July 26, 2010

Hola Familia!!!!
Wow alot of things had gone on around the house!!!  I am glad to hear that Erik i doing well and Hans as well!! He will have a baptism soon and that will be wonderful! It sounds like his investigator is really strong and that he will make a really strong member and missionary.

I m doin good here!!! We are going to have another baptism this week. A 10 year old chica that has been taking the lessons from us for 3 months almost. Her parents are members but are inactive, one and the other isnt a member, but they wouldnt let her be baptized. I am sure her active grandmother was praying for her and i know that i was!!! This really helped my testimony grow about the prayer. I know that the Lord listens to us and he definitly heard my prayers!!! There is her cousin that is in the same situation so there is still more praying to be done, but i am happy to be doing it!!!!!

I will stay another transfer i think here because my comp is going to leave... or at least i think. He has been here for 7 and 1/2 months so it is about time for him to leave. I think that i will stay for at least another transfer it not 2 more.

:) A funny thing that i would like to share is that we were walking to another appointment one night, my comp and I, and we stopped to see what was in the window at this electronics store. I had just bought a cd radio player so that i can listen to my cd´s and so i wanted to see the prices at this place. I didnt realize that there was 2 windows. Anyway, long story short, i thought there was only one window and i wanted to see the other side of the radio so when i tried to look- BANG!- I hit my forehead on the window...hahahaha it wasnt too hard but it was really funny and my comp was laughing soo hard that he was crying. (I htought that you would all like to hear that story haha)

I hope that everybody is doing well there. I want to ask Erik how much our jackets were when he bought them in Mexico. Where is he and Alisha going on there honeymoon?? Is everybody doing alright?? How is the health and whats new??

I love you all and i hope that everything is going well!!!! I am praying for all of you!!! I hope all is well!!!! Love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Con Amor
Elder Larson

July 19, 2010

Elder Shane Larson, Wilson, and Elder Calderón

Shane in his pension

Elder Calderón's birthday cake

Hey Family!!!

Tell Britta I say Congratulations on her baptism!!! That is awesome!!!

We had a baptism this last week. It was Wilson form Colombia!!! The Baptism went really well. the man is very excited and really wants to recieve the priesthood and all. He always tells us that he wants to preach the gospel and stuff like that... i think it is funny but very very good!!

I think they call me a shankee because i am from the US. i dont know how but it seems like everybody can tell, i hope it isnt because i have a bad accent :(

I am glad to hear that everybody is doing well!!! I am glad to hear that Erik is having fun with his novia and that they are doing a little bit of traveling!! That sounds really exciting!!!! Havasupai again- wow dad thats awesome!!! I would like to see how havasupai looks now!!! That sounds like a lot of fun!!!

I hope that all is well there at home!!! As well as hans, i am also learning alot. I think i can do a better job of learning but i feel like, at least in the scriptural area, i am learning a whole lot!!!! I am not sure what else to talk about...we have to more weeks until we are going to have transfers... oh!! i got to meet the new preisdent!! He is really nice, a little older than i thought he was going to be, but there are big changes in the mission!!! We dont have interviews but only 1 every 3 months as well as zone conferences. It is really crazy but i am looking forward to the changes. It is cold here and rainy. It was announced that it was suppose to snow but it just rained. The wind is super hard too that the umbrella doest work to well. it either gets flipped inside out or the rain come in horizantally. It is really funny when we are walking and there is no way to keep dry... all i could do is laugh. On top of that, the pension is leaking everywhere and we have a little pond in the kitchen.

That is all this week!!! I love you all and you are all in my prayers!!!

Love,
Elder Larson

ps. gabe is doing really good!!!

July 12, 2010

Hey Family!!!
I am doing well!!! I dont know what to write anymore... :( I cant think of anything good to write about. We have a baptism coming up this next week on Saturday.It is a man named Wilson from Colombia. He is really strong in the Gospel and he has a great love in Christ. I think that i will confirm him a member in the church and my comp. will baptize him.

Other than that, our numbers havent been looking too good. With the Fifa going on it has been hard to work. Nobody wants to open there doors or listen to us when there is a game going on. It rained also on sunday and it is starting to get cold. Thw wind is stiff and very cold and the humitity kills. The cold just goes through your clothes. It is very different from the weather in Arizona, that is for sure. I am glad to here that everybody is doing good!!!! I cant tell you all how glad i am that you are all doing good!! I cant believe that Erik is going to move out!! I have always lived with erik ther in the house except for when he was on his mission... crazy. sounds like he is super happy and he should be!! How Awesome!!!! Sounds like you are all having fun with the kids and having craft days and what not from grandmas letters. I would like pic of the kids!!! They are all big now, no?I have gotten all the letters.

McKell, Thank you for the cds too!!!! I bought a raddio becaue we dont have one in the pension and i have been listening to them!!! They are great!! I am glad you enjoyed the pics!!! they arent very many and i have more but it is really hard to send them with the time that we have. Can you believe that Spain won... i cant believe it. my week has been going good. Our week hasnt been too good with our numbers and it is hard to work with the Fifa because no one wants to listen to us, only the game.Other than that everything is all good!!!


Yeah it is weird that poeple think that i am from germany, but there are alot of germans here. it is weird. last monday, we went to the zoo, and there were several groups of germans... i thought that was pretty interesting. I usually tell them that i am from Arizona. if they dont know where that is i say the US. sometimes i say the US, nobody has problems with the US here so that is really good!!! They call me a yankee, but there accent makes it sound like shankee with a medio j on the sh. it is funny...

An eagle project at the zoo sounds awesome!! at time i miss the young mens activities and the lessons that we have there in the Awh 1. It is different in a ward like Berazategui. There arent very many youth and there is about 40 people that come regularly every sunday. I have been reading the scriptures alot and i love every moment of it!!! I try to read them as much as possible!!! I cant remember who it was, i think it was John Taylor, maybe Boyd K. Packer... i will look it up, but they said that learn how to behave better faster than learning about behavior from any other book. I have a testimony that the Priesthood is from God and that we need to remain worthy of it, and reaading the scriptures really makes one focus in what is most important and what needs to be done!!

I love you all!!! I hope that alll is well!!! My prayers are with you and i pray for everybody!!

con amor
Elder Larson


Hey Elder Hans!!!
I hoep that things are going well with you!!! I can just feel how you are feeling now!! With you genius friend that will be baptized!!1 you must bwe ecstatic!!! Kepp up the good work!!!

Love you brother!!!!

July 6, 2010

Hello Family:

Hello Family:
All is well here. Sorry that i am writing today but we went to the zoo in the capital so that is way i am writing today... The zoo was fun... i like doing things like that. The north part of Buenos Aires is pretty and doesnt look anything like it does here in Berazategui. it is going good here thought. Argentina lost and about everybody in the streets was looking sad and almost about everybody asked my comp and i if we are from Germany. A bunch of drunkards were yelling at us from the other side of the street about us being from Germany and us winning... oh well i guess- Germany annhilated Argentina.

The people here are funny... They were soo focused on the game that it seemed nothing mattered except for the game. Life completely stopped during the game (or at least almost completly stopped). We had our planning session during the game but we finished early and my comp had to change some pants that he had bought. We left and it was nothing, a ghost town here. Except in the center of Berazategui everybody was gathered in places where there was a tv. It was crazy! People were in there shops watching the game and so were the costumers. hahaha it was funny. I was laughing because they are prideful and make a big deal about it, but they got wailed on. lots of people ask if we are from Germany because we are white. This group of drunk people were yelling at us after the game "Germans you won today! hey are you german?!" stupid stuff at us. i thought it was funny but i cant do anything abou thte drunk poeple here in argentina.


Other than that things are going good here with the work and what not. We have another baptism here in a week from saturday. Time is going by really fast i cant hardly believe it. I am really learning alot. I dont know about my spanish but this is really an amazing learning experience. I am doin well!!

I would like to add a comment to Hans portion about the faith. I like where it says in Ether that through the faith we can see miracles, much like hans had already explained. Another intersting point i like in this same section is that we need to have faith, however we always have problems in our life and since we are natural, we lose faith. This is the point the Ether makes. That through the faith of the prophets faith, they have seen miracles. We too can see miracles in our lives. In Ether, we will see the miracles only have the trials pass.
The miracles come only have your faith has been tried.

The investigators are doing well. Our new president cant get here until Thursday because he had trouble with his visa. But i look forward to meeting him!! I have heard some interesting stories about him and the Pres. is the father of the mission. it was sad seeing Pres. Asay leave but it will be a blesing meeting a new pres.

Thats exciting to hear about Erik and the Wedding and everything is going good!! that super exciting!!! am i going to get an invitation?? I hope that everybody is doing well today!!!! I love you all!! Continue being the great example that you are!!! Love you all !!!!!!!!!!!

With love from Argentina!!
Elder Larson

June 28, 2010

Hello Family!!!

So i am doing great here!!! Todo bien, todo tranquilo!!! Tengo animo que Erik se va casar pronto. Que Bueno!!! hahaaha No te precupes Erik que no me escribe, yo sé, está bien. Me alegro que estés feliz and tengas tanto animo.

To answer your question about if i can hear people scream goal in the streets... thats a positive. We didn´t leave the pension yesterday because Arg. played and we wouldnt have any success so we stayed in and i read my scrips and took a little nap. The thing here is they like shooting off fireworks from there front yards when Arg. Scores. They also like to yell and blow plastic trumpets. The when the game is over they like to drive around honking. So it is pretty loud here. Pretty crazy. I dont want to see the day when they lose because they are crazy and happy, i dont want to see them crazy and sad/mad... no thank you.

Other than that, the investigator that was baptized was interviewed yesterday para que califique de recibir el sacerdocio arónico. Entonces, estamos muy felizes por eso. Y Wilson, él es muy animado porque quiere predicar el Evangelio y recibir el sacerdocio tambien. Le encanta el Evangelio y no es un miembro todavía. hahaha La misión es tan increíble! Estoy leyendo las escrituras como no otro!! Me encanta las escrituras. El Señor me ayuda mucho. especialmente en las escrituras en las semana pasadas... es loco per verdad. no me lo creo. he aprendido tanto sólo porque Dios me permite.


The President is about to leave and the new one is coming in. It is pretty crazy. Time is flying by really fast and i cant hardly belive it. I am learning soo much i cannot even believe it. The scriptures are my best friends and i love feasting upon the words. All is well with those we teach. Daniel that we baptised will recieve the aaronic priesthood soon. He was interviewed yesterday so that is awesome!!! We met with Wilson who cant wait to be baptized. It is kinda funny, he told us that he had a dream a while ago that he was being taught by a North American "Chilean" or latino and a argentine ( a member that teaches with us). I thought that was pretty cool!!! who would have figured hahaha

I like telling funny stories that happens. It is always with my comp. We were working saturday and there was news that it was going to rain sunday. There were alot of clouds out though and i figured it was going to rain. i took my umbrella and my coat and we left. So here, ther is like a mist that is all over before it starts to rain or after or when it cant rain rain, it mists. So it started to mist Saturday and we got wet a little bit. We didnt have any appts. so we went to a members house and we had a little lesson. Then we had to walk about 25- 27 blocks away to go to another appt. with Daniel. We start walking and it starts to mist and then rain. then it starts getting harder. My comp has a coat on that isnt waterproof without a umbrella. After the first 10 blocks i looked at him he was drenched. I had a good laugh with myself. Then at 20 blocks he looks liked he just got out of the shower. He was walking fast so he could get to the house of daniel so that we could get dry. He was completly soaking. I couldnt help to laugh because he was soo unprepared and he knew that i had my umbrellas but because it was notified that it was supposed to rain sunday he didnt think it would... hahahaha good times..

It is hard to keep up the physicality on the mission. I am trying to by lifting my laundry balde (cubeta) with water and things on top of it. Doin push ups and also my abs...i need to start doing something or it wont look pretty when i returen home... hahaha

That is all the good funny stuff that went on. I have been edified greatly from the scriptures!! I hope that you all are reading because i love reading the scripturtes now! absolutley love them!!!! I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet and that the scruptures are the words of God!!

I want to tell you that i know, without a single doubt that he was and the Book of Mormon is true!!! The Church of Christ is on the earth and we are very blessed to be a part of it!!!

I pray for you all!! Peace be unto you all!! have fun Be safe, Do all that you are suppose to!!! Have fun to erik!!!

ps. Members tell me that since Erik is getting maried without me being there that erik shouldñ´t be allowed to come to my wedding... you might want to think about rescheduling erik ;) chiste

Love :) Elder Larson

June 21, 2010

Hey Family!!!

I am doing well !! It is getting cold here and the humidity doesnt help at all. But, other than that all is well!! I cannot complain about anything else. I am still in Berazategui with Elder Calderon. We are going to stay another transfer and then we will see what happens the 1 of august at the next transfer. My President will be leaving to his house July 1 and the new president will be coming. It is sad to see him go but he has been here for 3 year already and his mission is up. It is sad to see him go. I really loved him and his wife.

Other than that all is well. We had a baptism on saturday. the man we baptized was named Daniel Vazquez. It was awesome and quiet amazing the change that he went through in his life in shuch a short amount of time. He was baptized 2 weeks after we started teaching him. I was blessed to be the one to confirm him in the church and after that i was also blessed to give a talk in Sacrament. therefore i had my first baptism and talk this past sunday!!! hahaha I confirmed Daniel a member in the Church sunday!!! It was alittle scary and it was a little nerve racking but i did it with the help of the spirit and all was well. Then after that i had to give a talk in sacrament... my first one!!! that was also nerve racking and on top of that, my comp was suppose to give one to but at last minute they changed it and it was a sister and I. My comp gave me his sheet of paper with 3 scriptures and that was it so that i could give his talk and my talk: on baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I was very unprepared but once again the spirit helped me and i wasnt even nervous when i got up to speak. The spirit calmed my nerves soo much it was really pretty crazy. I probably sounded like a little primary kid with basic teaching and spanish but i felt pertty good after it. hahah


I will start my 6th month on the mission in 6 days and i cant hardly belive that it is soo crazy!!! We are still working hard down here and there is nothing to worry about.
Tell dad i say HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! I love you all and i hope all of you are doing well!!!!
You are in my prayers!!! LOVE YOU

Elder Shane Larson

June 14, 2010

Family!!!!!!

All is well here. It s interesting. Every store has a tv and everybody watches fútbol all the time. It is quiet funny hahah. But the work is going good!! It is the last week of transfers!! Time is flying!!!! I cannot believe it!!! I am about to start my 6th month in 13 days... crazy!!

Well about the work. We have a baptism scheduled this week. the mans name is Daniel. He has a problem with alcohol but if he doesnt drink this week he will be baptized on Saturday. He also has a few health problems.. he has an artificial vein and gets transfusions like 3 times a week, i dont know what happend very well but it is interesting. His mom really wants him to come closer to God and Christ through us even though she is not of our faith. he is also 33 years old. but all is good!!! he will be baptized and confirmed a member or the ture church of Christ!!!

Another awesome story is that there was colombian man that came to church sunday. He has such a strong testimony of Christ and he was testifying of Christ in chruch, though he isnt even a member. He was reciting scriptures and all. I dont know real well if we went to our church in Colombia or not, i think a few times but i am not sure. The crazy thing is, He told us that he loves the way the church is organized and that it is much clearer than any other. He said he wanted to be baptized saturday!!! I met him for the first time sunday and he already wants to be baptized!!!!!!! IT IS AWESOME!!! he even said that he wanted to reach like E' calderon and I!! I felt sooo good sunday!!!! it was awesome. I hope thiings go well with him. He may need to get divorced before his baptism because i dont know his relationships now but he is seperated and his wife live in colombia... we will see!!!

Thank you for the letter family!!!!!!!1 I hope all is well, i love you all, you are in my prayers... BE SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!

eLDER Shane Larson