Friday, August 2, 2013

July 24, 2013 MTC

I'll send an email later, I haven’t even read yours yet, but just wanted to let you know that I activated my new card, and my credit card (VISA) works, and my new debit card works. I also tried my temporary card, just in case. And that one didn’t work. So that is a good thing

Hey! Well... just woke up from a two hour nap. Now I’m more tired than before but it’s okay. I love Wednesdays (aside from the fact that it is P day.) but I get to see all of the new missionaries coming in. It’s a lot of fun! We got some new guys in our district that are going to Jed Buehner’s mission. Santiago Dominican Repulic. Pretty cool. They are a good group of guys. So I figured out that I am the oldest in my district and one of the oldest in my zone, now some guys call me grandpa haha.

(So there has been some confusion about having backpacks or not.  So Connor wrote his Mission President this email)
Hey! I hope this is the right email to send this to. If not I am sorry! I am Elder Connor Olsen. I am serving in the Argentina Buenos Aires Norte mission. Right now I am in the Provo MTC and I’ve been on my mission for 2 weeks now (got here July 3). I had a question about back packs. I’ve heard rumors that we aren’t allowed to have back packs or that we are allowed shoulder bags only. I am just a little confused and would like to go straight to the source so that I can prepare in the States before I get to Argentina where it is more expensive. Do you suggest having my mom send me a side bag/shoulder bag? Or get one down in Argentina? Or not have a bag at all. Thank you so much for your service and I can’t wait to get down there and start working for the Lord!"

(And this was the response)
 I got an email from my mission President:

Hello Elder Olsen,
We look forward to having you in the mission. 
You do not need a back pack. 
Take care,
President

So I don’t need a bag of any sort, so you do not need to worry about it. I will have to mail my back pack home or something. I thought about bringing it with me to my reassignment and if they say I don’t need it there than I will send it home. 

NOW. Haha. Stop asking about my visa. I'm not going to hear anything about that till I’m almost out of here. I will get my reassignment on Friday before I leave so like the 10th or so! I wish I knew more... you have no idea... but yeah. So if I have to wait so do you! =P

I saw a MTC Devo given by David A Bednar titled "Recognizing the Spirit" SOOOO GOOD! You guys would love it but it is only available at the MTC. He talks about being in the right place and the right time. He gives a story about how when he was a missionary 20 years old in Germany, Elder Packer called him at the mission office and he and his wife needed a ride. So they picked them up, took them to the empty mission home, made dinner and bought tickets for them for a train to wherever they needed to go. Well in Germany at the time it was split between East and West Germany. And before they got in the train in West Germany, Elder Bednar gave them 20 marks (Which is ALOT of money) just in case they needed food or whatever. Elder Bednar did not even remember giving them money, it was just something he did. Well,, when they crossed into east Germany, soldiers started checking people’s passports, Sister Packer had a 3 year passport that was extended to a 5 year passport, but those were not valid in East Germany, They were motioning that they would throw her off the train. Well. Elder packer grabbed his passport, her passport, and the 20 marks in the passport, handed to the solider, he left came back and the marks were gone and they were able to proceed. Elder Bednar said that wasn’t a bribe it was a "Righteous exchange" hahaha! When they got off they were told of people getting thrown off the train and dying on the side of the tracks so they didn’t realize how blessed they actually were. Elder Bednar did not know this story until he was a 40 year old stake President. The one thing he told us over and over “Be a good boy, be a good girl, remember and honor your covenants, keep your commandments. You will be in the right place at the right time, and when your mouth opens it will be filled" He also said that When we ask ourselves whether a prompting is our own head, or a prompting from the spirit he said the answer is very simple... "QUIT WORRYING ABOUT IT!!!!! Be a good boy, be a good girl, remember and honor your covenants, keep your commandments. You will be in the right place at the right time, and when your mouth opens it will be filled" Hahaha! So great! 

That sucks about Mitchell and the parking pass. You aren’t kissing the right butts. Too bad I am not there! I would get it done.

So I don’t know if I told you but my companion was made District Leader. The branch president, after he told me was like thinking I was sad I didn’t get it. He was saying stuff like, I’m sorry. Leadership roles aren’t always for the person who is most qualified but to help people. And that he knows I will have plenty of leadership roles in the field. He was acting like he wanted me to be district leader but some one upstairs thought otherwise, haha. I can definitely tell that my companion needs it. He doesn’t like being a leader and is very shy and has a lot to learn. My branch president said that it is my job to be an unassigned leader so that I can help my companion and kind of lead where he can’t but not really get the credit for it. Which I feel is what I do anyways! =P

We had TRC yesterday, I can’t remember if I told you about it, basically members come in and we teach them, We got assigned to teach two old guys a 20 minute lesson about prayer and why it is important. The guys were very cool and really funny. They helped us with our Spanish and such! So my teacher served in Argentina and has the Argentina accent and teaches us how to use it because we are all going there. And so when you try to say "I" like "I know the church is true." it is spell "yo", "yo se que la Iglesias es verdadero" but with Argentine Spanish the yo sounds like you say "Show". and when ever I bore my testimony, I would say "show" and the old man would try and correct me because he thought I was trying to say the Spanish word for "to show" haha! I was very confused. And even after I explained to him he would still correct me. So I started saying "yo" and he would get mad and say, "NO! Say it with your accent" HA!! Hopefully you understood that story. Also the same guys when we left and shook their hands they said that some of the guys had a lame hand shake and that if they don’t show strength that no one will take them seriously. It was really funny! Especially cuz I always have a strong hand shake! =P

Hey so I want to get some more songs on my iPod/ hopefully you have some time before you go back to school. I have a small list and such and I’ll send my iPod home. I would of sent it today but they have it all closed down for Pioneer day! Dumb! A small list is

Les Miserables, 
Josh Groban
Reliant K.
Light on a hill. 
More Disney
Fortress of love and other Goodman family songs
Track 20 from the LIGHT stuff.


I have more written down that I will send with the iPod. 

So speaking of dumb being closed for pioneer day.
My blue suit pants ripped right at the pocket. I was singing in the choir and when I stood up I notice that they ripped. It was just the seams for the pocket so all it means is that it was crappy sewing! So dumb! I was going to take it to the sewing place but they are closed! I also need a hair cut but it’s closed! Ridiculous! 





I still need more addresses and such! Either email or home, or both. Haha! I sent Lauren a scripture that Dennis needs to look up. Jacob 6:12. Let me know if she got it. 

Well. Things are good. I’m working hard and having fun! My branch Presidency is a lot of fun and I get to mess around with them a lot! One of the councilors said that it was okay to laugh and have fun on your mission! Haha! That was a relief haha! (Not really). Well... I think that is it for now! I am happy. I am healthy and I am going to endure to the End! I suggest you do the same! Love you 



So... we got in trouble for our classroom being too cluttered. And so they made us get boxes from the cafeteria to keep all of our stuff in, When we got to class our desks were moved so that you could see how unorganized we were.... BUT! I always keep my stuff neat and organized so my stuff wasn’t moved. My area was clean and such! So I just got to sit and watch everyone else organize their stuff! Oh and laugh! HAHHAHAHAH! Jk. 

 Boys will be Boys.  Having to clean up their messy Study Room



One of the guys is a really good artist


Hey you should see if you can find out a little about my mission, the geographic size, how many missionaries and stuff like that! See if there is anything. If u are too busy no big deal



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