From: Phillip Larsen
phillip.larsen@myldsmail.net
Date: Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 2:32 PM
Subject: Week 8
Happy P-day Family!
This week has been quite awesome! (and I wrote up a list of things to
talk about too! huzzah!)
So on Sunday we got to sing in Sacrament Meeting and we sung Nearer My
God to Thee in Portuguese, so Mais Perto Quero Estar. It was very fun
and our Branch really enjoyed it and one of the counselors in the
Branch Presidency complimented one of the elders in our district a lot
on the musical number. The MTC president was also in our sacrament
meeting that week and we also got to go on a Temple walk again
finally! It was very fun. I really liked it and I got some pictures of
it. Unfortunately the picture people here have been having trouble
lately and were backed up so I am hoping to get the pictures later
today but we'll see what happens!
This past Tuesday I got sent down to the Travel Office with about 6
other elders from Brazilian Districts and we ended up applying online
through a website for our visas so I think it'll be a few weeks before
we hear anything more about visas to Brasil. We will be getting
reassignments next week or we'll be applying for them anyways. It is
actually pretty exciting! Those go through the 12 apostles and it'll
be cool to be able to serve somewhere stateside for a bit, I wonder
where I'd get sent.
Later on Tuesday for the devotional guess what! We heard from ANOTHER
apostle! It was awesome. We heard from M. Russell Ballard, and he
talked about being master communicators and being completely confident
in our knowledge of the Gospel so we could teach well. Rumor has it
that we are hearing from another Apostle this upcoming week and
possibly another after that. Heard that we were hearing from 4 in a
row or 5 so we'll figure it out. We also sang in choir again for this
devotional and the song was awesome. Look it up when you get the
chance, it is "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer"
On Wednesday I got to be a host missionary for the missionaries coming
in this week, unfortunately I didn't get to be the host for Mike, but
I did get to see him once. I don't know what building he is in, or
what schedule he has and I really want to talk to him some and get
pictures with him as well. I saw him before he went into a meeting
that new missionaries have but it was great to be able to see him
again. Kind of felt like Alma when I saw him and he was an elder as
well. I look forward to coming back and being able to see everyone
again and know that they are still strong in the gospel as well!
I have been working on a parody on "Make a Man out of You" because we
sing a lot of disney so we were making it more appropriate to
missionary stuff. Here is the stuff that is good so far:
Lets get down to business, to defeat, Satan!
Bring the world the Gospel, and baptize all men!
We prepare each day to serve our Lord,
So pack up, we're on our way!
We will go, serve our God, every day!
I don't know, just something fun I have been working on every once in
a while this past week.
Lately I started reading in the New Testament. It is awesome, I really
love reading it! I am in Mark now, read Matthew. I just love reading
about the savior's ministry here on Earth. I also like watching the
movies that the church has produced about Jesus Christ. Have you been
able to see the Joseph Smith movie I was talking about yet? It is a
really good one. Also, the Testaments is a good movie too. We go to
see the "Big" movies every week and it switches off between Joseph
Smith Prophet of the Restoration to Testaments, back to Joseph Smith,
then Legacy. I really like the church produced movies.
Go to LDS.org sometime and watch the mormon messages there. They are
very good! I think we've watched most of them. Also, did you hear
about the project the church is doing now? They are filming a movie on
the New Testament. There is also information there on LDS.org about
that. They also have a little video on the Good Samaritan which was
nice to watch and see a sort of preview on what it will be like.
This week we were doing an English fast to increase in our Portuguese
skills, but it is very hard to do that and we're kind of failing at
speaking it all the time but we are definitely getting better.
Thank you so much for the Halloween Care Package! I didn't expect it
and it was awesome to get it! More candy :D
Nanowrimo this month Mom, Heather, Julia, and Rachel! Are you doing
well with the word count? I sure as heck fire ain't :P I have had some
inspirational ideas though during gym time or what not. I wrote them
down. It is in a steam punk world, like purely steam punk. I got the
idea when I was playing volleyball and someone spiked the ball. Vernon
Cannonhand, a steam punk pirate! OoOoOo It'll be fun to write about it
when I get back. Just keeping notes on it now and what not. How are
your stories coming though? It is an exciting time and its pretty
amazing that it has already been a year from last time! I was working
for UPS last year O_o
Did you hear anything about the stake centers in Utah being burned? I
heard something about that from Ammon, the guy who directs our service
on Wednesday mornings. He said it was because of the talk on You can't
change laws of Nature and that made a lot of people angry, but it is
from an apostle of the Lord... Sad that the world has to be so
corrupted... But is that true about the stake centers? I don't think
they burned down but they were damaged to some degree.
I love seeing so many foreign elders and sisters here. At the fireside
last Sunday I had a chat with a German elder and it was cool. I've
talked with several Elders from Britain, and a Sister from Hungary. An
Elder from Mexico, and we have been talking a lot with some Elders
from Brasil. One elder, Elder Viera De Sousa is going to the Boston
mission with english speaking, so if you ever see him soon let me
know! It has been cool being able to talk to him in class.
They are still setting up Christmas lights here at the MTC, most of
the trees in this section are covered and it is quite impressive when
we get to see the few that are on but they won't be turning them all
on anytime soon which is a bit annoying! Oh well.
A bird got into the cafeteria here as well, just a random tangeant,
and people were trying to catch it. I still don't think that they have
got it out of the MTC, who knows. The birds here are quite stupid too,
they walk right up to you. I went, pretending to grab one of the birds
here and instead of it flying away, it just crouched down right
underneath my hand. It was unexpected.
Well I am now at 5 minutes left and the timer has started to blink.
I love you all lots and love hearing from you and how you are all
doing. I miss you back home but I am excited to be able to go to the
field soon and preach the gospel!
Love you, hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Elder Phillip Edward Larsen the first :P
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