Monday, February 11, 2013

¡Me Voy!

Hello Everyone!
May or may not have just passed one of the best weeks of the mission! I got lots of news for this email. First off, the wedding and baptism of Kim Jeong Soo and Elisa Castro was freaking awesome! We had lots of people there to support them and took a bunch of pics. They got confirmed yesterday along with Santiago, who we baptized last Sunday. A very good Sacrament meeting! We also received transfers earlier this morning...

That is awesome for Mallory that she is already getting ready for her baptism. I will be looking forward to the 28th of September! I also can`t believe that Cade is already leaving for the mission!!! This Wednesday already! He is going to be an awesome Elder who will use that conversion story to change and bless lives over there in St. Louis. It is awesome to know that there are people waiting for you in your mission already, but it is even more awesome when you can actually meet them! Elder Bullough. It sounds good. I want a big book like Josh has(the one that Cade is looking at in that picture) of the mission!

We have been preparing a lot for the family Kim this week. But we have also got a lot of other good news for our other investigators. Felix and Johana have decided to get married finally and will be getting married on the 22nd and baptized on the 24th of this month! This area is going to be known for the marrying and baptizing area of the mission! Ha. We have also been getting a lot of people to church. We have been having like 5 investigator attendances every Sunday this transfer. Rivadavia is going to be having lots of success this transfer.

The marriage of the Kim family was remarkable! We went to the registro civil at 11:00 and got them married by a member from the other stake who works there. They had lots of people show up. We were like 40 stuffed in that small room with all of us trying to film and take pictures. Right after we took them to a surprise party at the chapel honking the marriage song with the horn the whole way there. I`m surprised we didn`t get pulled over for confusing so many other drivers. Ha. Everyone stayed at the chapel until they got tired of dancing at like 4 or 5(we left earlier because we can`t dance...). The Kim family also had their own party at their house that night because they didn`t know about the surprise party. They are super tired! Ha ha. I don`t know how they were able to get baptized the next day, but somehow they had the energy to continue having a super busy weekend. Tons of people showed up for the baptism also. Our ward mission leader is awesome and prepared everything very well(even brought his big flat-screen tv to watch The Restoration while the couple was dressing after the ordinance) so everything turned out awesome especially because of the food after(essential). The Kim family even woke up early the next morning to come to church early and get confirmed. There is a bit of difference in the schedule of the average korean and argentine. An argentine cannot miss too many siestas in a row. Ha ha.

Well, it is the beginning of a new transfer. I am not going to lie, this transfer flew right by us. I think they go by a lot faster when you are having tons of fun and success and working hard. I am also on the other side of the hump(decension) of the mission so that may also be another variable there... So... do I stay or do I go? ¡Ãˆlder Larisch se va! I am going to leave Rivadavia, and am getting sent back to Mendoza! I am going to a zone called San Raphael in the more southern part of Mendoza. I am also going to be moved up as a zone leader. My comp is going to be Elder Barton. It was pretty crazy because as I was getting the news of the transfers from...Elder Barton, he told me that I was going to be his comp. He has been my zone leader here in Chimbas for the past two transfers and I am now going to be with him over there in San Raphael to wash the area. This will now be my 3rd area that I have washed in the mission. It is going to be awesome! I am not going to lie, this will probably be one of the hardest areas to leave just because I love the people here in Rivadavia so much. The people here have been so great to me and I will surely have contact with them for the rest of the life! I was really hoping to stay here for at least another transfer because 2 transfers is just too little time. I know that the Lord has His hand in His work so He is sending me to San Raphael for a reason.

Finishing my work here in Chimbas Zone I am reminded of one of my favorite chapters of the Book of Mormon, Alma 26. In this chapter, Ammon, one of the most successful missonaries in the whole book, glories the Lord and recounts the success that they have had and the joy that fills their soul. "But Ammon said unto him: I do not aboast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my bjoyis full, yea, my heart is brim with cjoy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will bnot boast of myself, but I will cboast of my God, for in hisdstrength I can do all ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."(Alma 26:11-12). I know that we have been able to witness these miracles here because God has been merciful to us and has heard and answered our heartfelt prayers for these people. "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to aturn back, behold, the Lord bcomforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear withcpatience thine dafflictions, and I will give unto you success."(Alma 26:27) As we have been applying the attributes of Christ, we have been blessed. "And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our ajoy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some. Now behold, we can look forth and see theafruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are bmany; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us."(Alma 26:30-31). I know that these people that we have helped here are going to go out and spread the gospel. Especially Sebastian and Yini Kim within this next year and Kevin Kim in 6 years. I can`t wait until that day when I can give these people a hug in the celestial kingdom and be in the presence of our Heavenly Father with them. That will be the day.

I love everything about this gospel because of the joy that it brings me. I know that complete happiness cannot be found in any other place than in Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and loves us.
Un abrazo,
Elder Larisch
La Iglesia es verdadera