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