Handing out Book of Mormons at Temple Site, Hawaiian Dancing and more

Hey Family-

What a fun long week this week was. On Sunday it was stake conference and a guy who worked at the temple talked to us about going up to the temple site before their shift starts that next day and giving BOM to the workers that have asked him for one. So the next day we went with him and gave a BOM with a typed up testimony that we put in it to everyone who wanted one. He basically gave them all a way and we were able to go up there and enjoy the temple site. We gave away around 40 BOM which is a full box full of them and it was really fun to go with him. He kept on thanking us for what we did but we really didn't do anything besides show up. He was so happy though and was very glad we came. It was fun to help out and of course go up there to the temple again. Almost everyone that got a BOM we took down there reference and we will be contacting them this next Monday/Tuesday. So we`ll see how it goes. And then on Thursday was the birthday of Hermana Lorenzana. The dinner was amazing and we gave her a little photo album with pictures of everyone in it. And we also did the Haika for here. It's a Hawaiian dance/prayer kind of thing. We learned it the night before and there is a video we took that I`ll have to send you sometime soon when I get it. And the family that we have been teaching is off to Colomba again. But we stopped by last night to say goodbye and took a picture with them with my camera. So we stopped by again this afternoon to give them the picture and they just loved it. Very fun to get to know them and they were very receptive to us and would have progressed here but hopefully over there they will. Those three things made it for me this week. Oh and the other thing i have come to learn here is that sleeping bags keep you very warm. I use it on the bottom and use a couple small blankets to cover me and I'm set to go. Cool fact that i thought i would share with you guys that I bet you already knew. But thanks for sending that book to me. I`ll make sure to bring it back. But I cant wait until general conference. Should be very good as you all know. I hope all has a great week with preparing for Easter and General Conference.


Elder Larson

Hey Family-

What another fast week if I do say so myself. It was fast for me at least. There were conferences this week and from what I got the most from is doing things with more sincerity. Doing the things I know are the best and that I should do BUT with a true desire to do it. Sometimes i just do the things that i know are correct because i know i have to do it but sometimes i do it with true intent. It`s something that I'm trying to work on right now. It's all about Character. I think I'll be living around that word my whole life. I love it because it really does explain everything about a person. Well the family that we've been teaching and visiting are moving back to an area in Coatepeque in a week or so. They couldn't come to church in the morning this past Sunday but they were able to come in the afternoon. We took a tour of the church and it was fun doing that with them. Elder Díaz and I both think they`ll get baptized but it`s all in the Lords time. We`re going to try to get them to stake conference tomorrow but he uses Sunday to spend time with his wife and family on Sundays because he works Mon-Fri. Great family, and we both have felt that they`re the type that once they get in, they`ll stay in the church. We had a great lesson with them about love and family and then he told us they were moving back to Colomba, Coatepeque, to take care of his parents that are getting old and can't take care of themselves anymore. I felt ok with them moving because that is certainly one way to show love for your family. We're going to try everything we can before they leave to get them ready for baptism once they move, if they go through with moving. It's sad to see them leave but it's in the Lords hands. And we just have to play with the cards given to us. I feel very blessed with who I am and what I'm doing right now here in Guatemala. I'm really grateful for you guys and your family that has blessed me with what I have right now. Thanks for sending that little small book. I really liked it before. Everything is going well down here.. Thanks for everything and I hope you all have a great week.

Love,

Elder Larson

Hey family-

Hope all is well over there. It was another fast week down here though. It was fun though. We found a family this past Sunday and have taught them twice. They said they couldn't come to church but we have are next appointment with them at the church tomorrow in the afternoon. They seem pretty positive. I hope they enjoy the visit tomorrow. On Wednesday there was a leadership training with all the district and zone leaders and the assistants covered a lot of things but President came in near the end and he touched on just a few topics which was really cool to me. But he really focused on obedience and the way we treat the sisters in the mission. He then talked about how a lot of the sisters suffer here in the mission and a lot suffered before the mission as well. But by the small things President said, being a caballero, a gentlemen, it will help them gain confidence, know they have support and do what you want them to do here in the mission. A funny thing he said to us is that if we don't learn how to treat and interact with girls right now that one day we`ll have 5 girls and we wont know what to do with them and that we would call him asking him what to do? It was a lot funnier in Spanish. But as for the Chileans....they left this Wednesday. Who knows how there house and their cities are. But I'm doing well. Elder Diaz and i are happy to be companions and are doing a lot better with new companions and being in a new area. There's a couple of requests i have. One is from our cook that wants to know what the recipe is for the butterscotch oatmeal cookies and the other one is from me. I was curious if every week or every other week you could find a family history story that is short but has a good meaning to it so i can learn a little by little who my great great uncle was, or my 4th great grandma was, or etc. Another thing is that there was a very small book that was in my room that had some stories like that in it i believe. I hope its still there or can be found. I would like to read it here if you happen to find it. Kind of small and it was orange or brownish if i can remember correctly. That would be really interesting and fun to read if you happen to find it. Other than that I'm doing pretty good. Just always trying to think of ways to change because if I'm not changing i am going backwards. There is no still or staying in the same spot. Please keep your prayers for the people here so they can hit the ground running when the temple is all ready to go. I love you all and i hope that you guys have a great week.

Elder Larson

Chilean missionaries delayed due to earthquake

Hey Family-

Crazy week down in Chile. The only missionaries that are from Chile are the ones that were ending this past change. Elder Rico and Elder Navarro. The airport is still bad and they have plans to leave this next Wednesday but who knows because its been delayed several times. My heart goes out for them and Chile but its probably worse than i think because i don't watch the news and actually SEE how bad it really is. I heard Elder Ricos town got it really bad but i hope all is over down there. Big aftershocks and a lot of them as you can see on Google Earth. Who knows where the next one will be. All i know is that it will come and it will be another big one. This change i asked to be with Elder Diaz as his companion to try to lift his spirits and do more work out in the field and for other missionaries. Nothing really exciting happened this week but this change i think we will be doing a lot of things concerning the office down in Reu. But who knows what we will be doing for that. Thanks for sending the stuff about Chile. Very interesting to hear and know about what is happening. So i hate to ask for things but i would really like/need like a few or more of the heating pads that i can put on my back for pain. If you can that would be great but if you cant no problem. So Elder Diaz and I are going to assist his ward now and its probably the richest ward in the mission but really really good members i have heard. We`ll see how it goes. I hope to be a help in some way or form for them. Thanks for the package. I share everything i get. I'm learning...haha. No i enjoy helping or giving away things and expecting nothing in return. Thanks for the scriptures. I`ll study them this week. Love you all and remember that if you are prepared, ye shall not fear.

Elder Larson