Week Fifty One

We talked to Eric for an hour on Christmas Day. Because o f that conversation, I guess Eric didn't have much to say to us this week.

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In response to Molly's question, "What are you doing on New Year's Day?":

We're going to be quilting.

We've already done it a little bit [of quilting] but this time we're doing it at our Stake Center. 

I didn't really get to say anything I wanted to say but that's probably because I can never remember what I want to say when it's my time to say something.  My release date is changing and it's not going to be 12/19/2014 anymore.  That's what I was trying to say.

It's an okay razor (the razor Eric got for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Zimmerman) but it started making weird noises like after the 3rd time I started using it.  It still works as well as it did when I opened it though.  I forgot to tell Grandpa that I'm not allowed to use aftershave on my mission.

Thanks for sending me the other stuff.  I already knew my license was expiring on my birthday but I always thought the mission would take me to the dmv or something because you have to have an active ID of some sort while you're out. 

I got my pictures right here:

"I'm Batman," says Eric as he models his new pajamas.

Because of his new Batman pajamas, Eric says, "I'm a legend in this mission."

Week Fifty

Christmas Eve 2013 and a new message from Eric.

Molly asked Eric what time we can expect him to call on Christmas Day. We wish he could have been more clear...

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Dear Mom,

Thank you so much for your patience regarding my late info for calling you at 9:00 AM MST tomorrow.  The call tomorrow will take place at 9:00 AM MST tomorrow because two elders had to change their times due to conflicts with when their families can hear them.  But I knew that you guys could probably be very flexible with the time because you would be there all morning anyways, (specifically at 9:00 AM MST.)

Thank you for explaining the present things to me because either I'm crazy or I remember reading something about like getting presents from the Aquabats! and then sending one to me or something.  Maybe I just mixed two different sentences from two different paragraphs because I have such a bad memory.  But don't worry, you can explain it to me very slowly tomorrow when I call at 9:00 AM MST.

I didn't know Bro. Slack and Bro. Anderson were released from being counselors.  When did that happen?  I guess you can tell me when I call tomorrow at 9:00 AM MST.  Do you want to be a YM leader?  I'm just curious because unless emotions don't translate well through plain text with a period at the end then you sound a little disappointed.  I'm sure you can tell me that too tomorrow during the hour of 9:00 AM MST, which is when I will be calling, if you didn't know.

Good heavens when did Neko get so fat?  Seriously he wasn't that big when I left, was he?  His legs looks so chubby!  And look at all that fat! 9:00 AM MST!

I got some really cool pictures of the beauty of winter before everything got soggy and and gross from all the pollution and car exhaust and stuff:

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The view from my apartment on Thursday.  It snowed all day and the entire Church campus closed because of all the snow.
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 The Temple on Friday morning.
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This was on Friday later in the day.
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And this was package-geddon. Or the packocaclypse.
A

The British tree.
M

Oh and you'll all be impressed.  I managed to get a picture of someone famous that isn't blurry.  I'm also in the picture with him.
M
This is Nathan Pacheco.  The 2013 Pioneer Day Concert guest-artist.  He was in the crowd and I scoped him out because I have his CD and stuff.
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This week was pretty interesting.  I told you about the snow day thing.  That was crazy. 
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I don't9 have: much0 time0 forA e-mailingM becauseM theS libraryT is closed for Christmas Eve so I'm doing it at the mission office. 

So I can't think of anything else to tell you but I will talk to you tomorrow at 9:00 AM MST. 

Love,
Elder Larson

Week Forty Nine

Yes I got into the Christmas Concert because Elder Davis had like 32 tickets because he told his mom to get everyone in his ward to apply for tickets and then send them to him.  I didn't really like the singer either, I don't think she has the right voice to sing Christmas songs, plus she had a really bad music selection.  I did enjoy John Rhys-Davis though.  And Richard Elliot.  Not even flying can beat the candy bomber though.

I opened all the packages I got so far except for the wrapped presents so I started using the razor the day I got it.  Now I'm a bit confused, did you say the first tiny presents I got were from you or just he big ones with your name and Becca's name.  So I'm confused because I'm not sure where the first two presents came from.

It looks like it's just going to be me and Elder Pickering in that apartment until January. 

Well since you told me a cooking adventure I'll go ahead and tell you the one I had the other night. 

I've been making what I call protein smoothies which is whey protein powder, frozen fruits (I have a freezer filled with various frozen fruits which is driving my companion crazy), and whole milk, in a blender.  The other night I remembered that I bought egg nog in the fridge so the brilliant idea clicked in my head that I could use that in it too.  Then I remembered that I had a candy cane so I put that in there too.  Long story short, I broke the blender.

I've got some pictures of the Christmas Concert, or where I was sitting anyway:

Being up really high wasn't that bad because I could look at all the dancing at once.

And I took this picture early in the morning on Monday:

I'm having a really hard time thinking of things to say because I've been so burned out lately. 

Thanks to everyone for the presents and stuff.  And thanks for the book.

Love,
Elder Larson

Week Forty Eight

Umm...so I'm just now being told to send a testimony because you just now got the assignment or have you just been putting it off and forgot to tell me the day before it was due?  I guess it works out because I was working on a thank you letter for the deacons and laurels because I got their package.  I also got a package from Grandma and Grandpa.  I also got a package from you guys with the CD and wrapped packages.  Are those the packages from the Christmas Concert or were you talking about something else?  I'm happy with the CD but I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't include the story they told about the Candy Bomber (as narrated by Tom Brokaw...read that in Tom Brokaw's voice.)  The story about the Candy Bomber is one of the most epic things I've ever seen so I'm surprised they didn't include it in the CD because they usually do include the story portion of the concert in the CD. 

I applied for tickets for this year's Christmas Concert but was not chosen since tickets are in such high demand.  Which is disappointing because they're going to have flipping John Rhys-Davies as the narrator (Gimli the Dwarf).  But the good news is that if I get in the stand-by line early enough (like two hours early) I'm guaranteed to get in.  The line isn't like a standing line either thankfully, they have you sit in the Tabernacle.  And in case you don't get in they have big screens that you can watch the concert on so I'm going to do that. 

But yes, quite the week for me.  Christmas is definitely closing up on us.  Temple Square is covered in decorations of all sorts.  Snow is falling frequently and the sirens are blaring just as frequently due to all the accidents on the interstate.  And the mail is getting scarier and scarier. 

The most interesting thing that happened this week is that my district got rearranged for the new month (I think I said that last time.)  My apartment was completely unaffected at first, but then an elder in my district surprised us all when he went to the mission office and told them that he wanted to go home.  So I spent all of Thursday morning helping him pack with Elder Andersen before his parents arrived.  (It was his choice and he was happy about it but his parents were absolutely furious.)  The elder that left was just given a new companion that has a lot of anxiety issues and can't be companions with just anyone.  So it was decided that Elder Earl who was living with me should be his new companion and he had to move out unexpectedly.  Which meant that his companion had to move out because we didn't want to have a tri-panionship.  And because there are no more two-man apartments left Elder Pickering and I are now living together in a four-man apartment. 

On Sunday I went to that very...different Christmas Devotional.  I know you probably thought that nothing could beat the picture of President Monson from the Pioneer Day Concert but this time I got an even better one:

Aww yeah.

Here are some more pictures:

 This is how close we were sitting.  It was closer than it looked but still not that close.

A relaxed face forces a smile.

This tree only gets lights put on it every other year.

Love,
Elder Larson

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Eric's Testimony for the Young Men and Young Women:

First of all I'd just like to thank you all from the bottom of my teeny and fragile little heart for sending me a Christmas Care Package.  My brain pretty much exploded when I got that because I had no idea that you guys cared about me and stuff.  Thank you all so much and you are definitely the coolest youth in a ward that's ever existed. 

If there is any principle that I can share with you that I've come to learn more fully out here on my mission than anywhere else in my life would be that of faith.  It's something we talk about a lot, in fact it's the very first principle in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  But I just want you all to know how great it is to exercise.  It will give you power and strength when you have none left, and holding fast to faith will help you through the hardest of times; whether on your mission or not.  Frequently I find myself in situations where I feel lost or scared and I'm not really sure what to do, in fact to be perfectly blunt I have no idea what I'm doing half of the time.  But I believe in Christ, His hand is evident in all things to me.  When I remember that and know that he will never forget me nor forsake me I find the strength and the spirit I need to overcome all my challenges.

One day not too long ago my companion and I were casually walking to our destination through Temple Square when a group of three men excitedly saw us and called us over.  Two of the men introduced them to us and told us that the third member in their group was named Samuel.  Samuel was a new convert to the Church and had been having some problems in his life and he requested to have a blessing right as we walked into sight and they wanted me to give him one.  Terrified out of my mind yet not wanting to show it I found us a room where we could be in private.

Samuel was going through some struggles and he had been reverting back to his previous addictions to smoking and drinking.  He also suffered from schizophrenia and had been having a very hard time combating that.  It was his request that he have a blessing to have enough faith to overcome these challenges so that he could be clean again, as he knew what he was doing was wrong.  Not knowing what else to do but give him a blessing I went ahead and did as he asked.

I do not recall how long I took or even what I said, but when it was through the presence of the Holy Ghost was prevalent.  Samuel thanked me profusely for being a worthy Priesthood holder and for giving him a blessing and saying the exact words he needed to hear.  I think we all know who told him the words he needed to hear, and it wasn't me. 

No matter how shy or weak or inadequate we feel, we must remember that the physical limitation is not in the divinity of this work.  God has always used weak things to show the world how strong they can become, and I have a perfect testimony of that.

I know this Church is true brothers and sisters, and I know that the Lord is indeed hastening his work.  I know that this is God's very Church restored to its fullest on the Earth once again and that He offers the blessings that come from it to all souls whether living or dead.  Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet, and he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God; and Thomas S Monson is the living prophet today.  Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and through Him we may be saved, and there is no other way.  I leave this testimony with you in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Week Forty Seven

I don't think anyone told me that Christian is home.  At least I don't remember reading it.  Meh, I'm losing my mind.  Has he asked about me or anything?  I guess you haven't really had the opportunity to talk to him much.

So for Thanksgiving all the elders came over to the stake center cultural hall and a surprising amount of food was given to us so don't worry about me not getting a feast.  Our branch president apparently knows a lot of chefs and he asked them to do this for us and they agreed.  So yes turkey, stuffing, potatoes, corn- we had it all. 

On Friday we went to see the lights turn on for the first time at Temple Square and I ran into Brother Bishop.  He told me that you guys say hi but I'm not entirely sure if you knew he was coming or not.  It was a brief hello and it looked like he and his family were just here to look at the lights so it was cool to see someone I know.

Also since the library was closed on Friday still we watched the christmas concert from last year with Alfie Boe.  He plays Jean Valjean in broadway.  I quite enjoyed it and would like the CD.  Alfie Boe has a very awesome voice and it's really powerful as well. 

Funny thing about the Christmas Season on Temple Square.  Apparently they like Christmas music playing all the time so all can hear as they look at the lights.  In addition to the music that's played on the loud speakers, concerts are going on at all times at various locations across Temple Square including in the library (because people apparently want to hear people sing while they're in a library.)  These are mainly choirs from Utah high schools and such and we're going to be singing in the assembly hall one day...also apparently Lehi Jr. High has a hand bell choir.  The music on the loudspeakers is so loud that I can hear it at my apartment.  I think what little love I had for contemporary Christmas music is going to dissipate completely.  I still like the Christmas Hymns though so that's why I ask for the CD.  (And Alfie Boe.)  Though if I hear Candlelight Carol one more time (a song I have to sing by the way) I might go crazy.

I had no batteries to put in my camera during this week and I feel bad about that because there was a lot to take pictures of.  The only picture I have to show you is a picture of an important ornament I bought today because I knew my tree needed it:

Something I desperately need is a nice electric shaver.  Like, a really nice electric shaver.  I mean, a really nice one that won't tear my neck off when I'm trying to shave.  It's gotten to the point where I have to shave twice a day now because the hair on my ugly mug grows alarmingly fast now.  As you can imagine my face isn't liking the abuse and I'm suffering from some pretty bad razor burn.  I hear that if you invest in a really nice electric shaver you can avoid that problem so that's why I put emphasis on the nice part because I'm looking for one that specifically tackles razor burn problems if such a thing exists.  If not then just get me the best you can.  On a completely different note another thing I'd like is peppermint oil.  Not extract, oil.  Okay that's all I can think of.

The amount of mail I had to carry home yesterday wasn't pleasant.  And I've been told the horror stories from other district leaders about how many packages they had to carry home last Christmas season.  (They had to load and unload packages using the Brandon's car at the apartments 3 times to be specific.)  So now that the amount of elders on this mission has nearly doubled I'm not looking forward to being a mail man for this month.  Send them whenever you want though and I'll be happy. 

This was a good week and I'm doing well.  My district is changing on Wednesday and Elder Liddiard will no longer be my zone leader because I'm changing zones as well.  My new zone leader will be Elder Broadhead.  Also we all have tickets to go to the Christmas Devotional on Sunday so I'm excited for that.

Love,.
Elder Larson

Weeks Forty Five and Forty Six

Once again I was dumb and neglected to post Eric's message from last week. So you get another two for one this week...

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Week Forty Five

I got the package yesterday. I also got a gigantic package (it was about 4 feet tall) that contained a Christmas tree and loads upon loads of candy.  (You know, because I'm not eating well.) I decorated the Christmas tree and it's shining proudly in our little apartment so thank Grandma and Grandpa   I haven't gotten any surprise packages from the Laurels but I guess I'll look out for it.

You asked if I was extremely nervous when asked to give a blessing to a complete stranger.  Well yes I was but one ability I've learned how to do ever since I've been a district leader is how to fake confidence.  You asked if Elder Dominguez did anything.  He was doing most the talking actually while I was just giving the suggestions.  I also have no idea about any of them except that one of the friends was the ward mission leader in their ward because he told us.  And you asked if that was my first blessing.  I've given several blessings since I've been out here because surprisingly quite a few elders seem to look up to me.  I've never really talked about them before though because every time I've had to give one it was because the elder was having a really hard time and I just naturally kept the situation confidential.

I've seen several instances where being with companions has blessed the elders lives.  The biggest one is this: one night two elders were walking together like they were supposed to and heading to their zone at the Joseph Smith building.  Right when they were about to enter the north gate to get into Temple Square a man suddenly approached them.  He was very aggressive and demanding and vulgar.  He had with him a little children's jacket and was telling them to take it right now.  They couldn't tell what was in it but they said they clearly saw a bulge in it.  One of the elders was about to take it but the other grabbed him and pulled him into Temple Square.  They called Elder Andersen about it and then President Workman came a little bit later with Church security so they could fill out a report.  Both Church security and President Workman theorized that that man had drugs or some other illegal thing in that jacket and if they took it then the man would demand money for it and if they didn't pay they'd get in trouble and you can probably figure out how bad of a situation that would have been.  This happened on the very night of the very day President Workman announced and started enforcing this rule.  The spot where the man approached them was in our former free-zone.  If the rule hadn't been there the elder most likely would have been caught alone.  Because he had a companion with him he was able to see the very real danger of the situation and pull him out of there when he was so afraid he didn't know what to do other than take the jacket.

Anyway I only got to e-mails this week but I guess that's okay because I don't really know what else to say.  This week I was messing around on Ancestry and found this:

This is Dad listed in a birth index in Texas because apparently Texas has like no privacy laws.  Also I found some other interesting things.

Someone apparently posted and indexed some of the yearbooks of Westwood High School and I found some pictures of Dad:

 

And the best for last:

Hopefully it doesn't disturb Dad too much that I was able to find these on the internet.

Love,

Elder Larson

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Week Forty Six

Before I forget I remembered that there were some unanswered questions on your last, last e-mail.  We have an air conditioner that has a really nice fan setting but it's one of those small install in your window types and apartment management had everyone put on these little covers on them for the winter months and we're required to unplug them as well.  I still have my little purple fan but that thing is extremely loud even on the lowest setting and Elder Pickering doesn't like it.  Elder Pickering isn't from Charleston.  He's from Charles Town.  Apparently that's a city next to the Shenandoah river.  I had to be with my companion when I went to Dr. Yamashiro's because even though I am with Elder Andersen if we left together then Elder Farrell wouldn't have had a companion and since it was both of our preperation days we needed to stick together.  (Speaking of which, I got my retainer today.)

I don't get much things in the mail until Monday.  I don't know if you think everything you send me arrives on Friday but I guess I should tell you now that it usually arrives on Monday.  It probably gets mailed to the correct place on Friday but there's a day wait because everything goes to the Church Office Building first because they are the ones who sort it.

Aren't you supposed to ride horses in a correct way so things like displaced ribs don't happen?  Or is it just because she's (Becca) never had to deal with stuff like that before.  I was on muscle relaxants before my whole sleeping ordeal because it was supposed to help my headaches and get me to sleep at the same time.  It sort of worked I guess.

Why'd you volunteer for being in charge of the cast party (Disney's Mulan Jr.) if you're not a party person?

I was surprised to hear about you being in that video as well because I've seen every Mormon Message they have.  (I have time to do that sometimes don't judge me.)  I guess the reason I've never seen it because it wasn't advertised as a Mormon Message but as a random video buried in the media library.  One day I was walking with 3 other elders through Temple Square and a random photographer took a shot at us while we were laughing and walking.  One said, "Was that a church photographer or just some random guy?"  I said, "Either way we'll probably randomly show up in an Ensign one day."  Still hasn't happened though.

(The Mormon Message video we are briefly in -- https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-66-president-monson-talks-about-prayer?lang=eng)

Jacob tells me in his letters to me that his family puts the blog about me in his e-mails every week and I keep forgetting to tell you that I'd like to read his blog too.  Just copy and paste and put it into the e-mails to me or whatever.

I totally forgot to tell you (it seems to happen to me a lot) that I went to a Bells on Temple Square concert two weeks ago with Elder Dominguez and Elder Menke.  Here's a picture a guy took of us standing outside of it:



I don't really like this picture but I'll send it anyways because apparently that is what my relaxed face looks like now. 

They pretty much sound as good as your hand bell choir but they have way more bells so they can make more sounds.  They also had a few members of the orchestra and some organists join with them.

On Sunday when I was at Music and the Spoken Word I took my regular spot now.  (I have a new regular spot.)  It's on the very right side of the building under the balcony where the tvs are.  I like sitting there because I like hearing it live while looking at the visuals and stuff.  (that and we're right next to that drummer dude and we like rocking out with him.)  Anyway that spot is right next to where the general authorities sit and while we were sitting there we were surprised to see a couple of security guards come out followed by President Monson and Ann Dibb who then sat right in front of us.  We spent the entire time looking at him to see if he'd notice us.  He didn't but we didn't really care.  After the broadcast Llyod Newell made the ultimate blooper when he told everyone that, "President Monson is here with his wife."  Double awkward. 

The library closes everyday this week at 5 for Thanksgiving.  I still have no idea what we're doing on Thanksgiving because the mission office likes telling us what we're going to be at last minute.  I have been told that we're having a dinner with the branch though.

Thanks for everything and I'll talk to you later.

Love,
Elder Larson

Week Forty Four

Yes I got the sleep mask. I like how it "helps you sleep better naturally".  The adjustable straps don't work that well but it's fine how it came out of the package. I ran into a new problem with my sleeping now, (my companion) is a very loud sleeper.  He flops all over the place when he's trying to get to sleep and then once he is asleep he moans and groans really loudly (he claims that he had no idea he made noise when he sleeps.)  So it looks like I'll need earplugs next because being blind isn't enough.

It took about 20 minutes of waiting at Dr. Yamashiro's office just to get a mold that took about 1 minute and 30 seconds to do.  So yes I don't have the retainer yet.  I don't think I've mentioned how weird it is to go there as a missionary, especially since I have to bring a companion with me now.  Also the construction up there right now is really bad.  Also also we used to be able to walk right in and the guard wouldn't care but now the guard at the desk always stops us and asks where we're going, this might just be because he's concerned about 3 men in suits entering a children's hospital though.

When I study the Good Samaritan I notice that there's a lot more to notice aside from the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans at the time.  It says that a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.  When biblical scholars started studying the trail from Jerusalem to Jericho they noticed that you literally do go down.  There are a lot of cliffs and places to hid so it was well known by everyone that it was a road where bandits ambushed people all the time.  James E Talmage points out that since everyone knew how dangerous the road was people often took a longer but safer route, and if you're using that road it must be because there's some sort of emergency and you're pressed for time.  So from this we can assume that since the man was taking such a dangerous road he must have already been distraught and in need to get to Jericho fast.  I just thought it made the story sadder for this man and how he was probably already in need of help.  This is a really good video that gives the best depiction of it that I've seen: http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/parable-of-the-good-samaritan?lang=eng

When I told Elder Pickering that you and all of that side of our family grew up in West Virginia and the adjacent eastern states for generations he asked where you were from and I said Parkersburg and a lot of my family is from the Harrison County area.  He said he didn't know where that was and just sort of stopped the conversation at that.  Even after a week I'm still having a really hard time getting him to say anything to me. Hopefully things will get better.

I had a very interesting experience yesterday that I think you will enjoy hearing about.  Elder Dominguez and I were walking from the Joseph Smith building back to the Library through Temple Square when 3 men beckoned us to come over.  2 of the men introduced themselves and then introduced the other man as a new convert to the church; they then told us that he's been going through some really difficult challenges lately and he requested a blessing, and then right as he had they noticed some random missionaries walking by.  Obviously shocked but not trying to show it we said that we should find somewhere private, so we walked to the South Visitor's Center and asked the sisters if there was a room we could have, so they gave us one.  Once in I asked the man what was happening in his life and he told me that he suffered from Schizophrenia and that the voices inside his head were telling him to do horrible things.  He said that he used to rely on smoking to keep his mind off of it so he started doing it again, only this time he told me that it's only been making things worse and that he just realized that's because he knew smoking was bad yet he wanted to try it again and stuff like that.  This is the most startling situation I've ever been in but realizing that I just couldn't say no I looked at Elder Dominguez and he mouthed that he's never given a blessing before.  So I gave a blessing to a complete stranger who was going through some significant trials.  Afterwards he was in tears and told me that he was so grateful to feel the Spirit and the powerful manifestation of worthy priesthood authority.  After talking for a bit he assured me that he was going to be better now and then we left.  I told my APs about it and they said I did the right thing and that giving priesthood blessings isn't against our calling at all.  I'm still amazed that something like that happened to me, but I'm extremely grateful that I was chosen to help this man.

Love,

Elder Larson