1st Week in the Field!

Pictures of Apartment

Hola todos! [Hello all!]

I hope all is well with everyone.  Things sure are great with me!  1st off, I forgot who sent me letters, but thanks to everyone I really enjoyed them all!  

okay, I need to talk about what happened my last few days of the MTC and then i can talk about my 4 or so days in the field.  Okay, finishing my time in the MTC was awesome but a bit stressful. I had to get ready to leave, pack, sign journals, and take pictures, and have in-field orientation in about 48 hours.  IT was a lot to do!  

Cool things that happened...The Temple dedication of the Brigham City Temple.  We got to watch the session.  We watched it at 9am and i was really tired, but it was such a spiritual experience.  I know that the Brigham Temple is a house of God and what a blessing temples are.  

I was a host missionary again.  I got to host for 3 sisters and it was so fun to get to know them and hopefully give them a good experience their first moments at the MTC.  In-field training was super helpful and fun.  We had a lot of workshops and we learned a lot.  It was a good day for learning how to be a good missionary.  But it was my last day in the MTC so it was hard to be in training for 12 hours of the day and find time to pack and everything.

Oh, my address is: 4380 south orchard avenue

                             South Ogden, Utah 84403

On saturday morning I woke up at 5:45 to finish packing and be at the office at 6:30.  Then me and 4 other missionaries (also waiting for visas to Spain) got in a van and we were driven up to the Ogden mission office.  At the mission office we were given breakfast, had interviews with President Heirs, and met a lot of missionaries.  I was then told where in the Ogden Mission I would be assigned.  

SO, drum roll please....I am in the LOGAN Cache Valley area.  Shout out to Kaylie Moon and her family. I totally recognize stuff from when I went to your house.  But I am in a Spanish area and I think my area ends right before providence.  But the Temple and everything is in my area.  I am emailing from the Tabernacle.  

So, it has been a weird first couple of days in the field.  My first day was weird because I began to realize how much Spanish I do not know.  But things are okay there.  I can understand concepts, but never well enough to contribute anything.  Oh, my companions!  I have 2!  Sister Marin was born in Mexico but raised in Idaho. She has been out 6 months and is training me.  Sister Pena is from Honduras and is learning English.  She has been out for 2 months and is being trained too.  

Okay, so after everything at the mission home, I was driven up to Logan and taken to my apartment.  Then we went out for a Pizza lunch.  We also went to visit A LOT of people, but nobody was home.  So around dinner time we went to the church for dinner and for the RS broadcast.  We left early because we had an appointment, but again nobody was home.

On Sunday I was bombarded by Spanish.  We went to church with the Buenavista branch and sacrament program was the Primary Program.  It was cute. So our ward is a bunch of Spanish people.  I am the only one that does not have brown hair and the only one that has white skin.  I am also the tallest woman.  That is a new one for me!  haah. 

Every dinner we have with a member except for P-day.  So on Sunday, we are walking up to the door of the Members and Hna. Marin says to me, will you share a scripture with them.  I said yes and after dinner shared in spanish a scripture.  It was scary but it was good because it was like the first time I spoke.  This is what I need to work on.  Speaking.  We also visited a less active sister on sunday and she said she would come to church.  I think.  

Yesterday we had zone conference.  It was really good.  We have a goal.  3,6,9, obedience time.  In 3 months our mission wants to baptize 600 people, and teach 900 lessons to less active or recent converts.  IT is a mighty goal but with exact obedience i think it is possible.  

Yesterday we talked to quite a few people.  I said the basic hola or como esta, but not much more.  I speak a lot of spanish with my companions, but that is it.  During lessons I am pretty quiet.  Yesterday was kind of hard, because we spent time going to walmart and smiths and just driving around.  We then went to mcdonalds and a spanish bakery.  It was such a waste of time.  I need to figure out a nice way to tell my companions that is not cool.  We are in a car area, too.  

Also during zone conference we were invited to read the book of Mormon and mark references of the Holy Spirit.  We were asked to invite our families to do the same.  So, anyone who wants to do this, feel free!

I am excited for tomorrow, because it will be my first full and normal day in the field.  I am doing really well and am very happy with my re-assignment!  I love you all and would love to hear from you!  Pray that I can learn better Spanish and actually open my mouth!

Con amor,

Hermana Olsen