Another Christmas Email!

Here's another email we received from Christopher on Christmas day afternoon :)

hey, Como Le Va?

Yeah I can reply to them (emails), but I usually just write them and then my 30 mins is expired.  Merry Christmas to you guys too, I'm glad you're happy.  We just had a massive snowball fight haha, it snowed a bit here too. We've got alot of snow this past week, lots and lots.  it's nice.  

Schedule is:

10:00 devotional-Elder Holland came =]

then from 3 to 5 we have either a devotional or some sort of activity (hopefully a 1st Presidency will come)

then from 7 to 8 or 9 we have an activity.

I only have 5 mins left ... I'm only supposed to get on email on P-day so it's hard to get everything done today cause of Christmas, and next week is New Years Eve, so who knows what next week will be like....crazy...race against the clock haha 3:30 left.  Anywho, so yeah, all the devotionals so far have been awesome, I'm getting your package ready and will include a description of each of the Christmas devotionals in it.  I hope you all continue to have a wonderful Christmas.  Christ lives, I've seen a man who has seen Him...pretty crazy to think about....anywho, time is almost up.  love you all, I love your letters keep writing them!

Feliz Navidad!

Hasta Luego

Merry Christmas Email

We got an email from Chris this morning - what a great Christmas present!

"Howdy everyone,

unfortunatly i can't call you guys this morning, they don't let us call when we are here.  but i can call when i get to the airport somewhere around Feb 11, i'll get my flight plans a few weeks before i leave.  i will try to write real quick and then get on later in the day. my emails can go to whoever i'm pretty sure.  some responsibilities as DL (District Leader) are to watch over the district, get the mail and stuff, conduct district meetings, and preside when it's just us...it's pretty cool, hard, but fun.  i'll only be DL for a few more weeks then they will change it to someone else.  THANKS FOR THE FOOD! i'll enjoy it i promise, HAHAHA I LOVE THE BATMAN STUFF!!! i rocked my PJ's last night and this morning, hahaha i took lots of pics.  anywho, i hope you are all having  a wonderful Christmas, i'm sure you are, i'll write more later.  Elder Bednar came and spoke to us last night and this morning we have another devotional...so it's pretty cool.  love you all, talk to ya later."

Haz Lo Justo!

Boy, Christopher has really been writing for one who doesn't like to write letters!  We received a letter from him today that he wrote on the 22nd:

"Hope you're all doing well, just wanted to write ya in the hope that this gets there before Christmas.  I'm going to send you guys something small but cool, but it won't be there by Christmas, sorry for that, but it will come.  Anywho, I just wanted to write you a letter wishing you all a Merry Christmas.  Be happy, remember our Savior and what He did, it's a special time of year that only comes once a year.  I'll be thinking of you guys Christmas morning.

"Cool experience, I got to say the closing prayer at the fireside the other night in front of the entire MTC!  My prayer and the entire fireside was translated into a bunch of different languages!  THAT'S SO COOL!

Oh, and I'm basically retarded, the battery compartment is on the bottom of my speakers, not the back behind the screws.  So I don't need the screwdriver, but still send it.  I may come in handy.  Anywho, my music is up and running, so happy!

''I love you all so much, and wish for a Merry Christmas centered in Christ.  May you all be blessed with health, happiness and joy.  Miss you tons, I love your letters.

Elder Christopher Larsen

2 Letters! (handwritten even)

We got two letters from Christopher today - one he wrote on the 19th and one on the 20th.  I'll give you the details from each.  We need interpreters to read his handwriting... so we are thankful for weekly emails that are typed!

Dec 19th Letter

"Dear family,  I was writing the email so fast that I forgot to say some of las cosas que deseo." (he does this often... like we understand Spanish... lol)  And then he lists some things he needs for us to send to him - so we will be packing up a "after Christmas" care package.  We will send him a calender because as he says; "there are no more days here, it's so hard to remember what day it is cause we do the same thing every day..."  And we will also send him a small screwdriver... and this is sort of funny: "the batteries in my speakers ran out and I have no way to open the case to change the batteries... this pretty much kills the whole music thing.  So yeah, I think that's it for now.

"Thanks for being awesome!

La Iglesia es verdadera

Merry Christmas!

cool experience - 

"Elder Stewart totally ate the sidewalk last night.  We were walking back to our room and he turfed it on some ice.  He blacked out and everything, pretty scary.  So I stayed with him till he came out of it, about 20 to 30 seconds.  I practically carried him to the door.  We gave him a blessing, just to play it safe.  His eyes weren't dilating weird so we figured he didn't have a concussion, but his memory of it is gone, so the Zone Leaders and I gave him a blessing.  He is fine today, but I'm still watchin' him."

Dec 20th Letter

This letter was in response to my long list of questions that I mailed him... you know, I like details... I know you will enjoy the info too:

"Wow, lots of questions, here I go:

"Schedule varies day to day but it is basically this:

6:30 - wake up

7:00 - be in classroom with the district, sing, pray, then read the Book of Mormon till 7:30

7:30 - desayuno (which is breakfast)

8:00-10:00ish - class time with a teacher, Spanish, Preach My Gospel

10:00ish-12:00 - MDT (Missionary Directed Time), so personal study, companion study, and what not

12:00 - almuerzo (lunch)

12:30 - gym... gym goes from 1:10-2:00 then class at 2:30

2:30-5:00 - is usually MDT cause we don't usually have a teacher

5:00 - cena (dinner)

5:30-9:00 - class time with a teacher

9:00-9:30 - is planning time

9:30-10:30 - shower and go to bed

"Cafeteria food is okay, not the best, but I've had worse.  Lots of choices, I've gained like 8 lbs I think ... scary.

"Went to Provo Temple last Thursday with my Zone.  Very cool looking Celestial Room has lots of light fixtures and no windows.  It actually closes today, so I don't know when we'll get to go again.  It's only closed for 2 weeks.

"I just wear my coat everywhere here, it snows a lot

"I don't know about the email rule, the program allows me to email whoever I want, and from what I gathered, missionaries email their friends all the time so ... I want all the email addresses and regular addresses you can send.

"Spanish is going ok, lots to learn in a crazy short amount of time

"As far as I have seen, I am the only Elder going to Ventura.  Hermana Hanson in my district is going to Ventura too though.  She is leaving the same day I am.

"I can't go to my blog here, but I should be able to when I'm in the field.  I'm sending pictures as soon as they are printed, but it will be after Christmas cause they are behind.

"And you can most definitely send food.  I don't know why they say that (no perishable things), everyone here gets food.

"Ok that's all the questions and I'm out of room.  Merry Christmas!  

Elder Christopher Larsen"

"I LIVE!"

We got our first email from Chris today.  He gets 30 minutes to email every Thursday (his preparation day).  Well, enjoy!

"Hey Family,

You guys all surviving without me?  I'm alive and well.  Don't really know where to start with this email though, so much to tell you.  First of all thank you so much for the letters.  =] letters are the coolest thing to get here at the MTC.  Plus I'm District Leader so one of my jobs is to go get the mail for the whole district...it's so cool to grab all the envelopes and see one that is addressed to me! haha, never thought mail would be so cool.  I don't like writing it though, I have 8 letters to write today.  So Dad can tell you my basic schedule for the day, it varies slightly from day to day. Thursday is my P-day FYI.  I'm in class probably 88% of the day.  My companion's name is Elder Taylor Stewart, he is 120 lbs of pure Arkansas HICK! haha he is awesome! haha, you should have seen him typing with his two fingers, haha I love the kid.  I'm learning lots of Spanish, my cabesa is filling up quite fast.  I'm also learning Preach My Gospel backwards and forwards.  Soooooo my district is pretty cool.  My district is one of two in the zone that has hermanas (sister missionaries), I'm quite lucky.  There is me(Ventura CA), Elder Stewart(Tempe AZ), and then a threesome, Elder Radamaker (Mexico City), Elder Lee(Mexico City), and Elder Lowman(Mexico City).  haha say Elder Lee's name fast.  haha ...  letters from home really help just so you know.  Proverbs 25:25, check it out.  Life is crazy, always doing something.  Right now I'm doing my laundry, never seen so many laundry machines in my life...craziness.... If this is going on the BLOG thing then awesome, anyone who reads this should write me a letter =]  letters are seriously the thing we all look forward to each day.  If you guys write back and ask specific questions I'll do my best to answer them.  I get 30 mins every Thursday to write emails, and I'm only supposed to write letters on Thursdays, but I think I can write short ones during the week at night when I'm done with all my stuff...I have around 30 mins of personal time every night before I go to bed...alright, to practicar mi espanol.

Yo se que jesucristo es nuestro salvador y yo se que la iglesia de jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias es la verdad en la tierra.
yo testifico que tenemos un profeta de dios en la tierra hoy.

I'm learning....anywho, time is about up, I hope this finds you all in good health and happy spirits, it is Christmas ya know.  The happiest time of the year.  I love all of you, thanks for the letters, they keep me going.

hasta luego

Love, Elder Larsen"

First Letter from Chris

We received our first letter from Christopher today and I am glad to report that he is alive and well...  The letter is dated Dec 10th but I think he might have written it Thursday.  He says: "I've been in lots of classes and being told lots of stuff."  His companion is Elder Stewart from Arkansas and Chris says he's quiet but "way cool".  Christopher is a District Leader which he says is "very hard, it's going to stress me out I think".  His words of wisdom for us are: "turn to the Lord for help."

Entering the MTC

Today we took Christopher to the MTC.  We left Smithfield at about 9:15 in the morning and had time to stop in Draper to visit Sid's Uncle Paul and Aunt Nereece for a bit.  Then we continued on to the MTC which is directly across the street from the Provo Temple.  We pulled up to the curb at the MTC and from then on the senior missionaries took over.  They definitely have the system figured out.  Christopher unloaded his luggage and wheeled it to a designated spot.  Then he went in the door marked "New Missionaries Enter Here" and we went in another door.  Chris was given his name badge which is in Spanish other than Elder Larsen.  Sid says it all looked just like it did when he went on his mission in 1981.  We took a few pictures and then were directed to a chapel and had to put our cameras away.

We sat together as a family in the Chapel and they showed "Mormon Ads" and then had a short service where the Mission President and his wife and a counselor and his wife all spoke to us.  They assured us many times that they will take good care of our sons and daughters.  I am amazed at the opportunity it is for Christopher to be there.  He will be on quite a schedule of spiritual feasting on a daily basis.  The schedule for today included meeting his Branch President who will have jurisdiction over him while he is in the MTC and also being assigned his companion - and of course unpacking.  Everyone sang "Called to Serve" and the meeting ended with prayer - and again being reassured that they will take care of our missionaries.  At that point, we had to say our last goodbyes and then Christopher went through a door marked "Missionaries" and we went through the "Families" door.  We all hugged Christopher and told him we loved him - and he was off.  It was a beautiful day and we feel blessed to have been able to send Chris off on his mission.  We are grateful for his preparation, example, and willingness to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in California.

Setting Apart

Today was a great day.  It was cold and brisk with beautiful sunshine on freshly fallen snow.  All eight of us went to the Logan Temple and Christopher, Brandon, Taylor, Jordan, Sid, and I were able to do baptisms.  We went to lunch and enjoyed our time together as a family.  I finished packing Christopher and he sent out "the final email" and made a few final cell phone calls.  Chris seems ready to serve a mission and leave all the worldly things behind.  I appreciate his preparation and faith.

President Doug Nielson, President of the Smithfield Stake, came over to the house at 9:00 in the evening and set Christopher apart as a missionary for the Church.  A few of his friends were here and of course Grandma and the rest of the immediate family.  It was a great experience.  We leave tomorrow morning for the MTC!

Pack Those Bags!

Everything fit in amazingly - we'll have to wait to see if Chris can get it all back in when he flies to California!  I told him that my method was: "just find a place that it fits and stuff it in!"

Short Hair!

So I suggested to Chris that he get a "trim" before we went to take some family pictures... Well he called me later and said: "Mom, I think I'm too young to get a haircut by myself."  Evidently he went to a good salon and told the girl he needed a "trim".  Well, she trimmed him alright - it's shorter than his hair has been since he was about 6 months old!  We laughed a lot and will probably laugh more as we enjoy our family pictures.  He shouldn't need a haircut for more than a month in the MTC...

Welcome to Christopher's Mission Blog

Welcome to Christopher's Mission Blog that I am going to keep for him while he is serving on his mission.  I hope you enjoy being updated and please remember that this is my VERY first attempt at a blog or anything like it!