June 15, 2015

So this week was amazing tons of things happening. We had a baptism on saturday and man was it good! Only 15 people showed but the spirit was still there. So we showed up early to fill the font and about an hour of filling the hot water stopped so we turned off all the water and let it sit for about 15 minutes i was praying really hard cause i was the one filling it up. i turned it back on and the water was hot as hot could be!

I also have discovered my reason being in this area i have being struggling like mad to find a reason to be in the rockbrook ward. the members at first werent very kind to us cause we didnt do what the other elders in the past had done! But we have working hard! doing service for everyone we can! we have helped 15 people move 11 of those out off the ward!! on in to our ward and another that had nothing to do with our ward! also 3 the ward had no idea about!

So we are trying to the best we could!!

Last night Elder Olson and i went to go talk to a family that we have talking with for a while but nothing has really happened until last night. the husband is a member but doesnt really count himself as such. last night he was drunk and slurring his words i was talking with his wife when he approched me and started talking about how is wife had made him really mad and she was 10 feet from us. So they started talking about the issues with me right there! it was amazing to me to see the problems and hear the problems i really acted as a middle line judge.

This family i am going to love them with my whole heart cause i can see them as more then they are now!!

Well overtime again oops!!

Love yall

Love 

Elder Stephen J Larson

May 18, 2015

"And they did suffer much, both in the body and in the mind, such as hunger and thirst and fatigue and also much labor in the spirit"

Alma 17:5

 

"And it came to pas that that journeyed many days in the wilderness, and the fasted much and prayed much that the lord would grant unto them a portion of his spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of god to bring if it were possible their brethren to the knowledge of the truth!!"

Alma 17:9

 

"Go forth among ,thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them"

Alma 17:11  

 

So i am struggling once again and it seems to me there isn't an end. So i have decided i am going to be like the Sons of Mosiah and serve then preach and if i need to cut off some arms on the way i will.............. No im just kidding no arm cutting off. But i am trying so hard to turn over a new leaf and grow so much more then i already have and it just seems like i am not able to turn over that leaf. I have turned many over but there are just so many more to turn over. As i am writing this i have had a thought why just focus on one leaf there are still more then a few that i need to turn over and help grow!!

 

I am still recovering from the sickness which Elder Olson so lovingly shared with me. He is still very sick but claims to not be and boy howdy did i make him made yesterday!!! I did what i thought would be right and i was wrong i let sister Weston know he was still sick after 2 weeks. Then she started to text him he informed her that he had been throwing up and having the runs for about four days!!! 

 

He spoke barely 20 words to me yesterday O what joy that was!!!

We stayed home from church and stayed in opposite parts of the apartment I tried talking to him but he gave me one word answers so I went to my corner and stayed there all day listening to talks and playing with yarn!!!

 

I think im going to let him bring it up in his own time.

 

Its rough week a lot of sleeping and a lot of meds!!! yuck :P

 

Well i am going to wrap this up by saying that i love you guys and you and your family's are in my prayers!!!

 

Love the big red headed missionary

Elder Stephen J Larson

May 4, 2015

Well matters of life I have no idea why i gave it that title!!!

So what a week it was and by the looks of it this week will be be a shower!! idk

Rain most of the week!!

Well so Saturday this week Elder Olson and my self went on a bit of an adventure we went to the California st. building and got to see a little girl get baptized whom i had worked with up in the deer creek ward. It was amazing i had the chance to be part of the baptism i conducted the music well Elder Olson played the piano!!

We got to take one of our investigators from Rockbrook this kid is very smart i feel he is to smart!! he is over thinking a lot of things and by kid i mean a 10 year old boy. We  are teaching a guy who has been taught for about 5 to 6 years already and hasn't joined the church....... yet and also a guy who is married to a member and they just had a baby yesterday!! A little girl named pipper!!!

But all these people are slowly plugging along which is good.

So i have decided that i am going to be finishing my mission in this ward!! Its something that kinda came to me the other day!! 

I am really in a toss up about it!!

If its the lords will its his will who am i to kick against the pricks?

I really dont want to finish my 24 month mission serving 22 months in omaha.

So we just had interviews about two or so weeks ago and i brought up this concern and this fact to President Weston and man did i feel like a fool.

Elder Larson- President so i have been in Omaha a long time!

President Weston- Elder What mission were you called to?

Elder Larson- the Nebraska Omaha mission! At this moment i started feeling really sheepish!!!

President Weston-your right elder were you expecting to go any where else?

Elder Larson- Deer in the head lights look!!

President Weston- Weren't you just in Shenandoah?

Elder Larson- Yes president but i was there for only two months.

President Weston- see you were outside Omaha!!!

Elder Larson- Its was for two months.

President Weston- Elder i put the elders that are 100% obedient out in the farther areas elder there are lots of good and bad things about going to the sticks!! If you go out there you cant go to the temple and its only you and your companion so p-day days are harder.

That conversion stop at that point and President Weston asked if he could close us with a pray.

After the prayer he looks me right in the eyes and ask if i remember the first time we talk i said yes and  tells me how much he has seen me grow and how proud he is of me he is.

Right at that moment i had a few tears shed i realized that President Weston is leaving and we are getting a new President!

President Weston is my hero!!

I just want you all to know that i have a ton of respect and love for this man he has been very tough and very fair he has taught me so much!!!

Love 

Elder Stephen J Larson

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

April 27, 2015

So they quotes are amazing.

I guess i have devolved an attitude on my mission that has really increased in this area. Right now trying everyday to try and rebuild the relationship with the ward as we are being told we are not doing what we need to be good missionaries.

It wasnt until yesterday at lunch with a few members after stake conference that we found out that there are members that love us and feel that we are doing good work. Sad to say but right now we are fighting a clic of our ward that has had elders over at there houses with no males there and the elders would stay there for 2 or 3 hours. the families have told us we are social weird and we make them very strange.

So i guess i am feeling a bit beaten back in to a corner with elder Olson in the corner as well and most of you have seen him and he isnt the biggest or most frightening person. I guess what i am trying to say he is very soft and very easily offended.

I think one thing i am learning here is that i can be a leader and if i want to be a leader i need to choose i battles carefully and when to retreat.

As a country song says know when to hold em know when to fold em!!

Well love you all!!

Live to fight another day!! Continue to pray and look forward with a steadfast faith in Christ!!!

Love

Elder Stephen J Larson 

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

March 23, 2015

So this week has amazing!!! Numbers wise this area hasn't seen numbers this good from elders in a while!! We are at least once a week going out with the bishop for team ups and by we i mean one of us so the two can go out and work as well!! double dipping numbers.

Shenandoah is still here the town still doesnt have much going on but things should pick up in the summer is my guess or its going to just die out. there are at least three companies that we have found that are only summer time. One is a driving range, batting cage and mini golf course!!! Its a tiny place. The other companies are an ice cream place and the other is a burger and fries place. the burger place is right next door to where we live so if i am still here when it opens i will have to go and try it.

Its crazy how warn out you can get as a missionary spiritually, mentally and physically. The last few days my body has been worn down i have been able to take a nap at lunch and still be able to go to sleep at 10pm.

I am not really looking forward to the hot humid weather but that just means i am getting closer to the end of being a full-time missionary.

The trio thing is still really interesting!!!! There isn't ever a dull moment!!!!!!

Teaching is a bit more difficult, serves projects get done tons fast and every once in a while when you ride in the back on the long rides you get to take a nap!!!

I was asked by Brother Green (First or Second Councilor) to give a short little talk yesterday in church and i did i really had no idea what specifically to talk about so i decided to follow what i felt i should at the moment i stood. Obedience was what i was prompted to kinda talk about it was very interesting to just say what i felt guided to say. Hopefully it helped someone.

Well I have nothing else i can think of so love ya'll  have an amazing week!!

Love 

Elder Stephen Larson   

Two weeks worth... We both have been slacking

Well I really dont have anything to say there is not a whole lot going on in the area and not a ton of work being down. The biggest thing i can think of is that transfers are this week and if we are in the area we have a pinewood derby Friday. Part of me wants to stay in Shen and part of me doesn't. The area could be shut down though we are only getting one Elder and 10 that we have been able to name are going home! so 10 or more are headed home. President Weston may have to shut down some areas to balance everything out. Its in the lords hand and his mouth piece President Weston!!

So we have a new gator she is a friend of a member of the Deer-Creek Ward. We helped her move and we have been trying to figure out how to get a lesson with her and we did it. So we sent her a text this week and she asked for a bible and i said yes thinking we had one at our place lo and behold we didn't so we went over there and i decided to loan her my quad!!!! So right now she has the BoM and the Bible. So ya hopefully she reads them. We are just waiting to get a bible from the mission office we should get it Wednesday at district meeting!!

So i guess we also have some service coming up don't know when but when its gets warmer we well be cutting wood and splitting it. I have found a love for cutting wood it gives you a chance to vent any frustration or anger you may have! and its a great work out!!!!!!!

Well not a whole lot besides that going on. O the bodies!!!!!! We have gotten rid of those yet but its still the plan!!!!

Well it looks like its time to make like a tree and get the heck out of here!!!

Elder Stephen J Larson

(*sigh good thing i added that or i could have gotten in a bit of trouble)

(* ha ha ha ha they wont guess who is loved more cause i put in order where i served!!!!!)

Ps love you all

Elder Stephen J Larson

Yep I have achieved greatness i am now an S.J.C 

I am am a super junior companion!!! 

So when a member wants some help with home teaching or something i get to go with

Elder pierce is our new comp he was a zoneleader last few transfers. He was my zoneleader when i was up in deer-creek. He is very smart missioanry good at teaching and very straight laced and thats what we need! i am hopeing he is going to be sticking around for a bit. 

Something wierd about this transfer is that it is only 5 weeks long and then next treansfer is 7 weeks long. things we do for new mission presidents!!!!

So to be fully honest not a whole heck of alot has really happened in this area. we didnt get bed bugs from that nasty house. but we did get a new family to teach. kinda so last night we had a member that wanted us to help with home teaching and i went withe him and the other two went and taught this lady. so i guess while they were thus teaching she told one of the elders that she had a crush on him........ this woman is married and has three kids!!! "Rut Row Raggy" (Scooby doo voice) When i heard i laughed. it was very wierd but i guess they were able to turn that around and produce a lesson out of it!!

Well that was going on i was busy home teaching. there are alot of intresting people here to say the least!!! all of them are so amazing in their own little ways. I have fallen in love with the people of this ward( but not as much as eagle run and ralston and deer-creek*)

so the people here are just so awesome they are really friendly if you say hi to any one more then likely they will say hi back!!! none of the other areas have really done that. hopefully the area with be turning around!

Well keep in your prayers this short transfer is going to be a wild ride.

Love 

Elder Stephen J Larson

(*sigh good thing i added that or i could have gotten in a bit of trouble)

(* ha ha ha ha they wont guess who is loved more cause i put in order where i served!!!!!)

Ps love you all

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you

January 13, 2015

I want to start with a quote when the going gets tough the tough get going!!

 

So i just have some info to share but not to much.

 

So i had a very intersting sunday night Elder hansen had to go to an youth activite so i had the chance to work with two ward member, one less actives and the other active, so we were talking about missionary work and people serving mission and we stared talking about how brother coles, or active member, he was talking about his cousin who entered the mtc october 9th, and how his cousin was head to the phillipines and i was like hey my brother entered then and is there also and i ask what his cousins name was and it was coles.........

 

Hey Elder Larson the younger do you know an Elder Coles???

Maybe your mtc comp???

 

SO Yea I am in the ward of Elder Larson the youngers mtc comps family!!!!!!

Crazy small world???

 

So I spent a bit of time at the coles house that night because i had a killer headache. we had taco soup with chicken in it. At the end of dinner brother and sister coles told the kids to go get ready for bed and they listened about 30 seconds later thier oldest daughter Deseret (age7) came out and walk over to me and asked if i could unbutton and unzip her dress for her.....

 

My reaction complete shell shock and confused and no idea what i was doin and had some how in the cunfused daze i was in to say no. her mom and dad quickly said no at the same time im sure we were all shocked. sister coles then said the man to ever undo your dress will be your dad and your husband. brother coles then says if any other guy does it he will be in big trouble!!!!

 

Holy bomb shell for me this past week.

 

Well hansen is antsy and it past time but I LOVE Y'ALL have an awesome week!!!!

 

LOVE 

ELDER Stephen J Larson