Emily, 5.30.11

OH man, hello my family!! I can`t believe summer is starting for you
already! How fun! Dane congrats on the angel moroni, that will be so
much fun! Don`t go crushin on your cape girl :) Ya, I think one of my
angel moroni`s is married and the other... I have no idea. Lindsay
probably knows... or knew.. haha i can`t believe shes in the mission
too! Crazy! Nina! Welcome to my family! Congratulations on being Mary,
that will be so awesome, you`re gonna love it! I am super excited for
you! Keep taking care of my family, and enjoy pageant season, its one
of my favorite seasons of the whole year! Dane, you`re surgery is
after pageant is all finished? that worked out good if so. Another
surgery, but it shouldn`t put you out for to long right? When is
Nauvoo, July? Oh man, i loved nauvoo, I hope i get to go back someday.
I don`t know how dad is gonna set up pageant without pete and I, I
ddin`t even know it was possible :) Let me know how it goes.

NEIL NEIL NEIL!!! I can`t believe he`s home! Pretty sure Hna Thorpe
and I talked about him everyday this week. Second to last day in the
mission, last day in the mission, maybe he`s eating with his mission
president, in the plane, has he seen his family yet? He`s in his home,
hopefully he got his ribs and foot massage! haha we thought about him
a ton, thats so crazy hes home, right in time for pageant and
everything, que suerte! I wish I could`ve been there for his
homecomig, i`m sure it was amazing. We thought about you all yesterday
afternoon too, eating together adn everything. How fun. I just love
all my family so much! Do you have pictures?? I`d love to see!


Wow its so crazy that life just keeps moving along for all of you.
Elise, thanks for writing! You have some crazy plans, you`re moving so
far away! Sad. haha But that will be so much fun, up in the mountains,
close to natalie, you kids can be friends. HOw long do you think
you`ll be in Idaho? I`d love to hear all about everything! You are
going to do such an amazing job with the Nephi Stake Girls camp, I am
so excited for all of those girls. You are amazing Elise, and have so
much to share and teach them. I remember that blog post, i balled.
Just pray a lot, read your scriptures everyday, and the Holy Ghost
will guide you. I loved the talk by Elder Bednar about receiving
revelation this last conference, and how when we do all that we can,
we are guided by the spirit, sometimes even without noticing. I`m
learning that with Christ I can do hard things, because a mission is
pretty much the hardest thing i`ve ever done in my life. But I think
its the hard things that are the best things too. We could never learn
or grow without them. I don`t have any inspriing words or anything,
but you`re gonna be great. I wish I could be there to hear it all.
I`ll keep thinkin about it and let you know :)

Bueno, la misiòn is great! This week we prayed a lot to have more
excitement about the work and everything, and its amazin how the Lord
helps us, in even the little things. Finally we are finding people
that are going to progress, we hope! We had 4 investigators in church
yesterday! So exciting! None of them stayed for all of it, but they
said they liked it and we have appointments with all of them this
week, if we don`t get transferred! Its transfers this week already, i
can`t even believe it. This cambio went by insanely fast. I don`t know
where the time goes. I really hope i don`t get trasnferred, I feel
like there is still so much more to do. Our area is HUGE and there are
neighborhoods i haven`t even walked yet. And Hermana thorpe and I are
working together better everyday.

Friday, May 27 was MOther`s day here in Bolivia. I think its only here
in BOlivia that its different, but it was awesome. Its May 27 because
there was a war a long time ago where th emen couldn`t go to fight,
and the women fought for them, or something like that, so they honor
the women this day. Its pretty big here, they don`t have school, and
every women has the day off of work and everything. Hermana Thorpe and
I haven`t gotten to know some of the members really well, and we have
some investigators taht are mom`s and we wanted to give them
something. We decided rice crispies are quick, easy, and you can make
it on a stove. We went to the store to find marshmallows and cereal,
but there weren`t any marshmallows or ricecrispìes, to key
ingredients... we decided we could make it with corn flakes, and went
to buy some marshamllows from one of the fruit venders. These people
sell fruit, and marshamallows in bags. We bought two big bags, of what
they told us were marshmallows... and well... I think they were a form
of marshmallows... but super weird. Like styrofoamie,... weirdness. We
made them and they were a little ugly, but we kept eating them, and
decided to deliver them anyways. Haha I don`t think anyone ate them...
but its the thought that counts right? haha it was fun.

Well, I know the church is true. I am learning so much! THe book of
mormon is SO awesome. We have to read it every four months, as
amission rule, and it is so cool to read it fast like this. 5 pages
everyday. I learn so much. STudy time is never long enough. The gospel
is amazingly simple, and it all makes perfect sense. I love you all.
Thanks for being so amazing. Thanks for your support, and your
prayers. Keep living the gospel, its the happiest way to live!

Love ya lots!

Hermana Olsen

Peter, 5.23.11

hey

 this week has been great! we had the chance to go on what they call a temple tour with Miguel and his family. we basically take our investigators to the temple grounds and we have a guided tour around the temple grounds and they teach the first lesson and also about temple work. it was so great! the spirit is so strong on the temple grounds. Miguels wife-Annie accepted a baptismal date for june 2 we are very excited and miguel will be recieving the aaronic priesthood so he will be able to baptize her. we are very excited for their family. God is continually blessing us. it is so wonderful to be in his service. the church is true an i love it! God has restored His church on the earth today! we are now able to recieve the fullness of the blessings God has in store for us.

i love you all

Elder Olsen

ps transfers are this weekend. i think that either Elder mcclatchy or i will be going.

 

Emily, 5.23.11

Family!!

Hi! I love you! I feel so happy! and I dont know why. Maybe it has
something to do with belting primary songs in the shower this morning,
it makes me so happy. Thats crazy Lindsay is on a mission, I`ve been
thinking about that girl all week, remembering what it was like to
enter the mtc. I would love her address of the mission. THanks so
much! I came to internet this morning (we all email together as a
zone, i`m not sure why) and we got a new elder yesterday! Elder Waters
from California sacremento. Super random in the middle of a transfer,
but hes fresh, and excited, and his Spanish is pretty good. Its
awesome! ITs so fun to see new missionaries coming in, i hope a great
big group comes this transfer. I am so glad that you`re planing a
garden, and feeling more self sufficient. You ordered a lawn mower
that doesn`t have an engine??? Does that mean your just gonna push it,
and get big muscles? You`ll have to let me know how it works. I can`t
believe school is ending and summer is starting. HOw exciting! I`ve
been thinking about Neil a whole bunch too, i can`t believe he`s
coming home this week! SO EXCITING! Give him a big hug for me. I can`t
believe missionaries really do go home. But there is a sister in our
zone that is leaving at the end of this transfer, so i guess it must
actually happen. haha

Thats crazy natalie and william are gonna be married for a whole year
now, i told Mar Lu, this girl that always goes with us on Sundays to
visit people about Natalie and William and the crazy fast courtship,
and she was a little shocked. She`s been dating a guy for four months
and know that she wants to marry him, but not yet... but i told her,
why wait?! :) haha Jenny Cluff is engaged?? thats crazy.

Aaaa Nina is going to come and stay with you?? HOw random is that, but
awesome. I hope she enjoys my yellow room! Maybe the tights would be
good to have. On the colder days here I`ve been wearing them and I
think they help. YOu could send the sweaters if you want, I still have
like 4 cardigans. I just dont know how to prepare for this crazy
weather. The other night we got a ride home from one of our
investigators, De and they had a temperature gage in their car,
in fahrenheit so we could understand it! It was a little cold, I
wouldn`t have minded having a jacket, and it was 75 degrees!!! I`m not
sure what I`m gonna do when its super cold. HOpefully i adjust no mas,
everyone keeps telling me that its gonna be colder and longer than
last winter... Man the weather is crazy. 

DEbbie! Congratulations on graduating from preschool! Thats awesome!
What are you all gonna do in pageant? whats the plan! Tell me
everything!

Mom! You`re a relief society teacher! How awesome is that! what a fun
calling. YOu are gonna learn so much. I still have so so so much to
learn about teaching. The hardest thing for me is to ask inspired
questions. I need to keep them involved, thinking, and understanding
everything, and its rough stuff. The word on the street is that theres
going to be a new Preach my gospel in July, have you heard anything?

I received a brownie recipe today! But not the others... hopefully
i`ll get them soon. HTe mail is so awesome in South America :) You
found Hermana thorpes mom! How awesome! That makes me happy. We always
talk about our moms!

Well. the work is slow here... Hermana Thorpe and I are looking for
new investigators. On Thursday we decided we were wasting time with
pretty much all of them, they weren`t progressing, and we decided to
drop ALL of them, but one. Super hard, because we just want them to
know how amazing the gospel is. There are so many people that are so
confused. Like it says in the scriptures ¨when they are learned they
think they are wise and hearken not to the counsels of God¨ its pretty
rough. Sometimes I just want to take them by the shoulders and shake
it into them! THIS IS THE TRUE CHURCH! YOU NEED THE GOSPEL IN YOUR
LIVES! YOUR SALVATION DEPENDS ON THIS! They are so comfortable where
they`re at and they don`t know what their missing. Its sad, but we are
going to find the elect, I know they`re out there.

We`re trying a different approach, where we just ask them hey! Did you
know families can be eternal? Or Did you know Jesus came here, to the
americas?? But that one doesn`t seem to work to good, because they
always say yes, and then I don`t know what to say. Haha it stumps me.
Well, me too! haha but we are trying to find the elect and not waste
the Lord`s time.

Maria Louis, the evangalist that we decided to drop promised us she
was going to coem to the stake conference we had yesterday, amazing i
thought! We told her we `d pick her up and go together. I decided to
call her in the morning to make sure she was awake and raedy, and when
I called her son answered and said she went to church, the other
church. Disappointment. I immediately thought maybe we can pass by
anyways, but we didn`t. Last night we went by her house and she was
there and she told us that she woke up at seven got showered and put
all kinds of make up on and was super ready to go, and when we called
she had just stepped out to buy some bread for her family to eat for
breakfast, but sat there waiting for us all morning... aaaa why didn`t
we listen to the spirit? Hermana thorpe said she had the same thought,
maybe we should just pass by anyways, but we didn`t and she didn`t go
and mian... I was kicking myself all the way home last night. Its so
frustrating to be human! But I am grateful for repentance and hermana
thorpe and i have decided taht we tell each other everything we`re
thinking and act on the whispering of the spirit immediately.
Hopefully we`ve learned our lesson and will be able to follow the
spirit better now.

Today we`re going to go out to eat Mexican, Hermana THorpes favorite.
We`re excited. Right now its raing cats and dogs, and bears and lions
and all kinds of craziness! Maybe we`ll e stuck in the internet for
awhile. its really nuts. Thats crazy you`ve had a bunch of rain. Are
all the flowers coming up, trees blossoming, grass green? I think
every tree here has so awesome flower or exotic fruit. its really
pretty.

This is our very last full week together, I can`t believe I`m about to
finish another transfer in the mission. Hermana Thorpe and I are going
to work super hard.

I love you all. I know this gospel is true, and absolutely essential
for all of our salvation. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and
that He understands everything, and can help us. I am so grateful our
family is eternal. I love you all so so so much. Thanks for
EVERYTHING!

Hermana Olsen

Peter, 5.18.11

hey

you all sound so good!

i'm so happy for you all, mom, you wanted the kitchen floor refinished for such a long time. and dad and the boys got to see just how to cook a whole pig. thats so cool. mom i love hearing your insights thanks for sharing. the quote from elder bednar? i think its something that he said while he was here in our mission.

This past week was great! we had a zone conference this last thursday. it was great! it really has amazed me how meaningful every meeting can be when you are always working on coming closer to the spirit all the time. When Gods doing the planning everything works out and we learn just what he wants us to as long as we are diligant. this last thusday Miguel and Jennifer (father and daughter) were baptized. it was very spiritual. not many of the ward members showed up, but it didn't matter They both new they were doing the right thing and they were ready to make this step. sunday elder mcclatchy confirmed Jenifer and i confiremed miguel. and gues who i saw in chuch? Rachel (opolus) and Robert Marcott it was fun to be able to see them.

the church is True and simple all we have to do is follow Gods plan and we are blessed with Joy and Peace, and a whole multitude of blessings. Jesus is the Savior of the World and he has restored His Church in these last days

I love ya'll

Elder Olsen

Peter sent home his picture card so I am sharing some pictures.  No notes or explanations, just enjoy.

Emily, 5.16.11

Oh my family! 

How are you?! Thats so great Lindsay is leaving! I was
wondering if she left yet or not. How awesome she`ll get to go the
Guatemala MTC to, thats exciting. She´s gonna learn so much! I am so
excited for her, she is gonna be an amazing missionary.

Thats so great that the kitchen floor is refinished, I know thats
something you`ve been hoping for for awhile, congratulations! Dad is
so good to you! I am so happy for you, and I can`t wait to see all the
changes! You painted the apartment, the kitchen is changing, what more
is going to change before I come home??

Its crazy to think people are coming home, I was wondering if Rachel
bISHOP was home yet, and Ashley Case?? And Caitlin Miller, is she
gonna be home soon? and its awesome that others are heading out. Its
crazy to think about coming home. Hermana THorpe and I decided that
we`re never going to go home, the mission is just my life now, and it
doesn`t feel like it will ever end :) And neil is gonna be home so
soon too! ITs crazy! Does Jaiden have a mission call yet, or Andrew,
or have we convinced Jena to go on a mission yet? What else is
happening there. Is it time for Pagent sign ups? Are you all gonna
participate? Is anyone getting married? Thanks for all the updates.
Ya, it would be awesome to be able to use my card. I think I`m going
to buy a scarf and a hat, some members last night told us that its
gonna me colder and longer this winter then it was last year, and I`ve
heard stories from last year that it was pretty bad. its a little cool
this morning, i`m wearing my cardigan and tights, and it makes me
happy!

Thanks mom for sharing your insights. I have been trying to learn how
to strengthen my faith, I wrote down the scriptures and hopefully will
be able to read them tomorrow. And Peter is so awesome too. What a
great experience.

We found a new investigator that is awesome! Her name is J., and
she lives in part of our area that we don`t know very well yet.
Avaroa, but she is great. She is evangelist?? And normally we just
avoid people like that because they are super firm and super don`t
want to change, but she said taht she feels good there, but like
something is missing. Hopefully we can help her to fill this hole in
her life. We just taught the first lesson with her, and she seemed
really receptive. We have another appointment with her this wednesday.

We also had training last week with President and Hna Calderon, and
its pretty intense. We talk about how to teach something, then we
practice in front of everyone, like 4 zones. We practice asking
inspired questions, and using the book of momron, and all sorts of
stuff, and President Calderon is pretty hard. If we ask a quesion that
isn`t going to help us, we start over. BUt hes nicer to the Hnas. Its
really good, and it teaches us to be humble. It is so important to
truly seek instruction and truly seek to be better. THere is no room
for pride in this work. We also practiced hard core in our District
meeting, and hopefully we`re getting better.

The biggest trial that we have in teaching is that the people don`t
understand why they need this gospel, why they need to be baptized in
this church. They think if they go to church and we all worship the
same God, its all good. We don`t need to worry about anything. They
all say, I have Jesus in my heart, why dont you find someone who
doesn`t. Its is so hard to tell them, actually you canj`t be saved in
your church. You don`t have the necessary authority. Its good to
remember GOd always, but there are some essential steps that we
absolutely must take in this life to be able to live with God again,
and we can only enter the straight and narrow way through baptism and
receiving the HOly Ghost by someone who has the authority of GOd. If
anyone has any advice or really awesome scriptures that makes this
super clear, please tell me!

The ward is planning a talent show, and they told us that we have to
do a number! aaaa! We don`t know what to do. We`re thinking a skit or
something, but we don`t know how to be funny in SPanish, I^m also
looking for ideas for this, its gonna be the 4 of June, so the sooner
the better :) Or i can just hope i get transferred.... but hopefully
not. haha

Mom! Have you had teh chance to send those recipes yet? My Pensionista
is gonna ask me today again... funeral potatoes. THanks so much!

Also, the truth is that our numbers stink this week! I don`t know what
is happenning, but we`ve got to improve. We really need to find people
to teach, the chosen, the elect. I know the field is white and ready
to harvest, but I think my harvester is broken ;) We`re praying,
fasting, and working, and hopefully we can continue to improve every
day.

I love you all, I know the church is true. I am so  so so grateful for
your prayers, support, and your letters. THey make me so happy. I love
you all lots and lots and lots.

Love

Hermana Olsen

Emily, 5.9.11

Family! I talked to you on the phone yesterday! It was so so so good
to hear you all and talk to you and wow, so great! Thanks so much for
being my family, i just love you all so much. Like dad said yesterday,
we had a pretty random conversation about a whole bunch of stuff that
isn`t that important, but wow, it was soo good, and I realized it is
the little things in life that we share together. I am so grateful to
know that you`re all living the gospel, loving the Savior, and doing
your best to follow him everyday. THanks for your advice, prayers,
support, everything. I am so so so grateful!

I can`t remember what pictures I`ve already sent you, I haven`t taken
any since last week, so sorry if these are repeats.

This week was awesome. Well, when I think about it, ya it was pretty
awesome, but who knows why? At least two of our days we had
appointments planned all day long, and they ALL fell through, the
people weren`t there, or they hid from us, you never know which one it
is :). But we taugh Yeltsin again on Saturday. He told us that he
wanted to more of an answer, this seems to be the problem with a lot
of our investigators lately. But I remembered that scripture that says
¨did i not speak peace to you mind? what more answer do you want then
from God¨ or something like that. I knew it in my head, in English,
but wasn`t sure where it was in my Spanish scriptures. I said a quick
prayer askign Heavenly Father to help me find it, and immediately
thought D&C 6. I looked, and there it was! He read it, and you could
see that his touched him. I challanged him to baptism, and he said
yes! He`s had several baptismal dates and backed away from them. He
needs to have an interview with President Calderon, so we don`t know
when yet. But I asked him to be baptized and he said yes, then I said
when? And he asked ¨when can I?´ ha so awesome. Hopefully this month!

We also found a sweet older women. She`s about 60, and really great.
When we teach her she always just says, I didn`t know that, I`ve never
heard that before. We taught her the Word of Wisdom yesterday and she
said I`m going to live it. No doubt nada, Just ya, I`m going to live
it. We taught her husband to, and he was more hesitant. He`s very
catholic, but super nice. He wouldn`t commit to living it, but she
said doesn`t matter, I`m gonna live this commandment. She also
accepted a baptismal date for June 4, hopefully she`ll come to church
so she can continue to prepare for this date. We`ve also met some of
her kids, and they`re super nice. When we went over to her house
yesterday just to pass by, she was reading the BOok of Mormon! She`s
really great, and hopefully she´ll be the example for all of her
family to follow.

There`s another girl that were teaching when we can. She comes to
church everyweek with her cousins that she lives with, but she lives
early to work. Her brother that lives with them was baptized a year
ago, and he leaves early too. We are trying to figure out why she
won`t be baptized. I`m not sure whats holding her back. But, we have a
family home evening planned tonight with her, and her cousins that are
members that she lives with, and hopefully it will just be awesome.
She studies and works a lot, and definitely doesn`t like to put us as
a priority in her life. I just want to show her taht life is so much
happier when we have the gospel, and that its absolutely necessary for
her eternal salvation. Hopefully she comes around soon.

Daniela is the other one we are teaching. She is about 18 years old,
and really awesome, but also says she hasn`t received an answer. We`ve
challanged her to baptism about 3 times and still hasn`t accepted. We
need to figure out why she`s not receiving an answer, or not
recognizing it, and help her see that the gospel is so awesome and
wonderful. Its so sad to see people that are struggling in life, and
we`re there, with the gospel at their fingertips, and they just don`t
understand that if they can just grab hold, everything is going to
change. Its going to give them hope, happiness, everything!

The mission is so wonderful, it really is. ITs fun and exciting, and
its so great to think that maybe someone is going to have a whole new
life, because I was here and able to share the gospel with them. ITs
also hard, but Hna THorpe and I were talking, and it is just so
important to enjoy every single minute of it. Its gonna go by so fast,
and like Bishop Bingham used to say, we will never pass this way
again. I will never again have this time to dedicate all that I have
to teh Lord again. I truly feel so lucky and blessed to be here. I
know the gospel is true, and that its the greatest thing ever! I love
you all so much. Its true, the plan of Salvation is to come here, get
sealed in the temple, have kids, and make sure you all go back
together. Thanks for praying for my future spouse mom, i`m praying for
him too :) Keep enjoying life, we are that we might have JOY! Love ya!

Love,
Hermana Olsen