REY BENJAMIN (week 83)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMILY!!!!! HOW ARE ALL OF YOU........I hope you are all just doing dandy!!! 

This week was kinda crazy....as always!!! District meeting went as usual this whole week. Elder Allphin looked at our numbers and then went on a rant about how if we are obedient and doing what we need to be they will better.......so that's fun.

On Wednesday I went on divisions in Mariluz.....and it was the bestest!!!! I love that area sooooo dang much!!! I had a nice chat with Hermana Lidia......she was Elder Francos pensionista the last transfer and they have an interesting relationship hahahaha! We are also preparing my little brother to leave on his mission to Mexico!!! Soooo proud of Jose Manuel, he's gonna kill it!! I promised Lidia I would help him so I brought a pair of pants I never wore, some ties, a belt annnnnd wait for it, waaaait for it.....my old camera. I figured the only time I would use it again is if I get robbed.....Heavenly father has blessed me with a lot of resources so I must help others too!!

But the rest of divisions were super nice, I was able to see a bunch of people that I had taught, it's kinda weird but kinda super cool too!!! Elder Allphin is a beast too!!! He only has like 6 almost 7 months in his mission, but he is killing it big time!!! It was nice to learn from him.

Interviews this week were super good too!!! It's always good to sit down and just chat with President and Hermana Whitesides....they really are the best and always have the best advice even in the hardest of situations!!! Hermana Whitesides didn't only give me one package of welches fruit snacks......but I got three sooooo I guess I won!!! I was able to say Alma 26:22 almost perfectly. She asked what I like about the scripture and I was like "well this scripture is on my mission plaque sooo I really like that" hahahahahah buuut no it was super cool, we always analyze the scriptures that we learn like in a ton of depth so I always enjoy that.

K is doing great.......the last time I was there I watched him teach a dude from Russia English and it was the dankest thing ever......I want to get paid 25 bucks an hour just to ask somebody to repeat their vowels to me......que chevere seria!

We also have transfers this next Sunday.....so I will be waiting "patiently" for that.

I had a really sweet study session this week......I read the beginning of Mosiah, and King Benjamin is always my favorite. His teachings are just super dank and so appropriate for all my current situations soooo that's always helpful. (Apparently the word dank is just here to stay. If you've been following Garrett's blog you know I've tried to make it stop but unfortunately it looks like that isn't going to happen!) If you guys aren't doing what you should be and are not reading the Book of Mormon it's fine......my saw is currently waiting for you.

Anyways, love you guys!!! Hope you guys have a super chill week!!!

LOVE YOU

ELDER OLSEN

 My comp really likes cows i guess.....

Unpacking My Adjectives: Bachue

Heeey fam! Soo I am finally getting around to writing a handwritten letter about Bachue. It's very different from Mariluz but it's still super chill. 

La Casa:

Okay, we live in a super nice apartment complex in miditayo alto (the mountains...we live in the mountains). The apartment complex is super nice, it has two towers of thirteen floors, a nice soccer court, playground, and even its own convenience store. We live on the 12th floor of one of the towers and its cool, we have a great view! The architecture of these towers is super Colombian and uses skylights and windows to light all 13 floors...it's interesting. Our apartment is about the same size as any office apartment in the mission, but it's super modern and has a nice view. 

Roommates: 

Another big difference here is that four missionaries live here and we share our apartment with Elder Colorado and Elder Marquez. Elder Colorado is from Guayaquil and Elder Marquez is from Esmeralda. So all three of the people I live with are from Ecuador...which is hard. 

The Area:

Our area is huuuuge! So big! Our area consists of Barrios, Bachue, Caicedo Alto, Caicedo Bajo, Quito Lopez, Niza, Chapal, and it even goes farther into the other direction into Barrios like Caracha, Las Americas, Aire libre and so on. I don't even think I've been to half of my area because it's so big. The problem is that we live on the opposite side of the other area, so we have to walk a ton to make it on time, buuut it's all good. Just like Mariluz our area consists of a lot of mountain. We hike up and down all day long...I've said it before and I'll say it again, Grandpa Olsen has nothing on me!

The Pensionista:

Our pensionista is named Ruby and she is the wife of Bishop Quelal and she and her family are awesome! She cooks pretty good too...my favorite thing that she has made was sancocho de pascado. She has five kids and they are super cool. Her daughter Carolina and her son Nicolas eat with us everyday and we get into the most interesting conversations sometimes. It's a blast, I like it!

The Ward:

The ward is super cool! A lot of people are super cool! The weird thing about Bachue is that it's super close to Mariluz and everybody knows everybody and talks about everybody, so it's cool. 

FIN:

Sooo yeah, I don't really know what else to write haha but that's Bachue! I hope this was helpful for you guys to get to know my area better!

LOVE YOU!

 This is where all the action happens......my desk!

Our study room 

Study room and kitchen 

Kitchen 

Our closet room

Our bathroom 

 Our shower

Our room 

The view from our room (if you look in the top right corner you can see the old abandoned stadium....people race motocross up there) 

The view from the study room

 All the apartments from the hallway

And the skylight that lights them 

 The creepy hallways

Our front door 

And our building (on the left)

An Update of Sorts (week 82)

HEY FAM!!!! HOW ARE ALL OF YOU? I HOPE YOU ARE ALL JUST DOING DANDY!!!!

This week was okay!!! We are not really making progress in our area buuuuut we are trying!! But something super sweet did happen this week!! I remember when I was in the CCM, President Duvall gave us a ton of crap about how we need to stop speaking English because "we weren't going to have a best 2 years experience" and teach gringos!! Well.....guess what? I HAVE A SUPER CHILL GRINGO INVESTIGATOR!!! His name is C....his wife is a member but they aren't married!! He's so cool though he was telling me all about how he grew up in California and how he didn't like it so he started traveling all over the place and he just kinda ended up in Colombia....pretty cool right? He works by teaching English over Skype and he has clients from all over the world....it's sooo radical!!! He looks like a latino but his daughter has the greenest eyes that I have ever seen....I am very excited to be teaching him!!!

We are also teaching a little 11 year old named G.....her mom is a member!! But she's a challenge because she hates her mom!!! We were talking to her about the plan of salvation and we asked her (in front of her mom) "do you love your mom" and she was like "I guess but I love my daddy more" (they are divorced.....well they were never married) so yeah we will have to see how we can help her!

We are also teaching F.......(I am pretty sure I have wrote about her) buuut yeah she kinda just broke down and bawled to us about her financial situation so that's hard but I am sure somebody in the ward can help her!!!

My studies are going okay.....it's just sometimes hard to study!! But I am still rolling, I am currently in Jacob and far in Jacob sooo I am happy. I have been studying a lot of Preach My Gospel lately too!! Jussst feels right.

Today we played soccer and we had a team of just gringos (cause you know, we actually wanted the ball hahaha) and we actually didn't too bad! I totally ran full speed and hit Elder Robinson and that took all the air outta me hahahaha buuut it was a good pday!

Anyways, thanks for all you guys do!! Keep doing what you need to be doing......me and my saw will be home shortly!

LOVE YOU,

ELDER OLSEN

This is our rad gringo soccer team (and Elder Hernandez) we killed it!!!

Buuuut yeah I'm lame and didn't take any other pictures this week :(

I Often Go Walking (week 81)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMILY!!!! I was planning on sending a bunch of photos and even a video for Mother's Day.....but ya gotta love viruses.

It was good to see you guys yesterday.....always kinda awkward but I still loved it. I miss you guys a lot!

This week was crazy.....we were able to go to Popayan for zone conference which was really cool, I am not in love with the 6 hour ride but it's still always a good time. I sat and chilled with Elder Smith and it was a good time!! The conference was pretty weird though.....I just kinda got the feeling that we need to love our companions and show Christlike love to everyone, buuuuuuut it was awkward cause my comp didn't really wanna sit with me.....but it's all good!!!

President and Hermana Whitesides announced a new infinitive that we will be doing as a mission it's "the world cup unites us for a month, but the gospel unites us for eternity." It's sooo sick they got cards printed with a whole bunch of flags of the world (I had a picture but I guess I will send a new one next week). Soooo it's super cool our mission is using soccer as a way to contact....it will be chill!!!

Buuuut the highlight of the zone conference is when Zona Pasto sat Hermana Whitesides down and we sang "I often go walking." We sang a verse in English then one in Spanish, and then in English and in Spanish.....and we totally made her cry!! It was awesome!! I had a video of it to send to you mommy :( I am sad about it......but if you find Elder Smith's mom on Facebook she should be able to send it to you!!!!

Other than that I have been doing the usual, contacting, teaching, eating top ramen on a demasiado basis!!! Just living the life of a missionary......I am struggling but I am also learning a ton too!!! Soooo it's all good!!!

Something interesting happened this week.....Hermana Clark sent me an email with a missionary that I previously served with from Brazil....Elder Costa!!! It's a small world!!!

Anyways sorry this email was short.....currently having to do a bunch of weird stuff with my SD card.....but imma send a handwritten letter next week!!!

LOVE YOU,

ELDER OLSEN

This is a picture from zone conference

Mother's Day

Today we had a great Skype with Elder Olsen for Mother's Day!! He seemed to be doing so so good. We talked all about Colombia and his life! Garrett is funny because he doesn't like to know a whole lot about home, so he did not ask us any questions! He comes home in like five months so we asked him how he was feeling about that, he told us that he didn't want to come home. WHAT?! That's huge. He really does love being a missionary despite the challenges that it brings. We are just so proud of him!

Garrett and his zone sat Hermana Whitesides down to sing her this song! 

Garrett and Adleigh's second time meeting on Skype! I can't wait for them to meet in person!!

Opposition (week 80)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!! How is it going? I hope life is just going swell!!!

This week has been crazy!!! I have mostly just walked and walked and waaaaalked.....opening an area is super hard because you have to meet everyone before you can actually make any progress. The elders didn't really work in our area for the last nine months so our area book is of NO HELP!!!!

Buuuuut its been chill!!! We have been meeting lots of new people which I have enjoyed. It's interesting getting to know a new area, that is something that I do LOVE about the mission, getting to know people and getting to know their lives and what is really important for them.....makes you think differently!

I have also ran into a TON of people from Mariluz (it's the bestest) I am not sure if you guys remember the SC Family (I know i talked about them......I am the only missionary their daughter would talk to because dad went to Japan on his mission), they moved into Bachue.......and into my area!!! I am so stoked to teach M again......it's gonna be so awesome!!! One of the high counselors that we had in Mariluz also lives in Bachue sooooo that's cool. A lot of people have family between the two wards too so it's pretty interesting!

We had a random lady from our area come to church Sunday, she said that she has been attending another ward for some time and lied to them about where she lived so she could continue to go there......buuuut then they told her that she belonged to Bachue.. Hermana S told us that she is gold so we will see how that works out :) 

Yeah it's still really hard but rather than picking every little thing that is bothering me I have tried to really analyze what Heavenly Father is trying to teach me. It's easier said than done but that is what is getting me through my days!!! Heavenly Father has big plans for me buuuuuuuut sometimes I (or really we) have to struggle to learn these things!!!! Sucks but it's part of having agency and opposition and I have to remind myself that I REJOICED to have these opportunities!

Anyways family, I love you all so very much!!! Read your scriptures, they are good for the soul!

LUUUUUF YUUUUU!!!

Elder Olsen

PS FAM I will be skyping on Sunday at 5 (my time) so hopefully I will see you all there!!!

 These crazy people I live with

 WE  Nariño

These bracelet that yupi (a potato chip company) is doing for the world cup....basically you open a bag and if you get lucky you get a bracelet (they are actually really difficult to open)!!! They have been doing stuff like this for years! Somebody ask Bishop Skidmore if he ever opened army men or toys in a bag of yupi....I bet he has!!!

Book Club:

How did Nephi know how to build the boat?

I enjoy this question because it's easy to answer...he didn't! If we turn to 1st Nephi 17:8 we learn that when the Savior gave him the commandment to build a boat he told him to build it the way that Heavenly Father would show him. If we follow the cross reference provided at the bottom of the book it will take us to 1 Nephi 18:2, which talks about how Nephi constructed the boat in the Lord's way. Chapters 17 and 18 really stand out to me. I really enjoyed comparing how Nephi was able to receive so many blessings...meanwhile his brothers were ranting and moaning (nuestro (that word is probably wrong...Garrett hand wrote this and I can't read what the word is haha!) hermana esta loco verse 17) (and yes that is proof that reading in Spanish is more entertaining). 
Two verses that really stood out to me are 1 Nefi 17:50-5. I think that we understand that our Heavenly Father can do many incredible things, but the problem is that sometimes we don't feel like he can do these things through us. Nephi understood that he can, he understood that the Lord could show him things to help him (1 Nefi 18:3), he knew that things would be hard but the Lord gave him a commandment so he would prepare a way for him to be able to keep his commandment's (1 Nefi  3:7), not only that but because he followed these commandments hi brothers changed their attitudes (1 Nefi 17:55) and they new that Nephi had built the boat with the power of God. All of these blessings and experiences that we have read about we can receive ourselves. Nefi has taught us that if we follow the commandments (we though that is hard sometimes) we will receive countless and countless blessings (even though they are hard to see sometimes).
CHALLENGE: Write down some thoughts after reading 1 Nefi 17-18! What verses stood out to you from that chapter?