Our Stake is Exploding

Hi family! Before I forget, I got the package with flip flops (THANK YOU GUYS!!!) and the one with garments (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!)

 

Super sorry to hear about Ian's family. I know Ian pretty well. Dang. I'm fairly sure we have CO detectors but I will make sure. I also sleep just next to an open door and windows on the second level of an open house. I will be OK.  Our mission has been getting more strict on safety things. Just got smoke detectors. I will make sure we have CO detectors if needed. Hope Ian is OK.

 

Things are going good here. Our stake is exploding. We have 36 baptisms fixed for the next month. I hope they all get realized. Oh and Dad, Carrefour is AMAZING. Until you realize its like Wal-Mart. Just a staggering concept here compared to the other little stores.

 

I got to see Russel M Nelson!!! I shook his hand and Elder Calister's, and Elder Pearson, and Elder Tarati, and all their spouses. They all spoke at the AMAZING mission conference on Dad's bday. It was so super. I felt the Spirit so strong when they came in; and during the talks the Spirit told me truths and that I knew they were true. So happy to have seen and listened to these great men. Sister Nelson is so cool too. Just cool. I will never forget that. Got to hear Elder Pearson again during Stake Conference. Super cool

 

I got sick last Thursday, and I'm still fighting it off. Fever cold thing, with headaches. Hope its not related to the migraine I had a month ago. I was headachy for a week or two after.  I'm OK and I'll be fine. The mission nurse has been helping me out. She is SO NICE; Sister Warner. She and her husband are like 3rd grandparents. They run a guide service for salmon in Alaska.

 

Dad, If you could send some digital photos via email tonight that would be sweet. My comp and I are giving a presentation Friday about what a mission is at a Catholic school (I know right!!) and some fishing and ice fishing pics and a dirt biking one would be sweet; Talking about what we did before mission and what we do as missionaries and why we're here. Super cool opportunity. Anyway, it would be nice, but if you can't, no biggie. Huge res isn't necessary, just gonna make a ppt.

 

I love you guys. I love you so much. I miss Idaho weather. Snow sounds super good, but it turns out the fruits here ARE SO GOOD. Love rambutan and coconut water. yum

 

Thanks for the prayers and the support. I love you and have a good week.

 

Love

 

Brigham

At Teahupo'o

Also At Teahupo'o

February 17 Snail Mail

This letter was received on March 3, 2014

 

Crazy Coconut Close Call with Clark

Thanks for the emails this week. Thanks for the mail too!! I got a huge pile today, from Dec, and January. Funny how it comes in spurts.

Things are going well. I like the car. It beats biking like CRAZY. It gets sweaty on a bike in church clothes. Just saying.

So, cool story. DON'T BE SCARED OK MOM!! I'M FINE.

Saturday I was on the beach (I know right!) walking back from a lesson in Fenua Asheré. (wilderness part east of Tehupou, like the end of the presque isle. Just means less electricity and not really usable roads). My life flashed before my eyes in the form of a falling coconut. We had had a lesson with a young boy (went great, hope he gets baptized) and then elder Clark and I were walking back. Black beach, GORGEOUS view and HUGE coconut trees.  As we were walking I heard the boy say something just in the background. I stopped walking and turned to see if he was talking to us, and I just hear this THUNK, as a 5+ lb coconut falls like inches in front of my face and makes a splash in the sand. Don't think the boy was calling for my, but if the boy hadn't have made a noise, the coconut from the tree and my coconut would have been pretty sore.... Elder Clark thought it hit me, and we had a moment of wow. Just spooky. I know Heavenly Father helped protect me, not from thieves, not from a hurricane, but from a falling coconut, lol :P. Super cool. Don't worry Mom, I will be OK. Not walking under the coconuts in the wind anymore...

So, awesome news... Elder Nelson is coming to do a mission conference with us! He'll be here Friday with us, and Saturday for a Priesthood conference. Super stoked. all the missionaries from the islands and everything will be there, and I get to see my buddy Elder Squires. That will be fun. Just super excited for that.

This week I had some crazy fruit. Chinese ice cream bean (that's what I call it, lol) and some other weird ones at Elder Lee's house. He is going to BYU for Industrial Design like I think I want to. We talked a lot about that. He is a good friend too, and he's in my zone now. Yummy fruit.

Thanks again for all the support and all the love. I love you all, and thank you for the mail and support and prayers. I hope that the garments and other stuff make it, but if not, no big deal (other than stolen garments, that could be bad). I am doing well and I am happy. I really am. I love you all so much. Have a good week,

Elder Larsen

Oh and PS, trying to send a letter this week. Hope it goes out. I have not sent one in a while sorry; :/

LOVE YOU!!!

At the Vairao Chapel.  Next to me is Elder Petis and Elder Clark is in the glasses.

I Broke the Eleventh Commandment

Hi Mom! Sorry I broke the eleventh commandment yesterday... :P  [Eleventh commandment is Thou Shalt Write your Mother -Steve] Transfers happened, and President told Elder Clark (my new companion) we could write today. As far as the packages go, Elder Clark says that they are usually really slow. He says two or three months can be normal unless you do the spendy fast option. I'll hold it out for a bit, and if the flip flops don't get here thats OK. New pants are not necessary. I also just got transferred into a car area so we'll see if that lasts long anyways :)  Good to hear Eulalia is fighting off the boys.... and that snow is falling. Here it has been RAIN RAIN RAIN :P I like it, but it is really WET.

So my new sector is called Vairao. Its on the Presque-Isle (almost island). The presque isle is the little part of the peanut (looking Tahiti from above it looks like a peanut). It is A LOT different here, but I am happy to be here, and Elder Clark is great. He's from Utah and has been in the field for like 15 months or so. He's been in the sector for four weeks, and he knows it pretty well. There are so few people compared to my last sector, but the area is at least two or three times the size. He and I are the Zone Leaders, and our zone is HUGE. I'm still not sure why President called me as a zone leader, but I am happy for the chance to work with lots of other missionaries and the couples, annnnnd to be in the car :P Elder Clark is super cool and is a lot like Hunter. We live in a LARGE open house with two stories. The other two missionaries are Elder Goes and Elder Houde he's from Quebec and knows Dad's areas. Quebec French is weird

This week I had some fun new fruit too! Dragon eyes, and cannet ( not sure how its spelled but it sounds like cuh-nett in French). Might be current, but I dunno. Either way its yummy and tastes like something from Jamba Juice. The dragon eyes are purple lychee things, and the cannet is orage pulpy thing. Not super descriptive, but I'll show you videos of them in a year and a half.

This Monday we sang the choir practice and I felt the spirit SUPER strong as we sang praise to the man in French. The song is super cool in French and I think I like it a bit more. It was just cool to sing it with like 120 other missionaries, in another language. Happy for choir. I also saw Carrefour. ITS HUGE. First time I've been in a store like that since Wally World. That was a nice pday thing.

Had a super cool Area Conference with the Area Presidency and some Seventies. It was good see via Sattelite from Australia.

I have lots to say, but little time to say it. Thats always how it its. Just know that I love you SOOO MUCH. I hope you guys are well and happy. Thanks for the support and for being my family. Dad, safe travels, and have fun. Mom and Eulalia and Cherise, enjoy the Subway :) I LOVE YOU!!!

ELDER LARSEN

PS

I am happy!

My new area.  Going fishing in a week or so for P-day. :)

This Week Was Crazy

Hey Family!

Thanks for the emails. This week was crazy. Almost all our key indicators were down by about fifty percent (not good) and I am POOPED due to a migraine yesteday. But I'm good. We had about 13 lessons fall through and taught 15. Not stellar for my area but OK. Things are still rainy, and we just had rough luck with the member present lessons. Things will be good this week though:) especially minus the migraine.

Forgot if I told you, I weigh 192 pounds. I have officially lost more than 50 lbs and I think I'm done. Luckily I got my temple belt now, so any baptisms, I'll still fit in my pants :) I promise I'm eating. I think the bike is causing the changing. I just hope that it stops soon, the pants are getting baggy... haha! Not gonna complain though, last time I weighed under 200 I was twelve. I promise I eat. Is that a healthy BMI at 6'5"?

Choir is good. Today we had the most serious practice yet and I really liked it. I am glad to be doing it, but sometimes it is tiring. P day GONE. Or at least nap time... :P Music has been really good though.

Transfers will be in a week or so. No idea if I'm moving or staying or if both me and Elder Christensen will stay. Will see soon. Officially four months in Heiri FAAA as of Thursday! Yay :) Oh and by the way AVACADOS ARE HUGE HERE!!! And really yummy

Thanks again for all your support. I am glad to remember that you guys care and watch out for me. I miss you all and I am pooped, but I'm doing OK. I am just hoping to do my best and to actually make a difference in some more peoples lives. I love the people here, and they need some help. I am understanding more and more about Dad and James and all the other good RM examples I've seen. Being on a mission is really cool, and really hard, but its really rewarding too. Love it, even if I'm tired :)

Have a good week and keep writing :) I got one letter from November like last week :) Missent to Thailand... lol Hope the package makes it ok :)

I LOVE YOU ALL

Elder Larsen