Getting to the work in San Clemente, Chile (week 8)

Dear Everyone,

I hope I don't repeat myself too much, but I know last week my email home was cut a little short so I'm going to try to give a little two week summary.

The first week was loco, I slept in the houses of other missionaries nearly as much as in our own. We had some last minute exchanges, and my trainer went to Talca for a meeting. I ended up in a trio with Elder Haar (from my CCM district) and a Brazilian named Elder Theiss. We ate cumpletos twice that day, and were surprisingly productive seeing how all of us combined we had less than two months in the mission and none of us was fluent in Spanish. We taught a couple who was super into LARPing and vikings. He had a braided belt-length beard and she had bright blue hair. Super nice people, who were receptive to our message.

This week was much more on schedule and productive in our own sector in San Clemente. We challenged a family of our investigators for baptism on Nov 19, and they accepted. The daughter, Nicole, has cancer and has trouble walking. I really want them to have the blessings of the Gospel to be realized in their lives, but the parents smoke and that might prove to be a barrier. We're also trying to reactivate and convert a half member family. Marriage has proven to be a big problem down here. Many families have a parent who is still trying to get their divorce to an ex-spouse legalized, and therefore can't be married. We have multiple families like that, that I really believe would be members otherwise.

I'm working hard and coming along well with the language, but I'm nowhere near perfect and still have a long way to go. This week I read a talk by Jeffery R Holland, Missionary Work and the Atonement. I highly recommend it, and there's a shorter video that uses many parts of it as well. I'd just invite you all to remember that salvation is not a cheap experience. We shouldn't expect it to be easy for us, because it was NEVER easy for Him. Our trials should help us to appreciate His sacrifice, and through the use of His sacrifice and atonement, our trials and burdens can be made light.

I love you all and hope that all is well back home,

Elder Olson