He's There!

We recived an email today titled  " Your Missionary Has Arrived!" 

Dear Families,

Your Missionary has arrived safely to T.H.E. Mission! They were treated to a great Texas BBQ, had personal interviews, and shared testimonies. The following morning was focused on training after which they met their new companion and were transported to their area of service.  They are now out diligently searching for our Heavenly Father's children and doing the work of the Lord. Thank you for sending your daughters and sons to us, they have added great strength to our small army here in the Texas Houston East Mission. We love them and are so grateful to have them with us. You will find attached a picture of  your newly arrived missionary with Sister Crawford and myself as well as their arriving group.
 

We are delighted that your Missionary is here and look forward to working with them.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Crawford

President Crawford, Elder Erickson, and Sister Crawford

The Group of Missionaries that Elder Erickson flew to Texas with.  Elder Erickson along with Elder Kefer and Mallard (his Roomies from the MTC) are Spanish speaking. 

Today he was assigned his area and companion......we are anxious to know where and with who!

He's Off!

We got to talk to Elder Erickson this morning!  Ethan's friend's dad was in the airport this morning headed to California and so he was able to find him and send us a few pictures right after he came through security. 

Can't you see the light in his eyes?  ha ha

It was so good to hear his voice.  He seems to be doing great and is so excited to get to Texas and teach the people, and his Spanish is sounding awesome.  He told us on the phone "I love Mexicans!" 

When I told him to write me a letter on the plane he said "sorry, I am reading my Book of Mormon the whole way... I'm going to convert someone on this flight!"

 He is so "gung-ho."

 

God Speed Elder.

Week 8: Last MTC Email

Hey!

So first off I did get to host again this week! It was fun! and I actually saw Bryce Decker's car drive by so i ran down to where he was and got to be his host just like Bryson was for me! it was awesome to switch places in that situation! Bryce is going to be a Stud missionary though! 

Not a lot happened this week. A funny story in TRC we were teaching a lady we had already taught a few weeks back and the tema for that week was "Revelacion por medio el Libro De Mormon" so we just asked what her favorite scripture was and why and she gave the Words Of Mormon scirpture that I had shared with her a few weeks back and when i shared it with her that time she said she hadnt heard that one so it was awesome for me that i gave her her favorite scripture! haha Im so stoked about Preston's mission call! That's so awesome! Spanish is the best! There is no better language, well besides the language of the spirit but still! Im stoked for him! I need to write him, that awesome kid already forgot about me haha.  He is going to love it!  I wish I could have been there when he opened it!... 

I need to go start packing right now probably with all the stuff im not going to need. I got my hair cut again, I know it was just like last week I got it cut but I told them to cuz it was as short as they would on the side and leave it as long as they could on top! haha. so now its just straight short all around. Shortest its ever been for sure......but its all good I still look good and now I won't have helmet hair! 

We got a whole batch of elders from Tonga and Somoa and New Zeland yesterday! They are so sick! we go talk with them at night and its the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life...they are crazy! and I'm trying to learn some of their language but its tough haha.  I know like fefe hake or something like that it means hello how are you.  They are awesome and all have the sick tribe tatoos all over their arms.  One is going to Ogden and he is sick. 

I'm not really sure what else to say, I guess ill just talk with you on monday! I got to go pack! IM SO excited to go teach some mexcians and whatever kind of people even live there, I love them already and I'm so stoked!  Not too excited for the heat but I'll figure something out. I love the mission I can already tell teaching real people and helping real people is going to awesome!

For my testimony just know that "I Know its all True."  that should cover it!!

Love you all!

Con amor

Elder Erickson

Love you and cant wait to talk!

Week 7: Valentine's Day

Hey Family,

So funny story first, So as you all know Tuesday was Valentines day, so after breakfast all of the Elders are just wanting to get studying and forget about it so it doesnt make us homesick, so we walk into our class and the Hermanas had decorated all of our desks and each of them wrote a letter to all of us and had these little treat bags made up, it was very nice of them, but none of us even thought about doing something for them. So we were all freaking out and so we locked the door so we could try and figure something out. They had put a lot of work into it and we didnt have jack. so while we were trying to figure something out someone knocked on the door....it was our teacher so we let him in and told him the situation and he just laughed and started telling us how we have a big problem, and they'll only talk in spanish so it made it even more funny cuz they get the thickest accents when the speak. but they the Hermanas came in and we all felt terrible cuz we didnt have anything for them. but later in the day all of us gathered the candy we had and just covered their desks! it was so funny we tried to decorate it nice but when you have a huge box of candy and 8 elders, it looks pretty messy. haha. but i took some pictures of them and they look pretty legit, and we also bought some CTR shirts like all of us had and signed them for them. So we came out alright but it was a little bit of a panic at first!

So that probably wasnt even funny to you but it was to me so i thought i would share it with you.

Some other cool things that happened was we went to TRC and there wasnt enough volunteers that morning so teachers were filling in and they actually split up a companionship cuz they were still one short and so i got to teach with elder Maxwell and Elder Satchwell. it was so awesome. We taught a way good lesson, and they teacher told us that it was the best lesson he has ever heard in TRC!!!! i was way pumped. we didnt even prepare anything together or nothing. that really pumped me up! We also got to Host yesterday! it was so Fun! i helped a kid who was raised in our mission, but in the Louisiana part! he had been going to BYU for a little but his family had the thickest accent it was awesome! they were so cool! but i only helped one Elder because i Got asked to teach with other of the teachers. I helped him teach the new district in our Zone. It was pretty fun, i got to speak spanish to all of them and get to see the look on my face the first day because im sure it was the same as theirs. it was a way fun experience. and i think it helped create a good fellowship between me and the new missionaries, there are two going to spain, one to Madrid and another to Barcelona. im a little bit jealous. But I love Houston and the shirts you got are sooo sick! im rocking it right now! they are awesome! and The othe Elders love them too and are wearing them haha. i was so pumped when i opened the box and saw them! they are awesome! thank you! Thank you everyone who has sent packages or Cards! they are awesome and i love them! thank you!!

Con Amor

Elder Erickson


PS
i forgot to tell you one that jake got reassigned! he is no longer going to houston. he is going to cambodia!!!!!!!!!!! he was supposed to leave next week but now he's not sure when he is leaving!....and also i went and checked the mailbox and WE GOT OUR TRAVEL PLANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we dont leave on the 29th though...we leave on the 27th!!!!!!! its crazy!!! our plane leaves at 9:45! we meet at the travel office at 6 in the morning! and im the travel leader of 9 of going...whatever that means! its crazy!!! and we get to host again next week!! its going to be wild! im so pumped! the four elders going to mexi didnt get thier vias so who knows whats happening with them, but im freaking out right now cuz i dont know any spanish! but it will be good.  Love you all! just wanted everyone to know!

Love you!

ELder Erickson

Video: Mission Call and First Pictures

Week 6: First Haircut

 Thats crazy you go an E-mail from Hermana Larson's mom! we talk with her all the time about our mission since her mom works in the mission office down there! its pretty cool to have a little in that way! the mission sounds so sweet! And that logo you got will be way sweet if you can get in on a shirt, im not sure how long it would take, i may just have to get one made after the mission, but if you do get one made all three of us would love one! haha Nothing really happened this week! same old same old, But i did get a hair cut this week! my hair grew so fast! so fast it was a joke. But i got in cut super short on the sides and had them leave it as long as they could on top since i am going to have to get it cut again in a few weeks before i leave for Houston. It looks ok, it really made me miss Halli though!! Also just for your information that is not me in the hall grabbing the book! haha, I am however in the crowd of misisonaries sitting in the bleachers! if you got about five or sick rows up from the Telepromters bottom left corner where that darker skin Elder is im right in the middle of that row looking the wrong direction! haha im the only one looking off to the left. but its all good, at least i made it! sorry i dont have much to say! I Love the work here and i feel like im really improving in every aspect! I Love all you guys and hope everything goes well this week! I hope you enjoyed the Tape and pictures, ill try and do that again right before i leave! probably be the same pictures since we dont ever do anything new but ill figure something out! I know i like to joke around and all but i want everyone to know that aside from all of that I Know Jesus Christ Lives and i know He is my savior and through him all things are possible. I know this Church is true and I know this work is true!

Con Amor

-Elder Erickson

Pictures from Sister Larson

Elder Erickson wearing the tags of his entire district

The whole crazy district.

The district in glasses

From Sister Larson

Good Morning,

May I take a minute to say “Thank You.”    I work in the Texas Houston East Mission office but also have a daughter, Holly Larson, in the MTC preparing to go to Mesa Arizona Visitor’s Center speaking Spanish.  Your son is in her district at the MTC.   She was very grateful for the blessing her gave her last week as she worked through some of the challenges of MTC life.  Thank you for raising a son that is worthy and able to bless the lives of others.  Holly does not ask things of others easily – he truly must be a great young man for her to have felt comfortable to ask for a blessing.    I am very excited to meet him, as well as Elder Mallard and Kener.  We have a great complement of missionaries right now here in the Texas Houston East Mission  and are excited to have these three young men join us.

I have some fun pictures Holly sent us with her MTC district.  You can see them at her blog (I post her letters – edited versions – each week.)    sisterlarson.blogspot.com

You will have to scroll down a bit to see the pictures.  Your son is not only a great strength to their district but I sense a great sources of entertainment as well.

Sincerely,

Sister Larson

Week 5: Just a Note

Ok so sorry i Dont have much time left. my time was needed else where. but anyways real quick! it was an awesome week! I got made district leader. which is kinda cool but i have a lot of meetings i go to. Also i got asked to be the Zone Tutor???? kinda confused about that cuz there was still two districts older than me but I guess its cool. I just barley got asked about it so i havent really "tutored" anyone yet. But it will be cool. i like helping others! also sorry about the memory card thing....i kept forgetting to send it and i just sent it tuesday or yesterday i cant remember. but it is sent now. so you should be getting it soon. So they tricked us witht he fireside. it wasnt the first pres. it was actually Elder Nelson and Elder Holland! it was so cool when they walked in how everyone shot up while we were singing. They had "several Hundered" visitors from the history of the MTC so they told the missionaries that there were be few seats and most would have to sit in the overflow in another building. So i joined the Choir. Yeah the Choir. cuz they have reserved seats. so i was in the choir for a day and we actually sang a way cool song. Im sure i was terrible but i got a good seat so i was game for it. I also got to give Hermana Larson a blessing last night! it was so crazy! it was my first time giving the actual blessing part and it was crazy! my legs were shaking for some reason! but she was having trouble with her testimony and feeling the spirit i guess but i dont remember what i said but others said it was good so i hoped it helped! i was stoked i got the chance to give one though! Im over on my time so i got to get off! sorry! Love you all!! life sounds good! thanks for the packages and letters! keep sending them please!

Elder Erickson.