2-22-2010 Carta de Elder Olson

We never are challenged with trials more than we can handle...
Now that Elder Armstrong is gone, I am leading the area and I guess I am senor companion. I was really nervous at first, but I realized that I have been leading the area this whole time, thanks to Elder Armstrong in letting me take the chance to learn to be a leader (He gave me those responsabilities that helped prepare me). I make the final call in all of our decisions, I never saw this day coming.
Elder Hollinger seems like a good companion, hes really great. I can´t ever argue with him. He is an example to me, in the sense of being positive and cheering me up, I try to do the same. It´s hard to get use to someone else after you had a great time with the last person, but I must be long suffering and patient with whatever challenge I might have to face, sometimes I find it hard because we are so different, but I can´t let that be a reason to not get a long.
I read a powerful talk in the liahona. In the work of the gospel, we teach to save lives. To save lives? Yes, but how? we teach key doctrine, invite to do action, and explain promised blessings. Through teachers of the church, and missionaries, there is no greater calling than to serve others by sharing the knowledge of the gospel. We have manuals such as preach my gospel to learn how to teach, then in turn We draw to the spirit to help teach the principles that meet the needs of all those we teach. We invite those we teach to take action, and we invite trusting them with great confidence so that it is an invitation very dificult to refuse, then of course we mention the promised blessings that will come for their efforts in taking action.
We are having a few dificulties in helping our investigators come to church, we invited them to take action, but we must learn to invite them showing confidence in them, that it might be dificult to refuse our invitation. As members of the church, we are expected to do the same that we might be able to save lives.
Everything is great here in Argentina, I hope all of you have a great week. The weather isn´t so hot anymore. Our efforts are never in vain!!!

Take care,
Elder Olson

It´s a shame that my companion had to leave, Elder Armstrong. It was a very sensitive moment for me when he had to leave. We had built a great friendship, and it didn´t hit us until the day he had to leave. It was sorta hard for me to take, I love Elder Armstrong as a great friend. He gave me a lot of responsabilities, which helped me grow as a missionary. He put his trust in me and now I passed a lot of doubts in myself. Every companionship should be like that, I know we will see eachother again.
We had a great week together, our last week, we went to a lot of panaderías, because Elder Armstrong won´t be able to eat the fatty pastries here in Argentina. A good excuse for me to go and take advantage. The family that we started to work with again, came to church. The father never wanted to go, but when they all came as a family, it gave ease to our hearts.
Our investigators are doing well, Silvio santillán (The cop) is reading and investigating a lot. We invited him to pray, and we still need to find him to check up on him (but I can´t for awhile because i´m not in bowen until this wednesday, he couldn´t come to church this week). Mercedes lucero, the señora we found when all of our appointments fell, is so prepared. She is commited to go to church, and she really wants to go. 1 of our good investigators went away on vacation, her name is adela, she will be gone for a month, but she is a great investigator, shes reading and investigating a lot too. Ramona and her family are doing well, but they had to get full times job´s so we can only talk to them on Saturday and Sunday...
So everything is well here in Bowen, I am stuck here with 2 other missionaries until wednesday, I don´t like trio´s. My companion is going to be Elder Hollinger, I already know him. He is a great missionary, it´s going to be great once we get to work together.

Have a great week everyone, Take care,
Elder Olson

2-1-2010 Carta de Elder Olson

We had a good time this week, we went to a tourist place for last p-day, it has mountains and a huge lake, we just went around to explore. There is a ton of rafting and kayaking, we couldn´t do it of course. Fun to watch. The place is called VALLE GRANDE, big valley.
Well it´s been a fast week and it´s hard to remember stuff, I try to write down things in my agenda so I can remember, it flew this week. Our investigators are doing well, we got a few new ones this week, which is pretty sweet. One of them is a cop.
It´s getting really hot over here, it was like 106 degrees, and dressed as a missionary doesn´t help haha, we are super brown from being in the sun for too long. Sorry I can´t send pictures this week, I got a few great ones, I´ll try next week. We had a funny moment, we were walking in a long road that leads to farms, and we knocked on the houses on the way, we ran into this old guy and he listened to us. We tried to talk to him but he was watching a soccer game. While we were there, he stomped a rat that ran by, I almost couldn´t control my laughter, it was crazy. The old man just left it there in the same spot (barely alive twitching... slowly dieing) the whole time we were with him, i´m sure it´s still in the same spot to this day. I looked at my companion when he stomped the rat, and his face was so hilarous, (he was shocked).
Take care everyone.

Love Elder Olson