Week 44-Humility and a Dinner Message

"I'm in a hurry to get things don-know why: Rushin', rushin' 'till life's no fun. All I really gotta do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry and don't know why!"

...Except I know EXACTLY why.  Happy New Year's Eve!!  :D  With today being the holiday it is, we aren't allowed anywhere outside after 6:00 and it's P-day until 6.  Which means President has approved an all-day P-day!!  We're having a party in Lethbridge filled with Nerf guns and Sparkling Cider, and the zone leaders are breathing down our necks to get us to come quicker.  I'll send some pictures and see if that helps at all!

Well, obviously the highlight of my week was talking with the familia- how could it possibly get any better?! It was so great to see everybody there and be a part of the Christmas celebration!  And, naturally, I treasure the recording of Silent Night as well.

All right, well, I'll send some pics and have to call it good..... I know I promised this would be a fantastic email this week, so I'll at least share a quick story:

Elder Heuer and I went to a dinner appointment at the Westrops once more, and, not surprisingly, the house was filled to capacity with family visiting from all over Canada and the States.  I'd told Elder Heuer previously that I expected him to take the lead in sharing the dinner message, but his confidence faltered at the sight of thirty people who would, in a short time, all be staring at him.  Repeatedly he'd say, "Don't make me do this. You CAN'T make me do this."  And I'd just look at him and smile. :)

Sister Westrop came over to talk to us about our dinner message, informing us that she really wanted to bring the Spirit in: two of the people amidst the masses were here daughter and son-in-law, not members of the Church.  I'm pretty sure I saw Elder Heuer's flesh literally crawl off his skin for a second.  He looked at me.  And I smiled. :)

The time came for the message, and the Westrops placed two stools in front of their television set, elevating us far beyond the eye-level of any other person in the room.  I looked at Elder Heuer.  And smiled.

He did some How to Begin Teaching, introduced the principle "humility," shared a scripture, and asked a question.  Usually at this point, he'd fall silent as I trample over him with my words, but he remained extremely animated and involved in the lesson, providing numerous spiritual insights at a skill level far beyond anything he'd yet demonstrated in a teaching scenario.  The lesson finished, and Brother Westrop asked us to sing the duet we'd performed the Sunday prior: A difficult task without a piano.  Particularly because the song starts as Elder Heuer's solo. Much to his dismay, I agreed. :)  We sang, and the Spirit was strong.  Brother Westrop, with a look of immense pride that we were "his" missionaries, said to the group: "That was an excellent demonstration of humility.  Thank you, Elders."

We said our farewells, made it to the car (Despite the treacherous conditions caused by the ice-Elder Heuer now has a bruise on his hip), and sat in silence for a couple seconds.  Until I exploded with pride and contentment at the marvelous display of tact and skill from a missionary of just five weeks!

I was definitely taught a lesson that night about humility and the blessings that come from it.  And added another facet to my understanding of the Atonement.

Well, I hope I have time to send at least A picture! That took longer than anticipated...  But I love you very much, and deeply appreciate the opportunities you've all given me to serve the Lord.  As I enter into my "Dark Year" tomorrow, I've been reflecting on the resolutions I can make that will help me be a better missionary for my whole life.  And I'm grateful for the courage you continue to send me to do so.

I love you!  Have a great week!!

-Elder Jared D. Larsen

Christmas Call Clip

We were able to have a great Skype session with Elder Larsen yesterday afternoon.  He looked and sounded amazing!  As we were getting ready to say goodbye, he requested that we sing a song together.  So this is our family singing Silent Night.  We made him do a solo for the last verse though.  Merry Christmas!!

On a mobile device?  Click on this link to view! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJadPNEN4_M&feature=youtu.be

Week 43-Musical Numbers and Christmas Plans

""

I'm struggling to think of a lyric to start, but by the end, I'll know how to begin. :P

Merry Christmas Eve!  Our P-day was changed to today so we missionaries would be able to spend as much time as possible proselyting this week: Apparently missionaries are prone to pile on holidays. Who knew?

Well, to start with, I'll explain that medley I sent you last week:

We went to our dinner appointment with the Strongs that Mondaynight with full intention of presenting a musical Christmas message.  Nevertheless, Brother Strong must've been on the same wave-length: As we ate together, he informed us that he had a little something prepared for us to sing, record, and send to our families.  We were excited, so he took us to his basement where he kept all of his recording equipment.

...It was nice equipment.  Far beyond what I'd anticipated, anyway.  He printed off a sheet of music, taped it to the mic stand, told us he'd probably give us a couple of tries with each song, started playing the lds.org accompaniment, and said, "Go."

...He didn't give us multiple tries.  As the introduction to each song grew shorter and shorter, Elder Heuer and I laughed, struggling to find the proper pitches.  It didn't help that we simply could not hear ourselves through the headsets Brother Strong gave us.  But, in the end, it was one of my favorite moments on the mission! :)

Our musical number this Sunday was infinitely better.  Elder Heuer took the solo and primary part as I fumbled around the harmonies of the second; based on the compliments we received, I must've been singing just quiet enough. :)  But seriously, it was a blast, and there were a fair number of non-members and LARCs there, so we're happy.

In fear of getting cut-off: Well, with today being P-day, we have to brave the crowds at Wal-mart to get our groceries, so we haven't much time; also, email time is short today (The library's closing early), so I just want to wish you a Merry Christmas!  Elder Heuer and I will probably be skyping home at about 12:00, so be prepared!

I love you, and I'll talk to you more tomorrow! :)

-Elder Jared D. Larsen

Merry Christmas from Elders Larsen and Heuer!!

Well, we'll be hitting the tops of the charts soon with this track a member recorded of us!  ...And by "top" I mean "not the bottom." :)

https://soundcloud.com/atrixx-band/christmas-medley-elders-larsen

Week 42-A Week in the Life of Elder Larsen

"I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful beautiful life!"

Well, this week has been a very interesting conglomeration of a lot of unexpected events, pretty much starting with a text Mondaynight, informing us that our Zone Training Meeting would actually be in Cardston [not Fort Macleod], and President Nicholas would be in attendance for a Christmas activity shortly thereafter. 

Tuesday: Elder Heuer and I planned appropriately, made the trek, and were actually early to the meeting!!  ...Okay, that's a big deal for me. :)  But, anyway, once the meeting had commenced, our phone rang: The member in the apartment next door to ours informed us that a pipe in the boiler room had burst, and water was literally gushing down the hallway into all of our apartments.  

Realizing that we were over an hour away and were going to be in Cardston for quite a while still, Elder Heuer just looked at each other, shrugged, and went on with the usual occurrences of the meeting.  It was focused on helping the new investigators we've found progress, as well as on working with the ward leaders: Both of which are things with which we've needed advice.  We had lunch with the Cardston Zone, so Elder Heuer got to meet his grandpa!  (Elder Lauzon)  Afterwards, President Nicholas became Saint Nicholas, and brought the Spirit of Christmas through the traditions they share with their family.  Each of us received a special Christmas gift, containing a temple recommend holder bearing a one-time print of a picture taken by a missionary in our mission:  They're the only holders like it!  They also handed each of us a personal card from the First Presidency that we aren't to open 'till Christmas- We'll see how personal it is, but it's a fun gesture nonetheless! 

All the while, Elder Heuer and I weren't too worried about our apartment- after all, we'd just won $15 to Wal-mart for having the cleanest apartment in the zone, so we'd be able to take about a foot of water with minimal damage.  When we returned to our apartment, we found many of the tenants had vacated because of the water damage, but our apartment appeared to be only mildly damp just near the entryway. Confused, but grateful, we went about the rest of our duties that day, teaching a few less-active members (hopefully I'll have time to tell you about one of them!) and spreading some Christmas cheer.  When we returned to our apartment that night, we were speaking with the lady who lives just on the other side of the hall.  She moved in the week prior, and we'd introduced ourselves the day before, but we still didn't know her terribly well.  When we remarked that our end of the hallway was fortunate to have remained virtually unscathed despite the destruction ravaged in the others, she told us that, when the pipe burst, she rushed with arms full of towels to our door, building a barricade around the faulty seal across the bottom.  Amazed at the kindness of this woman, Elder Heuer and I were stunned as to speech, and couldn't express the gratitude we had for her; to have met us only 12 hours prior and to care for our well-being in such a way was truly remarkable, and something to be admired.  In this Christmas season, we'll be doing all within our power to give her the best gift of thanks we can. 

Our apartment suffered minimal damage, with the only inconvenience being some ripped-up carpet, dry-wall that wasn't so dry, and a massive air-blower that we were to keep running to fix the latter inconvenience.  Miracles. 

Wednesday:  We made an unexpected trip to the Medical Clinic to get a refill for a prescription Elder Heuer obtained in the States.  On a day where we were already crunched for time, this expedition into the depths of the legal system of the Canadian world of medicine was definitely not something that seemed feasible, but was also a complete necessity.  With the proper documentation in tow - and with the help of Sister Nicholas - we were able to clear up any concerns the clinic had with our U.S. Citizenship, and were still able to make it to our appointments that day.  Where we committed a less-active member to attend the Christmas Program.  Which Elder Heuer and I will be singing in. :P She's also going to invite her non-member friend to our next lesson, and see if she'll come to church as well!  Solid. :) 

Thursday:  The day where Elder Heuer and I learned how to get referrals around Christmas-time.  We've long been talking about how bad we are at asking everyone for referrals, and have started making little signs to help us remember the necessity.  We've also long been toying with the idea of finding through caroling.  While at lunch with a member, I saw one of the signs I'd made, and asked the members who they knew that could benefit from a spiritual message about Jesus Christ or the Restoration shared through the media of song- And it worked.  Shocked, we walked away from that appointment with more referrals than I've seen in a month.  Also, that day we had a goal set to teach 2 LARCs, but one of the two appointments we'd set cancelled on us.  We were absolutely delighted when another less-active member called us out of the blue and wanted to meet with us during the empty time slot.  Miracle. 

Friday:  We took an unexpected trip to Calgary based on the merits of a meeting where President and the Assistants make an assessment of how the training is going.  Surrounding that event, Elder Heuer and I took the opportunity to go searching for some winter attire not available in our humble dwellings in Pincher Creek.  We found ourselves in no other place than- Annie will be proud of me here- Eddie Bauer.  We waltzed in with our suits, and the employees treated us like royalty, despite the slight choking sounds we made whenever we looked at the price tags.  I discovered a really stellar coat, found it to be far beyond what I would consider to be my price range, and played devil's advocate in convincing Elder Heuer to buy it.  It worked.  :P  I ended up searching over on  the super-sale racks, and found a fantastic deal on a really nice coat that will last me- well, forever.  the sale price was originally $230, but I got it for 65% off!  I love learning to be "thrifty." :)  ...But still no boots... Sorry! 

Saturday:  EASILY the best day of the week.  I think. :)  So.  You know Elder Bednar?  As in, from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles?  Yeah.  He came to our mission.  And wanted to have a meeting with all of the missionaries!!!  :D :D :D D: (That was me after I realized the terrifying aspect of this prospect) :D :D  But yes.  Unfortunately, the mission couldn't justify the clicks to have all of us go to Calgary to see him, but they held localized broadcasts for the outlying zones, so we got to go combine with the Lethbridge and Cardston zones.  You know, there's nothing quite like studying at the feet of an apostle: Even if those feet are digitized. :)  I obtained so much revelation and advice from the discussion he inspired.  However, a good portion of the information he shared is still in the processing stage, and I'd rather not share it until it's a little more fleshed out.  One of the best moments of the event, however, was when a Sister missionary in Calgary raised her hand and told Elder Bednar, "The Spirit's telling me I need to ask you for a handshake."  And she was the only one who got one. We've decided it was either a prompting given through the medium of false revelation, or she's going to raise a prophet.  Either or. :P 

Sunday:  Ward council, church... Went pretty well, but differently than expected.  We spent the rest of the day, however, in Claresholm:  A small community approximately an hour away from Pincher Creek.  All the missionaries in our zone gathered there to go caroling, and then to perform a special musical number in their ward's Christmas Event.  President and Sister Nicholas were again in attendance, and the Spirit was strong; we spent the night there last night, and it was definitely nice to experience the missionary sleep-over again: Hasn't happened since B.C.!

That's essentially my week in a nutshell...  It's been hectic, fun, and "sometimes almost magic," and every moment I don't love to live, I learn to love.  I'm not sure if that's simply the nature of the mission, but it's definitely something I love sharing with others. :) 

As far as what you asked about transfers, yes: They will be on New Year's.  Which means P-day is on New Year's Eve.  And, since we aren't allowed outside after 6 on that day, and P-day ends by 6, we've received permission to have a full-P-Day! :D  We're combining with one of the other zones for an all-out Nerf war- should be a blast. :)  I don't think Elder Heuer and I will be parted, but it's almost definitely time for one of the Sisters to leave the district.  I anticipate 4 of the 6 areas in our zone will be undergoing a change in companionship, and with the other two being us (training) and the senior couple who don't move, that's a pretty good shake-up! 

Well, I'm going to wrap this up; I love you very much, and I definitely expect pictures of the Christmas lights, tree, and decorations!  I mean, if Taylor fell off the roof for them, I have to see the end-result of the sacrifice. ;) 

Love,

Elder Jared D. Larsen

Week 41-Cold, Snow, and the Christmas Devotional

"How fast the minutes fly away, and every minute colder!"

Greetings from Pincher Creek, Alberta: AKA, one of-if not THE-the coldest places in the world!  (Folr more information please see www.pinchercreekvoice.com/2013/12/thats-cold-pincher-creek.html?pfstyle=wp)

This is our car on the morning President told us to park it: (no picture has arrived on our end yet)

...And this is our car the next morning:

...Definitely a blast to dig out, attempting to find our Bloc Heater cord. :P It's just been a year or so of crazy weather for Southern Alberta though: massive hail storms, floods, intense cold...Since we taught "The Second Coming" in our Gospel Principles class this last Sunday, it's definitely something I've been thinking about!

In compliance with the weather, there's been a lot of vehicle trouble in the past little while.  On Friday morning, while Elder Heuer was in the shower, we received a phone call from Elder Trim, our fleet coordinator.  He informed the the Sisters in my district had been travelling to Calgary, but had slid off the road and hit a pole in Cowley (a little town that's part of our area).  I got Elder Heuer out of the shower, and we flew to the rescue; by the time we got there, they'd already been picked up by a member from Pincher Creek.  They were all right, but their car definitely was not.  It was a sobering event, and we were definitely grateful for their safety!

In other news, Elder Heuer seems to be progressing pretty well.  It's been weird, though; he has a lot of mannerisms that remind me a lot of Taylor-so it's a good thing I like Taylor. ;) He's starting to talk more to people he doesn't know, and seems to be fitting in with the ward really well, so that's good.  And the ward must really like us: I've never seen so many baked goods!  I mentioned to one of the Sisters in the ward that I love sweet potatoes, and within three days there was a sweet potato casserole in my hands.  So. Awesome. :)

The work's been...slow this week.  But Gabriel came to our ward's nativity on Thursday, and he really seemed to like it!  We had an intense lesson with him two weeks ago, and he finally committed to reading the Book of Mormon.  We have high hopes for him.  We also set dates with two of our less-active members to prepare to do baptisms for the dead!  I really love working with less-actives. :)

It's great to hear about Albert and Jen!  And based on the description of the night's activities with the missionaries, your home is probably going to be one of their favorites; so if they keep showing up, don't be surprised!

Okay, the real highlight of the week: The Christmas Devotional.  I'll admit, when I first heard that all of the First Presidency wouldn't be addressing us, I was disappointed.  And when I heard, "Primary General President," I thought, "...Great."  And was promptly rebuked.  Sister Wixom was fantastic!  The question of "What happens next?" is such an appropriate way to view the world, and the influence of her words was definitely felt as we sat to plan the next days activities, particularly the goals portion.  "What happens next largely depends on [us]."  As we enter into this season of cheer, we prepare to leave this year behind, and make resolutions for the new.  And what happens next really does depend on us.

Thanks for helping me remember the greater events of my childhood that I'd apparently forgotten!  I can't wait to get that package, whenever it comes. :)

Well, I'm going to send a couple of quick emails to a couple of people, so I send my love.  Have a good week!

-Elder Larsen

Week 40- Snow and Baptism Reflections

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful... and [though] we've [got places] to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Sooo I'm hoping that will answer the question as to why I'm emailing today instead.  :)  We woke up to about 2 feet of snow yesterday morning, all of which had accumulated in approximately 5 hours, resulting in an exhausting (but rewarding) day full of service!  Our Zone Leaders told us to park our car, so we hitched rides and walked as we helped the Ludwigs  prepare for an appraisal, moved a lady into the ward, un-stuck three cars, and shovelled a multitude of walk-ways.  Not exactly the way we'd anticipated spending our P-day, but ultimately far more worth it!  At about 5:00, we were informed that we weren't even allowed to walk anymore, so the Ludwigs took us to our dinner appointment, and those members took us back to our apartment.  President is still deciding whether or not to let us walk today, so we're taking advantage of the indecision here in the library. :P

The Thanksgiving crowd really was quite small this year, eh? Haha, that's okay; that just means fewer kids playing card games, keeping Grandma up until three in the morning!  Was there any horseback-riding this year?

Real Thanksgiving went really well, but time constraints cut the lesson portion a lot shorter than we feel comfortable with. :(  While it was nice to know that I was enjoying sweet potatoes at approximately the same time you were, the missionary aspect didn't go so well.  But I guess that's life as a missionary, eh?  Grandpa (Larsen) compiled a nice list of talks, thoughts, and advice for me that we should be able to draw from in our next lesson. Thanks, Grandpa!

I read in the LDS News Room that Salt Lake was named the National Bible City of 2013, resulting in a large interfaith concert that was supposed to be spectacular!  Judging by the list of Stars who appeared (namely, Roma Downey), I wondered if Mom had attended or not; probably not, though.

I celebrated a wonderful anniversary this last Sunday, and it's resulted in a lot of thoughts and feelings.  Every 1st of December brings with it another year since my baptism, and each year has brought with it some challenges and trials that try to lead me away from the covenants I made so many years ago.  I still remember that day very vividly, and somewhat the events that led up to it.  I remember feeling frustrated that Dad had been released as Bishop, and scared because that meant someone else would be performing my interview.  That's when Dad took the time to explain to me about callings in the Church, telling me that whoever was in the Bishop's seat was meant to be there, and the next Bishop would be just as qualified for the position: if not more so.  I didn't believe him at first, but he was right: Bishop Nelson, Bishop Thayne, and Bishop McKnight each took part in my significant advancements in the Church, and each of them carry the Spirit with them in such a way that I could not understand then, but I understand now.

The interview went well (made infinitely more comfortable by the amount of time I'd spent with Dad in that Bishop's Office), and the plans were in place for the first of December.  Michael Gailey's birthday had been the day before, so, at my request, he and I stood, dressed in white, and sang "Baptism (I Like to Look for Rainbows" for all in attendance.  Yet, while the audience was there, I distinctly remember staring intently at Mom, searching her face for anything that might indicate any disappointment in me.  All I found, however, was love, joy, and, not unexpected, a lot of tears. :)  Dad took me around through the wash room to the font's stairs, where he held my arm snug in his grasp; while he did this out of love, I think he also anticipated my clumsiness, as his strength was the only thing that kept me standing as my feet slipped from underneath me at each step.

I remember watching Dad's face as he repeated the same words he had used with many before me, wondering if I would ever be able to be as spiritual as him.  Actually, I pondered this so intensely that I forgot momentarily what would occur after the words were finished!  Dad lovingly pushed me under the water, helped me find my feet again, then hugged me.  And I knew I'd made a good choice.

On the mission, I've encountered people who think that children who are raised in the Church are naturally going to be baptized when they reach eight years old; there's just no way they can even understand what they're doing.  But I think back to the process leading up to my baptism, and all I remember is being taught correct principles by my parents, and being given a choice.  Mom even asked me repeatedly if I wanted to postpone my baptism to ensure I understood, but I understood enough.  I had faith in my parents that it was a correct choice, and I had faith in Jesus Christ.

This is precisely the process converts go through.  They will almost never have a perfect knowledge of what the covenant is, and they will surely never know exactly what temptations will arise in the coming years.  But they know their fellowshippers know, and they know their missionaries are teaching them true doctrine.  And they have faith in Jesus Christ.

Well, I'm not sure what else to say; this email was a lot less travelogue-y than typical, so for a more informative play-by-play, you may have to read Elder Heuer's (if his family publishes it); he's very methodical, so his family probably knows exactly where we were and when. :P Oh!  Before I forget, Dad actually served in the same mission as his dad at the same time!  Weird, eh?

Well, I love you, and I'll write you next week!
Love,
Elder Jared D. Larsen

P.S.-I'm still pretty sure I don't want my instruments.  I'll just practice for three weeks straight when I get home. :P

P.P.S.- Gasp!! We actually have missionaries in our ward?! :P Um... Breakfast for dinner is usually a good option... But missionaries will eat anything.  As far as what to do... It really all depends on what sort of initiatives they're starting for missionary work in the ward.  If they have a specific message they'd like to share, just participate as best you can! They might be role-playing with you, or talking to you about your family mission plan, or teaching you about Preach My Gospel; those are pretty common topics here.  Tell 'em I say hello!