Service (week 12)

Ohhhhhhh heeeeeeey friends and family!!!!!

It has been succccccccccch a busy week! Usually the weeks go by somewhat fast, but not this week!! It dragged and dragged and dragged on! But some really significant things have happened this week!

First: Transfers!! Usually everyone gets trained with 2 trainers and 1 area.....I am still here and I am still with Elder Chaiña!!! I really kinda wanted a change, I am not upset about it!! We totally have plans to go zoo this transfer so everyone pray that happens!! I am not sure about changes in the zone but I do know that one of the sisters in the district was transferred and we are getting a new one!! Hopefully she is good because we work very closely with the sisters to help the ward out!!

SECOND: something that I am really excited for is the NEW MISSION PRESIDENT WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE FIRST PRESIDENCY!!!!!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHFDHGODHGOSGHOH!! His name is Ray Whitesides!! He is a norte from Utah and should be coming around July!!!

Last week we had our zone conference and it was sooooo weird being with the whole zone one last time and saying goodbye to Elder Reeve.....he was so chill!!! But I am pretty sure Elder Mcdermott is still one of my zone leaders sooo estoy muy feliz sobre eso!!! (That means "I'm very happy about that" gotta love google translate!)

My investagators are doing okay.....not much progress there!! We had a ton of less active members and Blanca at church yesterday........BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT none of them stayed, with that being said Blanca cannot be baptized on the day we picked out for her which blooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooows!!!! But we will get there eventually......eventually.

We have not really visited Sandro and his mom much lately......they are interesting, they always want to talk about cats and drugs!! We asked her about her religious beliefs.....she is very much catholic and we asked her what inspires her faith and she just said her mom and grandma were catholic........so she is catholic!! It is actually really common to be religious for tradition here.....which I do not understand but whatever.

We have a new investigator named Rodrigo!! He owns a heladaria....so obivously I really like him!! (heladaria is an ice cream shop!) But he is also always gone because his church is during the day....all week long so he is always gone....but he is really receptive.

We also have Mileny (probs spelled wrong) we found her through one of less actives.....she's interesting, we had to pray away some of the evil spirits that she saw in her house....but she is also really receptive and has agreed to baptism once she has an answer about the Book of Mormon!! The problem is that she is always busy with her job, so it is hard for us to get appointments with her.

We have been working with a kid named Santiago Ragifo!! He is 26 but does not look a day over 17!! He kinda stopped going to church because he does not have the priesthood.....but if he does not go to church he will not get it!!! ITS SOOOOO FRUSTRATING!!!

But what I really want to talk about is........................MY FIRST BAPTISM!!! YUP SUPRISE!! Henry is the investigator of the sisters and we have worked really closely with him and his son!! His son is not as interested though!! On Friday he had his baptism interview and picked me to baptize him......It went kinda awful but it is okay!! He was not bending his knees or plugging his nose.....and I was not shoving him in the water enough and I learned the all the words the day of soooooo that was kinda shakey....all that being said he had to be baptized 3 times!!! But I am not upset about it...practice makes perfect!! It was a cool opportunity!!! Annnnnd the biggest fear of dropping someone did not happen soooooo that was good!!!

I have been thinking alot about service....I mean I do it all day every day but honestly it is what sets our church apart from the rest....we are expected to serve in callings inside and outside the church....and honestly I think that is the best thing about the church! Service to others is service to God and by doing so we gain a close relationship with Him!! This weeks challenge is to serve!! Accept a calling because you want to......accept a calling because you want to help others and you want to help and gain a better testimony of God!! I know that by doing so you will be blessed.

LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU,

Elder Olsen