Date: Thu, Jan 6, 2011 at 1:22 PM
Subject: New Years Greetings from... New Mexico?!
Oi Familia!
That's right! I got transferred in the middle of the transfer and now I'm in Hobbs New Mexico family!Because of that I will not be able to pick up mail/packages that you may have sent to the previous address that I was at. :( But its pretty crazy that now I'm in New Mexico!
The town is about 30,000 people in all. How many people live in Nashua New Hampshire? I feel like it was bigger than Midland but at the same time not. Do you know what it is? We have a lot more Walmarts, Targets, Home Depots, and stuff like that than Midland did or Hobbs does so I think it has more people. I know Nashua is bigger than Hobbs.
The people here in Hobbs are really nice. The ward is pretty awesome, although I haven't met too many of them. I'm with another Elder, Elder Miller who has been in Hobbs for 3 weeks and I have been in for almost a week now so it is quite the adventure finding people and getting around the town. We live in a house that is owned by "The Sweetest Old German Lady" as Elder Urry, my last district leader said. (He served in Hobbs in his first area.) Her name is Milla, and she has a pretty heavy German accent and she has a dog that is part German Shepard and part Wolf named Baron. We go over there every once in a while and she likes to feed us Chicken nuggets and french fries. She is a very funny person.
Well I'm on a bike again, I took Elder Smart's bike, the one I have been using in Midland, to Hobbs NM and I am using it here now. I also forgot my gloves in Midland so I'm borrowing Elder Olvera's, a spanish Elder here in Hobbs. 2 Companionships live in the house we are at and it is quite the adventure.
My new address is:
Elder Phillip Larsen
1520 San Andres Dr.
Hobbs, NM 88240
So there that one is. I don't know how long I'll be here either.
To answer questions about Visas, I don't know much if anything about it. Another Brasilian Elder came to the TLM and said that 3 members of the quorum of the Seventy are down in Brasil trying to sort it out, and more visas should be coming in, in the middle of January. I don't know how legit that is but we'll find out.
New Years eve was spent packing and playing Settlers of Catan. It really sucked having to pack, I really loved the area I was in but despite that this area is pretty awesome too. Moving around is not my favorite aspect of being a missionary but I'm going to have to live with it. It just stinks having to leave investigators and members that you get attached to and like being around but in every area you find people that you like visiting and teaching. The work though in Hobbs is off to a slow start because we don't really know the area at all.
I was reading in the Book of Mormon about Christ coming to the Americas or being born and how the people were going through many cycles of extreme righteousness and extreme wickedness. Alma 48-49 talks about being watchful of how we act. We need to fortify the weaknesses we have and always prepare. Moroni fortified the weak cities of the Nephite nation so when Amalakiah sent his armies, they were surprised to find that the areas that were the weakest are now strong and formidable. We always need to be working on ourselves. Ether 12 is one of my favorite chapters, specifically verses 4, 6, 12, and 27. In verse 4, Faith creates hope for a better world and makes an anchor in the storms of the world that we are in. In verse 6, we need to take that first step of faith to receive an answer or a witness on things like praying about the Book of Mormon, attending church, anything that we commit investigators to do requires faith and action before they'll receive a witness. Verse 12 talks on how miracles are dependant on the faith of the people. God will not perform a miracle if you have no faith. Verse 27 is a scripture mastery and talks about weaknesses becoming strengths through the help of the Lord.
I am going to be asked to talk again in Sacrament meeting this next week I think. Not the same though as speaking at Stake Conference! O_o I spoke on Missionary work and having members speak. I only really got to speak for about 2 minutes which I was pretty thankful for because I woke up to Elder Thode saying that I was speaking in Sacrament meeting that day. It is really cool though speaking by the Holy Ghost in any setting. When that happens everyone is edified and learns something new, and the person you are teaching feels the spirit because listening to promptings and acting on it makes it so you say the things that people need to hear that specific moment in a lesson or in whatever setting it is.
As for new years goals... I haven't really though about it. We make a lot of Goals as missionaries, daily, weekly, monthly, the mission has yearly goals and we made 400 baptisms last year. I just want to learn Portuguese better and be the best missionary I can be. As for Portuguese studies, it is a lot harder again to keep up with that diligently since Elder Yorgason is still in Midland and I don't see Curtis Brown anymore. That was the most practice I got in my last area. I do hope I get my visa soon.
Sorry, out of time now. I'll have to update you on more next week. I started getting emails from Brasil, already told you that but I don't know what that means. In Hobbs now, love you guys and miss you. That is awesome that you got to talk to the Wilsons for New Years eve. I did get the package that they sent and did M&M fortunes with my Companions. Fun stuff! :D Talk to you all later, miss you! Love you!
Love,
Elder Phillip Larsen
P.S. Personal Study picture! :P We take some silly pictures sometimes.
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