Hola familia y amigos,
I have had quite the week. Let’s start with the not so
good news. Justino flaked on us again and
did not get baptized. There had been a baptism and so we just kept the
font filled and he said he was going to come at 9. Then he texted us
saying he would be late. We said we would wait. In the end he told
us not to wait, better another week. I went in the bathroom and cried.
I just don´t understand this guy. He is an emotional roller
coaster. He progresses so well and everything goes so well, and then he
just dives off the deep end and can´t meet us. He didn´t even come to
church.
On the bright side, transfers were today and we found out on
saturday. I am VERY pleased with the transfer assignments. My companions will
continue being companions and I am training. We are all staying in the
same area though. Which is good, but we had to split the area. Of
course I would have been pleased with anything, but I am glad that I will still
be in Vallecas and that Hermanas Seastrand and Manner are staying too. I
know they are excited as well.
I definitely did not expect to be training this transfer.
I thought I would train next transfer. But I am excited. I
learned a lot while finishing Hermana Manners training and I think I will do
some things differently and hopefully improve in my ability to train.
This week was a little nerve wracking waiting for transfers
and trying to make it a good end of the transfer. And of course we had
everything crazy waiting to see if Justino would get baptized or not. But
what can we do? He has agency. Yesterday we split the area.
That was hard. It is nice that we are in the same area and can
still see these people but hard that we can´t teach them and watch them
progress as much as we were able. I will no longer be teaching Justino,
Miranda, or Mauro.
I think splitting the area will be good though. We
have big plans to work with less actives and part member families to find more
and to find through the ward. I expect miracles this transfer! I am
willing to give it my all and really am excited for what this transfer is going
to bring.
Remember Montes, the Muslim who was going to get baptized,
but then he disappeared? Well he called us the other day and we met with
him this week. He has accepted to be baptized this Saturday the 27th.
Please pray for him. I´m a little worried that his friends are
going to continue to be an obstacle and I have faith that God can provide a way
for him to be baptized, I´m just a little worried. Also, he has so many
problems with his phone, I am scared we will lose him again!
Now I want to tell you about Guiomar. We found him in
the phone and he works in a little food store. He is always working so we
have to teach him there for now, but he has hours when hardly anyone comes so
we just go then. We have taught him twice, but he has been taught a bunch
by other missionaries. He has a Book of Mormon all marked up and a hymn
book.
Guiomar’s biggest issue is if
this is the only true church, and he has to work on Sunday. We had a “get
to know you” lesson and then taught the restoration. It was a powerful
lesson even though we were in his store. We focused on the loss and
restoration of authority and how it was the only true church because it had the
fulness of the gospel and it was the same church that Jesus Christ established.
He knows the Book of Mormon is true tambien. We talked a lot about
receiving revelation through prayer and I committed him to praying to know if
he should be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I called him the next day to see if he had prayed and he
said yes and that he felt calm. We are seeing him on Tuesday and I am
super excited to invite him to be baptized! I know it will still take
some time getting him to come to church, but once he understands that he needs
to be baptized hopefully he will put his trust in God and close his store on
Sunday.
Raul went on vacation but just got back so hopefully we will
be able to meet with him soon.
Andreo is someone we found in the phone as well. He
tells us he has doubts, he seems to not be a fan of organized religion, but he
has such a good spirit and I can see his potential. He just needs to understand
the Book of Mormon.
We want to work on finding a lot this transfer. And we
want to work through the members. The problem is, it´s hard to get
references. Maybe some of you can help. What would you want the
missionaries to come to you and say, or how should they approach the situation?
What would make you share the gospel with someone you care about?
We also want to work with less actives and part member families.
And we want to work in part of our area that is a bit
farther out. It takes about an hour to get there, and it is called Rivas.
We have been there to visit a recent convert family and all of us feel
really good about the area. And in Rivas there are the closest thing to
houses that we have seen in our area, which means families. We have quite
a few members who live in Rivas so they would be able to help too. We
want Rivas to have its own branch or ward someday. We have dubbed this
transfer and given it a name- "Light Up Rivas."
I am really excited for this transfer. I am ready to
work hard and see miracles!
Con amor,
Hermana Olsen
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