Peter Pictures!

Peter sent a cd of pictures home.  Yeah!  His letter:

Mom,
Sorry I haven't been emailing pictures home so here's a cd with some new pics and some older ones.  All the ones with the lake are taken from our backyard.  There are some pictures of an air boat.  The picture of me and Elder Dupaix, well. . . Elder Dupaix is the shorter one.

Well got to go.  Hope you enjoy!

Peter, 4.23.12

Hello!

this week we had a sweet service project! it started by getting up at 4ish and getting down to kissimmee in our prosyliting clothes by 5:15 and we were told then that we were going to be helping the hospital do a disaster drill and we were going to be the victims taken into the ER. so i got my fill of being in the Hospital acting out all kinds of different things. The first time i went in i ended up dying within 20 minutes and was taken to the morgue (Where they take the dead bodies). Then i was cycled through again this time i was suffering from seizers and schisofrenia (sorry no idea how to spell it).  They them helped me for a little but ended up dying again. the last time i went through i just had a bad cough. i lived through this one after i was wheeled on a hospital bed to the ICU. it was super fun to be able to have the "ER" experience without actually being hurt. it was one of the straingest types of service i've ever done.... but it was way fun!

in this area we haven't been getting fed by the members too much so i've had to make a lot of my own food... i've had a lot of rice and Chicken with Frozen veggies which is actually pretty good! but as we were out working we recieved some miracle meals. the first time we were at an investigators home and he offered to feed us and then last night at a less active part-members home we also were feed not to mention on saturday we had a double dinner where the relief society pres Sister Mills feed us as well as a part members family that we stopped by after.

well i've got to go.

i love you!

Elder Olsen

Emily, 4.23.12

Wow, i am so glad you had a good day mom, and you have great friends to take care of you. I prayed for you! I sent you a birthday letter awhile back - and one for nat too - hopefully you get them soon! I haven`t received any packages - but i have been waiting anxiously :) Cualquier rato, seguro. Hna Ramirez has been telling me about the technology that has been progressing - and it blows my mind! I only wonder what it`ll be like when ig et home - shocking for sure. Elder Howell is in seattle washington?? I didn`t know that. Several missionaries from my MTC district went there. I wonder if they know each other. Is he speaking english or spanish? How did dad`s work go? and is going? How is his new program and everything? 

This week was good -. we had a zone conference and it was awesome! We talked about Mosìah 2-5 and I loved it! We also study in depth some chapters from the book of mormon and pres Calderòn explains it so clearly, in a way i had never even thought - always pondering every word of order. It is awesome. In MOsìah 2:4 i think it talks about having righteous men as teachers - and we talked about how in the church we don`t call good teachers to teach, we call good men, righteous men, and then they become good teachers thanks to the spirit. then a verse or two later there is a cause and affect. If we keep the commandments (cause) we will be full of God`s love (effect). When we are full of God`s love it affects everything we do and the WHY of it all. In the mission do we do contacts in the street just to complete with the goals, check it off the list, or do we do contacts because we love the people and we hope that they too can have eternal life. We also talked about service and how important it is to serve, that it transforms us. In Mateo 25:37-39 - what is it that made them righteous? That they served their fellow men. When we serve, we become righteous people. Later in the chapter it also talks about if we don`t repent we leave the presence of God. It made me remember that talk mom sent me about grace and that we have to learn heaven. If we don`t repent we are not gonna feel comofortable in heaven. we are gonna leave .- its not that God is gonna kick us out, we leave. He wants us to say, but its all up to us. 

In the end president talked about his first years married. He said they had to live in the middle of nowhere bewcause they couldnj`t afford rent. Hermana Claderòn decided she would stay home with her kids like the prophets counseled, and they sacrificed a lot. There wasn`t any water where they lived so they ahd to dig a well and pull all of the buckets of water out by hand. Everything they used was like htis - shower, baths, laundry, food, to drink, everything they had to heave out the water by buckets. and they did it so they could follow the prophets counsel. it reminded me of hte talk that said that there is nothing shameful to have to scrimp and save a little. The family is hte most important. and its true! its the most important for me. 

Well the time flew by today. Everything is good here. We keep looking for the elect, and God is blessing us. I love you all lots. THank you for your support and prayers! Please take care of yourselves! The church is true!

love
Hermana Olsen

Peter 4.16.12

Hello!

this week has been great! we were able to double the number of lessons we taught last week! it was great improvement for this area! the Lord is definatly blessing this area. we also recieved 2 referrals from members. B came to church last sunday with her kids last week and loved it! we thought she lived in the sisters area but come to find out they are in ours so we will begin teaching them this week. we are supper excited for them! the other referral was from our assistant ward mission leader. L and her family. they are from Hati and at least part of the family are planning on coming to church sunday.

this morning we had an air boat come by our backyard! it was sweet! it i ever live in Florida again its a hobby Ii want to get into. these boats are basically a bass boat with a 5.7 litter or bigger engine that drives a massive fan that propels the boat. it would be like putting danes trucks engine on a 14 ft dingy. i got some pictures of it. its way cool. i think they use them to hunt gators. they would be fun!

well we're doing great!

love ya

Elder Olsen

Emily 4.16.12

The pictures I am sending is of me, stealing fruit while knocking on a ... gate. Our new plan of salvation lesson plan - and When Hna Ramirez climbed on the roof to see why our phone hasn`t been working. As if we know anything about cords, cables, and telefones in bolivia. haha

I don`t know the exact date of when i am coming home, but I am guessing. The transfer ends on July 26. That day we have the afternoon to go visit our converts, and members, that night is the last supper, with president and hna calderòn, then I believe that Friday morning we fly out. I think that the sisters that just went home arrived close to
midnight, which would be July 27. or almost July 28. It`s my best guess. ;) But I still got time!

ya, Raquel. Raquel is this awesome sister that we finally got to meet. She isn`t a member but has gone to church several times. We had passed by her house several times, and wasn`t there, didn`t have time, or sick. We finaly got to teach her a week ago and it was amazing.
Hermana Ramirez and I had just studied about teaching people not lessons, and we went with that attitude. We wanted to listen, and get to know her, find her need, and teach her the gospel! We did, and it was amazing. We talked about baptism and the importance of receiving
the right baptism. But the great part was that as we talked she said, I really need to stop selling Tomales on Sunday. I am gonna start selling Saturday so I can go to church on Sunday. SHE  told US! We hadn`t even mentioned going to church, or sabbath day or anthing. Then a few minutes later she said, I really think I shoud just marry my marido ( boyfriend, spouse, loved one). She felt the need, and the importance of keeping the commandments - and we didn`t have to say anything. The spirit is so amazing! This week when we taught her she had read what we left her. She has questions like - what is the gospel? What is the atonement? Why is the book of mormon so important? It is so much fun to teach someone who is craving knowledge and
understanding. We had a neat experience with her this week too. We invited her to come to baptism with us in the Elder`s ward. She told us to call her Saturday morning to see if she could so we did. I talked to her and
she told me she was going to able to because her 7 year old angel of a daughter (for reals, she is special) Oniela had gotten sick. But then before I said anything she said, no I think she`ll be ok, we are gonna go, where is it gonna be at? She just talked herself into it. We picked her up to go and it was so special. She really liked it. As the baptismal program was finishing her daughter started feeling sick again. She had a fever and her head hurt. The closing prayer was said and we headed out quickly. Oniela was talkig to Raquel outside and I felt that she needed a priesthood blessing ,and justo, we were in the church, surrounded by priesthood holders. I asked her mom if she wanted a blessing of health for her daughter and she said that her daugher had just been asking her for one. Oniela goes to church with her friend next door, and super smart. She tells her mom she wants to
be baptized in the church of Jesus Christ when she is eight, because she wants to be baptized in the same way Jesus Christ was baptized. I don`t know how she knew about priesthood blessings but she wanted one. We headed back in and asked a brother if he could give her a blessing. He said of course, and called the elders (Parrales and Cruz). It was special In the blessing they said that she would heal according to her mom`s faith and her faith. As they finished Oniela said her head didn`t hurt as bad and she already felt a little better. Faith is
amazing, and the faith of a child is even more amazing. 

Yesterday they didn`t got to church because she was sick again. We passed by to see how they were doing. She`s gonna be better - the doctor said it was dangue. We taught Raquel again, and in the end she
said "The more I learn about this church, the more i want to be baptized." She is excited, reading the Book of Mormon, and progressing. It is so neat to see how the Lord has prepared people to receive the gospel.

We also talked to the Roch family. THey are so neat. I just love them. They just eat up everything we teach them. Yesterday we talked about the restoration, and i testified that there is a living prophet. Hno Freddy thought that was awesome. and its true. WE HAVE A LIVING PROPHET! It is so amazing and so neat to be able to teach people that God has not forogotten us. He keeps teaching us and calling people to help us progress. Like mom said, if we will just sustain our leader and obey their counsel, we will be blessed.

The other day we went to visit a new convert that hasn`t been coming to church - Maria. It was really sad because we walked in and she told us she never wanted to go to the church here again. I immediately
started praying, knowing that I was gonna need the spirit so much to be able to help her  (especialy because she is from brazil and speaks portuguese more then she speaks spanish). Normally I don`t understand her but this time, i understand almost everything. It was a special gift. But she told us she didn`t want to go because when she goes to church the whole world is happy to see her, they all give her a big welcome, and tell how good it is to have in church again - but then when she goes home the whole world forgets about her. She said her son
is sick and has heart problems, and she has been with these problems for 6 months - but no one even cares of helps her. She asked why the members don`t go visit her or help her. She said in other churches if you don`t go one week everyone goes to see what happened, and if everything is ok, but here no. It broke my heart, because here, of all places, she should feel loved and welcomed, and needed, and when she feels alone, she should have her visiting teachers there at her side to help her. It was so sad. As we were walking home that night I swore
to myself that I was going to be a faithful visiting teacher all of my life. There is a reasong that the Lord`s church is organized like this, and we must help others. I am super excited to be a visiting teaching. It`s gonna be great! What a blessing. We talked to the RS president, and we are doing everythign we can to take care of Maria
and help her in her time of need.

Well, I know this is the true church, and this isthe plan of happiness! I am so happy to be able to share it with others.

I love you all lots and lots. Have an awesome week, enjoying your spring weather. I am thoroughly enjoying fall and the bits of cold that come every week. Its great!

Love
Hermana Olsen

Peter 4.9.12

Hello!

Easter was wonderfull. that is neat you have been studying about it in preparation. it kinda snuck up on me and i didn't really start studying till last friday. and i decided to read in "Jesus the Christ" about the last week of Christ's Life. but i'm not finished yet i just got to the point where they are headed to the mount of Olives. i have learned to enjoy reading in Jesus the Christ. it really helps to understand the New Testament.

this week we have been praying to find those that the Lord has prepared to be baptized in April. we found J yesterday.  We were out working before church and decided to take a different route than we had planned on and were stopped by jaun. He told us that he had met with missionaries before and even been to church a few times. we are teaching him on tuesday and hopefully will be able to set a date for this Month! 

there is somewhere around 140 missionaries and they are in 6 zones. the mission only covers 6 stakes. i think that there is close to 20 sisters and 120 elders just an estimate. and probably 70 areas i'll get some actual numbers for next week.

sorry i haven't sent pictures yet, i have lost my camera cord so i'll probably have to put the pics on a cd and send them home.

I love you

Elder Olsen

Emily 4.9.12

Feliz Pascua!

I forgot to wish you a happy easter too. But it sounds like you had a
great day, and experience remembering the Savior and His part in this
great plan of happiness. I read out of Jesus the Christ this week and
the gospels, and thoroughly enjoyed having this time to think about
the Savior and remember His resurrection. It has been neat. Thanks for
sharing your insight dad. Yesterday i read from the april 2011 liahona
about always remembering Him, and it also talked about stripping all
of the things out of our lives to put Christ at the center, and then
adding only the necesary. Thanks for the rememinder that there are
only a few months left. Aaaaaaa, thats crazy. 2 more transfers after
this one. I just hope that i am really doing all i can, and am all
that the Lord wants me to be during this time.

I don`t know how many missionaries are in the mission. I just asked my
zone and they said more then a 100 and less then 200. haha I think its
about 150 or 160 missionaries. Seven sisters came in the last transfer
- but one went home this week ;(. I think we are 16 hermanas here. And
president told me that 5 more are coming in this transfer. Two are
going home and i don`t know who is going to train the nuevitas...
should be interesting :) I think there are about 8 zones, and theres
something like 8-10 wards. I was hoping they`d anounce a temple here
in Santa Cruz - but they didn`t anounce any this conference. Hopefully
in October!

This week has been great. We have been praying a lot to find new
investigators. I had a zone leader that taught me the importance of
specific prayers so we have been applying that. Praying to find
families with parents who are married, who have kids, and who have a
desire to go to church - i don`t know if thats specific or picky - but
well.. God hears and answers prayers and we found a family this week
that fits all the requirements! :) the Ro Ro family. THey are
awesome. We contacted them in the street and they accepted an
appointment. We called them that morning and they said they were gonna
wait for us. When we got there, they happilly received us. We had
studied "teach people, not lessons" that morinng in our companionship
study and we applied it. We listened and taught, and really won their
confidence. I asked them if they would be baptized and F (the
dad) said yes! Maybe its my lack of faith, but I thought he hadn`t
understood me. We asked again and they both said a very sure YES! We
gave them a baptismal date for april 28, and they accepted. We were
excited. THey had mentioned that they had problems with extended
family and they were really sad. Hno F said the closing prayer
and cried as he prayed for his family. it was super special.
When we went back on Saturday they were there waiting for us, and they
said they were a lot better. THey told us that since we had come they
had felt so much better. They were praying as a couple every  night,
and they were happier. We talked about the book of mormon and how it
can help in our every day life, and they commited to start reading it.

We went to pick up Hna C (the wife) and her kids for church.
F told us he had to work, but he would for sure go the next week.
When we got there they were outside waiting for us. It was such a huge
miracle. We went to church, and they made it through the three hours.
They have two kids. a boy who is 7 and a little girl who is 2. and
that sweet little girl - B is her name - is the definition of
terrible twos! Hna Ramirez and i did everything we could think of to
keep her entertained. She didn`t want to go to nursery. In relief
society i made her a little hand game of paper - the kind we always
made in church with the programs. And i was wishing i had learned how
to make those paper cranes that dane always made. I think we were all
happy when church got over. haha but i ams ure that every week will
just keep getting better.

I wanted to tell you about Ra - another awesome sister we met but
maybe she`ll have to wait till next time.

I love being a missionary. THe church is true. Our Heavenly Father
hears and answers prayers.

Love you all so much! Thanks for being my amazing family.

Hermana olsen

Peter 4.2.12

Hello!

Conference was sweet! but it went by so fast! before i knew it we were watching the last session. their was so many awesome talks and the spirit was so strong. i love watching conference at the church. it makes it harder to fall asleep.... and easier to receive Revelation.

i don't remember who it was but their was a talk that said to write missionaries;)  I'll be expecting you to follow the council of our leaders ... jk. my favorite talk was probably Elder Scott's about receiving revelation. and that revelation is the key to being happy in all aspects of our lives. I've definitely noticed the joy that comes when we follow revelation. one day this week were biking to go visit some potentials and something said to go back the way we had come. so we did and we talking to C that allowed us to set up return appointment. and the  best part about it is that the revelation came, we followed. it was neat to see that we are being directed by God even in our tiny area down in the sunshine state.

V is our only solid investigator we have right now we have a few others it has just been really hard to meet with them. we have been praying to find a family that will progress to accept the Gospel and become members of Christ's Church.

love you all

Elder Olsen

ps sorry i don't have pictures this week. hopefully next week! :)

Emily, 4.2.12

we invited everyone to come listen to a prophets voice this week. As we headed out the door saturday morning to go to conference hermana ramirez said its so crazy to think what is happening today. We had shared D&C 1:38-39 with a lot of this people this week to invite them to come listen to the prophet and we talked about how when a prophet talks its as if God is talking to us. She said we are going to listen to God, its as if Jesus was coming to talk. We pass the people on the street and they don`t even know how special of a day it is. I just love general conference so much. I swear every year it gets shorter, I can`t get enough of it! We were able to watch 3 sessions in English, and one in Spanish. I understand spanish, but english is just such an awesome language, I love it! and it is such a special experience to listen to their voices. I never realized what a blessing it is to speak the language of the prophet and to listen to his voice, and not the translators. 

Mom, your spanish is awesome! Are you still reading the book of mormon in spanish? i hope so! We can practice when I get home. That is so super neat that Hermana Merrell called you. thats her, thinking of the little things and always helping. She always wrote me little notes to tell me how great she thinks i am too, and she helped me so much. in all of my mission. I am glad you got to talk to her.

entonces... my conference notes! I loved it so much. Hermana Ramirez and i have been praying since we met each other to be prepared for conference, and to be able to receive answers to all of our questions. And it was so neat. In Jacob 4:6 we learn the blessings of seraching the words of the prophets. We will have hope, unbreakable faith, and we will be able to command in Jesus` name. Sounds like some awesome promises and just like you mom, i am so excited to receive the ensign and take it all in again. I really really loved Presidente Eyring`s talk from Saturday morning. He said he prayed for challanges ¨Give me this mountain!¨ it made me remember when i prayed tohave more faith, then i broke my leg. Its true like he says, God always answers prayers. He talked about laying te foundation of faith - choosing the right, living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and enduring - he shared an experience of a women who said ¨I knew I had to do it, so I did´ it was a very powerful talk for me, and i would love to read it again. I also really, really, really loved Elder Holland`s talk. His closing line ´Don`t delay, its getting late!" wow! He said there is no problem you cannot overcome, come boldly to the throne of grace. I just read the stake presidencies message about grace, and it was super powerful for me. i learned so much, and I want to learn to access that power more. I also was gonna mention elder David F. Evan`s talk and how important it is to write letters tothe missionaries... I promise you will be blessed for following his words ;) and I will be awaiting all of your letters ! hehe We felt one them was the family, the family is so important. We have to protect it, strengthen it, help it. I also liked Elder Scott`s talk about how to recieve revelation. It is bien importante that we do everythign we an, he even said that exercising every day will  help us be wrothy of receiving revelation. HTat was like oh.... thats why we hae to exercise every day. I also really enjoyed the music this conference. The tabernacle choir and the misionary choir. Hermana Ramirez was way happy because hse knew a lot fo the missionaries that were singing. We also saw Elder  David Archuletta ;) 

Mostly I just love knowing that we have been instructed in everything we will need for the next six months. I am so so so grateful for living prophets, for their words of encouragement and instruction. It has been a spiritual feast, and I think that maybe general cnference should be a whole week, not just two days ;) 

Well I love you all so much! Thanks for everything that you do for me, and thanks for your prayers. Keep being strong, and obedient to the prophets. Maybe you can have a FHE wear you pick out all of the things the prophet told us to do and make a list to put on hte fridge. I know presidente Monson is a prophet of God, and he is an amazing example. I know the apostles are also prophets seers and revelators, and I feel very privileged to live in a time when we can receive these isntructions. I love ya!

Love 
Hermana Olsen