¡Learn as a family! (week 31)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!!!!! This week was soooo crazy.....a ton went down, so hopefully I can remember to get all that I need to say in.

For starters PASTO IS AWWWWWWWESOME....I love it here soooo much. We are working in a ward called Mariluz, we share the area with our zone leaders. But our part of the area is MOUNTAIN, MOUNTAIN AND MORE MOUNTAIN, Grandpa Olsen is gonna have nothing on me when I am done here! There are views EVERYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE....I love it. I AM ALSO HAPPY TO SAY that my hearing aids are doing much better.....I still need some wax guards, but I will not have to change them as often.

I love my new pesionista....Hermana Lidia, she makes TONS of food for us. She always makes us popcorn because she is always still cooking as we get there, her popcorn tastes like it has a ton of butter of it....but she does not use any butters, it's rad. And because we cannot rent washing machines here she charges 10 bucks a month.......we love Hermana Lidia!

The sisters left a giant list of people that we needed to meet and contact, but a lot of them didn't really work out. We spent days and days looking for addresses of people that just were not interested.....we have a few families that can really progress though.

Jhon Cardenas is a recent convert that is about 17 years old.....he met the missionaries because he is really good friends with Hermana Lidia's daughter. We have been teaching his mom and SHE IS READY. She will not accept a date though because she wants to be baptized with her husband and her 8 year old son......her husband is not really interested though. I don't know, I have tons of faith that we can get her a date though.

We were also working with our ward mission leader one day....just on a random street looking for addresses, when an old lady came up to us and was like "do you know Juan Camillo....come here.....come here." Soooo yeah it was kinda a miracle because her little 13 year old grandson is a member. He is a special little boy and HE LOVES THE GOSPEL, the grandma really has a testimony too....but there is a problem, she promised her 13 year old grandson that he could baptize her.....I don't know, I have faith about that too. One day we went over there because we were close and I really needed to use the bathroom and her son (the grandsons dad) was there....he's a professor and he has weird hours I guess...but anyways, we just shared the 1st vision video that day. Her son left for a minute though and she turned to us and said "I was praying that you boys would come today," turns out the Holy Ghost can work through your bladder!

John is good....he has he quirks but I have mine. So far he has been the easiest to work with and understands that I do not have perfect Spanish, and that's okay.

Today was a good P-day....I went to some Costco type place and I BOUGHT A NEW CAMERA....it's an early birthday present to me....from me! (Awwwe...he's so good to himself!) I decided to go for it because I always see something that I wanna take a picture of, but I am never happy with the photos from the other camera....so hopefully this one is better. We also had a district activity....Elder Corbett organized the "Bachue Games" basically each companionship was a team and we did a whole bunch of games to earn points. Whoever had the most points in the end won and Elder Corbett would bring them a prize tomorrow in district meeting.....the zone leaders won but it was still a lot of fun.

I like Pasto! I think its gonna be a great transfer....I am hoping, I have faith! I am glad that we actually have FAMILIES to teach...not just people. I really wanted to do a challenge that was a little more fun so I decided to have two challenges.

For mom and dad the challenge is to have family home evening. For the rest of you the challenge is to make an effort to go....this challenge should include the following:

1. Sharing of favorite scriptures and talking about the significance.

2. FOOOD!

3. A minute to talk about how proud of me you all are, and to write me handwritten letters. (Again...he's so good to himself! Haha)

4. Go to the post office to send those letters on your way to Cold Stone. (Now he's being good to my dad and I! He's knows it's our fav!)

5. Take pictures and send them.

I promise you guys that you can feel the spirit both as an individual and as a family STRROOOOOONGLY. Let the scriptures guide the discussion and learn from each other...learn as a family......I cannot wait to hear all about it.

LOVE YOU HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS,

Elder Olsen

P.S HAPPIEST OF HAPPY BIRTHDAYS GOES TO MOMMMMMMMMMY, LOVE YOU!!!!

These are just some quick photos of the area...