Hello everyone--

How can it be, I have already passed a year. It made me look back on my memories that i have up to this moment. I must keep going strong, NO REGRETS!!!! We bought ice cream to celebrate.

This was a great week, we have seen great results from our efforts. We will see even more fruits for our labors as we keep it up. We are trying hard to reactivate a family, and we are striving so that their son can get baptized. So far so good, they are coming back to church. The family Renoso. We are also going to try really hard to get references and work with the members more also, we have came up with a plan to ask references. We left a paper inviting them to think about someone who would like to recieve us, and pray for them that they might accept the gospel.
I have a lot of weight on my shoulders, but I can do this, I just have to keep it up... I know the Lord will help me develop all I need to fufill my calling. I always was co companion until now, so I really have to take care of the area. But I let my companion have his say so that he can grow. I´m liking the experience though, From this experience I know and have a testimony that the lord always prepares a way for us that we can accomplish what he commands us... 1 NE 3:7 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them"
This week, I have realized something very significant to me. If we are diligent, I know that the Lord will bless us, beyond measure. I can tell each one of you that I have witnessed so many blessing by being diligent. Lately I can recognize the power of my calling growing. I don´t find myself confounded, looking for words in spanish, rather I can speak from the feelings of my heart. It brings me so much joy, to be an instrument in the lords hands.

I love all of you, I hope you have a great week. I´ll try to send some pictures next week.

Elder Diego, my trainer, thanks for writing me again, it was good to hear from you. I´m glad that you are doing well, I will try to send you a letter to respond better. I love you man, take care.

Elder Erik Olson

It has been cold these past few days.

We had some cool experiences this week (I´m writing almost everyday, all my experiences, I ussually miss 1 day a week in my journal), lately I have been faced with a lot, and I was able to have enough strength to face problems, and extra energy to keep on going. I know that the Energy I am given, and extra strength comes by keeping the commandments, and honoring our covenants. 1 Ne 17:3.
I´m trying my best out here, sharing the gospel, and inviting people, but it gets a little rough. We are doing all we can but haven´t had a chance to find someone that will keep commitments. We got so close with an awesome family but then they just dissapeared, their number doesn´t work... etc... It´s allright though, I know the fruits of our labors will come. I can say that the spirit of the Lord has been with me this week, and I was able to testify and share with great power. I know the Lord is pleased with us if we can feel him working through us. That helps me out a lot.
I´m going to hit a year in the mission, I still have a lot of time to become what the Lord wants me to become.
I miss you my friends and family, take care. Have a good week.

Elder Olson

This is the end of this transfer.

I loved this week. We had some good experiences, even though everything didn´t go as I hoped. Our investigadores aren´t doing there part which makes it rough. But we continually keep going. Me and my companion were able to become good friends, now we have the unity that we need as missionaries.

I was opening the mouth with someone on the street, and he treated me well. He listened, and he seemed like he would like us to come by later, but he told me he was in a hurry in the moment (Because he his 4 year old daughter had to go to the bathroom) And I said "I will walk for you for a second", I got his address, and then as we stopped for a second as I was writing, and suddenly his daughter... didn´t make it on time to the bathroom. I felt awful, but he assured me it was fine.

We are doing great down here, we are going to barbeque and play soccer, the ussual thing we do down here as missionaries on p-day. Take care everyone

Love, Elder Olson

Obedience is a hard road to take.

Elder Ben Cisternas sent me a letter once, saying "Obedience is such a hard road to take, but its the only road worth taking". I have seen evidence of that, even though in this very moment I am not having too much success here in my new area, I know that I am at least learning and becoming the person who I want to be (step by step). I am not wasting time by being here. I can tell you that one can feel the love of God, and one can feel that he is pleased with you if you do what he asks. Obedience is the road worth taking.
Things have started to become clear as I learn, such as every commandment, every rule we have to follow. God knows our needs... 3 NE 13:31-34. The goal is to search the kingdom of God first, and the rest shall be added unto you. I promise this to all of you. In the beggining of the mission I had no clue why I had to follow so many rules, but it becomes clear as we experience it for ourselves. The question "Why?" seems to fade away.
This week has been tough, but I am surviving. We are puting forth a lot of effort, we are on our knees praying all the time. I worry about the well being of the people I meet. They dont seem happy, but I know for those that accept us will come to know what true happyness is.
Take care everyone, have a good week. If my trainer is reading, Yes I did receive your letters, thank you Diego Berrocal for writing me.
Thanks for your support and love, Cuidense. I send my love from San Juan.
Elder Olson

It can´t be! My companion got sick.

Today we just got done playing soccer, and we ate some huge panchos (perro calientes/hotdogs) afterwards. We didn´t do anything too sweet for p-day today. There is a lot of cool places to go here in San Juan. San Juan suposedly has had a lot of earthquakes, and is sorta dangerous, it´s an awesome/pretty area. The people here are mostly nice, but we ran into really nasty people, I tried catching up with my open the mouth (talking with people on the street) and man we struggled with the people lately, they became bitter because the weather is colder. I love the sweet rejection when they speed walk when you talk to them while walking. It´s so funny.
This week was a little rough, I had a lot of time to study inside. My companion has a fever and some type of throat bacterial infection. luckily I have a lot of stuff to read, such as liahonas, or the book of mormon. We couldn´t get much done this week, but I was able to go out and work with the other Elders in their areas, if not I would have lost my mind sitting down all day reading. We are in a 4 man apartment, and the 2 other elders are great people. One of them is a gringo, he is a rock climber, and the other is from salvador. My companion is from JuyJuy Argentina, Me and my companion are getting along pretty well lately, I know we will have success in our area.
I know we will have success here in bolovard, San Juan, Because we have had some testing times, and we came out better and stronger each time. I know that the lord puts me through these specific trials so that I can learn necessary skills. The experiences I have been having lately have been tough for me at first. But through these experiences I learn to trust in the lord better, for example, there is a promise that was hard for me to trust. Doctrine and covenats 100:6 "For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say." As I taught a lesson with my companion, I tried my best to study, and ponder and apply what I had learned. As a result I tried my best to trust in the Lord that I could help the new converts that we were teaching, to understand my lesson. I was able to share the lesson well, and they understood. I did not get nervous once, and I did feel the spirit helping me teach. I know that it is true. How can we teach if we don´t apply what we are teaching. My goal is, as I teach: Doctrine and covenats 50:22 "Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together."

San Juan is a blast, we get to do awesome things for p-day. Today we went to a huge dique, it´s like a huge lake and has mountains all over it. NO one wanted to explore the mountains, but me. Man Being around mountains makes me crazy, that's something I miss a lot that we could always do in Utah. My area is a good area, it´s pretty big, and the members are awesome. They are pretty involved in the missionary work here (The members).
I have been challenged to read the book of mormon withing 64 days. I have never been able to understand the book of mormon like I can now. It´s tough though, I have to read a lot including my normal studies.
This week has been a testing week for me. I know that the Lord gives us challenges so that we can grow. Knowing that our afflictions are for our gain I was able to push and do my best in making decisions. I know it´s true.
I hope everyone is doing well, I had a sweet letter from Ben, but the date was in february, I get mail so late haha. Seems like Ben is still collecting cereal.

Have a great week everyone, I send my love from san Juan.
Elder Olson

Carta de Elder Olson 4-12-2010

What a week.
I don´t even have a second too even think, it´s been quick, the week. It flew away. I never found myself pushing myself so hard in my life. I have to adjust to a latin companion, he is awesome, but man all the slang is hard to learn. But i´m catching up. I´m excited to better my spanish even more. My companion is very smart with defending himself when people contradict us, He is teaching me key doctrine. So I have a better defense... and not only that, things just make more sense as I learn, for example, the role and purpose of the book of mormong. Isiah 29:11,12,20.
The people here are really nice, we found a family that is looking for a place to hear the word of god, but without guitars and drums. They told us that, and it seems they are looking for the church, we are teaching them lately.. Family arguella, a couple with a daughter. The little kids here are hilarious here, and crazy. In our church meeting on sunday (yesterday), they would not stop taking our name tags, and whatever they could grab. And they scream so much, I can say I am learning to be patient.
I have had some hard moments this week, In the book of mormon 2 Ne 2:2 Says Afflictions are for our gain. The advice was written, and it was originally for Jacob, one of the sons of Lehi. But I know that it was written to be advice for all of us. I have had some doubts in my mission, of myself. I can´t stay positive 24/7 all the time but I do my best, some results are just so hard to take. But it´s for our own good... I know that if we put our thoughts in the lord, our example, we can feel and know his love and remember what he did for us. The way is prepared because of him. I have had moments of relief as I directed my thoughts to the Lord.
I hope everyone is doing well, I miss you all. Take care.

Love,
Elder Olson