What a week!

Hola familia y amigos,

Wow, I almost kept writing in Spanish.  I really don´t have much time, but here is a quick summary of this week.  Also before I forget, Thanks to Corinne for the letter, and Sis. Dunshee.

This week we had intercambios.  Exchanges.  I went to Alcala and served with Hna. Wright.  She is super awesome.  A really hard worker, a really good contacter, and super silly and funny!  We got back with our companions when we all went to the temple.  Yep that is right, I got to go to the Spain Madrid Temple!  whats up!  It was super spiritual, especially to go with all the Hermanas serving in the Madrid area (about 20).  I did the session in Spanish and pretty much understood it all.  No big deal.  It was so spiritual, I love the temple.  It is the house of the Lord!

I LOVE contacting.  Yup, I have officially reached the point where I enjoy doing.  Now I just wish I could do it better.  Sometimes it still scares me, but mostly I just feel like I don´t say the right  thing.  with time.  

I have also realized why rejection hurts so bad.  I always heard Returned missionaries say it hurts to get rejected.  I thought that was silly, and they were just taking it personally.  I knew I wouldn´t feel that way because I wasn´t going to take it personally.  Oh how wrong I was.  It sucks to get rejected.  But I realized why.  It´s because I love the people.  It is so hard to have someone say they don´t want to learn, they already have their church. But it breaks my heart when someone walks away without even listening, or when I tell them they can have an eternal family, and they just walk away.  Because I love them  SO MUCH!  And I know they are walking away from the only true church.  THey are walking away from the truth, and they didn´t even give it a chance.  But I keep going.  You never know who is going to listen.

This week GOD HAS GUIDED MY FOOTSTEPS!  Here is an excerpt from my letter to President:

This week, God has truly guided us. We had a lesson with a man that told us we have no authority to teach because we are women. I didn´t really care what he said because I knew he was wrong, but it still hurt a bit. He read 1 Timothy 2:10-12 with us. After this lesson, God blessed me and reminded me that I have authority as he guided me and Hna. Coakwell step by step to an inactive we have been trying to find almost all transfer. Every time in the past we have gone to visit her, we have gotten way lost or taken the wrong bus. We were trying to find her again, and we were getting lost. So we just decided to walk and contact. We didn´t really care where we went. Before long, we realized that we were a street or 2 away from where the inactive lady lives. We weren´t even looking, but we found her. She was not home, but now we know exactly how to get to her piso.

A few days later, we decided to go visit a less active that we had visited a few times and she was never home or never able to let us in. We had planned on contacting during this time, but Hna. Coakwell felt like we should go visit her. So we did. We got to her Piso and were told she wasn´t home. As we were walking away, the lady she lives with told us that she was actually home and we could come in. We had a great lesson with her and her daughter. Her daughter even came back to church yesterday. She felt really touched that we had come to visit. It was a special moment.

We have had some crazy weather this week.  Lots of rain and wind.  And this hermana still doesn´t have boots.  But no worries, it hasn´t been bad. I actually like the rain.  Hna. Coakwell got hit by a branch one day though.  That was eventful.

I got a letter from my recent converts in Guatemala.  They are doing SO WELL. They have been members 2 months now! Crazy!  The best news is, they have callings, got their patriarchal blessings, and have done baptisms for the dead in the Temple! yeah man!  I love them so much and am glad they are progressing so well!

I don´t have my camera cable so pictures will have to wait.  Sorry!

Mom (and anyone) there is a really cool youtube video (president let us watch) but it is a whole class of students that all got calls for missions.  It is a montage of them opening their calls.  You should try to find it.  The 2nd girl gets called to the Spain Madrid mission.  We watched it this morning at the Hna. Party.  All of us started screaming.  The video made me cry though.  It is so amazing.  God is hastening his work!  

In a week the mission is going to get 4 new sisters and the transfer after that 15.  Which means i will very likely (99% ???) be training in about 7 weeks.  PLEASE pray for me.  I do not at all feel prepared to train.  I am hardly capable to serve a mission without His help, I will need A LOT more help if I have to train too!  I KNOW I can do it, but prayers would be nice.  The thought of training terrifies me!  

Con Amor, 

Hermana Olsen