Big Tropical Storm that Never Came

This past week we were supposed to have a big tropical storm, they even named it. But when it got here nothing even happened. It was sunny and humid. It didn’t even rain during the time when the storm was supposed to be here. I was kind of upset haha.  The weather down here is so weird!  But regardless, we go out and work! It is way better being out in the rain than in the sun. It gets wayyyy too hot when its not raining.

We have Zone Conference and interviews this week.  My last ones.  I am feeling fine and I think I will be able to adjust alright to being home, but it is kind of a bitter sweet feeling. It almost doesn’t feel real, it just feels like I am going to get transferred somewhere else.  I am so grateful for my mission and the experiences I’ve had. I have learned so much!

Love, Elder Larsen

We Got it All Done!

Hello everyone! 

This week was good!

We were able to do some good service for a guy we rode past on our bikes. He was sitting on his car while he was pumping water out of his pool so he could clean it. He was trying to prepare for the Fathers Day party he was having. We asked him if we could help him with anything and 1 out of the 600 people we have talked to finally said yes haha!! He told us to come back the next day and we could help him. We ended up helping him paint and we also helped him clean out the bottom of his pool. It was something that would have taken him forever to do on his own. We were able to get it all done so he could start filling it up and ready for Sunday!  When his wife came home she came outside and started talking to him(we were gone at this point) she kept asking him how he got it all done and he said "You will never believe it, there were 2 guys who came by and offered to help. I told them to come back and I didn't think they would. But they did and we got it all done!”  Elder Suapaia and I were able to go back to the bbq on Sunday it was pretty funny. All the fathers were sitting around a table in the shade listening to music and everyone else was cooking and bringing all sorts of food and drinks out to the table, all the dads were just sitting there haha, his wife and him were bragging about us to all their friends telling them how much we had helped them. Another man told us thank you because of some other members of the church that had came and stripped his house after Katrina. It was a cool experience and some good food!!

I also had to teach the 4 year old primary class. Oh my I hope I never have to be in primary.... There was a lot of yelling and it was hard to get them to pay attention to anything. That was probably the hardest thing I have had to do haha!

Hope you are all doing well!:)

Love, Elder Larsen

-Ward Gumbo Cook-off!

-Happy Fathers Day Dad!

Sharing The Gospel!

Hello everyone!

Our week has been pretty good! We had 3 people come to church that are all pretty promising! We were able to be in the homes of a lot of members and try and encourage them to get their missionary work rolling. We have had 3 new families move in to the ward the past few weeks so that has been awesome!  Two of them are converts to the church and it is amazing to see how their testimonies are still bright and strong even in a new place. We meet a lot of catholics here in Slidell which is different from the rest of the mission. Everywhere else its a lot of baptist people.

We are helping out one of the members here who is 92 years old with a program he has started at the old folks home to help them hear the gospel. He has set up a time each week where we go and help him turn on the Music and the Spoken Word to play for the residents there. It is amazing to see that no matter our age or our situation we can share the gospel.

We got a new Elder here in Slidell, Elder Henderson.  He’s from Wyoming, has been out 7.5 months and is really quiet.  The weather has been pretty mild so far this summer! I know I can make it!! Luckily it is supposed to rain and be cloudy all week! Just hope it doesn’t get super hot.  We got to go to a birthday party for Trace.  He is less active and a Saints fan!!

Hope you are all doing well!

Love, Elder Larsen

-Trace Birthday Party

-Enjoying the Louisiana Heat!

-Dinner with Brother Vannorman

Last Transfer!!!

LAST TRANSFER!!! Elder Suapaia and I are staying together again!! I don’t know how but we got lucky!! Hopefully we can see some good miracles in the time we have left. I am grateful for the chance I have had to serve here in Slidell! There are a lot of awesome people here. 

This past week was good! We were able to help out at the Primary activity. There were lots of little children running around and it was pretty crazy but it went well. Each of us missionaries ran a little station and gave a short lesson on things like: choices, temples, prayer, and trials. We each had a little activity at our station as well. It was fun!

We went fishing today at a members house. Fishing takes patience and I don’t have the patience for it but it was fun hanging out by the water haha. We were throwing a ton of big marshmallows into the water trying to get an alligator to come out and eat them. Sadly we didn’t see one.... 

I am excited to work hard these last 6 weeks and hope I can make a difference in someones life. This week should just be a normal week, nothing too crazy going on.  

Love you all!

Elder Larsen
-Primary Activity we helped with
-Fishing with Brother and Sister Pete

Text from Sister May:  

He is totally focused all the time.  He seems to really be a natural leader among the other missionaries.  He’s always doing the right thing and going above and beyond.  He is a great example to the rest of them.

SWEATIN' with The Oldies!

Hello everyone,

Time is running out quickly! It is getting hot here and it is not fun haha. The past few days were soooo hot. I get so sweaty its gross. Like I could wring my shirt out.  We had a good week this week though!  Other than being deathly hot and super sweaty we have been fine and continue to work hard. We have been praying for more teaching opportunities and the Lord has answered our prayers. We have been taking more of an advantage of the time we get to teach people and trying to make it as spiritual of an experience as we can. We were able to volunteer at the old folks home and lead a little exercise class they have. It was quite the experience haha!! A bunch of old ladies telling us we are doing the exercise wrong but it was fun haha! 

We have a few investigators with potential to progress though. We had dinner with the Mays on Sunday again. They are doing good.  Memorial Day was just a pretty normal day although President and Sister Olson came down and took me out to lunch!  Everytime an Assistant went home or got transferred they took them to dinner but when I was leaving Sister Olson was in the hospital so we didn’t get to go so it was really nice of them to make the trip down to see me.  It was so good to see them! We went to a place called Southside Cafe. It was pretty good!

Today is P-day because of the holiday yesterday.  Next week is transfers!! I am excited and hope Elder Suapaia and I both stay here!  Today we are cleaning out our car. It needs a good deep clean haha.

Hope you are all doing good!!:)

Elder Larsen

Facebook Cover for The Golden Dragon!

Surprise Birthday!

Hello everyone!!

This week has been good! We started out with Zone Conference, did some service at an old folks home, and Elder Suapaia ripped his shirt while we were playing basketball in the street. Thanks to him and Sister May there was a nice little surprise birthday party for me on Friday. They are the best!

This week there were some really bad thunder storms. Its unlike anything in Utah, the thunder is loud, and when it rains it rains for a long time!  And its been hot! But luckily we had the car so we survived it. We had a pretty normal week and were able to start doing some family history with Blake. He is excited to be able to research his family and then take names to the temple. He is awesome!

Our investigators are doing pretty well. We have a few part member families that we are working with right now.  Im grateful for the lessons I have learned and for the experiences I have had on my mission. Im grateful that I have had the chance to serve.

The gospel is true. Thanks for all your support. Love you all!

Elder Larsen