9.21.2015

Hello! 

Life is still great here in Orlando! And thank goodness it is fall now! I love that it has started cooling down again. 

This last week was pretty busy. We spent a lot of time going to appointments just to have them fall through. So goes missionary work. It's all good though! We were still able to meet with a few people. 

I have learned something neat to me here in this area. I love teaching. I love helping God's children come to a greater knowledge of His Gospel. It is such an amazing thing to be a part of. The Lord works in such amazing ways to help strengthen the teacher and the student. In his wonderful way we both learn, we both grow, we both come to a greater knowledge of him. "This is life eternal, that we might know the the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." John 17:3 It is the purpose of our eternal life to come to know God. That is why we are here. The best way for us to do that is to study his word, pray to him, live his gospel, and strive to help others do the same. That is why we are all down here together, to help each other out. Because as we help others come to a greater understanding of our Heavenly Father, we come to a better understanding also. 

Sorry I don't have much more time. Hope you all have an amazing week!

Elder Olsen

9.14.15

Hello y'all! 

Life is great down here in Florida, and I just have to say it because it made me super happy. This morning we went for a run, and for the first time in a long time it was colder outside the apartment then it was inside! I was very happy about that. Maybe one day it will cool down some.

I am very sorry about the pathetically short letter last week. I am trying to do better. 

We had zone conference this last week and it was great. An interesting thing that we talked about a little bit is that in meetings as a whole it isn't to often at all that we get some brand new, fresh out of the package, doctrine. That's just the thing. Christ's gospel is very simple. He asks us to do certain things and promises us immense blessings. The reason we have meetings so often is because it is our chance to be reminded of our potential. As children of God we all have great potential. We have great opportunities, and we have great things to give to the world. The problem is that we so often forget. We forget all that we are. We forget that we are children of God, the all powerful being. He who can do all things. He is our dad. How cool is that!? It is incredible. That is what it is. So me and my companion here are just seeking to be the missionaries that our Father would have us be. I am so very grateful for this chance of improvement. On this subject I was seeing what the dictionary had to say about Grace. It says that Grace's root is 'pleasing, thankful' related to grateful. Isn't that interesting. The very word Grace helps us to think of how very grateful we are for Christ, for that matter, that is what it means. We are grateful for His enabling power. 

Elder Olsen 

9.7.15

We had a pretty busy week this week. It was so great! I love being
busy going about doing the Lord's work. It is so neat to see when we
exercise our faith that we will see miracles. We took a member out
with us that we haven't had to any lessons before, and both lessons
that we went to went great! We were able to set a baptismal date with
one of them and the other one we will be setting one this week. It is
fantastic to be able to see how we grow to love the people we work
with so much.
Something I have been learning is how very important it is to share
stories. Most of the gospel is taught in stories and personal
experiences. That is what most of the scriptures are. Sorry, out of
time.

Elder Dane Olsen

8.31.15

Hello yall!

Life is great especially when there is a hurricane a comin. Oh ok, it isn't a hurricane any more it got down graded. So all we are supposed to see now is more rain then usual. Whatever works!

Anywhoser, school has started. It doesn't effect us much as missionaries except that there are a lot more people out on the sidewalks during the afternoon, which is nice when they are old enough for us to talk to them, on the other hand if we are in a hurry to get some where on our bikes it can make things a bit slower. Another thing that is good about it though is that because school has started it means we are that much closer to fall! Because one of these days it will cool down a little bit more. 

Well this last week has been pretty busy. We've been seeing a good number of people though we have plans to see more. It is interesting to see how when we open our mouths cool things happen. One that was pretty cool is that we went looking for a potential investigator. The problem was for some reason we had a partial address. So we knocked on the door that we thought it might be. It wasn't. Someone else lives there. As we were talking with this lady who lives there we offered our message. She said she didn't have time then but that we could come back on Saturday. So that is what we did. We had a great first lesson with her and she was supposed to come to church yesterday, she didn't make it. But we do still have an appointment with her for tomorrow. Hopefully it all goes well!

I have been learning lots from my studies this week. It is pretty amazing how much there is to learn. I find it quite amazing that God has made a way for us to have eternal progression. To always be able to keep improving, to always have something more to learn is really quite an incredible blessing. which makes the other side of it also a blessing. It is a blessing that we will never be perfect in this life. It is a blessing that we will never know everything. It gives us such a great opportunity to grow and become better.

Love Elder OIsen

8.24.15

So this week was great! Elder Grigg and I have officially been together for 6 weeks! Things are going pretty good. This last week we were able to start teaching 3 new people. It was neat to notice how even from the beginning people can recognize the truth. With one of the new investigators named C we were sharing the introduction to the Book of Mormon. It was neat to watch him read it. Just as he was reading it out loud he would stop and say "Wow, that is so true! I can totally see how this goes a long with the bible." At that point we hadn't hardly explained the role of e Book of Mormon. It was so cool to watch him put it together and just have it make sense.
I am going to send some photos to make up for the short letter so sorry!

Elder Dane Olsen

and pictures!

Any of you remember the story that I told about getting a Chic-Fil-A tie? Well here is a picture of it in a packege! haha

And here are a few pictures of me burning a shirt on my year mark. Crazy to think it has been over a year out here now!

8.10.15

Hello!
 Another great week here! Also an interesting week. We ended up
meeting with a lot more less actives this week then we have other
weeks. It is surprising how many less actives there are in each ward.
It is so sad! These brothers and sisters who had the truth, they knew
what it tastes like, but they have wondered alway from it. They have
forgotten the joy. This morning I was reading in Alma 9. Alma and
Amulek are starting to preach to the people of Ammonihah and it is an
interesting lesson that Alma is trying to teach them. He asks again
and again "how have ye forgotten?" He also asks "do ye not remember?"
He is trying so hard to help these people remember the truth that they
once knew. I am looking forward to striving to understand how Alma and
Amulek were able to help. Though to put it simply the most powerful
thing we can do is testify. Testify of Gods Love, Jesus Christ. We can
testify of Christ's ability and power to change us. It is the most
amazing miracle and the most amazing gift. The gift of change,
progress, improvement, growth. This is the gift that Christ offers us.
Elder Grigg and I were having a really good conversation about this
last night. We talked about how God's plan is a plan of eternal
growth. Satan's plan is one of damnation. A dam that stops our growth.
Stops our progress. It makes it impossible to change. Such a contrast.
Here Alma talks about it in a wonderful way in Alma 9:28
"Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand
that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that
which they have been--if they have been righteous they shall reap the
salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of
Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation
of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil."
It is up to us to decide if we will work works that bring us
deliverance, or if they are works that will bring us captivation. We
chose what power we want and who's power we want. It is all up to us.
Put simply that is what we came here to choose between. God has such a
perfect and wonderful plan that I am so grateful to be able to share
everyday.

Sending my love, from sunny hot Florida! I love it!
Elder Dane Olsen

8.10.15

Hello! This week has been another great one! We have been working hard to get some new investigators and we were able to get some. It is sure exciting to be able to work with so many people. One of the new investigators is L' friend D. We had met her a while ago and talked with her often when we were visiting L, but when we talked
about meeting with her she always said no. Recently it seemed like she was talking to each other more and L has said that she and him have been talking about gospel stuff. So we asked if we could meet with her again and she said we could this time. So we met with her at L' house and had a first lesson. Mostly we were figuring out where she is and what she is looking for. It was wonderful, she told us that she has always had one question. Where is Christ's church, the one he built on his rock. So we started telling her how it was lost for a time but that it has been restored. She had a problem with Joseph Smith because she doesn't understand his role. We will be able to help
her understand but we are just excited to teach her, especially since she already has a member friend which is a huge part of it. I have been reading Mosiah lately and it has been really interesting to notice how in some of the last few chapters we learn some about how the church was run back then. It is interesting to me how we can see
how Christ's church has always functioned the same. It is just yet another testimony to me that Christ's church is here once again upon the earth. His atonement is in force and through him we really can be cleansed from sin.

Elder Dane Olsen

8.3.15

Hello! 

Another great week here in Orlando and I just have to say Elder Grigg and I are having a great time. Funny story of the week. So I just have to say that I love eating at Chick-Fil-A it is so good, and they even have amazing strawberry shakes. So this last week we were stopping in at one that I have been at a few times and I was giving the cashier my order, I have talked to this one before and I think he is the manager or something because he is the only one that wears a button up shirt and a tie. So I asked him if there was a way I could get a tie. :) I figure I got nothing to lose and he has seen us several times and knows we are always wearing ties. He says "Well, I guess so. Why not?" He said he could order one and that he would bring an iPad over to where we were eating so I could pick from the ones he can order online. So he came over and let me pick one and he will have it by next week so I will have to stop in again and get it. I am actually really pumped! Haha After I picked one out he asked me if I was really serious, and I said I was and that I would pay him right now if he wanted. He said not to worry about it and that he would cover it. Haha I am pretty excited to get the tie next week.

So another story, Thursday night we were hurrying back home and we were running a little late. Elder Grigg started pushing it pretty hard on the bikes on the last quarter mile so I took his challenge and the race was on! I pulled ahead and was cruising along at about 20 MPH or more taking the last turn when we were already in  the parking lot I was taking the turn a little wide and was going to have to take it tighter to make it around the turn. I thought to my self "I am going as wide as I am so I don't lose traction, but I should be fine to take it tighter." Heh. Yeah... So I took it a bit tighter, turning just a bit sharper and wham, my bike goes sliding out from underneath me and I go rolling and sliding along the pavement. I probably slid a good 15 feet or more. It was pretty exhilarating. Elder Grigg was saying that it looked pretty sweet from behind. He said I went down and my bike and I split ways just enough that when I tucked and rolled I didn't get tangled up in my bike. I came out of it pretty well. I skinned up my nee and put a few holes in my pants other then that I am good to go! I had a good time and I am glad I didn't keep sliding into the curb and get hurt. Just another way that God is looking out for me while I am about his work.

I was going to write more but I just spent the last 45 minutes talking to a Jehovah's Witness that was sitting next to me here at the library. She was a good person and it was good to realize once again why Christ's church is the true church.

Elder Dane Olsen