Hey everybody,
This week was a good week. Pamela is going to get baptized this saterday the 17th, she´s excited and we are too. Our friend Arlindo got married this last weekend, but now that he´s married he doesn´t know if he wants to get baptized or not. Manoel hasn´t gone to church for 5 weeks now, maybe he´s just not ready yet. Eliete is amazing, she has gone to church 5 week in a row, she knows the book of Mormon is true, she has recived answers from our Heavenly Father, and she wants to be baptized, but she not married. Eliete wants to get married to keep the comandments but it looks like her husban (edinilson) doesn´t want to get married, but we are going talk with him about getting married, but he´s always working. We are having a lot of people that wanting to get baptized here at the moment, but the person that is the most incredible is Luis. Luis is a mirical, he has recived a answer from god that this is the Restored church of god on the earth and that the BOOK of MORMON is true, before we even taught him and the spirit is so storng when we teach him.
I love you all, This is ture. God has testified of it. tchau
Elder stephen larson
Monday, December 12, 2011
Panthers and monkies
Hi everyone,
I am doing good. This week I found out that we have Panthers and monkyes in my area(but they don´t come near people because there scared of people, so don´t worry.). I thought that was so cool so just wanted to share that with you guys.
This week we met a man named Fabio (about 30) and his sister Fernanda (22). There are realy cool people, we only got to teach a little bit to fernanda but we taught Fabio about The Resteration and we marked him for Bapitsm for the 24th of dezember. We also taught a woman named Nilda (49) and her son António (20) and we marked them for baptism for the 24th also. Pamela will not be baptized on the 10th because she didn´t go to church and she´s not ready yet, she just needs a little more time.
I Know that this is the true church on the whole earth, Because it has Prophets and Apostles that have the Authority of god.
I love you all have a great week.
Elder stephen larson
I am doing good. This week I found out that we have Panthers and monkyes in my area(but they don´t come near people because there scared of people, so don´t worry.). I thought that was so cool so just wanted to share that with you guys.
This week we met a man named Fabio (about 30) and his sister Fernanda (22). There are realy cool people, we only got to teach a little bit to fernanda but we taught Fabio about The Resteration and we marked him for Bapitsm for the 24th of dezember. We also taught a woman named Nilda (49) and her son António (20) and we marked them for baptism for the 24th also. Pamela will not be baptized on the 10th because she didn´t go to church and she´s not ready yet, she just needs a little more time.
I Know that this is the true church on the whole earth, Because it has Prophets and Apostles that have the Authority of god.
I love you all have a great week.
Elder stephen larson
Happy holidays
Happy holidays my family,
Wow what a week that I have had this week. it has been an amazing experience being in the service of the lord. In past weeks we have worked so hard and nothing seemed to be working as well as we wanted it to. Elder Larson and I have both made changes together and separately.I have never prayed so sincerely and trusted the lord so much. I literally gave up my will to his and it has made all the difference. And I made a goal to no matter what happened just keep striving to do the will of the lord. since than our area has had a mighty change and my heart has as well. Many miracles have happened, both small and big. They are all big to me. I noticed that a lot of the miracles happened after i prayed in faith. One of them happen after a good lesson with Jeff. For some reason or another I had to go to the bathroom so we decided to go to the 7eleven that was close by. We walk in and the lady at the cash register asks us if we are JWs. I quickly correct her telling her we are from The Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints. She then says that she used to be a member of that church( which really means that she is very less active). So I go into the bathroom and as I am washing my hands i say a really quick, sincere prayer asking god to help us get her contact info to be able to teach her and get her active. So I walk out and I grab a Reese's stick and go to the register. i tried to bring up the church with her but people kept coming in to buy stuff. Then suddenly she tells me about a great TV show and hands me her number so she can tell us more about it. it may have been a small thing but i know that was not a coincidence.
Other little examples were like us teaching 14 lessons and reaching almost all of our goals that we has set for ourselves. It was a good week.
We also had 4 investigators at church this week, Eric, jack, Mia and her kids and Kyle. Everything is just falling right into place. We also had a good experience teaching the young men and the young women about the gospel and how they can share that with their friends. They felt the spirit very strong and so did I. one of the Questions I asked them was the same question that Jesus asked peter, "Lovest thou me?" "Then feed my sheep" i think that the youth in the ward here are going to lead the missionary work forward in a very big way.
Eric is doing so good. His baptism is next Saturday at 10am. He is so ready and excited to do it and follow Christ. And after his baptism is the ward Christmas party so it works out very well.
Transfer calls were last Saturday and we found out that we are staying together and we are training a new missionary. I don't know where he is from yet but we are so excited for him. I hope I do better than last time.
I love my life, i love being out here, don't want it to end. The Spirit is so wonderful to have and prayer truly works. I will talk you all later. I love you all.
[Elder Spencer Larson]
Wow what a week that I have had this week. it has been an amazing experience being in the service of the lord. In past weeks we have worked so hard and nothing seemed to be working as well as we wanted it to. Elder Larson and I have both made changes together and separately.I have never prayed so sincerely and trusted the lord so much. I literally gave up my will to his and it has made all the difference. And I made a goal to no matter what happened just keep striving to do the will of the lord. since than our area has had a mighty change and my heart has as well. Many miracles have happened, both small and big. They are all big to me. I noticed that a lot of the miracles happened after i prayed in faith. One of them happen after a good lesson with Jeff. For some reason or another I had to go to the bathroom so we decided to go to the 7eleven that was close by. We walk in and the lady at the cash register asks us if we are JWs. I quickly correct her telling her we are from The Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints. She then says that she used to be a member of that church( which really means that she is very less active). So I go into the bathroom and as I am washing my hands i say a really quick, sincere prayer asking god to help us get her contact info to be able to teach her and get her active. So I walk out and I grab a Reese's stick and go to the register. i tried to bring up the church with her but people kept coming in to buy stuff. Then suddenly she tells me about a great TV show and hands me her number so she can tell us more about it. it may have been a small thing but i know that was not a coincidence.
Other little examples were like us teaching 14 lessons and reaching almost all of our goals that we has set for ourselves. It was a good week.
We also had 4 investigators at church this week, Eric, jack, Mia and her kids and Kyle. Everything is just falling right into place. We also had a good experience teaching the young men and the young women about the gospel and how they can share that with their friends. They felt the spirit very strong and so did I. one of the Questions I asked them was the same question that Jesus asked peter, "Lovest thou me?" "Then feed my sheep" i think that the youth in the ward here are going to lead the missionary work forward in a very big way.
Eric is doing so good. His baptism is next Saturday at 10am. He is so ready and excited to do it and follow Christ. And after his baptism is the ward Christmas party so it works out very well.
Transfer calls were last Saturday and we found out that we are staying together and we are training a new missionary. I don't know where he is from yet but we are so excited for him. I hope I do better than last time.
I love my life, i love being out here, don't want it to end. The Spirit is so wonderful to have and prayer truly works. I will talk you all later. I love you all.
[Elder Spencer Larson]
pumpkin pie
Dear Family,
I hope you all had a fantastic thanksgiving. Ours was pretty interesting and not so busy. We tried to visit with all the members we could but nobody was available for a visit so we were trying to figure out something productive to do all day. I am pretty sure we would have gotten shot if we started knocking doors on thanksgiving day. We had dinner with a cute little family, the Barnhills. They have a little girl who reminded me of Miss Haily Ukulele and she entertained us the whole time were over at there home. I got stuffed and Bro. barnhill even got a little sick from eating to much. I did get to have some pumpkin pie and it was absolutely divine. It brought me back to all the times when we had pie at Grandma Rodabough's house and she always got after me for eating another slice of pie before everyone could have one. Haha. It made me laugh a lot. And grandma I did mind my manners and wait for everyone to have seconds before devouring another one. We spent the rest of our thanksgiving teaching an old couple and gave her a blessing for her sickness.
We have a lot of people we are working with, they were just hard to get in contact this week. We had a wonderful miracle happen because of our obedience to the mission rules. We were following up with this lovely, crazy chinese lady but she wasn't home, so the we both thought to go see Mia. So we did and she was home at her mothers house. she invited us in but we told her we needed an adult male with us in order to come in. so we got to talking and suddenly a guy in the apartment behind us opened it and gave us a look of recognition and went to his car and came back and went in. I thought that there was something different about him but continued to talk with Mia. then He came out with a dog and mia began to talk about how cute his dog was and he stuck around and talked with us. It turned out that he was a non-active member who had just moved into the area. His name is Josh; he is a big bad Marine. He saw that we needed to teach her so ha offered to come in with us and so we were abel to teach an inivestigator and a less-active member. It never would have happened if we hadn't obeyed the rules.
We set a date with Eric for the 10th of Dec. and we are going to meet with him again to talk about the commandments. I am very excited for him and pray for him often that he will be able to endure all the opposition and trails he may go through. keep him in your prayers if you would. I love you all and I am so Thankful to have you as a family and I am excited to live with you all forever. take care.
[Elder Spencer Larson]
I hope you all had a fantastic thanksgiving. Ours was pretty interesting and not so busy. We tried to visit with all the members we could but nobody was available for a visit so we were trying to figure out something productive to do all day. I am pretty sure we would have gotten shot if we started knocking doors on thanksgiving day. We had dinner with a cute little family, the Barnhills. They have a little girl who reminded me of Miss Haily Ukulele and she entertained us the whole time were over at there home. I got stuffed and Bro. barnhill even got a little sick from eating to much. I did get to have some pumpkin pie and it was absolutely divine. It brought me back to all the times when we had pie at Grandma Rodabough's house and she always got after me for eating another slice of pie before everyone could have one. Haha. It made me laugh a lot. And grandma I did mind my manners and wait for everyone to have seconds before devouring another one. We spent the rest of our thanksgiving teaching an old couple and gave her a blessing for her sickness.
We have a lot of people we are working with, they were just hard to get in contact this week. We had a wonderful miracle happen because of our obedience to the mission rules. We were following up with this lovely, crazy chinese lady but she wasn't home, so the we both thought to go see Mia. So we did and she was home at her mothers house. she invited us in but we told her we needed an adult male with us in order to come in. so we got to talking and suddenly a guy in the apartment behind us opened it and gave us a look of recognition and went to his car and came back and went in. I thought that there was something different about him but continued to talk with Mia. then He came out with a dog and mia began to talk about how cute his dog was and he stuck around and talked with us. It turned out that he was a non-active member who had just moved into the area. His name is Josh; he is a big bad Marine. He saw that we needed to teach her so ha offered to come in with us and so we were abel to teach an inivestigator and a less-active member. It never would have happened if we hadn't obeyed the rules.
We set a date with Eric for the 10th of Dec. and we are going to meet with him again to talk about the commandments. I am very excited for him and pray for him often that he will be able to endure all the opposition and trails he may go through. keep him in your prayers if you would. I love you all and I am so Thankful to have you as a family and I am excited to live with you all forever. take care.
[Elder Spencer Larson]
Happy thanksgibing
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Hay all you guys. I love you and am grateful for you!!!!
Happy Thanksgibing!!!!!!!!! ha I spelled it with a 'b' because everyone here in the philippines say's their 'V's like a 'B'. Ha thought that was pretty fun. ha
So this week was alright. I completely forgot it was Thanksgiving until the following day. Ha I didn't eat any big meals, actually kind of little ones actually. But it was good. I like the food here. We did have a big lunch on Sunday at a part members house. Brother Ivan and sister Ivan. ha the one from brazil. ha he cooked us ' Pancit Canton' with eggs in it. It is basically ramen noodels in a different sauce, and then he added the eegs. The only thing is, is he made 10 packages, and 6 eggs mixed in, and there was only 3 of us!! We were full for the rest of the day.
Elder Ulanday my comp. is still doing ok, he is different from my first comp. Elder Samson and I am learning a Lot about myself at this time, and also growing a lot. It might sound wierd, but I think I am a little more patient now. Ha what a good thing that I needed.
So nothing too exciting happened this week. We have still been focusing on Less active members and Recent Converts. Also teaching the investigators who are really progressing. This transfer is very different from last transfer. Because where as last transfer my comp. would teach the majority of the lesson and I would teach a principle and testify, I feel like the roles have switched completely!!! Now I am starting the teaching and teaching the majority of the Lessons, which is good and I am grateful for it, and my comp. is the one testifying. I sometimes can't tell if it is just cause he doesn't want to do it, or what, but whatever the reason, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.
Tagalog is still a pain in the smacker, but I have to admit it is getting a little tiny incey wincy bit easier. I am better at understanding now I feel, and speaking still is hard, especially cause I have an american accent and hard for them to understand to me. But I know that the lord is helping me with this cause I couldn't do it without him.
I love the scripture in ether 12:27, god gives men weakness so we may be made humble, and if we humble ourselves and bring our weaknesses to god, he will make weak things become strong. I love that, and I have seen the truth of it countless times in my mission now. I have also learned something about myself. I am selfish. I noticed that when I have come to god in prayer in the past, asking for help, I was really asking for him to take away my trials. That is so wrong, I am dumb. ha But now I have learned and been able to know that we pray for help, and then we go and DO the work the lord commands, and as we do it, it is somehow made easier, or we are somehow able to accomplish it. That is a freaking SWEET thing, and the key to that blessing is the DO part. God gives us these trials in our lives to better us. To make us stronger, and more like him. Wow I can't believe it has taken me this freaking long to learn this huh, I mean our whole purpose on this earth is to experience and grow so we can become like god. Ha and of course we must experience and faith in him to do and become like him No? ha wow what an oPpiffany. (I have no Idea how to spell that word.)
So how are all you guys? still shaking off the turkey that you all ate on Thanksgiving! ha man Jealous! No not really, I am so excited to be here, holy smokes! This is like My time you know, I feel selfish saying that, but as I have been serving the lord, I have recieved the most help and felt the closest to him than I ever have before. Wow, I wouldn't trade this for the world! Yeah it's hard at times, harder than I could have ever imagined, but the lord is there with me, at every turn, every step, every bump in the rode! And with that guy on your side, you can't fail! But of course, we have to be worthy for his companionship. Which is another great blessing. Wow the things the lord asks us to do is blessings in itself. I never really thought about it that way before but they are.
So I love you all, and I am grateful for you all. The thing I am grateful for this year, is definately my Mom! All the help she gives me through her support and stuff, you are great mom, and I will always be in debt to you! You freakin rock! Also Jess, I am so grateful for the time we had together to grow and have fun before I left. Even though I worked a lot, I am grateful for our relationship and you as my big sister. And of course my bro's who are great examples to me. They give me so much strength that they don't even know. Did you know, that every week here on my mission, I ask my self if I am doing as good as my brothers, and if not what would they be doing so I can be better.
One last thing. There is a family in our ward here, who are divorced, kinda like ours. the only difference is they are all in the same ward, the mom, and the husband, and the husbands family, the mother is alone, which is hard, but she is so strong from it. Any way, yesterday they were having a "FHE" and we were invited, they asked me to share an experience that was hard for me to overcome or understand, but I am grateful for. I told them our story, I hope that is ok, I felt inspired to. And it was good. I am actually grateful for that experience. for the divorce, if it had not happened, I know that my relationship with my Brother's and my sister and my Mom would not have been the same. Especially through all the traveling alone as siblings and all the confusion, we relied on each other, and that has given us the greatest and strongest relationship, and I told this family, that the kids have a hard time in these situations, and that they need to remember to be careful about what is said, while the kids are there, because they love both sides, they are family to both sides, and it is hard to hear one side, criticize those they love. And the spirit came into that room, and then I had the opportunity to testify of this wonderful gospel and the binding effect it has on families. I know that without this gospel, definitely our relationships wouldn't be as they are now, and we wouldn't be who we are. I love this gospel and I love you all!
I love you all, sory i have to go i know this gospel is true. ha thats all.
Elder Benjamin L larson
Hay all you guys. I love you and am grateful for you!!!!
Happy Thanksgibing!!!!!!!!! ha I spelled it with a 'b' because everyone here in the philippines say's their 'V's like a 'B'. Ha thought that was pretty fun. ha
So this week was alright. I completely forgot it was Thanksgiving until the following day. Ha I didn't eat any big meals, actually kind of little ones actually. But it was good. I like the food here. We did have a big lunch on Sunday at a part members house. Brother Ivan and sister Ivan. ha the one from brazil. ha he cooked us ' Pancit Canton' with eggs in it. It is basically ramen noodels in a different sauce, and then he added the eegs. The only thing is, is he made 10 packages, and 6 eggs mixed in, and there was only 3 of us!! We were full for the rest of the day.
Elder Ulanday my comp. is still doing ok, he is different from my first comp. Elder Samson and I am learning a Lot about myself at this time, and also growing a lot. It might sound wierd, but I think I am a little more patient now. Ha what a good thing that I needed.
So nothing too exciting happened this week. We have still been focusing on Less active members and Recent Converts. Also teaching the investigators who are really progressing. This transfer is very different from last transfer. Because where as last transfer my comp. would teach the majority of the lesson and I would teach a principle and testify, I feel like the roles have switched completely!!! Now I am starting the teaching and teaching the majority of the Lessons, which is good and I am grateful for it, and my comp. is the one testifying. I sometimes can't tell if it is just cause he doesn't want to do it, or what, but whatever the reason, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.
Tagalog is still a pain in the smacker, but I have to admit it is getting a little tiny incey wincy bit easier. I am better at understanding now I feel, and speaking still is hard, especially cause I have an american accent and hard for them to understand to me. But I know that the lord is helping me with this cause I couldn't do it without him.
I love the scripture in ether 12:27, god gives men weakness so we may be made humble, and if we humble ourselves and bring our weaknesses to god, he will make weak things become strong. I love that, and I have seen the truth of it countless times in my mission now. I have also learned something about myself. I am selfish. I noticed that when I have come to god in prayer in the past, asking for help, I was really asking for him to take away my trials. That is so wrong, I am dumb. ha But now I have learned and been able to know that we pray for help, and then we go and DO the work the lord commands, and as we do it, it is somehow made easier, or we are somehow able to accomplish it. That is a freaking SWEET thing, and the key to that blessing is the DO part. God gives us these trials in our lives to better us. To make us stronger, and more like him. Wow I can't believe it has taken me this freaking long to learn this huh, I mean our whole purpose on this earth is to experience and grow so we can become like god. Ha and of course we must experience and faith in him to do and become like him No? ha wow what an oPpiffany. (I have no Idea how to spell that word.)
So how are all you guys? still shaking off the turkey that you all ate on Thanksgiving! ha man Jealous! No not really, I am so excited to be here, holy smokes! This is like My time you know, I feel selfish saying that, but as I have been serving the lord, I have recieved the most help and felt the closest to him than I ever have before. Wow, I wouldn't trade this for the world! Yeah it's hard at times, harder than I could have ever imagined, but the lord is there with me, at every turn, every step, every bump in the rode! And with that guy on your side, you can't fail! But of course, we have to be worthy for his companionship. Which is another great blessing. Wow the things the lord asks us to do is blessings in itself. I never really thought about it that way before but they are.
So I love you all, and I am grateful for you all. The thing I am grateful for this year, is definately my Mom! All the help she gives me through her support and stuff, you are great mom, and I will always be in debt to you! You freakin rock! Also Jess, I am so grateful for the time we had together to grow and have fun before I left. Even though I worked a lot, I am grateful for our relationship and you as my big sister. And of course my bro's who are great examples to me. They give me so much strength that they don't even know. Did you know, that every week here on my mission, I ask my self if I am doing as good as my brothers, and if not what would they be doing so I can be better.
One last thing. There is a family in our ward here, who are divorced, kinda like ours. the only difference is they are all in the same ward, the mom, and the husband, and the husbands family, the mother is alone, which is hard, but she is so strong from it. Any way, yesterday they were having a "FHE" and we were invited, they asked me to share an experience that was hard for me to overcome or understand, but I am grateful for. I told them our story, I hope that is ok, I felt inspired to. And it was good. I am actually grateful for that experience. for the divorce, if it had not happened, I know that my relationship with my Brother's and my sister and my Mom would not have been the same. Especially through all the traveling alone as siblings and all the confusion, we relied on each other, and that has given us the greatest and strongest relationship, and I told this family, that the kids have a hard time in these situations, and that they need to remember to be careful about what is said, while the kids are there, because they love both sides, they are family to both sides, and it is hard to hear one side, criticize those they love. And the spirit came into that room, and then I had the opportunity to testify of this wonderful gospel and the binding effect it has on families. I know that without this gospel, definitely our relationships wouldn't be as they are now, and we wouldn't be who we are. I love this gospel and I love you all!
I love you all, sory i have to go i know this gospel is true. ha thats all.
Elder Benjamin L larson
This week was a great week!
Hey everybody,
This week was a great week. I got your package dad, and thank you all for the notes and letters. And I will answer some questions that I was asked. I am having here on the mission, there´s not always jokes and laughts but when it´s time to have fun, we milk it for all it´s worth. Yes, it´s almost always hot here, there are times when people think it´s cold but I think it´s hot because I am sweeting. Here in brasil they celebrate ´the day of thanks´ which is like thanksgiving but it´s not on the same day and it isn´t celebrated like we do. In fact I almost forgot that it was thanksgiving.
This week two poeple that we are teaching recived answers to there prayers, and it was on the same day. Tuesday after we ate lunch we went to teach Eliete (lady about 32), we taught her last sunday and I gave her a book of mormon. On tuesday she said she read and prayed, and she said she felt something that she couldn´t explane, but she knew it was an answer. Wow! I was very with that. She isn´t married so we´re going to have to work with her husband. Eliete has been going to church 3 days in a row, and she says that she wants to keep going.
So after we taught Eliete I thought the day couldn´t get better than that. Then We went to teach Pamela (young woman, 15 years old ) for the 3rd time. We knew that Pamela smoked and that she had a boyfriend, and maybe she had other problems that we would need to work on. When we started to teach her on tuesday she already told us that she had read and prayed, and then she told us she got an answer. She was already marked for baptism, but now she id really excited to get baptized on the 10th of dezember. That made me even happyer.
I love you all I hope you alll have a great week. I know god loves us and that miricals requier suffering and a little bit of pain.
Elder stpehen laron
This week was a great week. I got your package dad, and thank you all for the notes and letters. And I will answer some questions that I was asked. I am having here on the mission, there´s not always jokes and laughts but when it´s time to have fun, we milk it for all it´s worth. Yes, it´s almost always hot here, there are times when people think it´s cold but I think it´s hot because I am sweeting. Here in brasil they celebrate ´the day of thanks´ which is like thanksgiving but it´s not on the same day and it isn´t celebrated like we do. In fact I almost forgot that it was thanksgiving.
This week two poeple that we are teaching recived answers to there prayers, and it was on the same day. Tuesday after we ate lunch we went to teach Eliete (lady about 32), we taught her last sunday and I gave her a book of mormon. On tuesday she said she read and prayed, and she said she felt something that she couldn´t explane, but she knew it was an answer. Wow! I was very with that. She isn´t married so we´re going to have to work with her husband. Eliete has been going to church 3 days in a row, and she says that she wants to keep going.
So after we taught Eliete I thought the day couldn´t get better than that. Then We went to teach Pamela (young woman, 15 years old ) for the 3rd time. We knew that Pamela smoked and that she had a boyfriend, and maybe she had other problems that we would need to work on. When we started to teach her on tuesday she already told us that she had read and prayed, and then she told us she got an answer. She was already marked for baptism, but now she id really excited to get baptized on the 10th of dezember. That made me even happyer.
I love you all I hope you alll have a great week. I know god loves us and that miricals requier suffering and a little bit of pain.
Elder stpehen laron
drunk guy of the week
Hello mom and Jess and Family.
I am doing good here in Philippines, Me and elder Ulanday are..... still getting used to each other. He is good at Tagalog, not so much at English, but I am grateful for it cause I am learning a lot. It is still freaking hard though. Some days, it is so hard, and I feel like I just can't understand anything, other days it is good and I understand a lot. It actually kinda bugs me, I wish I could just know it and then have it forever. Ha
This week was good-ish. We had a lot of lessons fall through, but it is ok, we were able to focus a little more on Our recent converts and less active members in the ward. There is many less active members here, mostly because of the far away of our church from our area. We have really encouraged many to come to church this week, and many did, the hardest one is getting the investigators to church, because they are far away from our church. But they still read and pray and stuff, for the most part.
Brother Ivan's wife, the brazilian guy we met a few weeks ago, is doing good. we have taught her all of the restoration, and have just introduced the plan of salvation to her. It was good cause her neighbors came and joined us in our lesson to her. They were a little timid, there was a boy and a girl, both abou 19 years old, and I think the boy was a bakla (gay) which makes me kinda uncomfortable, especially in lessons. but I tried to not let it show. And we had a good lesson, also Sister Ninya, the wife of bro Ivan, her brother is kind of interested and we have taught him too. They are both good, and have interesado in the book of mormon.
Let's see what else.............. oh yeah, drunk guy of the week!!!!! So on sunday we were going to a family of investigators, and outside of there house, or town or stacked houses, there was a party kind of going on. And there was a drunk guy, he came to me and said, 'you are american!' I said,' Yes I am.' Then he said, ' I think I love you man, what am I going to tell my wife.' ha he was probably 60 years or older, ha and he kept doing that kind of speaking to me, then he would sing songs, tagalog and english, they were love songs, one I remember he sang in tagalog, and I understood only a little but basically it was this, ' I love you, and you love me too, I will tell my wife about you,'..... bla bla bla, ha then he laughed really hard, for like 2 minutes straight I swear, like He was having a hard time breathing, then he would stop and start singing all serious again like nothing ever happened!!! Haha, but wait there is more, yesterday a guy came to me and said, 'it is good you are here. It doesn't matter who you are, who what you like, as long as you are happy, so stay the same ok.' Ha so basically I think he thought I was gay or something, cause that's just how he was saying it. He was also drunk and just trying to lift my spirit I guess? ha
So that is my life basically, drunk people singing songs and telling me to stay the same. ha good stuff. They don't celebrate thanksgiving that I know of. But it's ok cause that just means christmas is closer, actually they have had lights and decorations up since mid october and music in september, Ha I like it.
I love you all and I know this church and work is true. And this church is WORK! We can't feel our blessings or rewards without working for them first, so lets work, not whine or anything cause thats no fun, just work, and put a smile on.
Love you all, and mom I hope you get my letter, and jess tell jenn a letter is comming. Don't worry.
I love you all so much! I hope your are happy. and healthy and loving your lives.
Love Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
I am doing good here in Philippines, Me and elder Ulanday are..... still getting used to each other. He is good at Tagalog, not so much at English, but I am grateful for it cause I am learning a lot. It is still freaking hard though. Some days, it is so hard, and I feel like I just can't understand anything, other days it is good and I understand a lot. It actually kinda bugs me, I wish I could just know it and then have it forever. Ha
This week was good-ish. We had a lot of lessons fall through, but it is ok, we were able to focus a little more on Our recent converts and less active members in the ward. There is many less active members here, mostly because of the far away of our church from our area. We have really encouraged many to come to church this week, and many did, the hardest one is getting the investigators to church, because they are far away from our church. But they still read and pray and stuff, for the most part.
Brother Ivan's wife, the brazilian guy we met a few weeks ago, is doing good. we have taught her all of the restoration, and have just introduced the plan of salvation to her. It was good cause her neighbors came and joined us in our lesson to her. They were a little timid, there was a boy and a girl, both abou 19 years old, and I think the boy was a bakla (gay) which makes me kinda uncomfortable, especially in lessons. but I tried to not let it show. And we had a good lesson, also Sister Ninya, the wife of bro Ivan, her brother is kind of interested and we have taught him too. They are both good, and have interesado in the book of mormon.
Let's see what else.............. oh yeah, drunk guy of the week!!!!! So on sunday we were going to a family of investigators, and outside of there house, or town or stacked houses, there was a party kind of going on. And there was a drunk guy, he came to me and said, 'you are american!' I said,' Yes I am.' Then he said, ' I think I love you man, what am I going to tell my wife.' ha he was probably 60 years or older, ha and he kept doing that kind of speaking to me, then he would sing songs, tagalog and english, they were love songs, one I remember he sang in tagalog, and I understood only a little but basically it was this, ' I love you, and you love me too, I will tell my wife about you,'..... bla bla bla, ha then he laughed really hard, for like 2 minutes straight I swear, like He was having a hard time breathing, then he would stop and start singing all serious again like nothing ever happened!!! Haha, but wait there is more, yesterday a guy came to me and said, 'it is good you are here. It doesn't matter who you are, who what you like, as long as you are happy, so stay the same ok.' Ha so basically I think he thought I was gay or something, cause that's just how he was saying it. He was also drunk and just trying to lift my spirit I guess? ha
So that is my life basically, drunk people singing songs and telling me to stay the same. ha good stuff. They don't celebrate thanksgiving that I know of. But it's ok cause that just means christmas is closer, actually they have had lights and decorations up since mid october and music in september, Ha I like it.
I love you all and I know this church and work is true. And this church is WORK! We can't feel our blessings or rewards without working for them first, so lets work, not whine or anything cause thats no fun, just work, and put a smile on.
Love you all, and mom I hope you get my letter, and jess tell jenn a letter is comming. Don't worry.
I love you all so much! I hope your are happy. and healthy and loving your lives.
Love Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
blue eyes
Hey everybody,
I am doing well. This week I had a lady stop me on the street, and she said ´where are you from with these blue eyes of yours?´. It´s very dificult to see someone with blue eyes here so sometimes people get suprised when they see a guy with blue eyes. My comp even joked about using my blue eyes to do more effective contacts with people.
So this week was a better week. Yesterday we went on splits and I went to teach Jadson. I taught him about The Plan of Salvation, it was an ok lesson but could have been better. At the end of the lesson I invited Jadson to be baptized but once again he said that he´s not ready to make a choice. His girlfiend(which is a member) said that he doesn´t drink cofee,smoke or have any other type of substance, and she said that he just has fear to fall away. I thought that this was his set-back also, so I told him that fear is the oposite of Faith and that we need to act today because we don´t know what´s going to happen tomorrow. Yet, after saying these things he still didn´t want to get baptized. Arlindo(another investagator) also is having fears about baptizum.
I love you guys, I hope that we all can overcome our fears so that we progress in the Plan of our heavenlly father. With love
Elder stephen larson
I am doing well. This week I had a lady stop me on the street, and she said ´where are you from with these blue eyes of yours?´. It´s very dificult to see someone with blue eyes here so sometimes people get suprised when they see a guy with blue eyes. My comp even joked about using my blue eyes to do more effective contacts with people.
So this week was a better week. Yesterday we went on splits and I went to teach Jadson. I taught him about The Plan of Salvation, it was an ok lesson but could have been better. At the end of the lesson I invited Jadson to be baptized but once again he said that he´s not ready to make a choice. His girlfiend(which is a member) said that he doesn´t drink cofee,smoke or have any other type of substance, and she said that he just has fear to fall away. I thought that this was his set-back also, so I told him that fear is the oposite of Faith and that we need to act today because we don´t know what´s going to happen tomorrow. Yet, after saying these things he still didn´t want to get baptized. Arlindo(another investagator) also is having fears about baptizum.
I love you guys, I hope that we all can overcome our fears so that we progress in the Plan of our heavenlly father. With love
Elder stephen larson
Sunday, November 20, 2011
New Comp
Hello mom, and Jess! And Family the rest.
So first, I am doing good. I have a little cough but it isn't bad, probably go away soon. also is there any medicine for coughs? Just wondering.
So my new companion is Elder Ulanday! He is Filipino, ha my second Filipino companion. I think that is a blessing............ I kinda miss Elder Samson but it's good that he left I think, cause now I am the one who knows the area and where everyone is and I feel kind of like the leader. I have also started talking more to people and to the Jeep and Trike drivers. Ha I can kind of carry on a simple conversation. But Tagalog is still hard. There are a few differences in my new comp. one is that he doesn't speak english, almost zero, he can kind of understand but Tagalog mostly. So that is another blessing. It has already forced me to speak more Tagalog, where as before, Elder Samson was really good in English. So I am hoping to grow and learn a lot this transfer.
It is weird having a new comp. Just the whole change thing, cause this is my first new companion and I am still kind of adjusting to how he works. There is a few things that are different than before. Elder Ulanday my new comp. is great teacher, he is good in teaching lessons. But he gets really excited about numbers, and sometimes I feel like he gets too excited about numbers. I don't know, he is a good missionary!!
So last week we met one guy named Ivan, he is a foriegner, from Brazil! Where Steve is right now. Ha he was really good in Tagalog! He came right up to us while we were going to an appointment, and just asked, in Tagalog, where we went to church. I stepped up and told him where and what time, and I got his phone number and address. And then the next day we texted him and asked if we could come teach him and his family. He said yes so we went. Turns out he is a member, who served a mission. And he has a wife who is expecting their first child, she is not a member. So Ivan says he wants us to teach his wife the gospel and hopefully baptize her. Brother Ivan is really.................. excited, Is probably the best way to say it, for his wife to be baptized. We taught the whole lesson one, I taught the last half, or about Joseph Smith and the restoration, I messed up in the first vision of Joseph Smith. I started off good, and then I messed up a little bit, and started worrying about it, then it just kind of fell there. But it was still good. Cause bro Ivan asked me to explain better priesthood and what it is and why so important it is. So I did my best and at the end she said she understood, so we called it good and ended the lesson there. It was a good lesson.
I finally got those letters sent, so you should be getting a letter in the mail soon. I hope. sorry it took so long, it is just so far a way, the post office. So jess saw, jenn. Tell her hi for me. And i sent her a letter too. It's nothing big, so sorry, just a letter.
Mom, I love you too! And you too Jess. Sounds like you had fun on sunday with some of your friends. I am happy for you, I hope you like your ward have have a lot of friends, cause friends are good and happy things!
So that is life here basically. The Tagalog is still harder than knot in a tree, but I know I will get it. Ha brother Ivan said he learned Tagalog in 2 weeks, and that I could too if I fasted and read the book of mormon. He told me not to doubt, I said, I'm not doubting, I am learning patience. And maybe kind of doubting, I mean come on 2 weeks. Flip 'der, Ha so her in the philippines instead of calling each other Elder they shorten it and just say 'Der. Ha I thought it was funny.
I love you my family, be happy, if your not happy, change so you will be! ha I know the gospel is true, and that through it and it's principles we can be happy, and feel purpose in our lives. I love this gospel and how it changes everybody's life who will humble themselves and give heed to it's teachings and the feelings of the spirit. I know it is true and am so grateful, and humbled to be able to share it with the lords children in the Philippines. What a special and sacred calling it is, to be trusted of the lord, to teach his gospel to the world. Freak it's sweet!! WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you all look for chances in your day to day lives to share your testimonies to those around you. It's truly a freakin' sweet thing, and feeling. Nothing like it. I promise, just do it.
I love you,
Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
PS mom if you haven't sent the package for christmas yet or whatever, Nutella would be a good thing to put in it, cause IT is so EXPENSIVE here!!!!! Ha thankyou mom love you!!!!!!
So first, I am doing good. I have a little cough but it isn't bad, probably go away soon. also is there any medicine for coughs? Just wondering.
So my new companion is Elder Ulanday! He is Filipino, ha my second Filipino companion. I think that is a blessing............ I kinda miss Elder Samson but it's good that he left I think, cause now I am the one who knows the area and where everyone is and I feel kind of like the leader. I have also started talking more to people and to the Jeep and Trike drivers. Ha I can kind of carry on a simple conversation. But Tagalog is still hard. There are a few differences in my new comp. one is that he doesn't speak english, almost zero, he can kind of understand but Tagalog mostly. So that is another blessing. It has already forced me to speak more Tagalog, where as before, Elder Samson was really good in English. So I am hoping to grow and learn a lot this transfer.
It is weird having a new comp. Just the whole change thing, cause this is my first new companion and I am still kind of adjusting to how he works. There is a few things that are different than before. Elder Ulanday my new comp. is great teacher, he is good in teaching lessons. But he gets really excited about numbers, and sometimes I feel like he gets too excited about numbers. I don't know, he is a good missionary!!
So last week we met one guy named Ivan, he is a foriegner, from Brazil! Where Steve is right now. Ha he was really good in Tagalog! He came right up to us while we were going to an appointment, and just asked, in Tagalog, where we went to church. I stepped up and told him where and what time, and I got his phone number and address. And then the next day we texted him and asked if we could come teach him and his family. He said yes so we went. Turns out he is a member, who served a mission. And he has a wife who is expecting their first child, she is not a member. So Ivan says he wants us to teach his wife the gospel and hopefully baptize her. Brother Ivan is really.................. excited, Is probably the best way to say it, for his wife to be baptized. We taught the whole lesson one, I taught the last half, or about Joseph Smith and the restoration, I messed up in the first vision of Joseph Smith. I started off good, and then I messed up a little bit, and started worrying about it, then it just kind of fell there. But it was still good. Cause bro Ivan asked me to explain better priesthood and what it is and why so important it is. So I did my best and at the end she said she understood, so we called it good and ended the lesson there. It was a good lesson.
I finally got those letters sent, so you should be getting a letter in the mail soon. I hope. sorry it took so long, it is just so far a way, the post office. So jess saw, jenn. Tell her hi for me. And i sent her a letter too. It's nothing big, so sorry, just a letter.
Mom, I love you too! And you too Jess. Sounds like you had fun on sunday with some of your friends. I am happy for you, I hope you like your ward have have a lot of friends, cause friends are good and happy things!
So that is life here basically. The Tagalog is still harder than knot in a tree, but I know I will get it. Ha brother Ivan said he learned Tagalog in 2 weeks, and that I could too if I fasted and read the book of mormon. He told me not to doubt, I said, I'm not doubting, I am learning patience. And maybe kind of doubting, I mean come on 2 weeks. Flip 'der, Ha so her in the philippines instead of calling each other Elder they shorten it and just say 'Der. Ha I thought it was funny.
I love you my family, be happy, if your not happy, change so you will be! ha I know the gospel is true, and that through it and it's principles we can be happy, and feel purpose in our lives. I love this gospel and how it changes everybody's life who will humble themselves and give heed to it's teachings and the feelings of the spirit. I know it is true and am so grateful, and humbled to be able to share it with the lords children in the Philippines. What a special and sacred calling it is, to be trusted of the lord, to teach his gospel to the world. Freak it's sweet!! WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you all look for chances in your day to day lives to share your testimonies to those around you. It's truly a freakin' sweet thing, and feeling. Nothing like it. I promise, just do it.
I love you,
Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
PS mom if you haven't sent the package for christmas yet or whatever, Nutella would be a good thing to put in it, cause IT is so EXPENSIVE here!!!!! Ha thankyou mom love you!!!!!!
21
I can't believe it was already my birthday this last week and I am 21 years old. I can go get drunk now. ha. Thank you all for the gifts and the cards. Dad, I didn't get the package you sent yet but no worries I am sure that it will make it here.
Some interesting things happened this week. Elder Ryan Larson is very amazing at playing the piano and he was needed at every Zone Conference and there are three. So he and another missionary went to those while I spent my time with a Spanish Elder, Elder Weddell. he is pretty cool, he is from Oregon and the special thing about him is that he is a full blooded native American. We had fun, we played a lot of dumb funny games as we did our missionary work and he taught me how to make tortillas. He found out that it was my birthday so he took me to a less active members house and they sang a song to me in Spanish about birthdays. It was the longest happy birthday song ever, and after the song they fed us brownies.
I met up with my comp. at another Zone conference and we gave a training about "Taking finding to another Level". We didn't have a lot of time to prepare but we did the best we can we had fun doing it. It was a very good Zone conference and I learned that I want to be a missionary for the right reasons, and base my every action on my love for my Savior. i also learned that Ever since i had hands laid on my head I am commanded to always be sharing the gospel. My mission to declare the gospel isn't over when I go home it is over when the Savior comes again. What an amazing and wonderful concept.
We taught a lot more this week which is always the best. Eric is one of the guys we taught this past week. it was at a members house and this was the first time meeting him. We told him what we were all about and we taught the 1st lesson. We were led by the spirit the whole time. I said and explained things so clearly and fluently with the spirit that there was no misunderstanding at all. And the best part where the spirit was the strongest was when I told of the experience Joseph Smith had in the grove. As i said it a fire burned in my chest stronger than ever before, and I could barely get out the whole thing with out crying. We all felt the spirit of god that night. Eric came to church this Sunday as well and loved it.
We also set a date with johnny for the 26th of November. He was a member of the reorganized church of latter day Saints but he and his family left because they started letting Women have the priesthood. it was funny usually we teach people who don't know that Joseph smith is a prophet. But he knows, i guess he is going to have to read and pray about Brigham Young. ha ha. he also made it to church.
Last experience that i would like to share was about the concert we did last night. It was very fun and so spiritual. I was in the main choir and also in a couple of small groups. The best part was when my mission Bro.Elder Fangupo sang a solo about the savior called," O lord my Redeemer." It touched all who were in hearing of it. he sang it so beautifully and tenderly that everyone was pierced to their hearts. I know I was.
Any way it was a very blessed week for us. but it was still hard at times. I just remembered the song count your many blessing. and I felt so much better. So count your many blessing and have a great week. I love you all.
Elder Spencer Larson
Some interesting things happened this week. Elder Ryan Larson is very amazing at playing the piano and he was needed at every Zone Conference and there are three. So he and another missionary went to those while I spent my time with a Spanish Elder, Elder Weddell. he is pretty cool, he is from Oregon and the special thing about him is that he is a full blooded native American. We had fun, we played a lot of dumb funny games as we did our missionary work and he taught me how to make tortillas. He found out that it was my birthday so he took me to a less active members house and they sang a song to me in Spanish about birthdays. It was the longest happy birthday song ever, and after the song they fed us brownies.
I met up with my comp. at another Zone conference and we gave a training about "Taking finding to another Level". We didn't have a lot of time to prepare but we did the best we can we had fun doing it. It was a very good Zone conference and I learned that I want to be a missionary for the right reasons, and base my every action on my love for my Savior. i also learned that Ever since i had hands laid on my head I am commanded to always be sharing the gospel. My mission to declare the gospel isn't over when I go home it is over when the Savior comes again. What an amazing and wonderful concept.
We taught a lot more this week which is always the best. Eric is one of the guys we taught this past week. it was at a members house and this was the first time meeting him. We told him what we were all about and we taught the 1st lesson. We were led by the spirit the whole time. I said and explained things so clearly and fluently with the spirit that there was no misunderstanding at all. And the best part where the spirit was the strongest was when I told of the experience Joseph Smith had in the grove. As i said it a fire burned in my chest stronger than ever before, and I could barely get out the whole thing with out crying. We all felt the spirit of god that night. Eric came to church this Sunday as well and loved it.
We also set a date with johnny for the 26th of November. He was a member of the reorganized church of latter day Saints but he and his family left because they started letting Women have the priesthood. it was funny usually we teach people who don't know that Joseph smith is a prophet. But he knows, i guess he is going to have to read and pray about Brigham Young. ha ha. he also made it to church.
Last experience that i would like to share was about the concert we did last night. It was very fun and so spiritual. I was in the main choir and also in a couple of small groups. The best part was when my mission Bro.Elder Fangupo sang a solo about the savior called," O lord my Redeemer." It touched all who were in hearing of it. he sang it so beautifully and tenderly that everyone was pierced to their hearts. I know I was.
Any way it was a very blessed week for us. but it was still hard at times. I just remembered the song count your many blessing. and I felt so much better. So count your many blessing and have a great week. I love you all.
Elder Spencer Larson
I'm jumping rope
Dear Family and Friends,
I can´t beileve how much and how fast Ben can type. I have more problems with typing, so don´t write big long e-mails but I´ll try to write faster.
I am dong good, my health it alright, I am jumping rope sometimes but I am starting again to be more constant with it.
Me and my comp had a bad week this week. It seemed like everything we did just went wrong. Almost all of our lessons felll throught but we are hoping that this week will be better, actully I am positive that it will be a better week.
We have two investagators that are progressing they are Arlindo, and Eunice.
I love you guys have a good week.
Elder Stephen Larson
I can´t beileve how much and how fast Ben can type. I have more problems with typing, so don´t write big long e-mails but I´ll try to write faster.
I am dong good, my health it alright, I am jumping rope sometimes but I am starting again to be more constant with it.
Me and my comp had a bad week this week. It seemed like everything we did just went wrong. Almost all of our lessons felll throught but we are hoping that this week will be better, actully I am positive that it will be a better week.
We have two investagators that are progressing they are Arlindo, and Eunice.
I love you guys have a good week.
Elder Stephen Larson
I couldnt speek english!
Hey everybody,
This last week went by really fast, it seem as if the weeks are going by faster and faster. Well I am doing fine here in São Paulo, Brazil. Me and my comp had some ideas to fine more people to teach, and one of these ideas was me teaching English Saturday mornings. So I have already given 2 classes, and its been cool. In my last English class the ´students´ wanted me to say the closing prayer in English so I did. But when I started to say the prayer, my mind went blank and only Portugês words came to my mind, so I had to translate what i wanted to say from Portugês to English. I was stuttering the whole way through the prayer(how wired right?)
Me and Elder Barboza are getting along better than we were, at the begging of the transfer he was really quiet and we didn´t really know how to work or teach well together, but now we know to work together.
Debora has been hiding from us, so I´m thinking she won´t be baptized on the 19th. Jadson has been opening up to us more and more, in our next lesson we are going to mark him for baptizum. We have a lot of people that we are working with, I hope they will progress and come closer to there Heavenly Father. I love you all, have a god week.
Elder Stephen Larson
p.s. I didn´´t even realize that Halloween had pasted. Have a Happy B-Day Annika and Spencer Love you guys!!!!!!!!
This last week went by really fast, it seem as if the weeks are going by faster and faster. Well I am doing fine here in São Paulo, Brazil. Me and my comp had some ideas to fine more people to teach, and one of these ideas was me teaching English Saturday mornings. So I have already given 2 classes, and its been cool. In my last English class the ´students´ wanted me to say the closing prayer in English so I did. But when I started to say the prayer, my mind went blank and only Portugês words came to my mind, so I had to translate what i wanted to say from Portugês to English. I was stuttering the whole way through the prayer(how wired right?)
Me and Elder Barboza are getting along better than we were, at the begging of the transfer he was really quiet and we didn´t really know how to work or teach well together, but now we know to work together.
Debora has been hiding from us, so I´m thinking she won´t be baptized on the 19th. Jadson has been opening up to us more and more, in our next lesson we are going to mark him for baptizum. We have a lot of people that we are working with, I hope they will progress and come closer to there Heavenly Father. I love you all, have a god week.
Elder Stephen Larson
p.s. I didn´´t even realize that Halloween had pasted. Have a Happy B-Day Annika and Spencer Love you guys!!!!!!!!
Rockin T4
Dear Family,
We have had a great week this week. Monday was a slow and painful day where elder Larson and I wanted to die because we had nothing to do accept stay in our apartment and wait for Halloween to be over. Man! I wanted to go trick or treating. I got over it pretty fast. Even though it is hard everyday to get things moving in this area we still diligently strive to make it work. And everyday as I look back has improved little by little,and step by step. We found two new people to teach this week. First one we found up north in our area. Her name is Amanda and she was on a street where every house had a dogs that consistently barked at us. I couldn't even hear myself think. but the spirit was with us and we were able to teach her the first lesson. She is very receptive and open to what we have to say. I asked her what she believed in and she really didn't know. All she said is that she believed that there is a good and a Bad. What a beautiful place to start in building her testimony of the restored gospel.
The other person that is now investigating is a guy named Brian. We found him after knocking on a less -active members house. It was pretty funny, we walked out and I looked over and I saw him with his other 23 yrd friend and brian had this random stick in his hand. He was twirling it and swing it like a crazy ninja; accept he is a white guy with no shoes on. So we talked to him and his friend and he was interested. We later taught him the first lesson and it went pretty well. We even got him to say the closing prayer after some persuasion and faith building. He has some issues with the Word of Wisdom so we have some work to do with him. The interesting thing that me and Elder Larson talked about later is that even though we both don't know these people accept for the two times we talked with them; we feel almost like parents who want the best for his children. I love them and really do want what is best for both of them in the temporal and spiritual state.
We have one investigator that we have been working with for a little while. His name is Heran. He is from China a long with his parents who are from what I understand agnostic. I was so excited to find out that they were chinese. So when his mom offered to give us a drink I decided right then that I would say thankyou in chinese. When she came with the drinks I said," bu ku qi." She smiled and said," Bu ku qi" back. Right then I realized that I said the wrong thing to her. I Should have said, Xie xie. which means thankyou. But instead I said your welcome. I felt really dumb but she understood what I was trying to say. Heran is a great kid and we are going to set a date with him this week and I got to work on my chinese.
The Lord has blessed us so much this week as we have just strived to be obedient to his commandments. I am very excited to see what is going to happen in the next couple weeks I will keep you all posted. I love you all.
[Elder Spencer Larson]
p.s. I know I say this every time I get a new companion but Elder Larson is my favorite companion.
We have had a great week this week. Monday was a slow and painful day where elder Larson and I wanted to die because we had nothing to do accept stay in our apartment and wait for Halloween to be over. Man! I wanted to go trick or treating. I got over it pretty fast. Even though it is hard everyday to get things moving in this area we still diligently strive to make it work. And everyday as I look back has improved little by little,and step by step. We found two new people to teach this week. First one we found up north in our area. Her name is Amanda and she was on a street where every house had a dogs that consistently barked at us. I couldn't even hear myself think. but the spirit was with us and we were able to teach her the first lesson. She is very receptive and open to what we have to say. I asked her what she believed in and she really didn't know. All she said is that she believed that there is a good and a Bad. What a beautiful place to start in building her testimony of the restored gospel.
The other person that is now investigating is a guy named Brian. We found him after knocking on a less -active members house. It was pretty funny, we walked out and I looked over and I saw him with his other 23 yrd friend and brian had this random stick in his hand. He was twirling it and swing it like a crazy ninja; accept he is a white guy with no shoes on. So we talked to him and his friend and he was interested. We later taught him the first lesson and it went pretty well. We even got him to say the closing prayer after some persuasion and faith building. He has some issues with the Word of Wisdom so we have some work to do with him. The interesting thing that me and Elder Larson talked about later is that even though we both don't know these people accept for the two times we talked with them; we feel almost like parents who want the best for his children. I love them and really do want what is best for both of them in the temporal and spiritual state.
We have one investigator that we have been working with for a little while. His name is Heran. He is from China a long with his parents who are from what I understand agnostic. I was so excited to find out that they were chinese. So when his mom offered to give us a drink I decided right then that I would say thankyou in chinese. When she came with the drinks I said," bu ku qi." She smiled and said," Bu ku qi" back. Right then I realized that I said the wrong thing to her. I Should have said, Xie xie. which means thankyou. But instead I said your welcome. I felt really dumb but she understood what I was trying to say. Heran is a great kid and we are going to set a date with him this week and I got to work on my chinese.
The Lord has blessed us so much this week as we have just strived to be obedient to his commandments. I am very excited to see what is going to happen in the next couple weeks I will keep you all posted. I love you all.
[Elder Spencer Larson]
p.s. I know I say this every time I get a new companion but Elder Larson is my favorite companion.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Happy Halloween not on Oct 31 but on Nov 1
Hey my Mom and my Jess, and all you other wonderful people whoever you are!!!!
First things first, I am doing good here in the Philippines mom, not sick or anything, pooping is a little hard, ha but oatmeal helps. Ha ha Biro Lang, (Just joking)
Mom that is so exciting to hear that you are the champion of all the other quilters in all the land of Utah!! I am not surprised, you are the greatest!! No doubts. And you deserve those bragging rights, you should do it again next year, make it a tradition, although someday you will have to resign so other moms will have a chance to try and be as good as you. I love you Mom.
Jess!!!!!! How is your hair?! Nice and long I hope!! You said you would grow it out while I was on my mission. Maalala Ka ba? (You remember?) Ha No but really, I think it would be sweet if you did that. if not thats ok.
So this week has been tough and fun. We Baptized Tatay Edano and Sister Jocelyn last saturday!!! I think, it was last saturday, anyways, I attached some pictures so you can see. I hope it worked. It is so great to see someone who you have been working with for so long, and waiting with for so long, finally get baptized. And be apart of it. So I baptized Tatay, and my comp. Baptized Nanay. I like these pictures. One thing I noticed is how people look shorter in pictures, like in person I don't realize how short some of the people are, but then standing next to them in a picture, they look so short!! Ha fun stuff.
So let's see, man one thing happened today that was gross. Me and another elder in our house went to go get him a hair cut, I didn't need one, only him. So we went and just a little clarification about barbershops here in the Philippines. So I think they are all a little Gender confused. Cause All the girls that work there, are Tomboy, or Lezbian, and all the men are Bakla's, Gay's. So there's a weird thing. So we went to the regular place, and I just sat and studied / looked at pictures while Elder Cazimero got his hair cut. ( Elder Cazimero isn't my comp. he is just another Elder in our house, and we went together for this.) So a Bakla or a guy who tries to look like a girl cut his hair. And apperently he thinks I am cute and was asking if I have a girl friend. Yup, we got out of their fast!!!! Not going back there again!!!
We also had a halloween ward party and we stopped by to see if any investigators showed up, a few did, new investigators which was exciting. Anyway, so we went and I saw that little girl in the Minie costume and she was so cute!! I had to take a picture and show you! I hope it works. There is many cute Filipino young ones here.
So, nothing too exciting happened this week. The language is still a pain. And people don't look at me in the eyes when I teach, or even just talk, because they are shy, very shy, and that is actually really bother to me. I don't know why. But they look at my comp, and answer my questions to him. Ha fun again. Oh one different thing here, is that Halloween is on November 1 not October 31, so Halloween is tommorrow? Ha and Instead of trick or treating they go to their families graves, which aren't under the ground they are above ground in these cement box things, and then they paint their families graves. Ha a little different.
So I hope you are all doing well. And wow, the twins are going to be 21 soon! They are so old! Ha I hope they are doing good. They seem good from their e-mails.
So mom and Jess, I love you guys, sorry no way cool stories this week. But I am doing good, my health is doing alright, and I am pushing through everything. I know the lord is always with me, because he called me here, and now I am following his call, so as long as I continue to do my best, he will be there to make up what I can't do. I know he loves us all, and we are his children. I know that just having that knowledge is such a blessing! One of my favorite scriptures right now is in 2 Nephi I think verse 22 verse 2, It says, something like this, "The lord has been my support, and my song, I will trust in him and not fear. He has also become my salvation.." something along those lines. but I like that scripture, it gives peace to me, and I know that if I don't fear, and just do as he asks, and continue to trust in him, he will always continue to support me and lift me. I know this is true, and am so happy to share it with you.
I love you both, and hope you are happy. As well as the rest of you, my family! You are all great and your prayers are felt, thank you!
Love your son, and brother.
Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
PS. the picture of the ship I thought Matt and Ashton would like, a member in our ward made it with his own hands. I think using only his hands, and tools of course ha. but I tought it was way cool. Love you again. Oh the other picture is of me eating sugar cane. I was a survice project. It's like a stick and you peel it, then you take a bite out of the wood like it a string cheese, and just munch, you cant swallow.
First things first, I am doing good here in the Philippines mom, not sick or anything, pooping is a little hard, ha but oatmeal helps. Ha ha Biro Lang, (Just joking)
Mom that is so exciting to hear that you are the champion of all the other quilters in all the land of Utah!! I am not surprised, you are the greatest!! No doubts. And you deserve those bragging rights, you should do it again next year, make it a tradition, although someday you will have to resign so other moms will have a chance to try and be as good as you. I love you Mom.
Jess!!!!!! How is your hair?! Nice and long I hope!! You said you would grow it out while I was on my mission. Maalala Ka ba? (You remember?) Ha No but really, I think it would be sweet if you did that. if not thats ok.
So this week has been tough and fun. We Baptized Tatay Edano and Sister Jocelyn last saturday!!! I think, it was last saturday, anyways, I attached some pictures so you can see. I hope it worked. It is so great to see someone who you have been working with for so long, and waiting with for so long, finally get baptized. And be apart of it. So I baptized Tatay, and my comp. Baptized Nanay. I like these pictures. One thing I noticed is how people look shorter in pictures, like in person I don't realize how short some of the people are, but then standing next to them in a picture, they look so short!! Ha fun stuff.
So let's see, man one thing happened today that was gross. Me and another elder in our house went to go get him a hair cut, I didn't need one, only him. So we went and just a little clarification about barbershops here in the Philippines. So I think they are all a little Gender confused. Cause All the girls that work there, are Tomboy, or Lezbian, and all the men are Bakla's, Gay's. So there's a weird thing. So we went to the regular place, and I just sat and studied / looked at pictures while Elder Cazimero got his hair cut. ( Elder Cazimero isn't my comp. he is just another Elder in our house, and we went together for this.) So a Bakla or a guy who tries to look like a girl cut his hair. And apperently he thinks I am cute and was asking if I have a girl friend. Yup, we got out of their fast!!!! Not going back there again!!!
We also had a halloween ward party and we stopped by to see if any investigators showed up, a few did, new investigators which was exciting. Anyway, so we went and I saw that little girl in the Minie costume and she was so cute!! I had to take a picture and show you! I hope it works. There is many cute Filipino young ones here.
So, nothing too exciting happened this week. The language is still a pain. And people don't look at me in the eyes when I teach, or even just talk, because they are shy, very shy, and that is actually really bother to me. I don't know why. But they look at my comp, and answer my questions to him. Ha fun again. Oh one different thing here, is that Halloween is on November 1 not October 31, so Halloween is tommorrow? Ha and Instead of trick or treating they go to their families graves, which aren't under the ground they are above ground in these cement box things, and then they paint their families graves. Ha a little different.
So I hope you are all doing well. And wow, the twins are going to be 21 soon! They are so old! Ha I hope they are doing good. They seem good from their e-mails.
So mom and Jess, I love you guys, sorry no way cool stories this week. But I am doing good, my health is doing alright, and I am pushing through everything. I know the lord is always with me, because he called me here, and now I am following his call, so as long as I continue to do my best, he will be there to make up what I can't do. I know he loves us all, and we are his children. I know that just having that knowledge is such a blessing! One of my favorite scriptures right now is in 2 Nephi I think verse 22 verse 2, It says, something like this, "The lord has been my support, and my song, I will trust in him and not fear. He has also become my salvation.." something along those lines. but I like that scripture, it gives peace to me, and I know that if I don't fear, and just do as he asks, and continue to trust in him, he will always continue to support me and lift me. I know this is true, and am so happy to share it with you.
I love you both, and hope you are happy. As well as the rest of you, my family! You are all great and your prayers are felt, thank you!
Love your son, and brother.
Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
PS. the picture of the ship I thought Matt and Ashton would like, a member in our ward made it with his own hands. I think using only his hands, and tools of course ha. but I tought it was way cool. Love you again. Oh the other picture is of me eating sugar cane. I was a survice project. It's like a stick and you peel it, then you take a bite out of the wood like it a string cheese, and just munch, you cant swallow.
Happy Halloween
My Friends and Family,
This week was a good week with a lot of new changes and things happening. I got transferred to Tampa 4 again and you will never guess who the lord put me with. My new companion is Elder Larson. I thought, of all the other missionaries in the mission you had to put me with some one with the same last name. It has been very interesting talking to people and telling them our names. They just look again and ask if we are brothers or something like that. I hope we don't give the impression that we are from a polygamist family or something like that. So we are going to talk to president to see what he thinks we should do. Other than that elder Ryan Larson is very awesome to be with. He is from Spokane, Washington, he has been out for 14 months, he is a music gunky and it is killing him to not listen to all his favorite music. He is so talented with the piano and for the opening song for our comp. study he plays his Ukulele. One of the things that we are going to do is find out if we are related somehow.
The trip up from bonita was really fun, I got to talk with some of my favorite missionaries Elder Berry and Sister O'Neil. When we got to Tampa Elder Larson was there with the spanish elders to pick me and other elders up. So we squished into a spanish members little truck and went to their apartment to get our car. It was about 9:30 pm by this time and I was so ready for bed by that time but the night wasn't quite over for us. As I was loading my stuff into our car, a guynamed Tim came up to Elder Larson and I and asked us if we needed help. He was so drunk, slurring his words and almost tripping over himself. I just told him no thankyou and shook his hand. He almost missed my hand when he tried to shake and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. But that wasn't the end of tim. he got to talking with the Spanish elders and he ended up giving them one of his couches for free. now I can say that I took a couch from a drunk guy, He probably is going to wake up in the morning wondering who the heck stole his couch. What a funny time. After that we were about to leave so Elder larson went to shut the trunk and as he did the bike rack wasn't on all the way so when he did it shattered the back windshield. All I could do was laugh it was so random and funny. We ended up getting a ride with the spanish member home.
In this area things have been slow. we have had to work super hard to get things started in this area. During one of our tracting sessions we knocked into two high school girls, Jennesa and Alexus. At first they shut us down telling us that they weren't that interested. So it came to mind that i should give them a pamphlet so I did and out of nowhere I began to teach about prophets and the gospel in our day. They became so interested they sat down on the floor inside while we sat on their door step. It was an amazing and wonderful experience. We are working on teaching them more. We have found 4 more people were interested in learning more.
We had a Halloween trunk or treat party in the ward and a lot of people remembered me from before. It was so nice to be able to talk with this ward again. I think that this ward had a hard time with the previous missionaries from what I have seen and from what Elder Larson has told me. But I think that we have already gained a l lot of the trust back just in this first week. I am very excited for this next week and I hope that we can really start the fire for missionary work in this area/ ward.
I hope that everyone is doing well. Have a happy Halloween. I love you all.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
This week was a good week with a lot of new changes and things happening. I got transferred to Tampa 4 again and you will never guess who the lord put me with. My new companion is Elder Larson. I thought, of all the other missionaries in the mission you had to put me with some one with the same last name. It has been very interesting talking to people and telling them our names. They just look again and ask if we are brothers or something like that. I hope we don't give the impression that we are from a polygamist family or something like that. So we are going to talk to president to see what he thinks we should do. Other than that elder Ryan Larson is very awesome to be with. He is from Spokane, Washington, he has been out for 14 months, he is a music gunky and it is killing him to not listen to all his favorite music. He is so talented with the piano and for the opening song for our comp. study he plays his Ukulele. One of the things that we are going to do is find out if we are related somehow.
The trip up from bonita was really fun, I got to talk with some of my favorite missionaries Elder Berry and Sister O'Neil. When we got to Tampa Elder Larson was there with the spanish elders to pick me and other elders up. So we squished into a spanish members little truck and went to their apartment to get our car. It was about 9:30 pm by this time and I was so ready for bed by that time but the night wasn't quite over for us. As I was loading my stuff into our car, a guynamed Tim came up to Elder Larson and I and asked us if we needed help. He was so drunk, slurring his words and almost tripping over himself. I just told him no thankyou and shook his hand. He almost missed my hand when he tried to shake and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. But that wasn't the end of tim. he got to talking with the Spanish elders and he ended up giving them one of his couches for free. now I can say that I took a couch from a drunk guy, He probably is going to wake up in the morning wondering who the heck stole his couch. What a funny time. After that we were about to leave so Elder larson went to shut the trunk and as he did the bike rack wasn't on all the way so when he did it shattered the back windshield. All I could do was laugh it was so random and funny. We ended up getting a ride with the spanish member home.
In this area things have been slow. we have had to work super hard to get things started in this area. During one of our tracting sessions we knocked into two high school girls, Jennesa and Alexus. At first they shut us down telling us that they weren't that interested. So it came to mind that i should give them a pamphlet so I did and out of nowhere I began to teach about prophets and the gospel in our day. They became so interested they sat down on the floor inside while we sat on their door step. It was an amazing and wonderful experience. We are working on teaching them more. We have found 4 more people were interested in learning more.
We had a Halloween trunk or treat party in the ward and a lot of people remembered me from before. It was so nice to be able to talk with this ward again. I think that this ward had a hard time with the previous missionaries from what I have seen and from what Elder Larson has told me. But I think that we have already gained a l lot of the trust back just in this first week. I am very excited for this next week and I hope that we can really start the fire for missionary work in this area/ ward.
I hope that everyone is doing well. Have a happy Halloween. I love you all.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
We are teaching lots of people
Hello everybody,
We are teaching some people, thay are Debora(24), Arlindo(about40), Jadson(33),and Manoel(about37). Debora is a lady that we taught one time, we talked about how GOD´S church was restored on the earth by a prophet, Joseph Smith and invited her to be baptized on the 19th of november, but sence that day we haven´t been able to talk to her because she wasn´t home.
Arlindo is live with a member(Andrea), they live as husband and wife but they aren´t married. He goes to church and I believe that he wants to get baptized but he´s not married. Arlindo and Andrea are going to get married on the 10th of Dezember so we are going to help him get baptized on the 11th. He´s a cool guy but sometimes he is really shy, we are going to teach him everything again and help him understand because sometimes he has a hard time understanding.
Jadson has a girlfriend(Cristiane) who is a member and he has been going to church for 6 months. We started teaching him 2 weeks ago, we taught about the restoration but we can only teach him on saterday or sunday because he gets home late durring the week. Jadson started reading the Book Of Mormon yesterday and he hasen´t prayed to ask if it is ture yet, but I am sure that when he asks he´ll get a response. Cristiane is also helping him so it should be easyer for him.
Manoel, we taught him the restoration and he´s reading the BoM but he don´t want to got baptized yet, but we´ll work with him.
Just to let you all know I´m doing fine, my health is also good. This week was a prity good one. On thursday we had a meeting with Elder Claudio R. M. Costa(who was or is in the 1st presidency of the 70 and now Area president of Brazil), he is brasilan and very funny he told us a lot of storys and miricals that he has seen in his life, really cool!
I know that the lord loves us and wants us to be happy. Elder Costa said "The perpose to the Criation, The FALL, Atonment, and The Restoration is to make it possiable so that our Familys can be together forever"!
Have a good week.
Elder Stephen Larson
We are teaching some people, thay are Debora(24), Arlindo(about40), Jadson(33),and Manoel(about37). Debora is a lady that we taught one time, we talked about how GOD´S church was restored on the earth by a prophet, Joseph Smith and invited her to be baptized on the 19th of november, but sence that day we haven´t been able to talk to her because she wasn´t home.
Arlindo is live with a member(Andrea), they live as husband and wife but they aren´t married. He goes to church and I believe that he wants to get baptized but he´s not married. Arlindo and Andrea are going to get married on the 10th of Dezember so we are going to help him get baptized on the 11th. He´s a cool guy but sometimes he is really shy, we are going to teach him everything again and help him understand because sometimes he has a hard time understanding.
Jadson has a girlfriend(Cristiane) who is a member and he has been going to church for 6 months. We started teaching him 2 weeks ago, we taught about the restoration but we can only teach him on saterday or sunday because he gets home late durring the week. Jadson started reading the Book Of Mormon yesterday and he hasen´t prayed to ask if it is ture yet, but I am sure that when he asks he´ll get a response. Cristiane is also helping him so it should be easyer for him.
Manoel, we taught him the restoration and he´s reading the BoM but he don´t want to got baptized yet, but we´ll work with him.
Just to let you all know I´m doing fine, my health is also good. This week was a prity good one. On thursday we had a meeting with Elder Claudio R. M. Costa(who was or is in the 1st presidency of the 70 and now Area president of Brazil), he is brasilan and very funny he told us a lot of storys and miricals that he has seen in his life, really cool!
I know that the lord loves us and wants us to be happy. Elder Costa said "The perpose to the Criation, The FALL, Atonment, and The Restoration is to make it possiable so that our Familys can be together forever"!
Have a good week.
Elder Stephen Larson
This week was a good week!
Hey everybody,
I loved ben´s photos, he looks so wierd as a missionary. It looks like he is still being him-self, funny and goofy. ha
This week was a good week. My comp elder Barbosa doesn´t talk very much during the lessons, or I just talk too much. I like to conversate with everybody about whatever. The computers that I have been using haven´t been letting me send pictures but I love you all.
Have a good week. I know god loves us.
Elder stephen larson
I loved ben´s photos, he looks so wierd as a missionary. It looks like he is still being him-self, funny and goofy. ha
This week was a good week. My comp elder Barbosa doesn´t talk very much during the lessons, or I just talk too much. I like to conversate with everybody about whatever. The computers that I have been using haven´t been letting me send pictures but I love you all.
Have a good week. I know god loves us.
Elder stephen larson
Father why did you curse me with such a fase of handsome and awesomeness!
Hey dad and kris and kids!
I am doing good here, i hope you are good too!! I love you all!!!! And miss you! Anni are you excited about your birthday!?? It's coming up soon! wow I can't believe you are going to be 11 !!! SO big. You too Davo, you are getting so good at sports, you are going to be able to beat me at soccer when I get back!
SO this week, Nanay at Tatay Edano were baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally. They have been waiting so long, they were first taught in december of last year, wow, and They were so happy to be baptized. Ha the thing is, is that at the baptism, all the baptismal clothes for the investigators were too small for Tatay, Ha we gave him the biggest one but he still had a huge wedgie, basically you could see his butt crack from 50 yards away, ha he was ok with it, and just walked around like it was nothing, he is so funny! I was able to baptize him, and my comp. Elder Samson baptized, Nanay. Ha except he had to do it four times!! Because he said, she was heavy, but truly, elder Samson is kinda small. ha Man I wish I had pictures but this computer won't let me send them, Sayong, (waste!) ha But they were baptized and so happy to be baptized. I think Nanay was crying after she came out of the waters.
So this week.............. Oh yes of course, drunk man story of the week, so yesterday, we were on our way to see a family of investigators, and they are great, just so you know, the Digamon, Family. Anyways, so on our way, we passed a group of people, and one Tatay, was drunk! Ha He wanted to shake my hand so I shook his hand like a good little missionary. then we went to our appointment, but wait, ok, it gets better. After our appointment, we again exited the home and passed by the group again, the Tatay that was drunk, again came to me and shook my had, but as I turned to leave him, he wouldn't let me go. then he said to me, " Friend I want to kiss you" 'What the Junk!' I thought! So I just said, "Ayos lang po tay" (no thanks tatay,) But he persisted, " Oh friend, it's ok. Friends Kiss on cheeks." I don't know what kind of friends he has, kissin his cheeks and all, but My cheeks are for my future Wife! I just said again, no thanks, but then he tried pulling me down to his level. This story sound familiar yet? Yup, just like that old Nanay grandma person who wanted to kiss my cheeks. So I just straitened up and he couldn't reach! Hah hah I'm taller than you Tatay's and Nanay's that want to kiss me! Ha I don't understand, Grandma's wanting to kiss me is one thing, but saggy old drunk men, what's that all about!? I must be too handsome for my own good. "why father, why did you curse me with such a face of Handsome and awesomeness!" Ha just kidding. no but really, people are very affectionate here. It's fun! If your the one watching your companion getting smuthered to death by old people's puckered lips trying to touch your face.
Yup, so now serious. Life is good. We had temple trip today, so that's why P-day is on Tuesday instead of Monday. It was great. I got to thinking while I was in the temple. Before this life, when we were in heaven, we all excepted the lord's plan, but did we know where we were going? Did we have any Idea or choice? I think not, I think of it like a mission call, you accept the call to go, and then you take a leap of faith and go where the lord wants you to go. Then I realized, we, You, my family, have been so blessed!! Just to be born in America, holy cow I am sorry family, but this is true. YOU ARE BLESSED!! AS AM I! Therefore, we need to Make the best of our blessings and GIVE to those WHO HAVE NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man I feel like I am ripping off the Filipino people being an American. I really feel like we have so many blessings, and when we reject our fellow men, or reject the opportunity to serve, we are being selfish, and should help everyone!! For me, before my mission, I didn't like doing service, especially, if it made me sweat. But really, god has given us a law, and commandment called, the law of Concecration! It means we put the lord and his way before us, we serve him before ourselves. It says in the BOM, "and when ye are in the service of your fellow being, you are in the service of your god" don't know where it is in B o M but it's in there. This means that if we are commanded to serve god, or do as he asks, we are commanded too to serve our fellow beings, our brothers and our sisters.! Think about how you would feel, if after you die, you go to heaven and a person that looks familiar comes up to you, and with Tears in her/ his eyes, says, " I needed help. Why didn't you give it?" K so maybe thats not such a great example but it makes sense to me so just humor me, ha. If you were having a hard day, really hard day, you would want help, god sometimes gives his children help through others. and sometimes, he chooses us, YOU, as those 'OTHERS' to help those in need. Elder Bednar said, "It is such a blessing to be trusted of the Lord, to HELP one of his children!" Don't let god down, US all!!!!! Lets Help our fellow persons who are less fortunate and more fortunate too. If anyone needs help, I encourage you all to sacrifice your time, which is precious to you, and God, and serve your Brothers and sisters.
So that's pretty much all, I hope you understood it all! I love you dad, and thankyou for all your support and prayers, and letters and stuff. And kris, you too, you make a difference in my mission. Ha oh P.S I haven't gotten the package yet. I guess it takes a while, sorry.
Anni and David, You are so great! I love you both to death!! and think about you a lot! You two are great examples and missionaries to all of your friends! I look up to you guys so much! Thankyou!
Love your son and Brother,
Elder Benjamin Larson
I am doing good here, i hope you are good too!! I love you all!!!! And miss you! Anni are you excited about your birthday!?? It's coming up soon! wow I can't believe you are going to be 11 !!! SO big. You too Davo, you are getting so good at sports, you are going to be able to beat me at soccer when I get back!
SO this week, Nanay at Tatay Edano were baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally. They have been waiting so long, they were first taught in december of last year, wow, and They were so happy to be baptized. Ha the thing is, is that at the baptism, all the baptismal clothes for the investigators were too small for Tatay, Ha we gave him the biggest one but he still had a huge wedgie, basically you could see his butt crack from 50 yards away, ha he was ok with it, and just walked around like it was nothing, he is so funny! I was able to baptize him, and my comp. Elder Samson baptized, Nanay. Ha except he had to do it four times!! Because he said, she was heavy, but truly, elder Samson is kinda small. ha Man I wish I had pictures but this computer won't let me send them, Sayong, (waste!) ha But they were baptized and so happy to be baptized. I think Nanay was crying after she came out of the waters.
So this week.............. Oh yes of course, drunk man story of the week, so yesterday, we were on our way to see a family of investigators, and they are great, just so you know, the Digamon, Family. Anyways, so on our way, we passed a group of people, and one Tatay, was drunk! Ha He wanted to shake my hand so I shook his hand like a good little missionary. then we went to our appointment, but wait, ok, it gets better. After our appointment, we again exited the home and passed by the group again, the Tatay that was drunk, again came to me and shook my had, but as I turned to leave him, he wouldn't let me go. then he said to me, " Friend I want to kiss you" 'What the Junk!' I thought! So I just said, "Ayos lang po tay" (no thanks tatay,) But he persisted, " Oh friend, it's ok. Friends Kiss on cheeks." I don't know what kind of friends he has, kissin his cheeks and all, but My cheeks are for my future Wife! I just said again, no thanks, but then he tried pulling me down to his level. This story sound familiar yet? Yup, just like that old Nanay grandma person who wanted to kiss my cheeks. So I just straitened up and he couldn't reach! Hah hah I'm taller than you Tatay's and Nanay's that want to kiss me! Ha I don't understand, Grandma's wanting to kiss me is one thing, but saggy old drunk men, what's that all about!? I must be too handsome for my own good. "why father, why did you curse me with such a face of Handsome and awesomeness!" Ha just kidding. no but really, people are very affectionate here. It's fun! If your the one watching your companion getting smuthered to death by old people's puckered lips trying to touch your face.
Yup, so now serious. Life is good. We had temple trip today, so that's why P-day is on Tuesday instead of Monday. It was great. I got to thinking while I was in the temple. Before this life, when we were in heaven, we all excepted the lord's plan, but did we know where we were going? Did we have any Idea or choice? I think not, I think of it like a mission call, you accept the call to go, and then you take a leap of faith and go where the lord wants you to go. Then I realized, we, You, my family, have been so blessed!! Just to be born in America, holy cow I am sorry family, but this is true. YOU ARE BLESSED!! AS AM I! Therefore, we need to Make the best of our blessings and GIVE to those WHO HAVE NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man I feel like I am ripping off the Filipino people being an American. I really feel like we have so many blessings, and when we reject our fellow men, or reject the opportunity to serve, we are being selfish, and should help everyone!! For me, before my mission, I didn't like doing service, especially, if it made me sweat. But really, god has given us a law, and commandment called, the law of Concecration! It means we put the lord and his way before us, we serve him before ourselves. It says in the BOM, "and when ye are in the service of your fellow being, you are in the service of your god" don't know where it is in B o M but it's in there. This means that if we are commanded to serve god, or do as he asks, we are commanded too to serve our fellow beings, our brothers and our sisters.! Think about how you would feel, if after you die, you go to heaven and a person that looks familiar comes up to you, and with Tears in her/ his eyes, says, " I needed help. Why didn't you give it?" K so maybe thats not such a great example but it makes sense to me so just humor me, ha. If you were having a hard day, really hard day, you would want help, god sometimes gives his children help through others. and sometimes, he chooses us, YOU, as those 'OTHERS' to help those in need. Elder Bednar said, "It is such a blessing to be trusted of the Lord, to HELP one of his children!" Don't let god down, US all!!!!! Lets Help our fellow persons who are less fortunate and more fortunate too. If anyone needs help, I encourage you all to sacrifice your time, which is precious to you, and God, and serve your Brothers and sisters.
So that's pretty much all, I hope you understood it all! I love you dad, and thankyou for all your support and prayers, and letters and stuff. And kris, you too, you make a difference in my mission. Ha oh P.S I haven't gotten the package yet. I guess it takes a while, sorry.
Anni and David, You are so great! I love you both to death!! and think about you a lot! You two are great examples and missionaries to all of your friends! I look up to you guys so much! Thankyou!
Love your son and Brother,
Elder Benjamin Larson
Monday, October 24, 2011
Hey hey hey good bye
Good Morning to you all,
This week has been a bery good week. From Monday to Saturday the space in the back of my mind was being taken up by the thought of transfers. It wasn't worrying me because I know as I have always known that where ever I go is where the lord has need of me. I found out that after Six months of being in bonita I am getting transfered to .......... drum roll... Tampa 4. When I found out I was just like," Tampa 4 again?" I guess I messed up the first time the lord sent me there so he is sending me back. Hehe the lord has a great sense of humor, he has to, to be able to deal with us all the time. Right after we found out we went over to Margies and Scotts house and told them the news. Margie was so sad and also very angry that I was leaving. She told me that she is going to write president Summerhays telling him that to send me back here until he does it. I guess she is going to be writing president a lot. Scott told me that he was very thankful for all the things that I had done for him and his family. Then for the last time we played Ispy go fish with scottie. what a kid. They kid knapped us for most of the day and it was way fun. WE went to a little community fair where they raced down the river in Kiaks. We talked to a lot of people who were there and we also got our pictures taken by a the Bonita news paper. So pretty much we are famous. its too bad I am leaving I could have used that.
The ward is so sad to see me leave. Bishop called me up to bear my testimony for the last time and it felt like I was giving a farewell testimony from my home. This sunday was probably the most busy I have ever been. Everyone invited us over for dinner and I think we had about 3 or 4 dinners. I am dead and still stiuffed full today.
I have been pondering a lot this week about something that I read, " ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, Knock and it shall be opened unto you." this saying hit me harder than ever before. I feel like Joseph Smith because I have been searching in the scriptures a lot and I have been getting frusterated trying to find answers to my questoins and not finding the answers as fast as I want. But the lord gave me that assurance that he will answer and it may come slowly and unnoticed like the rising of the sun on a cloudy day just like Elder Bednar stated in his conference talk a while ago. So I am happy and excited for the answers that do come and I am thankful for all that the lord has blessed me with. There is a quote that says," The man who forgets to be thankful, is asleep in life," That also was very helpful and is helpful to all who are in search for happiness and truth.
You all will find this story really funny. We went over to John and Richard Hallquist's house for a dinner during the week. They have a bigger plot of yard than a lot of people in the area so they use those big lawn mowers you ride on to mow there grass. For some weird reason they had three of them, so Richard challenged us to a race. We drew straws on which Mower we were to use. I got the fasted one and the got the slower ones, but it didn't matter they were all super low speed. I could jog faster than those things. NOn the less we lined up and raced around the block. I was right behind Elder Cook and I almost passed him but because he took the inside corner he won. After the race we went in and had a very spiritual lesson with them and Richard now really wants to be more active in the church.
We also had probably one of the best lessons with a girl named ashely this week. Shge is Seventh day adventist and is still sort of active. She was super busy with her school work so we just had the lesson over the phone. We had challenged her to read 3 nephi 11 the previous visit and as we talked about it I sensed a change in her. Before she didn't really want to come to church but now she is willing to come and find out if the things we are saying are really true. It was the most amazing phone lesson I have ever had.
So it has been very fun serving here in bonita. I am going to miss all the funny stuff that happens and all the funny people. Ben, I haven't had any poop experiences quite like that during a lesson yet but I am sure that I would laugh super hard.
I wish I could send pics but my camera hasn't been cooperating but I will try again next week.
I know that all that I go through out here and I am going to go through is a great blessing from the lord. I am so happy to be out here and I am just happy in general. I love life. I love you all., Take care.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
This week has been a bery good week. From Monday to Saturday the space in the back of my mind was being taken up by the thought of transfers. It wasn't worrying me because I know as I have always known that where ever I go is where the lord has need of me. I found out that after Six months of being in bonita I am getting transfered to .......... drum roll... Tampa 4. When I found out I was just like," Tampa 4 again?" I guess I messed up the first time the lord sent me there so he is sending me back. Hehe the lord has a great sense of humor, he has to, to be able to deal with us all the time. Right after we found out we went over to Margies and Scotts house and told them the news. Margie was so sad and also very angry that I was leaving. She told me that she is going to write president Summerhays telling him that to send me back here until he does it. I guess she is going to be writing president a lot. Scott told me that he was very thankful for all the things that I had done for him and his family. Then for the last time we played Ispy go fish with scottie. what a kid. They kid knapped us for most of the day and it was way fun. WE went to a little community fair where they raced down the river in Kiaks. We talked to a lot of people who were there and we also got our pictures taken by a the Bonita news paper. So pretty much we are famous. its too bad I am leaving I could have used that.
The ward is so sad to see me leave. Bishop called me up to bear my testimony for the last time and it felt like I was giving a farewell testimony from my home. This sunday was probably the most busy I have ever been. Everyone invited us over for dinner and I think we had about 3 or 4 dinners. I am dead and still stiuffed full today.
I have been pondering a lot this week about something that I read, " ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, Knock and it shall be opened unto you." this saying hit me harder than ever before. I feel like Joseph Smith because I have been searching in the scriptures a lot and I have been getting frusterated trying to find answers to my questoins and not finding the answers as fast as I want. But the lord gave me that assurance that he will answer and it may come slowly and unnoticed like the rising of the sun on a cloudy day just like Elder Bednar stated in his conference talk a while ago. So I am happy and excited for the answers that do come and I am thankful for all that the lord has blessed me with. There is a quote that says," The man who forgets to be thankful, is asleep in life," That also was very helpful and is helpful to all who are in search for happiness and truth.
You all will find this story really funny. We went over to John and Richard Hallquist's house for a dinner during the week. They have a bigger plot of yard than a lot of people in the area so they use those big lawn mowers you ride on to mow there grass. For some weird reason they had three of them, so Richard challenged us to a race. We drew straws on which Mower we were to use. I got the fasted one and the got the slower ones, but it didn't matter they were all super low speed. I could jog faster than those things. NOn the less we lined up and raced around the block. I was right behind Elder Cook and I almost passed him but because he took the inside corner he won. After the race we went in and had a very spiritual lesson with them and Richard now really wants to be more active in the church.
We also had probably one of the best lessons with a girl named ashely this week. Shge is Seventh day adventist and is still sort of active. She was super busy with her school work so we just had the lesson over the phone. We had challenged her to read 3 nephi 11 the previous visit and as we talked about it I sensed a change in her. Before she didn't really want to come to church but now she is willing to come and find out if the things we are saying are really true. It was the most amazing phone lesson I have ever had.
So it has been very fun serving here in bonita. I am going to miss all the funny stuff that happens and all the funny people. Ben, I haven't had any poop experiences quite like that during a lesson yet but I am sure that I would laugh super hard.
I wish I could send pics but my camera hasn't been cooperating but I will try again next week.
I know that all that I go through out here and I am going to go through is a great blessing from the lord. I am so happy to be out here and I am just happy in general. I love life. I love you all., Take care.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
I talk too much
Hey everybody,
I loved ben´s photos, he looks so wierd as a missionary. It looks like he is still being him-self, funny and goofy. ha
This week was a good week. My comp elder Barbosa doesn´t talk very much during the lessons, or I just talk too much. I like to conversate with everybody about whatever. The computers that I have been using haven´t been letting me send pictures but I love you all.
Have a good week. I know god loves us.
Elder stephen larson
I loved ben´s photos, he looks so wierd as a missionary. It looks like he is still being him-self, funny and goofy. ha
This week was a good week. My comp elder Barbosa doesn´t talk very much during the lessons, or I just talk too much. I like to conversate with everybody about whatever. The computers that I have been using haven´t been letting me send pictures but I love you all.
Have a good week. I know god loves us.
Elder stephen larson
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Baby pooed
Dear Dad and Kris and Anni and Davo,
How are you guys? I am doing good here on my mission. It is weird to sing or think about the song, "I hope they call me on a mission" cause I remember singing it as a primary kid, and now I am here! What!!?? Cool beans!!! I never would have thought that I would have been here in the Philippines serving my mission.
So this week was pretty good, it has had it's Happy and harder times! I have a funny story to tell you, Anni and Davo I think you will like this one a lot!
So Saturday me and my companion went to a part member family for our last visit. Part member means a member of the family is a member of the church too, so in this case the wife is a member and the husband isn't and they have a little baby boy named Si who is about 1 and a half years old.
Anyways, so we went to there house and when Sister Barbie, the member and wife, opened the door the baby Si wasn't wearing any pants or diapers cause they are expensive and are used sparingly. So the baby was naked, ha which isn't a big deal at all, to us or to sister barbie, so we just walked in and she put some shorts on her baby. The husband wasn't home so we decided to share a message to the wife. So I got to share the message, as usual whenever we share a message, which is good cause it helps me learn the language, anyways, so I was sharing a scripture and the baby was just playing on the cement floor, then as I was sharing my testimony the baby stood up, and there were two pieces of poop on the floor and pee puddle. Ha it was so funny! Sister Barbie said, " Ayyyy!! Baby!!" and picked him up and carried him to the bathroom to clean him off, then she went to find a rag, and before she could find one, little Si found one and came over to the mess he made, and started trying to clean it up, but really he was just spreading his crap all over the floor!! We moved him so sister could clean it up, and it was so so funny. Ha probably the funniest thing thats happened during a lesson!!
So another cool thing that happened, is that Brother Manuel Edano and Sister Jocelyn can be baptized!!!!!! YAYYY! Cause we weren't sure what to do cause they can't get married cause brother is still married and it is expensive to enolled, or divorce. So we were sad but we interviewed them to President Delamare and he said because they have been living together for 10 years they can be baptized!!! They were both so excited and wanted to be baptized the next day!! We told them, "how about this saturday. the 22 of October!" So thats their baptism date and they are stoked. Tay, Brother Edano said " we will go swimming!!!!!" Ha I will also have the great privalage to baptize him! Elder Samson my companion, will baptize sister Jocelyn!!! I am happy!
So this week has been a slow one I feel like. Our numbers aren't very high and that is bugging me. Also there was a sister we met in the internet shop we e-mail at 2 weeks ago that came up to us after our e mails and asked us a bunch of questions so we gave her a pamphlet and asked if we could come visit her sometime she said yes, and we scheduled a time for the next wednesday. Turns out she isn't in our area so we had to give her to the sisters! Ha they are good missionaries though! But I am trying not to compare myself with any other missionaries, I find that I am trying to compare myself to Stephen and Spencer a lot actually and see if I am doing as well as I think they are doing, Ha which doesn't make sense cause they are both so far a way and I shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone else anyway. so thats what I am working on this week, focussing on my own efforts and my investigators.
Also Kris I do know that Elder, Elder Dalisay, He is actually a batch younger than me, so I am one transfer ahead of him. We met in the MTC, ha it is weird that I am already older than someone in the mission, ha but he is better at tagalog than me. Like really, he understands everything and talks almost fluently, he is Filipino I think, and his parents used to speak tagalog to him so he is way good. Ha blast. No I am trying to be patient and I know I will get the language soon. Hopefully.
Well I love you all so much. And I hope you are so happy in Wyoming, in your new school Anni and Davo, and I hope you are making friends still. I hope you Dad and You Kris are happy too, I hope hawaii is nice!! Ha
Love your son and Brother Elder Benjamin Larson
How are you guys? I am doing good here on my mission. It is weird to sing or think about the song, "I hope they call me on a mission" cause I remember singing it as a primary kid, and now I am here! What!!?? Cool beans!!! I never would have thought that I would have been here in the Philippines serving my mission.
So this week was pretty good, it has had it's Happy and harder times! I have a funny story to tell you, Anni and Davo I think you will like this one a lot!
So Saturday me and my companion went to a part member family for our last visit. Part member means a member of the family is a member of the church too, so in this case the wife is a member and the husband isn't and they have a little baby boy named Si who is about 1 and a half years old.
Anyways, so we went to there house and when Sister Barbie, the member and wife, opened the door the baby Si wasn't wearing any pants or diapers cause they are expensive and are used sparingly. So the baby was naked, ha which isn't a big deal at all, to us or to sister barbie, so we just walked in and she put some shorts on her baby. The husband wasn't home so we decided to share a message to the wife. So I got to share the message, as usual whenever we share a message, which is good cause it helps me learn the language, anyways, so I was sharing a scripture and the baby was just playing on the cement floor, then as I was sharing my testimony the baby stood up, and there were two pieces of poop on the floor and pee puddle. Ha it was so funny! Sister Barbie said, " Ayyyy!! Baby!!" and picked him up and carried him to the bathroom to clean him off, then she went to find a rag, and before she could find one, little Si found one and came over to the mess he made, and started trying to clean it up, but really he was just spreading his crap all over the floor!! We moved him so sister could clean it up, and it was so so funny. Ha probably the funniest thing thats happened during a lesson!!
So another cool thing that happened, is that Brother Manuel Edano and Sister Jocelyn can be baptized!!!!!! YAYYY! Cause we weren't sure what to do cause they can't get married cause brother is still married and it is expensive to enolled, or divorce. So we were sad but we interviewed them to President Delamare and he said because they have been living together for 10 years they can be baptized!!! They were both so excited and wanted to be baptized the next day!! We told them, "how about this saturday. the 22 of October!" So thats their baptism date and they are stoked. Tay, Brother Edano said " we will go swimming!!!!!" Ha I will also have the great privalage to baptize him! Elder Samson my companion, will baptize sister Jocelyn!!! I am happy!
So this week has been a slow one I feel like. Our numbers aren't very high and that is bugging me. Also there was a sister we met in the internet shop we e-mail at 2 weeks ago that came up to us after our e mails and asked us a bunch of questions so we gave her a pamphlet and asked if we could come visit her sometime she said yes, and we scheduled a time for the next wednesday. Turns out she isn't in our area so we had to give her to the sisters! Ha they are good missionaries though! But I am trying not to compare myself with any other missionaries, I find that I am trying to compare myself to Stephen and Spencer a lot actually and see if I am doing as well as I think they are doing, Ha which doesn't make sense cause they are both so far a way and I shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone else anyway. so thats what I am working on this week, focussing on my own efforts and my investigators.
Also Kris I do know that Elder, Elder Dalisay, He is actually a batch younger than me, so I am one transfer ahead of him. We met in the MTC, ha it is weird that I am already older than someone in the mission, ha but he is better at tagalog than me. Like really, he understands everything and talks almost fluently, he is Filipino I think, and his parents used to speak tagalog to him so he is way good. Ha blast. No I am trying to be patient and I know I will get the language soon. Hopefully.
Well I love you all so much. And I hope you are so happy in Wyoming, in your new school Anni and Davo, and I hope you are making friends still. I hope you Dad and You Kris are happy too, I hope hawaii is nice!! Ha
Love your son and Brother Elder Benjamin Larson
I doing good
Hey everybody,
Dad, is it true that you named me after the name of your best friend(as it was written in spencer's e-mail)? I am doing well, this week it has been rainning every day, but I have been liking it because I prefer the cold more than sweeting all the time, and it seems like you walk faster in the cold weather.
Here in our area we have been having a hard time finding new investagators(but I know that this is, to every missionary, a problem). This week we taught a couple that are from another church, and they only let us teach them because Adriano(the husband) whats to convert us to his church. So it's like a race to see who's going to get converted first.! But Aricia(the wife) is starting to believe in the Book Of Mormon, so I Think we are going to win;) haha, but they are very nice and are very reseptive, with an opened mind. We also entered into a house across the stree from Adriano that had 8 adults, and two of these adults are baptized members but they are inactive. IN the house there was also a sick woman that is the mother of 4 of these adults, and after we had talked for a little bit 3 of them asked us if we could give a blessing to there mother. Then we gave a blessing to her, and everybody that was there was very grateful.
I am so grateful for my life and all of the experiences that I have had that have helped me to grow, learn, and have more understanding. The spirit has reviled to me that this The BofM is ture and that it is of God, we have a prophet on the earth, we all can live with our Heavenly Father and our familys for ever if we keep the comandments and recive the holy ordenances of Baptizum, the Holy Ghost, and Eternal Marrige. All these ordenances(holy acts) we can recive because God called a prophet and gave him the Powers of Heaven, and reorginized the church of Christ on the earth, which is The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. This is what I feel, and believe. I don't know all of the anwsers and no one will because if we knew all of the anwsers then we wouldn't have FAITH. Faith requiers questions, douts, uncertenty, so that we can believe without knowing, act without knowing, this is Faith.
I love you all, have a good week, love
Elder stephen larson
Dad, is it true that you named me after the name of your best friend(as it was written in spencer's e-mail)? I am doing well, this week it has been rainning every day, but I have been liking it because I prefer the cold more than sweeting all the time, and it seems like you walk faster in the cold weather.
Here in our area we have been having a hard time finding new investagators(but I know that this is, to every missionary, a problem). This week we taught a couple that are from another church, and they only let us teach them because Adriano(the husband) whats to convert us to his church. So it's like a race to see who's going to get converted first.! But Aricia(the wife) is starting to believe in the Book Of Mormon, so I Think we are going to win;) haha, but they are very nice and are very reseptive, with an opened mind. We also entered into a house across the stree from Adriano that had 8 adults, and two of these adults are baptized members but they are inactive. IN the house there was also a sick woman that is the mother of 4 of these adults, and after we had talked for a little bit 3 of them asked us if we could give a blessing to there mother. Then we gave a blessing to her, and everybody that was there was very grateful.
I am so grateful for my life and all of the experiences that I have had that have helped me to grow, learn, and have more understanding. The spirit has reviled to me that this The BofM is ture and that it is of God, we have a prophet on the earth, we all can live with our Heavenly Father and our familys for ever if we keep the comandments and recive the holy ordenances of Baptizum, the Holy Ghost, and Eternal Marrige. All these ordenances(holy acts) we can recive because God called a prophet and gave him the Powers of Heaven, and reorginized the church of Christ on the earth, which is The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. This is what I feel, and believe. I don't know all of the anwsers and no one will because if we knew all of the anwsers then we wouldn't have FAITH. Faith requiers questions, douts, uncertenty, so that we can believe without knowing, act without knowing, this is Faith.
I love you all, have a good week, love
Elder stephen larson
Service
Dear Family,
This was a pretty slow week but it was still a week full of blessings from the lord. I went on the last exchange of the transfer with Elder Burton aka Harry Potter and we had a pretty good time. If he were to have a Patronis figure it would be Mario because he loves video games.
Sarah is still doing well, but it is hard trying to help her transition into the ward that she is supposed to be in. She likes us a lot and is still having a hard time trusting in people other than us and Christ. I think it will take longer for this transition to happen than we all would like.
On Saturday we went a service project that the whole stake was involved with. It was at the Estero State park and the Governor, governor Scott was there to thank us and help us a bit. I am sure it will be in the newspaper and on the news. They put me and a couple guys in charge of building new benches for the park. It was way fun. I thought I was going to get tackled by his body guards because I was holding a saw most of the time and I was using the saw when the governor was close by.
We also had a very good dinner at a less active members house. her names is sister Brooks and while we were at her house we talked a lot about parenting. It made me think of what kind of a parent or leader i was and the leader/ father I want to be. I don't want to be a push over dad like a lot of the parents in this world today but I don't want to be heartlessly mean to them either. so there is a balance there, and I can see how the Gospel applies in all the ways of parenting.
Recently the Stake has made a YSA branch that meets in our building. President Summerhays put Elder Cook and myself in charge of it until he put new missionaries in. He asked us what what we thought of that and of course we said that sounds great. But right after we said that we both got this feeling that something wasn't right. So we called him back and told him what we felt. So lately I have been pondering and studying out in my mind what needs to happen. And we have found that Sisters should come into the estero YSA branch. We both felt very good about that and are going to talk with Pres. about it.
This might be my last week in Bonita Springs so I am going to enjoy it the best that I can. I hope that you all have a great week and do as King Benjamin says in Mosiah 2:17, Serve one another. I love you
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
This was a pretty slow week but it was still a week full of blessings from the lord. I went on the last exchange of the transfer with Elder Burton aka Harry Potter and we had a pretty good time. If he were to have a Patronis figure it would be Mario because he loves video games.
Sarah is still doing well, but it is hard trying to help her transition into the ward that she is supposed to be in. She likes us a lot and is still having a hard time trusting in people other than us and Christ. I think it will take longer for this transition to happen than we all would like.
On Saturday we went a service project that the whole stake was involved with. It was at the Estero State park and the Governor, governor Scott was there to thank us and help us a bit. I am sure it will be in the newspaper and on the news. They put me and a couple guys in charge of building new benches for the park. It was way fun. I thought I was going to get tackled by his body guards because I was holding a saw most of the time and I was using the saw when the governor was close by.
We also had a very good dinner at a less active members house. her names is sister Brooks and while we were at her house we talked a lot about parenting. It made me think of what kind of a parent or leader i was and the leader/ father I want to be. I don't want to be a push over dad like a lot of the parents in this world today but I don't want to be heartlessly mean to them either. so there is a balance there, and I can see how the Gospel applies in all the ways of parenting.
Recently the Stake has made a YSA branch that meets in our building. President Summerhays put Elder Cook and myself in charge of it until he put new missionaries in. He asked us what what we thought of that and of course we said that sounds great. But right after we said that we both got this feeling that something wasn't right. So we called him back and told him what we felt. So lately I have been pondering and studying out in my mind what needs to happen. And we have found that Sisters should come into the estero YSA branch. We both felt very good about that and are going to talk with Pres. about it.
This might be my last week in Bonita Springs so I am going to enjoy it the best that I can. I hope that you all have a great week and do as King Benjamin says in Mosiah 2:17, Serve one another. I love you
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
Sarah
Good Morning Family,
It is just a very beautiful morning in Florida right now I don't sweat anymore when I step outside. This is the type of weather that is the best kind. Its been a good week this week. Sarah Gursky was Baptized and confirmed this past weekend and it was a very good experience for her. I could tell after she came out of the water that she was just so happy. More happy than I have ever seen her. She changed from this scared fragile girl who didn't think that anybody liked her to a happy, more confident person, standing up right in the sight of god. She knows that she is a Daughter of god and nobody can convince her other wise. Her family life is still really not good but she has the gift of the holy ghost now to help her and strengthen her more. The next step for her is to continue to help her stay strong in the gospel and help her go to her correct ward. It will be a long process I think.
Scott received the Aaronic Priesthood this Sunday and was given some families to go home teach. I saw the emotion in his eyes as he received that sacred priesthood of god. Margie and Scott are both looking to get their Patriarchal Blessings and Scottie is getting ready to become a deacon in the near future. So they are doing very well.
One cool experience I had this last week happened while I was on exchange with one of my favorite Missionaries, Elder Glover.
The special thing about Elder Glover is that Elder Glover's dad(Stephen Glover) in high school was best friends with you Dad. And you named Stephen after his dad. At least that is what I have been told by him. Anyway we spent three days together and it was a blast. We went to a College campus called Ave Maria. It is a catholic school in the middle of nowhere. So we went there and accidentally got stuck in a mass when we went to use the bathroom in their cathedral. It was very short, 30 min mass and everyone there gave looks of interest and wonder. Then after ward we got bombarded by a whole bunch of people out in the front of the church wanting to know who we were, Where we were from and what our church was all about. We had a really good time talking and telling them about our beliefs. We than walked to the cafeteria to get some lunch. We sat down at a table and minutes later some students sat with us and talked with us. It was really good to talk with them and I learned so much about their beliefs and how true our church really is. They all looked pretty sincere and open to what we had to say. Except One kid who was studying Philosophy got a little frustrated with our doctrine and was trying to bash with us. We get bashed all the time so it wasn't a big deal at all. We answered all his questions and when he got even more frustrated the rest of the students told him to be quiet and listen to us. Everyone of the students wanted us to come back next week so they can learn more. As we were walking out a girl stopped us because she recognized us from mass and she asked us who we were. when we told her she asked us if we were going to give talks in the next mass. WE all laughed and elder Glover wanted to take her up on that. It was a fun time and I really grew in my testimony of the gospel.
This church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints is the only true and living church on earth and Jesus Christ is at the head of it. I hope you all have a very pleasant week. I love you all.
It is just a very beautiful morning in Florida right now I don't sweat anymore when I step outside. This is the type of weather that is the best kind. Its been a good week this week. Sarah Gursky was Baptized and confirmed this past weekend and it was a very good experience for her. I could tell after she came out of the water that she was just so happy. More happy than I have ever seen her. She changed from this scared fragile girl who didn't think that anybody liked her to a happy, more confident person, standing up right in the sight of god. She knows that she is a Daughter of god and nobody can convince her other wise. Her family life is still really not good but she has the gift of the holy ghost now to help her and strengthen her more. The next step for her is to continue to help her stay strong in the gospel and help her go to her correct ward. It will be a long process I think.
Scott received the Aaronic Priesthood this Sunday and was given some families to go home teach. I saw the emotion in his eyes as he received that sacred priesthood of god. Margie and Scott are both looking to get their Patriarchal Blessings and Scottie is getting ready to become a deacon in the near future. So they are doing very well.
One cool experience I had this last week happened while I was on exchange with one of my favorite Missionaries, Elder Glover.
The special thing about Elder Glover is that Elder Glover's dad(Stephen Glover) in high school was best friends with you Dad. And you named Stephen after his dad. At least that is what I have been told by him. Anyway we spent three days together and it was a blast. We went to a College campus called Ave Maria. It is a catholic school in the middle of nowhere. So we went there and accidentally got stuck in a mass when we went to use the bathroom in their cathedral. It was very short, 30 min mass and everyone there gave looks of interest and wonder. Then after ward we got bombarded by a whole bunch of people out in the front of the church wanting to know who we were, Where we were from and what our church was all about. We had a really good time talking and telling them about our beliefs. We than walked to the cafeteria to get some lunch. We sat down at a table and minutes later some students sat with us and talked with us. It was really good to talk with them and I learned so much about their beliefs and how true our church really is. They all looked pretty sincere and open to what we had to say. Except One kid who was studying Philosophy got a little frustrated with our doctrine and was trying to bash with us. We get bashed all the time so it wasn't a big deal at all. We answered all his questions and when he got even more frustrated the rest of the students told him to be quiet and listen to us. Everyone of the students wanted us to come back next week so they can learn more. As we were walking out a girl stopped us because she recognized us from mass and she asked us who we were. when we told her she asked us if we were going to give talks in the next mass. WE all laughed and elder Glover wanted to take her up on that. It was a fun time and I really grew in my testimony of the gospel.
This church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints is the only true and living church on earth and Jesus Christ is at the head of it. I hope you all have a very pleasant week. I love you all.
Parelheiros
Hello Everyone,
I doing good, I have a new comp and a new area. My new comp is Elder Barbosa, he´s from the Amazon(the jungle) and he has about the same amont of time that I have on the mission. My new area called ´Parelheiros´, it´s pritty close to my first area, and I have been running into some of the people that I met in my frist area.My address here in Parelheiros is:
Rua Mario Trape, 380
JD Novo Parelheiro
04890-430 São Paulo, SP, Brasil
The area is really big and there´s a lot of hills, maybe I will be losing more puonds. Maybe you guys won´t even reconnize me when I get back.
David thats so good that your such a good soccer player kep it up, and you too Annika with all your activitys. I love all of you guys.
elder stephen larson
I doing good, I have a new comp and a new area. My new comp is Elder Barbosa, he´s from the Amazon(the jungle) and he has about the same amont of time that I have on the mission. My new area called ´Parelheiros´, it´s pritty close to my first area, and I have been running into some of the people that I met in my frist area.My address here in Parelheiros is:
Rua Mario Trape, 380
JD Novo Parelheiro
04890-430 São Paulo, SP, Brasil
The area is really big and there´s a lot of hills, maybe I will be losing more puonds. Maybe you guys won´t even reconnize me when I get back.
David thats so good that your such a good soccer player kep it up, and you too Annika with all your activitys. I love all of you guys.
elder stephen larson
Joe
Hey mom and Jess.
Sorry I am E-mailing you before you get the chance to send me one. I am not sure what happened. But it is P-day and my time to e-mail you guys!
So I am doing good here in the Philippines!!! I hope you enjoyed conference!!! We didn't get to watch it yet because of the time difference. But they are going to broadcast it all over the Philippines this Saturday and Sunday!! I hope it was still special and wonderful mom!!!
So First I have to talk about my shirts. So the guy at MR. Mac who sold them to me told me to get the ones I got because they are more sturdy and will hold up here, He is full of nuts and cheese!! Probably 3 or 4 of them are fraying on the shoulder seams, and the pockets in 6 of them are dying! ha that's so funny. It's even more funny that one elder in our apartment who has been here for almost a year, bought all his shirts at Walmart, and they are still holding up good!! Ha, and the salesman guy at mr. mac said don't go to walmart!! I should have gone to Walmart!!! Ha so moral of the story is this kids, If a sales man tells you not to do something, do it! Don't listen to sales men ever!!!!! And shop at Walmart!! Haha
So I am loving it here in the Philippines! The language is hard and sometimes gets me down, but only a little and I am happy again. The work has been kind of slowish I think. We haven't really been finding very many people, and I don't know why, and also the investigators we challenge to come to church, haven't been coming. Our mission goal for church attendance for our investigators is around 10, we have only been getting like 3. It's ok though. We are going to step it up, and be more firm!!! I am excited!
So yesterday something funny happened. We were asked to come to a funeral type thing, and maybe share a small message or something, so we went, luckily we weren't asked to share, cause I had no Idea what we would have said, but half way through the service, a drunk guy came walking into the home, and just sat down on the floor. We weren't sure what to do so we just left him there. Ha then we sang our closing hymn and he started to hum and sing and wave his hand like he was directing the music. Ha ha what the. Then after the service when we were talking to the family a bit the drunk man got up and went over to the coffin and fell to his knees next to it and put his face and hands over it and just started bawling and saying, 'why, why" ha ha I don't even think he knew the lady who died but I thought it was funnier than crap and just couldn't help but laugh. What a character. Than when we were leaving he said, ' hey joe, joe. I want to shake your hand joe! HE was talking to me, and he just told me, " you are so cool Joe, you are my best friend. I like you joe." ha oh the drunk people in the Philippines. Ha I am glad for these type of experiences, I can look back on them and have a good laugh with my family.
So that is some of the stuff going on here. Oh and the couple I told you about before, Brother Manuel and sister Jocelyn, their baptism date is for October 15 or 22 I think. Cause wow, marriage is a hard thing to plan!!!!!!!!! Ha so that will be excited and they seem really excited about it!
I love you all, and hope you are all happy and well!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are such great blessings and strength to me here on my mission! I love you!!
Love your son and brother,
Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
Sorry I am E-mailing you before you get the chance to send me one. I am not sure what happened. But it is P-day and my time to e-mail you guys!
So I am doing good here in the Philippines!!! I hope you enjoyed conference!!! We didn't get to watch it yet because of the time difference. But they are going to broadcast it all over the Philippines this Saturday and Sunday!! I hope it was still special and wonderful mom!!!
So First I have to talk about my shirts. So the guy at MR. Mac who sold them to me told me to get the ones I got because they are more sturdy and will hold up here, He is full of nuts and cheese!! Probably 3 or 4 of them are fraying on the shoulder seams, and the pockets in 6 of them are dying! ha that's so funny. It's even more funny that one elder in our apartment who has been here for almost a year, bought all his shirts at Walmart, and they are still holding up good!! Ha, and the salesman guy at mr. mac said don't go to walmart!! I should have gone to Walmart!!! Ha so moral of the story is this kids, If a sales man tells you not to do something, do it! Don't listen to sales men ever!!!!! And shop at Walmart!! Haha
So I am loving it here in the Philippines! The language is hard and sometimes gets me down, but only a little and I am happy again. The work has been kind of slowish I think. We haven't really been finding very many people, and I don't know why, and also the investigators we challenge to come to church, haven't been coming. Our mission goal for church attendance for our investigators is around 10, we have only been getting like 3. It's ok though. We are going to step it up, and be more firm!!! I am excited!
So yesterday something funny happened. We were asked to come to a funeral type thing, and maybe share a small message or something, so we went, luckily we weren't asked to share, cause I had no Idea what we would have said, but half way through the service, a drunk guy came walking into the home, and just sat down on the floor. We weren't sure what to do so we just left him there. Ha then we sang our closing hymn and he started to hum and sing and wave his hand like he was directing the music. Ha ha what the. Then after the service when we were talking to the family a bit the drunk man got up and went over to the coffin and fell to his knees next to it and put his face and hands over it and just started bawling and saying, 'why, why" ha ha I don't even think he knew the lady who died but I thought it was funnier than crap and just couldn't help but laugh. What a character. Than when we were leaving he said, ' hey joe, joe. I want to shake your hand joe! HE was talking to me, and he just told me, " you are so cool Joe, you are my best friend. I like you joe." ha oh the drunk people in the Philippines. Ha I am glad for these type of experiences, I can look back on them and have a good laugh with my family.
So that is some of the stuff going on here. Oh and the couple I told you about before, Brother Manuel and sister Jocelyn, their baptism date is for October 15 or 22 I think. Cause wow, marriage is a hard thing to plan!!!!!!!!! Ha so that will be excited and they seem really excited about it!
I love you all, and hope you are all happy and well!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are such great blessings and strength to me here on my mission! I love you!!
Love your son and brother,
Elder Benjamin Lamoreaux Larson
Conference
What a wonderful conference. This has been the most meaningful conference of my life. I think it is because we never get to watch tv and we are so involved in what they are talking about. One of my favorite talks was Elder Eyrings talk. How he didn't know what to do when he was asked to speak at the university but he wasn't allowed to share the gospel. It was powerful to me how he prepared and prayed and asked what to do. So he stood alone or what to our natural eyes see as alone and spoke the words of god dispite the opposition. Also I liked president Monsons talk when he told of the experience he had on the bus. A lady asked about the church and nobody stood to answer her. So he stood up after some silence and bore his testimony. I feel like in my life I have struggled to stand up especailly when I was going to be the only one standing. Those men are such good examples to me to help me to stand when I am called upon to stand.
We met a guy named Lenard who just walked right into the church building after church. So we went over to visit with him and we found out that he owns a frieght company out of Salt Lake City and he has many Mormon Friends. We taught him and gave him a book of mormon. Then he came to all 5 sessions of Conference. He was really impressed with the leadership of the church and how one we are with eachother. I over heard him speaking to a member of our ward and he said that he was going to join this church. He is golden.
Scott and his family are doing well. He started a new job as a nurse that goes to make visits to people in there homes. It has been worrying him for a while so but I know that the gospel will help him to have the right perspective on the many situations he will be put into.
Sarah is looking good for her baptism this weekend. We still have to teach her the 4th lesson and interview her so I hope that we can fit all that in before. We are going to have a dinner with her and meet her parents for the first time. She loved conference especailly the talks by President Monson. Satan is working hard on her but she is is strong and will make it through.
I hope you all are well and not getting bitten by snakes. cough cough.
i love you all.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
We met a guy named Lenard who just walked right into the church building after church. So we went over to visit with him and we found out that he owns a frieght company out of Salt Lake City and he has many Mormon Friends. We taught him and gave him a book of mormon. Then he came to all 5 sessions of Conference. He was really impressed with the leadership of the church and how one we are with eachother. I over heard him speaking to a member of our ward and he said that he was going to join this church. He is golden.
Scott and his family are doing well. He started a new job as a nurse that goes to make visits to people in there homes. It has been worrying him for a while so but I know that the gospel will help him to have the right perspective on the many situations he will be put into.
Sarah is looking good for her baptism this weekend. We still have to teach her the 4th lesson and interview her so I hope that we can fit all that in before. We are going to have a dinner with her and meet her parents for the first time. She loved conference especailly the talks by President Monson. Satan is working hard on her but she is is strong and will make it through.
I hope you all are well and not getting bitten by snakes. cough cough.
i love you all.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
Feast on the words of the prophet
Hey Dad!!
So first, I am doing good here in Philippines! This week was hard mostly cause the language and I was beginning to feel useless in the work. But I am continuing to be lifted up and made stronger in these times through my prayers, faith and love. I know that our father in heaven answers our prayers, and he wraps us in his spiritual arms in times when no one else can, and for that I am truly grateful!!
So, Conference sounded like it was fun for you. We haven't seen it yet here in the Philippines, because of the time difference they couldn't show it regularly, but they will broadcast it all throughout the Philippines this Sunday, and Saturday! It will be weird not being with you for Priesthood session and no snacks the other sessions. But I am still excited, cause I get to FEAST on the WORDS of the prophet and apostles!! That is so cool to think about!
We had our fast Sunday yesterday, and it was good!! We had a good fast and I was able to bare my testimony to our ward here in Pasig 3. I like this area, the work is going slower it feels like, in finding that is. I feel like we haven't found as many people as we should. I think maybe that is what we will focus on this week, well and getting our investigators to church. I think Those are some big things in this work growing, Cause if the investigators we have don't come to church they can't gain a testimony. Or at least it's way harder. And also if we aren't finding knew investigators, then the work will be at a temporary pause, so I am praying for help in Tagalog and also in being able to teach and speak the words the lord would have me say so that the people will become interested in our message.
Ha also remember how we went to MR. Mac and he told us to get the Sunday shirts that were more sturdy and cotton instead of Polyester, so that they would, 'hold up better and not fall apart'. Well guess what, they are starting to fray, at the seams in the shoulders and in the pockets! HA what the junk, that guy lied I'm thinking, or just he gave me the 6 bad shirts he had, haha. oh well. but one of the elders in our appartment who has been here for almost a year, bought all his shirts at Walmart, and they are all fine! Man I should have gone to Walmart! Ha
So that was kind of bothersome to me. But It's okay, I still have shirts at least. It sounds exciting that the house is almost done! Oh dad, I hope you had a good birthday, Sorry I didn't send anything, but I will try, we have to go to the post office in order to send things, and it is far away, so I will try my best. I am really sorry dad.
So I am doing good here, and I am trying to do my best, in Tagalog and in the Work. Sometimes the language really gets to me and affects my attitude in the work, which effects the work, maybe that's what I need to change.
I hope you are all happy, and I hope you guys are having fun in your new house! And school anni and davo!! I hope you guys are having fun there and in sports! And David, it's ok to play other sports than soccer. I know soccer is so so fun, but you never know if you like something else too unless you try it! so try football and baseball and all that stuff for your big brother ok. But do soccer too and most important have fun!!!!!!!!! You too Anni!! I am so proud of Both of you and how much you like to try new things, you are better than I was!
Kris I got your letter today, It was good thankyou!!! I hope everything works out with your buisness and those investigators you are working with!
Again I love you all!! And I pray for you always!
Love Elder Benjamin L Larson
So first, I am doing good here in Philippines! This week was hard mostly cause the language and I was beginning to feel useless in the work. But I am continuing to be lifted up and made stronger in these times through my prayers, faith and love. I know that our father in heaven answers our prayers, and he wraps us in his spiritual arms in times when no one else can, and for that I am truly grateful!!
So, Conference sounded like it was fun for you. We haven't seen it yet here in the Philippines, because of the time difference they couldn't show it regularly, but they will broadcast it all throughout the Philippines this Sunday, and Saturday! It will be weird not being with you for Priesthood session and no snacks the other sessions. But I am still excited, cause I get to FEAST on the WORDS of the prophet and apostles!! That is so cool to think about!
We had our fast Sunday yesterday, and it was good!! We had a good fast and I was able to bare my testimony to our ward here in Pasig 3. I like this area, the work is going slower it feels like, in finding that is. I feel like we haven't found as many people as we should. I think maybe that is what we will focus on this week, well and getting our investigators to church. I think Those are some big things in this work growing, Cause if the investigators we have don't come to church they can't gain a testimony. Or at least it's way harder. And also if we aren't finding knew investigators, then the work will be at a temporary pause, so I am praying for help in Tagalog and also in being able to teach and speak the words the lord would have me say so that the people will become interested in our message.
Ha also remember how we went to MR. Mac and he told us to get the Sunday shirts that were more sturdy and cotton instead of Polyester, so that they would, 'hold up better and not fall apart'. Well guess what, they are starting to fray, at the seams in the shoulders and in the pockets! HA what the junk, that guy lied I'm thinking, or just he gave me the 6 bad shirts he had, haha. oh well. but one of the elders in our appartment who has been here for almost a year, bought all his shirts at Walmart, and they are all fine! Man I should have gone to Walmart! Ha
So that was kind of bothersome to me. But It's okay, I still have shirts at least. It sounds exciting that the house is almost done! Oh dad, I hope you had a good birthday, Sorry I didn't send anything, but I will try, we have to go to the post office in order to send things, and it is far away, so I will try my best. I am really sorry dad.
So I am doing good here, and I am trying to do my best, in Tagalog and in the Work. Sometimes the language really gets to me and affects my attitude in the work, which effects the work, maybe that's what I need to change.
I hope you are all happy, and I hope you guys are having fun in your new house! And school anni and davo!! I hope you guys are having fun there and in sports! And David, it's ok to play other sports than soccer. I know soccer is so so fun, but you never know if you like something else too unless you try it! so try football and baseball and all that stuff for your big brother ok. But do soccer too and most important have fun!!!!!!!!! You too Anni!! I am so proud of Both of you and how much you like to try new things, you are better than I was!
Kris I got your letter today, It was good thankyou!!! I hope everything works out with your buisness and those investigators you are working with!
Again I love you all!! And I pray for you always!
Love Elder Benjamin L Larson
Im returning to the big city
Hey everybody,
I am being transfered to a new area, so I will be leaving the country side and will be returning to the Big city, São Paulo. I have never had an area that I wanted to leave, I have liked all of them Palmares, Praque Paraíso, Educandário, and to add to the list of area, Itararé. Elder L. Pinheiro will be staying in the area and will work with our investagators Venessa, Michelle,Jessica, Janaina, Ana claudia, Jefferson, Silvio, Marcia, ana, sezer, and the unforgettable Jurandir that hates Joseph Smith but likes us so continues to let us come back. Out of all our investagators the closest one to get baptized next month and wants to is Jessica (15years).
Genral Confrence was wonderful. I watched the saterday sessions in Portugês but then on sunday I watched in english. I love watching the confrence in english, because you can hear the emotion and there conviction in there voices. I feel that our Father in heaven whats to bless us a ton, but we need to ask specifically for those blessing to recive them as was spoken in confrence. I know that what we pass through in our lives, will help us turn into the type of person that our Father wants us to be at the end. I feel like i am being shaped and changed and its not being easy. I love you all and hope for your happyness. With love,
Elder stephen larson
I am being transfered to a new area, so I will be leaving the country side and will be returning to the Big city, São Paulo. I have never had an area that I wanted to leave, I have liked all of them Palmares, Praque Paraíso, Educandário, and to add to the list of area, Itararé. Elder L. Pinheiro will be staying in the area and will work with our investagators Venessa, Michelle,Jessica, Janaina, Ana claudia, Jefferson, Silvio, Marcia, ana, sezer, and the unforgettable Jurandir that hates Joseph Smith but likes us so continues to let us come back. Out of all our investagators the closest one to get baptized next month and wants to is Jessica (15years).
Genral Confrence was wonderful. I watched the saterday sessions in Portugês but then on sunday I watched in english. I love watching the confrence in english, because you can hear the emotion and there conviction in there voices. I feel that our Father in heaven whats to bless us a ton, but we need to ask specifically for those blessing to recive them as was spoken in confrence. I know that what we pass through in our lives, will help us turn into the type of person that our Father wants us to be at the end. I feel like i am being shaped and changed and its not being easy. I love you all and hope for your happyness. With love,
Elder stephen larson
The tree of life
Hey dad and Kris and anni and davo and rest of family, ( if you read this) ha
Life here in the philippines is good!! Pasensia, (sorry) that I didn't write you until wednesday, It is P-day today instead monday cause of transfers. So today we found out that none of us are transferring!! Which I am very excited about! Because I wouldn't know what to do if I was the only one who knew the area. Ha I am still too new!
So that was exciting! We have had an awesome week. We are teaching this one Nay (older lady, in the philippines you call all grandma age women 'Nay' and grandpa age men 'tay') So the Nay that we are teaching is named Estella Buco, and she is great. When we gave her the Aklat ni Mormon, Book of mormon, she was so grateful and gave me and my companion a hug!! We weren't too sure about that but we said because she was a 'Nay' it was ok that once! Also I was so excited that she was so excited! She also told us of a dream she had where in her dream there was one pillar of light, and in the light, there was a tree (I know, classic dream in the Book of Mormon. Sweet!!) And she said there was also a person by the tree who was trying to give her a present, I don't know what happened cause I can't understand her very well and it's hard for my companion to explain it to me in english, so it sounds pretty sweetly cool to me, and the coolest part is that she dreamed the dream a couple days before we met her!! I hope that she realizes a connection between the gift of light and the gift we are offering her! And I hope she accepts, cause it sounded like in the dream she didn't accept it! Ah I am praying though!
Also I found out one of my Kabahay,( roomates) is rich. He is from hawaii and when he graduated from high school, Anni and Davo you will think this is cool, His parents bought out Disney Land for half a day, so 6 am to 4 pm and it was just him and a group of his friends in the whole park all by themselves! That would be cool.
Also We did another split last sunday, Ugh, I don't like them very much, but It's ok cause i know they help me grow a lot. SO anyway, we, Me and two members, were walking down one street and we saw four 'Tay's" remember what that means? Anyways, so we saw four older grandpa age men sitting out and talking It looked like. One called me over, and so Natrually we went, Then I noticed they were all sharing 2 big bottles of beer like good old man friends do here in the Philippines. The one who called me over, said, " Share what you have to my friends" so I pulled out a pamphlet and introduced myself and our church, I did it in Tagalog,( kind of) They thought it was cool that I could kind of speak tagalog but wanted me to speak english cause they wanted to learn english more, A lot of people here say that to me. But I insisted to speak Tagalog so I tried my best. It was so hard to share the message to them cause they were so drunk and just kept on interupting. I asked them to try to listen, but they wouldn't. One of them grabbed my arm, and started to pull on me and try to grab my bag. But I am so strong and broke his grip and told them all to be still or they might die by the power of god!! Ha ha Joke, That didn't really happen, well I did talk to drunk guys and they were very disruptive but they didn't touch me accept the hand shakes we exchanged when I left cause I couldn't stand them interupting me anymore. Ha that would be funny though!! Sorry if I scared ya, Just having fun. Hak hak, (that's how the Filipinos make laughing in texting and typing.)
So we had a good week and I love the " Nay's " here!! Both Nanay Buco and Nanay Sison are doing great and continue to have great desire to learn. Oh one more sister we are teaching who is really fun, She is a young mother with the wildest questions. For example. One question she asked us after she read the restoration pamphlet was, "If the 'Pillar of Light' Joseph smith saw was even brighter than the sun, How come other people didn't see it either?" WHAT the Junk!! My companion didn't know what to say, and i didn't understand anything going on, so we just told her that the veil was taken from Joseph's Eyes, through the lords power! Ha she is a fun one to teach. Her name is Sister Janalyn.
So I hope you enjoyed that story! I thought they were pretty great! I hope you are all doing well, and it sounds like you have moved into, or almost moved into the new house!! awesome, and be carefull of ratlesnakes! Don't play with the big ones!
Love you all so much, and pray for you always!
Love your son and brother,
Elder Benjamin L. Larson
Life here in the philippines is good!! Pasensia, (sorry) that I didn't write you until wednesday, It is P-day today instead monday cause of transfers. So today we found out that none of us are transferring!! Which I am very excited about! Because I wouldn't know what to do if I was the only one who knew the area. Ha I am still too new!
So that was exciting! We have had an awesome week. We are teaching this one Nay (older lady, in the philippines you call all grandma age women 'Nay' and grandpa age men 'tay') So the Nay that we are teaching is named Estella Buco, and she is great. When we gave her the Aklat ni Mormon, Book of mormon, she was so grateful and gave me and my companion a hug!! We weren't too sure about that but we said because she was a 'Nay' it was ok that once! Also I was so excited that she was so excited! She also told us of a dream she had where in her dream there was one pillar of light, and in the light, there was a tree (I know, classic dream in the Book of Mormon. Sweet!!) And she said there was also a person by the tree who was trying to give her a present, I don't know what happened cause I can't understand her very well and it's hard for my companion to explain it to me in english, so it sounds pretty sweetly cool to me, and the coolest part is that she dreamed the dream a couple days before we met her!! I hope that she realizes a connection between the gift of light and the gift we are offering her! And I hope she accepts, cause it sounded like in the dream she didn't accept it! Ah I am praying though!
Also I found out one of my Kabahay,( roomates) is rich. He is from hawaii and when he graduated from high school, Anni and Davo you will think this is cool, His parents bought out Disney Land for half a day, so 6 am to 4 pm and it was just him and a group of his friends in the whole park all by themselves! That would be cool.
Also We did another split last sunday, Ugh, I don't like them very much, but It's ok cause i know they help me grow a lot. SO anyway, we, Me and two members, were walking down one street and we saw four 'Tay's" remember what that means? Anyways, so we saw four older grandpa age men sitting out and talking It looked like. One called me over, and so Natrually we went, Then I noticed they were all sharing 2 big bottles of beer like good old man friends do here in the Philippines. The one who called me over, said, " Share what you have to my friends" so I pulled out a pamphlet and introduced myself and our church, I did it in Tagalog,( kind of) They thought it was cool that I could kind of speak tagalog but wanted me to speak english cause they wanted to learn english more, A lot of people here say that to me. But I insisted to speak Tagalog so I tried my best. It was so hard to share the message to them cause they were so drunk and just kept on interupting. I asked them to try to listen, but they wouldn't. One of them grabbed my arm, and started to pull on me and try to grab my bag. But I am so strong and broke his grip and told them all to be still or they might die by the power of god!! Ha ha Joke, That didn't really happen, well I did talk to drunk guys and they were very disruptive but they didn't touch me accept the hand shakes we exchanged when I left cause I couldn't stand them interupting me anymore. Ha that would be funny though!! Sorry if I scared ya, Just having fun. Hak hak, (that's how the Filipinos make laughing in texting and typing.)
So we had a good week and I love the " Nay's " here!! Both Nanay Buco and Nanay Sison are doing great and continue to have great desire to learn. Oh one more sister we are teaching who is really fun, She is a young mother with the wildest questions. For example. One question she asked us after she read the restoration pamphlet was, "If the 'Pillar of Light' Joseph smith saw was even brighter than the sun, How come other people didn't see it either?" WHAT the Junk!! My companion didn't know what to say, and i didn't understand anything going on, so we just told her that the veil was taken from Joseph's Eyes, through the lords power! Ha she is a fun one to teach. Her name is Sister Janalyn.
So I hope you enjoyed that story! I thought they were pretty great! I hope you are all doing well, and it sounds like you have moved into, or almost moved into the new house!! awesome, and be carefull of ratlesnakes! Don't play with the big ones!
Love you all so much, and pray for you always!
Love your son and brother,
Elder Benjamin L. Larson
Monday, September 26, 2011
Kumusta Family
Kumusta Dad Kris and Kids,
I am writing to you today on Tuesday instead this week cause it's P-day today instead, cause it was temple day today! And that was great, It is definitely more small and a more humble temple than at home, but It is very beautiful temple and probably one of my favorites!
I was glad to hear about all the great stuff happening, good Job on your Goal Davo, it sounds astig (Cool) and Anni, I am so excited that you have found a great friend, have fun in school both of you!
So I am sending those pictures again, I hope they work this time, one is of a burning cockroach, which is cool and I have so much fun doing that every morning, cause they are in are house every morning. And on is of the young man we baptized, Jomel 18 yrs old. HE is great! First baptism!! Then is our transportation, a Trike, which is what we use a lot, and the Jeep-Nee we also use a lot, they are our too most used ways of transportation. Fun stuff, oh and the last one is the famous, "Balut" it looks gross but it actually tastes pretty terrible too. ha no it taste like a weird boiled egg. ha weird texture.
I am adjusting to here though, the hardest thing here is the language. I wish I could speak it. But I do my part and do what I can in the lesson to help and bring the spirit. I have actually had some really cool experiences. Last week we went to one ladies house who is less active, and she was very nice. We had two members with us, one getting ready for his mission, the other a 17 year old girl named Maymay.(sounds like My-my). We got talking with her, and then told her we would be happy to share with her a lesson. My companion had told me previously that I was giving it, which I was used to, I usually give the lesson in members homes. So when we told her that, she said, "yes, yes please share with me a message, but share me something 'NEW'!" I got really scared then, cause I got this feeling all the sudden that she felt as though she has learned all she thinks she needs, and all there is about the church, and I knew I had to share something that was probably a little more special to me. So I shared to her how hard Tagalog is for me, and that I was struggling with it, then I read to her some scriptures, in 2nd Nephi, about 3 scriptures throughout the whole book of 2nd nephi that Helped me a lot. And it was good, sharing her that personal thing to me, helped bring the spirit, and then I told her how important it is to read the Book of Mormon and CONTINUE searching them cause we find new things every time we read it. It was hard to say that, cause 1, the language is a freakin poop in the pants, and 2, it was hard to keep my voice and myself composed, I was almost crying but then I remember that I don't cry, I weight lift and Burn Cockroaches. Ha It was a good lesson, and helped me learn the Importance of the spirit, and if the spirit is their, than that is all the investigator needs to feel, cause it will Plant a Seed!
So that is one of many experiences that I have had here given of the lord to me! I am very grateful for all the trials and help also he gives to me, especially in a lesson when I am secretly praying for his help cause I know I can't do it without him. And I am forever grateful for that!
The people here are great and I learn so much from them! Especially my companion, he is always happy and helps me be the same. I hope to learn and take that way of living into my life forever. I want to always try to be happy.
I love you all, and I hope you are all happy! I hope you get into the house quick and easy. OH the names of my investigators who are close to baptism are, Brother Manuel and sister Jocelyn, and Bro JR, who all have baptism dates. Then we have Sister Minerva and her daughter sis Glayza, then Sister Myra, whose mother is bed ridden so she won't come to church, we hope that changes so she will, cause she has a great desire!
Love you and miss you,
Your Anak ( son ) and Kuya ( older Brother)
Elder Benjamin Larson
I am writing to you today on Tuesday instead this week cause it's P-day today instead, cause it was temple day today! And that was great, It is definitely more small and a more humble temple than at home, but It is very beautiful temple and probably one of my favorites!
I was glad to hear about all the great stuff happening, good Job on your Goal Davo, it sounds astig (Cool) and Anni, I am so excited that you have found a great friend, have fun in school both of you!
So I am sending those pictures again, I hope they work this time, one is of a burning cockroach, which is cool and I have so much fun doing that every morning, cause they are in are house every morning. And on is of the young man we baptized, Jomel 18 yrs old. HE is great! First baptism!! Then is our transportation, a Trike, which is what we use a lot, and the Jeep-Nee we also use a lot, they are our too most used ways of transportation. Fun stuff, oh and the last one is the famous, "Balut" it looks gross but it actually tastes pretty terrible too. ha no it taste like a weird boiled egg. ha weird texture.
I am adjusting to here though, the hardest thing here is the language. I wish I could speak it. But I do my part and do what I can in the lesson to help and bring the spirit. I have actually had some really cool experiences. Last week we went to one ladies house who is less active, and she was very nice. We had two members with us, one getting ready for his mission, the other a 17 year old girl named Maymay.(sounds like My-my). We got talking with her, and then told her we would be happy to share with her a lesson. My companion had told me previously that I was giving it, which I was used to, I usually give the lesson in members homes. So when we told her that, she said, "yes, yes please share with me a message, but share me something 'NEW'!" I got really scared then, cause I got this feeling all the sudden that she felt as though she has learned all she thinks she needs, and all there is about the church, and I knew I had to share something that was probably a little more special to me. So I shared to her how hard Tagalog is for me, and that I was struggling with it, then I read to her some scriptures, in 2nd Nephi, about 3 scriptures throughout the whole book of 2nd nephi that Helped me a lot. And it was good, sharing her that personal thing to me, helped bring the spirit, and then I told her how important it is to read the Book of Mormon and CONTINUE searching them cause we find new things every time we read it. It was hard to say that, cause 1, the language is a freakin poop in the pants, and 2, it was hard to keep my voice and myself composed, I was almost crying but then I remember that I don't cry, I weight lift and Burn Cockroaches. Ha It was a good lesson, and helped me learn the Importance of the spirit, and if the spirit is their, than that is all the investigator needs to feel, cause it will Plant a Seed!
So that is one of many experiences that I have had here given of the lord to me! I am very grateful for all the trials and help also he gives to me, especially in a lesson when I am secretly praying for his help cause I know I can't do it without him. And I am forever grateful for that!
The people here are great and I learn so much from them! Especially my companion, he is always happy and helps me be the same. I hope to learn and take that way of living into my life forever. I want to always try to be happy.
I love you all, and I hope you are all happy! I hope you get into the house quick and easy. OH the names of my investigators who are close to baptism are, Brother Manuel and sister Jocelyn, and Bro JR, who all have baptism dates. Then we have Sister Minerva and her daughter sis Glayza, then Sister Myra, whose mother is bed ridden so she won't come to church, we hope that changes so she will, cause she has a great desire!
Love you and miss you,
Your Anak ( son ) and Kuya ( older Brother)
Elder Benjamin Larson
The Nelsons
Every week I say that it was a good week, but this had to have been the best week of my life. Everyday we have been working hard and with the spirit guiding us. This purification process is really working. I feel more spiritually in tune and happy. We found two cool people to teach, Ashley knight and Frank Hernandez. Ashley is a college student who was taught before around two years ago. The area book is there for a reason. She is super funny and opened up to us immediately. She is very open and willing to listen to us so we will see what happens there. Frank is a guy Elder Gordon and I knocked into 4 months ago and just kept him in the back of my mind. This week I just thought to go visit him. We caught him at the only time he would be home from his busy schedule. the spirit was so strong as we talked with him and we told him that it wasn't by chance that we came to him at that time. Frank is a very nice and well minded man and he has a very sincere desire to find direction in his life and especially for his kids. So I am really excited to help them come into the gospel.
The best part about this week was the baptism of Scott. Friday night Scott's mom flew in to be there for his baptism on Saturday. Scott was very surprised and happy that she came. Scott chose me to be the one who baptized him and Elder Cook to be the one who Confirms him. The baptism was the best and most meaningful and spiritual baptism I have ever been a part of. Scott is 6 ft 5inches and about 280 ish lbs and I was wondering the whole time if I was going to be able to lift him out. The lord was with me and I baptized him with ease. I felt the holy ghost so strongly I could hardly keep my eyes dry. Elder Gordon gave a wonderful talk about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and it just destroyed me and him. He and I were joyfully balling our eyes out silently. Pretty much the whole ward was there to support him and even President Summerhays came to witness it. It was great and I never have seen Scott so happy in all the time I've been with him.
Later that day we played soft ball as an elders Quorum and had a little BBQ. Of course Scott and his family came and it was so much fun. In Church the next day you could tell who all went because of the redness of our sunburns. But I have to say it was all worth it.
The confirmation was very good as well, Elder Cook is so spiritual and good. He said some amazing things and blessed him abundantly. I told him good job but he looked at me and just said, " it wasn't me dude." The spirit has been with us all week and it is great to be a tool in the lords powerful hands.
Scott's Mother Irene enjoyed everything and I think that because of all the things that she has been exposed to this past weekend she is going to be a member very soon. Sunday night we went over to Scott and Margie's house and we Celebrated everything by watching," Joseph Smith, The Prophet of the Restoration." It was so good and the spirit manifested the truth over and over to me. We bore great testimonies to them all and shared words of love and encouragement, Endure to the end.
This gospel is the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ and who ever will grasp onto it will never be the same. What a joyous truth. Another week is ahead of us and we are pumped for it. Stay well and be happy. I love you all.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
PS I will try to send pictures but it usually doesn't work, but I will try any way. let me know if you get the pics.
The best part about this week was the baptism of Scott. Friday night Scott's mom flew in to be there for his baptism on Saturday. Scott was very surprised and happy that she came. Scott chose me to be the one who baptized him and Elder Cook to be the one who Confirms him. The baptism was the best and most meaningful and spiritual baptism I have ever been a part of. Scott is 6 ft 5inches and about 280 ish lbs and I was wondering the whole time if I was going to be able to lift him out. The lord was with me and I baptized him with ease. I felt the holy ghost so strongly I could hardly keep my eyes dry. Elder Gordon gave a wonderful talk about the Gift of the Holy Ghost and it just destroyed me and him. He and I were joyfully balling our eyes out silently. Pretty much the whole ward was there to support him and even President Summerhays came to witness it. It was great and I never have seen Scott so happy in all the time I've been with him.
Later that day we played soft ball as an elders Quorum and had a little BBQ. Of course Scott and his family came and it was so much fun. In Church the next day you could tell who all went because of the redness of our sunburns. But I have to say it was all worth it.
The confirmation was very good as well, Elder Cook is so spiritual and good. He said some amazing things and blessed him abundantly. I told him good job but he looked at me and just said, " it wasn't me dude." The spirit has been with us all week and it is great to be a tool in the lords powerful hands.
Scott's Mother Irene enjoyed everything and I think that because of all the things that she has been exposed to this past weekend she is going to be a member very soon. Sunday night we went over to Scott and Margie's house and we Celebrated everything by watching," Joseph Smith, The Prophet of the Restoration." It was so good and the spirit manifested the truth over and over to me. We bore great testimonies to them all and shared words of love and encouragement, Endure to the end.
This gospel is the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ and who ever will grasp onto it will never be the same. What a joyous truth. Another week is ahead of us and we are pumped for it. Stay well and be happy. I love you all.
--
[Elder Spencer Larson]
PS I will try to send pictures but it usually doesn't work, but I will try any way. let me know if you get the pics.
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