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?