Week 26: Missionary work is for everyone

2/22/2017

Friends and Family,

Hope you guys are all doing well. I'm doing great. I'm still loving Buin, still getting along with my comp, and still expecting a baptism this Saturday! Antonio had his interview last night and passed with flying colors.

Apart from that, this week has been a lot more walking than teaching. The bike I've been using is in pretty bad shape, so the mission took it in for repairs, leaving us to walk our sector. It's about a 45 minute walk to get to our area, so it's been a prettying interesting few days. Luckily we got our new bikes yesterday and are back to riding.

We also did a lot of service this week, putting in cement for some members. They rewarded us with a Mexican/Chilean mix BBQ, which was probably some of the best food I've had down here.

On PDay, we also practiced our empanada making skills and made empanadas for some less-active members. With all of this food, its no surprise that I'm getting fat. I've gained back the weight I lost plus about 15 lbs. I've started running with my comp in the mornings to try to stay in shape. He doesn't love running, but at least he gets out of the house with me.

This last week our branch had a baptism for the other Elders as well. The kid who was baptized (17 year old named Cristian) was a reference from a member. That member guided him through the process and is honestly the reason that he was baptized. Remember that missionary work isn't just for missionaries!

Love you guys,
Elder Olson

The cement work is drying in the back while the food is cooking on the bbq

Week 25: Welcome to Buin, Chile

2/14/17

Hey Everyone!

Sorry about last week, I forgot to send the pictures/letter when I got to the chapel. I've tried to take a ton of pictures to make up for it, so hopefully you can all forgive me.

As some of you know, this week I got transferred to Buin C in the north end of the mission. My new companion's name is Elder Terrazas. He's about 5'1", obedient but not "square," chill, quiet, and the #2 Clash of Clans player in Bolivia so that's pretty dope.

This sector is basically the best thing ever. We're in the Buin branch of the Buin district, and the mission work here with the members is great. The ward mission leader is a machine. He's a bodybuilder who isn't afraid to accompany us and talk to/organize the members. The ward has the most complete mission plan I've ever seen. The members support us and feed us more than we could ask for, and the house has a guitar. We have bikes here as well, which is a fun change of pace. I couldn't have asked for a better area.

This week we set a baptismal date for what I think will be my first baptism on the mission. His name is Antonio, he's 10 years old, his mom is less active and his sister is a recent convert. He reads, prays, and goes to church, and is on track to be baptized the 25th of this month.

During my study this week I came across a quote from President Lorenzo Snow that caught my attention. It says:

“There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children”

The Lord really cares about each one of his lost sheep.

Amor,
Elder Olson

The street where they live

the Buin Area

Elder Olson's first area with a bike

Elder Olson in Buin

Pretty trellis and path leading up to the apartment/casa

Sleeping quarters in the house

coming in to the house

Kitchen and eating area

Making Empanadas with the members

Elder Terrazas and Elder Olson and little Chilean girl making Empanadas

Elder Terrazas and Elder Olson and 2 Chilean Ladies

Week 24: Changes are coming

2/6/17

Hey Guys!

Sorry this is gonna be a short note this week.

I've been wicked busy down here with transfers the last couple days so I didn't have time to write and I have a meeting in 5 minutes.

I've been transferred up to the sector "Buin C" in the north of the mission. I've only been here half a day but it seems amazing. I'll have to give more details next week.

Love you all, take care,
Elder O

Farewell to San Clemente

Just before leaving, Elder Olson received his package from home. His Aunt brought it down to Chile with her as she was visiting her parents who live there in the Rancagua Mission. We are very grateful to her. Miraculously, the chocolate didn't melt in the heat and all the items made it.

Elder Olson will have to update us with names of people here when he returns, but he spent a little time saying goodbye to everyone. (and he's sporting one of his new ties we sent)

Elder Olson and his comp in San Clemente, Elder Ramierez. (Elder Olson wearing another new tie)

we are assuming this is a farewell meal with a member or investigator

Elder Olson and possibly the Branch President or Ward Mission Leader...not sure which. (another new tie...sheesh, how many did I send, hahaha)

Last pday in the mission. Elder Agulero? and Elder Olson

Elder Borges, and Elder Olson with Elder Haar photo bombing behind (and possibly Elder Musselman? hard to tell)

Elder Olson saying farewell

Elder Olson saying farewell to some members in San Clemente

Week 23: Change to the Missionary Schedule and Faith

February 1, 2017

Friends and Family, 

It’s been a pretty interesting week! The fires down here are still out of control.  The wildfires are everywhere. They’ve had to pull several missionaries out of their sectors due to the fire danger.  All of us Talca missionaries were stuck in our houses for about 3 days because the streets were filled with smoke.  The fires in the forests near San Clemente are controlled now, so we should be alright. Once side-effect I didn’t see coming has been the soldiers with machine guns all over the place.  The fires before now were apparently started intentionally, so they’re working hard to protect their forests.

This week we also had the opportunity to participate in a worldwide training broadcast.  Some of you may have heard, it brought some big changes for us.  The first change was to the schedule.  We now have a slightly less structured schedule. We plan in the morning now, and can choose what time of day we want to study.  They’ve also changed the number of stats we report from 9 to 4, which will really help us missionaries in general to focus on repentance and baptism.

This transfer we’ve been working with an inactive member named Aldo.  Aldo left the church after a divorce with his wife several years ago. We’ve been teaching him for a while now, and he’s come to church 4 Sundays in a row.  He had an interview with the branch president, and we’re starting to work on getting him to the temple.  It’s really been awesome to work with him.

This week we’ve taught a lot of lessons on faith.  May people we teach talk about how fait his super important, but really don’t understand what fait is. we often explain faith has having 2 parts: belief (It took me a minute to remember that work in English) and works.  As we’ve surely all heard, faith without works is dead (James 2). In Alma 32 we learn that faith is like a seed that must be nourished by works in order to grow.  We can read in the end of that chapter that the fruits of the see will be sweeter than anything we have before tasted.  I promise you all that fait accompanied by works will bring you blessings and miracles.

Much love, 

Elder Olson

Elder Olson and Elder Haar at Zone Meeting

Elder Olson's Zone

Smoky skies

Dogs in the area

Chilean Countryside (called compo)

killing bugs in the casa

PLAYING POOL ON PDAY

Elder Haar, Elder Aguero, Elder Olson

Elder Aguero, Elder Olson, Elder ?

 

Elder Haar and Elder Olson