My first week in the MTC!!

Dear mom,

I am doing good here in the MTC. The food is pretty good, Friday is pizza day so that's always fun. But mostly the food just makes us all gassy. We have fun in our room and with the other elders around us.

My companion is elder Brunker, he is so awesome. He played the piano for us today and he is really good! He is basically a prodigy. Don't know how to spell that, oh well. The Tagalog language is coming. It is really hard. The first day in the class they spoke only Tagalog to us. it was so overwhelming but fun to try and guess what they are saying. We did learn how to bear our testimonies and Me and elder Brunker bore our testimonies to 5 or 6 people, it is fun. IT gets easier as we do it more. Elder Brunker is way good at the language, he has been blessed with the gift of tongues. If I have a question he always answers it. He just can remember and can use what he remembers! It is such a blessing having him as a companion.

The other elders in our district are way fun. Our district leader is Elder Webster and he is so cool too. He plays basketball and has fun. His companion is elder Gallager, he is also way funny. he is basically our comic relief. It's fun to joke with them. I am excited to get into the field and start teaching. And i am also excited to understand and speak the language better. I am trying to have patience and let it come slowly, but other elders are so good, and I just wish i could be as good as them. It will come though. In a while, by my faith and my obedience. the lord will bless me.

So i found out that i am here for 9 weeks, not 6. ha that was a surprise. I am not so sure how that will work out. I hope i can hold off that long. ha everyone is saying, "make it to Sunday just make it to Sunday" so i am excited for Sunday. The days are kinda long, but this week has been short. Weird i know.

I miss you all very much, But I am excited to get out in the field and make relationships with the people in the Philippines. It is kinda hard to keep in mind the purpose of the MTC. or my purpose here at the MTC. Because i know my purpose as a missionary, but its' different in the MTC. I have felt the spirit so strongly already this week. The gospel teaching classes are great!! The spirit is always so strong when we are pretending to teach an investigator and focus on them. that helps me alot, focusing on the investigator. I love it!!

I love you all, i hope you are doing good. Thank you for the letters from missionary mailing service, I liked them. I do want pictures of you mom, and Jess. I cant think of anything else I need. But if I think of something I will let you know. Also I might be sending a box of things home that i don't need. but I may hold on to them cause I don't know if I will need them in the field. I don't' have time to write to dad, so if you could give this to him I would appreciate it.

Dad sorry I didn't write you an e mail, I forgot your address and I don't have a lot of time. It is exciting being a missionary, and having the name tag, ha and learning the language. it is coming slowly but surly. I can understand Stephen's struggle and appreciate it more now. ha it is indeed quite hard. but I can do it. with prayer and faith the lord will bless me and help me learn it. he has already helped me learn so much. More than I could do on my own. so its a blessing for sure having him and the spirit on my side. I love my savior and have greater appreciation for his atonement now. He truly knows how we feel at all times, and it is at a very personal level.

Thank you for the letters and your prayers. I love you all.

Mom I haven't seen Connor yet but I am looking still. I love you so so much, it is crazy. Ha I miss you too. I miss all of you, Anni David Jessica Dad Kris. Stephen and Spencer of coarse but it is good being on the mission serving with them in a way. we are all doing the same work, just in different places.!!

Again I love you, and pray that the spirit will lift and strengthen you. Take care.

Love Your son.

Elder Benjamin L. Larson