Little By Little (week 79)

Hey you guys!!!

This email is gonna be on the shorter side because I wrote an email to the priest quorum!!! 

But this week was okay.....a little hard but it's all good!!! Our area is a little tricky because its been about 9 months since missionaries have been working here. Our area book is basically empty soooo we have basically been contacting our list of future investigators and contacting in general hahahaha so its been hard but its been good!

Living in a house with 4 missionaries is insane!!! AND THEY ALL FROM ECUADOR!!! That makes things different hahaha all the same locura that you would see in The Best Two Years movie.....actually happens!!! It's just kinda hard for me because they are all from the same culture and they click that way........and I just kinda don't!!

Elder Allphin is an awesome district leader though!!! I am lucky to have him for sure.....and he always tells me what Hermana Lidia is up to hahahahaha.....sure do miss her!!!

Buuuuuuut yeah all is well......I am figuring things out little by little buuuuut only time will tell. I feel like Heavenly Father has big things in store for me that's for sure.....just need to figure them out!

Anyways family.....love you!!! Keep doing what you need to be doing...or I will pass the saw ;)

LOOOOVE YOU,

ELDER OLSEN

The Latest and Greatest Adventure!!!! (week 78)

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!!! I got sooo lucky and we are writing at an internet place that actually has internet that doesn't bloooooow so maybe I can pull a good letter today......maybe.

This last week was busy, busy, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusy!!! We were basically teaching L everything that she needed to know for her baptism, but also running errands so everybody else could have their baptisms.....it was kinda teeeenaz!!! Buuuut we pulled through! Elder Chacon did her interview and he is awesome so that made me feel better and sheeeeeeeeeee passed!!! She wanted a small baptism and only invited her mom and her sister......it was so weird!!! I didn't exactly know how to make an agenda for the baptism sooo I didn't and President Rengifo wasn't very happy about that......buuuuts it's all good :)

We also spent a lot of the week saying goodbye to everyone which was sooooo hard!!! R and L literally both starting to CRRRRY THEIR EYES OUT!!! And I just kinda sat there liiiiiiike what do I do? It was hard though......we have been working really to help them finally get married so L can be baptized and R can get the sacerdocio!!! Little by little I am sure Elder Ancalle and his new companion got this!!! (Garrett hasn't mentioned it yet but he was transferred back to Pasto! Hermana Lidia wrote my mom on facebook and told her Sunday night so we knew beforehand which is why he didn't mention it at the beginning of his letter!) 

Hermana C was literally the same story, she CRIED AND SHE CRIED AND SHE CRIED!!!! She actually signed my Colombian flag!

The M Family also had a goodbye party for me.......we made coke cola chicken (which is bomb btw) and played games!!! They also sewed me a Doraemon pillow and made me a Doraemon sign hahahahahaha but it was really fun UNTIL everyone started to crrrrry and cry and crrrry hahahahahah!!!

Occidente was actually a pretty hard area for me to leave......it's the area that I had spent the most time of my mission in so it was kinda a challenge....but I am super stoked to be here in PASTO!!! I am serving in the area right next to my old one.....it's called BACHUE!! (BAH....CHU....AY) We're actually opening the area!!! And when I say opening the area, I mean opening the area.....when I got to Pasto (the first time) there was Bachue 1 and Bachue 2 but the Hermanas got taken out of Pasto and it just became Bachue......and now it has returned!!! It will be hard but we got this!! My companion is Elder Franco from Guayaquil Ecuador!!! 

I was a little upset cause I wasn't called as a DL anymore but then I realized two things:

1.) I am literally opening a new area

2.) Elder Alfphin (that's spelled wrong....I know it is) is my district leader and that is gonna be the bestest!!!

Another cool thing is that we will be living in an apartment with 4 Elders!!! I have never been in an apartment like that soooo it's gonna be super chill and I am way stoked for it!!! My Zone Leader (Elder Rosa) took me to visit and eat with Hermana Lidia today.....it was awesome!! It has been FOREVER since I have seen her.......mi hermanito Jose Manuel has his call for Mexico I am so excited for their family it's gonna be so awesome for them!!!

So yeah it will be good!!! It's what the Lord whats right now so I can do it!!!

Pues my family!!! Thank you for all your support and all of your prayers!!! I can feel them and I appreciate them!! 

LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE YOU!!!

ELDER OLSEN

 Only cool district leaders bring their district Chinese rice for breakfast

 There are some Argentine hippies that take their car all over North and South America.....they fund their trips by having movie nights for kids all over the place.....they were in R's neighborhood so that's kinda cool!!

 L was baptized....yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!

 Chillin with R and L during church!!

The Marin family literally threw me a Doraemon themed goodbye party......it was chill!!!

MAMITA LIDIA!!! Also my comp is the one on the very right!

Progress and More Progress (week 77)

Helllllo People that share genetics and blood type with me!!! ¿¿cOOOOMO ESSSSSTAN?? I hope that you are doing really well and that all of your wildest dreams are coming true!

This week waaaaaaaaas sooo good!!! It was just really chill and we were able to make a lot of progress!!!

L is doing really well, the last time I wrote she only had the first lesson (because she loves to talk so much hahahahaah) but now she has L1, L2, L3, the word of wisdom, chastity and tithing!!! Sooo we have been working SUUUUUPER HARD so that she will make her date for Saturday.....she wants to be baptized before I leave but we will see!!! This week she found out that when I was learning Japanese that I liked to watch and read Doraemon......she also learned that there isn't a version in English!! So she wrote me the Spanish lyrics to the theme song and told me I have to learn and sing it to her family before I go hahahahahahahahahah!!!

We also visited D and his sister has been telling him all about how she misses going to church with him!!! He's been going to the catholic mass.....he basically told us I will keep reading the BOM and I still believe in these things but I need a break and I know where to find you guys when I am ready to talk again......it was hard but it wasn't exactly unexpected either!!!

We have been working hard to find a lot of new investigators.....the majority of our news life in the Ortigal....basically a little village off the highway hahaha we literally have to walk about a half hour to get there but it's all good!!!

John is doing well, sometimes he thinks that he knows more than he really does (especially when it comes to English) and that's hard sometimes.....buuut I have grown to love him!!! He's a fun kid!!!

Today was literally such a fun day!!! The LZ decided to play soccer again so I called Elder Gardner and Elder Acosta and was like "uhhhhhm I don't wanna play soccer again soooo lets go do something" hahahah we never know what we are gonna do until we do it!!! We ended up picking up my suit (thanks mommy love you) and then spending the day in the center....I ended up buying a new jersey (oooops) and Elder Acosta bought a parques board so we played while eating lunch.....the LZ have never told me that they don't like how I steal my district from the zone activity's but it's obvious!!! But I would rather experience this country rather than play a game of soccer.....so it's all good!

Anyways I love you guys all so much!!! I will continue to pray and think about you guys!!! 

Stay golden,

Elder Olsen

Picked up the tan suit today!!! Thanks mommy!! 

 Playing "parques" with Elder Gardner and Elder Acosta

Parques and lunch

This is where we ate today

My fish!!!

 I loved the way Elder Gardner was eating and playing at the same time......haha dork!!

 We found some cool giant spiders!!!

Miracles...They Exist (week 76)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY FAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIRYY!!!

Before I begin I just wanted to acknowledge that I sent like over 40 photos today.....that's literally winning.

This week was really good.....we were able to get some new investigators so that's good.....we have been working really far from where we usually do going out to places like the Ortigal and stuff like that, its been different but it's good!! We found a really cool family down there named the family M and they totally came to church this Sunday.....only the first hour but it's still pretty cool!

During church Hermana C bore her testimony about how one of her family members wants to get baptized after talking to the missionaries.....immediately I knew she was talking about L!! She is an investigator that we have had since well FOREVER.....even Elder Padilla taught her, but she always has liked to just chat with us and rant to us about her problems....we couldn't read scriptures with her much because if we read anything that said "bautismo" she would get offended. Buuuut this week we had a miracle and she just kinda changed her mind.....and during church we pulled her out of the class and set a date for the 21st sooo we are gonna have to BUUUST it to be able to teach and do everything on time......but we got this.....I know we do!!!!

D has been struggling lately and has been a little difficult to find. His aunt told us that he has been home but hasn't wanted to talk to us lately. Not sure what the deal is with that but everyone has a time and place to listen and learn the gospel and maybe it's just not his time....I am glad that I could plant a seed though.

This week was interviews. We had to learn the missionary commission and recite it to Hermana Whitesides....it was pretty hard because it's actually pretty long!! But I loved my interview with President.....I always just feel sooooo much better about things after talking to him.....he's the best!!!

Also I got my x-rays and I am doing just fine, thank you for worrying about me.

Anyways I gotta go but I love you all so much!! I am praying for you all every single day!! Thank you for all of your support.....you guys mean so much to me!!!

Love You,

Elder Olsen

 Missionaries of Occidente riding on a bus!!!

 The Musuem of Natural History (of the University of Cauca)

 A map of the building

It has a plague so it's official!!!

 The rock exhibit

 Those are dinosaur teeth

 Touching stingrays with Elder Gardner

 Alligators are cool

This exhibit was in the hallway 

 Vultures are cool!

 Mariposas!!!

 Some German People took this photo for us

More exhibits that were interesting 

 Another interesting exhibit

Never a dull moment with Elder Pulver 

  I loved the bird exhibit

Elder Gardner and I with the moose

 My gringos and I with the polar bear

 More interesting exhibits

They literally had exhibits in the middle of the hallways 

Old buildings are so rad

Standing in front of the entrance