Note from Mom: the letter from July 20 tells about how the stray husky dog saved her life. Then the Aug 3 letter says the dog got kicked by a cow, and she hasn't seen him since. Now, for "the rest of the story". . .
Dear Family,
I left Patagonia very content. When
I first got to that sector, I missed the people from Valdivia very much. And
then I fell in love with Patagonia and passed nearly 5 months there. At the beginning
of this cambio, the reality hit me that I would one day have to leave that area
and a huge fear seeped into my heart that I would be leaving at the end of that
cambio. The way that I left Valdivia was just crazy and I didn't even end up
saying bye to my dear Hermana Oross because everything was so
balistically rushed and unexpected up until the very moment I got on that
bus to Puerto Montt. Well, it was a stressful feeling because I absolutely hate
saying goodbye to people and it was getting in the way of my work ethic for a
few days so I decided to just ''make a deal'' I guess you could say, with
Heavenly Father. I decided I would work work work and do my best to do what He
expected from me there in that sector if he prepared my cambio in the manner
that I would leave feeling at peace and content with my time that came to a
close. And you know what, I didn't forget about that promise the rest of the
month. I was nervous to leave, and by the time I already knew on Monday, I
was nervous to go see people because I didn't want to be sad or focus my time
with the people we visit on the fact that I was leaving, I wanted to teach. So
we decided to do just that. I almost finished packing on Monday night
and Tuesday we worked all day. The plans we had put didn't end up
happening because those we planned for weren't around and so we decided to pray
and go by the Spirit. I am amazed at the love Heavenly Father showed
me. On Tuesday, I couldn't believe it, He lined up everything, or I guess
you could say everyone, so perfectly for me to feel purposeful on
my last day. The houses we decided to go to were the precise moments and the
lessons we taught were precisely needed. And I was able to say goodbye to quite
a few people. We would leave a house and turn the corner just in time to
''randomly'' see an entire family in the street entering a negocio, and then go
to another house right when the person arrived or find someone right in time
before they left to work. I can't really explain it, but it was pretty miraculous
the way everything worked out. I would love to tell you about ALL of it, but I
wouldn't even be able to do the experience justice because the way it worked
out seemed as if Heavenly Father had it all lined up since the beginning. It
felt great. And you know what! It wasn't just on Tuesday, it was up until
the very last moment that I left. Do you want to know what happened the last
moment I left?
So you know how I had told you I
hadn't seen Wilson, my trusty Husky, since he got kicked by a cow and ran away?
yeah, that was 2 months ago. Still every day I had the hope I would see him out
on the Patagonian outskirts or that he'd suddenly be walking by my side like he
used to for my first 2 and a half months... I didn't see him one single time
more since that cow.. Let me tell you, I have a no doubt that Heavenly Father
really does know our hearts and really is involved in the very details of our
lives. I know because with something that could seem so unimportant as a stray
dog in the end of the world, he knew I had a longing to see him again, my
trusty dog that saved my life! I woke up on Wednesday morning and we
didn't have leave Patagonia until 2. So we fixed up a few things in the house
and left to get some visiting done. The whole morning I kept looking around as
we walked from house to house. I knew it was my last chance to ever see
Wilson...and to be honest part of me felt like he had died because dogs die
here. We had some other miraculous in-the-nick-of-time visits that there isn't
much room to tell and it was time to go back to the house to load up the
suitcases and leave behind Patagonia. Let me tell you, on the way back guess
who I saw at the corner on Pasaje Juan Ruiz Mancilla?
WILSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And what's even better, he recognized me. That was one of the most tender
experiences I have ever had with an animal. He ran up to me with a limpy leg
and jumped up on me. I couldn´t believe it. I just sometimes can't grasp how
Heavenly Father makes things so great up until the little moments like these! I
gave Wilson a good hug and we hung out for a little like we used to. He sure
was happy. He was making strange whiny noises as if he was crying. My eyes got
super teary and wow. I just love that dog. He followed me for a while more, but
I left him there on that corner of the outskirts of Patagonia. What a treasure
that experience was. I couldn't believe it. Still can't.
But do you know what's even neater?
That wasn't even the half of the tender mercy Heavenly Father showed me. AND
even more, that wasn't even the greatest last moment experience, because
believe it or not, it wasn't the last moment even though I had already got in
the car to leave Patagonia.
I didn't end up saying goodbye
really a lot of people, but I was so content with those I was able to see
before leaving that on the way to the airport I was filled with just plain
happy feelings. There was one person, though that I just felt really bad not
saying anything to. She was really special to me and I knew it was hard for her
to see missionaries go without a goodbye. I felt a little bit of an empty spot
in my happy feelings of leaving without having done anything to at least say a
quick Chau! I was already on my way to the airport though and there wasn't
anything I would be able to do on my part to send a goodbye to her. I felt bad
and I decided to say a prayer that someway she would be able to know I was
leaving and understand what she meant to me even though I wouldn't be able to
tell her myself. And somehow Heavenly Father worked it all out that even after
I went past security, I got a tap on the shoulder from that very same person.
It was a great airport scene that could go in a movie. Apparently her second
job that I didn't know about was in an airport shop and her usual night shift
was ''coincidentally'' changed to the morning. We both marvelled at the way it
all worked out and I said bye to her very content.
I know that most missionaries get
hardly any notice of time enough to work in their area more before leaving. And
goodbyes don't really happen for them. So I am very thankful that I left with
such a good feeling of yes, my work here is done and I'll see these people
again even if I need to wait until we are in the presence of our Heavenly
Father. To leave an area in the mission in a plane is not an experience that
many missionaries get until the end. It was very special to be level with the
clouds and look out in an aerial view to the world I had been working in for 5
months and realize everything I had gained from the work I had done. I never
expected the mission to be so undescribable of the relationship you gain with
other children of God all the while you are increasing your relationship with
and gratitude for Him.
Also I would just like to add the
top-off of all the million top-offs happened after I already
landed and arrived to the bus terminal in Puerto Montt when a very giddy gringa
ran full speed across the terminal to meet me. Who could it be??? The one and
only HERMANA OROSS!!!!! I always thought that moment would be lots of
emotions...and it was, it just practically ended up being too many that I just
got super quiet and kind of stunned haha. But after getting used to the fact
that my trainer still exists and is real, we had a super awesome 20 minutes of
cram-packed catch up and reminiscing of inside jokes! She told me all the news
of our old sector in Valdivia and it was really neat to hear such great happy
things with so many people. I told her about Punta Arenas and then we of course
played our bag pipes for her new companion and many other things with lots of
laughing. It was AWESOME! And it was a really great re-do of the last time we
saw each other.
I don't know how to explain it
but it was one of the weirdest things coming from the end of the world, a very
isolated part of the mission where there are only 22 missionaries that don't
vary very often, and come to the north where the rest of the mission exists.
Seeing Hna Oross really was a very strange experience and I kind of just was
quiet for a good 10 seconds because it is so weird to be in the actual mission!
I felt a little like Tom Hanks when he finally came home after being stranded
in that island for however long he was there and saw his wife. hahaha I feel
like I relate myself to Tom Hanks a little too much. I don't know why. I don't
even like him. It just happens.
Well, let me tell you, it is a
strange change to come from the far away of everything to literally the center
of everything! I am here in Osorno and I am companions with the mission nurse
so we have made quite a few trips to the mission office, the center of
everything. We get to know practically all the missionaries and it's very
interesting to hear the whatabouts of the missionaries. She is a very good
nurse. She's been a nurse for 3 months and has made a lot of changes to the
schedule of the sureses. She said it was hard coming from being a normal
missionary to becoming a nurse missionary that had no time to actually work in
her own sector. So she organized everything super well so that she could be a
''normal missionary with an abnormal assignment.'' And wow, she is a
stellar missionary . I really admire her. We have been working very hard these
past few days and I absolutely love being with her! She is very good at using every
single moment efficiently and we get a lot done in the less time we have. She's
a very hard worker and very dedicated. I am going to learn a lot from
her.
We get along great! And we are going
to get a lot done while we are together. I have met a few of the people here in
the ward and all the members really understand the purpose of the missionaries.
They are all very focused and helpful. I love this ward already!
Also we have a house! It smells like
Grandma and Grandpa Broomhead's house and the kitchen smells like their
trailer. And I like it a lot because I just always feel in a good mood. Osorno
is a lot like Washington. It's strange being in just a different climate. The
air feels ....gentle and I have a lot of warmth without needing to bundle up. It's
funny though because everyone else is really bundled up while I feel like I'm
living in paradise. We are entering into spring so it's very green and very
beautiful. Also everyone here uses combustiones to heat their house (fire place
things) so all the streets smells like camping. I like it.
Well there are so many more things I
can tell you... but I need to stop because I am just emptying my brain here and
I should be ending this pretty soon. I really just feel very very good here. I
can feel that this is where I need to be. I am going to learn a lot here. I am
so excited to work in Francke!
Ok. One more thing,
I was reading in Alma 52 the other
day, It's about the contentions between the Nephites and Lamanites and well in
the beginning of this chapter this studly man Teancum kills Amalickiah, the
Lamanite king and so then it says that the next day the Lamanites saw this,
''and they also saw that Teancum was ready to give them battle on that day, And
now, when the Lamanites saw this they were afrighted; and they abandoned their
design in marching into the land northward, and retreated with all their
army...'' When I was reading this, I applied it to me by thinking, wow,
wouldn't it be neat to be so prepared that an entire army retreats from fear? I
like to look at it as being so prepared and founded in the gospel that the
entire adversary and Satan himself have fear of enfronting us and abandon their
purpose to attack. Here in the mission there is a motivational wake-up saying
that goes a little like, ''Be the missionary that when you wake up in the
morning, Satan says, ''Darn it, he's awake!'' Something like that. Yeah, well
isn't that cool? As missionaries we are promised protection if we are obedient.
And I hadn't really thought about that much, but it really is more than a
protection from physical peligros, it is a divine spiritual protection from the
attack of the adversary. The story of Teancum made me thing of the scripture in
D and C 38:30, ''if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.'' The protection that he
as well as all the Nephites received wasn't just a plain miracle (although that
happens too), his protection was his preparation.
Protection=Preparation
It's super. I don't know if that
connected at all, but I thought I'd share because I liked it, and the gospel
rocks.
So this being our day of
preparation, we have prepared ourselves so well that when we open the door in a
few minutes to leave, Satan and all his armies are going to flee from Francke
and we are going to get a lot of work done!
I love you so much family! I hope
you all enjoy General Conference! This is going to be a great
one! Tomorrow we have church with Elder Ferriera, a seventy. I am
very excited.
I guess that's ''all''. Thanks for
making it to the end of this letter.... :)
Love,
Hermana Olson
P.S. So my new P-day is Saturday,
but I will be able to read my emails this Monday if you all still
want me to read something about your lives :) (I would love to hear it!) And I
also have organized the way I use my time at night a lot better. So be counting
on some replies this coming P-day. Thank you for your quick notes you sent to
me. I loved hearing the whatabouts of your day! Tell me more if you'd
like.
P.P.S. Oh my P-days are on Saturdays
all BUT THIS coming week. We have general conference so I will be having P-day
on the following Monday. THEN I will go back to normal and have it on
Saturdays.
P.P.P.S. I love you.
Hermana Olson
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