It's raining!

It's raining!

 

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this or not but it has rained off and on every day for the past couple weeks. And it pours out here! It's all nice and sunny then all of a sudden we're completely drenched. Not to mention the lightning. One just struck next to the library and made the power go off for a second. Awesome! Luckily we got a ride here.

 

Hmm so i don't really understand the rules either. It was under my assumption that i would be released and then i was free from the missionary rules. If possible maybe you could talk with my Dad and he could talk to my stake president to see how that all works out. I mean i don't mind wearing my suit to members homes (it's more comfy than it looks, plus i look great). Also we can do an extra day in Charleston, I'm really not to picky about the whole situation. And for the beach i don't want to really get in the water that much anyways, so that works.

 

The 4th of july was fun. We needed to be done working by 6 and could only stay out if we were with a member until 8... unfortunately fireworks start about 9:30. So we didn't exactly get to see any fireworks because we live out in the woods. But we could hear them everywhere! It felt like we were in the middle of a war. Which Elder Bowen and i had a good time with.

 

We did some service this week doing some yard work. And when we were finished we asked the member if we could have some of the bamboo that was growing in the back. She told us to take as many as we wanted because they're a nuisance. Well we both only took one. But they were both over 20ft tall! It was awesome! So we chopped them up into three 6-7ft pieces and are thinking about getting more to outline the back porch. Awesome right!

 

This week we caught a big frog and a big turtle. The turtle we left in a box on our back porch, but when we came out it climbed out and got away. Didn't realize they were capable of that sort of manuevering. But we're on the look out for another one, there's a member here Bro. Marsh who's in his 70's and drives us around a lot and loves pranking the sisters. So we're gonna catch a turtle and then give it to them. It should be really funny. The frog on the other hand was about the size of my palm, which funnily isn't that big of a frog. In other random news i found 12 different mushrooms growing in our backyard.

 

Our teaching pool is currently empty :P But on the bright side we went to ward council this week and i asked them a ton of questions about less active members and which ones we should go see. So we got many assignments there. Many of which are part member families which is always good potential. Some other members fed us yesterday and said they wanted to feed us again next week and that they would have some people for us to teach. So this week should prove to bring many positive results. 

 

My stark watch (the one with the hole in it) battery died a while back and i got a new battery in it. Evidently its old enough that a couple screws in the back were rusted out and broke. On the other hand i have this awesome watch which i also replaced the battery that I'm excited to show y'all!

 

Honestly it still hasn't hit me that I'm coming home soon. I'm waiting for some big nervous attack to hit me. Every few days or so i look at the calendar and i just can't seem to comprehend the amount of time i have left. Which is a blessing to me. I've seen many missionaries slowly "die" at the end of there mission. They get really quiet and sad and just stare at stuff. I honestly still feel i have a year left of my mission but that i just have two years of experience.

 

This past week i finished the old testament and the doctrine and covenants. I'm really close to finishing the book of mormon and the new testament. I should be done with both by the end of the week. I made a study plan to read all the standard works in the time span of three months. And guess what i actually stuck to it and finished it! I'll be excited to really get into studying after my mission, I have a few ideas of my next study plans. We'll see i guess!

 

Elder Bowen is a funny character. I really haven't told y'all much about him. He's way into working out, don't worry none of that has rubbed off on me. And when i say he's into it, we've stopped by GNC the last few pday's for protein and other things. He's bought dumbells, then he bought more weight for it later. If i ever want him to bike faster i just need to pass him, he does not like to be behind me i think. I laugh every time it happens. He's fearless in his teaching and besides maybe the context that he teaches you wouldn't know he is new. He's very confident and has a wonderful testimony. He's obedient but still likes to have fun, almost to often (which may be strange to hear from me i know.) I love being with him and have full confidence in him as i leave him to take over the area. It wouldn't surprise me for him to also become an assistant.

 

Well that is where I'm at, I'll see you soon!

Love you!

Elder K. Olsen

 

P.s. Did you say you don't have my 16gb card with the Toynes pictures on it? Cause that's probably not good haha :P

July 1!!!

July!?!

 

So i had a great experience this last weekend! Patricia who has been taught by the sisters wanted me to baptize and confirm her. So i did!! She's so great and it's such a humbling experience to get into the water. I always find it interesting when i do such a spiritual thing because i always feel as if i am only watching the experience. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not. But then after church i interviewed another one of the sisters investigators who will be baptized on July 6. I absolutely love being a district leader.

 

I love being a missionary at church because there's always so much that i need to get done. I'm all over the place and it's always exciting. It doesn't always feel as looooong as some people say ;).

 

Well it sounds like for once it's hotter back home! Its only been in the 80's and 90's here. But since it rains alot every single day the humidity is very high. It's impossible not to sweat. There's a lot of techniques that missionaries use for wiping the sweat off there head. Some use there ties, some use shirt sleeves (like me), or for the ones who sweat a lot have sweat rags. Awesome right? I'm excited for y'all to figure out what I'm talking about. We'll have to plan a lot of outdoor activities. Speaking of activities, there's the one aquarium, but there's also the ripleys believe it or not aquarium in myrtle beach which looks awesome. Thats an idea. Also i found out (and i'm sure you have too) it's not the robertsons but they're actually the Rodgersons... my bad.

 

I got to be in a car a couple days this week. We went on exchanges with the zone leaders. It was funny because Elder Bowen stayed in gilbert and planned a 23 mile bike ride. Well the zone leader isn't used to that, was ridiculously tired when they were done, and talked about getting us a car! Alright! The funny thing was is that we didn't plan a long biking day for just him. We bike about 20 miles a day every day. Needless to say my legs are ripped... and ridiculously white.

 

Elder Bowen and I decided to call all the less actives in our area this week which actually worked really well. Many people appreciated the phone calls and we were able to set up some appointments (which is something we've been lacking lately). We've also finished our map and are thinking about calling all of the former investigators in the area. We'll be calling David today to set up another appointment which will be great. Also we talked with Veronda and she said that she doesn't want to go to our church until she's finished the book of mormon. What shocked me was when she told us to give her a week or two because she's half way through it!

 

Also i don't know if i ever mentioned Roberto in the past. But the spanish elders taught him yesterday and him and his family are on date for the 27! Hoorah for Israel!

 

I admit I'm running out of things to say. I feel as if i just kind of repeat myself every week. But that's probably only because i do the same thing every week! Haha, teach, bike, sweat, knock, sweat. I love it!

 

Also if you could send those birthday cards thatd be awesome! I don't plan on spending the money. But it's just exciting to get stuff in the mail!

 

Elder Bowen says, "How can you know if something is impossible if you haven't tried it?" Pretty cool huh?

 

Oh! So they opened up the Georgia Macon mission a week ago and we had 41 of our missionaries go there! Some may sound familiar. Like, Elder Young, Elder Tippetts, and Elder Harding!  Which means Elder Brimhall and Elder Bowen are the only companion and former companions i have left in the mission. It's just me and my boys now!.... I'm an old missionary. Do you realize that right now there is no missionary in the mission (besides those who came out with me) who have been on a mission longer than me?! Weeeird.

 

And i think i said this in my last letter. But could you send me my other memory cards so i could send these ones? Thanks love you!

 

Love you again!

Elder K. Olsen

(So here's last weeks letter, it said that your address was wrong. So here we go again!) 6/24/13

(So here's last weeks letter, it said that your address was wrong. So here we go again!)
 
Well hello!

So guess what i just finished doing? I went to the zoo! Again! The sisters wanted to go to the zoo and we were able to go as an entire district which was really fun! I took a lot of pictures of ME this time which should be more exciting.

I guess i forgot to mention it last week (sorry). But i got your package on my birthday! The assistants came and dropped it off (isn't it nice that the assistant is my son? But i loved the t-shirts and toys and we've been having a lot of fun with that star wars thumbprint thing. It's great when i make every one of my companions star wars fans. Mission accomplished!

Yesterday was great! We had stake conference and i learned a lot from it. Also there was the big worldwide mission broadcast yesterday and that was awesome! I think it's crazy that missionaries will be using facebook and blog and all that other stuff. Although i was sad to hear when they said over the next couple of months we will be bringing this to your mission. Greeeeeeat timing people. But oh well! It's still exciting to see the work progress! I'm just glad they put so much attention on member missionary work. That's really the only way to do it now a days. Knocking on doors is alright. But everyone is so busy, and aren't as trusting to strangers as they used to be. Plus when a member introduces they're friends to the gospel there's already a support system. I really hope everyone listens to the prophets and apostles voice and make members and missionaries one team as it should be. We as missionaries really aren't effective without the members.

Well David rescheduled for tomorrow so we'll be seeing him then. Hopefully he's read a lot! And more importantly prayed. You can't really read the Book of Mormon without praying. It doesn't work. You just can't read such a spiritual book in a temporal manner. Its just not the way things work.

We also knocked into the Coleman family. They are now on date for July 13. Although it's a very tentative goal. But i loved teaching them because it was such a straightforward lesson. I usually build things up and hint towards things. But I was very blunt, but in a good way. I just wanted to make sure that they understood. We told them what we were teaching, why we were teaching it, and how it will help them. I also love telling people that if the church is true they need to be baptized again by the priesthood authority and that their baptism wasn't exactly the way the lord wanted it done. Not to be rude of course and rub it in their face. But i just used to be so scared that i might offend them that i almost wouldn't even bring up baptism. I was very hesitant. Now i realize its more loving to tell them they need a authoritative baptism, and not just tell them there's was good enough. Jesus taught one way and I'm here to teach as His representative.

As for the upcoming travel situation. I will be sending a good bit home, so probably the sooner i do that the better. Also when y'all come out i will need some clothes. Got a lot of white shirts and ties. I'm not sure if my leather flip flops are still around. But i would really love those if possible. Then shorts, i need shorts. My legs will be blinding white, but i wore jeans all day at the zoo and it was HOT. So when we go to the zoo we'll do it early in the morning (9am). I have some t-shirts but there are some normal button up shirts i liked that i may get.

Also i don't have my 16gb sd card. I'm really sure i sent that home. I have 3 8gb cards and a 2gb. They're getting pretty full so I'm gonna have to send them for the last time. So please send them soon so i can send these to you!

Well i love y'all!!
Elder K. Olsen

Birthday, Miracles, and Fathers Day

Hey I'm 21!

 

So I'll first start off by talking about my birthday. It was awesome! I kind of took my time in the morning, then i got out of the shower and while i was getting dressed i heard voices outside. So I step outside and Sis. Da Rosa and her son start singing Happy Birthday! So that was an awesome start. There was a nerf gun in the basket that had a laser, but it needed batteries. Well we needed a screwdriver to put the batteries in, we don't have one. So i spent all my personal study breaking into this nerf gun. But it works now! We ended up tracting a lot that day, we were out of miles on the car so we biked. Then we ended up at the Toynes! Where i had a great dinner and they sang Happy Birthday again! Then i lost at horseshoes to Elder Bowen 9-21 :( . Also as we were at the Toynes we got a call that the missionaries were coming by to take our car. So yeah it's gone now. So the day went by and we got home, and there was a plate of cookies on the table from the elders. Then there were two packages on my chair! Did I mention that Elder Brimhall took the car? There's perks to training an assistant. He doesn't forget your birthday and made sure i got my presents. I do have to admit i was confused when there wasn't any letters in your present, haha i figured they would just be coming in the mail. And i was right! Then I called the sisters to see how there day was, and when they answered they sung Happy Birthday! That's three times in one day! Plus i got tons of Happy Birthday texts. So overall it was a great day.

 

Well it's ridiculously hot now, and only getting hotter. Perfect timing to start biking everywhere. The other day we did 25 miles, not to shabby right? Elder Bowen makes me a protein shake every day, so my legs are going to be ripped pretty soon.

 

We had a miracle last night! So i don't remember if i mentioned that our teaching pool was empty. But it was. Well last night we were tracting and i looked back down the road where our bikes were locked up. And i guy came out of his house and looked at them. I felt he really didn't want our bikes there. So i suggested we go get them. Well we get close and he comes out of his house and yells, "get your bikes out of here!" I didn't argue, got the bikes, left and wished him a good day. So we took the bikes down the street to a members home and asked if we could leave the bikes at their house. They were fine with that. Then Elder Bowen jokingly asked one of the members if he wanted to knock with us. This man got off his mission 4 years ago and was really excited to come with. So we figured, why not? So we knock on the first door, no luck. Then the second door a man answers and lets us right in. Turns out his wifes grandma is a member, and even better, after talking for a bit we find out that she's related to the member that came with us. And it's only three doors down! Well the man, David, has just recently gotten into religion and is golden. For the last year he's really gotten into the bible and is addicted to it. He'll be listening to it while he falls asleep, so often actually that his wife, Jessica, bought him wireless headphones so the wires wouldn't choke him while he slept. Well as he's done this, he's started praying as a family every morning and night, he switched jobs so he could go to church, he's so happy that he doesn't argue with his wife anymore, and he now has a good relationship with his son. Well he taught him of the restoration, and answered many questions. We gave him the book of mormon and he said he would be open and would start last night. Well we are going to see him again tonight. I'm so excited. It's just perfect. The member, Bro. Katz gave them his number just in case they have any questions. Also David wants to get baptized, but he wants to be set in stone in the church he gets baptized into before he commits and he says the church he's going to doesn't feel like the place yet.

 

The sisters have been doing great down in Pelion! They have a new sister with them, Sis. Bailey who is waiting for her visa to the Melbourne, Australia mission. But the sisters had 3 investigators at church and 5 less actives. One of their investigators is Patricia who they knocked into who is practically already a member. Well I'm interviewing her tonight and she'll be ready to go. But here's what awesome, the sisters were setting up the baptismal program; talks, songs, etc. And Patricia asked the sisters if i could baptize her! So i get to get in the water again, I'm so excited!

So Father's day in the gilbert ward has a tradition. All the women make pies and then bring them to church, after the second hour all the guys eat the pie! Well i walked in the gym and there was tons of it! I was stunned! I couldn't pick one. Then i was told i could eat as much as i wanted to. So i ate 6 pieces and was very very happy. I really like pie. I didn't look around, but I'm pretty sure i ate the most. Which I'm very proud of.

 

Speaking of Fathers Day! Happy fathers day dad(s)! Haha how often do y'all see that sentence? Don't worry i agree, i feel i get jipped not being able to call. But oh well! That's life i guess, won't be too much longer where I'll be able to talk face to face!

 

So I just went to the driving range (golf) and i sweat so much! I can bike all day long.. and sweat a lot. But hitting a basket of golf balls had a constant stream dripping off my nose! Gotta love the south! Sheesh!

 

Well that's my life and it's pretty amazing huh? Yeah i know y'all are jealous!

 

I love y'all!

Elder K. Olsen

Happy Birthday Elder Olsen!

A big thank you to Sister de Rosa who help me send our 'baby boy' some balloons and treats for his 21st birthday today!

Bree and Riley's Baptism

Well howdy!

 

So this week was full of ups and downs!

 

I'll start with the downs cause they're useless and i should just get them out of the way quickly. Well all of our investigators dropped us and we are starting afresh for this next and final transfer.

 

That was all the downs.

 

Now the ups! So we had a baptism! Bree and Riley were baptized and it was just an amazing service. The Spirit was so strong and it just went so smoothly. The mother had told us which mormon messages she wanted to play at the baptism (for her husband and in-laws) and Elder Bowen and I put them on a dvd for her. Now Elder Bowen and I didn't teach these girls, they were taught by the past two missionaries. But we sure did a lot getting the baptism all set up it was so great! Also, this month we have a goal of two baptisms. Originally Riley wasn't going to count as one of our baptisms cause she's 8. But the ward sent in her record and it got sent back saying that she was a convert baptism. So we may have hit out goal already! If not we still will, but isn't that exciting! Also you should of seen the father. You could tell how much he loved his daughters and how proud he was. I know that the Sprit touched him and that he will one day embrace the gospel.

 

Something else that's amazing! Y'all may not remember, but in my first area Jesse Bloodworth is one of my favorite people in the world. I worked with him for a while. He's with a member and they both have sons named Alex. Ring any bells? Anyways, a voicemail was sent out accross the mission (which happens a lot) asking all of the missionaries to pray for him. Because he has decided to be baptized on June 22! I'm honestly going to try and see if i can get permission to go, i doubt it. But I'll try anyways.

 

Another thing which I am very proud to say, well let me start by an experience this week. So a month ago we met a man, some call him Tim. Well he is a hardcore baptist who wants to convert us to Christianity. Well we gave him the book of mormon, he gave us a bible. And we agreed to again meet in a month. Well we did and he was prepared! Wow, he must have looked up every anti-mormon thing on the internet. He had even printed off some papers on how to witness to mormons. I know because he gave me all the papers he printed off. He even gave me a book about the papyrus that joseph smith translated. Anyways so he brought up every possible thing you can think of. It lasted about 2 and a half hours. But I'm proud to say that i didn't bash once.... even though i could've if i wanted too... and won. But that's not the point, the point is that over my entire mission i have never bashed. I always have just born my testimony to them, and it's because of a mission story that Dad told me about from his mission. That story always stuck with me. But I have to say I'm thankful for having to run into so many people like this. It has caused me to study many different beliefs that we have and to gain a stronger testimony. I have studied about things that we are accused of and Heavenly Father always guides me to the right answers. I know this church is true, and everything we teach is true.

 

So the sisters in Pelion will be getting another sister. There's a missionary coming to our mission as she waits for her visa and she will be with the Pelion sisters. So now Sister Ibarra will be training two missionaries! In Pelion! Talk about a trial of faith haha.

 

Well we haven't heard about the car yet, but most likely we'll be losing it wednesday. But last time i talked to the vehicle coordinator he wasn't sure what the plan was. So cross your fingers we'll get the car for one more transfer! That's all i need!

 

We've been getting hit by a tropical storm the last few days. I love the rain. It's sad because it rains a lot here,and when it rains, it rains a lot. Our driveway was a river this morning and it only rained for about five minutes. But it was pouring! I went to step outside and it started. So i went back in to change my pants. The reason i did that is because i was wearing my light gray pants. My light gray pants have water show up on them very easily, and they're cursed! Every time i wear those darn pants it rains! Every time without fail! But they're my favorite pants because they're the lighest material. Anyway i went inside got into my black slacks... and it had stopped raining. Figures right?

 

So I'm guessing that the mail i get will be coming next week. I totally forgot that mail doesn't come on transfers. But maybe since I'm not getting transferred they'll send out my mail. Either way I'll get it at the end of the week at the latest.

 

Well I love y'all and I'll see ya later!

 

Elder K. Olsen

Hi

Hi

So I do always love talking about sunday. i always have such a great time. First off i would like to say that we had no investigators come to church. But Jamey was able to get one of her friends to come. Which just shows that member missionary work is way more effective. I guess if you tell you're friend you'll come to church you tend to keep your word better than when you tell two kids in a shirt in tie you've only met a couple times. But now i have a funny story to tell. So there is a member here who is Bro. Marsh. He's in his late 70's i believe. And one of the funniest men i know. So anyway he always wears this bright red and green hand made sweater with a zipper all the way down. Him and his wife had gone to africa on a mission where he picked it up. Well before church started i said to him, "bro. marsh, do you want to trade jackets today?" To my surprise he took his jacket off quickly and traded. So then he walks into the chapel and sits towards the front with my suitcoat and my nametag. I of course sit in the back wearing this bright red and green sweater. Well than after the sacrament the pulpit was open for members to bear their testimonies. Guess who was the first one who got up? Bro. Marsh. He got up there and stood at the pulpit looking in the audience for me. Then he saw me and kind of walked off to the side of the stage and pointed at me. He went back to the pulpit and said, "my sweater is as about as far back as it can get." Then he went on telling how i took it from him and how he thought it was ridiculous how skinny i was, as he stepped off to the side and attempted to button the jacket. Well after that big show he invited me up after his testimony. And I did... in the sweater. But don't worry! I asked Bishop for permission to wear it at the pulpit. Aanyway, needless to say everybody now knows who i am and talks with us more. Also we got more meals now because Bro. Marsh said i was too skinny and needed to be fed more. It was awesome.

 

Well it's getting hot down here in south carolina. We're getting in the high 90's and the humidity is at about 75%. And it's only going up from here. Luckily it's going to rain every day this week so it won't be as hot. But it sure is going to get humid! Also Luckily we have a car which can keep us dry!

 

Also, also we have a baptism this Thursday! There's a family which Elder Young worked with before i got here. The mother and two children are active and the father wasn't always too fond of the church. Because of that the children haven't been baptized. Well his heart has been softened and his daughters have been taught and they are being baptized and confirmed thursday. It's going to be great because we are going to play some mormon messages in hope that the husband will feel the spirit and have desire to learn more. I know that his wife prays for it daily.

 

So here's a great story that will make a lot of people worry about me! So i was on exchanges with the zone leaders and we were working and doing our thing. We went and saw a less active member up by the lake. Well after that we had some time so we figured we'd knock around a bit. So there's all these huge houses and none of these people want to talk with us. Then there's this one random trailer. At the end of his driveway there's a sign which says, IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOU'RE IN RANGE. Well I see those kind of signs all the time and just didn't care all that much. So I'm evaluating the yard and surroundings like i always do to give me something to talk about. I see a big dog kennell and i see a walker with tennis balls on the bottom like on the movie up. So we knock on the door and i hear a very loud big dog. And then we hear an old mans voice ask, "who is it?!" We say the missionaries, and of course he couldn't hear us so he asks again. Well he asks us a few more times until finally we hear him come to the door. So in my mind i imagine this giant dog running to eat me and this man is going to be too old to hold him back. So i suggest we step off the porch so that we can react if we need to. So we step off and the door opens, did a huge gigantic dog come running at us? Nope. But do you know what came out the door? An old man with a two barrell shotgun wearing a white tank top and boxers! So he's now pointing this thing at my face from only about two feet away. Then the zone leader said something and he pointed the gun at him. Then i said something and he came back at me. He didn't yell or anything, and we didn't push him. We just wished him a blessed day and left. But it was terrifying! I knew that he wouldn't actually shoot us, but ya know when people get old and their hands shake? Well that's his hands were doing with this double barrell shotgun! I thought his hands were just going to shake the trigger. And everyone else who's pointed a gun at me always puts the gun away after we introduce ourselves. Sheesh!

 

So I looked through my stuff for sister laffidy and i can't find anything. But I think i may have her number on my gps. I'm currently letting the sisters borrow that but i'll check it out tomorrow at out meeting.

 

And as for my birthday. I think all i really want is money (lame i know). But I think that will be the smartest thing for me to do at this time. And money is awesome ya know?

 

As for Morgans birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU BRIGHT COLORED ZEBRA WEARING HIPPY! You'll have to let me ride you're scooter around when i get home. It looks pretty awesome! I'll see you soon! I love you!

 

Well I love y'all!

Elder K. Olsen