1.20.2020

Jan 13 2020
Today was good. Brother Donnellan called us this morning and asked if we could come help him put up sand bags so the lake in his backyard doesnt go into his basement. So we got to go help him out and he took us to breakfast at McDonald's. It was a good time! He is a really good man and I have really enjoyed doing missionary work with him! He comes to lessons with us regularly and is constantly asking us about the people that we are teaching! Tonight we went to rallys with him and Hope and Aubrey and some of Hope's other younger kids. It was a good time and we began teaching the commandments.


Jan 14 2020
Today was a good adventure. We had district counsel this morning. Followed by interviews with President Brennon. It was a good time! I love that man! He and I were able to discuss how things are and how I'm doing with Elder Connolly. It was super good for me. I do Love Elder Connolly. He is a good guy and we have had a lot of fun and success together. But we also have had some rough moments. I am super grateful for what I have been able to learn from him. It was super good to have interviews. I just loved being there and talking to him!
After that we went to Anothey's, he is such a good guy we talked about some questions he had and talked about some doctrine! It was a good time. Then he showed us his gym with boxing stuff and weights and everything and it was pretty cool! Haha he also has a bunch of like swords a d axes and just random old school things, like he is super in to old fashion, and stuff. He also has a bunch of Guns haha he is just a really good cool guy! I thoroughly enjoy talking with him.
After that we went go Hope and Aubreys and taught them a lesson, we went over the 10 commandments and it was super good! I have learned hand signs that go to all of them! Haha it's a good time. After that we went finding for the rest of the night. It was a good day with good things happening. I enjoyed it!


Jan 15 2020
Today was an adventure. Haha we got up and got to work on stuff! We had a really good morning, probably one of the best we have had together which was awesome! Just as far as getting up and going and making and eating breakfast and doing studies. It was just super good! After that we started trying to get Elder Connolly's medication because he hasn't had it for a couple days.... so that's fun. Elder and sister Meyers came down to help us get it figured out because it had come to being a big jumbled mess. They are the senior couple over medicine for all the missionaries and they really justice missionaries! It was super fun because they took us to an amazing burger joint and it was awesome! After they left we came back to the apartment because I had this crazy headache...it was wild. Like I fell asleep and was out for a while and when I did wake up I was in even more pain. I have never had such a bad headache. It was just so awful. Then we had to go to jonesville to do a baptismal interview with a guy named Scott. He is getting baptized on Saturday and he is the sisters friend. Itll be super cool to see that, he has some sort of medical issue where he can't move very well so there are 5 guys getting in the font with him! It will be a beautiful experience to see! We are super excited to see him be baptized!
Tonight my head feels better, but not perfect. So hopefully after a night of sleep I'll be doing better!


Jan 16 2020
Today was good! We had a good start to our morning. Then Elder Connolly started throwing up... so that slowed us down. Then we had lunch with peggy, she took us to a China buffet that was super good! She is super kind and we honestly really enjoy her company! She us just super kind!
After peggy we had a meeting with Indearia, it went super good and we were able to finish teaching the Plan of Salvation! She is such a nice gal, she is just so humble and willing to learn! Its just awesome! After her we had dinner with the Hoornstra family. They are super nice people. Brother Hoornstra isn't a member so that's cool. He seems to be just such a good guy so hopefully we can re activate his wife and bring him into the fold. After them we went to Hope and Aubreys. It was really sad, Bridgett is Hope's youngest daughter she is 3 years old and got diagnosed with diabetes today. So the whole family was just kinda having a rough day... we weren't able to teach a lesson but we did bring the spirit into their home. Overall it was a pretty good day. We also gave Bridgett a lesson earlier which was really cool! I love being able to use the priesthood it is such a powerful beautiful thing!


Jan 17 2020
So we went to brother Donnellans this morning and helped him move some furniture. He is still finishing moving in because hes only lived here since September. So it was good to be able to serve him and help him out! He made his breakfast again of rice checks and soft boiled eggs. I honestly enjoyed it, I will probably make it some time.
After we were there we went on adventure to Mejiers which is like a Walmart basically. We went to get Elder Connolly's medication and we also needed to get the sisters investigator Scott who is getting baptized tomorrow. He needed some white underwear so we were gonna do that but turns out white underwear is super expensive. We did figure it out so that's good👍
This afternoon we got to go do some stop bys and have some lessons and then tonight we went to ward basketball which was pretty fun! I'm honestly no good at basketball but I still had a lot of fun while we were there!


Jan 18 2020
Today was super good! We woke up to nearly a foot of snow. So we grabbed our shovels and drove to a neighborhood and took John with us! It was a good time, we shoveled 5 houses driveways and sidewalks and it was just good. We were able to talk to 3 of the 5 and invite them to church in the morning hopefully they show up. After we shoveled we went to Jonesville for Scotts baptism. He is a really good guy, he was super ready to be baptized and he was so happy! He has MS which is some muscle disease. Anyway basically he has a hard time moving which is too bad. So there were 3 people in the front with him to get him baptized and it was just cool! After that we had FHE tonight at the church and Elder Connolly and I planned it out! We watched the movie the legacy and made brownies. It was a good time. Then part way through FHE we got a call to go give someone a blessing so we left the sisters to take care of everything. Hopefully they are okay and took care of everything.


Jan 19 2020
Today was a day that Ima be grateful for. I have had some crazy headaches this week an I'm not sure why... so that's frustrating. I lost my cool with Elder Connolly a little after church, and it just really left me mad for the rest of the day. He is back on his medication now, but it hasn't really done a lot for him yet.... we went to the cranmores and had a good time there! They are great people and they made an amazing dinner! They want us to come over more than once a week so we'll probably start going over a little more. Then we had a call with a lady named cindy and read the Book of Mormon with her, then we had a lesson with Aubrey and taught the word of wisdom. On our way out of there I ripped my pants.... really really bad right in the crotch, and I might have cried. Then we went to sister bares to give her the sacrament. She is such a good lady I appreciate being able to spend time with older people, they are just so good and nice! Overall it was an alright day, I have been working really really hard to be happy. I have been trying to choose it but it has just been so hard. I've been "put through the ringer" to quote my companion. He is a good guy but living with him and watching out for him is hard... we had interviews this week and president told me that right now in this assignment of being in Jackson with Elder Connolly he really just needs me to support him and build him up. I haven't done the greatest job at it. But I have tried and am still currently trying. I do love this work, it is such a cool thing to be apart of, and to see the joy that it can bring to people is just amazing!


Jan 20 2020
Thank you for emailing me about my spending.... I was able to do something good for someone, but I used my mission card. That kind of felt more like a sacrifice from me. Then I got carried away buying little things on my home card.... also Elder Connolly lost his wallet and money so I have had to use mine for both of us a little bit.

Thank you for all of the emails lately, that have helped me a lot and I have enjoyed reading them!


Your son and missionary Elder Isaac Olsen

1.6.2020

So this last couple weeks have been crazy! Sorry for not keeping everyone up to date.
Christmas eve we got fed three dinners and I actually wanted to die because I was soooo full I definitely gained like a solid 7 pounds Haha it was crazy. Then Christmas day we had district counsel (a meeting with some other missionaries in surrounding areas) we made breakfast together of pancakes and eggs. It was a fantastic time! Then we opened a couple things together and just got to have a good time! After that we went to a couple homes for meals and massages and had a great time! We got to spend some time with our friend Hope and her family. She is the mother of 8 children she has 7 girls and 1 boy and she loves having us over! We put her one daughter that has been meeting with us on baptismal date. Her name is Aubrey and she is pretty fun.
On Saturday the 28th we had a baptism of John and Nick and it was super cool! I love those two guys! In the picture John is the one with the dreads and Nick is the other guy in a jumpsuit. These two guys have impacted my life a lot! I am so lucky to have gotten to know them! They will be a huge aspect to the church here on Jackson and where ever else life finds them!
Overall it has been a good couple of weeks! I love being able to serve the Lord as a full time missionary! It is such an amazing thing! I am constantly learning so much and growing so much as a person! I am super grateful and lucky to be here in Michigan, and to be serving the Lord in such an amazing fulfilling way!
Lots of love
Elder Isaac Olsen
Left to right:
Sister Stahle, Losee, Nick, me, Elder Connolly, John. And photo bombers after that 🤣🤣🤣