12.26.2022

 Vina Del Mar on fire.

12.20.22

 Hello everyone i hope you are all having a great week! 

My week has been so great! This week we have been able to help a lot of people! There were transferes last week and me and my companion are both staying here in Forestal Viña del Mar! Im very grateful to stay here their are so many people we are working with about I want to keep helping them! 

Christmas time is such a great time to be a missionary their are so many people that are so excited to hear a message about Jesus and learn more about him! Although here it doesn't feel like Christmas is soon at all, because it's like 90 degrees everyday and I'm dieing of sweet!😂 

This week the Matus family had us over for a FHE and it was really good but I really just realized the great goodness of there hearts! They truly don't have anything but went out of their way to make us a dessert. I know they really don't have anything and still shared with us. And I know this really happens so much and it saddens my heart to know and see they way these people have to live. eEveryone has an "American Dream" a hope for a better life I am so grateful for the USA and the great opportunity I had, to grow up there, it truly is a land of freedom, God, and opportunities! And like it says on so many coins, dollar bills, and buildings, "in God we trust" this 4 words are so important we truly need to put our trust in God and follow his inspired promptings like it says in 1 Nephi 3:7 "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

I know that when we put our trust in the lord and "go and do" the things he asks of us we will recive blessings.

PROS DOG

Something a little bit funnier that happened this week is we were visiting a few different people and and this dog just started following us so we named it Bruce, and then it just kept following us😂 we went into a lesson had a good lesson and when we left, and there was Bruce waiting for us! It was so funny he just followed us for like 3 hours that day waiting for us outside of lessons and appointments! 

sorry my brain has been very scattered during this email, it's probably really hard to understand my scatterbrain. I'm sorry. But know that this church is true! Jesus Christ came to the earth, and was killed for all of our sins, this is His church the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. And His work is going forward everyday!! Jesus loves y'all! And have a good week!

-Elder Olsen

12.5.22

 This week truly has been a crazy one! And made for some interesting stories🤦‍♂️ but I'd first like to start with a bit of a spiritual thought! I was reading in Moroni 7 and part of it says:

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men? have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased?

    Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?

    Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men."

With this I testify that NO miracles have not stopped! This week has been really hard there have been a lot of doors slammed in our faces a lot of canceled lessons. And it has all been really hard but through it all I have still seen so many miracles we found a new family from Venasuela and the are incredible! We have so many people that have been prepared for us! Another miracle I saw this week is the great power that exists through the priesthood me and my companion were asked to give 3 different blessing for people with bad health it was such a great experience I could truly feel the great power of the priesthood working through me and I am so very grateful that each one of them are doing better! In ending I just want you all to know that God truly does love you! You are his special child! God has a plan for you and is with you every step of the way. This is the true church of Christ and it truly is moving forward!

*Living as a district!*

So my district is made up of six elders and four of us live in a quad which has been really fun but this week the companion to my district leader got emergency transferred which was really sad, but now my district leader has joined our quad and so our entire District is living together in our apartment it has been awesome I have laughed a lot and learned so much more they're all such great missionaries and great examples to me. 

*Sorry Presidente I didn't go to the beach the beach came to me*

So a couple days ago it was past 9:30 and we were relaxing after a long day with lots of walking Elder Meiers was doing some laundry and Elder Humphries started making Arroz con Leche when we heard elder Humphries yell from the kitchen I come running in and ask "what happened?" And the laundry machine draines into a big laundry sink and somehow it got plugged and was overflowing onto the floor I walked in and start unplugged the drain when the huge laundry sink completely full of water just falls and shatters at my feet, it was so funny, and now there is like 3 inches of water on the floor of our laundry room and kitchen elder tello grabs a broom and violently starts sweeping the water back into the kitchen to keep it from going into our bedrooms we all start frantically running around our apartment grabbing all the towels we can find and start mopping up and ringing out the towels into the kitchen sink it was all so funny we were all laughing so hard, the way that everything happen was just so funny it took us about an hour to get everything cleaned up but we did and it was hilarious.

*5 days sober*

okay to explain this a little bit more last week we were eating lunch with a member family and we finished all the food, and then we had dessert and then they offered us some "juice" and they told us it was just "juice" but they only poured us a little bit so we could try it we tried the "juice" so I took a sip and the flavor was weird and tasted a little bit carbonated so I asked if it was carbonated and they said no it's just "juice". did you like it? and that is when I saw the bottle that the "juice" came from it said "wild berry and vodka" my heart sank I felt horrible i had never drank alcohol in my entire life and now as a missionary i just broke a comandment, and then they offered to give it to us as a gift and we accepted their gift *just so we could throw it away for them* they did not realize it had alcohol so we gladly took the bottle and threw it away right after we left their house, that day I felt horrible I felt bad for drinking alcohol. and also I just felt weird with the alcohol in my system. It was a weird day and not something I ever want to do again. But looking back it's so funny.

*Service*

This week we had some awesome service projects with a family Macarena and Mario who is a family that we are teaching that is so great! Service is so awesome! We got to help dig and haul dirt from behind their house! I am so very excited for this family that are literally making so many changes in their lives to follow the gospel Mario has stopped smoking and drinking and they have all realized the importance of family and have worked so hard to have more family time together! The have changed so much for the better and are all just so awesome! 

- Elder Olsen 

PS here are some random pictures from the week

11.14.22

 

Hello everyone!!!!! I hope you are all having a great week! My week has been so good and here are a couple of stories from my week!

One story that was awesome! 

    It starts in the morning we always pray for guidance and then plan our day. We prayed and then started planning, we planned most of our day but there was about 2 hours that we couldn't think of anything to do it was like our minds went blank(I didn't know this  then but God was guiding us not to have a plan for this time) we decided to just go forward in our day with the plan that we did have we do all our plan up to this blank spot in our schedule and than we decide to knock this street where one of our friends had told us he lived but didn't give us an exact direction so we started knocking doors and I was about to skip this house because it was nothing like the house he had described but then I had the thought that we should knock it anyway, I lean up to the gate and yell ALO!!(that's how we knock in Chile) we wait a minute our so and this lady comes to the door and we talk to her for a minute and she invites us in to hear our message and we start talking and getting to know her we start sharing the restoration and she is asking so many questions not because she is doubting our message but because she truly has such a strong desire to understand! It was awesome the spirit was so stronge and it was so special! I'm so excited for her and her desire to learn and understand our message and finally find peace! At this point is when I knew that God had Guided us not to have a plan because he knew we were gonna find her and he was preparing her to hear our message! 

     I know that God guides us even we it feels like he is not, he truly has a plan and is prepared every needful thing in that plan! God truly loves us and knows each one of us by name! 

Another story

Me and Elder Humphries found a service project and invited our district leader and his comp to come help us. We were painting a house and listening to some of the youth theme music I was vibin' and sang along to the line "I am a son of God" and Elder Mandonado responds immediately "creo que no"(I belive not) he doesn't know much English and was so confused why we were all laughing we then explained it to him and he laughed to! It was hilarious! 

I know this church is true and like Joseph Smith said "the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

-Elder Simeon Olsen

11.7.22

 HELLLOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have had a great week here in Chile!!! We have had a really busy week. We have had lots of lessons fall through and a lot of great spiritual lessons and the people we are teaching are progressing! Ricardo is getting baptized this week! 

This week there were 5 earthquakes( that's why the title says "this week was a little shaky")

I love the conference talk from this last conference that talked about how when we don't know what to say testify of the restoration and the spirit will guide you in want to say, it is so true there have been many times where I didn't know what to say(especially in Spanish) but I remembered this talk and tried it and it really does work that spirit can guide us in so many ways and can help keep us stay safe and guide us in every moment and make our actions inline with God's desires. I know the spirit is so powerful and the best teacher, this is the true church and we recive blessings from God everyday.

The missionary work here in chile really is progressing I'm loving every moment and learning so much! I am so glad I have this great opportunity to bring people to this saving knowledge of joy, love, and peace through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So that was a letter from 2 week's ago that I forgot to send...🤦‍♂️so here is this week...😆

The baptism of ricardo was so special and I am so happy and excited for him the spirit was so strong! 

This week was good! We had transfers and now I am in the Forestal area which is basically part of Viña del mar. So it's a lot different but so good. My new comp is Elder Humphries he is great and we have had some good lessons and great moments here I am super excited to work so hard here in Forestal! There are so many people that are really to hear our message we just gotta find 'em. 

We are living in a quad so 4 elders in one apartment so that has been super exciting. It's fun, I have learning so much and am so happy to be here. One of the elders in our apartment is brand new so it's been fun showing him new Chilean things like mate(a cup full of grass that you dump hot water in to make tea) I don't love it but it's very popular here, and when he tried it for the first time it was super funny he coughrd as he choked it down and than said its not as bad as i thought it would be. We are all learning lots.

Anyway that has been my week! The church is true and moving forward here in Chile hope yall have a great week! 

-Elder Simeon Olsen

9.26.22

Sorry I haven't emailed in so long!! but yes I am still alive! So much has happened! The Church is true and there is so much work to do! 

This week has been great! We taught Gossett and his 9 year old daughter and they are both progressing very good! and I am learning more every day. and I am learning how I can help these great people in Chile! 

A member taught us how to make empanadas!!! which was awesome and so fun! This guy has like a bakery and all the equipment and it was super cool! 

one thing I am grateful for this week is the scriptures. I have had more time to study and focus everyday on the gospel. It is incredible and I learn so much. I know the Book of Mormon is true! I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God on the earth. 

We had a lesson with this family that has a giant dog. This thing is huge! and it got out during our lesson so we were helping this lady catch it. she lives a bit outside of town and so we are just running through these fields trying to catch this dog. It was so funny. and we did catch it and were able to bring it back😂 Dogs are crazy here there are so many and so many stray dogs that just live in the street! one time we were trying to knock on this door and we were standing on the sidewalk outside the house and there were more than 8 dogs all around us barking and growling at us! it was crazy but so far they only bark and don't bite so that is good😂

about a month ago we were teaching this girl mostly over zoom and we had some great lessons with her she came to church with us a bunch of times and then we found out she actually lives in the area of Ovalle Sur our area is Limari so we sent her information to the Ovalle Sur elders and they worked with her and yesterday we had the opportunity to go to her baptism!! It was great. I am so excited for the decision  she is making to come unto Christ. 

Sorry for not emailing more often I will do better! but I know this church is true and I know that God loves his children in all parts of the world

-Elder Simeon Olsen

8.29.2022

 its been crazy! the missionary work is so good we are teaching so many people and so many people are interested. I feel like we dont have enough time in the day to help everyone. I had my first exchange this week and it was good I went to combarbola area. and worked that day with Elder Mensching it was great  we went to an hermanas house that was getting baptized that week and got to talk with her and share some about the importance of baptism. Elder Mensching is great he taught me a bunch I am applying it and it has been helpful! after exchanges back in my area with my companion elder timana and we had talked to this family about the for the strength of youth pamphlet and we where taking one to that family and on our way we get this phone call and its one of the people we are teaching and the say I know I had to cut our visit short last time but I am ready to listen to your message now, and we are standing on the edge of the road and me and my companion look at each other and we are yeah we can share with you right now just a second and we ran across the street to a bench and and shared with her the messege of the resturation over the phone which was not ideal(over the phone next to the road) but we were able to share and talk with her and we have another appointment to teach her more! I know the Lord works with use no matter where we are he can work with that and help us help others, not always in the ways we want or understand, but he still always is there to help us. I think of the poem footprints in the sand 

"One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

the Lord will always be with us to help us in everyway and if we look back he is always there. I know i have seen his hand in my life and I so grateful for it and for each thing I have learned and I am so grateful to be an intrument in His hands. 

Chile is great my house is great! and I am trying to learn and help people as much as I can. spanish is difficult, whenever I talk with members they make jokes about  how I cannot understand which is funny really most the people I have meet are so kind and have so much patience with me and my awful spanish. something they talked about in the CCM is that the language of the spirit is universal and i think that is so true because there have been times where I have been able feel the spirit like when I accompanied a primary  kid as they sang I love to see the temple for an activity and I didnt understand everyword but I could feel the spirit. and I hope the people I talk to even though my spanish is so broken I hope they can still feel the spirit. 

-Elder Olsen

Here are some pictures

8.3.21

 I have absolutely loved being here at the CCM. I learn so much each day. The spirit is so strong. I am learning so much of the gospel and spanish I got to please the sacrament in our ward this week in spanish which was a really cool experience. I am so grateful for everything I've learned and I leave for Chile monday! I am so excited!

In other news I got a haircut and the lady who cut my hair only speaks Spanish. I sit down and she asks uno, dos, o tres? In my mind i think well 2 has got to be medium so i say dos, she starts cutting my hair and i decide that i should practice my spanish we talk about my mission and my family and then i look up and i've got the most crooked bowl cut i've ever seen and I let out a quiet laugh but the decide not say anything and I don't know how but by the end of the haircut it looked pretty alright😂

The church is true and I am so grateful for it and so grateful for everything that I am learning.

Hurray for Israel!

-Elder Sim Olsen

Mexico MTC CCM

 

The MTC here is absolutely insane. I love it so much, it's so great. I made it here safely. Driving on the bus was absolutely terrifying. I thought we were gonna run over so many cars. Everyone is such a bad driver. but somehow most of them aren't rolling on the side of the road. I don't understand how they're not. but I made it to the MTC. I am learning so much every day. I have class a lot most of the day and they give us some time to study which is so good. my Spanish is improving I get to practice with some people who don't know any English which has been really helpful and frustrating at times because I can understand what they say but responding is difficult I'm learning so much the spirit is so strong here I feel it every day I learn from it every day I'm grateful for this gospel grateful for the church and it's truthfulness.

My companion and I got called to be the district's leader for our district here at the MTC and being his campaign I help him with that but it was really cool because our branch president doesn't speak English he called him over the pulpit and right then there we stood up we went up onto the stand and then he's like he told us that we had to pick a language leader and a health leader and we went into his office we knelt down we said a prayer in Spanish and he gave us a paper to look at and on that paper was our district is like all right who is your health leader and language leader and we both new who it should be, we let her found out that the person we chose for health theater had four years of health study and knew a lot of that which we hadn't known when we chose them. The spirit really truly is a guide and I learned so much from it.

I love the devotionals I learned so much each day and I'm so very grateful for them I'm grateful for everything I'm learning the president of the MTC is such a good man he has taught us all so much and him and his wife are so friendly and are so truthful in the gospel in teaching us and helping us learn a cool story from the devotional last night was about the pioneers and about Brigham Young and how he climbed the top of ensign peak in terrible health and that they he put a yellow bandana on his cane and they waived that as a banner, a banner of missionary work and going forward teaching the gospel to all nations it was really special and we all got up and shouted hurrah for Israel hurrah for Israel hurrah for Israel. And the sang high on a mountain top, it was so incredible. 

The church is true, I love learning and slowly understanding more and more each day. The gift of tongues is real, I see God's hand in my life each day I promise you if you look for his hand in your life you will see it to. I'm so grateful. 

-Elder Simeon Olsen

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL

here are some pictures

MTC in Mexico

 First pictures of MTC in Mexico.  We got a short email saying that Simeon had arrived safely and would call in 9 days.  He did. Someday maybe he will explain each of these.