Tuesday, October 11, 2016

10-09-16

E muamua ona sii le viiga ma le faafetai i le tatou Tama o i le Lagi mo lenei taeao ia fai la'u imaili mo outou! Ou te momoli atu le agaga faaaloalo ia outou ma le isi vaega te fia faamalulu atu lo'u sasi le vaiaso la na te'a...e pisi tele ma'ua i le faamavae a la'u soa ma isi aiga e auai i le ekalesia moni! Ae mea sili a le ua fetaia'i i le aso nei ma tuuina atu se tama'i tala a mea ua tupu i le vaiaso ua te'a!!!!

HEY FAM!! How goes it this beautiful Monday morning!?!?! 
Well, transfers were last week, sorry I didn't get a chance to email, he didn't want to email and we were all over the eria faamavaeing with families! But all is well! 

This week, my comp got transfered and guess who my new comp is.....
ELDER RAROTOGA!!! INTAKE... THROW IT UP SON!!!!!! (An intake is one of the group of Elders that served in the MTC together.) 
Haha sorry just really excited!!! He's been in Fusi, around the corner in Savaii! But goodness, I do want to talk a bit about what I learned from E Taulolo..
CULTURE! He got me really into the culture with the langauge, fe'au, families, and I'm grateful, very grateful!! One thing that I always go to when I start getting frustrated with someone, I think of Pres Uchtdorf's talk, I believe last conference...speaking of marriages, but this applies great for missionaries too....

 “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” It fits nicely with its scriptural companion: “Seek, and ye shall find.”
If we look for imperfections in our companion or in our companionship, we will certainly find them, because everyone has some. On the other hand, if we look for the good, we will surely find it, because everyone has many good qualities too.
It's been kind of a roller coaster, but heaps of things to learn to say the least! Humbling!
I'm with E Rarotoga now though, and it's so nice to go back to putting in work! It was difficult to get E Taulolo going just cause he's finishing in January and didn't quite have the drive anymore! But it's all good, I learned a lot! We went to Vaitoomuli, because we wanted to get a baptism there before the end of the month, the only thing is that there hasn't been one there the entire year, since about this time last year. But we found almost 10 new people to teach in 2 days we were over and possibly a baptism with Pili, an investigator we found, she finished her lessons ages ago, but she needed to get married, got married a little bit ago, and comes to church quite often! Husband is a member, but not very active, but we're hoping this will get him back to activity!! Loving the work! Families are great over here and the Lord has been blessing us with the language!! Next Monday we have a conference with a seventy that is coming so I don't know if we'll be able to email next week, so just a heads up! Loving the work, the families, my comp, the Lord, its just awesome! Anyways, just a short update for the week! 
Love you all and hope that you had a bomb week! Glad to hear there's a new fridge! More room for the Samoan food I want to bring home!!(; Oh and with the package, yeah I've heard from missionaries to just send it to American Samoa and then the ZL's from there will bring it over to Apia when they have a conference at the MLC, and then other missionaries, usually transfers with bring over the mail or package to Savaii! And no worries, the rugby ball isn't forbidden!! Thank you so much for sending that!! And it's cheaper to send to American Samoa than to Apia, cause then it will be very expensive!! 
Anyway, love you all and hope all goes well this week! 

Love Elder Larson!!!(; xoxoxox
Look what you can do with candy sticks!!

This was a while ago, but baby pigs are the cutest! I got one named after me...Penukoko!!!!

And I'm back with INTAKE!!!!! He's from West Valley, Utah. (Intake means they served in the MTC together. Love this guy!)

                               Elder RT and I at a ward youth activity in Vaitoomuli last night!




Monday, October 10, 2016

09-25-16 How's the 208???!!!

How's the 208!?!?

Sounds like you had a crazy week! Man, things are moving over here!! Congrats to the bros for all they're doing in sports!! Sounds like you guys are killing it!! I miss yous like crazy!!

Sorry, I don't have nearly as much time to email, 1. Not in Tafuna anymore, and my comp doesn't like emailing so I try and get the best email out I can! 

Well, this week was also a blur! It feels like it was just Monday, fell, asleep, and then woke up to Monday again! 

Oh really quick!!!!

REMINDER!!!! DO NOT SEND ME ANYTHING ABOUT CONFERENCE!! WE WATCH IT  A WEEK LATER OVER HERE AND I DON'T WANT ANY SPOILS!! PRETTY PLEASE!!! THANKYOU!!!

Well, we finally got a hold of the other stake president in the other area... so he might be able to come over and do the marriages for 2 couples who are both waiting to get married, one spouse baptized, and then a year from now, go to the temple!! We've got our fingers crossed! 

So I've kind of begun and deep doctrine journal or an attempt, but this is one of my entries that has been asked during my mission and hopefully, those of you preparing can use it if it comes up!!!

So the question so commonly asked, that you may get,

"Why did Christ tell to the malefactor at his side that he would be together in Paradise if Christ went to preach to those in spirit prison?"
To some, they believe that baptism is a requirement for spirit paradise. But we see from the words of Alma that this is not true..."And then shall it come to pass that the spirits of those who are righteous, are received into a STATE of happiness"(Alma 40:11-13). The only requirement to say as to whether we will be received in paradise or prison, will be our works here on earth. If they be good, repentant, faithful; then paradise. But if they be wicked, evil, rebellious; then prison. And when one of the 2 malefactors crucified next to Jesus tempted, "If thou be Christ save thyself and us." But the other rebuked, "Dost thou not fear God?...And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss" And the other, being repentant and truly penitent, having faith, cried to his Redeemer, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." And Christ, came he into the world to save sinners, on conditions of their repentance, from death, the same sayeth unto the penitent malefactor, to comfort his soul, "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise." Therefore confirming, that the waiting period before the resurrection and judgement, be ONE place, but to him who doeth good, repenting, being received in peace and rest, and the other, being unrepentant and wicked, go being received in darkness and fear. For we see that ALL those who come unto Christ, penitent and repentant, receive a place with their Lord in a state of happiness, until he comes again!

Thank you for sending stamps! I have no idea, probably a month or a month and a half for packages! Oh please Oh please could you send a rugby ball!?!?! I've got a pump, but I'm dying to play! 

So glad to hear everyone's doing great!! Keep up the great work homies! Kyle had some questions about his patriarchal blessing I think from last week! I've got a thing for him, but I forgot it at the house so I've had to send it next week! Just heard from Tal! He just got the little package I sent him with an ie! Said he's doing great, but he misses Ghana! I'm still emailing him though! 

Love Yous all and I hope all is going well in the 208!! Love yous!!!

Elda Laason xoxoxo(;