Wednesday, November 28, 2012

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

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

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....

Monday, November 5, 2012

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.