week 12: Fleas and no time

This is a picture from Elder Haar (Elder Olson's friend, second in on the left). Elder Olson is 3rd in on the right. Elder Hinton is in the front and is the one he mentions is leaving their casa this transfer. This is a pic at a zone BBQ when transfers were announced. Elder Olson is staying put this transfer.

Friends and Family,

I've messed up on time again this week, but I seriously love you all a ton. I'll be sure to write my big email home first thing next week, and I think I've got quite a few videos and pictures coming your way.

Disculpe y cuidense!

Elder Olson

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More information in the letter to his dad: 

"We found out transfers, and I'll be finishing out my companion's mission here in San Clemente, although Elder Hinton from my casa is being replaced by another brasilian and now I'm not going to have anybody to speak english with me.

The new Book of Mormon goals are high (although much easier than the goal to place 2 Mi Familia pamphlets), but I really support them; They're something I feel like I would do as president. Usually my companion and I just set aside a couple hours for contacting and just leave the house with two Books of Mormon saying that we're not coming back until we've placed them. We actually used all of our BoM's last week and we're waiting for the assistants to restock the zone.

The mission is difficult, but not in the way I expected. It can be a little uncomfortable physically, but honestly it's not too bad. It has a lot more to do with the lifestyle adjustment (or at least I think that's the biggest factor for me personally). Not the adjustment of standards, but the lack of choices that I'm given. I was living my standards before the mission. But out here I can't choose what I do, what I listen to, when I do it, where I spend my time or who I spend it with, etc. That's been by far the hardest part. Obviously I can choose whether I will do what I should or not, but the decision there isn't a difficult one. However, I try to be more diligent than I have to be (DC 58;26-29) and that's really helped me, especially in the last couple of days."

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Note from his mom: I had asked him about a possible flea problem made evident from his last letter to me. Looks like it's not as bad as I had feared but still there somewhat. We look forward to his pictures later this week and more from him next week.

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From Elder Olson's letter to mom:

"As far as the fleas go, I know it's super gross but it's something that's happened to about everybody in the mission. I got them from exchanges with our zone leader. They've been almost exclusively on my arms and legs, though I've gotten two, maybe three on my stomach and back. I spray myself with bug repellent before bed, and I washed my sheets. I don't think I've been bitten for quite some time, but I would like to be able to repel them more easily. I have no idea if I can get cream, complicated situation which could be simple, but I can't for lack of time and resources. Seeing how the bites have stopped it's not an immediate concern.

Sorry this one was basically just "Business." 

-------------------------- From Elder Olson's letter to his baby brother:
"I wish I could have Davy Crockett bars, but we actually made a giant cookie this week that was a lot like them! I'm going to send a picture on wednesday."