A Week of Miracles

Baptism of Armando and Denis Monzon

Hola Familia y Amigos,

So, I have just had an incredible week!  The Monzons got baptized on Saturday.  We really spent most of this week preparing them for baptism and for their return to Guatemala.  They have been so incredible to work with.  They have so much faith.  I cannot properly express the love I have for them and the joy I have had these weeks in preparing them to be baptized and watching them enter the waters of baptism and receive the Holy Ghost.  

We have known them for less than a month and we taught them in just over 2 weeks.  I know God prepared them very well to accept the Gospel.  Whenever we taught something, they would immediately accept and if they had a problem, they would solve it themselves.  They are incredible and so eager to learn about when he can get the priesthood and when they can enter the temple.  This experience has also helped me learn a lot about being a good missionary.  We were a little concerned about them going to Guatemala and not being able to find their church and getting lost.  So we are getting in touch with the ward and missionaries in Guatemala to tell them that the Monzons are coming.  I learned about how hard it is to plan a baptism and how special it can be for them.

Since their baptism we have talked about patriarchal blessings, the priesthood, and entering the temple.  They are so excited for all of these things.  It is incredible how much faith they have and how much they know now.  They really don't need us.  One thing our mission focuses on is the importance of teaching about the Holy Ghost.  So we teach this in almost every lesson.  While teaching the Monzons, there were many times when we would say, I know that the spirit is here right now.  I can feel peace and happiness. It made me so happy yesterday when Armando said to us as we were talking about their experience being baptized and all, "I know that the spirit is here right now."  He learned!  He really knows what the spirit is.  IT was so funny to hear him say exactly what we had told him so many times.

This week we also found a member family from the Marshall Islands.  They speak Marshalese.  The Grandmother (quite old) is not a member so we have been teaching her and her daughter who does know English, is translating for us.  Maylee, the Grandmother, has accepted to be baptized on February 2nd!  At the end of our first lesson, yesterday, we asked her daughter how to say things like “thank you” and “until later” in Marshalese because we wanted to communicate with her a little bit.  She lit up when we tried to speak her language.  She grabbed our hands and said in perfect English, "my sisters."  We had also taught her our names, Sister Olsen and Sister Marcum.  Then she would say a phrase in Marshalese and her daughter told us that she was saying my sisters but that it was like a family term.  I am very excited to continue working with Maylee! 

Also this week, we had interviews with President.  It was nice to talk to him and see that he cares about us.  No news on the Visa, maybe a few weeks. Nobody really knows.  Although we had a visa scare.  This is a good story.  

We were at dinner (the 4 of us Hermanas- 2 visa waiters and 2 senior companions) and both of our phones kept going off. We didn't want to be rude and check, but dinner was kind of winding down so I ran and grabbed both the phones.  Our phone had 2 missed calls from the APs (Assistants to the President) and the other sisters one missed call from them. I come back to the table with the news.  The 2 senior companions just look at each other and Hna. Marcum (my companion) just mouths "visa."  The APs don't call for very many things and the fact that they had called both of us was pretty scary.

I started having a PANIC ATTACK.  Kind of.  I was scared.  I almost started crying.  Definitely teared up. But I calmed down real quick (we were still at dinner) and then we said a prayer with the family we were eating with and left.  Hermana Marin then called the APs.  Turns out our mission only has so many miles for all the cars and they were trying to see if our areas could share a car to cut down on miles.  No Visas. What a relief.  I was a wreck the rest of the night.(we didn't have much time left so we just went home and did Language Study because we hadn't had time earlier so it was okay that I was emotional....)  It was a scary experience.  When I thought my visa was here, I just didn't feel ready to go.  But I probably never will.  Maybe it was good prep for when it really comes.  I guess it’s kind of a funny story.

Well, I love you all and am so grateful for my mission.  I know the Lord blesses us for his obedience to the commandments.  Love the Lord and see Miracles in YOUR LIFE!!!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Olsen