Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:08:11 +0300
Subject: Happy Day!
It really is a happy day! And I have had a fabulous week! Thanks first off for the many Birthday Greetings! I'm so glad that I have such a wonderful family to support me and send me their love. Thanks for the awesome Birthday cards too, I have recieved them all and also that hand delivered package mom so thanks so much for thinking of me. I'm going to take Elder Hinkson out to lunch to celebrate so that should be fun. So now to my fabulous week.
First I'm working with Elder Hinkson which is like working with one of my best friends! It really is just amazing! We were great friends in the MTC spending everyday for 3 months together and now we get to serve together and it is great! We both want to work hard, be obedient, and just go have fun doing the work of the Lord so that is what we have done. We are running everyother morning which has been fantastic and praying the snow holds off so we can keep doing that even though it is crazy cold already in the morning. The cold won't stop us though, haha. So serving with Elder Hinkson is just grand and it makes the work so much fun!
My Branch (international) and Ward are sweet! I love the members and the leaders we get to work with, they have just been awesome! Jeremy thanks for the connection to Brother Luschin, everyone in the mission knows he is the one from President Uchtdorf's talk but that is way cool your family new them in Germany, I'll be sure to pass a hello. We have had some great interactions with members and I'm way excited to be working with them.
So last Thursday I got to go to the temple with Elder Oldham and it was so nice! It was so peaceful and just what I needed. I had such a enjoyable time there and it just felt familiar even though it was my first time for a session there and there were many things in Russian. They did have head sets for English which was at least nice. It'll probably be January before I make it back to the temple but I can't wait. The temple is what it is all about. I'm so grateful for the covenants we make with the Lord. I also ran into Elder Mark Larsen's old companion Elder Grover who was here for a visa trip so that was cool. Hopefully this week I might be able to see Elder Larsen himself.
Okay the best part of the week was working with the Boyko family. I first met them last Monday and they are such an awesome family. The dad Pavlo is wanting the truth for his family and they are just the greatest family. We had some really sweet lessons with them where the spirit was so powerful. They have three kids a 14year old boy, 12 year old girl and a 2 year old girl. The kids are great and so happy to learn about the gospel. The highlight was seeing them walk into Stake Conference. They hadn't come to church yet and that has been holding back their progress but they loved Stake Conference. We actually went to their apartment this morning to read the Book of Mormon with them and it all went well. We should be re-extending a baptismal date with them on Wednesday, so I'll be praying that I'll goes well. I'm so happy to be working with a family and seeing them progress in the Gospel. It is the most rewarding thing and I just can't wait to see them baptized and then eventually sealed in the temple. That is where my focus is now.
Alright so yeseterday was Stake Conference. It was really good! Most of it was in Russian but I suprisingly understood most everything (at least the jist of it). My favourite talk was President Galbraith the Temple President. He is just wonderful to listen to. He reminds me a lot of Uncle Fred, which is just fun. He was in a temple president's conference last week with the first presidency and the 9 of the 12. He was eating with Elder Bednar and asked him to teach him something, so Elder Bednar did. He told him to read the scriptures through "temple eyes" he then admonished us to do the same.
Alright well it was just a great week! I'm happy, I love the gospel and it is true! Thanks for your love and support family you mean the world to me!
Love,
Elder Alexander Larsen
