Happy Thanksgiving!

Alrighty. Well, I had to leave Vyborg, which was really hard! I really grew to love the people there, and I'm going to miss them a lot... I felt like I was saying goodbye to a second home in a way. But this transfer is going to be good here. :) I'm serving with Elder Gerard from the MTC Trifecta!!! Way excited!!! He's a stud. Also there are lots of parks, old castles, famous palaces like Peter's Palace and the Summer Palace. We are near the water seperating Finland and Russia too. I've only been here a day, but I already like it here... Maybe I'll like it as much as Vyborg... Maybe. ha ha. Nikolay is the Elder's Quorum President in Vyborg. He's a very nice guy, and a really strong member here in Russia. He and his wife just recently had a baby. It meant a lot to read what he said... Makes me miss Vyborg already! ha ha. Ha ha. -2 degrees? That's everyday right now here in Russia... I bought a scarf and gloves here already, when me and Elder Gerard were buying groceries, and after internet I will go and buy a coat. Winter is just starting! ha ha. Random side note, they play American Christmas songs in the store here. :) Snowing constantly here, and ice is everywhere. Tell Kallie to she's just so sweet, she's rotting her teeth! ha ha. (Bu-dum ching). Seriously though, not good to hear. Did you take her to Tom? Tell Lee sorry about the doctor appointment! That sounds horrible!!! I miss her too! I pray for her often, and I hope she gets feeling better soon! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our thanksgiving dinner will be sausage and bread and cheese. ha ha. The branch is actually celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow here, but me and Elder Gerard can't eat with them I think, due to the rule because so many missionaries had been getting sick... Rule still hasn't changed. We will find out though. I got a letter from Liz, a letter from Booth, and a letter from a Sister Hemelinina that I met in the MTC from Vyborg. Her mom isn't a member of the church and isn't really interested in joining, but she misses her daughter a lot and Elder Domansky and I made friends with her. Sister Hemelinina wrote to say thanks for just being friendly missionaries with her mom, and that she mentions us a lot in her emails. :) Cody in a new area? I see he has a new companion. When is he planning on calling for Christmas? We can call either the 24th, or the 25th here in Russia. Could you tell Karl to pass a long some info about how I'm doing to BP, or maybe you could? He emailed me and asked me how I'm doing. It's been forever since I've talked to him. Things aren't always easy on my mission, but the Lord blesses me a lot, and I'm happy! Since it's Thanksgiving, just wanted to say thanks to everyone at home and who have supported me. My family, friends, and even complete strangers have helped me on my mission.
I love you all! Love you! Be of good cheer! Love, Blake

S*N*O*W*!

I woke up with that song in my head and looked out the window to S*N*-Y*E*G!!!!!!!!!! (That's SNOW!) It made me happy. I love snow!!!! Right now the weather is like what we usually have in January back in Utah. I will buy a new coat soon though for the winter... Just haven't had time to yet! Yesterday we were in Peter because Elder Domanskiy had a meeting for all the district leaders, and I was on a split with Elder Justin Jacob Way from Casper, Wyoming. He is a redheaded, cowboy version of B.P. I miss B.P.!(Even looks a little bit like him. Ha ha!) We went and tried to have a meeting with a guy in his area, but he dogged us, so we just contacted. Elder Way is a funny guy! LOVES to tell stories and has a story for everything.... So I heard you met Yana... She says she sees you comment on a lot of stuff and she "thinks you're a cute mom." She is a nice girl here in the branch who speaks almost perfect English. She helps the missionaries out a lot. I love it here but still miss home. Sometimes people can be gruff. Russian culture- don't say please or thank you or "will you", it's always, hurry up, speak up, give it to me, etc. (Welcome to Russia) VERY direct, demanding people, but they don't think anything of it because that's how they grew up... I hope I don't pick that up here though...Still they can be wonderful and I have great friends. I got your Thanksgiving card! Thank you so much! It feels like forever since I have seen something Holidayish. I know I'm going to miss Thanksgiving and Christmas this year back home! Russian Christmas is on January 6th (because the Russian Orthodox Church said so), but the Church here still celebrates it on December 25th. Please don't send me too stuff to Russia for Christmas, as it is expensive. I want you all back home to do something fun instead of worrying about sending stuff to me! I already have the greatest gift of the Spirit with me right now. My emails have been getting shorter because President wants us to include more in our letters to him, because missionaries aren't giving him enough information. My emails home are still 3 times longer than Cody's. ha ha! That's GREAT to hear about Dad with the (potential) job(s)! Also it's cool to hear that Code is district leader! Millie was hungry, wasn't she? ;) How are Lee and Cole and KB? I just wanted to say thank you and a hello to all the people who have helped me before my mission. Special hello to Sandy Mustell in Alaska! Oh rats, time is almost out dang it! Gotta run!! Love, Blake

Click on a post to start music...

20th Anniversary.

Privyet!!! (Hi!!!) Here I am on yet another wet and rainy day in Vyborg, sitting in the library. It doesn't feel like P-day already. Sunday was the 20th Year the Church has been in St. Petersburg, so the Vyborg branch was there for church. It was cool! Some of the first members of the church in Russia bore their tesimonies, as well as the President of the Helsinki Temple. It was also cool to see and hear how the church started here. Made me realized how young the church is here, about the time I was born was when it was started. Weird to think! Got your letter with info about Nate R. and Elder Andersen. I laughed really hard when I read his story! It's SO Russian! ha ha. Also finally got a letter from Nate Booth. It takes over a month to send letters, since he is on the complete opposite side of the world in Chile. Do you talk to his mom at all? I wish I could hear from him more... It's starting to get colder here, and today we looked at coats for me to buy. Coats here range from 2000 to 3500 rubles. The coat I brought here is definitely not going to be warm enough... I'm really excited for our investigators Igor and Elena! Igor is progressing really well, and I hope he will be ready for the baptismal date next week. Elena still needs to work things out with her living situations, as she is not married to the person she is living with, but she is a great lady and really understands the restoration of the Gospel and wants to be baptized. The man is not interested in learning the gospel... Please pray for them. To be completely honest, I've been a little home sick lately... I'm happy, just miss things at home. Russia isn't the same as home. People are a lot more gruff and direct here... Not to mention I don't perfectly speak there language, if at all adequately. I know the Lord is with me and I am happy though! Sorry to here about Code. Tell him that I'm rootin for him! He's in my prayers. I'll send him a little letter real quick after this. So the other day we went to the hospital because one of the members requested that we come and give his mom a blessing. First of all, must say that Russian hospitals are pretty clean, but pretty GHETTO. We came in and there were 6 beds in this tiny room, each with an elderly lady on them. The member asked everyone if it was okay if we gave his mom a blessing, and explained what we would do. Everyone said that we could, and that was fine. So I annointed and Elder Domanskiy blessed. Some visitors were there and wanted to watch. The spirit was there during the blessing and it was a cool experience. One of the ladies wasn't happy that we didn't cross ourselves, but we explained why we don't. Overall is was a good experience. Well... Gotta run. Sorry about the less eventful letter... I just don't want to write the same old thing everyweek. Any questions for me to answer about Russia? Gotta Run. Times up! Love, Blake

Busy! Not much time this week.

From Russia with Love... Bond. James Bond.... Er... I mean Elder Blake Larsen. Hello! This has been a pretty good week! On Tuesday we were in Petersburg for Zone Conference and it was really good. President Podvodov talked about the importance of showing love and showing faith when you are teaching and contacting people. It was very good. It was also the first Zone Conference where I felt like I understood everything that President Podvodov said. :) My Russian is coming along slowly but surely! I even understood what Sister Podvodova said, and she talks really fast! ha ha. Elder Domankskiy and I are already seeing better success talking to people and during the few lessons we had by applying what we learned. In essence, it was a good Zone Conference. I got your letter and the Halloween card! Thanks a lot! I can't wait to see pictures you talked aout the back yard. I also got my first letter from Nate Reidhead in Grimsby, England. It sounds like he is having a blast, and his companion is from WB Ha ha! We have 2 really great investigators right now: Igor and Elena. Igor is from Latvia and works in Italian restaurant. He loves our church, and we set a baptismal date with him! I think I might have told you about him already. Elena is a woman who we taught the first lesson to last week, and today we watched the First Vision DVD at the branch with her (and that is why we are late sending emails). She totally accepted it, and she already has been reading the Book of Mormon and says that it is true. She is living with someone who she is not married to though, but she said she would talk to him about changing that. She has a 6 year old girl named Masha who reminds me of K.B. Very polite little girl who loves to draw. :) (Miss our K.B.!) Please keep them in your prayers! They are such great people. Today it was raining and the wind was blowing so hard that it broke my umbrella. I had to buy a new one today. Also we have to start using P-day time to contact, because President doesn't want us to contact in the dark, and we have a goal for each companionship to make 20 contacts a day. Sorry to hear everyone is sick at home. :( Wish I could help somehow, but the only thing I can do is keep you all in my prayers, which I will of course. That's MY MILLIE. She'll still be ready to run with me when I get home!... Get me back in shape. I'm slowly losing weight... Don't know why. Maybe I'm losing muscle or something... Or fat, but everyone says I'm too skinny so I don't know if it is that. Keep me informed on Elder Punderson. Knowing him, he will be up and back here before we know it! He is a really good guy, good missionary. Very good leader! Sister Bryshtel is now my sister? She was already my sister... That's why we call her Sister Bryshtel... Ha ha. Bu dum ching. She is really a really cool missionary. Strong testimony. Don't worry about sending me things for Christmas. I'm happy as I am right now. Use the money on something else. Send cards and pictures! I've had 2 ladies this week try to set me up with their daughters when they found out I was American... I don't even know what ot say to that...Yikes!!!!!! Tell Lee good luck with R.S. She will do great as secretary. I know there was more I wanted to write, but I forgot my planner where things were written at the office elders apartment... Sorry. Remember that I love you all and miss you tons. I will see you before you know it, but right now I am doing something great for the Lord... or I should say the Lord is doing something great through me. It's amazing the impact I see the Gospel of Jesus Christ has on others lives, and it's also so amazing to see how the Gospel keeps effecting me. Just when I think I know something, I learn that there is so much more to learn about the nature of God. We cannot fully comprehend it now, but we will someday. Thanks. Gotta run. Love you. Miss you! Love, Blake