October 9, 2012

 P-Day, Giraffe glasses

 Hermana Olsen and Brogan Udall

 P-Day hike.

Angel Moroni statue

 

Hola todos, [Hey everyone]

Thank you Mom for the letters, Corinne for the email (I will try VERY HARD to write you a letter today), and Hno. Ton-son for the email!  Also, thanks for the package mom.  I loved the Halloween stuff.

First off, I want you all to know that the Utah Ogden Mission is the best mission IN THE WORLD!  And Logan is the best area in the mission :).  This does not mean that my week was necessarily easy, but with all the ups and downs I can see the Lord's hand in my life and that makes my mission the best because I know my mission is exactly what the Lord wants for me!

So this week we really got to teach some lessons.  And I have had the opportunity to contact too.  Oh man, my first contact.  This is a good story.  I knocked on the door of this house because we saw a little girl in the window and she looked Hispanic.  Her older sister opens the door and she speaks English.  I said something like Hi how are you.  But I had never contacted or practiced contacting in English so my mind blanked.  I couldn't think of anything to say.  Finally my senior companion took over.  It was pretty funny.

I actually do teach in English occasionally.  It is common for the parents to speak Spanish and the children English.  So we have some bi-lingual lessons.  But I am still hearing plenty of Spanish, and I would like to say my Spanish is improving.  I think some of our investigators will end up getting baptized.  Some have so much faith, and from what I understand I think we may have some baptisms in a few weeks.  

The best lesson to tell about was the one we had last night.  I had a classic "Best Two Years" Moment.  I have been here for about a week and really thought my understanding was improving.  I am talking a little bit more.  But the lesson last night, I could hardly understand a word she said.  Which was unfortunate because she was cracking a lot of jokes.  After the lesson we were walking back to the car and I looked at my companeras and said, "What was she speaking, cause that was not Spanish!"  But with time I hope to understand even her!

So I think I mentioned that we have dinner with a member family every night except P-day.  This is usually really fun and I love it.  But it scares me every day, because a few times the food has been something completely foreign to me and I haven't really liked it.  It is kind of a problem, because they usually serve us and always I am given more than I can eat.  But I do my best and always eat as much as I can.  It is usually really good food, just sometimes.  At least I am well fed.  And if we don't have a dinner appointment we can go to Chispitas a mexican restaraunt owned by members and eat for free!

We got to go to a Baptism this week for an older woman in the Elders area.  That was a special experience.  The spirit was very strong.

General Conference was FANTASTIC.  I am stoked about the missionary age change.  I think it is a stroke of inspiration and it only confirmed my testimony that this is the Lord's work.  Best part is that I was in the conference center when our beloved Prophet, Thomas S. Monson made this glorious announcement.  We had tickets so on Friday we had permission to leave Logan and go spend the night  at the Ogden Sisters place.  Then on Saturday morning we got to take a train to SLC.  We were able to attend that Session Saturday morning and the second we watched in one of the Temple Square visitor centers.  

In between sessions we went to the city creek mall and walked around temple square.  I ran into a few people that I know (If you are reading this, it was GREAT to see you!)  

After the second session we went back to the mall for a bit.  I wanted to take a train home and go read my scriptures, but we did not end up leaving until almost 9.  We stayed the night on saturday with  the Ogden sisters and then we woke up sunday morning and drove to a member family and they drove us to Salt Lake for the Sunday sessions.  We watched the first one in the visitors center and we had tickets for the second but gave them to the family that took us because they fed us breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and provided transportation.  It was only a fair trade.  

So after the first session we went to the museum took pictures with the angel Moroni and then watched conference in a theater in the museum!  My favorite talks in conference would have to be the one, Elder Nelson's I believe, about "Ask a missionary, they can help you!"  and Elder Eyring's about receiving revelation.  I LOVE CONFERENCE!  I am now having post-conference depression.  I blame you for that mom! :)

So sometimes I miss the MTC.  Not often but it happens.  But how could it not.  I had such amazing experiences there and had such a wonderful district and wonderful teachers.  I think  I miss it most when we are in the car listening to music (we are allowed to listen to Disney, but I would rather not.  But it isn't breaking a rule so I can't do anything about it...) or in a store where there is music.  I hate being in the world.  I wish I could talk with investigators and members all day.  i just want to teach.  I LOVE teaching.  I know I am not even close to fluent or good at it, but it is SO FUN to say something in broken, unconjugated, gringo, Spanish and have the thought that I may have helped someone feel the Spirit or desire to come unto Christ. So I  miss the mtc sometimes, but I really do love the field.  The spirit is so strong and I can feel so much love and support from my Heavenly Father and from all of you!  Thanks for the prayers.  I don't want to know that my life would be like without them!

So serving in Utah is so different than I bet most missions are.  There are restaurants and car wash places that are discounted for missionaries and sometimes free.  People come up to us and ask how we are doing, people say hi to us in stores and stuff.  I LOVE IT! At conference we were talking to some girls and they asked to take pictures with us!

Hno. Ton-son,

Gracias por su email y su ayuda en el CCM. Ahora yo puedo decir que yo estoy muy agradecida por su ayuda.  Pienso que yo estoy preparado bien. ( I am well prepared.)  Y el razon es su amor y su ayuda.  Y Hna. Camacho tambien!  No se si ella recibe mis emails, pero por favor diga a ella que yo estoy muy agradecida por la ayuda y que normalmente yo siento (prepared).  Mas de nada, tengo el conocimiento que Dios va a ayudarme con todo.  Y que yo puedo servir mi mision y completer cada cosa que yo necesito completer.  Gracias por esto.  Tambien, diga a Hna. Camacho que yo ensene una leccion a una chica que tiene 8 anos y yo ensene el cancion "cabeza, hombros, rodillas, y dedos" para ensenar la ley de castidad muy sencillamente.  Y la chica le encanta la cancion!  Otra vez, gracias a ustedes por todo!  You so da kind... :) Pienso que hoy, puedo escribir cartas a ustedes!

Con amor,

Hna Olsen