March 2 2015 I'm Engaged, and I'm Going to Get Fat!!

Okay first of all let me just make you aware of the fact that I just ate a steak in a burger with Guacamole. It's called the churrasco burger. Anyway, it's just on my mind because it was so delicious! 

And I'M ENGAGED! 

I'm engaged to the obra misional! What an immense blessing and delight it is to work with the Lord! It's actually very exhausting just because you feel real love for every person you talk to! It's so fantastic. 

Also everyone, and I mean EVERYONE told me, as just part of the orientation to the mission I guess, that I am going to get fat. Seriously. I had dinner with Presidente Obeso the first night I was here, and he just told me in the most normal and serious of ways, "Hermana Olson, it takes time to adjust to Chile, so the first couple of months you won't be used to it, but you'll love it. The sisters have a hard time adjusting to the food, but you'll be okay. Over the next few months you are going to get fat, but you'll get used to it...." And then he continued with telling me about the other things about the mission! hahahaha Yeah.... it probably doesn't sound very funny, but it was so funny!!! Because he wasn't trying to be funny, he was just telling me stuff about how my laundry will be washed and all this other regulation stuff and then just added in the middle there that I was going to get fat. hahahahaha yay! That's when I finally believed it because everyone that has talked to me about my mission has told me I'm going to get fat, but I didn't believe it. EVEN GUILLERMO a random Chilean dude I sat next on the plane to Santiago told me that I am going to get fat. hahahaha 

Anyway, so yeah, don't be suprised when I am fat. They eat lots of bread, fruit, POTATOES, rice, and pasta. But they make mashed potatoes so I am totally okay with that. IT'S SO GOOD. But yeah, they serve A LOT and you think you are so full and that the meal is over because you just ate a whole cow and potato ranch, but then they bring out the main course. Yes, that is right. There are about 5 courses here. Oh and the first thing you always eat is lettuce and tomato salad. 

Straight up lettuce and tomatoes. I hate tomatoes. I can eat the lard on their meat just fine, but tomatoes! Bleck! I remember telling my friends that I was allergic to tomatoes because I hated them so much. Then I started liking them in sandwiches and burgers, but EW PLAIN! Yeah, I bet you didn't know I hated tomatoes so much. I didn't know that either until I came here... Oh and you also should eat like EVERYTHING they give you, which is approximately 37 lbs of food, to be polite and so I do, but the main struggle is those tomatoes! It's like 3 whole tomatoes that I have to eat in this lettuce and tomato salad I have every day. The only way it's happening is I just picture Dad and how you eat them like apples! I just think about how much you love tomatoes and then I eat them. Yesterday was fast Sunday, and one of the things I fasted for was for me to like tomatoes. The rest of the food is good though. They really know how to cook here. Well, at least how to cook carne and potatoes. That's about all I had so far. And it's yummy :) 

Hermana Oross is cool. We just hit it off right away. She's practically fluent in Spanish now so we talk a lot in Spanish because it takes her a while sometimes in English hahaha cool huh! Yeah, but this week we have a new goal to only speak in Spanish when we are outside of our house, so almost the whole day. She told me she was feeling almost sick when she found out she was going to be a trainer, this is her first time. But she said she's SO happy that I can already speak Spanish! hahaha she said it was a huge relief. She also told me that we can defeat the odds of getting fat and I asked her if we could go running in the morning and she just got so excited!!! She said she's been waiting for a companion that wants to run, so yeah we run every morning. And it's AWESOME! It really wakes us up. 

Let's see, Hermana Oross. My trainer. DANG! How blessed I am to have her as a companion!!!! I am seriously blown away at how awesome she is. We get along better than great. Seriously, we are the greatest team! She's from San Diego California, she has three brothers and two sisters (2nd Oldest), she loves soccer WOOP WOOP!, she is a very good artist, she went to BYU-Idaho before her mission, blah blah blah more talking about the greatest companion ever. Okay, really, she is a fantastic missionary. I'm so glad I'm being trained by her. She loves everyone and the ward absolutely loves the missionaries so she knows all of them. She's been on a mission for 8 months, speaks fluently, she is TAN GENIAL. *so cool. 

Elder Holt, our district leader has called us almost every night this past week since I'm new and is just checking up on how I'm doing, and these phone calls are so fun. They only last a few minutes, but we give him an update on how we are doing and how our investigators are doing and tell him some funny things that happen in our day, and he asks us about our goals and such, but it's always just so fun. All of it is in Spanish too and sometimes we play off of funny things. Like last night, he said something about Monsters Inc. and then Hna. Oross and I both said, ALWAYS WATCHINGGGG like that slimy green lady in the movie and then E. Holt asked if that's how we talk to our investigators and we just said of course and then we were giving him examples of the "things we say" like "SERA BAUTIZADA????" okay....so I just realized that none of this is going to be funny to you because it just won't... but anyway, part way through our call with E. Holt last night after Hna. Oross and I sang It's Tricky to Rock a Rhyme and did the whole "trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrricky!" (thanks Jacob for sharing that rap with me) he was laughing really hard and said in English, "Oh, you guys get along way too well.. I'm sorry." And then we said, "why are you sorry!" And then we heard his companion in the back say, "Elder! Espanol!" And then he talked in Spanish and said that he just feels sad that we get along really well and it's gonna be hard to cambio.. Yeah, that will be true. This week has already gone by SO fast! I have 11 more weeks with Hna. Oross. :) It's the best. 

The other night we quoted just about the entire movie of Nacho Libre. She has my brain. We have so much fun. And fun doing the work! We are just such a good team! We never question each other and when we do contacting, we fill in the gaps. We have contacted SO many people this week, and only 4 of them didn't want us to come back. Some of our contacts have been full on lessons. Last night we were singing some hymns as we were walking down the street, and I saw this old man just sitting on a park bench staring at a tree. I pointed to him and we just she just walked. We were still singing so we didn't communicate with words or anything, she just walked with me up as we finished singing Mas Cerca Dios, de Ti. We finished the verse just as we got up to him. He was a very old man just sitting on a bench smoking. He asked us what we were singing and we told him we could sing it for him. So we did and he blew us a kiss with a three-toothed smile. This guy put out his cigarette and shook our hands with his left hand because he didn't have a right one! But he was sitting next to a worn out bike and we asked him how his day went. He rode all the way to Niebla to a pretty beach there which is WAY far from Valdivia! AND back all that day! We got to know him more and he is SO COOL! He knows a lot too about the U.S. and the Amish and all sorts of things. He says he has a really good relationship with God. And he asked us what the difference between our church and other churches, but then he answered it and said, "No puede ver la tele!" (you can’t watch TV) hahahahah!!! We cleared up that we are allowed to watch TV, hahaha but he asked more questions and I told him about how the distinguishing factor of our church is the priesthood and that our church is Jesus Christ’s church and we have the authority of God on earth now. And we basically taught him the majority of the first lesson. And I hadn't asked him to be baptized to which he replied, "Pueden hablar mas conmigo?" so we wrote down where he lives, which is in our sector! And he asked us to come talk more and we told him we would sing. We had to leave because it was really close to 9:30 which is when we have to be in our casa, but it was a pleasure meeting him. His name is Xavier, Oh I wish I could tell you about ALL the people I am meeting here! Xavier is my favorite though. I'm looking forward to teaching him. He wants to come to church this Sunday too. He knows this big city like the back of his hand. 

Okay wow, there is much more to say. MUCH MUCH MUCHISIMO more to say. OH MY WARD IS AWESOME! I am so happy to start in this place! La Noche Valdiviana was this weekend which is a big party for this giant city! Earlier we walked down to centro to eat at McDonalds and SO MANY PEOPLE were in there. Centro is basically like a Chilean Boston. It's really cool. In the square there were Mapuche people dancing and playing their flute things. Mapuche are the Native Chileans and their music is AWESOME! It makes you want to go on a hike and see the world. Really, look up their music. It was pulling my heart as I had to keep walking so I wouldn't look like a tourist. Dang. I loved that music. Dang, I love this place!!!!

I have no more time. :( I printed out all your letters!!! AND IT WAS EIGHT PAGES! So I read it during lunch so that I could respond faster, but I.....talk too much and now there is no more time... Next week I'll be prepared to respond because I have it all with me. 

I think that's another reason why Heavenly Father sent me here. Chileans LOVE TO TALK. hahahaha a lot. So I'm getting better at having a shut mouth ;)

Oh so another thing about this companionship of mine. Los miembros del barrio call us Los O's but they don't pronounce the s's here so when they see us they say, "Hola hermanitas! LO O!" and then they laugh, they think it's so funny. They say Oro instead of Oross and Olon instead of Olson. 

Okay I gotta go. I love you all so much and I. LOVE. CHILE.!!!!!! 

Thanks for the awesome letter Mom, I'll write to you all next week. Jacob, I'm really happy for you :) 

Hermana Olson

Really quick I'll add a few photos :) 

Here's Hna. Oross!!!! We are pointing to our mission. Oh and the president and his wife too!

There are dogs and cats EVERYWHERE I just want to pet them all! ...the dogs. But a lot of them look like walking diseases. So I don't.  This is Ricky. He's a pet. Super cute.  

This is the part of the mission I saw from the sky! the airport was TINY it looked like we were going to land on people's houses. And those daisy weeds are everywhere and they are just beautiful. 

There are also lots of dandelions. My companion and I blow them and make wishes L:) 

February 24, 2015 Okay I'm Here Everyone, and I Couldn't Be Happier!!!!

I am in Osorno!!!! And boy oh boy am I happy!!!!!!!! I really can't believe how much I will love this place! My P-Day is on Monday so I will be writing a longer letter to you then, but for now I just want you to know that I LOVE OSORNO. I feel like my heart is going to explode. It has never felt so big.

My mission president, Presidente Obeso is amazing as well as his wife. He is from Mexicali. Oh he is just so great! AND Okay, well I have a lot of stuff to tell you how small the world becomes when you are Mormon and on a mission, but right now I'll just say that Presidente Obeso remembers Aunt Rose from Benemerito! He said he went there from 1970-1974 and I let him know that Aunt Rose went 1971-1974! And he remembers her!!! He wanted to me to ask you to ask her if she remembers a Rodrigo Obeso from Benemerito. 

Oh I can´t even start to tell you how great this day has been!!! Tomorrow I meet my companion!!! Pres. Obeso told me she is absolutely awesome and ´tanto amable como usted´ She's from San Diego and her last name is Oross. We have the same initials too! Anyway, I will be serving in my first area se llama Valdivia y esta area es con muchos jovenes because it is the center where the university is! Okay they say it´s time to go! 

I love you all and I LOVE CHILE!

Hermana Olson

February 17, 2015 Friday the 13th I killed a lady bug!

It was an accident and I felt terrible. But it happened and then it was the best day ever... I had el mejor ensalada which consisted of lechuga and tocino and queso and blackberries and pollo. Anything with bacon is el mejor. Anyway, what does it matter what I ate this week. The food is awesome though, I love the food. Also I eat about 2 mangitos every meal. MANGOS ARE DELICIOUS HERE. 

And they have the best Guava juice ever made. And tangerine juice. It tastes like Hercules just crushed a bunch of tangerines into a juice dispenser. It's that good. 

Okay so blah blah blah. 

Dad asked me if it is rainy season right now last week, and I told him NOT AT ALL because it has been SO sunny and hot. Well, guess what happened the next day. It rained for the first time and HARD. And it's been gloomy and rainy for the past week. Thanks Dad! I really love rain a lot, so I'm glad I got to experience the Mexico City rain. All the missionaries wouldn't go out in it because they were telling everyone the rain burns because of all the pollution. 

It doesn't burn. At least it hasn't yet.. hahaha But I'm glad I got to see the sunny and the rainy of Mexico City. 

Our district plays Volleyball everyday for gym time. EVERY DAY. It is so much fun. We don't play in the gym because EVERYONE is in the gym and we found this cool little sand court on the campus and seriously just play every single day. It is the most fun I've ever had with volleyball. I love my district so much. Oh it is just so much fun. This week was awesome because it was gloomy and we could see without making wrinkles on your face from squinting so much (usually when it is sunny our eyes burn and we get sunburt and sometimes the sun blocks the ball in the air and you get hit in the face with it if your name is Hermana Olson). Friday the 13th a storm came in in the middle of our game and we kept playing. It was so fun. Then on Valentine's Day, I thought to make the game INTENSE. So at lunch, which is right before gym time, the three hermanas in my district and passed the word around to the elders in our district and other districts in our zone that we were playing an INTENSE game of volleyball at 1:30. We titled it "Valentine's Day Volleyball MASSACRE--Hermanas vs. Elderes" We hurried to get there first to do some intimidating exercises before we began....but everyone in our zone arrived at the same time. And we were all coming from different directions in our district groups hahaha just like that scene in that one movie (I think it's called Anchor Man). We were all so serious. Then when we all got to the sand court we looked around and Elder Merrell said, "Uh, we didn't get a volleyball." So we all sat down and made sand castles until they came back with a volleyball. Hahahaha it was pretty hilarious and pathetic being that we were all so "serious." But when we finally got the ball, we played and had SO much fun. 

In the CCM we aren't allowed to be competitive or keep score so the game is pretty silly and fun, but The V-Day Volleyball game was AWESOME. We all just laugh so hard through it all. 

Oh also on Valentine's Day, our district decided to write a valentine from a made-up "Hermana Johnson" to an elder in our district, Elder Merrell becasue he ALWAYS pranks us with all sorts of things. He got it and it was hilarious. But then he thought it couldn't be real and was sure it was us. None of us wanted to tell him it was us because he was so excited and we sort of felt bad. The note said, "Come find me!" At the end of it because she wanted to write him after they both leave on missions. We were trying to come up with some way to explain that it wasn't us. Well, guess what happened. We were all sitting at dinner and then HERMANA JOHNSON, a very cute misionera, walks in and Elder Viel says, "Dude, that's probably her." We were all just laughing so hard. While we were at the salad bar I filled her in on why she was getting pointed at so much and said sorry. And she was just more than excited to play along. She went right up to E. Merrell and said, "Happy Valentine's Day." Elder Merrell just looked straight forward at the table and said really quick, "Thanks." They've talked since.... and none of us want to tell him... But the hermana is more than okay with it.... So we just decided to tell him when they get married. yeah, we all feel pretty terrible, BUT WE WEREN'T EXPECTING HER TO BE REAL. yeah, don't prank people, kids. It backfires hard. 

Oh another happening of the week, I was on my way home after lunch one day and I came upon a group of about six elders just standing in a semi-circle on the grass. We asked them what was going on and they said they were protecting a this parakeet that was on the grass because they didn't think he could fly and don't want him to get stepped on. The parakeet looked exactly like Qwerty by the way, Jacob. Anyway, they're plan was just to stand there. To me, since we had parakeets, I thought maybe it was one of the Hermano's pets and that it had clipped wings maybe. So I picked it up and started walking it to the Lost and Found. YEAH I'M SO SMART..... hahahaha anyway I was holding him for a bit and then he just flew up into a palm tree. And then I turned around and said, "He can too fly." And then kept on my way walking home. But all the elders and my companion just stood there. Then they all said, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" And then everything I just did kind of wizzed through my brain to figure out why they were all surprised....and then I realized that I had just picked up a wild Mexican parakeet. And then I laughed a lot. And then those elders saw me again later this week and said, "Hey! Hermana go pick up another bird! We've been trying all day!" And so I walked over to the lawn where the green parrots were, (they are like Kib, Ammon!) and I picked a parrot up and held it for a little. Then the elders were just laughing so hard and ran over to pet it, but he flew away. It was pretty bizarre and actually really cool! hahaha The elders were running around trying to grab the parrots. hahaha 

We aren't allowed to take pictures on days other than P-day otherwise I would have had some pics with them. But maybe if it brightens up a little more today, I will be able get a picture with one. I haven't seen the parrots or parakeets walking around or flying around at all yet. It's sort of rainy today. The memory is cool enough for me though. :) 

But I really hope you get to come to the Mexico CCM, Ammon! because you would go crazy with how many birds there are just flying around in the CCM. The CCM compared to the rest of Mexico City is BEAUTIFUL. It's beautiful anyway, but it is shocking the difference between a polluted and congested city and this beautiful green, safe, quiet, campus. It's so clean too. 

There are a lot of crows here too, but they don't look like Ferdinand, they are way different looking. I like the Mexican Crows, but their eyes stare into your soul more.. And their beaks are super thin and pointy. 

 just call them Fernandos.... but no one knows why because they don't know Ferdinand. Maybe I'll get a pic. There are also  a lot of blue jays that have pooped or have nearly pooped on a missionary daily. One hermana and myself have been hit already and an three elders in my district. It's because the sidewalks are right under just a lot of trees (the purlple ones that drop sticky flowers). I have a feeling that those beautiful birds time it ON PURPOSE though... 

There are also red bellied doves or something, they are very pretty. 

OH there are also these normal looking swallows, but they always stick together in HUGE groups and hang out in trees. And it's really cool to just watch them because you can't really see all of them in the trees, but as soon as one swallow flies down to the ground, the other 35 or so fly down to the ground too, but not just like jump off the branch and land down, NO. It's like they are in a line and just go one after the other and swoop down in a circular movement at least twice and THEN land making it look like a little tornado next to the tree. It is SO pretty! 

When we were driving through the city on the way to the temple, there were a lot of dogs and chickens on the roofs of the buildings. And I'm pretty sure there is a rooster on top of one of the nearby houses because I hear him every morning 5:43 on the dot. Every. Morning. It's pretty cool. We don't need to get up until 6:30, but Hermana Smith and I get up every morning at 5:30 and go running around the peaceful campus of the CCM. So I hear him. I wish he would just crow just 15 minutes earlier so I wouldn't have to get up to an alarm clock.. That would be fun. Nope, actually, I hated my rooster alarm clock I used in college, so I'll be fine just listening to him while I run. Sometimes we pass Presidente Call, he's the second counselor in the CCM Presidency, and he goes running every morning too. Last night he and his wife sat next to us at dinner. They are really neat. This is their 3rd mission together. 

Okay, well, this is an odd e-mail, if I say so myself. 

I am leaving in exactly ONE week! wow! I'm so excited. I've been learning so much and boy oh boy has my testimony grown! 

This week in personal study, I realized what an enormous blessing footnotes are! I began studying the amazing account of Joseph Smith's history. At one point he related his experience of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appearing to him and the persecution he received to Paul's, "when he made his defense before King Aggripa." ....thanks to the cartoon Living Scriptures Movie stuff... I knew Paul had held a coat of a guy that participated in stoning Stephen and later was visited by Jesus Christ and later was put in jail, but I wasn't familiar with his defense before Kind Agrippa thing. This led me to a footnote that took me to Acts 24, which was the account of Paul's defense. In this defense, Paul explains to King agrippa and accusers his account of Jesus coming to him and telling him to be a minister and a witness of Jesus Christ. Okay, I don't want to go all into it, but the story of Paul is absolutely amazing. And I am sad that I haven't studied the Bible hardly at all. I had to go back a couple chapters... actually about 20 chapters and read the whole story of Paul, which leads even further into Romans. And the story itself, just read plainly verse by verse, is remarkable. BUT when you actually look at all those little footnotes, which are GALORE! You will be just absolutely jaw dropped with everything you would be missing if you had just read it verse by verse. There are promises from previous chapters that you don't exactly realize are being fulfilled when they are or promises you forget about because you are just reading, there are sites the Bible Dictionary or Topical Guide to explain who on earth people like Festus or Felix or King Agrippa are and in understanding who they are, you understand so much more the weight of what the say and also what is even happening with Paul before and during that trial. And OH after his trial they said he did nothing worthy of death or of bonds... but since he appealed to Ceasar, they decided to make him a prisoner and sent him to italy on a ship called Adramyttium or something like that. Okay, well, the whole story is there in YOUR bible, so just read it, but OH it was just so cool! There was a big storm and all the prisoners and guards on the ship thought all hope was lost, but Paul made a promise that there would be no loss of any man's life. And then the way that that promise is fulfilled is that they have to give up the boat BUT EVERYONE LIVES! And then the people on the Melita Island thing made a fire and then a serpent/viper just sprung up out of nowhere and bit his hand! But Paul just shook him off into the fire and then all the people stopped giving him a hard time that he was a prisoner, because they knew he should have died right there! And then there is a footnote that takes you to Luke 10 or something and it is the Lord's instruction and promise to the seventy and he says something like nothing shall by any means hurt you and you'll have power to tread on serpents or scorpions. And so THAT is fulfilled and I wouldn't have even known it! Okay well, it's just cool. 

The bible is amazing. I love it. I wonder if this excitement I have will be the same when people read the Book of Mormon that hadn't before. It's sad how much I took the Bible for granted.... read it guys. And the book of Mormon of course, but seriously. I LOVE FOOTNOTES. 

Alright well. I had better go. I love you all! And boy do I love being a missionary! :) 

Love, 

Hermana Olson

P.S. I am really sorry about how long this is and how much of it talks about birds... But I probably won't get to write next week, just a heads up. I'm going to go play volleyball now for probably 3 hours. Have a FANTASTIC WEEK! I know you will because grandma and grandpa are there :) 

Here are some pics. The elders in our district formed our desks into a shape of a heart on Valentine's day. It was fun.  

The sunrise colors here are so pretty.

Me in front of the CCM sign!

Feb 9, 2015 Almost ONE MONTH Yeah!

KICKBALL

So the kickball court is out next to the Forbidden Forest. Yes, there is a thing called the Forbidden Forest. It's waaaaaaay out off the end of the campus out next to the hustle and bustle of the Mexico City world. But it's forbidden probably because there are ground trolls that guard this place, and when they smell the "blood of an Englishman" they can't resist but to eat them.  Okay, believe it or not, I made that up, but the Forbidden Forest is real, and that is what the staff call it here. 

Anyway, the kickball field is way out there. We played as a district on a REALLY hot P-day a few weeks ago. There are 10 people in our district, so it was 5 to a team and very exhausting. The other Hermanas left a little early, but we played for a good two hours. It was so funny. Part way through, one of the elders said, "You guys, it's a Tuesday afternoon, and we are playing kickball in Mexico." Yeah, pretty stinking amazing. It's so cool to be out having the fun experiences here in the CCM, but also the amazing spiritual and learning experiences. 

Okay so let me get to the good and CRAZY part! It was really really REALLY windy when we were playing, which made the game that much funnER ("more fun" isn't as fun to say). A while into the game, I was caught up in a GIGANTIC TORNADO. Yeah, maybe some of you heard about that Tornado that just swept over South Mexico? Yeah, I WAS IN IT. 

Well, okay, it wasn't a tornado... but it was an enormous dust devil that carried a VERY pointy fence that whizzed past me, slicing a gigantic whole in my sleeve! ...just barely scratched my skin. It was INSANE. And I'd like to say it were a tornado, but it wasn't. 

Yeah, yeah. Okay. Fine. It was windy. VERY. And there was a fairly large dust devil that surrounded me for a good FOUR seconds (long time to be getting smacked in the face with leaves and dirt okay). Then it swung across the field over to my companion. It was cool, okay. AND a fence did nearly IMPALE me....but it isn't such an epic story as being swept up in a South Mexican Tornado. 

I was skipping. And suddenly I flew back onto the ground with my sleeve still attached to the fence. Yup. That is my life. 

Oh this reminds me, this week I SAT ON MY TOE. I was in the computer lab for the hour of TALL, a language program, and I sat in a chair and scooted my chair closer to the desk, and somehow my toe got under the leg of the chair and all my body weight sat on it. And I said Ow and then sat on it right when I came back down on the chair from jumping up a bit in pain. And then I jumped sideways or something and fell off my chair and then stood up. I probably said ow a lot, don't really remember. And then the rest of my district was just wondering what even happened and all I could think to explain it was, "I SAT ON MY TOE." They thought it was very funny. I did too, but it was really painful and I'm pretty sure my toenail on my big toe is going to fall off in the coming week. All is well :) 

So last Sunday was fast Sunday. The best one ever. I also bore my testimony in Sacrament meeting it was really neat. My Branch President, Presidente Ruiz, pulled me aside after the meeting and said my Spanish was excelente. I was very happy. 

THEN this week, I drank a whole bottle of water before sacrament meeting because I was very thirsty, but during sacrament meeting I REALLY had to use the bathroom. So I waited until after the sacrament was passed around and was JUST about to get up when the first speaker would get up, BUT lo and behold Presidente Ruiz whispers to Presidente Lindemen (who is standing at the pulpit) and Presidente Lindemen smiles, and says, "Hermana Olson hablarà sobre fe en Jesucristo." And so I could not leave to use the bathroom because I was just impromptu called to speak to the branch! I looked over at Presidente Ruiz with a big smile, but his was even bigger. hahaha So I grabbed my Libro de Mormòn and stood up, shaking a lot,  partly because I was nervous, mostly because I had to use the bathroom very badly.... Anyway, I got up there, and said, "Hola, mi nombre es Hermana Olson. Soy de California. Voy a servir en Chilè Osorno y me olvidè de usar el bano antes de esta renuniòn." ....so in English, Hi my name is Hermana Olson, I'm from California, I'm going to serve a mission in Chile Osorno and I forgot to use the bathroom before this meeting. Then I apologized about dancing or shaking and what not and went on with talking about faith in Jesus Christ. Everyone laughed, but it was definitely a unique experience to be called up in front of everyone without any warning to give a discurso. hahaha it was really neat to be led by the Spirit and be able to just speak in Spanish from my heart actually besides having to use the bathroom so badly! It was really cool, I had actually been studying in 1 Nefi that morning and so I shared the scripture that he puts his trust in the Lord that he will know how to build a boat. I talked about the Nephites that had faith in Christ that he would come and he did because he does not forget us, I really enjoyed that talk. A great and scary experience. :)  After the meeting, Presidente Ruiz came up to me and talked to me in Spanish. He said he is impressed with me and wondered what I did to get to this point. I told him I LOVE SPANISH! He said he could tell and I also explained how Mom and Dad served missions, Dad grew up in Mexico and so on. Anyway, I have to go know, but I absolutely LOVE it here in the CCM and in Mexico. I have been blessed so much with the language. I am very excited for the challenge I know it will be to go to Chile and not understand a word they are saying... hahaha but I am so happy!!! 

Okay. Wow, I wish I could say more. I love you all. I love Mexico. I love missionary work and I love Spanish and PEOPLE. 

I have been learning a lot! Lunch interrupted my e-mail time so I didn't really respond so well, but I hope all is well at home! 

Love, 

Hermana Olson

P.S.  I AM SO EXCITED FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE! I hope you all are getting ready for it :)

oh I forgot to talk about the temple! next week I guess! here's a pic! 

February 2, 2015 Esta Semana

Dad, thank you for asking me so many questions in your e-mail about EVERYTHING. When I responded to your e-mail and you asked about my companion and how many siblings she has and where she's from, I realized that was about all I really knew. I hadn't gotten to know her AT ALL. 

This made me think about one of my previous roommates and NOW one of my dearest friends, who, in the beginning of our relation with each other, established a situation between us similar to the one I had with my companion. After a few weeks of living together, I was frustrated with my feelings towards her. I was annoyed by her actions and cold ways she treated me. I thought on it a lot, and I thought about Jesus Christ, how he understands everyone perfectly. He understands me more than I even understand myself. I also thought about how he loves me and how he loves everyone unconditionally. I thought about my roommate and how I didn't feel love toward her. How hypocritical! to receive infinite love from the Savior and not show it unto another he loves just as deeply! I thought about why I wasn't feeling love for her. 

Then this was whispered to my heart, "If you don't love someone, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THEM." How was I supposed to understand someone that didn't even seem to STAND me?! Well, it went a little something like this, "Hey, how was your day?" as I sat down at the kitchen table to just listen. It was a humbling action to take, and I didn't expect much from it, besides a response like, "good," and continue on her way with boiling noodles. But her face lit up with a smile as she told me all about her day and the neat things she learned in her classes and a person she met walking home. In that simple conversation, I learned a profound, almost instantaneous love for that roommate. I had a sincere interest in her life because I had a desire to understand a love like Christ's. We exchanged giggles and honestly, from that point on, I could not deny my genuine love for her because I understood her enough to look past my feelings of annoyance. Our friendship grew for the next year and a half, and she is still one of my closest friends. 

Okay, so you'd think I wouldn't have to learn that lesson again, right? Well, let me tell you, pride creepeth up ever so dangerously (no that's not scripture, I just thing that creepETH personifies pride just too well :)). And I don't know what it is about humility, but as soon as you embrace it, you can feel the PURE love of Christ just encircle everyone around you--and that is the BEST feeling ever.

Well, anyway, I was tempted to step back into my original frustration with my companion; it was what seemed an impossible challenge to stick with, but Dad's own curiosity and wonder about every detail of my mission life made me feel really special and important. I realized that I hadn't expressed much interest in my companion's life since that 2nd week because I simply did not want to. I didn't want to be nice and talk to her as a friend when she made me feel of little eensy teensy importance. But here is where I, once again, needed to humble myself and center my thoughts completely away from myself. 

Here is where I gained a testimony of that Mormon-Ad that sat on top of the toilet at home that says, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

I thought of the things I knew we both agreed on: we are both missionaries and the way the fitted sheets are folded when we grab them from the cupboard to change out the sheets are PERFECTION. 

I knew we both desired to know of this sorcery of folding fitted sheets so perfectly. Service. What a great vibe. Guess what we did: Found the Laundería and helped José and Miguel fold an entire bin of fitted sheets. Oh what fun we had! They had a pretty limited English vocabulary so they taught us in espa~nol. They thought it was funny how badly we wanted to learn how to fold fitted shirts. After we got the hang of it, we all raced!! Oh it was just too much fun! And we felt good helping them with 1/10 of the way with their job. 

When we came home, we still had  to clean so we decided to mop the super dusty tile and that was so fun! We finished laundry (I never knew how much I would love P-day for being able to do laundry when you have a limited set of clothes). 

Later we met up  with our district and played kickball. (I'll tell you more of that some time in my life.) The rest of the day was great, we had devotional and studied with our district a little more. When she and I started heading home, I asked her what her favorite color is. She laughed and told me the story behind her favorite color, Purple. I remember she mentioned in the first week that she had worked in Alaska this summer, so I asked her to tell me about that. She talked and talked with me for the next hour telling me about all her amazing adventures and how that's when she decided to serve a mission and just so much! I just sat there with the biggest smile on my face feeling complete love for this amazing companion of mine. Since that night, we've been the greatest of buddies, and I'm really sad we only have 21 days left as companions... We've been working so well together. Our lessons are so great. We no longer go in with a notebook with a set lesson plan, we simply pray and use the spirit (which our companionship now has) to help us plan, study, and prepare for the individual needs of the investigator. We are improving the fifty fifty slit as we teach in the lessons and during language study, we study together. We plan our studies so well the night before that we are REALLY productive and I can see our teamwork and determination paying off already. We are so excited to work with each other every day and we laugh and learn a lot. 

Don't get me wrong, sometimes we get a little annoyed with each other still, but here's my mindset: sometimes you brothers are annoying and I can't stand you, but I never question if I love you! She's my companion and in the eternal perspective of things is my sister, so I don't question if I love her either. It's a different challenge to stay juntos every single second of every day, but it's a great challenge because as I look past my frustrations and just push them away, my appreciation and love for how great she is just swells even more. 

Hermana Perron is my companion, what a blessing. 

Well, really there is no time for me to say anything else about this week, but I have bullet points of stuff. I went to the temple this morning. Yay! I'll tell you about it next week. Yesterday was the greatest fast Sunday of my entire life. (Also mom, I'm so glad to hear the good news about your wrist! I was fasting that things would be okay for you.) 

Okay I really gotta go. 

SETH MY APOLOGIES. One day I will learn to be simple in my emails. The mission is too great to NOT tell you everything I am experiencing. 

I love you all and my love increases for you everyday. 

Love, 

Hermana Olson 

Samuel, I'm sorry about your dear rat. I'll give you a tight hug when I come home. I'm sorry :(

February 2, 2015 Stand Tall, and with a song in your heart, move forward (Last Week)

Okay here's a little more about last week, which I ran out of time to write. My companionship was just NOT going well.  Let me tell you, alone time is precious time that just doesn't happen on a mission. 

I learned that whistling is my go-to thing that I mindlessly do when I'm feeling really happy. ...or uncomfortable...or sad. Softly whistling a hymn just kind of filled in the gaps. It was a good source of comfort for me my second week. ....until my companion told me that she hates whistling. Believe it or not, it is a challenge not to whistle when the whims of your heart beg you to... :) hahaha if that makes any sense, but really! It is painstakingly difficult! It's like holding a butterfly in your mouth and not letting it out... Yeah. 

Well, we watched a missionary video one day and Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Stand tall, and with a song in your heart, move forward." Ahah! There it was, not only my whistling solution, but also I thought I figured out how to keep going! I decided to work on patience, but it wasn't so much that she was hard to be with, it was just this core disappointment that I was with someone that treated me a way that gave me the impression that she didn't know who I was.. 

Por eso, planning, teaching, studying, sleeping, EVERYTHING you could imagine was impossible to do with a missionary attitude and the Spirit as your companion. 

One night, I couldn't sleep whatsoever. I just wanted to talk to someone! I felt very very alone. I knew I was never alone with Heavenly Father always there, but I didn't want to talk to Him because I knew if I did, I would have to humble myself before him and forgive my companion. I didn't want to forgive her. I wanted HER to apologize to ME. ...ha well that's not a fun feeling to be that prideful. I seriously just sat in my bed staring at the wall for quite some time sad, angry, alone, debating on whether or not I would turn to Heavenly Father. Finally, I did. The next morning, I worked up a song in my heart and put a smile on my face. During class, I decided to thank my companion for sharing her opinion. During the lesson with our practice investigator,  I related my self to Enos. I wanted the Spirit back and I knew I had to actually talk to my companion. As soon as I decided to forgive her, a REAL GENUINE smile showed up and I asked her as we were going back in if I could talk to her before lunch. We went to a pretty white bench outside and sat. I told her that I apologized to her for how the companionship was going. We talked for a while, communicated (finally) to each other and I felt free. It was only a few minutes that we talked, but felt so great.  So we went on and things were great!

Until they weren't. 

I was very confused when she continued to do the same thing the next few days... I asked Heavenly Father why this was still going on! My answer was this, Christ walked the path of temptation and of pain and of disappointment--it's part of mortal life--BUT His path was full of obedience, service, and prayer. 

Because of that, he understands our individual pain, trials, temptaions, and so on. He was mortal just like us; however, he still is the perfect example of what we need to do in our mortal life. 

"As I have loved you, love one another. By this shall men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

That's what I had to do, just love. 

Hermana Olson