July 28, 2010 Greetings From President and Sister Larkin

Dear Parents of Elder O’Brien,
My wife and I arrived a few weeks ago to preside over the Washington Seattle Mission. Our names are Todd and Laura Larkin and we came to the mission from our home in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have a ten year old daughter named Allie and a thirteen year old son Levi with us in the mission field, and a son named Jordan who turns nineteen next week and is currently in the Missionary Training Center preparing to go to Nagoya, Japan on his mission. We dropped Jordan off at the MTC on June 30th and then reported to the Washington Seattle Mission about noon on July 1st. We anticipated a very joyous moment as our son marched into the MTC to serve a long awaited mission, but we sure found out that along with the joy it was also about the hardest thing that we have ever done. We quickly found out how difficult it is not to be able to contact him regularly and check up on how he is doing.
After our experience with our own son, we could not let another day go by without sending you a note to let you know how your son is doing here in the Washington Seattle Mission. We have met with every missionary in the mission at least twice and Sister Larkin and I have each had personal interviews with every missionary. Sister Larkin has discussed personal health issues in detail and has insured that each missionary is taking proper care of their physical, mental, and emotional health. She has also learned everything about your family and has done her best to make sure that each missionary writes home regularly.
I also had a twenty to thirty minute interview with your son, Elder O’Brien and want you to know how impressed I am with his testimony and commitment to our Savior. You should be very proud of the incredible missionary that you have raised and sent here to preach the Gospel. You son has truly been an instrument in the hands of God in bringing many people to a knowledge of the truth.
We are sending a picture taken the day we had our interviews. Thank you so much for all the training you have provided in your home and for raising such a valiant child of our Father in Heaven. We know that we can never be a substitute for your affection, but we promise that we will keep our arms of love wrapped tightly around your precious child until the day that you are reunited together again.
With Warmest Regards,
President and Sister Larkin

See photo at bottom of blog