Feb 10, 2014 Exchanges

Hola! So things are going good! Today we got to go to the Temple- It was really fun seeing a bunch of different elders especially in the Celestial Room! Way cool! It was really cool because it was all in Spanish and so cool to realize how much I actually do know!

Well fun things this week. We’ve been doing a lot of Exchanges. Because my companion is district leader we get to do exchanges with other Elders and the Zone leaders. The Elder that I get to go with is Elder Harrison Jone from Lindsey ward. So that was a fun surprise. I got to go to his Area and help him out. His area is just giant big buildings called Lugano 1 y 2. It is like a community all its own in there. People say it’s pretty dangerous but it seemed really cool to me. It’s a great place with a lot of potential but there aren’t many Members in there. So they are working basically alone. But they will have success. Then one of the Zone leaders came to my area to work with me., That was a hard day because I basically had to show off what I have and how I know the area and the language and all that. I could have done better but he just kind of took off and started talking with everyone! It was a very great day but I was really tired after! After that I feel like we should be running from Cita to cita like we were with him and all that, haha. I just feel like we aren’t doing enough but then I realized that not all the missionaries are the same and to not become someone fake. So I am working on changing myself and bettering myself everyday to have real change and real progression. But things are going good. This week was the birthday of a girl in the ward and I told her I would make her a cake and well... I made a cake. Haha! She really liked it and ended up sharing it with a bunch of people because people in the ward would walk up to me and tell me that my cake was really good. Haha! So yeah that was interesting! I still have the brownie mix from Christmas and so maybe I’ll make that for someone else. But yeah things are good. After the temple today we went to Burger King, I found Skittles and Oreos and Hershey’s Cookies and Cream chocolate. But spent 80 pesos on all that, which is about 10 bucks. Haha! But it’s okay! Today was a little weird. Glad that you guys are doing well and that you are all happy! Send my love to everyone! Mitch and the Novia (Novia is girlfriend in Spanish) and Garrett. And everyone! Love yall!

 Snap Chat at the Internet Cafe 

Do you like my Apron?  Thank you Grandma Linda 

I made a Cake for Lucero Angasplico! 

Feb 3, 2014 Searching for Investigators

Hey everyone how’s it going! Well things have been going well. I am with Elder Allen from Modesto, California. He says he doesn’t know my cousins that live in Modesto. He is pretty cool. He has 3 months left in his mission. This transfer and one after. Things have been going well. We had a rough start at the beginning of the week because we basically had to drop most of our investigators. And so we’ve just been looking and searching for new investigators! Since I’m the one that ´´knows the area´´ it’s been really hard because I feel like I am alone. But I know I am not so whenever a thought came to my head I did it. No matter how strange or boring or far away it sounded. And we’ve found some people not much. We have decided that we want to clean up the list of members that we have so we have started looking for the less actives and working with them! We have already found 2 new people from this that were just in our way near a house of some people. Also we have gotten a lot of doors slammed in our face. One lady looked like we were going to set her on fire... ´´No NO NO! Vayan! Vayan!!!´´ (vayan is go away). So that was fun! We are still working hard with Florencia. We feel like we are getting close. Elder Allen wants to drop her because we don’t have permission to baptize her yet but I don’t care. I’m, still going to teach this girl and do whatever it takes for her! I really love this family! One member passed by to talk to the mom of Florencia and the mom said that now she wants to come to church and see what it is like and to meet the bishop and the members invited them to their daughters baptism on the 15 and Florencia said she wants to get baptized on the same day! How cool would that be! But we well see! Things are going well and the ward really loves us and that’s what I really care about is the strong relationship with the ward and missionaries. The references are going to start coming in fast! I can feel it! =D oh and something that I did not say is that Elder Allen is district leader. So that’s fun! Sorry. Computer doesn’t work so if can’t send pics! :(

Jan 27, 2014 Still in Villa Lugano New Companion

How fun! That’s really great that the Temple is going and all that! If you can and you see any of my friends that aren’t members invite them to see the temple! Well. We have transfers today. I ended up staying and Elder Estrada left. He is in the Cabaña-. And I am with Elder Allen. He is from Modesto California. He has been District leader and zone leader and everything so this will be an interesting transfer! Well this was an interesting week. We did a lot with the members. I think Elder Estrada knew that he was leaving so we did a lot with the members that we like to hang out with. We did a lot of cooking and made tacos 2 times this week. We also had Zone conference this week so that was fun! It was a long week and we did a lot of stuff. We looked for new investigators but we just couldn’t find any! We talked with Florencia but she doesn’t feel ready to be Baptized and we don’t have permission from the mom and so we are waiting for that and we are going to keep teaching her and hopefully teach the family too. They are really great but we will see. Florencia really wants to know and wants to be sure that this is something that she wants to do. She came to us with a bunch of questions like... ¨´Can I go out with my friends? ´ ´´can I party´´ can I dance´´ stuff like that! Hahaha. So we had to explain to her that she can do whatever she wants as long as she is doing good things and keeping the commandments and all that stuff. Haha! It’s really great to see her go through all this she is really great.

We taught a lesson to a member family and I taught the lesson. Afterwards he critiqued me like I was being judged or something but he said I did a really good job and he was really impressed with the way I handled the lessons and the way I answered questions and gave out challenges and things to work on. It was a cool experience. This week we also have exchanges with Elder Gines and Elder Hankins. It was really fun and a little hard because me and Elder Gines have the same amount of time in the mission and don’t know that much Spanish but we did really good and yeah! Well got to go!  Love ya! Take care and talk to you next week!

 Zone Conference

 They have started playing Night Futbol to get people to come and play

 Connor Loves these Planners.  He wants me to send a whole bunch of them

The Rojas Family

The Villa Nueva Family 

 Missionary Swag

 Making Tacos

 The streets of Villa Lugano

 Connor has never touched an onion in his life!

Jan 20, 2014 Preach My Gospel - Humility

Very cool! Well for starters on Monday we had a birthday party of one of the youth in our ward. He turned 17. He is really cool and helps us out a ton! The houses here are really small! And all of them! But that doesn’t stop anyone! We shoved a ton of people in one room about the size of 1.5 little TV rooms. It was a lot of fun! They had a ton of food also and an Xbox... we couldn’t play :(. Well the party started late and so we were asked to sing a song quickly, the 4 missionaries. And then we had to leave to get home on time. Tuesday I received my packages and letters from Grandma and Sister Morrison! I receive an apron with my name, a pillow case of the Cardinals a bunch of candy! Christmas socks and tie (a little late but that’s okay. I still wore them! ) A big Gracias to all that sent me letters they were really great and I really appreciate it!

So in the morning we have started waking up early to go to the church and play basketball. I have being doing running exercises and drills. I really want to lose this beer gut that I have. Sometimes it goes away for a little bit and I feel really skinny and then the next day I look at pictures and I look fat. Haha! But it’s okay. With time I will lose it! So one of the Elders we play with Elder Gines is super tall and already has a scholarship and a place on the team at Dixie College. And the other day he went up to dunk the ball, and well he dunked it. But he also broke the hoop. Haha! But yeah, it was really funny! Luckily we have two hoops! One day, on Saturday, We went to help out the family of our investigator Florencia. 12 year old girl that wants to be baptized this Sunday! So we went by the business to help out at 8 in the morning. We helped unload the truck. We put the fruit and vegetables up and out for display and cleaned up a little bit. What ever they asked. We really wanted to build the trust with the family and the parents.

On Wednesday. We took Florencia to a member’s house to have a lesson so we could feel the spirit a little stronger and everything. The lesson went really well. We taught the Gospel of Christ and why it is important that we are baptized. And she felt the spirit super strong" She cried and said that she can feel the change in her life. That she isn’t the same Florencia that she used to be and she can see the change in the parents also! It’s super awesome to see Experiences like this! And this Sunday she came to church again and so if everything goes well we will be having a baptism this Sunday! And we have transfers on Tuesday after! Talk about last minute! But it’s super awesome! Please pray as much as you can! Her name is Florencia Campos!

So on Wednesday we had District meeting. And the District leader asked me to prepare something about Humility. So we got to district meeting like normal. And one elder talked about the BOM and he was using an institute book or something like that. And the Zone leaders (oh yeah the zone leaders were there) stopped him and said. Hey I know these books are good and aren’t bad but can you please teach out of Preach my Gospel. And when he was done the district leader stopped and said I don’t feel good. Can we say a prayer and restart. So we prayed and he talked a little more and gave the rest of the time to me. I was lucky because everything I had prepared was straight out of PMG. Haha. And so it went really well. On Friday my district leader asked me how I feel about being senior companion this next transfer. And so yeah things are going pretty well-. Haha!

That’s about it! I have transfers next week so if wont be on until Tuesday! Love ya! Stay safe

 Victor Portillo's Birthday Party

 Victor's Parents

 Studying for District Meeting on Humility from Preach My Gospel

 We got Ice Cream! Man day! This is MAtis Bogo! He is aweosme

 Elder Estrada - Short Tie Day

 Alison and Victor Portillo! They are awesome! They help us out so much! And the Eca family!  They are helping us with Florencia! they take her to church and we have lessons in their house. And this is at the birthday party of the Hermana

Eating with Miguela on Sunday. She lives in the Villa. She is waiting to get married to a nonmember and after they get married he will get baptized. She is a member. But they live in the other area.

Jan 20, 2014 Funny Email...

Wendi Olsen awolsen7@gmail.com	Jan 19
to Connor

Dear Connor,

Well it's been another week checked off the calendar. How are you doing?  

Connor Olsen	Jan 20
to me

Im doing Great mom! How are you! 

Wendi Olsen awolsen7@gmail.com	Jan 20
to Connor

Hahaha. I accidentally hit the send button after I turned over in bed when I turned out the light. 

Love you!

Funny story about this email.  I usually write to Connor just before I go to sleep.  I started this email and I decided to turn the light out so Allan could go to sleep.  As I rolled over to turn out the light, my hand swiped across my phone and hit send and I had only written just the first line of the email.  I was at work the next day and I got my first email from Connor and I opened it up and It was just a quick response to my one liner email.  I started to laugh and knew that was Connor's humor.  I love this boy!!!

Jan 13, 2014 Cancelled Cita's Grrrr!

Very cool! Nice to hear everything is coming back to normal! Now I’m even more jealous that I’m not apart of the temple stuff! Well I got to see them put Moroni on so that’s pretty cool I guess! How fun that dad is back in scouts. He is good there. Here things have been pretty normal. We just been working really hard on improving ourselves and doing the right thing! Basically the whole time we have been here we have taught about 12 or 11 lessons a week. And this week we reached 22! Whoo! We were really happy about this! And we can just feel that the success is coming! Our like one main investigator a 12 year old girl named Florencia couldn’t come to church so we were bummed about that but that’s okay! She is awesome! She loves reading the Book of Mormon and is always excited to see us! And she went to Mutual this week and loved it. The Ward has really helped out with her by passing by to pick her up and take her places or join us in lessons. When we went to put her on date we had a young woman with us named Alison Portillo. And there was a time that she basically said Elders! Shut up. Its mine turn. And she bored her testimony! It was so awesome! The youth here is really strong! It’s great! We always have youth with us helping with the investigators!  We had another interesting Saturday of service. We went to help a family paint their store. It’s like a store that sells ham and salami and cheese and other stuff like that... a deli! Haha. But when we got there. They weren’t exactly ready.... haha. So we started to clean up a bit, and then they had us run some errands like grocery shopping haha. And then we just sat there while they worked and finally we asked them what was going on. And they said the mom was cooking and they are waiting for the paint which wasn’t there. Even though they told us before that they already had the paint. And so we had to tell them that we have to do it another day because we had citas. So that was interesting. Haha!

Friday was a big let down day.  For us it is hard to get set citas (appointments.) and on Friday we had the whole day with set citas.   6 or 7 lessons. And a lot of them with investigators which is really hard! So we went with our members like we are supposed to... and EVERY SINGLE CITA fell through. We had everything set up right and we had the members and everything but no one was home, only thing we had was Hermano Valente. It was a rough day. It was great because Florencia went to Mutual! But it was the pits. But it’s okay! We still continue working! Um what else... Not a whole lot... I am good! Things are good! I am learning a whole lot!  I am getting better at listening to the spirit and saying what needs to be said and not what I want to say, I really have a testimony that when we open our mouths the Lord will fill it with words! We were in a lesson yesterday with Matis Bogo. A youth that helps us out like everyday!  And we asked him to give the Scripture and he didn’t know what to share. Finally he just chose one. Out of random I think. And as I was reading along I didn’t really understand the scripture and neither did the Hermana we were teaching haha. But on the same page was the scripture 1 Nephi 11 11. I think. That says that the Holy Ghost will help with interpretations and we can under stand him as if he is a man standing right in front of us, it was really cool that I was guided to that because it really got the Hermana thinking! But I don’t have much more time! Love you all and hope you have a good week!

There is grafitti everywhere! this one was cool so we took a picture, I don't like this pic very much because I have gotten skinny but my clothes haven't and so I drown in my clothes everyday! haha! 

So the wall says..´´This is not a good bye , but a see you later and we know that you are going to be taking care of us because today you are an Angel that guides us from Heaven´´ 

 Hail and Rain

Me Cleaning!

Jan 6, 2014 Happy New Year's! 2014 6 MONTHS!

Wow! Sounds like you guys had a Great trip that’s awesome! I get super trunky when I think about Rexburg and Spencer starting and him moving into the IVY! Chavon! Haha. But that’s really cool! Glad to hear everything is going well! This week was an interesting one! Elder Hankins has a new companion.  His name is Elder Gines. He is awesome! He has the same amount of time that I have in the mission! But he just barely got to Argentina! He is really fun! He is from Saint George and waited for his visa in Colorado Denver. He’s really cool! For New years we visited a couple families for dinner or food! But again we didn’t have anyone to visit in the night time and so we spent the night in the Pension with the Other Elders. We could be out until 1030 but we got there like normal. We slept above again so we could see the Fireworks. And we bought those floating globes like that have in the movie Tangled. We had 4 of them but only one of them worked! It was really windy and so it was hard! But really fun! There was a ton of Fireworks more than Christmas, But during Christmas it was like long. So in New years there was a Ton of fireworks going at once! But only lasted for like 15 minutes. And Christmas was like constant for an hour an a half! It was fun!

So on Saturday a family was moving into the ward. They already come to church and so we already know them and so they moved into the towers in the 9th floor! So we got up on Saturday and went and helped them at 8. Our guy that cleans our clothing came and called us saying that he was ready to drop off the clothes and we weren’t in the pension and so we said we would pass by but we didn’t. And so I’ve been wearing the same garments since Friday. Well he came this morning and I changed but still haha! But we helped the family move in. Luckily there in elevators so that helped but they had one giant hutch thing that didn’t fit. And so we had 3 members and us two trying to fit it in up the stairs. The stair wells are really small! So it was difficult. I was trying to help but something like that is a team thing and I didn’t understand well so they just asked me to stay outta the way, haha! After that we changed and went looking for investigators. And couldn’t find anyone. Then we stopped by the house of the Bolivian’s that I’ve talked about. They are going to Bolivia for a month and we don’t think we’ll be here when they return and so we said good bye. I got to help cook a little Lunch. It was fun. Then we took pictures. And yeah. After that we had our actual lunch and so we had to go pick that up and we told the family we’d stop by to eat with them at 4 for helping them move. And we just stopped by had a little lesson and then they gave us the food to go. Then we stopped by Hermano Valente and he had started to make pancakes. He was all mad because he said that we said we would stop by earlier but we didn’t remember that, so we had to cancel the other appointment that we had. And he cooked up his ´´pancakes´´ while we went to the store looking for Dulce de Leche and chocolate syrup and other things to put on it. And when we got back there was crapes sitting on the table. It’s like... uhhhh... These aren’t pancakes! Yeah. They are basically the same! NO" haha. But its okay, they were really good! I just need to make some real pancakes now!

Okay. Now investigators. So for Sunday we had 5 people that said they would go to church! We were so excited! But on Sunday when we went looking for them they either didn’t answer or would send us a text that said. No elders I told you I’m busy. And so we were getting sad. But 2 of the people that work in our area said they would go but they hadn’t showed up at their business yet. Their family was there but we were waiting for the 2 little girls that are always there. So we got sad. Went to church. The classes are first and we went back and one of the girls was there! And she came to sacrament meeting with us! And she loved it! We gave her a book of Mormon and when we passed by later that day she was reading it. 3 chapters in! And she said she wants to go to church every week. And she asked if it was passible to read the book of Mormon in a week and if she could share it with her friends! Haha! Whoo! Her name is Florence, she is 12. And she lives out of our area but is always in our area. Everyday. All day! And so we are going to try and baptize her! But well see! As far as the others. We have found a couple but no one is progressing so we will have to see! =P

Also! Elder Hankins and Elder Gines moved out. And so me and Elder Estrada are alone in our Pension! I have a nice big grand desk and 2 big rooms! It’s great! So the computer is stupid so I can’t send pics but I will next week! Love ya! Be safe!

He surprised us with pictures after all...

 Floating Lanterns on New Years Eve

 Watching fireworks on the Roof.  New Years Eve

I See the Light....From the movie Tangled 

 Lunch with the Bolivians

Miriam and Silvia's Family 

The "Pancakes" were more like Crepes.  Now he wants to make Mom's Pancakes!