August 31, 2017 Area Conference

About a week ago I found out that Mitchell's new Mission President has created a Facebook Page.  This is wonderful news because there was an Area Conference today and they posted a few pictures from the conference.  Mitchell is sitting in the back on the isle where he likes to sit.  It makes me happy to see my missionary working hard and getting wonderful training from his leaders.

August 28, 2017 A Normal Week in Atoyac - Tender Mercy

Dear Mom and everyone,

This week was pretty boring, we did hardly anything interesting. Wednesday, we went to teach a young couple. They seem kind of interested more the wife than the husband but they are expecting a baby any day now so while see what happens with that. 

Thursday, we had been running late to almost every appointment we had but we had a bunch of cool lessons. one we had with that part time family. we realized that we need to focus more on the 11-year-old kid because his sisters don't seem to want to do the things that this requires. so, we started focusing on him more and we hope that his sisters get a little animated about the church. Later we went to less active youth and just read the Book of Mormon it’s cool because you can see that he realizes that its true the more he reads. 

Friday, an ex-missionary came out and helped us knock on doors and give us some pointers and now we have like 5 appointments Wednesday. Later we ate with a recent convert and planned a FHE with her and her sisters who aren't members. After we went to a youth, we had to say good bye to him because he’s moving to a little town about 5 hours away, but his dad is going to stay here, we are going to send the referral to the missionaries over there (if there are missionaries over there). In the night, we had a FHE at the bishops he brought some Less actives and we brought that part member family but only the mom and that boy could come. Saturday everything fell through, so we went with a member and he took us and introduced us to his friends. One of them came to church yesterday and we had a cool lesson with him in the church. we hope he can progress. 

Oh, and guess what, I took my camera out to take a picture of our food calendar and I left it in the church, we passed by but it wasn't there and there’s no lost and found here so I think someone might have taken it. but it probably would have broken anyway because it rained unexpectedly and we got absolutely soaked looking for a reference, we ended up going to a member’s house and there lent us a dry white shirt and pants. The sad part was the reference wasn't even home.

oh, by the way tell Taymar happy birthday from me.

Well I love you all,

Elder Olsen

And here is the rest of the story.  So Mitchell's email didn't come in until like 10:30 that night!  I quickly read it and the last thing he wrote was that he lost his camera.  This devastated me.  I don't care much about the camera, it's the pictures that are on the SD card of his mission.  Well, I didn't sleep well that night because I worried about his camera, hoping an honest person had found it at the church and would return it to him. Well, on Wednesday afternoon while I was at work, I got an unexpected email from him asking when the Winter Semester at BYUI started.  I quickly emailed back saying I would find out and that his dad said to use his credit card to buy a new camera.  He emailed right back and said, "I found it, I changed back packs because it got wet and it was in the wet back pack."  Oh, our Mitchell.  He can be a little absent minded at times.  What a relief and a tender mercy.  Maybe this is a sign that he needs to send his mother his pictures and make sure he had downloaded his pictures to his external drive.  What a great blessing!

August 22, 2017 A Sick Week

Dear Mom and everyone,

This week was pretty slow because I ended up with a migraine and food poisoning at the same time. It was nice to rest but we did almost nothing. Tuesday, we took photos to renew my visa, (yesterday I completed 11 months.) Then we had a cool lesson with that part member family. we then went to the other side of the area and have a few lessons and we finished with a FHE.

Thursday, I just felt awful, we just went to our sure appointments and we went home and I slept for like 4 hours. When I woke up the sister we live with bought me some pasta, she’s super nice. 

We really didn't do much after that, we found some people and a lot of appointments fell. Oh, and then Monday we went to write and the internet went out in all of Mexico. so that’s why I'm writing today. oh, and we went to a FHE and made pizza and they came out really well. 

Well I love you all,

Elder Olsen

Anyway, pretty 

August 14, 2017 A Good Week's Work

Dear mom and everyone,

This week was pretty cool we are working pretty hard trying to find new people to teach and teaching the ones we have. Tuesday, we had a cool lesson with a recent convert and we told her to share the gospel with her family. She had done it and is trying to take them to church. Then after lunch the member we ate with took us to her aunt’s house to get to know her. It was cool because she really wants to find the truth but it will be hard because she can't read, well see how it goes. That night I called to sushi place but the wait was 2 hours so I decided to wait.

Wednesday, I did my first divisions as a DL. It was cool but it was with the mission secretaries so we stayed in the offices most of the time. When we finally left we only found one person nobody else was home.

Thursday, we had a really cool lesson with the part member family. They had a bunch of questions and that was super cool because we can really focus on what they need. 

Friday, I finally called the sushi early so I did get to eat sushi Friday and Saturday morning it was good but nothing like Masa. oh well.

Saturday, we had two lessons with the part member family. We focused on the sabbath day because one of them only works Sundays. So, we talked to her and she’s going to pray to know what to do to because to keep it. and then in the second lesson her mom was like, you need to find another job. That was cool.

Life it going really good, just really tired. My pants are great my socks everything is holding up really well. I need to send my suit to the dry cleaner but other than that fine. cooking to going ok. Last Monday I made like a fajita with chicken and queso (that real Oaxacan cheese It’s a lot better than what is sold up there). Being a trainer is good, it helps that my comp knows a lot he’s really prepared. That activities aren't going so well, we wanted to talk to the bishop about that but he hasn't been able to listen to us but oh well. 

Well I love you all, in 6 day I’ll have 11 months in the mission so that’s cool. 

Elder Olsen

August 7, 2017 Save it be one Soul

Dear mom and everyone,

This week was super busy, Tuesday we had a great lesson with the part member family we talked about prophets and the importance of them. They really paid attention and accepted a baptism date for sept 2. 

Wednesday, we realized that the ward isn't supporting us as much as it could be, so we planned in the morning ways that we could help them to help us. We have a program for FHE trying to have one every night to have an event to bring our investigators so we are going to start teaching them how to share the gospel. Also, we are going to have mission activities every month. oh, and I bought a new set of scriptures because my others were breaking and I wanted the triple and the bible separate

Thursday, we had a really cool lesson with the family that let us in from the rain last Saturday we had a cool lesson because the son just came up and listened to us we weren't expecting him to do that. Friday, we were planning on talking to our ward mission leader on the changes we wanted to do but he snaked out on us. Saturday, we had a cool fhe and made pizza.

Sunday, in ward council we had an experience that was interesting but that’s how it is some times. After we went to help a member to the hospital. He has high blood pressure been fighting it for a while now. After we did what we could we went and walked about 2 or 3 miles because all the people we went to weren't home. 

 This week we walk and work a lot so I'm exhausted but I feel good about the work we've done I hope you guys can help and feel the joy promised in DC 18: 15-16.

(15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this 

people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in 

the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into 

the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!)

I love you all 

Elder Olsen

July 31, 2017 Finding Nuevos

Dear Mom and everyone,

This week was a little slow again, we are still looking for new people to teach but we were able to find some more people. Wednesday, we did have a Zone conference so that was cool. Pres. taught us the blessings we can have if we magnify our calling. It was super interesting he mainly taught us from DC 84. You guys should really read it. We finally got out of there at 4 o’clock ate and waited an hour and a half to get a bus to go to an FHE. When the bus finally gets there, we are an hour late for it. That was a little frustrating but it’s alright. 

Thursday was cool, we climbed a huge hill to get to a part member/less active family. We taught the importance of the Book of Mormon and challenged them to read it. Then our appointment at 6 canceled on us but it was ok because were running late so we had a good lesson with some recent converts.

Friday, we had interviews with Pres. so that was cool. He was super direct and I learned that we can run in the morning. In the afternoon, we changed our tiny fridge to a nice bigger one. and we started to go through our old investigators and found a bunch that we are going to contact this week. 

Saturday, we were going to an old investigator and so we walk into a really big neighborhood and walked and walk finally it started to rain so we took shelter and someone let us in their house gave us mole negro and cake because it was their son’s birthday, that was super cool. It ended up that they were old investigators so we talked a little and set an appointment. 

I'm super close to the temple but the new Pres. says we can only go if our investigators go through so that’s a bummer, the closest one I have can go through in about 4 months so we'll see what happens. My comps good Elder Jimenez is his name, he’s from the state of Mexico and is super cool. Cooking is really hard now because I have to report in the nights so that takes up most of my time at night. This kitchen is nice with the new fridge and table we have a gas stove and oven so that’s nice but we have to use the oven as storage or a cat gets in and eats our bread.

Well I love you all,

Elder Olsen