12.16.19

Dec 10 2019

Today has been really good! We had zone conference and it was super good! I remember back at my first Zone conference afterwords being like.... "well that was a waist of time..." but this one today was so good! We learned just good things! It was Elder Plašil's last zone conference so he had his fairwell testimony which was super good! I am gonna miss him a ton! I loved serving with him and I learned so much from him. Specifically though about loving people! Love is such an important thing in being a missionary. If a person can simply just love people... it is so amazing! Because that is what makes a difference.

Dec 11 2019

Today I hit my 4 month mark. Kinda wild! Just sayin.... but it is good! I have loved it so much! Being a missionary is such an awesome blessing I am so incredibly grateful for it! Today was awesome bring able to spend it in Lansing with the zone leaders who is currently Elder Dennison and Elder Severn. They are both really good guys! Elder Dennison is one of the youngest missionaries in the mission to have become a zone leader.  But he is doing a really good job! I thoroughly enjoyed my day of work with him! We got to do some good things we went by several potential people and were able to even have a walk in lesson with this guy named Alex. Alex is in his 30s he is super quick and specific in his reasons. Like their kinda just ridiculous... we showed the Christ Child video and we asked him how he liked it and he critiqued it. I was a little surprised Haha but then even more surprising was he ended by saying "...and lastly crickets. There were 8 times when you could hear crickets, and it was very distracting to me. There wouldn't have been crickets at that time because it was winter. It was cold. They wouldn't have been there!" I was all like.... well crickets.... I guess the church couldn't be true (I thought to myself). Haha it was ridiculous! He was so passionate about something that really just doesnt matter and honestly couldn't be proven as a flaw in the video anyway. But it's something that so many people do get so out there on. That is why there are so many churches because so many people were all like this might be wrong so ima just make up my own thing. I guess I shouldn't be too passionate about this though... because that would make me a hypocrite.  Haha anyway, missionary work is a constant adventure! I love it so much!  The church is true I have no doubt in my mind about that.

Dec 12 2019

Today has literally been miracle after miracle! First we went to lunch with Peggy! She is a nice lady who loves us! Haha we found out that she hasn't been to the temple yet so we are gonna work on that with her. She is now super excited about doing work for her family there! So that is super cool! After that we went down to Concord which is a little town in our area that is right on the border so it's a ways out. We went and stopped by some members out there. The first person we stopped by was Wilford Reardon, he wasn't there. But he is a semi recent convert, as in like 10 ish years ago he was baptized. His son and his sons girlfriend were there and they welcomed us in! It was super cool to have a walk in lesson like that, we shared the plan of salvation with them and they really enjoyed it! We will be going by them again next Thursday so that is super exciting! Right after we had that awesome lesson we went to another inactive member out there, we knocked on the door and a man came to the door and yelled at us for what seemed a good while... apparently he isn't a member but his wife is. Anyway they want their records removed from the church. So that was discouraging. Being yelled at always is. But its okay after that we drove back to Jackson and helped out Jerrett. He is moving and needed some help so we carried some stuff out to a uhal truck for him. He is such a good kid. He is 16 like I've mentioned, his dad isn't in the picture at all, his mom and sister live there too and he has to take care of them. It is amazing to see what he does for them! I really hope that he joins the church... it would bless his life so much!

Then tonight we went and had an awesome lesson with Hope Perron. She is the mother of 8. Anyway she fed us dinner and we got to meet her husband and kids and parents! Her parents are members so that is awesome! It was super good to talk with them. She told hs she was going through another divorce... but he was there, and he seemed like a really good guy! Hopefully the gospel can mend what ever is broken and bring them all closer together! It was a wonderful thing to be there and share the Christ Child with them! I hope ;) we can go over there and convert them! It would be so cool! And it would make me so happy! Today we were able to start teaching 5 new people! And it was just awesome! I love missionary work! 

Tonight we went to stop by a potential that we found the other day, he didnt answer, but on our way there we felt impressed to knock a specific door. So we walked up the steps and knocked......and knocked....and knocked.... then after three times we turned with disappointment and walked down the stars there were like 10 of them... anyway we got to the sidewalk and looked back one last time hoping..... and we see a face peak through the window! And we ran back up! We told him who we were and gave him a solid ITL (invitation to learn more) and he said "Yea man, I be down. Come back tomorrow when it's day light. My wife an I both work early but we free most aftunoons. Come back tomorra when it's laght out sade n well hear yo message." Haha we'll see him tomorrow! Anyway the message is good and true and I love it! 

Dec 13 2019

Today has been really good! We had apartment inspections today which was good. Haha the Busaiths (the senior couple who inspected our apartment. They really enjoyed it! Haha they both just seemed so grateful that it was just clean and tidy and they loved the Christmas decorations too! Haha they just sat and wanted to talk for a minute in our apartment so that was kinda fun. 

Tonight Billy took us out to dinner! He is awesome! Hes sumoen, and likes to feed the missionaries, he isn't active but he loves Elders so he does what he can to spend time with us! So that was fun! We went to a Chinese buffet and it was pretty good! I got filled up for sure Haha. After that we went and stopped by a less active member, his name is Allen Brooks. He seems legit. We think his whole family is members but he has not record so maybe we can convert him! Anyway it blows me away how many people are less active or inactive or excommunicated. The city of Jackson used to be two words... so that explains how the congregation is so small but also why there are so many people who are members but not active. It makes for a lot of need for missionaries. So there is definetly plenty to be doing!

Tonight we went over to William's we read in the book of Mormon about Abinadi. He was a cool dude that just insulted everyone there over and over again and William loved it! Haha anyway it's been a good day! I am grateful to be out here doing the Lords work and sharing his gospel!

Dec 14 2019

Today has been real good! We were pretty busy which is a really good thing! We had one appointment for dinner tonight which was really nice. But the two appointments before them decided to feed us too..... so we ate 4 times between 12 and 6.... it was really really bad.... people are just too kind. Haha we were at the cranmores and they got us Christmas presents! It was super nice of them Haha they are matching hoodies, we'll have to get a picture of us in them. They are super nice I really enjoy them! After that we went to the Gougons and helped them with some stuff and they fed us and then we went to dinner at the Browns and they fed us. So...I am super full. Once I realized we were getting fed more than we planned I started portioning myself. So I wouldn't eat too much and would be able to eat enough that I wouldn't offend anyone. Anyway it was a good day! We had some good fun!

Dec 15 2019

Today has been pretty good. I started feeling super sick last night and dry heaved several times throughout the night, and I've been super congested and been pretty hot but also cold idk... just not good whatever it is... so we didnt make it to church which was really sad... missing church really sucks.... but I was getting super motionsick everytime I moved at all... so we didnt go. Finally by this afternoon I was feeling a little better so we went to a lesson and then to sister Bears to give her the sacrument we had fun there though! We played uno with her like we always do. She is a really nice lady, Haha old ladies are just funny. She is so grateful that we come by, everytime at somepoint she brings up politics, and goes off on how much she likes Trump and hates Democrats, Haha we just nod our heads and agree because we're supposed to be politically neutral as missionaries. Haha she is just too funny, going to visit her is probably one of the highlights of my week! I just enjoy it! 

This week I'll hit my month mark of being in Jackson. Which is wild because its gonna soooo fast! We have transfer calls in 2 weeks we'll probably stay together, but anything could happen :) I like to try and predict how I'll be transfered but I when it comes down to it I have absolutely no idea Haha. 

Tonight we got back to the apartment and some reason I was hungry... cuz I haven't eaten all day...? Maybe. Haha so I made a smoothie. It was pretty good, but I was pushing the stuff in yo the blender while it was on because our blender is kinda awful, and I was doing it with a plastic fork and I might have broke off several teeth of the fork. So I was spitting plastic as I was drinking... oops oh well Haha anyway it's been a good week! I feel a bit better tonight. Hopefully I'll be 100% by tomorrow, so I can work hard this week! 

Your love and missionary Elder Isaac Olsen