Week 16: Member Missionary Work is important

December 12, 2016

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I wasn't able to write individually this week. For Pday we went up to a Nature Reserve called Vilches. Luckily to make up for the lack of emails, I'll be sending a lot of photos, and a picture's worth a thousand words, right?

Vilches was absolutely gorgeous. We woke up early to take the hour and a half bus ride up there. When we got there they told us the most beautiful vistas would be a two day hike, about 24 km (nearly 15 miles) to a viewpoint called Enladrillo. On the way, we saw condors, insects, beautiful views and a tarantula they call "The Little Chicken Spider." We ran basically straight up the mountain and did the two day climb in six hours because we're stubborn like that. We also met a French backpacker named Jeremy who was our buddy for a little while. It was cool to hear Spanish spoken with a French accent.

This week we've been teaching the Bolivian friend of a member family. It's really cool to see the difference it makes in the conversion process when the members are so involved.

We also found out this week that one of the only three members that accompanies us hasn't technically been a member for several years. My respect for that member has grown a lot, because they are one of the most active and helpful people in the branch in spite of their membership status. It's a great reminder to us that it doesn't matter where we are on the straight and narrow path, but what does matter is which direction we're moving on that path. The Church is true and I love you all!

Elder Olson

He said this is one of the friendly spiders in their Casa. This kind of spider eats the other spiders so they don't kill it.

Street of San Clemente

Information Center at the Nature Reserve

 

The views at the beginning of the hike

off he goes to run up the mountains

Mountain views

rest shelter

Beginning to climb to the view Enladrillado

up at the top

beautiful skyline

the views over the vista

The group of Elders at the top

Large insect

One of his companions beginning the hike

the Little Chicken Spider (tarantula)

Week 15: "100th day" & "Service"

December 6, 2016

Friends and Family,

Another good week done! This week we had the opportunity to do service for two sisters in the branch here. On Thursday we started off the month with the #lighttheworld day of service. We spent hours scraping paint and sanding the doors and window frames of an hermana, and we'll be finishing the job this week. We also spent a morning sorting a bin full of garbage and firewood. I saw more spiders doing that service than ever before in my life, and they were seriously all the size of a Quarter or larger, but I really enjoy the change of pace that comes with service projects like that.

This week I passed my 100th day in themission. It's crazy how fast the time's been going. A few of my inbestigators have told me that I look like I've lost weight, and I've lost about seven pounds. I guess I'd rather get skinny than fat, so that's pretty cool.

The spanish has been coming along really well. The Brazilians in our house have apparently heard me sleep talking about the mission in perfect Spanish. So far I've had to take their word for it, but they say it happens all the time and Elder Melo has started sleeping with his camera to record me.

Also, I bought myself an early Christmas present. I'll have to try to send a picture. Let's just say we play a lot of soccer here.

This week I was reading in Alma 31 where he's praying for the apostate Zoramites. He talks about how his heart is sorrowful, and asks for comfort. He then asks not to have his afflictions taken away, but for strength to suffer. He follows that request by turning outward and thinking of his fellow missionaries, praying for their comfort and success.

Even powerful Book of Mormon prophets faced apostasy and rejection; but we all have a purpose in God's plan, and we can never know what the long term effects of our actions will be.

I hope you can all have Christ in the center of your homes this Christmas season.

Amor,
Elder O

Elder Olson opened his first Christmas package we sent in his suitcases with him. I marked it "OPEN DECEMBER 1st". He said to me... "the tree and stockings are hanging in our house now. It's awesome to have a bit more Christmas spirit in the house. " I sent some other things for him to open on Christmas day and he's been super good about not opening them early. Fortunately, his Aunt (my sister-in-law) will be going down to a city in his area to visit her parents who live there in January and has offered to bring some other things down and drop them off at the mission home for him. I am very grateful for her willingness to do that.

he found a "hover board" to play on

He's enjoying the beauty of the country

Elder Olson's Christmas present to himself. Soccer Cleats. (he never thought he'd be owning a pair for himself before the mission.)

Week 14: Feeling better & #LighttheWorld

11/29/16

Hola Friends y Familia!

It's been a pretty uneventful week down here. I've been glad to get out of the house a little bit after being so sick. It's seriously super hot down here, we're walking around in 95* heat every day. It's weird to think of snow back in the Promised Land.

This week I found my first good Chilean empanadas. I'd heard a lot in the CCM about how amazing the empanadas are down here, but before this weekend I hadn't found any worth eating. BUT there's an Empanada shop we found in Rancagua when we went to visit the Doctor, and the empanadas were fantastic.

On PDay we had the chance to take a Bus tour of Talca as a zone. It was an awesome change of pace and I've attached a bunch of pictures.

This week we've also had the opportunity to participate in the #LighttheWorld Christmas initiative. For any of you who haven't had the chance to see the video, I highly recommend checking it out on mormon.org. Along with the video, there are ways to serve others for every day of the coming month leading up to Christmas. I'll be participating in the international day of service on the first of the month as well! I hope you all put in the effort to follow Christ a little more fully this Christmas Season.

I Love You All Tons,
Elder Jacob Olson

Elder Olson on the PDay bus tour of Talca

Images of Talca Tour (Sorry I don't know what any of them are)