JUNE- Weeks 66-69

June 15
Buenas tardes mis queridos!

I had my first mission leader´s counsel!(I have no clue what you call it in the states) Boy, was it amazing! We always start off with going to the temple to be instructed by the Lord. I love the temple even though ive been there a lot i always learn something new, even during the videos! It hepls me remeber the covenants I have done with the Lord and be more faithful to Him. How amazing is the plan of God?! He thought and carefully planned everything so we can live with him again.

I have truely come to love being a sister training leader! About a 3 weeks ago i had been praying to my Father to allow me to develope more charity. And then Bam, STL! These past two weeks have been fulfilled with worrying, praying, and servicing the 8 sisters im serving, with Hna Jaimes! Charity is the pure love of Chirst.

Speaking of the Pure love of Christ. yesterday while looking for people to contact we walked down a street we had not walked down before. As we walked passed a small cement house 3 little kids started shouting "HERMANAS; HERMANAS; HERMANAS!!" They were shouting it with such joy that i thought "we have to talk to this family." We said hello to the mom and entered into the house to talk with them. It turned out that the parents had been Baptized 3 years ago but had fallen away. As I started into the eyes of one of the little boys the filling of pure love filled my heart. In that moment Heavenly Father let me fill just a little of His love for them! I testify that Heavenly Father knows and love us perosanly. He wants every last one of us back.   

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

With all of my love,

Hna Olsen 

June 8
Buenos Días!!

Well like God, Presidente Riggins likes to work in mysterious ways. Last Tuesday we got the phone call that Hna Johnson would have cambios to Quevedo and that Hna Jaimes, from Perú, would be my new companion. Oh and that we are sister training leaders together! Pres Riggins has decided that there should be campionships of Sister Training Leaders, unlike it has been before. I love hna Jaimes! We get along amazingly and we teach with a lot of unity! Without saying anything we can communicate. We  have been working hard to keep up with the things we have to do in our own sector while the rest of the hermanas we have been called to serve. Tonight we will be heading to Guayaquil for a meeting that all of the Zone leaders and sister training leaders have ever month. Im sooo Excited! 

This week has been great and interesting! One funny experiences we had this week was a candle light dinner that hna Jaimes and I had! I was making patacones and when i truned both of the burners on of our "camping-like stove" there was a power surge and we didnt have light and some of the outlets didnt work. We got the lights back on but we still have to fix the outlets.... 

We were also able to put 2 bautismal dates (pray for Maoly and Mercy!) and we were able to find a lot of new people to teach! Between our own contacts and the contacts we did in other sectors to help the sisters, we have done 130 contacts in this week...... Thats alot of people! But I love doing the work of the Lord and proclaim the gospel to everyone! 

I hope that all is well!

LOVE

Hna Olsen

June 1
Hey mom!

Im doing great! There was transfers but we are still together. We are working hard and finding new people all the time. We have a couple witha date but they are never home so we can never teach them............... School, work, what is this non-sense? 

We reciently had interviews with the pres and a training, I just loving being tuaght by Pres Riggins! He focused a lot in making this work more spiritual, having a better relationship with the Holy Ghosst, and better prayers. I applied the things that I learned from him and the change huge! The spirit is strong, and the Lord is blessing us the work even more! 

DandC 103:36 All victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith, 104:79 And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith. All blessings come from our diligence and prayers full of faith!

Wow, lots of people are coming home! I cant wait to see Lincoln!  Mckay is getting really good at the violin then! ESO!! She´s a senior what?!?!!!  

So i had been praying and thinking about school. My goal is to get to byu-i in jan but this semester i´ll just take it easy. Its so true what you said to me.. "but look at what you have done!" Ive done alot, ive accomplished what the Lord has sent me to do(still have more, until the last day)! These classes look fine. Ill figure the rest out when thats what i can focus my mind on. I got to many important things to do here.  

Well my clothes..... A dog kinda almost bit my butt and ruined my favorite and mostly used skirt... 

But I love my mission and serving the Lord! 

MAY- Weeks 62-65
May 25
Hello! 

We had a great week, The Familia Ganzabay got married and baptized! That was a spirit-filled baptism! I know that they will stay strong in the church! I cant wait to for them to go the temple! We are working hard! We did have a Family History training, like how we can use it in the mission. We sang "Called to Serve" at the beginning, and when presidente got up to talk to us he started crying while explaining to us how we are God´s army and how, in a way, we are saviors. Never have I seen him cry!

May 18
Hola,

I'm on early this week because later in the day we are going to have a wedding for the Family Gonzabay! They are super excited to get married and then baptized Wednesday! They have been focused on this goal for months now and have done everything in their power to get themselves right before God! Its amazing to watch the changes in the people I teach! Its true what it says in DandC 18, that there is great joy in the repentance of one soul...but how much greater will be your joy if you bring many souls to repentance! 

SO get to work my dear family to fill that joy by helping others coming unto Christ! 

This week we will have a training on family history work,I'm excited to learn about it so we can bring more converts to the temple with their own names!  

It makes me sad to see that Lil baby Lincoln is getting bigger! Make sure he doesn't get too big cause i have a shirt for him. So whats new this week? Did you enjoy your mothers day letter?

Love ya Lots

May 11
(Short email since we Skyped yesterday for Mother's Day)
Haha well mom some of it was sweat but i hope must of it was the spirit! I truly love my mission and don't want it to end! It truly has been the best time for/of my life. I have learned sooo much and grow as a person. I know that this is the only true church on the earth today and that it is lead by a true and living prophet of God! 

May 4

I'm doing great! We are working hard, real hard. Thanks to the Lord we are leading the zone right now! We have had 5-6 invest in church for like a month now! My convert is doing great, only that her son has chicken pox and she cant bring him to church... so she cant come to church. WE are praying that she will come this sunday. We have some really good invest, 2 couple getting ready to be married and lots progressing!

When ever i think about going back to school i get anxious and overwhelmed. I know i need to go back and i want to but it scares me. I really dont want to come back to the real world.... My release date is the 25 of ago. When does the fall semester start? I would like to take spanish!! What kind of electives are there? when does the next semester start up after fall? What should i do mom? What do i need to do to get placed?

 Thank you for all that you do! I for got to bring the card i wrote for you for mothers day so youll be getting it next week! I LOVE YOU!!!!

Hna Olsen!!

APRIL- Weeks 58-61

April 27
Mom!!

Que trunkie eres! jajaja Te amo bastante! 

Not going to lie, the time is passing by super fast... and I dont like it. Not one bit. I totally forgot about mothers day, but ill look for a place to skype! Whats the time differences? Happy to hear about Lil baby Lincoln! I bet he's the cutest baby since me! jajaja 

I had a great week! I had exchanges with the sister training leader this week and we had a great time. Im just going to say that Ecuador is awesome and I have the best mission in the world! Why you may ask? Well the people of ecuador are amazing, the food is dilicious, Pres Riggins is the best man i have ever met, and i got to hold a squirel(ya, dont know how to spell anymore...)! 

As members of the true church of Jesus Christ we should be proud to procalm the truth! There is no reason to fear. The Lord is always on our side if we are walking in his ways. He has our backs and will help us through anything. So my dear family be BOLD, share the glorious truth with everyone that you can! If you dont more blessings will rain down upon your heads! 

I love you all! 

Hna Olsen 

April 20

We had a baptism! Vanessa Correa! She is 19 years old and she has a lot of family in the church! she told me after her baptism that she felt sooo good and she couldnt describe how she felt because she felt so amazing! 

Remember last week how is said that the rain wasnt going to be a problem? Well we only had the biggest storm in 20 years! It rained sooo hard that part of the sector got flooded! We walked through that part cause we had appointments set up and we wanted to check on the families we have there. The water was an inch or 2 past my knees and in the houses of people.Everyone was ok... just with a lot of water! Just imagine 2 white girls in skirts walking around the flooded streets of ecuador! It was fun! The Elders didnt enjoy so much.... haha they refused to enter and the members called them out on it saying that the sisters are working harder! My comp said that the night before the storm sounded like world war 3! I wouldnt know, some how i slept through it..... normally any little sound wakes me up so i have no clue how i slept through it. 

this week was a good week! we are working really hard and our numbers are great! I havent had such a great week in along time! 

I love just getting work done! Coming home really tired but knowing I helped a lot of people that day! Its addicting and I never want it to end! I know that this is the work of the Lord, and when we are working in it we are the Angels sent from God to be His instruments. What could be better than that? NOTHING! 

Lots of love,

Hna Olsen  

April 13
Buenas Tardes!!

I'm doing great! We should have a baptism this saturday! We got a reference from some of our invest who are getting married soon who wants to get baptized! Her name is Vanessa, she had been listening in a different sector and then move over. She had been attending church and has strong desires to be baptized! She had her interview and is set to go!!!! Pray for her that she can give up Coffee and be baptized saturday!!!

I Love my mission, it really is the most amazing thing that ive ever experienced! I have the strongest desires to just work, help people, and serve the Lord! I have grown a lot in many ways, spiritual, in my confidence, in the ability to teach and well... in pant sizes but thats ok! jajaja The rain isnt that big of a problem right now, just alot of sun. 

I know that this is the only true church in the earth and that it is lead by a living prophet today. It is thanks to our Savior that we are saved from sins through the power of His Atonement, grace and mercy) If it wasn't for His Atonement we would be lost forever. Share the gospel with everyone! 

I love you guys!

Hna Olsen

April 6
Buenas Tardes!

I'm doing great! We got a bapt coming up at the end of the month! Angelo, he had a problem with drinking and we were passing by one night on our way home and he called us over while he was drunk and ask us to help him! Hes been sober for more than 2 weeks now! We´ll have a wedding next month for the family Gonzabay, they will be baptized the Saturday after wedding!! Sooo happy! We are working with lots of other people too.

My health is good! The food is really tasty and my extra pounds would testify about that. Im starting a diet this week! Its been raining on and off. when its not raining its hot and when it rains it rains hard! 

They do celebrate esater but nothing like the states! They eat this nasty soup of every bean and grain ever with fish it and with rice(if you dont have rice then its not a complete meal) at night people walk around in a line sing songs of praises. Everybody gets drunk... Not cool. 

But the important things is that we have a loving Heavenly Father who sent his Son. Thanks to our Savior we can be made clean and over come any trail. I know that He lives. I know that families are forever and im so grateful for the one I have! 

Love

Hna Olsen

The tallest next to the shortest, He´s C. Contreras! He got baptized the following Saturday after i had transfers from my last sector. One of my favorites Converts! We literally saved him from the darkness! he was soo close to giving up on God. I knew him for 3 months before I started teaching him. The Lord told me, "just wait a little longer" for 3 months, until one day when he walked in during a lesson with his dad the Lord told me "NOW, DONT LET HIM GO!" It was an amazing experience teaching him! He would study the pamphlets and chapters in the BOM and take pages and pages of notes! At one point he was almost was a catholic priest which takes years to accomplish. He decided not to become it because he wanted to have a family! The Lord truly prepares people! SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH EVERYONE!!!!!!

MARCH- Weeks 53-57

March 30

Im doing fantastic! This week has been a really interesting one. It rained like crazy! and there was mud everywhere, those crocs are getting a work out! One part of the sector got totally fooled. it would be up to just passed my knees. It didnt enter in there but the elderes that we share the sector with did. Because of the rain it was really hard to get people to come to church... lame... Its just water, come to church!!! 

The lord put MANY people in our paths this week! Like at least 5 different people called us over to talk to them! Asking us "when are you going to visit me?!" Some were less actives, others old investigatores, and some others complete drunks! Contacting drunks is fun! But dont worry, we are very careful with the drunks and we dont contact them if the spirit tells us not to. Many people have told that they know we are sent from God. One new invest, Marisa, that has18 years told us here life story. I stared crying a little to hear what she had to go through... Thank you mommy for raising me SOOO good! I LOVE YOU! 

Cant wait to hold lil Baby Lincoln! 

Love

Hna Olsen

March 23
Hola!

I'm doing great! Working hard and getting to know the sector still.... its huge!! We've had a lot of rain which means a lot of mud... about half of the sector is all dirt roads with houses made out of sugar cane sticks, its an adventure walking through there!

We are working on getting a couple married really soon and are excited to get married! Everyone we meet aren't married... sometimes they are but to someone else and the process to get divorced and married to a new person is like a year long... ecuador...

But there is nothing better than being in the service of the Lord! Im learning so much everyday that only strengthens me! I'm happy to hear that you guys are helping in the work! Im sure you guys are seeing miracles from doing so!

Lincoln kills me! He is sooo cute!! What day exactly was he born? He´s already been shown around here to some of the members of the ward! 

Im sad to hear about Matt and Lacey..... Matt is kicked out of the family. Im happy to hear that Mckay is having fun! 

Love ya lots!

Hna Olsen 

March 16

Im doing great! My sector is freaking huge and sometimes we get lost... its fun out here in milagro! Sadly the comp of hna johnson before me wasnt all that great so we have some cleaning up to do! But the ward here is great and very supporting of the missionaries and we have lots of investigatores! The only problem is that none of them are married and we have to get them all married and thats hard here.... but hey, im here for a reasoning and im happy to be in the campo again! 

Sadly ive been slacking about taking pics but ill take lots this week!!

I loving being a missionary and preaching this amazing and true gospel! I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior. This life is the time we have to prepare ourselves to meet Them. The gospel is the path that leads us back to them. We are the ones that choose if we are going to return or not! 

Love

Hna Olsen

March 9
Hello!!

I had transfers! Right now im in Bellavista, Milagro close to triunfo!! I was actual here for a intercambio like 6 months ago! My new comp is from Cali, Hna Johnson! She has 8 months but we were in the same zone when she just started her mission so we already knew eachother before! 

What miracles have i seen? Well the Lord opened my eyes yesterday, my last sector was full of miracles. I resuced a less active for 10 years, cecilia, her husband got baptized(RIchard) and this saturday thier son(Carlos) will get baptized! Just talking with my converts before i left about why they decided to listen to us, the Lord really does prepare people to hear us! 

I was hoping to see a pic of lil baby licoln! Tell him to come out already! Glad to hear that everyone is doing good! 

The weather is just hot with rain but nothing crazy! 

Lots of Love

Hna Olsen 

March 2 (short email this week)

We are finding alot of new familias and we hope we can get them progressing! I have come to enjoy talking to random people about the gospel and helping feel the love of Christ! Its the best thing when you can see the lives of people changing and you can say, "I helped make that happen." 

FEBRUARY- WEEKS 49-52

FEBRUARY 23
One year.... WHAT?!?!?!

I refused to say i have one year... The time has gone by way toooooooo fast!! I LOVE my mission!!! I have learned, and changed a lot!! I'm never coming home!! Well... maybe to hold lil baby Lincoln.. but only for that! But that will have to wait. haha! Ive been praying for them and im glad to hear that he has turned!

Transfers are into 2 mondays.. I'm sure that ill have transfers.. i have like 5 months here! I love this ward, its my favorite!!! I have been accepted into many families here! Some of my greatest accomplishments are here too! I'm positive that hna Whisenant will train! Nothing is for sure but I would not doubt it at all! She is a fantastic missionary! 

We should have a baptism Saturday, Fredy Saenz de Viteri. He{s like 65 something years. He knows the church is true and has a strong testimony! His family are members and has waited for years for missionaries to ask him to be baptized and well his time has finally come! He is going to have interview tomorrow. Pray for him! 

Paul was confirmed Sunday! He was one of my first contacts and invest here! I always said that i will not leave this sector until he gets baptized, and it happened!! 

How are you doing mom? You never tell me about yourself! I love you lots and i am very grateful for the example you have set for me! 

Love 

Hna Olsen

FEBRUARY 16
Hello!!!

I got the package and the cards!! THank you soo much!! I loved it! Me and Hna Green(one of the other sisters) enjoyed the fact that everything was my favorite color but just in different shades!! Im enjoying my new shoes, they fit perfectly! I think that the first shoes were a mircale for Hna Whisenant, she didnt have good walking shoes. She picked up the language really fast!!

Best part of the week was that Diana Peñaherrera went to the temple and we were able to go with her! I cried as i watched her do the baptisms for the dead! She is progressing fantasticly and it amazes me how strong her testimony is!!

Worst part of the week..... was that Paul couldn't come to church to get confirmed..... He did get baptized just not confirmed....

Leah is huge!!! I love it!! How lil baby licoln doing??? Is he turning? I pray for him and Leah, a lot! 

Keep working with the 15 yr old! Keep up the good work!

Love hna olsen!!

FEBRUARY 9
HOLA!

What im 20?!?!?! 

I had a great birth day! the day and night before i was sick but the sisters took really good care of me and i was able to be healthy for my bday! I had a fever and a sore body... and well im not sleep well at nights.. At the end of the day the fam Valverde threw a surprise bday party for me! I got an awesome captain america shirt taht says "Capitana Olsen" on the back! We had cake and my converts were there! It was soo sweet! I heard you guys celebrated my birthday without me at Red Robins?! What is this? I want some red robins! 

Pual is still looking forward to his baptism on the 14! Pray for him though he´s going through a really hard time! Gabriel, Luis, and Diana are doing great! If you could also pray for Richard that would be awesome because he needs help too.

With all my love! 

Hna Olsen

FEBRUARY 2

Hola!!!

What im almost 20?!?!?!?!!!! Nope i refuse to accept that! 

We had a baptism!! Gabriel Avilez got baptized saturday! It was a fantastic service and he is really happy to be baptized!! 

I don't remenber if you guys remember Paul Lopez but ive been working with him for my whole entire time here. He´s going through some really hard times with his wife. We have been pushing really hard with baptism because we understand the blessings that are going to come from keeping this commandment and from receiving the Priesthood. we had a lesson about that yesterday and the spirit was so strong! The Spirit was yelling the 14 of feb in my head and my comp was speaking at the time and she stop at one point thought for a second and put that date with Paul! It was amazing experience, it confirmed the thought I had that I could not give up in him. Normally I drop people within 2 or 3 weeks if they are not progressing but Heavenly Father would not let me do it. He accepted the date for the 14 of feb!!!!! He will need a lot of help, if you could keep him and his family in your prayers that would help a lot!!

I have really grow to love this ward! I can feel the love from every member here! The Bishop wants you guys to know that I am well taken care of and you guys have no needed to worry about me! I have become his daughters! I dont want to leave! 

Thank you for all of your love and support! 

Hna Olsen  

JANUARY-WEEKS 45-48

JANUARY 26
DOUBLE BAUTISMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, can i just say I love being a missionary! The Church is true! 

 

Luis Luna and Diana Peñaherrera got baptized! It was defiantly the most powerful baptism i have ever had! Luis asked me to give a little talk in the bap. I cried, he cried, Diana cried, we all cried! Afterwards Diana came up to me and that me for being her missionary! Luis said, "I told you not to cry!" There confirmation blessings were beautiful too! Diana is going to be an amazing leader in the church! Luis is going to serve a mission! I will do anything to get him there. We are planning a temple trip on my bday! 

Gabriel is SUPER Excited for his Baptism this saturday! 

We had an activity in the ward we all the leaders and visiting teachers and people went out and visited the less actives and some converts and invest. Pres Riggins (the most powerful missionary you will ever meet!) came to join me and Hna Whisenant  with our visits. It was the coolest experience to teach with the Him! He´s powerful and mind blowing. And i could tell he really enjoyed our teaching( he was nodding his head in approval while i was teaching, made me feel awesome)! Called us his Daughters in one lesson!  

Hna Riggins told me that in her mission one of her nephews was born. Everyday her sister showed a picture of her to her nephew and said, "this is aunt Bonnie, aunt Bonnie is in her mission, Aunt bonnie loves you!" We she got back the baby already new here and loved her! If leah could that with me and Lincoln that would be awesome!!! 

With lots of love!

Hna Olsen

JANUARY 19
Hello!

Im doing great!! We will have 2 baptism this saturday!!! Diana Peñaherrera and Luis Luna! I dont know if you guys remember Luis Luna, I had dropped him 2 weeks a go and last sunday he said he wanted us to teach him again. So we went over to his house last tuesday and i was prompted to ask him who is God for him, he told us that he knows that God is his father and he is His son! I was then prompted to ask Will you be baptized the 24 of Jan. He looked me straight in the eys and said "Yes, Hna, I want to be baptized!" He is 18 and has had some troubles but the gospel is blessing his life! 

Diana just esta the gospel up! She takes notes during church and tells us she loves us! Gabriel Avilez is also excited for his baptism! he will be baptized the 31 of enero! 

Its been raining a little here! The heavy rains haven't started though. At this time there are full crickets! There are huge here and gross....

Lots of love! 

Hna Olsen

JANUARY 12
Hi mom!!!

Im doing great! This week has been a really good one! It started out a little shaky but it ended really well! 

We have an invest called, Diana Peñaherrera, She had her baptismal interview Sunday. When she walked out she had tears in here eyes came up to me gave me a hug and handed me her baptismal record  just a way of saying "I really want to do this!" We stood there hugging me for awhile. 

We also contacted a random guy called, Gabriel Avilez(25), he attended church only because we invited him to. later that Sunday we visited for the first time and accept a baptismal date!

Later that day we received a reference (Segundo Israel, husband and father of 2 kids) and as we were talking to him getting to know him the Lord let me see, just for a few seconds, him wearing white baptizing one of his kids! That was amazing experience! We are going to continue to work with him more! Im excited to see what happens with him!

I Love being a missionary! Its the best thing ever!  

Im happy to hear everyone is doing great! Happy to hear that the church is growing back at home! Happy to hear that Leah is bigger than I am! Hahaha Love you leah beah! The rain should start really soon! 

With much love,

Hna Olsen

JANUARY 5

Hello! 

So i had an awesome new yearas! In Ecuador the people are crazy and they party even crazier! SO here they have a traditions here where they burn something called a manegote. which is a huge model of something or one made out of newspaper with fireworks in it. they can be the size of a cat to like 12 ft tall or even taller. Everybody in all of ecuador burns theirs at 12:00 in the night, it was like world war 3 going on for like 5 hours! Im not going to lie it was the coolest new year I have ever had! we watch the people burn them from the safety of hour house! needless to say I didnt get any sleep that night.

It snowed?!?! What!!! Im sweating like a Pig and it snowed in Arizona for the first time since before i was born! Thats not fair... But Awesome! 

Right now we are refining our teaching pool and looking for new poeple to teach. some of our invest arent progressing anymore and we had two days this last week where we went around as a zona, through out the whole zone, just contacting. It was awesome! So hopefully we will have new people soon! We do have one pretty solid invest, Diana Peñaherrera. She´s 28 and loves attending church and understands the teachings really well! We will see how everything goes with her! 

I love you all lots! 

Hna Olsen

DECEMBER-WEEKS 40-44

CHRISTMAS PICTURES

DECEMBER 29
Well today we only have a pday to write, buy food and eat lunch... So that's why I'm on early!

I'm doing great! I had a great Christmas with the family Valverde! We had a nice dinner and gave us some gifts! The pics are in dropbox. As a mission we had a big party! In the morning we did a session in the temple, later we did a service project cleaning the churches in this area and later we had a dinner(american style) and a talent show! It was awesome! 

Richard got baptized!! He defiantly is one of my more... interesting invest but it was amazing to watch him change and come unto the Lord and make covenants! I love being a missionary! I dont ever want to come home!

How was christmas for you guys? what did you guys do? I realized after i got off that I didnt even ask about your christmas.... Sorry!

DECEMBER 22
Hey mom I'm doing great!

SO i'm training a gringa! She called Hna Whisenant, hahaha its fun watching people say her name!she is from Utah. She is awesome and we get along really good! Its kinda hard training a gringa because well we dont understand spanish when we are new.. I only talk to her in spanish to help her learn.

I'll talk with you guys some more on christmas! 

Love hna Olsen

DECEMBER 15
Hello!!!

This week has been absolutely crazy and nothing really went has planned.... We didn't have our baptisms.... But we are going to continue working with them because they do want to get baptized but something is holding them back... freaking hate Satan... Continue praying for them, Richard, Paul, Luis, and Ramon.

But want to hear something crazier!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?! Im going to train!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hna Orihuela finished her mission. Wednesday im going to pick up my "daughter" and we are going to get to work!! I'm really excited to train! Its going to be hard but ive wanted to train for awhile now! pray for me!

I'm excited to get my new shoes I REALLY need them! Thank you for sending me those packages! Ill buy an Ecuadorian shirt i really want! Tell them thank you and that i love them!  

We went to the temple again! Ive got half of the veil memorized in spanish now! We are so very blessed to have temples! And even more blessed in Arizona where we have like 5. We cant take them for granted. We receive more guidance and strength to endure the more we attend. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the true church of God in the Earth. I'm so grateful for my Savior and the atonement. I pray all is well at home and everyone is healthy! 

Love,

Hna Olsen

DECEMBER 8
Buenas tardes!!

I'm doing great! We are hoping to have two baptisms this saturday... we have been working with these two investigatores for a while, Richard and Paul. Please pray like crazy for them. We also have another, Luis, for the 26 and Ramon, we are hoping for the 26 too. We are working so hard to get them al to baptism! 

December here is like the states... well its really but REALLY hot here! 

I'll send a pic next week of my shoes. You can tell I have sometime in my mission because of them! I have holes in them and the sole is woren down and the padding inside is missing in parts.... Got to love walking all day everyday!

Thank you for all your love and support! I so very grateful to have you as my mom! Send my love to all! 

Hna Olsen! 

 

DECEMBER 1
Mi querida Familia!!

Im doing great! Yesterday I had a experience that really boosted my faith. One of my Investigators, who has his own way of thinking, went on a rant after gospel principles about why we are called "The church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints." In Ecuador the catholic church is huge here and they hae a strong beliefs in "Saints." Saints are suppose to be "perfect or holy" We the teacher explained that we, the members of the church, are the saints he was not happy at all. He said that its not right that we call ourselves saints. The next hour, relief society, I studied why we are called "saints."

In D and C in 115 the Lord named the Church; it doesn't come from men. In Psalms 50:5 it says: Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. The covenants we make are baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost and other saving covenants in the temple. In D and C 97:8 it says:Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.  As part of the covenants we sacrifice a lot of things, sometimes worldly, and maybe it may come down to loosing everything. All the covenants we make are based upon the Greatest Sacrifice- The Atonement. If we live worthy of our covenants and apply the Atonement in our lives we are purified through the blood of our savior. Moroni 10: 32-33: 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

 33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. We are not saints but we can become saints. That is the purpose of the gospel and the Atonement of Christ. 

Later that night we watch the Joseph Smith movie. As I watched it and was reminded of how the gospel was restored and all of the sacrifice of the early saints, the Holy Spirit testified to me once again that "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" IS the church of Christ, His kingdom, in the world today. I feel truly blessed and humbled to be a representative of His church.  

And another noted, I had a Thanksgiving in Ecuador with my Latinas! We eat sloppy Joes with cranberry juice! I also had crab for the first time and it was DELICIOSO!!!!!

Con mucho amor y besos! 

Hna Olsen