Elder Colby Larson's Mission Blog: 8/14/15

TALOFA AIGA!!!!

So, beleive it or not, I've had an even better week than last week!!!! Sunday was just as great as the last! we heard from the director of the MTC, President Heaton!! He spoke on the importance of the sacrament and keeping the Sabbath day holy!! But first, we all sang If You could Hie to Kolob, and it was so spiritually uplifting it was phenomenal!! when we sing powerful songs like this it's absolutely reedonkulous!!! Totally spelled that wrong on purpose .....anyways, Elder Bickmore and I taught our first lesson without notes in Samoan and wow, the spirit was WAAAAAAAAY STRONG!!!!! We taught the first lesson of the Restoration all the way to the Great apostasy and holy smokes it was phenomenal!! We testified of Joseph Smith and Thomas S Monson because he's having trouble with undertanding modern day prophets because his parents are against modern day prophets and says their liars...BUT, we testified that his Heavenly Father loves him and families are forever!!! It was amazing!!! AND THEN, the next day during my personal prayers I prayed super hard to my Heavenly Father for the interpetation of tongues, because if we can't undrstand our investigator, we can't help him answer his questions!!! And our lesson that day with our 2nd investigator, we TOTALLY understood him and we've been here 2 weeks!!! Haha the only backfire after is, the other investigator is the other Samoan teacher, and during the lesson I was trying to say, Christ was crucified and His apostles were later killed, but I accidently said that Christ killed His apostles so the gift of tongues is still a work in progress but that's what the MTC is for!!! Haha our teacher could not stop laughing so we're still a work in progress!! Oh and this is for anyone who would like to try it!!! During my personal study this week, I have begun in my prayer by asking Heavenly Father a question whether it be, "How can I become a better missionary?" or "how can I better help become a better soa?? (companion)......and then I flip to a page from 1 Nephi 1:1 to the end of P of Great Price, and then read the entire of the both pages, and I asked that first question in my first personal study time this week and I flipped to Helaman 5:12!!!! It talks about setting your foundation in Jesus Christ so as to keep away from Satan and his whirlwinds of hail storms and when our foundation is set in our Savior Jesus Christ, "we cannot fall"!!!! MANAIA!!!!!!!!! I got sick yesterday with some wierd headache thing and my balance was off all morning and I tried to tough it out cause I didn't want Elder Bickmore to miss any class, but I couldn't do it so we went back to residency and he studied while I took a power nap and I felt better afterwards so the rest of the day was good!! I'm going to bear my testimony in Samoan now just to get some more practice and so you guys can kind of see what two weeks in the MTC does to you...

Ou te molimau atu o Iosepha Samita o se perofeta. E moni le Tusi a Mamona. E mafai ona tatou toe ola Ia, ma tatou filifili mea tonu taimi 'uma!! E alofa a'u le Talalelei ma e fa'amanuia le Talalelei aiga!!! I le suafa o Iesu Keriso, Amene.

Kyle, Cade, and Keato....keep killing it on the field!!!! You guys eat right, be obedient, and you'll be blessed on and off the field!!! Kyle, keep kicking trash, keep me updated on the madison game too!!! I met an Elder that played for madison last year and he said that you'll kill em cause they're cockier than Kobe Bryant! And an Elder I met that's going to Kiribati said that there's this protein that a guy in his ward made called Man Feed that you can order online, and it's basically calories and protein and he said if you drink it with bananas and strawberries it's phenomenal, (and mom it's all all natural no worries;)!! It'll defnitley help during the season too!! And congrats with the fire hydrants, trust me you'll thank mom and dad for pushing you to finish cause being an Eagle Scout goes a long ways with colleges!!

Cade I remember my first practice and trust me, I felt the same way, but keep it up and you''ll be the next Peyton manning in no time! And trust me, Mr. yee was not that great of a coach so be thankful he's not your coach. I know your're putting in work my man!! Have fun at Junior high but be smart cause you're going to get hit with a lot of wordly things, but pick a primary song or a hymn or a scripture to keep your mind off it, and the Lord will bless you for your obedience!!!! Read D&C 121 45-46, it's my favorite scripture and I know it will bless You!!!!

And Keato!!! Dude, keep up the good work in the sports your playing!! I'm glad you've been having fun with Jacko and trust me, school is a blessing and if you go in with a happy attitude, you'll do well and you'll LOVE IT!! Trust me, looking forward to sports after school is a definite plus too!! If you want a scripture on enduring to the end, D&C 14:7!!!

And all of you guys read 3 Nephi 5:13 again!!!!!!!!! We've all been called to serve and trust me get ready now and You'll be blessed and WAAAAAYYY ahead once you hit the MTC!!! Love ya usos!!!!(bros)

Mom, thank you for the packages they are AWESOME!!!! AND your rice krispies were a hit in our room back at residency!!!!! I appreciate it all!!! I'm glad You liked the letter, I knew Papa was with me and so were my kids it was such a cool and overwhelming spirtual experience!!!!!! LOVE YA SO MUCH!!!! Oh and can you send me everyone's address so I can send them their thank you cards?? I don't know where to send them all!

Dad, ya the food, it does things too ya, I've gained 5 pounds of partial muscle partial fat, but I'm puttin in push ups on push ups with crunches on crunches!!!! Trust me, I won't be fat when I get home!!!! I'll look like a pretty solidly, toned Palagi Samoan. (White Samoan!!)

I love you all and so sorry I can't reply to everyone, we've only got an hr!!!

I love you all and thankyou all for everything!!!!

Alofa,

Elder Larson