Emily, 4.11.11

OH my family!! I love you! Its crazy to think that you woke up to inches of snow while I am sitting here sweating, and especially grateful for the fans. Yes, the mosquitos are out, i have bites all over my legs. I am taking one garlic a day, is that enough? I also use repellent every day. SO far its been ok. Theres been quite the epidemic of dengue, but I am feeling very blessed. I feel healthy and ready to go. That picture is awesome! Are those flowers from the garden already? I may be slightly jealous... ITs so fun to think about you Olsens hanging out together. I really like food to. Sounds delicious. Thanks mom for taking such a good care of me. I got your package of talks and quote today, and the letter from Isaac! Isaac that is so so awesome that you`ve been helping the missionaries! Was you friend baptized last Saturday? I hope so!

I had my first baptism last Saturday! K. C. was baptized on April 9. Wow, it was seriously a miracle. Basically she was going to be baptized in my first weeks here, and it didn`t happen. She is 14 years old, and i don`t understand her, the only thing I can think is that she is a teenager... and well.. ya she`s a teenager. She had her interview and was super happy and excited... and then a few days later she wouldnt talk to us. We kept trying to talk to her, but what can you do when she doesnt want to listen? I had pretty much given up on her. There is a sister in our ward that is awesome, hna T. K. is now living with Hna T. They`re a good strong family, that does family home evenings ever monday and go to church every week and they had a really good influence on her. All the sudden she wanted to be baptized again and so we taught her a few times and scheduled her baptism date! The night before her baptism we were at their house and she was asking questions and getting all excited about it all. It is seriously a miracle, and I feel very humbled. I think that the Lord must have a great work for her to do, He has blessed her so much to be able to have the gospel in her life. She was confirmed in church yesterday, and I didn`t understand all of it, but one thing he blessed her with is health that she might one day be able to serve a mission. How cool is that.

Hna Ortìz and I have been working on being even more exactly obedient. There are things that we are supposed to do everyday and we are trying to find a way to do everything we’re supposed to, and the Lord is blessing us. Yesterday we had high hopes of lots of investigators attending sacrement meeting. We had arranged for members to pick them up, and we were going to pick up two others. When we went for ours, one wasn`t there, and the other was eating breakfast and couldn`t leave... :( bummer. We ended up having to take a taxi back to the church to get there in time. As we were running into the church we were met by two young men dressed in the white shirts and ties. One of them a return missionary, and the other his friend who was interested in learning about the church. Wow! Later in the Sunday School class for investigators we found another sister who had brought her friend to church. M. came to church all by herself, and C. made it too! I truly believe that when we do are best, and are obedient
Heavenly Father takes good care of us. I am leaning so much! 

I`m sure grateful for my family. We`ve been praying to have families to teach, because the gospel is for families and we found two young families to teach! The other day we were teaching R. and her kids. She`s 24, and has a little boy and a little girl. They live in a big plot, with a cabin type thing and an outhouse. Their running water is a spiggot, like you might see in a campground. When we visit them we sit on buckets turned upside down. Its very humbling. While were saying the opening prayer I thought about Elise`s young family. Same age, same amount of children, and during the lesson I pulled out a picture of them that she sent me and told them about my awesome sister, who has two kids, is 24 years olds and her and her husband are living the gospel, and are being blessed. It was good, I think it gave her hope, that she isnt the only 24 year old out there with two kids and a husband who has to work a lot. I am so grateful that my family is amazing, and I can use them as an example of how living the gospel
blesses their lives. Thanks Elise and John!

So I don`t know why, but I keep having dreams about all of my clothes. One is that I hang them all up on the line, and they line breaks and they fall and get al dirty again. Last night I drempt that we had a washing machine, it was amazing. A washing machine would be super nice, but after teaching R, I am just super grateful to have running water.

I love you all lots! I got a letter from Neil today! Our family rocks. Thanks to everyone for living the gospel!

Love Hna Olsen

PS I`m trying to send some pictures from the zoo. the picture of the baptism just failed. I`ll try again next week.

Dengue fever can be read about here .  Emily was promised that she would be healthy and able to continue her missionary work.  We will continue to pray for her and probably increase her garlic intake.