Beginning of Carnival

Dear family,
Hope that everything is going well as you are skiing away. Its so warm here (and it hasnt even gotten as hot as it will) it´s hard to imagne cold right now. It was fun to hear from all the cousins. The email was a bit strangled by all the exclamation points but i think i got the message. Thanks for all your excitment and encouragement its great to know i have such a great bunch of cold cheerleaders up north. Had a rather disappointing sunday ayer. We had three people who if they attended yesterday would have been able to be baptizied this next saturday but only one went to church. The other two took off to another pueblo to party before carnival (as if carnival wasnt enough of a party). When we visited them in the nightime they were really dissapointed that they were going to be baptized this Saturday and wished they would have listened to us this past week when we explained that it was really important to go to church. Oh well, and so it goes.
On a much brighter note this week has been really great because the hermanos castro are on FIRE!!! Each of them have taught with us this week and they love to share thier testimonies. They love helping us and talking about when they are going to go on a mission. This coming Sunday the two oldest brothers (John and Johnathan) are going to be called as ward missionaries and be able to help us even more. It´s so great to see how different each of their three testimonies are but each one is centered on the Book of Mormon. Johnathan (the oldest) is really smart and he new the BoM was true when he read about the Jaredites and the tower of babel! But what is better that he´s smart enough to know that his true and firm testimony is when he prayed about it and felt peace like he´d never felt before and he bears testimony of that when he teaches with us. John knew the BoM was true because after he read and prayed about it he felt happier than he ever had before. And he testifies of how that happiness hasnt left him since he was baptized and confirmed and for me is so clear to see the change in him before he had the gospel and now as he has recieved the Holy Ghost and is living it. Manuel loves the fact that he has the Holy Ghost with him. He has asked me so many questions about how he can use and recognize it in his life. I wish i had more experience so that i could help him more! He said that as he read the BoM and prayed just knew it was true and th:at God wanted him to follow Him and recieve blessings in His church. What a marvelous work and a wonder is the BoM and such an oppurtunity for the true seeker of God. John is going to exercise his newly ordained priesthood authority and baptize his friend this coming Saturday (the investigator that came to church). It´s so great to feel such joy with my friends here in Puerto. I feel happy because they are making saving covenants with their father. I feel happy because it strentghens my testimony of the truth of the BoM and the fact that God will guide all of us if we will but ask. And i feel happy because as Alma 29:10 teaches as others are penitent it reminds us how merciful God is to them and also to us.
This coming week is going to be a bit less action than normal because starting Wednesday Carnival starts for real so we get locked up in our houses for REAL. All the missionaries in Barranquilla are going to be locked up in different houses from Wednesday to Wednesday. We cant leave for anything and the member will bring food to our house. It´s going to be like the extra time i had at the MTC, study study study. Today and tommorrow we are going to teach the Word of Wisdom and chastity like crazy to our investigators because they are going to need it. But i heard that in Rio in Brazil the missionaries are locked up for 3 weeks so there always something to be thankful for. Unfortunatly because we cant leave for anything P-day and writing to family is overruled so don´t expect a letter next monday, kinda a bummer but saftey first.
Hope everything is going well and that you all ski safe and eat some extra snow for me. Mama get well soon!!
Love
Elder Larson