Happy New Year!!

Hey Dad Kris Anni Dave and Family,

Maigong Bagong Taon!! Happy new year!!

So New Years here is crazy!!! We had to be in our houses at 6:00 pm because of all the fireworks. The day started with some fireworks going off every now and then, but once it hit around 5:00 it started getting more and more, and at 11:25 or so, it is so crazy, non stop fireworks really, we sat up stairs and watched them while eating something called, mango float, or Gray Ham, is what they call it here, it is basically a cream and Grahm cracker layer frozen cake thing, with Mango's in it, they call it "Gray Ham" because when they read the Grahm cracker box, they think that's how you pronounce it. Ha ha, So we couldn't get to sleep until like 2:00 because of all the fireworks. And I thought the 4th of July was a lot of Fire Works.

We taught a drunk guy on sunday. He was funny, ha first he asked us to pray for his wifes sister cause she recently passed away and he wants her to go to the good place, then we started talking about the word of wisdom a little cause he knew a little about what we can and can't drink and eat. He asked, "so for you, you guys think it is bad to drink alcohol? Why?" instead of answering right off, we asked him what he thought, he was slammed. And this was his answer, "it is ok, if you only drink a little bit," then he went off about thing that has happened and why drinking is dangerous sometimes, then he answered again, "You know, drinking is bad, we shouldn't do it." Ha He was funny, I bet ya 25 bucks he'll be drunk again next week, and not remember our lesson. Ha maybe.

But this drunk man's wife was the real focuss, for me anyway. We had taught her a little bit before, but she was always pretty hard headed, She is a member of Iglesia ni Cristo, The church of Christ. The founder of this church used to be a mormon, but he wanted to be a general authority or something, so he started his own church. It is probably one of the biggest churches in the philippines. Any way, we shared with her of the Plan of Salvation, for the first time I saw a real spark! Something like, this was an answer to a prayer type of look, and it is something I have never really seen before. I felt the spirit, and even though I did a crap job teaching it, I felt the spirit, and I bared my testimony of it's truth and it's importance to our happiness. This is an experience I will never forget.

So I hope you all know that Our Father in Heaven Loves us, and he has a plan for each and every one of us. And we can all know and learn of this plan through asking, and searching and praying.

I know our Father in Heaven loves us, I know he knows each one of us and knows all of our problems and concerns in our life. And I know he is THERE for us, he is ALWAYS THERE for us, if we let him be. He Has a plan for us, if we accept it, we WILL find what true and lasting happiness is, and we can be with our families forever. I love you all, and pray for you always.

Love

Elder Benjamin L. Larson