Tuesday, November 26, 2013

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...


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


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

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

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

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Weeks Forty Two and Forty Three

I never got around to posting Eric's message from last week. I guess I was too busy harvesting virtual corn...

Anyway, this week you get two posts for the price of one!



Week Forty Two


I'm doing much better today and I think this week will be a really good one because all my problems are for the most part ended.  Elder Andersen and my companion Elder Menke were so nice to me.  Elder Andersen even bought us some Wendy's which was extra nice of him because I haven't eaten at a Wendy's since I left. (Also keep in mind that Elder Menke had to be with me the whole time but he never complained once even though it was his preparation day and he had things to prepare.) 

Anyway, you guys are going to Los Angeles?...Try not to get your tires jacked.  And yes I asked Dan (a consultant on my floor) about the game because he came down on Saturday in a BYU shirt for personal work and he told me.  But I didn't know about Utah so that's hilarious.

And good luck with the Japanese student.

Katie told me about the stake dance.  Then I was laughing silently to myself because she told me about how frustrated she is with her grades as well and since I would have killed for grades like that... yeah it made me laugh but I'm glad she's such a smart kid.

I was greatly surprised to find out last Wednesday that Elder Seitz is leaving me and is going to be training a new elder even though he's only been out for 3 months.  And I was greatly surprised that I'M going to be training another new elder as well.  His name is Elder Pickering and he's from West Virginia!  He also reminds me of Katie because he graduated with a 4.0 every term he had in high school which is pretty amazing, so I'm excited to meet him.  So I'm already over time because it's hard to think right now but know that I read everyone's e-mails I just can't reply to them right now.

Week Forty Three

The following is an e-mail relating my adventure on Halloween.

So a bunch of vans showed up, and then we got in the vans, driven by the mission presidency and Elder Andersen, then we went to the temple.

A couple of shots of the valley from the temple:



Elder Seitz and me when we were done at the temple:


That cool tree thing in front of the temple:


The letter B (on the mountain in the background):


The front of the temple:


The bottom front of the temple:


A Dr. Suess tree thing:


The really pretty sunset at the temple...and Elder Liddiard:


The last picture of me and Elder Seitz ever taken...at the temple:


Anyway, I saw a lot of cool stuff at the temple. I saw so many cool things that I didn't think it would get any better until...





...I realized I was wrong: