April 12, 2015

well those few words i have heard a few times in the last week, it is
so crazy to think now that i am back in the mission. so MABUHAY AT
MARAMING SALAMAT PO is the equivalent of "WELCOME AND THANK YOU VERY
MUCH", through my travels from SLC to the mission in Cebu, i heard
that be said a ton of times especially in the last few legs of my
journey. So when i left my parents in the airport i was met by about
40 missionaries going to Japan, as well as one of the new Area 70s,
Jairus Perez.

His wife (Sister Perez) recognized me from the back and came up behind
me and tapped me while i was talking with one of the sisters going to
Japan. so i turned around and spoke with them for a second, (before i
came home i served 5 months in their home ward). After that we headed
down to the terminal and i chatted with the missionaries about how the
MTC was, and really tried to encourage all of them with the language.

we then traveled to Seattle, then we got on the plane to Tokyo, Japan.
i was sitting next to a sister missionary... i cant remember her name,
nor could i read it because it was in Japanese. (Short people are
blessed when traveling on airplanes because they can sleep on the
tray... us tall people cant manage to get comfortable). oh yeah the
plane was missing a piece in one of the engines and we had to wait for
them to get that fixed....... that was the longest hour and a half
just waiting...

When we arrived in Tokyo we were about 1 hour behind schedule because
of the delay in Seattle. so i didn't have much time in the airport and
i basically ran through it to get to my next flight, we had to go
though a security check, unlucky for me they were a little bit lacking
in the English department.... but somehow i managed to get through
that and make it to my flight on time.

when i arrived at the boarding gate i met up again with the Perez
family, and i also met up with a senior couple going to a mission in
Luzon(northern Philippines). all of the missionaries that were with me
coming from Seattle and i departed ways in Tokyo. we arrived in Manila
around 8:30 at night and i was taken to the Manila Airport Hotel just
right beside the Airport. Already in the hotel was Sister Johnson,
Sister Pinkham, Sister Grigg, and Elder Mafeli'o from the Cebu East
mission. it was so crazy seeing them, especially since they were
leaving home and i was going home... or was it the opposite.

we were up until about 2 maybe 3 AM talking and eating dinner. and
then i had to be up at 5 to go to the Immigration office so that they
would let me back into the country... all a success there, i made it
and then made it back to the hotel, so i spent the rest of the day
with Elder Mafeli'o, because the sisters left at around 6:30 to head
home. my flight headed to Cebu left around 4:30, and arrived around
5:30.

when i got to Cebu there was no one there, no missionaries not
president, it was just a bunch of filipinos... so i borrowed someones
phone and called the mission office (thank you dad for giving me the
number on that paper before i left, it saved my life a couple of
times!!!!) when i got a hold of the mission office they were super
confused, even though they were the ones who scheduled my flight. i
told them where i was and they said that they could come pick me up, i
said that would be more difficult and that i would just take a taxi to
the mission office because i knew the way.

i arrived at the mission office about an hour and 20 minutes later,
and got to see a ton of missionaries. about an hour after i arrived at
the mission office President Tanner got there, he was shocked to see
me, as well as sister Tanner, they thought that i was coming in
tomorrow(AKA Thursday) but they were super excited to see me, and
promptly let me know who my new comp was and where i was to be
assigned.

I arrived the next day in my area with Elder Head in Duero "Red",
after a day in Tagbilaran waiting for transportation to our area.

From the time that i left my family in the airport in SLC, until i
arrived at the mission home (other than the night i spent in Manila) i
was traveling for 24 hrs, 12 minutes, and 47 seconds. and i had slept
for about 3 hours in Manila, but other than that i didnt sleep the
entire journey.

so about my area...................
well, it is probably one of the MOST BEAUTIFUL pieces of land, it has
the most amazing scenery and blows my mind. i will send pictures when
i have a faster computer, because in the "BUKID" (mountains, away from
the city) the internet is... for lack of a better term, CRAP! but oh
well, i still manage.

in duero there is an average attendance of about 21 members and then
the 4 of us as missionaries. so we definetly have a lot of work to do
here!

Our area is about the same size as SLC, but there are hills,
mountains, and a ton of rice plantations.... it is so beautiful.

So also i was made a DL, which is pretty intersting, i am not sure how
to do it. all i know is that i just lead by example and try my best to
help them, help their areas. But each sunday the missionaries in my
district send me their stats

I will tell you more about my area next week when i really get to know
it, but for now, i have a pretty good sunburn on my arms and face from
walking all day in the middle of the summer without much shade on the
paths we take. it is amazing to be back in the philippines, and able
to speak cebuano whenever and wherever i want.

basta, amping lang mo kanunay, ug nahigugma ko ninjo.
*well, take care always, and i love you all!!!

-- 


-Elder Larson the YOUNGER

PHILIPPINES CEBU EAST MISSION!!!! OCT 2013-OCT 2015