Meet the Mormons

Thanks for the email mom! :D It really made my day!

This has been a good P-day. This last week was a whirlwind, and WHEW! it's over :D

Today was the most relax P-day ever. I got two loads of laundry done (and I even got my shirts hung up fresh out of the drier NO WRINKLES), did some deep cleaning of the bathroom, some sport (consisting of physical therapy exercises, push ups and sit ups), and had a hamburger for lunch. It has been a good P-day. Tonight we are going to watch Meet the Mormons with President :D Lucky us!

This last week, our zone conference trainings went really well. Elder White talked about personal consecration, and I talked about Doctrine and Alliances 121 (many are called, but few are chosen). Our last training was about the fact that we are all called, and this one was all about the fact that we must choose to be chosen (aka, to have success as a missionary, and to help others come to Christ). It went great, and I felt the holy Ghost help us. I was thrilled that the missionaries listened, and that I think it might have helped some of them. It was good.

This week, I also had the chance to do another split with my friends, the zone leaders of Papeari (Vairao, my old sector with Elder Clark and Ball). I went with them after their zone conference, and I got to see a bunch of my old converts. I really was lucky and happy to go again. Elder Tago (from AUS) was there with me. He has been a ZL for a few months now, and I really really enjoyed being with him. He is a smart, nice man, and I learn a lot from getting to work with elders like him. While on the split, we saw some inactive converts as well. That was rough, and I think it was an eye opener for me, as to the fact that once people are baptized, its not the end. Oh boy. I felt so sad for a sister I met, who was sobbing. She really needed our visit. She was a new member when I arrived in the ward, and this last year has been so hard for her. I think That I realized a bit more about what the 'true religion' is (according to James 1 27). I am sooooooo lucky to have had you and dad as good examples, and to be able to be a missionary thanks to your choices, and my choices. Wow, I feel sooooo lucky and so blessed! I just hope that I can be an effective tool for Heavenly Father.

This week, we have a lot of time to teach ahead. Elder White and I taught 12 lessons this last week, despite all of the conferences, and all of the time spent elsewhere. Whewwww... So glad that that week is over. And in about 2 weeks, it will allllll start again. We've got a big promotion of new missionaries coming in from Provo.

I will send some pictures, and then send my last thoughts for today. Sorry its a short email. Elder White and I will be going to Papeari and back tonight, to drop off some baggage for an Elder. And don't forget the meet the Mormons :D

I love you all my family, and congrats Dad for magnifying of callings! I am happy to hear that you will be helping the Stake get on target with YM's and Scouting. 

Also, I am proud of you baby Hannah! 

Well my family, that is about all for tonight. Have a good week. I am doing well. I am safe, and I am happy. ANNND, I am well fed. :D

Have a good night!

-Brigham

Me and an old friend from Vairao. He fed me Jack Fruit (relative of durian, that actually tastes sweet) :D

Elder Tago and Me

The good old ZL truck... :D I missed it.

Zone Conference Papeete (best zone ever!)

All-Time Teaching Record

So, this week. Was an adventure. I did get some good photos :D

I am going to give a quick daily summary of this week:

Monday, was filled up (like I said.... Sorry) We said goodbye to Elder Tau, Elder Holding, and some other missionaries. 

Tuesday, we received a group of new missionaries (all from Tahiti) Did some orientation, and got them taken care of.

Wednesday, we worked with the new missionaries then sent them to their sectors, then we had a big meeting with all the WML's on Tahiti. That was stressful.

Thursday, we had an all-day leadership council. It went very well.

Friday we took off! We did a zone conference at Raiatea, and then did some splits and lessons with the ZL's there. Elder Rose and Lee Chip Sao. Very cool Elders :D I love those guys! 

Saturday, we got up, went to Bora, and then did another zone conference (with the Bora Bora district), and then we came back on Sunday.

So, that is a quick summary. I am doing good, and I will be doing even better in a week or so :D 

We've got a lot of conferences this week, but the week after should be nice. This week, we only taught about 6 lessons :( All time record for me (as in least IVE EVER TAUGHT...) yikes. I sure hope to get some more lessons in this week.

The conferences went pretty well. We taught about helping people make it to baptism, and how we should be able to accompany the investigators all the way through their conversion process. It was a special chance to teach with President, and to see the other missionaries. In Bora, they had 6 Elders in the house, and we stayed there, making it 8. It was awesome being able to talk to them, and see how things are going. It was a special trip, and I hope that other missionaries learned from the conferences, like I did. 

I am SOOO happy to hear that Sister and baby are doing well! I am proud of you guys! Seeing those pictures was so cool! I cant wait to meet her, someday!

I am doing well. Thanks for all the prayers, and for helping me to be here. I am so glad to be here. Some weeks are easier that others. This week was stressful, but really really cool, being able to see some islands. I hope we get a lot done this week in our sector.

These are my thoughts for this week. Again, know that I am doing well, and that I love you all! I can not believe that it is already 2015. I just hope that I can do my best for the next seven months, and that my best is good enough!

Have a good week I LOVE YOU!

-Brigham

This is a picture of Elder Tau. He finished last Monday. Crazy.

The Tahitian group that just came in. (this is all Monday/ Tuesday)

We went to Raieatea!

Me and Elder Franco (MTC companion!)

Yes... we got on planes :D

This is the Airport at Raiatea.

Here you see the whole thing. The gate, and the check in counter. Tiny.

Then we went to Bora Bora

You have to take a boat to get from the airport to the island... wow.

This is a pic of us on the ferry

This is me and Elder Ball!

This is the UNREAL lagoon at Bora Bora. HOLY COW

This is Leaving Bora on plane.
yes I was like a little boy on the plane. GLUED to the window :

Less of a P-Day

Holy cow! I have another niece! :D Best p-day news ever!  I am proud of you my sister!  She is so cute!

This P-day has been less of a P-day. Woke up at 5:20... and it wasn't to go fishing :P Finally we have a few minutes to mail you!

Dropped off an Elder who will serve in Brisbane, then I got a haircut from Elder Twede again :D. Then we spend some time getting the returning missionaries of this week to their interviews, and making sure that things were managed with them. Whew. We've got some Zone conferences coming up, and a transfer in process, and 7 new Tahitian missionaries coming in on Tuesday afternoon. There's also a meeting on Wednesday for the WML's on Tahiti, and then on Thursday there is a leadership council. Friday Elder White and I will be in all-day meetings. We'll have NO time for our sector this week. OH man. Thanks for the prayers, and for thinking about me. I just hope we can get all we need to done, and not forget important stuff.

I will try and log back on after our FHE so I can write a tad more, and send pics. I left the good card at the house (got my pics on it, and just changed to a new one).

Know that I am well, and that I love you.

Have a good week!

Elder Larsen

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone!

This week has gone by SO fast! Some really cool things happened, and I feel so lucky to be here. It is SO good to hear about you! Dad, I am happy that the camp-out was a success, and that you and the boys had a good time. It made me chuckle to think about the McDonald's-smelling bivy. Hahha! I loved the Brigham Young quotes too.

New Years Day was.... interesting. We spent it at the office, making some reports. When we went into the sector, wow. Lots of drinking. Not cool man. I understand why some missions have missionaries stay in. Either way, we taught a bit, and worked in the office. We also got to eat steaks with president. :D that was fun. Now that the holidays are over, here comes the work! oh yeah! Can't wait for this week to get going. We should teach a lot more this week.

This week, I got to do a split with the Elders from Punnauia (the Zone Leaders, that is.) I was with elder Sandstrom (I dunno if I told you about the other split I did with him as his Zone Leader). He finishes in a few weeks, and it was great fun being together. We got some good work done, and I really enjoyed learning more from him, and with him. Heavenly Father really gave us a special miracle. The first lesson we did there, was right after our weekly district meeting. We went to their meeting, then afterwards, I was with Elder Sandstrom, and we went to the lesson. When we got there, he said ‘’oh, you might know these people, they are from Vairao (my old sector). ‘’ They had seen them one time, and knew that they were just visiting Punnauia so thought we’d try and teach a lesson real quick.  We showed up, and sure enough, I totally do know them! We fixed their baptismal date, and I will be able to be there! It was just a cool turn of events. Heavenly Father let me be there, at a ‘random’split, and at just the right time. It was so cool to see them!

This week we are getting ready for the Transfers! Wooo hoo! It feels like every week is transfer planning now. It involves a LOT of time meeting with president, about the strategy of what sectors to cover, or open or close, and then President getting the revelation to know where to put the missionaries. It is a cool process, and I am lucky to participate, but it does take a lot of time. I look up to president.

This morning I studied about Ezra Taft Benson. Holy cow that guy was an AWESOME prophet. Holy cow. I got a copy of the manual from our ward secretary (:D) and then got to read some of it this morning. I got kind of sucked in, reading about his life. He is a Hero. Really though. I want to be that good of a servant for my God, and I want to be that kind, and that serviceable. Wow, it was a good study. I want to be the best I can be, and help Heavenly Father. I am amazed by the example of the living prophets. I really love those manuals, and get a lot from them.

SO, that is most of what is on my mind today. Just know that I am well, and that things are going alright here in Tahiti. I sure do miss you, but it seems weird now, thinking that I finish this year. Hmmph. Weird. This is going by really really fast. Like really though. Christmas is already over. WOW. I can't wait to see you all. I love you and I pray for you too!

I love you my family! Thanks for everything, and for taking care of me! Tell Grandma and Grandpa thanks, and that I love them as well. It will be so fun to see them again too! 

Have a good week, and thanks for all the prayers! 

-Brigham

Sister Naylor's going away crepes and enchilada party (at the Anderson's :D)

She was with us at the MTC. A super nice sister. Her parents are in the photo.  They came down to pick her up.

The baptism that happened last week! :D

The white pants are soooo comfy (and SOOO BAGGY :P)

Me last night with an elder who was at the MTC with me! Elder Haumani

This is a pic of IDAHO POTATOES !!!! I saw the box in the dumpster on the street, and I was SO happy, that I took a picture :D Go Idaho!

Beach soccer today, turned into grass soccer.

I sat it out and took pictures :D

A Quick Note to Mom

Hi, Mom!

Sorry I didn't get to e-mail you yesterday! Things were super busy at the office, and we had to help with the 'goodbye' meeting for some missionaries. I felt bad going to bed last night, without having written. Sorry mom! I hope dad has a good camp out, and I hope that you have had a good rest!

Things were great this week, and seeing you was AWESOME :D I really really enjoyed that, and I was happy to see everyone. Thank you, thank you!!!  The next time we skype will be Sunday May 10^th. (If skype is available, as Dad said. But I think it will be. :D)

This was a special weekend too. We had a marriage of two of our investigators, and we had the baptism of two others. They went really well. One of the baptisms was an old old man, taught by the sisters. He asked me to baptize him. It was a special moment, helping him into the baptismal font.

It was really really funny though, I had completely, forgotten to get DRY clothes :D I came to the baptism, without dry garments… Had to put pants on over the wet ones and it was really funny. At first, after toweling them off, I thought, ‘Oh that will work out’, but then about 3 minutes later my pants started looking wet, so we ran to the house, and back, and nobody noticed, heheh.

Yesterday was transfers day, and we still got to teach a bit, go to the airport, give a blessing in FAAA, and work  a little in the office. Not much of a P-Day though. I wake up on Tuesday’s sometimes, completely lost as to what day it is, because it feels like Monday was another Saturday or a Thursday or something. Funny.

That’s good to hear that Eulalia will be going on splits. I should have… oh well. I know that for a while there were sister missionaries, and elders once in a while; but I’m sure if I’d have asked to do splits, elders would have appeared.

Things are going well. I am happy to be a missionary, and to be your son! I miss you! And I know that things will be alright. So sorry that I didn’t send an e-mail yesterday!

 

-Brigham

PS. I will send some pictures later today I think. I got a meeting soon, but will be able to after, I think.

Hi All!

Hello my family. It was good to read your emails, it will be GREAT to see you! :D

Good to hear Dad, that the ice fishing went well, and that BYU football isn't a totally lost cause. To reply to your question last week, I weigh about 87 or 85 kilos. Depends on the day, I guess. Either way, I gained a bit of weight back, and now I think I'm leveled off for a while.

This week has been a good one. We taught eleven investigator lessons this week, and fixed another baptism. Most missionaries talk about the work slowing down during Christmas, but it hasn't slowed down in our sector. Woohooo!

This week started off well, with the good P-day, and with some meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. We have been working on the January, and February transfers already, and that has been good. I really like being able to work with President, and during the long meetings with him, we get to learn from him, and learn about how to be a good leader. He says that the ability of a person to lead, is determined or tied to the number of decisions he or she has already made. If you can't think, and make your own decisions, you will only be relaying instead of leading. I've thought a lot about that.

This week, we went to the airport to pick up an elder who just got back from his mission in Australia, and at the same time, an elder who'll be awaiting his visa to serve in Brisbane. It's fun to meet the new missionaries, and to see them at the same time as those who finish. A lot of growth and change happens on the mission. 

One neat experience has happened in re-finding an old investigator I taught at Heiri. I remember telling you all about how deeply I wished that she could change and that she'd feel the love that Heavenly father has for her. She had a really rough go, and she has been in and out of addictions, and pregnancies. Then about a year later (a week ago) she came to church in our ward! She moved in with her sister in law (member of our ward) and she decided to take the lessons again. Wow. It has been a special chance (that not too many people get) to teach her again. I remember teaching her during my training, and now realizing some of the errors I might have made, and being happy that I am a better teacher now. I remember that in Faaa, she could barely understand me, but now she hasn't had a problem. It has really been a special experience, and I hope that this time, she will start living the gospel more.

Also this week, elder White and I had some hard news from one of our friends. A small boy died, who was the son of his co-worker and buddy. It was a really tragic event for him, and now we are trying to help them be ok during this really rough time in their life. I remember when dad's coworker's son passed away from a bacterial infection, and now seeing another young parent lose his young son, I see more of the real impact. Being a little-er guy at the time, I don't think I comprehended the gravity of that type of a loss. It is something nobody deserves to go through. All we can do, is help them get tied back to God, and find the love and security that is available through Him. RE-LIGION means getting re-attached or tied to God. Elder Neilsen told us about that in conference a year a go I think. True religion (or true uniting of others back to God) consists of visiting the needy, or the widows (James chapter 1 or 2), and crying or morning with those that mourn (according to Mosiah) . I felt that part of discipleship this week. I really am thankful for God, and I really am glad to be able to be one of his servants. An instrument, for re- ligature; so to speak.

Well, that is the summary of the week. Things are going so fast, and I feel like I am never gonna get to all the things on my to-do list. The small one in the planner (10 blanks) fills up so fast! :P Just know that I am doing well, and that I LOVE YOU!

Thank you for all your support, and love, and everything. By the way, my IDL made it! 

Have a good week, and say hi to Grandma and Grandpa for me!

-Brigham

Elder White and Pineaple from Rurutu :) Our Investigator taught us how to cut pineaple

Our Ami, and Lobster and Mahimahi Head

The fish was HUGE! But it was a female, and much much smaller that the big ones that others catch.

It is of of the best fish ever. The taste is really rich, and it is a fatty fish. 

We only saw it after it'd been cut into three, and we had some of it fried. Good stuff ;D

The Zone of Papeete at Sr. Naylor's Goodbye Testimony Meeting

Me and Our Investigator's Cousin

Scattered Thoughts for Today

Hi family! 

This week has been a good one. Things are flying by, and I just cant believe it is Christmas. Really though. It is so weird thinking that it will be Christmas in like a week or so.

This week, I officially ate the biggest steak frite I have ever seen. Ever.  Attached should be a picture of it. Our Elder's quorum president took us there with our ami. That is the fine maa (food) here. If you want to eat out, it is always at a roulotte (van with grill inside). This one is know for having the biggest steak and fries. Oh boy. Don't worry. I did not eat it all in one sitting.... that would have been impossible.

Thanks for all of the support, and all the emails this week. I am so lucky to have a loving family, and a good bunch of friends and companions here.

This week, on Tuesday, we had a baptism (shout hooray)! It was a good service. This sister was so ready for her baptism. She'd had the lessons for about 6 years. She is one of the people who got married recently too (sent pictures I believe).

This weekend, we had the chance to see a concert given by the LDS regional choir. Wow. It was awesome. A lot of the government people (mayors and presidents) came to the concert at our chapel, and it was broadcast into the islands. The songs were really powerful, and I felt the spirit help me feel calm, and feel motivated to be a better missionary. I love music, and I really appreciate the spirit of church songs.
 

The guy just came to fix our laundry machine, and the center of employment closed so we needed to go to the office to finish emails :P

I was saying, we had a great missionary concert last night. WOW, it was powerful, and I felt the spirit as I listened to the songs. Every concert type situation, or devotional, or fireside, is like a little spiritual boost. I love meetings like those.

This evening, we will be doing an FHE with President, and some of the members who've come to the temple housing to get endowed or sealed this week, It is a pretty neat opportunity, and meeting the saints from the outer islands is pretty cool. Last week we drove, and met people from the Marqueese. They speak French, but prefer Marqueesian (like Tahitian, with some new words, and changes in the alphabet... :D) They have some cool testimonies to share, and plenty of neat conversion stories. It is a sacrifice for the members to descend to go to the temple. At least the temple is now in Tahiti, not in New Zealand.

Well my family, those are my scattered thoughts for today. I am doing well, and I am happy to be a missionary. I know that the church is true, and that we are an ETERNAL family. Pretty cool huh?!

This next week, will be a fun one, getting ready for some more smaller transfers, and getting some coordination time with President. He is a cool man, and I look up to him and Sr. Bize.

Have a good week my family! I'm excited to see your faces this Christmas :D 

Oh, and dad, have a fun fishing trip, and be careful! 

I LOVE YOU!

--Elder Larsen