I had some interesting experiences this week. Someone said that I
didn´t have a heart on the street. he told us "Your a bunch of bums,
you don´t do anything, you don´t work or do any good to the world".
Our reaction was, whoa and we told him that we are doing something
that will bless people forever. And he said we don´t have hearts
because apparently we got "Upset". It was interesting, and I felt like
I could have responded a little better and not react in a defensive
manner.
Then I was reading in Moroni 7:45 which says "And charity suffereth
long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not
her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not
in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth
all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." The key part of
the scripture in my case is "Endureth all things". Many times, this
scripture was repeated in my mind. I was thinking that I did not
"Endure" when I let this person offend me. When we stop enduring thats
when we allow the negative to come in our hearts (Anger, hate,
frustration...etc..). As we learn to endure and apply these things I
know we will inch more in our development in the christlike attribute
of charity.
And of course, "we should pray unto the Father with all the energy of
heart that ye may be filled with this love" Moroni 7:48. This love
will be key in helping us endure.
I´m so happy to serve here in Argentina. Take care everyone.
Elder Olson
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Carta de Elder Olson 1-3-2010
These holidays are always challenging
But the work never stops, and we gave it our all. We proved ourselves
that we can reach goals even though there are challenges such as
Fiestas (Parties) with drunk people all over. We didn´t stay outside
when everyone was getting drunk, but we did work a lot and hard during
the other days. We reached our goals, and our zone is seeing the fruit
of our labors, we are all bringing the areas in the chimbas Zone to a
new level.
I don´t like to mention baptisms often, but we are having quite a
few. The Lord is showing us to the people that are prepared, and we
feel great because the Lord is working through us. There is no better
satisfaction.
The greatest thing that I have learned in these past months is the
value of setting goals. I never would have pushed myself so hard if it
wasn´t for challenging myself and setting goals. Like the quote says
in preach my gospel, we will never reach our full potential without
setting goals. They are hard to master, but with persistence, and
diligence we can find the form of putting goals and use them to
increase our potential. They represent the desires of our heart. There
was a great explanation of goals that a 70 gave us one time (Elder
Autikitus). If we don´t have a bar to measure a high jump, then we end
up throwing ourselves in whatever direction, but if we have a way to
measure, we can gradually get better and reach higher.
Have a great week, take care
Love,
Elder Olson
But the work never stops, and we gave it our all. We proved ourselves
that we can reach goals even though there are challenges such as
Fiestas (Parties) with drunk people all over. We didn´t stay outside
when everyone was getting drunk, but we did work a lot and hard during
the other days. We reached our goals, and our zone is seeing the fruit
of our labors, we are all bringing the areas in the chimbas Zone to a
new level.
I don´t like to mention baptisms often, but we are having quite a
few. The Lord is showing us to the people that are prepared, and we
feel great because the Lord is working through us. There is no better
satisfaction.
The greatest thing that I have learned in these past months is the
value of setting goals. I never would have pushed myself so hard if it
wasn´t for challenging myself and setting goals. Like the quote says
in preach my gospel, we will never reach our full potential without
setting goals. They are hard to master, but with persistence, and
diligence we can find the form of putting goals and use them to
increase our potential. They represent the desires of our heart. There
was a great explanation of goals that a 70 gave us one time (Elder
Autikitus). If we don´t have a bar to measure a high jump, then we end
up throwing ourselves in whatever direction, but if we have a way to
measure, we can gradually get better and reach higher.
Have a great week, take care
Love,
Elder Olson
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Carta de Elder Olson 11-6-2010
I feel like Jacob, when his prayer was answered Jacob 7:22. I have a
strong testimony of prayer, and there has been a great amount of
evidence that my prayers have been always answered. I was in the
streets, ending the night by opening the mouth and I had a prayer in
my heart asking to find someone that we could bless. We found a lady
smoking and she looked very sad, I started to talk to her and I found
out that she was feeling really depressed. At the end of our
conversation she said "That much of her sadness had left her". I don´t
know what I had said word for word, but I know the lord used me to
extend his love.
The mission continues to bless me, and I assure you all that I
couldn´t be happier here. I´m about to contact all the people I have
found in the phone book here with the last name Loyola, to find out if
I have relatives that are still here in San Juan.
Another transfer is about to end, time has never been so unreal for
me. Transfers are like days (They are 6 weeks). They just end,
constantly. Apparently the president says that I am going to stay here,
that it is assured that I am going to stay here. But my companion
Elder Linares will leave. I love this companion as my brother, we had
gotten along very well, and had worked well together.
That will be all the news I have for now
Love
Elder Olson
strong testimony of prayer, and there has been a great amount of
evidence that my prayers have been always answered. I was in the
streets, ending the night by opening the mouth and I had a prayer in
my heart asking to find someone that we could bless. We found a lady
smoking and she looked very sad, I started to talk to her and I found
out that she was feeling really depressed. At the end of our
conversation she said "That much of her sadness had left her". I don´t
know what I had said word for word, but I know the lord used me to
extend his love.
The mission continues to bless me, and I assure you all that I
couldn´t be happier here. I´m about to contact all the people I have
found in the phone book here with the last name Loyola, to find out if
I have relatives that are still here in San Juan.
Another transfer is about to end, time has never been so unreal for
me. Transfers are like days (They are 6 weeks). They just end,
constantly. Apparently the president says that I am going to stay here,
that it is assured that I am going to stay here. But my companion
Elder Linares will leave. I love this companion as my brother, we had
gotten along very well, and had worked well together.
That will be all the news I have for now
Love
Elder Olson
Friday, December 3, 2010
This week was incredible.
We were able to help our investigators progress, and many have
arrived at church. We witnessed a strong testimony of a converted
investigator, who has a baptismal date in December. Who came to know
the truth, because she did exactly what we invited her to do, and what
the book of Mormon invites. Her name is Monica Zavaleta, and other
investigators also witnessed her testimony that came to church. It was
incredible.
I feel so privileged being here. I wasn´t called here to be a
missionary by luck, with all my experiences that I have had up until
this moment, I am absolutely convinced that the Lord called me here
through the prophet. In this moment, I am keeping in touch with a
member that is helping me find the burial site of my great grandpa
that died here. I will send the photo when I find him.
Thank you for all your prayers, support, and love.
Love,
Elder Olson
arrived at church. We witnessed a strong testimony of a converted
investigator, who has a baptismal date in December. Who came to know
the truth, because she did exactly what we invited her to do, and what
the book of Mormon invites. Her name is Monica Zavaleta, and other
investigators also witnessed her testimony that came to church. It was
incredible.
I feel so privileged being here. I wasn´t called here to be a
missionary by luck, with all my experiences that I have had up until
this moment, I am absolutely convinced that the Lord called me here
through the prophet. In this moment, I am keeping in touch with a
member that is helping me find the burial site of my great grandpa
that died here. I will send the photo when I find him.
Thank you for all your prayers, support, and love.
Love,
Elder Olson
Monday, November 15, 2010
Carta de Elder Olson 11-15-2010
It was a very challenging week, but we learned a lot. We had a lot of teaching appointments, and we are having a problem trying to help our investigators keep commitments. I put some goals, and to achieve them, I came up with some plans. I came to the conclusion to better my commitments that I make to help investigators progress. I decided to study well, the promises of each commandment that we commit to investigators to keep. In one of my studies I have found something that I guess I didn´t pay much attention to. For the sabath day, in 3NE 18:7, I found something that I never understood clearly... and I feel like it´s something good to share with you. In the 4th or 3rd sentence of that verse it says "If you do this, it will be a testimony to god that you remembered me". A little before in the chapter, the first verses were talking about taking the sacrament... and if we take the sacarment it will be a testimony that we remembered our savior, Jesus Christ. When we find ourselves in the judgement seat, it will be our testimony that we remembered him. We have been able to apply this lately, and I felt more power as I promised these blessings, and other blessings that I have studied. I know the spirit confirms all truth...
and the spirit was able to testify through me.
It´s a blessing to be out here in Argentina, and focus on the needs of others instead of my needs. My companion and I are learning a lot, even though we are older missionaries. I´m blessed to practice a lot of spanish with him.
Take care, love
Elder Olson
and the spirit was able to testify through me.
It´s a blessing to be out here in Argentina, and focus on the needs of others instead of my needs. My companion and I are learning a lot, even though we are older missionaries. I´m blessed to practice a lot of spanish with him.
Take care, love
Elder Olson
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Carta de Elder Olson 11-8-2010
I hope I can maintain this steadiness throughout the rest of my mission, I am really enjoying myself out here. We were blessed with another baptism this week. Me and my companion get a long great and we have great union. He is pretty similar to me, he is a great Elder(Elder Linares). Our convert Eric always offers to teach with us and visit our investigators, this week he came out to teach with us, and offered us to bring our clothes so that he could wash our clothes. He is also going to seminary, and is going to recieve the aaronic priesthood. This is just simply amazing for me. I have his baptism picture that I will send you, I was blessed to perform the ordinance. We had a very strong "Sonda" wind, in San Juan. The winds from some part of south america, come flying down the mountains and because of the speed that it comes, the wind converts into burning hot wind. It was imposible to go outside yesterday, you could barely see a block infront of you and the air was just filled with contamination. A member family lent us their guitar, and I am learning how to play hymns with it. Luckily that entertained me inside.
Love
Elder Olson
Love
Elder Olson
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Carta de Elder Olson 11-1-2010
I know that what I have seen in these passed days were not just
lucky occurrences, but they were blessings given to us by the Lord. We
had a fantastic opportunity to meet Eric Orduña who I mentioned
earlier in my letters. He is so greatly influenced by the spirit, he
has the natural desire to do good. He has followed the spirit and it
led him to the waters of baptism. I would love to explain the events,
the miracles, and all the details in a better form then through
internet, so I leave this experience for when I meet all of you again.
Eric was baptized on the 30th of October.
I can´t ever thank you all, just like Elder Holland said, for all the
kind things that you have done for me. When he mentioned that his
parents left him money to start college, it reminded me of the
sacrifices that you all have done in some way or another, to help me
pay the finances, prepare myself for the mission field, and the
encouragement I received from all of you to come out to serve. I
didn´t have much understanding of what or why before I came on the
mission, but I felt that failing was not an option. Please let me
thank all of you, You all know who you are, and in some manner you
have helped me. I express my thanks in this letter.
I love you all very much
Love,
Elder Olson
lucky occurrences, but they were blessings given to us by the Lord. We
had a fantastic opportunity to meet Eric Orduña who I mentioned
earlier in my letters. He is so greatly influenced by the spirit, he
has the natural desire to do good. He has followed the spirit and it
led him to the waters of baptism. I would love to explain the events,
the miracles, and all the details in a better form then through
internet, so I leave this experience for when I meet all of you again.
Eric was baptized on the 30th of October.
I can´t ever thank you all, just like Elder Holland said, for all the
kind things that you have done for me. When he mentioned that his
parents left him money to start college, it reminded me of the
sacrifices that you all have done in some way or another, to help me
pay the finances, prepare myself for the mission field, and the
encouragement I received from all of you to come out to serve. I
didn´t have much understanding of what or why before I came on the
mission, but I felt that failing was not an option. Please let me
thank all of you, You all know who you are, and in some manner you
have helped me. I express my thanks in this letter.
I love you all very much
Love,
Elder Olson
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