Wise Words From Elder Olsen (week 93)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY YOOOOOU GUYS!!!! WHAT'S CRACKIN????

I hope that you guys had a semana juuuuusst dandy and that you are all being super juiciosos because my saw is getting reaaaaaaaaally sharp.....Imma add a chain reeeeal soon ;) Meeentiras!

This week was good......this week was frustrating, but it's fine!!! I am just kinda frustrated because our area just really isn't progressing.........and I can easily go about explaining how I feel the area could progress (it's so obvious to me........buuuuuuut gotta think about Johnny Appleseed too). Long story short....obedience it brings blessings, BUT EXACT OBEDIENCE......that brings miracles!!! I have thought a ton about it this week and I just get so annoyed when I think about everything that has happened in my mission. It's frustrating but at the same time I feel like my Heavenly Father has trusted me to do VERY HARD THINGS. My patriarchal blessing is exact and has told me what I need to do over and over and oveeeer again......but that's easier said than done!!! But I can't sit here and proclaim repentance if I'm not like Jesus, offering love to literally EVERYBODY......things don't work like that.

This week I have focused a lot on ME!!! I have thought about what I have wanted to learn in the mission......and I have thought a lot about the things that I am still LACKING!!!!! I have a lot to improve, a lot of things that I would like to work on but it's part of life.......perfection isn't gonna come in a snap of a finger but it's something that we need to CONSTANTLY be working on. We can become more and more like our Heavenly Father, but only LITTLE by LITTLE!!!

I also have thought a lot about happiness lately.....the way the gospel can make us happy in the hardest and deepest of darkest of times. I mean I guess I could find CHEAP TEMPORARY HAPPINESS by buying the latest sports car and chilling with my friends at the piano bar.....but that only lasts for so long and causes more pain than happiness. REAL HAPPINESS is found when we actively seek to become more like Jesus Christ, when we chill with our families and offer selfless service to everybody we meet. I am amazed by Colombians....some of them don't have much but they KNOW the secret to happiness......literally some of the most smiley, giggly, happy people that I know.....they are such an example to me.

I think a lot of times we JUDGE people.....just kinda based on what we hear about them or what we ourselves see from them.....but in reality we NEED to take the time to get to know people, but even when we don't like every single detail about them we still need to love them, and we need to try our best to see them as our Heavenly Father sees them.....that's when things change for us.

I am sure you are all reading this letter thinking "what the crap has happened to Elder Olsen?!" But no.....this is just a summary of the things that have learned in Colombia.....this is a summary of what I want to remember my whole life through......it's only through the bad times that we can truly know the good.....and that's really when we start to get to know and have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. My mission hasn't been the way I had expected....and sometimes that frustrates me but sometimes I just sit and think "TEEEEEENAZ I am so lucky to be here......I am lucky to have experiences that are shaping me into a person that I WANNA BE!!!!"

My mission hasn't been a perfect experience, but its been a perfect experience FOR ME!!!!!

I love you guys and I am always praying that you guys are striving to learn about the gospel and our Heavenly Father, I worry about you guys.....love and miss you sooooo dang much!!!!

LOVE YOU,

ELDER OLSEN