Top Secret Talk

Dear Family,

Question #1: How often do you meet with the missionaries in your Zone?

 

We have Zone meeting once a month, district meetings 3 weeks in a month, we typically just attend the district meeting of the district we are in.

District 1: Milton Keynes, Bletchley, Northampton, and Duston.

District 2: Huntingdon, Kettering, and Bedford.

Both Districts make the Zone.

We used to go on 1 or 2 work-overs with all missionaries in the zone (except sisters), now we only go on 1 with each district leader, and others if there is a necessity.

Question #2: How large of an area does your Zone cover?

I'm not sure the size of our Zone in miles or anything like that, I bet end to end it would take an hour and half to drive across? Something like that. It takes about 35 minutes to get to District meeting in Milton Keynes. Yes Milton Keynes is in our Zone. (Mom's note: We were interested in Milton Keynes because one of our neighbors used to live there and it's near the small town of Deanshanger where some of Andy's Norris ancestors are from.)

Question #3: Now that you work more with the members do they feed you more often?

To be honest I never really wanted to have dinner appointments before we started to do member work. They pass around a dinner list here, although since I've been here they only passed it 1 of the 3 weeks, because they forgot a couple weeks. The week they passed it we had 1 every day, the times they didn't we got 2 or 3. Previously on my mission I probably averaged 1.5 a week.

I'll be honest Matt, I didn't do my scripture mastery, you're an enlightened man for doing so yourself. I think that scripture is in Psalms(58?), don't quote me on it.

Lisa, I think the difference in our two falls was mainly preparation and also water levels. You see I thought it would be smart to take skater shoes to the Dirty Devil that wouldn't stay tied while I was standing completely still. With the combination of muddy shoes, tired legs, and wearing my bag as I went down, it made for a bad fall. My shoes fell totally off, with my socks, and I planted right on my bare feet, sending a jolt up my body ending at my head and then the wall of rock. Not a worry though, my bare feet were so numb I didn't even feel it. Haha, good times. I wish it would have left a nasty scar.

Better a crazy black cow than Paul dry heaving all night. That was scary.

Did Matt take a head picture? Did the rock of the free fall move? Did anyone try any MRE's, or interesting food? (I have got to try an MRE).

I've heard of an Elder Duncan before, he may have left before I got here. (He isn't related to Tim is he?)

The work here is continuing to go well, members are really liking us, and we continue to get a few referrals. Last Saturday we layed down a concrete floor with a member for a part-member family in the ward. Talk about a great Home Teacher. I'll get a picture for you when it dries.

This is an idea for a talk I thought of, it is top secret.

There I was reading a case study of Sister Missionaries who served in the states. One sister was amazing at getting the ward to do missionary work. One example of how she helped them was a talk she gave. It was about her conversion... Her friend invited her to church, she became a member, etc. She said how thankful she was for this friend.

 

I thought, how can I apply this myself? I'm from Provo Utah in a family that has been in the Church for ages.

 

Ahah!

 

"Brothers and Sisters, I want to tell you about the man who baptized me, Joseph Martin. Joseph Martin is the one who invited me to church, he taught me how to pray, he read the Book of Mormon with me. If it weren't for Joseph Martin, I wouldn't even be alive, etc."

 

That is a really shortened version of the talk. Essentially, I make it sound as if I'm a convert and Dad did all these great things being a great member missionary (which he is). Then at the end I say, "Joseph Martin...Larsen is my dad." Then explain the importance of helping your kids be grounded in the gospel and say all of the principles in the talk can apply for their missionary work.

 

Haha, hopefully I get a chance to give that talk one day, it is just hard because the members already know me here. One day.

 

I love this work, Alma 29:9-10 remains to be a great scripture for me. I love being able to commit all my time to serving God. Thanks for all your support.

You're the greatest.

 

Elder Larsen