You need all the spokes for the wheel to be true.. otherwise you will have uneven tension from the side opposite where the spoke is missing. You could get lucky and have a situation where it does not cause any noticeable difference, or it could manifest itself as a slight wobble or feeling like the wheel is out of balance. I'd get them fixed before considering any serious riding on the bike. As for getting it fixed, if the local shop can handle it, I'd give them my business rather than shipping it out.. but that's just my personal preference of keeping the local shops in business when I get the chance. Since the price is the same, the only difference would be the potential for damage/loss in shipping.
Cheers,
Brad
