Elder Larsen in front of the Bogota Colombia Temple

 

Three Elders from Sevier County serving in the Colombia Bogota North Mission. 

Each representing a different school in the district.

Elder Brennan Franks, Richfield High School (left)

 Elder Kade Larsen, North Sevier High School (center)

 and Elder Chesley Gale, South Sevier High School (right) 

 

 

We were able to speak to Elder Larsen on December 26th.  He couldn't call on Christmas because they have to use a public computer and everything was closed on Christmas.  He looked so happy and excited about being on a mission.  He is serving in Tunja, Boyaca, Colombia.  It is about 3 hours North of Bogota.  The temperature there is usually around 56 degrees.  February is the warmest month and it gets up to 66 degrees. 

 

His letter says, "Tunja is very very different from Bogota.  It's quite a large city yet there are only two companionships for the entire city.  My companion and I are in the South area.  My companion is from Ecuador and a pretty good Elder.  We have SO many people in our area it's insane.  Everywhere we go we walk.  So it's pretty obvious why we had to have three pairs of shoes for this mission.  Most of our appointments are 20-35 minutes away from our house.  And thats like a powerwalking/jogging speed, lol.  I have been having A LOT of pain in my knee and it's been hard to keep up all the time.  It's on the backside of my right knee.  Started the day before I got here. 

 

Anyways, here they celebrate Christmas a lot differently!  They have fiestas building up to Christmas.  Like, for example, I think that on the 10th it is for Mary.  They have concerts every single night in Central Square, which we can hear from our house every night, all night. 

 

The city is very poor compared to Bogota.  You've heard the stories about dogs being everywhere in South America.  In Bogota, no nada. But here, yes everywhere.  They don't really bother you at all and just lay there all day.  So many though it's kind of disgusting.  the people here are really nice and the ward is great.  We have about 120 active members or so here.  There is only 1 ward in all of Tunja.  We had a ward Christmas party last week and it went great.  The people thought my Spanish was actually very good, especially since this is my first area.  Cool huh?!  I can understand most people all the time but there are a few who I think are from the Coastal areas who speak SOO much faster. 

 

Last night we taught a lesson to Alexander and his mom.  He is around 40 or so.  We taught about the word of wisdom and then after we invited them to be baptized on the 19th of January.  They accepted!  He has had problems with Tobacco but I think that this is a big step.  Another great thing was during chruch.  We had like 6 investigators come to church.  Two of them are from my first lesson here in Tunja where we invited them to come but they said no.  During sacrament meeting they showed up.  Martha (60+) and her daughter (40) came in!  I think they really enjoyed it so I am excited to have our next lesson with them.

 

Entonces, Grandma & Grandpa Webb and the Mattinsons, thank you for the money.  It's going to be buying a few things I need for Christmas.  We mainly need food.  Our fridge is pretty empty but it's because we only eat breakfast at home.  Members feed us lunch here and we kindof skip dinner which I don't like at all because I love having dinner.  Elder Burt is in my prayers.  I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas back home without me.  Thanks for sending the package Caci and Tim.  Thank you, Aurora 1st Ward for the package as well!  I need to get going.  Love you guys.  Have a fantastic Christmas! 
Love, Elder Larsen

 





Dear Family, I'm sorry about the few word emails that this computer keeps on sending to you.. It's a pain in the butt. But anyways, that “Wheres the Line to See Jesus” sounds pretty cool and interesting. Did you guys go up to Temple Square for the lights again this year or is that picture from something else? It looks so cold there lol. Here it is a steady 70 degrees usually, I think. Definitely never cold here. One thing about here is that a lot of people have Christmas lights in the city. They are weird Christmas lights but hey, they have them lol. The MTC even puts up some lights along some of the bushes outside of the building. We also have a Christmas tree at the end of our hall. It makes things a little nicer here at the CCM. And mom.... I hope that you forgetting the number doesn't affect it THAT much because I definitely still want something for Christmas lol. If it doesn't work out, I will be fine. When I leave the MTC next Tuesday I need to get to a store pretty soon and buy stuff like Shampoo, deodorant, and gel. I have been out of gel for quite a while now and it's horrible. There are other things too probably, but yeah. Caci and Tim said they sent something so hopefully that will be able to make it as well. Thanks for sending that you guys. I am wearing the green paisley tie you guys gave me right now! That's great to hear that you guys are all doing well on your finals and good luck to Lindsay who still has two, I think. Finals are never fun but it's the best when they are over, ha. I really don't miss that part of college AT ALL. I do miss baseball pretty bad and I don't think I will really ever get the chance here. We didn't get to go to the temple this morning because there was another talk from an Elder? from the Area 70. I never even got his name but it was a great talk. We will go to the temple tomorrow and that will be the last time we get to go probably for awhile because of being in the field. We will leave next Tuesday to enter the actual field and I think we find out which area we are going to on Monday afternoon or something like that. But yeah there isn't really a way for me to tell you guys until I am actually there. Today when listening to the guy talk I was able to understand probably 90% of what he was saying to us, in Spanish. Bam! Made me feel pretty good. My Spanish is definitely getting better and better as time goes on so keep on praying because it helps. This week our district gets the chance to go out as a companionship on the street for an hour and talk to some people. Elder Gale and I haven't been able to go yet but we will probably go in the morning which I am pretty excited for. Our District here is awesome and I am going to miss them. We just recently switched from playing volleyball in the morning to playing 21, the basketball game. We get into it but it is so awesome. Reminds me of home to tell ya the truth. Its funny because they are always talking about how high I can jump. I can dunk it with a little ball here but not a normal size ball. One day maybe... lol. But yeah, it's fun to surprise people like that. They think I have played basketball for years and years, ha. That is crazy to hear about Oakley getting arrested but also pretty awesome. Hopefully everything is going okay for him out there. I think about him a lot and want to get a letter out to him. Daniel as well. I sent one to Mike and Dallin already. Entonces, I need to get going and sort laundry and stuff and my time is just about gone. Hope you guys are doing great and I love you and miss you. Mom the Skype thing can work anywhere as long as the computer you're using has Skype installed and a webcam. Just got to know all of your login information, talk to Caci about it. Its not bad at all. Hopefully we can Skype though, who knows. Anyways, good luck this week with all that's going. Sounds like you all are keeping busy, that's good. Love ya, Elder Kade Larsen

Dear Family,

Its good to hear that the week went really well. Thank you for the addresses. I got a lettter from Emily last week and she said she was leaving Provo on the 4th. I actually got the letter with the workout plans that day that I told you that I didn't get it. I got it like three hours after I emailed you, so sorry. The fourwheeler looks awesome! I am jealous that I can't be riding it up above town or up 12 Mile.

Yeah, Makenna and Chris were definitly lucky that the tire didn't blow out on them. I'm glad you guys were able to get it fixed before she she went back home. I love the pictures you guys send. I have now started saving them on a flashdrive so that I can actually view them later because when I open them in the email they are huge and you can't even tell what they really are. I need to go back and save the ones you all sent when I was in Provo, so I can actually see them too.

That is so crazy that Coach Johnson is now going to be the head coach at North Sevier. I bet and I know that he is nervous for that job. But he does know what the team needs. We talked about it all the time. He will be good for the program, I think, in the end. I am glad that those three guys got All state.

I am sorry to hear about Dahl Brown, I hate hearing about new people that are dying around town.. Seems like there is a new person every week but I need to know so don't just not tell me. This last week was pretty slow for me, probably because our p-day was on Tuesday last week and it just made the week an extra day. It's with all new people too, so it is moving slower I think. Yea, the elder related to the Bullards is Elder Franks from Richfield. We want to get a picture of all three of us in the Sevier valley and send it home for the Richfield Reaper or something. I think that would be cool, one elder from every school.

By the way, the laptop I am on is totally crappy and everything I am typing is not showing up until a minute or two after I type it. I am getting kinda frustrated with it. Besides the new Elders coming, there isn't much else that is new this week. I just wish I could write you guys a longer letter but this laptop is pretty set against that idea. Thank you for the pictures of the fourwheeler and stuff, they are awesome. Sorry that this is sent later at night then the usual time, you have probably been waiting for it most the day. 

I am so stoked for Elder Burt and Hermana Judkins! I am also pretty jealous but I know I definitly need this last two weeks. Tonight we taught a CRE lesson and the teacher said I did a great job so that was kind of reassuring, ha. My Spanish is getting better but yeah it's always going to be hard. Present subjunctive stuff is just so confusing. Apparently they have like 15 total tenses in the Spanish language but we probably aren't going to try and learn them all because it's just so much to know.

I have only one more temple visit while being in the MTC. That is so crazy. Two weeks from yesterday (he leaves the MTC). Apparently if we are serving in the city of Bogota then we can go every 3 months or so. Not very often but I guess that is better than never getting to go right? When we got there today there was a bunch of Elders from the Bogota North Mission. They seemed like some cool missionaries and they said that they will be training some of the new missionaries when we come out. They have only been out for 3 months and they are already going to be trainers. Guess you got to learn pretty quick because of the big missionary boom that is supposed to happen right behind us. I am glad I am on the front of that boom, ha. Well, good luck with everything else. I love ya and miss you guys a lot. Sorry again that this letter is short. If the laptop worked I would write a better one. I will work on the invitation you offered, thanks! Good luck this week!
Love,
Elder Larsen

 

P.S 2. I sent you guys a letter last week so hopefully it gets there next week or within the week after.

(It is good to hear that Elder Larsen finally received some mail.  Sounds like he might get his Christmas gifts after all.)

November 28, 2012

 

Dear Family,

 

To say the least.. This week has been really eventful and great. Your pictures look like you guys had a great time and I am pretty jealous. Thanksgiving is non existant here so yeah, it was the usual rice and chicken-beef haha.

 

Mom, I still havent seen the new 4-Wheeler! Your killin me! lol Sounds like a lot of fun going up and shooting the guns and stuff. I miss stuff like that a lot. I miss being able to go up on the mountain in general..The picture of Oakley is awesome, he is such a stud. The Graggs are an awesome family and I have actually wanted to write Don & Doug but I dont have their address either.  Sorry for asking for addresses all the time. I just need them.

 

Anyways, sometime last week, cant remember the day, an Area 70 came and spoke to us which was pretty neat and he was pretty generous to us Gringos so he spoke slower than he usually would so we could understand it. Great man. Sunday was also an awesome day, like usual. We had the normal talks and movie type stuff going on but in what talk we watched it was a talk at the MTC on April 15th, 2012 and David Archuleta sang at the devotional. He sang the Spirt of God, Part of it was in Spanish as well. Man it hit me pretty dang hard, it was awesome. He sang with so much power I just cant ever forget it. Seriously I cried.

 

Yesterday, the best day ever. Yesterday was the day that we were able to hit the city of Bogota! We first went to the Temple like a normal Pday which was nice and then we went to the Museo de Oro (museum of Gold). We had to transfer money in a place next to the museum. I transfered $40 so not a lot. The Gold Museum was awesome, like 7-8 floors of gold relics, it was crazy. After that we were able to go shop at some of the mini market things by the museum. It kind of reminds me of the Mexico markets and stuff but I like these ones better. I bought a bag! It is a bag with a llama on it. It is handmade and super awesome! I would send pictures but no camera... I wish I could. Everyone loves my bag ha. It was fun walking around on the streets, it is a crazy place though I wont lie. After shopping we went to (Monserrate) which is like a big mountain with a catholic church up on the top of it. You have to pay to take the tram up to the top. It costs 15400 Pesos (Mil) for roundtrip. We got up there and took loads of pictures. The sun-clouds made it so awesome. You will love those picture if I ever get to even send them. I bet I wont be able to until I leave the MTC. But you will love them.

 

 I talked to people up at the church and it was neat. Its a big tourist spot here I guess. You can see Bogota for as far as you can see and still cant quite see the end of it. Es muy loco pero chevere. We came back from that to the MTC and President and Sister Hall bought us Subway sandwiches for dinner, that was great. We watched 17 miracles after that. We were the only district in the mtc because all the latinos left for the field Tuesday morning. Kinda cool huh. Anyways, I need to get going which Im sorry again. It looks like you guys are having a great time with everything going on.

 

Kenna and Chris' dog looks pretty cool. I hope you all are having a really good week. I loved the pictures of everyone by the way, the Mattinsons, Oakley, Thanksgiving dinner, etc. Its always fun to see. Well Love you guys and Miss you a lot. The Spanish is getting better and I got a new companion today by the way, Its Elder Gale from Annabella (South Sevier). Kinda crazy how we are now companions, haha. We are excited though to get to work with our new investigators. Elder Casey, old companion, got a latino companion because he is way good at Spanish. Love ya and have a great week! Thanks so much for the addresses!

Love,
Elder Kade Howard Larsen

November 14, 2012

Elder Kade Larsen arrived in Colombia last Tuesday.  He will be in the Colombian MTC for another five weeks.  He said they are not allowed to leave the locked compound yet.  They were able to attend the Colombian temple today.  He was really excited about that and said they have a really nice temple.  He understands quite a bit of the Spanish but said it was hard because they speak so fast there.  It was funny last week because he said he feels like he speaks with a stutter because he speaks so slow and has to think about it so much. 

He said that the food is pretty good there.  Last week he said that they have rice for every meal except breakfast which was okay with him because he loves rice.  This week he said, "We have rice at  EVERY meal, except breakfast. Seriously, it's getting a tad old.  We have had yellow rice, brown rice, white rice, etc."  Kade is a pretty picky eater and it does sound like he is trying to venture out and try things that he's never seen before.  He doesn't care much for plantains.  He tried something that the American elders call Alien Eggs but it is actually called agrandenida. (not sure of spelling) He said you break open the orangish-yellow outside and inside it is similar to a pomegranate but the eggs are grey and black.  You just have to put your mouth on the pile of 'em and suck 'em out!  He says it tastes okay but definitely not the greatest thing they have had there.  He did say they have some wonderful types of fruit there.

His companion was just made district leader and so that makes him senior companion.  There are three elders in his class that are pretty much fluent.  Everyone else is around his stage or a little better.   He wishes he could learn it easier. "There are days when it just clicks and then other days when I feel like there is no chance for me, haha.  I know there is so I keep on working on it.  There is just so much to learn in so little time."

There is not a pouch mail system to Colombia.  Apparently if they get it at all it has to go through Peru first.  So if you want to mail him a letter mail it through the U.S. Mail to: 
Elder Kade Larsen
Carrera 45, #57 B-26
Barrio Nicholas de Federman
Bogota
Colombia.   
I do not think he has received any mail other than my gmail letters so far because he hasn't mentioned it.  Any Christmas mail should be sent to his mission home at:
Elder Kade Larsen
Colombia Bogota North Mission
Calle 72 # 10-07 Oficina 1001
Edificio Liberty Seguros
Bogota, Cundinamarca
Colombia  
Packages must have this phone number  57-31-210-4663

He said that he knows why they don't let the missionaries drive while on their missions.  THEY WOULD ALL DIE!!!  He said it is exhilarating though.  At all times there is a vehicle on all sides of them within five inches and traveling fast.  Motorcycles veer in and out at will as if there are no rules.  He can't believe that they haven't been in a wreck yet.  On a personal note *I am very grateful that he won't be driving in Colombia!!! 

Elder Larsen seems to be having a great experience. He loves all of you and appreciates your support.  Until next week....

Elders going to Colombia

Kade's district

Kade and the other Colombian elders fly out of America tomorrow, Tuesday November 6th.  It will take them all day long and they will arrive in Colombia around 10 P.M.  I had asked Kade questions and he answers that there are no sister missionaries in his district and only two in his zone.  He says he sees his cousin, Emily more than the ones in his zone and that is fine with him because she is "cooler". 
They had a departure devotional last night covering a lot of things that he thought was common sense.  There are around 8 missionaries going to Colombia this week however not all of them are traveling in Kade's group.
He has really enjoyed the devotionals and said one of his favorite quotes is "I fear no man. The angels are with me and I will not be afraid."  (something along those lines)  He said he would be spurting out quotes if he had his notebook with him but he hadn't brought it to do laundry. 
I had sent his old scriptures to him as he requested and he was very grateful for that.  He said they have insights he definitely needed to see.  (thanks to great seminary/church teachers over the years) He is very excited to be going to Colombia tomorrow.  His companion has been sick but they went to the doctors today and his companion was cleared to travel. There is one elder whose VISA didn't come through in time to go.  Kade says it will definitely be hard to say goodbye to his two roommates that are called to Mexico.  They had a small meeting to tell them what to expect at the MTC in Colombia. They don't have a bookstore or anything like that so they are allowed to go off campus to grocery stores and to buy other needed things.  They can exercise across the street in the public park because they have workout machines there.  He is excited to be able to call from the airport and we are excited to be able to talk with him. 
I believe that the easiest way to write him is through dearelder.com.  You need to click "write a letter" and then click pouch mail and his mission which is Colombia Bogota North.  He would love to hear from everyone.   

Elder Burt, Sister Judkins & Elder Larsen
3 first cousins at the MTC map

Elder Larsen, Abbott, and Gale at the MTC    October 2012



First cousins: Elder Burt and Elder Larsen  October 2012

Kade's letter 29Oct2012
It is good to hear that things are going good at home.  It was so sad hearing about Neal Coates though. I hope that his wife and daughter are doing okay. 
Thank you for all of the emails this week.  But since I have such a short amount of time I won't be able to answer each and every one of them.  That is why the handwritten letters are a bit easier for me.  I can read them and write back when I have a few minutes.  There are no printers for us to print off letters so I have to just remember what people said.  I did get Dad's letter from dearelder.com a few hours after I mailed his.  That website is so awesome and helps so many people get mail.  I don't even want to think about how many letters they have to print off and give to the MTC every day.
The MTC is still going pretty smoothly even though sometimes can be a little rougher than others.  "The days are long, but the weeks are short."  That is the best way to put it.  Except P-day, it goes by insanely fast, haha.  I will use the card reader you sent to send pictures so thanks for that.  The MTC food is pretty good even though, like many elders say, it gives you gas.  I eat a lot every meal in hopes that I might gain some weight. ;)  I wrote grandma all about the meals. She was right, I had not yet received the candy from Emily when I sent her that letter but I was very thankful for it!  Made me miss Glades real bad. 
One of my roommates has really suffered with allergies and asked us to give him a blessing yesterday after sacrament meeting.  I have always loved being a part of those types of things even though I have only been a part of a few of them.  We have grown pretty close with our roommates and it's going to be pretty hard to depart next Tuesday without them.  There will only be 5 elders in our district left.  They are going to a mission in Mexico. The spanish is about the same as it was but we are working on conjugating and that stuff is very very difficult so we are working on it a lot.
I wore my Air Mormon shirt today and I have had like 10 people ask where I got it.  They love it. Thank you for sending it to me. Well, love ya and hope to hear from you throughout the week in whatever way you desire.  ;)  Love, Elder Kade Larsen

Elder Larsen with first cousin, Sister Judkins in the MTC on
October 22, 2012

Elder Larsen writing his first emails at the MTC on October 22, 2012. 
Thank goodness he has a first cousin there that
takes pictures and sends them to the family.

Kade's letter  10/22/2012

Dear Mom & Fam,
Man I couldn't wait for this day to come!  I have only been here for 5 days but in all honesty those 5 days feel like 5 months lol.  The language is taught insanely fast and it is very hard to keep up.  I am doing my best and actually learning a lot of Spanish.  Like people say, I learned more in my first 2 days here than I did that whole quarter up at college.  Why?  Because your mind has no choice but to learn it and to learn it well haha.  I hope that I can keep learning as much as I can and as fast as I can because we are learning quickly.  I can pray and bare my testimony in Spanish, which is pretty dang cool.  When I write letters or type this email I keep thinking of the words in Spanish before I think of them in English and sometimes it is hard haha.  That's perfectly ok with me, that means I'm learning!  The other companionship we share our room with is Elder Arnold and Elder Westwood.  I think they are from the Salt Lake Area.  We all get along great and love to be around each other.  We started a tradition on Saturday and we call it Fiesta Saturday!  We buy chips and salsa or just good food from the bookstore and have a mini party while we plan out the next day.  Man was I happy to have chips and salsa again.  It was so good except it makes me miss El Mexicano like crazy!  We plan to do this everyweek and then the night before Elder Bentley and I leave to Colombia we plan on having a BIG FIESTA because it will obviously be our lst night together.  The other elders in our room are going to Tampico, Mexico and will be in the Provo MTC for all 9 weeks.  I see Elder Gale from home.  He is in my district so that is cool. 

Jade is in my zone and so I see him a lot as well, which is awesome.  Today Elder Bentley and I did a session for a couple family names Jade had.  Not our relative but the Burt side of the family.  We have not been able to get a picture yet with the map.  We will try this week sometime and try to get it out to all of you sisters  :)  I finally found Elder Abbott last night after the devotional!  Man it was good to see him.  He is doing well and I have missed him.  We don't have similar schedules at all.

My companion is from Lindon, Utah and is a great companion.  We will be companions until we leave to Colombia.  President Ricks (Our Branch President) said that they have had some troubles with Colombia's MTC and sending missionaries there.  They have a very small MTC so they don't always take ALL the missionaries from here when they are supposed to go.  Meaning, the ones who get left behind end up having to be in the Provo MTC for 9 weeks instead of 3.  I hope I don't get stuck behind because I want to be in Colombia so bad right now.  I want to go really bad but I know I have so much to learn and am not ready for that yet.  We teach fake investigators and ours is from Argentina.  We had to teach him Friday, two days after arriving, and Saturday.  IN SPANISH.  Yea, I know right??  It actually went ok but it was pretty nerve wracking.  We teach him again tonight and we are going to teach him on the Plan of Salvation.  Last week we did the atonement (Expiacion).

Thank you so much for the box that you sent me.  I was totally stoked to see it and so was everyone else in my district haha.  The swedish fish are being saved because of how precious they are.  I loved the letter and loved the candy in it even though I haven't eaten all of it yet.  I am trying to ration it out just in case you forget to send more later.   :) 

Last night we listened to a talk from Elder Holland titled "Forever a Missionary."  Wow, talk about getting pumped up about missionary work.  I love that man and his talks are always powerful to me.  He gave it a few years ago.  He had some great quotes in it. 

Not all of the computers will read SD cards so I can't send pictures this week.  I will try next week.  Tell everyone to write.  I got a letter from Whitney using Dearelder.com.  That works really well.  I miss you and love you all.  Love,  Elder Kade Larsen

Elder Larsen packed and ready to start this new adventure.

Farewell luncheon with Grandma and Grandpa Webb & Mom and Dad

Elder Kade Larsen with mom and dad just before entering the MTC

 



                        Elder Larsen in front of the Provo Temple just before entering the MTC.

 

 

 One final text to say goodbye to everyone for two years.  Kade will miss you all and has sure appreciated your support and friendship. 

 

Pre Mission!

Well I have a week and a half until I enter the Provo MTC for three weeks (October 17th - November 7th). I made this blog so that my mom could update everyone back home. They can follow this blog so that they get updated every week. My mom will put letter's and pictures on this blog for everyone to see. Hope everyone has a great two years back home in Utah or wherever you happen to be! I will miss you all so much. I love you all and thank you for all the support that you have given me! Thanks! See ya in two years!

Provo MTC:
    (October 17th - November 7th)

Colombia MTC:
    (November 7th - December 19th)

Mission Field!
    (December 19th - October 2014)