I love you all and i am thankful for all the prayers and all the support that everybody gives me!!! I love you all and i hope the best for everybody!!! My prayers are with you all!!!!!!!!

Love Elder Shane Larson

ps.- I hope you feel better mom!!!!

Can you send me the missions of Blaine and Jeff as well as Gabe? 

January 3, 2011

Pics!!!! I hope you enjoy... i thought one of those was similar to the one erik too when he was on the mission because he was sitting in a small chair lik i am. Please excuse that this guy has his shirt off, many men dont wear shirts because it is hot here and neither did he that day. This was new years eve. This man is named Matias and he is investigating the church. The meat pics are the famous Argentine Asado.

Hello Family!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am not sure what to write! There had been soo much that had pass in the last 2 weeks... 

To start off it wsa very great talking to you all and to hear from you all in the emails.I must say that this was a little stressfull time of year, but all is welll. The new year has started and i am looking forward to having a great year!!! We stayed in the pension for the day becasue there was nothing to do, nothing was open, then we had to be in at 6. I wrote some letters to the gang that is on missions and then i read alittle and i washed clothes and took a nap. It was good to relax for a day.


For the holidays i was fortunate to spend them with good families. We ate alot of meat, which is the big holiday food here, and it was a good time sharing it with people that want to be with you. They know that the missionaries are far away from home and it was nice for them to share their evenings with us. There are a few fotos of Christmas and the New Years Eve events that i went to.

Other than that, the work seems to keep moving forward. We had a good week this last week, but it seems to me that there is always room for improvement. I was able to go on intercambios with my district leader and i was able to learn alot. I have had some good experiences with some investigators and i hope to keep having these wonderful experiences!!!
I cannot believe that sean is leaving and that Alli is too!!! Micheal is already home?? that is crazy!!!! And what is this about Darwin Jr.???? Tell Molly that i say congrats!!! And that God may be with her and the new baby.

These past weeks have been going by fast. This last week we had a good week of work and we were able to set some dates for some baptisms. I am hoping that we can work even harder this upcoming year. Especially since this is my last year of the mission- which is absolutely crazy to think about.

I am not sure what else to write. I would like to thank everybody in the family for all the suport that you have all given me. It really does help getting the letters and knowing that my family is here supporting me all the way. I have been really blesed. I have had the time to think about so,e of the blessings in my life, as well as seeing the life of others, and i cannot help to think of how blesses i am in my life. Everything from you  all and the family, to all the great people that i have meet in church. I have really taken for granted the things that i have in life, and i still think selfishly, but i want to thank you all for everything that you have given me. Especially you mom and dad!!!! Really what i am today and what i want to be is because you have programmed me to be like this. It is a big blessing to know that ou Father in Heaven has a plan for each one of us and that we can recieve all of these wonderful blessings for throughout the eternities!!! I am grateful for the prayers at home and for all of the thoughts!!

Now i guesss to start this year I would like to invite you all to keep being strong examples of true latter day saints.  i love you all and i want you all to know that my prayers are with you all and that i wish the best for all of you!!!!

If i may, i would like to invite everybody to pray and ask God if the Book of Mormon is true. I have found it to be true and i would like to extend this invitation to you all, my family, so that you might have the renewed sense of love for Christ, and the blessings that we recieve form the most perfect book, and the desire to share this with others. (I am aswell testing this invitation :) )

I love you all and hope that you all have a wonderful start to this year 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Shane Larson