Usefulness of Knowing Other Languages

Dear Family,

Here are the answers to your questions:

Question #1: Did you get the package with the bag and the small quad?

I got the package. Forget the bag, I just like the Gold Fish. Just kidding, the bag is great, not so bulky, and I don't break my shoulders every day carrying my quad. The pictures are awesome, the Doritos, Twix and the letter are great too.

Question #2: How do you go about learning the languages you want to learn?

I learn Chinese from investigators or just in quick first time lessons, and we teach a girl from Nepal, so I learn a bit from her. (She will be baptized in 2 weeks!) Here in Cambridge there are a lot of Chinese. If only I was fluent then I would be so much more effective. Yet, the little I do know often opens the door. We stopped this Chinese girl and at first she looked a little wierded out then I said a few phrases in Chinese and she was glad to listen.

Question #3: Does England have as many smokers as Spain?

There are more smokers in Cambridge than in Provo, (ha ha) not more than in Spain, but I would guess that England as a whole is similar. Cambridge is less because it's a lot more students and posh people. It's a bit weird to see 15 year-olds smoking all the time.

Things are going well here in Cambridge. In the last while something that has been on my mind is the usefulness of not only knowing other languages but having been to other places. Every time I meet someone from Spain I can talk a little about our trip there. If only I could speak Spanish. Just like with the Chinese girl, knowing about their country opens the door. I think later on in life I will do a lot of traveling and learn a few more languages. Who knows, maybe someday I'll do an apprenticeship in Germany.

Right now things are going pretty well, I am trying to learn as much as I can about what I can do better. We work very hard but I know that our time could be more effective than it has been. I am starting to teach using more scriptures, involving the investigator more, bear frequent testimony, and more companion unity, as in switch off regularly.

(Mom's note: The following is in response to Lisa and Matt expressing excitement at having their parents away for a week.) Yes, life without adult supervision can be interesting. We also end up eating pizza quite regularly without it. I should try pretzel bites though. Without adult supervision though you often have to do work. Weird how that is. You never appreciate not having to cook, clean, work, and what not.

Have a fun time, play some combat, ultimate, night games, and what not. Enjoy the cousins and little ones. Speaking of ultimate, we got to play for Institute last week. Oh man, it felt good to play again. Let's just say you don't mess with the Cambridge Elders when it comes to ultimate.

Hope you have a good time in Alaska, that should be pretty fun. I only wish I was there to show the Grizzlies who the boss is. (Not really though, Cambridge is too fun.)

Elder Larsen