9 months...in 3ish days!

Well this has been one up and down week for sure. I'll start with the good. Last pday an investigator took us out skeet shooting. It was way fun, but I didn't shoot too hot. We were able to do a lot of service (weed pulling and moving) for a couple of our investigators. It was actually really good. The lady I told you about last week, Old Granny, we did service for her two different days and she recorded herself talking about me and my companion.  She is super funny.  Also the family that was getting a divorce might still be, but the non-member and kids are still really interested and we had a great first lesson with them. We should be able to set a date with her and two of her sons on Tuesday. Our baptism went well for another ex-member. It was a good baptism, except the guy that performed the baptism and confirmation was old and senile and kept messing it all up.  But long story short, everything is accomplished.

Now for the bad news. I don't know if you remember that golden investigator, Maria, from my last area that walked up to me and my companion and said she wanted to be baptized?  Well she never did because she wanted to wait to have her baby.  I found out this week that she died while giving birth. Not the best news in the world! So that was sad. The second piece is that an elder who in the area next to ours got emergency transferred because of girl issues and so President decided to combine our areas and we are now in a tri with a super weird elder who is quiet and awkward. I hate it and if I didn't have Dees with me, it would be so much worse. Our area is now huge and it's been tough having to go back and forth. It will most likely be the rest of the transfer, but President said he will try and figure it out. Once again, not the best news I've heard in the world.

So like I said an up and down week. It's been really good lately, but those unexpecteds put a damper on things. The area is still doing really well. Oh and also we were able to set two soft baptismal dates with Sis. Boren's husband and son. They just have got to quit chewing. This week, during lunch, it hit me that I do really love being out here on the mission.  Being out for a longer period of time does help.  I'm glad I'm not a greenie anymore, as I've seen some of the new missionaries from time to time and I'm just glad I'm not in their shoes, learning everything over again. This may surprise a lot of you, but I have been spending quite a bit of time during my hour lunch break to study more. It just seems the more I study the easier everything gets. That is pretty much it for me. Life is good for the most part. Mom could you send me a four generation pedigree chart that is about the size of my line of authority card that you sent me?

Love ya' guys and hope all is well!

Elder Larsen

• Sister Boren's baptism with her husband, who will hopefully be baptized soon!