Two Years Flies by

Well... Here we go!

I don't really think about it a lot but it is strange that I've been out a year and that i only have one more to go. I actually figured out that i will fly home next august 1. Well would you like to know that i just had a heart attack? I've probably said it before but a mission seemed like such a long time when i first looked at it. But now that i look at it, it doesn't seem that they give us any time at all. Two years flies by so quickly.

But now for the updates! So we weren't able to teach Makayla and her family this week because their schedule was super busy. But they wanted to make sure that we knew that they weren't ignoring us. So hopefully we'll have a better update with all of them this upcoming Monday.

But in other news we have a sweet old lady named Carolyn planning to be baptized on Aug. 25. She definitely has some challenges that she'll have to overcome. She has a smoking problem and she can't read or write, but our plan is to get her a CD player so that she can listen to the Book of Mormon on CD. Then she isn't able to drive because she doesn't have a car. But we have some members who will be picking her up this Sunday! So please pray that we'll be able to help her overcome all of these trials!

So I really want summer to end! Not because of the heat, but because it seems that everyone leaves on vacation. We have a lot of referrals from members but it doesn't seem like any of them are ever home. But we'll keep pressing forward!

We picked up that package right before we came over to e-mail and i was able to glance at everything but i haven't really been able to look. It did take me a few moments to realize that it was for my one year mark birthday, not my actual birthday. But i plan on making those cakes and things and whatever else was in there! I'll tell y'all how that works out. (We sent Kyle a 1st year package.  It had a #1 candle, and the ingredients to make a peach cake.  It also contained a book of our testimonies, and a copy of Kyle's testimony he sent home while he was in the MTC 1 year ago.  I can't believe he's been gone 1 year already.)

So i had a funny thought the other day. I was thinking about how when i get home and give my "homecoming" talk that i would have a lot of great things to say how i spiritually grew. But then i realized that no one is going to be able to take it seriously because my southern accent is really starting to attach. I do have to admit that I'm definitely not trying to get rid of it though. But anyways it will be nice because you know how everyone tells a joke to break the ice in there talk? Well I can just get up there and say, "how y'all doin brothers and sisters?" It'll be interestin fer sure.

Ima start typin like the way i tawlk. Naw i'm just kiddin i think ya wouldn be able to see any of the wurds cause of all the red lines underneath em. I'm tellin ya, y'all are probly laughin right now but i tend to tawlk alowt liiike thiis quite offen.


Plus i almost forgot to tell y'all! The other day i had a tomato sandwich, which entails bread, mayonnaise, a big slice of tomato, and salt. Evidently it's a southern tradition, i actually loved it. So now i put tomatoes on all of my sandwiches and even ate a tomato by itself and liked it. Weird huh? (Very weird, Kyle has always Hated tomatoes.  Hated!)

Anyway i just wanted to let everyone know that i'm doin just dandy down here in the south and that i'm lovin every minute of it!

Love,

Elder K. Olsen

"Apple Guy" is pretending to be Elder Dietz.

 

a picture of me and "Apple Guy"

 

Elder Dietz doing something

 

A picture of me with my Jigglypuff stuffed animal piggybank thing

 

Nephi Rd. sign

 

 A close up of where i signed the stop sign in the apartment.

I <3 Hartsville!

Well i guess i'll be reaching my year mark in a few days which i admit is really weird. It doesn't feel like I've been out nearly that long, and a year left seems like such a small amount of time left. I find it funny because i look back on what I've done so far and think, i need to do a lot more! It's just so strange that when before my mission i looked at two years as such a long time span, i looked at it as something that would just never end. But here i am halfway through it and i still remember vividly sitting in the park right before we crammed into the minivan to go to the MTC.

Well I believe i told y'all about Mikayla last week, so I'll just try to give you a good update about it! So it was awesome because she is a friend of a member of the Laffidy family and Sis. Laffidy is helping us out so much! Last P-Day we had the strangest impression to go over to the Laffidys and to bring the hair clippers with us. So we go over there we go inside and Mikayla is there! But guess who else is there! Her mom! Guess what she does!? She cuts hair for a living... well isn't that a happy coincidence? Of course i got a free haircut... So basically we needed to get permission from her to teach and baptize Mikayla. Because Mikayla wants to be baptized, i don't know if i mentioned that. Her Mom and Dad are totally happy with that, and even better they want to sit in on the discussions as well at the Laffidys house. Then we also found out that Mikaylas grandma had moved here recently and she had had missionary discussions before, she loved them enough i guess to give Mikayla a Book of Mormon which she reads every day. So yeah, Grandma wants to be in the discussions as well. I just love it when the Lord is just kind of like, "Here ya go." 

Yesterday was a really good Sunday service, it just felt really uplifting. Last week i pondered a lot about the sacrament prayers and it really strengthened my testimony about the sacrament. Because i noticed the differences between the bread and the water prayers. I noticed that the bread talks about if we are willing to take his name upon us and what we are going to do in the future (keep his commandments, always remember him.) In doing so we will (in the future) have His spirit to be with us. But then i noticed that the water is completely different. The water talks about who we are at that moment. The prayer of the water says that we "do" always remember Him and keep His commandments so that we can have His Spirit to be with us. I just found it interesting that that's what I'm saying to God when i partake of the bread and water. I remember I took the bread and just looked at it for a bit instead of eating it purely out of habit. And it was great because for those moments i forgot about everyone else in the room, for those few moments it was just me and the Savior. And i loved it.

I guess I've changed a lot more than i had realized. Because when the Avengers came out in the past i freaked out and would have really liked to have seen it, i didn't of course. But when i found out that the new batman movie came out i didn't freak out. Which is funny because that was the number one movie that i didn't want to miss before i left. I guess at this point I've just realized whats really important right now. So I'm very thankful that the Lord has taken some distractions from me. It makes this a lot easier to do.

It's great to hear that Chris is so close to going on a mission! I thought for a moment how awesome if it would be if he came here to the south and i got to train him. But then i realized, the Lord is smarter than that and probably wouldn't want to put us together. But anyway tell me when he puts in his papers! I'm excited to hear where he goes, because missions are capital W aWesome!

As for the package that you plan to send me i have no idea what i need. Unless you want to send me a new fluffy pillow! But for the most part i never really know what i want. Because i've pretty much got everything that i need i think. So i'm probably just gonna leave it up to you because you're always really good at finding that stuff i never knew about but wanted my entire life. 

But anyways my life is great and stuff

Elder K. Olsen

p.s Love y'all!!!

Staying in Hartsville

Hello Back!

So i got the stay cool package and i loved it. I have to admit that the spray bottle isn't really whats needed in the south because I'm already wet. But the fan works fantastic! I especially love the necklace fan, it's been an odd thing when i turn it off because I'm getting cold. Also I'm very grateful for the water bottle for my bike, I've just been using normal water bottles that i keep in my backpack. So it's pretty "cool" when the water is still cold after a couple of hours. Plus the water bottle makes my bike look pretty legit.  (We sent Kyle a "Stay Cool" package, since it's been so hot in South Carolina.  We sent an Insulated Water Bottle for his bike, a fan he can wear around his neck, and a spray bottle with a fan attached.  We also sent him treats, like Cool Ranch Doritos and a variety of blue candy.  I realized after I sent the package, that a spray bottle with a fan probably wouldn't help in a State with extreme humidity...but I'm from Utah, and I wasn't really thinking, and it's really the thought that counts, right?)

So Elder Dietz and i have begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel from our hard work. Many people are showing interest and members are talking about people that they have thought about sharing the gospel with. I know that this is the Lords work and i think it's time for people to be gathered into the fold here in Hartsville.

One person in particular is showing interest. Her name is Mikayla and she is a friend to one of the youth here in the ward. I guess her grandma gave her a book of mormon and she has been reading it. She also practically lives at the members home so she has a lot of good influence. But her grandma isn't a member so we talked to Mikayla at church and asked if her grandma would care if we came by. She said that she wouldn't and that she would get the address. Then we told Mikayla that we want to teach her as well. As we said that she got a big smile on her face and said Okay! I wish i couldve taken a picture.

I guess many of you are wondering! I'm not getting transferred! Which means i get to stay another six weeks in Hartsville with Elder Dietz! I feel so blessed to stay here longer. Because i feel as if many things are about to happen here and if i work hard enough the Lord will allow me to be here when it happens. 

I truly have loved the experiences that i have gained from being sent here to Hartsville. It's a testimony that our Heavenly Father knows each one of us personally and knows what is needed specifically for us. Again i am so grateful for the trials that the Lord has blessed me with. Not because i liked having them or that they were fun. But i see a trial as two paths, one path leads away from the Savior and the other leads towards Him, and it's our choice where we go. I can truly testify that I am closer to my God than i ever have been before because through these wonderful challenges i have had to give my burdens to the Lord because i could not carry them alone. I wish i could somehow send the feelings i have through this e-mail but words can't seem to describe how much i love my Savior. 

Isn't this gospel fantastic! I feel as if i could talk about it for hours and how much joy it brings to me! There is so much to study it almost seems never ending. We have the scriptures and general conference talks and ensigns, we have a promise from God that if we ask we shall receive. I just love that we have the fullness of the gospel. I see so many religions and faiths around me that are happy to an extent but still feel as if something is missing. They all are great followers of the Savior, but they have questions and are confused about all of the different doctrines that are being taught. Oh how i wish i could help every one of them, but unfortunately that's not what the Lord wants me to do at this time. He wants me to do my very best to help every one of them, but their agency will be the deciding factor.

I feel as if I'm rambling but i just love talking about these things. I am just filled with the Spirit as if I'm about to explode. I love being a missionary

Elder K. Olsen

I'm on a mission!

I'm on a mission!

Well this week was awesome! Still pretty hot and humid, but hey thats the south! 

So we don't really have a ton of new investigators this week but we have a few potential investigators. Because since we don't have a ton of investigators we decided we're just gonna work until we drop! So what we do is plan a whole bunch of members to see and we knock around them until we teach someone. Then we keep moving! 

I also decided that we're going to get our church in the newspaper like every other church does. A newspaper goes to every resident in hartsville on tuesday and they might as well have one good ad in there. Just kidding theres other good ads in there, like the taco bell one! Also I'm thinking about setting up a big get together at the church where people will invite their friends to play games and have food, i'll possibly just do it on july 24th so that i can celebrate pioneer day too!

I just feel like i got a jump start! Because as i've explained the last few weeks haven't been the easiest weeks of my mission. Things started out slow because the agency of others chose not to accept the gospel, when that happened it affected my agency and my efforts. I have a bit of regret for not working my hardest the past little while, but i've repented for it and have told myself that I WILL do it. Because my faith doesn't rely on the agency of others. I've decided that I'm going to work really hard and I'm going to have fun doing it. Because i chose to do this, so i'm going to have fun with it!

I'm really gonna have to start writing down notes for the week when something exciting happens and bring it to the computer with me. Because i feel bad when i sit down start typing and go, duhhhhhh.... yup can't remember what happened. I just remember hot and humid and doors, lots and lots of doors.

Well there is a family that i may have mentioned before. There name is the Johnsons and they are a referral from a member. Well I've met the father a couple times, but they like going on a lot of vacations during the summer so they're really hard to catch. Well a little while ago we were at the members house and he said, I saw the Johnsons the other day and they're interested. I just kind of accepted it and was like "that great!" But then the member said, "no, they're Really interested." Then i started getting really excited! So i called the Johnsons and... they're on a vacation.... But we'll get them eventually!

It's pretty crazy but when i write y'all next time i'll get to report about transfers! Yup another six weeks has gone by. So I'll let you know if i'm staying or going next week.

Love ya!

Elder K. Olsen

Whole lot of Humitidy

Hey!

 

So i have to admit that i laughed a bit when i heard that it was hot over in Utah. This weekend has been from110-115 degrees with a whole lot of humidity. It's ridiculous because i stepped outside yesterday morning at 9 am and it was already 100 degrees and i could see the humidity it was so thick. But as for fire stories we definitely didn't have anything quite as exciting.

 

This week ended off pretty good but it took foreever! Haha, it was funny because after i learned so much about 'Ocean trials' last week and how they make us grow. Then i read the talk by President Eyring about having Mountains to climb. Well i did something rather foolish and prayed for one of those trials so that i could grow. I can assure you that the Lord hears and answers our prayers.

 

But i truly learned a lot this week! I learned that everything depends on my attitude. Because when everything started going bad we started talking about why everything was going bad and then it got worse. But then i learned at the end of the week that if i just have a determined and good attitude that everything will work out. I also learned that two very great words will get me far, those words are, "I WILL." Elder Dietz and i have been saying that a lot and it keeps us motivated. I really don't know any logical reason to not go on a mission. I've grown so much from this experience and if i would've stayed back home i feel like i wouldve just played video games and went snowboarding. Basically i would've stayed a child, and i have too many dreams i need to accomplish that a childs attitude cannot handle.

 

David is doing great! I know i say this every week but i just love that guy! We came by the other day and he brought out a notepad full of scripture references and questions. Plus he's mentioned many times that he can feel the Holy spirit more strongly with him.

 

There's not a ton to report this week besides that i'm happy and i love being a missionary!

Also i will find many investigators this week and the Hartsville area will grow!

 

Love y'all!

Elder K. Olsen

Elder Olsen with Elder Harding and Elder Fugal (his MTC companion).  This is Kyle's District

Elder Olsen and Elder Harding with David.  They let the Priest who would come to David's discussions baptize him.

 Elder Olsen and his new bike.  It has made a difference having a bike with tires that actually work :)

 Kyle's new companion, Elder Dietz.  Yes, this is a picture of his head with Kyle's body...silly boys

 Elder Olsen

 Beautiful picture of South Carolina

The fried chicken Kyle is so proud of he sent the picture twice.