YOU GUYS!!!!!!
Thank you sooooo much for all writing me.....I tried to reply a little bit to each of you but I don´t get a ton of time here, plus the keyboard is super complicated and frustrating but it´s all good I will figure it out.
The plane rides were very good....on the first one I had an aisle seat.....next to me was another Elder on his way to Peru and across the aisle was another Elder on his way to South Africa.....we had a bunch of good conversations....the kid going to Africa was teaching the girl next to him and she asked if he had any information about the church.......he didn't so i was actually able to give out my pass along card!!! (WINNING) The second flight was a liiiiitttle more different.......us elder´s were the only one´s that spoke English.....i sat next to two nice Colombian ladies who decided that they were going to adopt me.......so that´s cool i guess xD
We got here at like 11:30ish i think.....the driving wasn´t too weird because it was suuuuuper late.....so yeah we got our companions....got showed to our rooms (and of course a got a shoe box sized one but it is whatever) and we went to bed....the next day we had orientations, first emails, first classes ......first everything!!! it was a good day!! Colombian food is either really really really good or really bad there really isn´t anything that I think is just okay......my stomach doesn´t always agree with the food though and that has caused some problems if you know what i mean ;) (Fun fact from Aubrey here, Garrett emailed me privately the complete story of this and called it my birthday present. HA! I've never gotten a better email, or birthday present for that matter, in my life! I can't share all the details, but just know that Elder Olsen is already having some funny experiences!!) We eat a lot of fried foods so the CCM smells like oil all the time!! we also eat lots of rice, soups, and meat!! the rice is okay it usually has like roast and peas and weird stuff that does not belong in rice in it......the soup is either really goood or really bad last night I had a chicken noodle soup kinda thing with a piece of corn on the cob in it.....cause you know that´s normal i guess.....I actually don´t really care for the juice BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THE SODA!!! there is this one soda that is super good....it does not taste like bubblegum but the only thing i can compare it to is bubble gum.....sooooo good!!
I struggle with the whole companion thing, I think we both kinda do. I can´t go to the bathroom alone....I can´t eat alone....there´s just no privacy and for a very private person like me it´s a struggle!!! We share a room with Elder Sadana from Peru and Elder Flores from Bolivia....I LOVE THEM!!! They are quick to help us with our Spanish, eat whatever food we don´t want and help me with hearing aid stuff and tying ties....they are kinda the best.
Spanish is difficult but I am literally surrounded by it everyday....I have already learned how to pray, testify, and a whole bunch of other things in Spanish...I have also had to write AND GIVE A SACRAMENT TALK (bet you can imagine how thrilled i was about that one) All my teachers (Hermano Arango and Hermano Casiblanca) are native but they speak perfect English...it´s not like it´s Spanish all the time like some people told me it would be :) We have lots of language challenges where we have to go testify to the natives and stuff.....I hate those but my Spanish gets better and better the more that i talk to them...but my Spanish is easily the worst out of all the kids that came with me.
My investigator´s name is Jaime......he looks a lot like Hermano Casiblanca ;) we have taught him 3 times....he has already read parts of the BOM...prayed about it, wants to go to the celestial kingdom and will be joining us at church this weekend :) We are lucky cause the other companionship in my district have a HAAAAARD investigator (ten people came out with me so they made a district of 4 and a district of 6.....I am in the district of 4)
I could go on about how hard it is here.....never before I have felt so stressed, so unworthy, so frustrated but at the same time I have never felt as close to my heavenly father as i have here......the best advice anybody gave me about the CCM was Landon Carter....I remember him talking about how Satan is gonna work on you and make you feel unworthy and that is 100% true!! I was thinking the other day how easy it would be if I didn´t come out here and that´s not true life is not mermaids and rocket ships the struggle will always be real but so will Christ :)
So this week for my weekly challenge I want you all to write down everything that is going good for you.....and everything that is bad, I want you to compare because i know you´ll be able to see how blessed you really are........it´s not necessary but if you wanna write me about the experience that would be cool too!! (I challenge everyone reading this blog to complete the challenge Garrett gave. I think it's a great one! I'm so proud of that boy!!!)
Love,
Ëlder Olsen
He said he had Halloween candy in his mouth in this picture!
(We interrupt this blog for breaking news!!! Garrett's cousin Krista just saw this very attractive picture of our missionary on her friend's instagram. It's a small world after all!!
Hahaha I imagine this is the face Garrett makes when the food doesn't agree with him. Too far? I don't think so, I think I'm hilarious!
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