December 12, 2011

December 12, 2011

Familia

This week went much much better than the last!! We had alot of people at church so it went very well. So we have this one investigator named thomas and we had been teaching him for months now and he has gone to church a few times and he always loves it when we come to teach him and he even comes with us to some family nights but the thing is, is that he doesnt want to get baptised, he tried to throw out some lie saying he didnt believe in god and what not but totally caught that one and told him that he believes. Alot of jibberish but yesterday my companion and i were talking about him and how we can help him get baptised, we decided to just go to his house and be super firm and direct and find out why he doesnt want to get baptised. We went and started asking question after question and he just answered and we were able to find out what he needs, we read him mosiah 18 about alma when he was teaching in mormon and told them that if they are willing to cry with others and cary their burdens and help others and be a wittness of god in all times etc. Then what stops you from being baptised, and when we read that we bore testimony of baptism and how we know that he needs to get baptised and there was a silence and he looked up at us and with a deep crackling voice he said ïm willing to get baptised¨and we asked him when and he said ¨in two weeks¨ it was really a mirracle because this dude has been so difficult to read and he has tried so many times to throw obstacles in the way to stop us from talking about baptism but now we got him, we casted out our line and cuaght this fish and all we gotta do is reel him in!!! It was just a small mirracle that happened this week! Things are going very well here, i´m still in campo rosa with elder packard, by the way have you been able to contact his family yet????? Well i guess i´ll be calling the 22nd for about 5 minutes and then the 23 is when we are going to be able to talk on the phone, so now you know!!

i still haven´t got your package yet but i´m sure that it´ll be here this next week!!!

so why did tanner come home, do you know???? that kinda sucks, well keep an eye out on austin and let him know how things are going, i cant write him throught email so i´ll write to you so you can send it to him. and please go to the homecoming of jake and let me know how he´s doing!!!

love you very much.... tell the fam hello

love elder olsen

December 5, 2011

December 5, 2011

Familia!

Whats crackin?? This week was ok… yesterday was probable one of the worst days (lesson wise) in my entire misión!! First things first, maritza is off schedule now, she thinks all the churches are true and wants to continue going to her church so we let her be. Selva and her kids weren´t able to come to church because they went to her aunts house but they are going to get baptized on Christmas eve. Should be great. Nobody came to church so that pretty much suckkkeeeeddd! And after lunch from about 2 to 6 we just walked around knocking door after door and absolutely nobody let us in their house. We weren’t able to teach one single lesson in that time!! Its kinda funny because throughout the week EVERYONE says they don’t have any time, only on the weekend like Saturday and Sunday is when all the family is home and when we knock on their doors Saturday or Sunday they don’t have even one second for us. It kinda gets you upset because you know they are lying outta their teeth and they just don’t want to talk to us.. all I can say is that it’s a giant pacience test!! And its helping I guess you could say. It wasn´t the best week. We have been looking all over the place for a family and we just cant seem to find one. Lots of praying and fasting. But I know it will come!!

The new testament is quite interesting. Read romans, its sweet, it talks a lot about the trials we have in this life and the best part is that its written for the members of the church. It’s a letter paul wrote to the romans and it helps us out a lot to realize why we have problems in this life. My companion and I are working super hard and sometimes these trials and pacience tests just make us want to give up, but then a simple thought of our investigators makes us want to move forward. It was such a great feeling to see Mario, the family we baptized, in sacrament meeting with a shirt and tie and excited to prepare themselves as a family to go to the temple!! That really does bring a good feeling!!

So Christmas day is when we will be talking i´ll give you more info when Christmas gets a little closer. But get the fam all rounded up cause it´ll be wonderful.

it makes me feel good to hear that the fam is musically inclined!! kessley is going to be an amazing violinist. and oakley, well she will just be famous. alec and jake also with the guitar. i´m super excited to play with them when i get back. and ty, with the cello. he has to keep playing the cello!!

mom, this week jake comes home, his parents went to pick him up i guess but you have to go to his homecoming this week and let me know how he is. i miss that boy you have to tell him that. if you want to call his family his house number is 755-3236

thanks for everything, we shall be talking very sooooonnnn..

p.s. hows austin doing???

love elder olsen

November 28, 2011

Family!!


Wow!! This week was a stressfull/delightful week, my comp and I have been knocking alottttttt of doors trying to find some people for December and we really have been working in the sweaty heat and its been hard! And at times the lord blesses us with great people on the other side of the door, and at other times, there are just some people who aren’t ready to make life changing covenants with our heavenly father! Sometimes it can be very stressfull, but in the long run, looking back at all we have done, we come to find out that its not all in vain, but really it was worth it. We did have the blessing of finding a lady named selva and she has three kids. She was baptized awhile back and moved to the are where we are and its been about 4 years since she has last gone because she had no idea that the church was in our area. So… we got her excited and talked to her kids who aren’t baptized and will be on the 17th of December!! What a blessing to be able to help out this single mother so she can have the gospel in her family!! We also visited this one lady named maritza, and with very little faith we taught her thinking that she only wants to bash on the mormons, but we didn´t let her go, we called her and told her we were going to pick her up so she could come with us to church Sunday and guess what, she came and guess what, she loved it and guess what, she wants to bring all of her family!!!! Its really been a strange week.

Well, how was thanksgiving?? We didn´t do anything here because first of all its not a holiday and second of all, we eat chicken every single day but we are super excited for Christmas. We have a small Christmas tree in the house with some ornaments and were really getting into the Christmas spirit!!! Were you guys able to talk to my companions family???? Were loving it here, were working hard and we see the blessings day by day, right now i´m studying the new testament and there is a lot that I am learning. Especially about paul and how well he taught the gospel and baptized everyone in his sight!! I´m really forcing myself to be more like the prophets and apostles because they have a spirit that just cuts to your heart and makes you want to be more like Christ!!! So for Christmas were only going to be able to call so you got to get everyone rounded up so we can all chattttttt!!! Its gonna be a good day. I´m super excited!!!

Dude i cant relieve that austin is already homeeeeeeeee!!! Sounds like things went well in his homecoming talk!! I miss the poop outta that kid and all the others as well!!!! keep in touch with them and let me know how austin is doing and dont forget to go to jakes homecoming also!! let me know how it goes!!

love you veryyyy much

November 20, 2011

Hey fam!!!


Well this week we had transfers and i am no longer with elder fuentes, he went to a different area and i stayed but guess what, my companion is elder packard from california and we are super excited to get to work with the ward and with all the investigators we have. Well Saturday morning i woke up with a raging headache and a sore body!! Thought i was going to die!! So for two days straight we had to stay in the house, i didn´t even get to go to church, but the good part is that we did splits and my comp went to sacrament meeting and him and a member brought the sacrament to the house and i was able to take it there! So as for this week, we havent had much time to work becuase of transfers and stayin in the house but something i did realize is just how much of new day scripture the liahona is. The bible and book of mormon was written by gods servents as well as the liahona. We have the privelige of getting it once a month. Pretty nice eh!! I have been reading alot of conference talks lately and they are really helping me out with life and with the mission!! Each prophet and apostle has such a specific topic that just cuts down to the bone and gets right to the point! I suggest each and everyone of you to truely study the scriptures in our days. …the liahona!! So my comp is sweet, hes from cali and we have just about the same amount of time here in the mission!!!

Call his family and get to know them and tell them that were companions… their number is (760)522-7149, or their email is fnmpackard@hotmail.com his dads name is forrest and his mom is michele. Call them and be friends!!!

I know that i am in the place where the lord wants me to be. Even though in life we might have some problems, its normal and thats how we grow! I know that our lord and savior is the one and only jesus christ who did die for each and every person that will and has ever lived on the earth! He knows you personally and better than you know yourself, thats why sometimes we dont understand some things but we simply need to realize that we are being guided by somebody that knows whats best! He lives. What hope there is that one day we will become just like god knowing everything and being able to live in his presence. That brings me joy, complete joy. The purpose of this life has 5 steps
1. Faith in jesus christ
2. Repentance
3. Baptism
4. Receiving the gift of the holy ghost
5. And the most important, enduring to the end!!
Let us all finish each step and i promise that we will be pleased with our reward!! I love you guys so much!!!

yes i did get your letter!! thankssssssss

November 14, 2011

Querida Familia.








This week was wonderful. The romero family got baptized and that was a great day to see the two of them entering into the baptisimal font and getting baptized as a family, the spirit was strong and I just remember the first day we met them, we were doing contacts and asked them if we could teach them and they let us in, and from that day on they have changed the rest of their life, one simple decision they made has changed their entire life, Famous words from the prophet Nephi… for small and simple things the lord brings to pass big things. And we can see what he means by what happened this Saturday, the family got baptized. This is the last week of transfers and I think that i´ll still be staying. Because my companion has been here a lot longer than I have. But that’s all good because I love it here in campo rosa bajio! The ward is wonderful, the members are great and help us out a lot and we have been finding a lot of families that are soon to be getting baptized. I know how fast time is flying and I don’t know if I like it!! My time here is way to precious and I have to use it very wisely!! But I cant believe that Austin elder and jake are already coming home!!! I remember the day we went to their house before they left and wow it seems like it was yesterday!! Things are going really good here, its super hotttt and there is a lot of sand but don’t worry i´m taking a lot of pictures, everytime I have a chance! In my personal study I am reading the new testament and its so crazy how much it shows that the church of jesus Christ of latterday saints is the true church.. all the other religions just don’t understand but I guess like it says in doctrine and covenants, they don’t know the truth because they don’t know where to find it! And its so true, they just don’t know.!!! So ty is getting all ready for the mission, i´m almost positive that he is going to go to germany on his mission, he´s learning a lot of german and that is going to help him out a lot!!! But I guess we´ll just have to wait and see, but you gotta tell him to wait just a little bit so I can come home before he leaves cause I sure want to see him and give him some advice!!!! Deal! Well, we haven´t heard anything from maricruz, the person that was going to get baptized, haven’t seen here since but o whell you gotta press forward right!! well mom you gotta tell me how austin is and you gotta tell him to keep writing me!!! crazy sauce!

mom please send me in the next email your testimony.

take care and tell everyone hello for me!! love you very much

love elder olsen

November 7, 2011

Bueno!




it was a so so kind of week, the romero family is super excited and
are keeping all the commandments that we teach them, they are going to
get baptised this saturday!! dont worry, i will send some snap shots.
enrique came to church also and is progressing little by little, he
still needs a firm testimony of joseph smith so thats what we are
working on, and the past saturday we were supposed to have a baptism,
remember maricruz, well saturday we went and filled up the baptisimal
font and got all ready and invited all the members then about 30
minutes before it was supposed to start she told us that her mom
didnt´want her to get baptised and we tried talking to her mom but she
is so hard in the heart that she would not let her! they all think
that baptism takes a year or more to prepare yourself to get baptised
and much more and etc. also the northamerican bill has not been
reading the book of mormon like he is supposed to. right now he is in
heleman and he wrote up a giant list of things why the book of mormon
isn´t true and he says he has been praying to know but we told him
that he hasnt got an answer because he doenst want to know if it is
true, the thing that i have realized here in bolivia, well outside of
the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is just how
spiritually blinded these people are, there way of thinking and
interpreting the bible it just makes me sad. we have a blessing and a
gift, the holy ghost, personal revelation, and much more to actually
be able to open our spiritual eyes and see really who got is and what
he wants us to do! be ever so thankful for what you have and the
blessing of being a member of the true church! i sure am. so how is
the family doing, i still havent got your letter but i´m positive i
will be getting it this wednesday! and the snow, tell it hi for me
please!! so mom get this, austin comes home in 2 weeks, super crazy,
you have to see that kid when he gets home!! and then jake comes home
2 weeks after! time flies, the present passes and the future comes. i
love you very much

love elder olsen

October 31, 2011

Que tal familia!!!








Bueno esta semana fue buena! El señor nos ha ayudado bastante!







Twas a good week. We did end up living bill a book of mormon in english and he told us to give him a few weeks to read it so were just waiting and praying!!! The romero family has been more and more excited to get baptized and love church. Maricruz also es getting to know more people and we also found 2 more people with a baptismal date. Enrique and Thomas. And yes, they both came to church yesterday. The lord really helped us a lot this week because we have been working hard trying to find new people and well, dream come true!! So…. Christina….. her husband went crazy, Christina already passed the baptisimal interview and was supposed to get baptized Saturday but her husband and her are having aloooooottttttt of problems. And he thinks that we are visiting her because we ¨like¨her and he is super jealous. But the good part is that Christina found a solution telling us to send the sister missionaries from the ward to visit her so we are in that process!!







This week I have been reading in the new testament and it is really interesting because in matthew mark luke and john they tell us the same things but with their own words about the life of jesus Christ so you can have four points of view on it. Lots of parables!!! But nothing really new happened this week, i´m trying to think of what went on but prettymuch what I said is what happened this week. Today is Halloween but they don’t do anything here, its just like anyother day. But you gotta let me know how it went there in the states!!! Well get this, i´m learning 2 other languages, quechua and portugues. Pretty cool huh, everyone here speaks quechua because its like the Indian language that was spoken long ago so its interesting and well portugues I just want to learn so I got a book of mormon in portugues and i´m reading it, the funny part is that I understand pretty much all of it!!!







Bueno. Para ser sincero es muy dificil hablar en inglés porque pienso en español y si pienso en inglés es un desastre. Pero quiero decirles que les quiero muchisimo y que estoy muy muy bien. La mision es la mejor decisión que he tomado en toda mi vida. Se que mi vida nunca sería lo mismo si no viniera aquí. Las cosas que he aprendido van a permanecer conmigo para siempre y se que mi vida sería totalmente diferente si no hubiese querido venir aquí. Por eso estoy eternamente agradecido por criarme en el evangelio de Jesucristo y por enseñarme las cosas mas importantes en la vida. Gracias a mi madre y padre, se lo que quiero ser y lo que quiero hacer en mi vida!!! Gracias



mom i need you to email me a recipe for homeade ice cream. because we are going to make some here shortly!!!!! thanxxxxxxxxxxxx





Les amo!!



I love you guys very much…. Enjoy the ride!



Elder olsen