Week 51: Miracles

8/13/17

Kouman ou ye? (Haitian Creole for how are you?)

Hi guys,

I'm doing great down here in Curico.  it's been a solid week. 

We started off with Oreo empanadas and soccer for P day. We were smart enough to delegate the food part this time, so we actually got to play again. Good stuff. 

I've had quite a few chances to practice my creole this week. We have some new Haitian investigators, and I actually gave a baptismal interview to a Haitian. We had to get special permission from President Harris so that we could use our friend Fafu as a translator during the interview.

We had a lot of rain this week. It also happens to have been the week that we both forgot our umbrellas in an investigator's house. We've been practically swimming from lesson to lesson instead of walking (but I haven't gotten sick thanks to all of the vitamins the fam sent! Thanks mom!)

This change we’ve been seeing  big-time miracles as a zone. We’re baptizing (well when I say we I mean they but I like to think that I’m helping somehow) more than we have here in a LONG time. By the end of change possibly 4 times more. We still aren’t quite Brazil, but we’re seeing great improvements. 

On Friday, a convert asked us to give a blessing to his uncle who is currently in an induced coma. He (the convert, Lupo) expressed his faith and asked us to perform a miracle for him. We had to explain to him that we can’t change God’s will to him, but it was cool to see such firm faith in a new convert.

This week some members had family visiting from a city called Portomon (not sure how to spell that) in the south. I don’t know if all southern food is that good, but what they gave us (a kind of salad, fried bread, and salmon with cheese and southern sausage) was awesome. That was the first time I’ve eaten salmon in a year.

Spiritual Thought: Remember to pray always! 3 Nephi 18:15, 18,19,27; 3 Nephi 19:26, 30; 3 Nephi 20:7.

Much love,

Elder Olson

PS- We climbed a hill (and maybe some other stuff)

Note from Elder Olson's Mom: He sent these videos but didn't talk about them. He evidently experienced another earthquake this week but this time was in his 5th floor apartment. I don't think he's ever been in an upper level of a building during an earthquake.

week 39-40: Prayer Works!

5/28/17

Hey all,

Congrats to all who graduated in this last week, and to those who are receiving mission calls! It's crazy to think that Summer is starting up there when it's so cold down here. We've started using the electric blankets, and the electric heaters are always on full blast. I'm hoping for snow, but I don't think that's gonna happen.

This week our efforts to work with members have started paying off. We have 2 great new investigators who are references from members, 1 of which we're teaching in the house of the member. Until now, I thought that teaching situations like that were only possible in the magical world of the Preach My Gospel training videos. We also have members offering to accompany us in lessons and even to contact.

This week we also wrote a song for our zone. I'll try to send a video (Elder Olson tried but the internet connection was too slow this week).

Yesterday I had a cool little experience with prayer. The other Elders in my district were arguing, and left the house angry with each other.I prayed specifically for them and the sisters in my district before we left. When we got home, the Elders were super excited about all of the new investigators they found that day, including a professional chef who'd given them all kinds of food. I also talked to the sisters, who were thrilled about the 4 baptismal dates they were able to set that day. I love seeing answers to my prayers, even when they're small experiences like this one.

Much Love,
Elder Olson

Cool Old-Fashioned Car

Zone Pday gathering

Came across a car accident

Week 17: Prayer and Faith

December 16, 2016

Friends and Fam,

Hey everyone, another crazy week here in San Clemente. Actually, I spent most of the week outside of my sector. On Wednesday we had the opportunity to participate in a Christmas program in an addiction recovery facility. We sang a lot of Christmas hymns and a version of "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul." The spirit was so strong.

This week Elder Santini went to the temple up in Santiago to finish off his mission, so I took the four hour bus ride to Licanten to do exchanges with an Elder Pollard. That seriously has to be the prettiest sector in the mission. We had some good visits, and the second day I got to go to the beach! We weren't going to go, but we had a baptismal interview with a kid from a nearby beach town. He was going to come to Licanten, but plans changed when we got a call saying that the kid's mom had been stabbed. It was a really crazy situation, but he's going to be baptized and his family's starting to take lessons. Pretty awesome.

Awhile ago we contacted a woman named Mary who had recently lost a daughter. We shared the Book of Mormon and Alma 40:11-12, set an appointment to teach her, and never saw her again. A month went by without any contact, but on Sunday we found her again. She started reading, and she says that our book has changed her life. She's shared it with her boss and nephew, and she reads it to her aunt and every time it makes them both cry. She has a testimony as strong as any member here. Obviously we were thrilled, but she got a call from her boss calling her to work up north for the next 4 months. She leaves this Thursday. We're going to do everything we can to make sure the missionaries up there get her reference, and I'm confident that she'll be baptized at some point, even if I don't get to see it.

During my time in the mission I've seen a lot of little miracles, and a few not so little. This week especially, I've seen answer to prayer after prayer. I also know that these blessings have come to us through faith. I testify of Matthew 17:20 and 21:22, that through faith accompanied by action you can accomplish any righteous goal that you may set.

Much love and Merry Christmas!
Elder Olson

Elder Olson and his comp, Elder Santini, with President and Sister Harris

traveling to Licanten

Church in Licanten (not sure if this is the actual church bldg or just church owned bldg)

spotting the ocean in Licanten

another glimpse of the ocean

beach wedding in the distance

A Half-Meter long (18") Completos. Working on putting back on the 7lbs he's lost so far.

Elder Borges Birthday

Traveling together to a Zone meeting with the Mission President (thanks to Elder Haar for the pic). Elder Olson is on the far left. 

Elder Olson's Zone. (Thanks to Elder Haar for the picture). He is second in from the left on the back row.

A LETTER FROM THE MISSION PRESIDENT TO ELDER OLSON'S FAMILY THIS WEEK:

Dear Parents and family of Elder Olson,

Merry Christmas from the Chile Rancagua Mission. During the month of December our missionaries have been busy sharing the message, “Ilumina el Mundo”, “25 Ways in 25 Days.” The video on mormon.org has been a great way to start conversations about the gospel and following Jesus Christ.

For our December zone conferences the missionaries have come to the mission home and prepared a program of music and scripture messages about Jesus Christ. We then shared our program at care centers and drug rehabilitation centers. The missionaries and the audiences were touched by the message of the Savior.

Thank you for the love and support that you give your missionary. We love Elder Olson and we are thankful that he is serving in our mission.

Merry Christmas!

President and Sister Harris