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!!!!!!