Hey!!

I love Mondays too! Can't wait to get on to hear how you're doing! I miss you guys, but I am glad to be here too. Last week it was great to email back and forth. I loved that :)

Snow sounds great, but I LOVE IT HERE! It's starting to cool down, and as the Summer comes to you it leaves us. Yes we did see General conference! It was at 6:00 a.m. and I got up at 4-something to get there... :P Two days in a row... :P pooped, but edified :) Here everyone watches it at the chapels or on their internet. The church has a policy that if it's being shown there must be a room in english so there was and that's were the missionaries and RMs watched it. It was cool to watch it with lots of other American missionaries. There are TONS of people at the chapels, and I think that the majority of those who'd watch on their internet come because they're in charge or social. I LOVE CONFERENCE and can't wait to read it like I did the last one. I studied it and it became so deeply personal for me. I LOVE last conference so much now. Can't wait to read this one.

[We had asked about his use of birthday cash, whether he has had any lobster, and about his mission vehicle and manual transmission driving progress.]

I have spent half of the b-day cash on Doritos and Pringles hehehe.

Had lobster (longoose) for Christmas and New Year. I loved it. I really liked oysters and mussels too. Just fun :) after farfaroo anything is possible!  :)

I have only driven a little. I'm not yet doing real driving, just parking lot, because I haven't gotten approved by Elder Clawson (Couple Elder from Canada :P) I should be fine just as soon as I talk to him. The clutch is different, but not to much different from the bike. I miss the shifting with toes though. Not gonna be used to the stick for a while :P Yes the truck has AC :)

Thanks for the advice on the mission. I really love it here, and one thing this is helping me realize is that sometimes crap happens. Sometimes days are rough. Sometimes you REALLY REALLY don't want things to go one way, but they DO (as if God did it on purpose...) and all you can do is your best. You just have to accept the way things are and do your best being humble and meek before Christ. If you pout or panic, things only still suck (not a scout word.... sorry). Things won't stop being rotten if you don't get up out of the dump. It's not to say I can't change situations, on the contrary you must change some situations. It's just been so different here than any other period in my life. I really am starting to love it. Even Elder Petis and I are good buddies now. We sit next to each other all the time in leader meetings. That's been wonderful.

I love you all! Thanks for being my family! Thanks Dad for your love and mail. Thanks Mom too! Thanks Cherise, Eulalia, Zephne, and James and Csilla, and everyone!! I love you guys so much! Have a good week!

Love,
Orometua Larsen

Oh and big PS, I forgot. I just found out today that I will be filmed. Not teaching, but for a reenactment of the mission in the 1800s.  I and about 10 or 15 other missionaries got assigned to be in a film the church is making about missionary work, and it will all look like it was a long time ago.  I am stoked :) No talking, just working out scenes that will all be narrated. Exciting and special opportunity. I'll tell you more when I know it :)

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Have a Taco For Me

Hey Mom and Dad!

Thanks for your emails.

[Dad asked about the planned fishing trip.]  I went fishing two weeks ago on P-day, but had not my good tackle. Bass lures on light ugly sticks would do wonders here, haha. Instead Elder Clark and I cut down a bamboo tree, found some huge line and hooks in the house and fished with the fish in the freezer (age unknown haha) as bait. Caught nothing but saw fish taking the stuff off the hook. We have plans to get some smaller line and hooks, then meet a member, but we will see. Still had fun. Now I can say I fished in Tahiti :)

I love Sundays here, but they are BY FAR the craziest day. We do the report Sunday night like we're supposed to and sometimes don't get in bed until late. Really fun though. I like talking with all the missionaries, even if it takes a while. We do the reports on Google docs.

So, this week went really well. We had an AWESOME activity at the temple and fixed two baptisms right there; with new people id never seen. Just wow. We took pictures of all the investigators there and then during the activity printed them out and gave them a picture of them in front of the temple. Worked so good :)

Things are going good. I still get days that are hard, but I haven't been really discouraged for quite some time. President has been such a awesome source for help. I love him and will miss him in three months. A third of my mission is over and when he leaves I'll be half done. Too fast. Way too fast.

[Mom asked about his weight and health.]  I am healthy. Haven't lost weight for a while still at a hefty, cough cough, 86 kilos [189 lbs.]  I'm doing good. I got sick from the water but I am doing good now. That was about four or five weeks ago. I am getting better at eating breakfast too! The mission nurse calls me every P-day and sees what I weigh... She is like a third grandma to me :)  She doesn't call everyone, just a few other Elders. I think all the weight melted off literally. I don't feel hot any more but the first 10 weeks I was always burning. I eat stuff that's not typical weight loss food too. Just odd. The other Elders she calls it's to help keep weight down haha I really am healthy though.  I sleep good, too.

Still work with the transvestite too! I really hope the best for that family.

I love you family. Have a taco for me (most missed food) and have a good week :) I'm so glad to be a missionary! AND so excited for Gen conf!!  Have a good week!

Love,

Brigham
Orometua Larsen

Oh and PS, I found a book, the D&C illustrated in TAHITIAN!! It was at the mission office and Sister Anderson (the mission office couple) gave it to me :)  New study resource with sweet pictures :)

Turns out Elder Randall is in my zone now! Hes one of my best friends from the MTC and one of the best missionaries I know. We went and saw the huge botanical garden in Papeari today for P-day.  I got to see huge Galapagos turtles.

Me and a very enthusiastic looking elder clark, haha! Funny timing.  This is the big Red Bull surfing  place :)

Hey All!

Thanks for the emails :) Glad to hear that David got a good residency, at least he'll be close! 

This last week was a roller coaster, still good, but just crazy. Had a baptism marriage to do/ prepare for for Friday, and then we had a very large activity on Saturday to find investigators, we called it the Mega Super Weekend, and had almost 40 new amis come from just our ward boundaries. Crazy cool. The members did awesome, and the marriage baptism was super! So good! Thanks for the prayers! Then we had ward conference and our awesome stake president taught a class to the investigators. It was a charged, but great weekend. This weekend we are gather amis on two big busses to take all the investigators from the stake to the temple where president of temple and mission will talk.  That last sentence had a non English flare to it, n'est pas? haha, stuck thinking that way. We will take photos and print them of all the amis in their families so they can remember and fix it as a goal. Im excited for that.

No dad, the rivers are pretty shallow. Our truck is a 2 wheel drive, so no deep stuff. gotta be careful with the mission vehicle, :o  Mom, I love you!! Hope Lay's band tour goes well too! I will keep praying :)

Out of time, not a big letter but not bad. I love you guys SO MUCH!!! Thanks for everything. Have a good week and prep for general conference! So stoked for that!

OH!

DAD I HAD DURIAN :) ! So happy!

It is VILE

Image won't attach, I'll send it next week, :)

Love you!

Elder Larsen

This Week Has Been Great!

Hi all!

 

This week has been great! Had a super cool lesson on Sunday where the Spirit told me what to say and how, and I actually felt a burning in my heart as I did so. Not a common feeling for me. It was super cool, and afterwards the dude was crying and we fixed another visit! Yay! Random fast first paragraph, sorry, just a neat experience for me!

 

I just got done writing my letter to president in French 100 percent minus the word dang, and the word Dear. !!  (I could have used cher president, but I usually say dear). I realized today that things are going great. I am doing my best, my language is doing well, and I am surviving in Tahiti! Yay. Just happy to have this realization today. I get along with my companion, and I have great amis. Just hooray!

 

SWEET car Dad, Cherise I loved the Haiku :P, and I love you too Mom!!!! Have fun at BYU with Zephne. And Eulalia, I love you too! Keep chasing off the drama guys, :) Oh and Dad, turns out that durian is here, and according to the locals it is a variety of breadfruit. I believe that or variety of carosel, another fruit I've had that is all mushy inside. Either way, I'll let you know if I have it. Its wildly unpopular here. :P Wonder why.

 

I love you all very much. I am happy to be here! even if the tap water is brown and unreliable (at least it's there usually :) ). I miss you all, thanks for the prayers and love. Have a good week, and pray for my amis getting baptized and married this month!! 3 or 4!

 

LOVE YOU!

 

Brigham 

 

Ua here au ia oe!

First Real P-Day in Five Months

Today is the first real p-day in like 5 months!!!! YES! Cleaned the bathroom this morning, got TONS of laundry done, and going to Carrefour soon :) SO nice to have P-day.

 

Last night we had our first concert. About 120 missionaries in one stake center on the stand. It was packed with amis, and I think a lot of good will come from just that concert. We are going to go to all the other stakes in the next month or so. I got goose bumps singing Praise to the man. I think its my favorite song.

So, this week was good. Had a baptism, YAY! And got to see some of my old investigators from FAAA at the baptism. The family is definitely my favorite that I've met. They were super nice, and we were just super close friends. I didn't get to say bye to them when the transfer came because of how quickly it came. Seeing them was nice. Just fun.

This week we got to go to a meeting in Papeete too. Thursday was all driving there and back. Had so much fun with Elder Clark, and felt the Spirit very strongly. Was good to hear from President Sinjoux. Just a good week.

So IF (big IF) you send a package in the next 16 months, a few things would be nice:
A new cap for my Aladin bottle

(if I were home I'd write the manufacturer. the cap cracked, but the bottle is fine. Best bottle ever)

A journal

( I love the Covenant brand one I have, from deseret book, but if its better not to ship or you don't find one I can buy another brand here)

and slightly stronger prescription reading glasses.

(The ones I have are +1 I think, and +1.5 or +2 might be better. Getting headaches after reading. Just cheapie ones from walgreens would be nice; glasses are like 100 bucks here. For plastic)

These are just wish list things. I am fine, its just IF you send a package in the next year or so. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!! Gotta go so Elder Goes can use the computer for emails. I love you tons, and thank you for your love and prayers. Had a good week and I am doing great. I LOVE YOU FAMILY!

Orometua Larsen

Hard Week

Hello everyone! I am doing fine, doing emails today instead of Monday. Monday we got back late from Papeete and running errands for the zone, then I was the only one that had internet work for the short time left for emails, so I wrote a quick one in the 5 minutes I was on, then let Elder Clark use it to do the same. Still gotta write President.

This last week was hard. Not sure why. I haven't felt very efficient as a missionary, and I haven't felt very good. Been tired since I got to Tahiti (no surprises) but I have been super worn out the last few weeks. Just had a rough time I guess. I will be fine. Also need not to beat myself up. Elder Clark is a nice guy. He is a lot like Hunter. He is patient with my being slow, and he knows his stuff really well.

For a few weeks now we have been teaching a transvestite. Super nice guy, er girl. He used to be a member, but got some operations to change, and got excommunicated. Now twenty years or so later he is trying to change, and we are friends. Super nice person who just got lost at 15 years old. Has a wife and kids. They need the message. So glad I'm not lost like that. So glad. His visits make for some funny language decisions as far as feminine and masculine go. Its always frere; but if you slip up, its not the worst... Nice guy

This week I had lots of new fruits. Guava is weird but good, and pistache (not pistachio) is gross.

I love you guys. I am happy to be in Tahiti. Finally getting used to some of it. I love the people here.

Have a good week! Keep praying for me!  I love you guys!

Brigham 

Five Minutes of E-mail Craziness

Hey Family!

Five minutes of email craziness... lots of ZL chores today. I will send an email tomorrow or Wednesday.

This week got a NEW Toyota Hillux truck, it's a manual and one of the old missionaries from Canada who works in the temple is gonna teach me to drive stick. Yikes. We picked it up today, that was fun. So good to change from the Hundai to something with clearance for crossing rivers and stuff.

I love you! I will send an email like Tuesday or Wednesday.

Oh and thanks for the mail!

Brigham

[Today we also received snail mail letters dated December 23 and February 17.  They have been inserted in date order, according to when they were written.  -Steve]