phillip.larsen@myldsmail.net
Date: Thu, Dec 16, 2010 at 12:45 PM
Subject: Texas Week 5
Felis Navidad Minha Familia! (We listened to that song a lot in the
car while driving to appointments to Spanish)
12-16-2010
Well, its almost Christmas and I'll be able to call you guys! This
past week has been good in some ways and bad in others... We'll start
off with the bad I guess, well things I am not that happy about. I got
transferred from Midland 4th Spanish Branch. Elder White was also made
a Zone Leader in Roswell NM and I got moved to Midland 3rd Ward. We
are on bikes, and I'm in a trio with Elder Thode, Elder Yorgason, and
myself. I am just really bummed because now we're confined to one
section of the town in Midland, whereas when I was in the Spanish
Branch, all the spanish speakers in the town attended that ward. We
still meet at the same building but I don't get to teach the people
that I taught and I don't get to hang out with my old companions as
much. We are in the same district and on P-Days we play football and
spend time with all the missionaries in Midland TX, but it just sucks
because I really liked being in the Spanish Branch but oh well... In
several ways it is harder because I am literally going to the same
building for church and stuff and I'll be seeing the members of the
Branch but I won't be able to teach with them or go to dinner
appointments with them and what not. Hopefully I'll go on splits often
enough that I can see how everyone is doing, it is just really sad.
That is probably going to be one of the hardest things about
missionary work that I'll have to go through. I just wish I could be
in Midland 4th still. I wasn't expecting to get transferred, I found
out on Monday.
As for the good news, this past weekend we had 2 baptisms out of the
blue. Martin Flores, and Jesus Ramirez, (the guy who dropped us 2
weeks ago) Its a pretty awesome story! I'll start from the beginning
when we started to teach Jesus.
He called us one day from a street contact that another Elder in
Midland made at a McDonalds. He asked us to come by and teach him and
so we did. I can't remember if we taught at his house the first few
times but he attended Church and then went to the Thanksgiving party
as well. After he gained our trust we went and taught at his house and
we understood why he didn't like having company or wasn't sure. His
house was pretty bare. He had a T.V. sitting on the floor, a bike, 2
lawn chairs and a dvd player. His house was probably a 2 room
apartment, the main room/kitchen, and then the bedroom with a bathroom
there. We taught him a couple of times, he only speaks spanish so
really Elder White and Elder Simmons taught him but then Thanksgiving
day he called us and said he didn't want to hear anymore. He said that
he was going to get a new job and that he wouldn't have time and that
he didn't want us stopping by for lessons.
The next day we stopped by just to see how he was doing and kind of
give him a "drop" lesson where we tell him we'll stop coming by. We
just told him to pray and continue reading and went on our way. That
day we had 2 baptisms cancel on us and it sucked, wasn't too good for
our morale.
Well fast-forwarding 2 weeks into the future, last P-day Jesus calls
us and asks us to come over and teach some more. We went over to his
house and he said he was reading in the pamphlets we left him on the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and so we taught him that again. After the
lesson he asked us "When is the soonest that I can be baptized" This
caught us even more by surprise. For one he called us back after
dropping us, and then he asked when he could be baptized. We prepared
him to be baptized the following Sunday, he needed to be at church at
least 2 times before he could be baptized, (that is President
Robison's minimum) and that Sunday would be the 2nd time. We taught
him the restoration of the Gospel the next day and showed him the
Restoration movie which he really enjoyed.
Immediately his life started to improve from where it was before he
picked back up us teaching him. He didn't end up getting that job that
he was applying for and he lost his job at McDonalds but he was able
to get food from the Bishop's Storehouse and we also gave him some
donuts (donuts are really big here in Midland, big as in popularity,
not unusually sized pastries)
The Sunday he got baptized was also the same day Martin got baptized,
the water was freezing but he still went through with it and because
it was right after church the whole branch was pretty much there in
attendance and they all introduced themselves to him and he
immediately got fellowshipped into the branch. He is also wanting to
learn English and so he is going to be going to both the 3rd Ward and
the Branch afterwards to help with his English so I'll be able to see
him. We are also going to see him getting confirmed this Sunday which
is exciting.
It was very strange, he had a complete change of heart but he looks so
happy and he opened up so much to us. He jokes around with us now and
he just seems like a different person, a more happy person.
I got to set up Christmas lights for this one investigator's mom
yesterday. We were setting up Icicle lights, it was fun and reminded
me of me doing it at home. This whole season has had mixed effects too
being a missionary. There is a phrase used in the mission "Trunky"
where you are always thinking of home and having a hard time focusing
on the work. The closer it gets to Christmas the more strong the
feeling gets, its annoying. I miss you guys a lot and wish I could be
with you for Christmas, but that'll be in 2 years and that will be
awesome! I don't mean to be trunky, but it is kind of unavoidable.
I also am afraid of getting back and being different and not being
able to hang out with a lot of friends that I had before mission like
Andrew, Geoff, Mike, Sam, Jesse, Weston and others. How is Weston
doing? Has he said anything about getting mail from me? I sent him 2
letters since going on a mission. I also haven't heard from Andrew
since getting in Texas. How are the Wilsons doing? The emails with
Geoff have been working well and I just print them out and reply to
them. I wonder if I'll be able to just reply with email in Brasil
since postage is ridiculous. I'll find out when I get there though. Do
you know if Andrew is working on anything for Missionary paperwork?
I did get the packages that you sent and its been great to have those!
I love getting mail, hearing from home is always nice. We're doing the
12 days of Christmas for these investigators that we have that just
had a baby a month and a half early. They're a really cool and chill
family. We don't have that many investigators here in Midland 3rd, but
we'll rebuild the pool and then Elder Yorgason and I will get our
visas right when things get moving... That seems to be how it happens.
Elder Yorgason just got things moving in Odessa where he was serving
earlier and then got transferred here.
So Geoff directed the Christmas Pageant this year? I heard it was in
Greeley Park on the side nearest to the church.
I also forgot about the creepy santa that was on the way to Rachel's
school. There are some very different things here in Texas than NH.
Most of the houses here have alleyways behind their house where they
get into the garage of their house and where the trash is picked up so
the street looks nicer I guess. All the trees here are foreign from
Texas, and the weather has still been very warm. Yesterday it was
about 75 degrees. The sunsets here are awesome and the sky is
gigantic! Supposed to get colder here, around the 40's but I'm not
sure it seems to be cold for a day then warm for a couple of days in a
row.
We're going to go to some members on Christmas and I get to call home
on Christmas too for an hour which I am excited for, and it has been
really fun opening the packages you sent me.
My new address is:
Elder Phillip Larsen
1501 North Garfield St
Midland, TX 79701
I'll get the mail eventually from the Andrew's Hwy one when I see
Elder Simmons and Elder Urry on P-day and District Meetings but this
is where I'll be for the next transfer at least.
Right now though we aren't even staying there for probably a week. Our
plumbing at our place and the member's that we are staying with has
gone dead so we're staying at 2nd Ward Elder's place which is also at
a members house and it is a gigantic place. The members they are
staying with are also members of the mission presidency.
We have a couple of Christmas parties which are going to happen this
weekend and 2 baptisms in the 2nd ward.
The closest temple we have is Lubbok which is about 2 hours away so
I'll probably not be able to go to the Temple on my mission because
Teresina doesn't have one either.
That is really strange that Kevin got his mission switched, but that
is still cool that he is going to Brasil. I had never heard of that
mission though. Hopefully the visa trouble goes away by then as well.
When does he go to the MTC? Maybe I'll be in Brasil by then.
I wish I could be with you guys for Christmas. I love you all so much
and miss you guys a lot. I look forward to being able to call you on
Christmas, we get the day off so we'll visit a few members and
probably go play football or something -_- but not the same as a
normal Christmas. Thanks for the packages again! I really appreciate
it! :)
Love,
Elder Phillip Larsen
(Or as Julia calls me Elder Phillip Edward Larsen Older Brother the
1st, or something like that)
Also, more pictures!
Failblog cake advertisement
Jesus Baptism Pictures
Hippo Christmas Decoration
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