Feliz dia de Bolivia, 8/8/11

HEy family!
THanks so much mom for the recipe, I forgot about the corn syrup, i
haven`t seen that here yet, but I`ll have to look. Maybe I`ll make it
for my birthday for the zone, we`ll see. :) Its Hermana Patzi`s
birthday this week! On Wednesday. WE`re going to buy her a teddy bear
as a zone, and the other hermanas are gonna make brownies I think.
Hermana Vasquez and Hermana Castro (our roommates) have been in the
house all week, hermana Castro has dangue - they think. Stinks for
them, but its fun to come home at night and see what they did.
Yesterday our pensionista (Elise, i got your other letter, thanks!
Pensionista is just what you call the lady that cooks lunch for us, I
don`t know what it would be english - cook maybe?) couldn`t cook
because she had something so we told her not to worry about it and we
cooked lunch with the other hermanas. It was really fun. Sometimes I
miss cooking and just being with people at home. I think its one of my
favorite things to do, be and talk with people - and eat food :)

Dane, I am SO glad that you`re doing better and you got to go to efy
again. I`m looking forward to your letter to tell me how awesome it
was and all of the great things you learned. Sounds like you all had
fun in Salt Lake, I can`t believe summers ending already. Its almost
time for the county fair and everything. que crazy. Things are warming
up again here. Yesterday it was SUPER windy, and they said that its
gonna be really windy all through August and September. The wind is
great because it doesn`t feel as hot, but its a little dangerous in my
skirts - it has a tendency to wip my skirt around in every
direction... the hermanas said maybe its a good thing - more baptisms,
and priesthood in teh church..  haha

Mom I recently just read about chastity in true to the faith, and it
has a lot of good information. Chastity is SO important, and a very
very serious problem in the world. Its a miracle when we find a family
where the parents are married. You`re gonna do awesome. Thanks for
sending your talks from your other lesson on talents - I loved them.
There is so much awesome stuff to learn about the gospel.

Dad thanks for sending me your letter to Pete. Sounds like things are
awesome. Thats so great that theres air conditioning there in the
United States. I`m getting nervous for December and Janaury - they say
the heat is insane here. Luckily I only have one summer to endure! How
things going with your maintenance technology systems? What else is
going on in your work? How is the ward? Its amazing when the spirit
speaks to you and you just know. I`ve realized that it comes when we
remember to pray and ask for the inspiriation - and sometimes not
until we open our mouth.

On Saturday we were visiting a less active, or inactive, she hasn`t
gone to church for a long time she says. SHe was offended by something
that a bishop said and from then on felt like it wasn`t important to
go to church but but she "always has Jesus in her heart." People
always say that, they just don`t understand that thinking about Christ
isn`t enough, he told us to DO what he asks, not think about it.
ANyhow we were talking and it was our second or third visit with her
and she went off saying how she doesn`t come to church because she
needs to buy food Sundays but she always says a prayer and she
believes that Christ understandss her reasons. Its so not the gospel
of Jesus Christ. The commandments are for all of us, no matter what,
not just if its convenient to keep them. Anyhow I honestly didn`t know
what to say that would help her without offending her more, but I just
prayed and prayed in my heart that I would be guided and then i opened
my mouth. What came out was something that I needed to learn and
something that she needed to learn, and it was ALL the spirit. Amazing
how that works. Basically it was this:

I read the other day in the Liahona what it means to take upon us the
name of Christ. President Henry B. Eyring said "That means we must see
ourselves as His. We will put HIm first in our lives. We will want
what He wants rather than what we want or what the world teaches us to
want." To put Him first in ourlives what does that mean. For me as a
missionary it means that I am obedient to all the rules of the
mission. That I am going to follow the schedule, EXACTLY. Its super
fun to live with other Hermanas and I absolutely love talking to them,
but sometimes we talk a little late and I go to bed late. Sometimes in
the morning I take a little more time to do my hair and I start my
personal study 5 minutes late. Five minutes isn`t that much, but when
I do that I am putting my desires to talk with the other hermanas
before Christ, i am putting my desire to try to look good (really its
almost impossible in Bolivia, I`ve decided) before Christ. I need to
put Christ first before everything. If we say we need to go shopping,
and we don`t go to church we are putting shopping first, before
Christ. How awful is that? Why would we do that? THe natural man is
such a little booger!  (I haven`t figure out how to say that yet in
Spanish...) But the truth is that I have taken the name of Christ upon
me, every week I promise to put Him first in EVERY aspect of my life,
and I think all to often I forget to apply it to every single aspect.

I finished talking and it hit me, OHHHHH... I have to be better. Its
interesting those moments where you remember that you are nothing more
than the dust of the earth, but that the atonement is absolutely
amazing and helps us to become like Christ. That even when that
booger, the natural man, comes and tells us "a few more minutes isn`t
gonna hurt," and we don`t yield to the enticings of the spirit, that
through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can repent, and we can ask
that the grace of the atonement will help us to put off the natural
man and become a saint. (Mosiah 3:19)

ANyhow, it was a neat experience, and the member came yesterday to
church! She only stayed for sacrament meeting, but little by little
she`s gonna understand the importance obeying the commandments. There
is still so much to learn. God knows so much and He has so much to
teach us.

Before I forget, Happy birthday to Jack this week! Give him a hug for me!

 The 6th of August is the Bolivia day. Everyone had their flags up, but
besides that and drinking a lot of beer there aren`t many festivities.
Heavenly Father protects me and my companerita every day. I know as we
follow the spirit we are protected.

I love you all lots and lots and lots. Thanks for your support and
prayers. The church is true, the spirit will guide us, and the
atonement is amazing.

Love Hermana Olsen