November 22, 2015

well, my thanksgiving was a lot different than you would believe. i got to experience all the joys, and stress of a father, and mainly a zone leader. i made a deal with the missionaries, well not really a deal, i just told them that we would have TURKEY, and potatoes, i also told them ABSOLUTELY NO RICE, well, the last part was changed, we ended up with rice. but we had 2 turkeys for thanksgiving and 14 missionaries. the thing that was different is that we went and we butchered the turkeys. all together it was 10 kilos of turkey (while alive). well, i am not sure how i should tell you but they are no longer living, but they were delicious, we had them roasted style. it was so good. look at the pictures if you dare... cautionary DON'T LOOK AT THEM IF YOUR NAME IS ASHLEE, OR YOU WILL BE MAD AT ME...

so this week we had another slow work week........ 6 lessons.. it wouldn't have been so bad but it was a lot of improperly used time. we went to Camotes again to do a baptismal interview for the District Leader. so we missed 2 days, and then i also went back to the doctor on Tuesday to have a follow up appointment on my ankle. the doctor looked at my x ray, looked at me and said "you have a sprained ankle" BIGGEST WASTE OF TIME! i could have told him that... i was pretty irritated with him after that analysis of my ankle. but what could i have done differently.

Camotes is so amazing!!! i have been there 2 times now, and we go back again tomorrow to attend their District Meeting, and go on exchanges.

TAKE SOME TIME AND LOOK AT THIS VIDEO, https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-11-73-elder-hales-talks-about-gratitude?lang=eng, and remember to always be thankful for whatever comes into your path.

 

-Elder Larson the ONLY KAY NA ULI NA ANG AKONG KUJA!!!

PHILIPPINES CEBU EAST MISSION!!!! OCT 2013-JAN 2016 

November 15, 2015

Well, in this last week i figured out the benefits of being a Zone Leader of Danao Zone. our zone is from Compostella to Catmon, and also Camotes. (as i typed this i just realized how many "C" cities are in our zone.... wow. well, on Thursday after our ZTM(zone training meeting) i wen't over to Camotes on exchanges with a new missionary, Elder Crapo. His companion is the District Leader, and had a meeting called DLC(district leader counsel). well while he was gone, i went to Camotes to work, also i had to make sure that the sisters got home. well i am the only one with a licence, so i got to drive the Camotes car!!!!! it was super fun! i wish these roads were like america, it is super hard to even try to go fast, well the fastest i got going was 60 KMH.... Unbelievably slow in america!

on Thursday we were headed to our ZTM, we were riding a tricycle(3 wheeled motorcycle) with a basket in the back. well because i was taking clothes to Camotes, i toke another bag with me so that i had some clothes. but when we got off the tricycle i forgot to take my bag with me. so after the meeting we spent about 30 minutes just wandering around the terminal looking for the bag, or maybe the driver. with no success we went to the traffic office. i talked with them and told them what happened, then they put Elder Crapo and i in the back of the Police car, and took us around looking for the bag, with no success, we told them that we had a boat to catch at 5:30. so we checked one more spot and it was no good either. they told us that if they found it before we left for Camotes they would bring it to me. well we got on the boat, and at about 5:20 one of the crew members of the boat came up and asked us if we were missing a bag. the 2 police officers were down waiting just outside the boat with the bag. it was super awesome, and they had impeccable timing.

on tuesday we had MLC (missionary leadersip counsel) it was pretty sweet, president Tanner sent a text to all of the Zone leaders, and Sister Training Leaders ahead to have us come into the meeting fasting with an open heard and ready to learn from the spirit about how we could improve our mission. we learned a ton. it was so crazy to see how many problems really do exist in our mission... try and see what we as the leaders could do, and will do to help them fulfill their callings.

this week i learned a very important thing... the old saying "IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL" is true, this week we haven't made any daily plans. to be 100% honest, i didn't really feel like a missionary this last week with all of our running around. i worked 2 days out of 7. Monday-Pday, Tuesday-MLC, Wednesday-ZTM, Thursday-ZTM and camotes. Friday-Camotes still Saturday-Xray/running around Sunday-Church.... i have decided that i can't go to bed until after we do our planning, or even changing out of prostlyting clothes.

this week i have really learned the importance of fasting, we as the leaders in the mission fasted tuesday, and then on thursday we invited the entire zone to fast as well. the spirit was so much more abundant, and felt so much more powerful! i have really learned to love that feeling, and really appreciate it!

 

-Elder Larson

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PHILIPPINES CEBU EAST MISSION!!!! OCT 2013-JAN 2016 

November 10, 2015

well today i am emailing way late, we had a small CSP today where we were helping the 2nd counselor of the Bishopric with his house. it was pretty easy and yet took way longer than it should have.

so it is super crazy how fast the time goes especially when you are working hard, maybe that might be why this last week has been so crazy long... i don't feel like i have been pushed or have been working very hard. i also haven't worked with my companion. the first day here we went on exchanges, i went and worked with Elder Ferrer in his area, they are just opening up that area, so neither of us knew their area... it was kinda fun but pretty difficult. then on Saturday we went on Splits, i went and worked with a ward missionary, and so did he. it was weird because i had no clue where the investigators were, and neither did he... well on Sunday we had only 1 person accompanying us so we finally did get to work together.... for the most part. we had to stop at 6:00 because we had a dinner with our Bishop.

it is weird being one of the last 16 American Elders in the mission. but that will be ok, it isn't for too much longer. (mainly because there is another batch of Elders from the Provo MTC.

LONGEST TAGALOG WORD!!!!

Nagsisipagsisinungasinungalingan - trying to tell fake lies to another.

I will have a lot more stuff to write about next week, we have MLC tomorrow, and then my first ZTM on Thursday... hopefully it will all turn out well!

​I was looking at the Blog of my oldest son Elder Head, and i saw something that i really liked, so i don't get hit for plagerism. "

On my mission, I've seen a lot of different kinds of happiness but there are three that come to mind at this moment. Temporary happiness, such as the happiness of a child who get's a peso snack; Fake happiness, the charade of happiness of people who use means of alcohol to do away with their problems to become happy; The last is true happiness which, coincidentally, is the kind that lasts. True happiness is the kind of happiness that comes from a life of obedience to God's laws, from having a clear conscience of guilt from sin, from doing those things that will qualify you to have the Spirit with you in your life, and from the confidence that you are doing the things that will qualify you to live in God's presence with your eternal family for time and all eternity.

​"​

 

-Elder Larson theYOUNGER

PHILIPPINES CEBU EAST MISSION!!!! OCT 2013-JAN 2016 

November 3, 2015

good day to you all! i hope that you all enjoyed the changing of the time, and the extra hour of sleep. we here in the philippines don't get any extra or lose any sleep... well because it is transfer week i am sure that you are all excited to hear about my week. as well as hear about what is going to be happening next transfer... TRANSFERS!!! 

I am transferring after 6 months here in Tagbilaran, Bohol. i am transferring to Danao, Cebu. My new companion is Elder Banawan, and our assignments are to be the Zone Leaders in Danao Zone. when i found out all of that i was so shocked, and surprised. we made the request about 2 years ago to be companions. he is my junior-junior batch to arrive in the mission field. i wasn't sure that i was ever going to become a zone leader, and also i thought he would have put me in a smaller area because of my knee. but it is all good to. because i know that i was put in this area for a reason, i just need to go and find that reason.

i have some fun stuff that has happened, some of it is not too fun, but either way, there was quite a bit that happened.

the first thing i will start with the most recent, yesterday Elder Hall was not feeling very good. he was filling sick. well his symptoms match those of Dengue... which is not very good, but it could be worse.. other than that he is doing good, just has very little energy, and has a weird rash developing.

the second is that on Monday we were playing basketball. and the last game we were playing i went up to grab the rebound and i came down on someone else's foot and sprained my ankle way bad... it hurts way bad, and hurts to walk, i haven't gone to the hospital, and YES MOM! i did do RICE, it was better while it was still swollen, now that the swelling has gone a little bit it hurts way worse. it is super tender. when coming back to the mission i had almost planned on spraining it, so i brought an ankle brace (looking back with 20-20 vision i should have been wearing it DUH!) but now i am wearing every day.

we had zone interviews with President Tanner, i believe the last ones of my mission. but it was super awesome to get to talk to him about all of my concerns and problems in person and not have to try and explain everything in a letter, it worked a ton better, and we were able to start problem solving together.

 

-Elder Larson theYOUNGER

PHILIPPINES CEBU EAST MISSION!!!! OCT 2013-JAN 2016