12/21/15 - MANUIA LAVA KERISIMASI!!!!!!!

MANUIA LAVA KERISIMASI!!!!!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!! I"M SO PUMPED TO TALK TO YOUS ON CHRISTMAS!!!!!! I'm not sure what time, it may be pretty late for You's, but I'm not sure...I'll know more about it on Thursday when we Skype to see if it works. You'll be getting a call from "Buddy Francisco"...Haha if you can name the Christmas movie, YES!!! Kyle or Cade I bet could, its a combo name "that is fun to say"!!! What's yous Skype name!? That'd be awkward if I didn't know.... Thursday will probably be around 10 or 11 our time, after studies...not sure what that would be for yous all. CANT WAIT!!!!!!

It's impossible to not gain weight in this area!!!! We've been dropped enough food to last us til the end of Jan, and we're still giving away stuff to other missionaries and families!!! I got to Samoa at 167, and I'm pretty positive I'm up to 185 now)': Oh and I had to open both packages I got because the ants had gotten into them and I didn't want all the food to be a waste, but we haven't opened any presents beside the Ensign and temple recommends!! I promise!! Thank yous soooooo much for sending those!!!! I'll send a thank you to Aunt Sonia today over email! I sent all the families on both yous and dads side a Merry Christmas letter, but I sent those out before I opened the packages so I didn't get a chance to thank her! Thank you soooo much for them!!!!! Haha my comp laughed pretty hard when he saw my pic on the b-day package haha!! I told him in not too long, that's how tight my mission clothes will be!! 

I love yous and all yous do for me!!!! Yeah the lights over here in this area have gotten pretty dope!

Welp, for me this week, we got invited to Tafuna 3rds Christmas party that the primary kids put on for us and sang and danced and performed Christs Birth and it was so awesome!!! I wish I could send yous a video, because this one kid, it was totally like a flashback, I wanted to get up and dance with him so bad!!!!!! Haha they performed a big dance and then turned on "Watch Me Whip/Nae Nae" and OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! It took everything in me to not get up!!!!!!!!!!!! Haha but it was so nice, the kids baked us cookies!! And I want to share a bomb experience Elder Speakman and I had this week!! We have an investigator, Lui, who was also a big drug lord back in Cali, like the other Lui Lamoreaux and I taught in Leone! We met with him Thurs and we had planned to teach the first lesson, but instead we sat there for 2 and a half hours while he talked to us about his life and religion! At first, it felt like a complete waste of time cause this is exactly what happened the first time we met...until he closed the visit with this..."I love my wife, and my 2 kids, and because of the things I've done, I don't get to see them very often(cause they all live in the states right now he's on probation in Samoa for another 3 years), but when I do it brings me the greatest joy! And that's what you two give me each time we visit...all the other missionaries would just try and try to share scripture after scripture and wouldn't joke around with me or laugh, yet you two, when yous come visit me, it makes my whole day and I love setting up my house for you two cause you're the only ones that really see the inside of my house, and it just makes my day great and a whole lot brighter!" After he said that, I immediately regretted thinking what I did. I guess the Lord wanted me to realize that missionary work doesn't always come the way we think it should, we sat and listened to a guy for 2 and a half hours, didn't share a message of the restoration, but we shared an underlying message of love for him through listening and he definitely felt it!!! That's probs the biggest thing I've learned out here...LOVE!! Showing kindness to EVERYONE, NO MATTER YOURS OR THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES!!! When it's sincere, they will feel it, and it's so powerful!!! These people will give you the shirt off their backs, yet they hardly have any food to feed their kids! I know the Lord blesses them immensely for their love and I am striving to show that same love to everyone I come in contact with!! Love yous all and have a bomb week this week!!!!! MERRY CHRISTmas!!!!!!!

LOVE YOUS ALL FOREVER!!!!

Elder Larson

 

The Willis' put lights on our house for Christmas! They're so BOMB!!!

 

I'm thinking about becoming a model when I get back...HAHA!

This is a pic of us last night as a zone, we went to the top of an elders area and took some skux pics!! Our area is to the left of my head!

 

This is a cow dog...EWWW!!!

 

This is me and one of the Masoe kids! We went caroling, and if you remember that way awesome family where the mom and the kids are baptized, but the dad wasn't', in Bybee's area, we went to them and caroled to them which was bomb!!! So much fun and the other little Masoe is the one taking the pic!

12/14/15 - MY FAM!!!!! Malo lava soifua!!! Manuia lava le aso!!!!

MY FAM!!!!! Malo lava soifua!!! Manuia lava le aso!!!!

Hey hey hey!!!! Haha not much happened this week again...we cannot find any of the referrals we've been given from our stake president!! He gave us about 13 names of individuals and families and no one has addresses down here, so it's nearly impossible!!! It's been really frustrating, but we've been getting some help from our home boy Daryl Crichton!! He's Samoan, even his  name is straight white. Anyways, Elder Speakman and I are doing great, just trucking through the heat this week! Our bikes broke and we can't seem to fix them as of now, so lot's of walking and finding new shortcuts!!! Yeah and our living quarters are separate from the house which has been bomb cause now I don't feel like we bug the fam, every time we come in at night!! I've only had 1 interview as DL and it was for James, a 10 year old for the sisters, haha and when I asked if he has committed a serious crime, he said yes, but I don't think he understood the question so I had to reword it but it was very funny none the less!!! haha please don't send any McDonald's or Carl's Jr gift cards!!! Haha we're gaining weight like crazy!!! I left my last area at 167, and now I'm at upper 170s!!! We're trying our best to keep it off but we literally don't have enough time to get crazy good workouts in, so we just deal with it and try and eat healthy....! Haha and the pic of the umbrella I sent last week of the umbrella....when I hit the dog, it only bent the bar of the umbrella, the rest was part of my freak out (; 

And congrats on Rachel going on a mission!!! That's dope!! I've been in contact with Talon a little bit which it sounds like he's doing great!!! Man I love that guy!!

And I'm so glad You got my package so quick!!! I sent that the first of Dec I think!! Haha no worrries on reading the letters, they were meant to be read! I can teach everyone how to tie the ie's (lava lavas) when I Skype yous all on Christmas!! And we should be good to be able to Skype with the family that lives next to us!! Speakman said we just have to ask! Elder Bybee for reals was bomb! haha we're gonna try and kick it after the mish, he's going to Oregon State, but we're gonna try and figure it out! And Coco's baby is sooooooo stinking cute!!! Haha that kung fu pic is awesome!! Loved it!!!

So this week, I just want to share a very cool experience!! We were out trying to contact some of the referrals and we're having zero success!! So we decided to go tracting instead, and we were over by a Methodist church, which Crichton told us to just get ready to get bashed by someone when we knocked a door. But I had just finished studies that morning, and had read over Isaiah 41:10 again, and the verse popped back into my head..."Fear not, for I am with thee.." And both Speakman and Crichton really didn't want to go in, but I really felt there was someone over here we needed to get a hold of. So they kind of reluctantly followed, and I decided on a white and blue house, right behind the Methodist chapel...we knocked and found Luisa, a mid 30s lady who had been to our church a couple times, and loved it and had been wanting to learn more about missionary work and such!!! IT WAS A VERY COOL EXPERIENCE!!!!!! Such a testimony builder for me to listen to the Spirit when he prompts!!! Even if it seems like you're probs going to be bible bashed to timbuk2!!!! (Don't know how to spell that)!! Not much happened this week, just getting bigger physically and spiritually!! My ponderize scripture for the week is Mosiah 2:17! I can't remember if it's a scripture mastery or not, but its a good one to ponderize!!!

I loves Yous all and hope this week has been a bomb one!!!!(;

LOVE,

Elder Larson

 

This pic is way random, as my comp just snapped it of me getting off this old wall, but it looks way dope!!! Don't know why, it just does!!

I tried to take a cool pic of my feet and the ocean, and failed miserably!! My comp got a better pic of me trying to take it!!

We needed to clean out our house very badly cause it had 25 years of rubbish in it, so we took a night after planning and went to town!! This is about a fourth of all the stuff we threw away!!

Pulling rubbish part 2

 

12/7/15 - Malo LAVA FAM!!!!! 3 MONTHS IN SAMOA TODAY!!!!

Malo LAVA FAM!!!!! 3 MONTHS IN SAMOA TODAY!!!! (So Elder Speakman and I bought a cheap cake and ice cream to celebrate=P)

Haha actually the past couple days have been quite dry! Just really hot! My arms and face are tan, but everything else is quite white (; Yeah, Elder Lamoreaoux and I had to say our goodbyes, so he's my zone leader now with Elder Faletoi from Utah! Elder Lamoreaoux was the bomb!!! Definitely the comp to set my mission on an awesome course and foundation!!! The Lord definitely knew he was the trainer I needed, even if he was only out 4 1/2 months when we started!!! Elder Bybee was the bomb, too! He's with Elder Wilson in Aunu'u now which is a smaller island off the coast of Tutuila! So yeah, I'm with Elder Speakman now from my intake (MTC group)!! We've both been out 3 months today in Samoa, which is quite difficult because both our Samoan isn't quite what it could be, but the Lord has been blessing us according to our work!! So our area now is Tafuna, which covers the tiny airport to get on and off Tutuila. I think square mileage and people wise, we have the biggest area with the biggest population! I think our last area in Leone was just too big cause it wrapped around to the other side of the island and the people were spread out. But yeah this week, we just tried to masani (make familiar with...some Samoan words just don't have a good English translation, sorry) with the area and members! We also went tracting which was probs the scariest thing I've done, cause we can both get by on speaking, but the understanding is not even close!! So we don't know if people totally bag on us or not, we just kind of smile and act like we know whats going on! Haha its kind of fun in a weird way, but we're making it work somehow! We found 2 new investigators door knocking this week, and they both speak English which is PHENOMENAL!!!!!! One is an older couple named Petelo and Visilevo and the other is Maria, an older lady who lives with her daughter and granddaughters behind our house! They're both really receptive of the gospel and hopefully this week when we teach them again, we may invite to baptism if the Spirit confirms it!! Its VERY exciting!!!!! Haha yeah, we've met our mission Pres a couple times now and his wife. They're really gung ho about the work. He's awesome!!  Anyways, I did receive all your pics, THANKYOU SO MUCH!!! I loved em!!! Haha yeah we had a Thanksgiving with the missionaires on the island with the Schafermeiers, the senior couple here on Tutuila, and Pres Lesa and his wife, the area councilor over here! It was all American except for some octopus they got at a the market! Haha but it was very good and we all loved it!! Haha and THANKYOU SO MUCH for sending the packages!!!! I sent mine last week so who knows when it'll get to yous! Props to Kyle for getting all those awards!!!! Keep up the good work, and honestly, if he gets the protien that I was drinking and drinks it with peanut butter and milk every day, he'll gain weight in no time!! Apparently here in Tafuna, every missionary that's served in this area usually stays for a minumum of 4 1/2 months, and leaves almost 15 pounds heavier, so I'm also gaining weight over here, just not good weight haha(; 

Hey! I'm glad yous got my letters!! There are short ones in the package I sent too just fyi! And did Coco have her baby!!?!? Another cuz?!? That's wassup!! That's awesome!! Papa is definitely been with me a couple times, I can feel him helping!!! Such a blessing!!! Yeah I'll double check the emial and look for it. 

Oh and I'm also district leader, I forgot to mention that. I've get to report weekly numbers for my district to the zl's and then do baptismal interviews which hopefully they can speak a little English!! We'll see how those go, I've got one for the sisters in the district this Friday, so we'll see!!

Honestly all I really want are letters, and I've got everything else so everything is going great!!

I wish I was there too, it's getting a lot harder as Christmas rolls up, cause now since we're kind of in city area, people play Christmas music everywhere and it makes my heart hurt cause I'm not home with yous all, but that's one sacrifice I'm willing to make for the Lord!! Blessings in the long run right?!? Anyways, I LOVES YOUS ALL, and it was so awesome to hear from yous this week!! LOVE  YOUS FOREVER AND ALWAYS!!!!! 

Love

Elder Larson

 

I broke my umbrella while protecting myself from a dog...and it had been kind of a long day, and I lost it a bit, so this was aftermath of what happened......haha

This is equivalent to a mall while we waited for our family to meet us there for our fafaga that day! MERRY CHRISTMAS YA'LL!!!!! I LOVES YOUS ALL!!!!

11/30/15 - Hey Fam!!!

Hey Fam!!!!

Haha loved them email!!! Sounds like this week was a blast!!!

Welp, my week has been crazy weird with everyone transferring before transfers and such!! Elder Bybee was supposed to leave with his new comp Wilson, on Tues, but then ended up staying cause we had a hurricane this week which luckily only skimmed the tip of the island where us 4 were, but they're saying that it will be the first of many before April comes so we'll see how those fair!! Lots and lots of rain and wind, but it only got up to 60mph so thats good!!! We also had a mission tour this week with Pres Hannemann, his wife, Elder Haleck of the area seventy, and his wife do a conference for each island! It was way cool and the Spirit was so strong when Elder Haleck got up and spoke!! He's such a down to earth guy, even though he owns like half of Tutuila, and heaps of companies in food, cars, hotels!! Yet he's so humble and puts God first!!  He took us through heaps of scriptures and answers the question..."What seek ye?" from 2 disciples and Christ said, "Come and see"! I can't go through the whole talk but these are the scriptures so You can kind of put them together with the story!!

1 John(all of it)

2 Cor 3:2-3...epistles of Christ from Pres Nelson

Mosiah 5:1-2

Jer 31:33

2 Nephi 31:3

2 Nephi 31:12

And he closed with the statement..."We are all a work in progress, so make every minute count!!"

I LOVED IT and it was so humble and AWWWWW....I JUST LOVED IT!!! 

Anyways, that was pretty much the week, it was hard to proselyte because of the rain this week, but Mandy got baptized on Saturday, and we're not worried at all about her being a lasting convert to the church, her testimony is SOOO strong and it'll get her husband back to church so they can go through the temple in a year!! Oh and also, Elder Lamoreaux and I's companionship is coming to a close, he's becoming my Zone leader in the west side of Tutuila and I'm transferring over to Tafuna, near the middle of the island with Elder Speakman from my intake!!! Both our Samoan is not even close to where we need to be, so we are going to be praying and fasting like crazy!!! 2 palagi's (foreigners) and they've only been out 3 months!!! Definitely going to test our faith!!! But the Lord doesn't give You something You can't overcome so we're going at it with open arms!! That's pretty much my week for ya!! 

Know I LOVES YOUS ALL SO MUCH!!!! And hope everyone has a bombtastic week!!!!! LOVE YOUS!!!

Thanks heaps!!!!

LOVE FOREVER,

Elder Colbz Larson

Colby's attempt at Mary Poppin's flying...fail!

Colby being crazy...Samoan version of the opera Carmen