3/23/15

So a cool miracle we saw this week, but to understand we are going to have to go back almost two months. In my first few days in my last area (the end of January) we were doing some exploring trying to figure out the area and such. While we were doing this we rode past this lady that was sweeping her drive way. We stopped and offered to help her, there was only one more broom so I started using that and my companion started talking more with her (Ruth) about the gospel. We did that for a while finished sweeping and she let us sit down with her on the porch and teach the restoration. It went pretty well though we found out that Ruth didn't live in our area, so we got her number and address and told her we would have some missionaries that covered her area get a hold of her and meet more with her. We sent the information to the right area and didn't really think much of it again.

On Saturday we were going though our area book looking for people to stop by and we came across a potential investigator who's name was Ruth! We read the notes for her and there was my name and my last companions name. So now I am in the area that Ruth lives in so we called her up and asked her when we could meet with her. She just said "How about tomorrow." Sweet! So we taught her last night and it went great. we have an appointment to teach her again this week and I really think she will progress. She is already so good at recognizing the spirit, which is very uncommon. Now all we have to do is explain how she needs to take action on those promptings and help her do it. Super cool, I am really excited to see where that goes. 

This last Tuesday was Zone Conference, it was pretty neat. I learned lots and am excited to apply those things. It was also a really good time for me to reflect. I have been out here on my mission for almost 8 months now. (Wow) Kinda hard to believe. It seems like I just got here the other day. I often feel like I don't know what I am doing. I really try, but so often I feel like I don't know what to do. I feel like I am just a greeny here and I need to watch what is going on so I can know what to do. And yet I have a good idea of what is going on and what I need to do. it is getting to, whether I realize it or not, where I do know what I need to work on and do better and change. I feel like I am starting to understand how to do missionary work. (About time right?) I am excited to continue progressing and learning. After all, that is what this life is about. For that matter that is what all of eternity is about. Kinda daunting in some ways, on the other hand how cool is it that we can keep getting better at things for the rest of forever? Not many things feel better then realizing that you are progressing and learning and getting better.

Endure to the end, and enjoy it!

Elder Dane Olsen

3.16.15

I am in Bumby now! Which is pretty awesome because it is the area right below my last area and the missionaries in this ward are in the same district as my last district. So I still know most of the missionaries in the district! So awesome! So I already knew my companion too. He is Elder Conrad. He just finished his first 12 weeks and he is a great missionary. He is actually going to the Bangalore India Mission so he is only here until his visa goes through. Some of his cousins actually live in Ephraim, the Segos, and Bradly Sego is actually a senior this year, I know him. He was also one of the young Josephs in the pageant the year I was angel Moroni. Small world! It's been lots of fun so far. 

On my first night here we went to go see one of their potential investigators, and he wasn't available so we were going around the apartment complex when this crazy man found us and bashed us for the next 30 minutes or so. We didn't even hardly say anything he just kept going the whole time, then this lady (Julia) came over and told us that she wanted us to pray for her friend (Lou) who fell down the stairs a while back and messed up her ankle. So we went over, and dang it all, the crazy man did too. He domanated the conversation there too, for that matter he wouldn't let us talk. He was trying to teach all 4 of us a lesson in the bible, how much he knew, and how little we did. Thankfully we haven't seen him again. We have met with Julia and Lou again though and they are great. They both have a lot to say and we will have to see how teaching them any more will go. The neat thing was that when we met with them again they were super excite talk with us more about the gospel and they had really been hoping that the other guy wouldn't come back around. It was a testimony to me that even people that are not yet a member of the church know the difference between people that do have the spirit and those that don't. The other guy was using the scriptures, he had a lot to say, he told us he loved us and that he wanted to help us. All of those things were good, yet the spirit wasn't with him. 

"And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach." D&C 42:14 

It's true. If you don't have the spirit you can't teach. It doesn't work. The spirit is the only way, that anything that we say as members of the church, will make a difference. The Spirit is the only way we can make a difference. We can only have the Spirit with us when we are using the atonement. We can only use the atonement when we come unto Christ.

Come Unto Him.

Elder Dane Olsen

The first ones are at Lake Ivanhoe looking at down town.

Then picture of the Church building is the one we go too. It was built in the 60s and it was designed by a Lutheran architect.

The last few with the fountain are Lake Eola in the middle of downtown. There were always people there for us to talk to. Super cool place.

More Pictures at Lake Eola and of an art thing at the park around it

3.9.15

Sad news, I am leaving Winter Park! Got the call on Saturday, and I guess I did what I was hear to do. Though I really don't want to go. This area is awesome, there have been so many crazy experiences and
miracles witnessed. It has just been fun. In was hoping to get this kid from the country a little bit more used to downtown life. Haha The area has already grown a lot in this first transfer and it will continue to grow. Elder Hemsley is training and he is a great missionary so between the two of them they are going to rock downtown.
Oh, I had sushi for my first time this last week! It was great a member took us out to eat and raw fish, rice, and sea weed make a pretty good combination. The member even talked the waiter into meeting with us. Basically a really awesome member. I don't have much more today, and I wrote a few other letters. So sorry about the short one.

The work will go on!
Elder Dane Olsen

3.2.15

This week has been great! Though L didn't make it to church. He is
planning on coming next week though so that is good. A cool miracle we
saw this week is we knocked on an inactive's door and we found out
that she is the only member in her home. Her husband has just recently
lost his dad and they are all going through a hard time. We were only
able to talk to the wife but it was really good. We talked a lot about
the Savior's ability to help and comfort us in times of trial, we
should be meeting with her and the rest of her family tonight and we
are really hoping to be able to help them through this hard time.
There couldn't have been a better time for us to drop by. The member
spews telling us that she had called her mom and sisters to see if
they had sent us over. It is pretty incredible to be so involved with
the work, so often for me it is still hard to recognize the spirit but
I do know that even though I don't always recognize the spirit I do
the best that I can to do what I can. It is pretty neat to know that
God is watching out for us and helping us every day, after all, we are
all about his work.
Everyone knows the scripture where Nephi says "I will go and do the
things which the Lord hath commanded for I know that the Lord give the
no commandments unto the children of men save he should prepare a way
for them that they may accomplish the thing which he hath commanded
them" I was noticing this morning that his is a common trend
throughout the first book of Nephi. I got to thinking about it and a
scripture in D&C 1:37 (I believe that is it) it tells us that whether
it is by God's own voice or the voice of his servants it is the same.
So if the prophet commands us to do something God will provide a way.
If our stake president commands us to do something, God will provide a
way. If our bishop commands us to do something, God will provide a
way. So that is pretty cool. The thing is, it is only through our
faith that God can help us accomplish all of these things. Faith can
move mountains, Nephi tells us that if God were to command him to
command he sea to be dry ground it would be. That is also by and
through his faith.


Take courage and have faith!

2.24.15

We have been meeting with a man named L and also his son for the
last two weeks. They are awesome! We found him two weeks ago just out
and about. When we first talked to him he told us that he had met with
missionaries before when he lived in another state in 2010. We have
met with him several times and we set a baptismal with him last
Saturday! We are super pumped and we will be teaching him again
tonight.
Last Thursday we had an exchange and an Elder Honda came to my area to
work for the day. All was going great, and then I hear a wreck behind
me. :/ It was a pretty hard crash it ruined his shirt, tie, and pants,
and it scratched his name tag quite a bit. But worst of all he broke
his wrist, not a terrible brake he hasn't had much pain, but now his
area has full car. Also he was riding Elder Hemsley's bike... His bike
must be cursed. Not to mention Saturday was the third Saturday in a
row that his tire has gone flat. So I'll make sure to carry my pump
again this Saturday.
Yesterday we had Elder Zwick speak to us it was awesome, he spoke with
so much power. It was incredible. As we strive to keep the
commandments of God in every thing we do he will bless us. We may get
by with out it but we will never see the same blessings with out the
same standard of obedience it is the law upon which all blessings are
predicated.
Sorry about the short email this week, God's work still goes on!

Peace be with you