Another week of MIRACLES

Hola familia y amigos,

This week has been absolutely wonderful.  We are struggling to find, but we are working with the ward and trying hard to visit less actives and reactivate.  This week has probably been the best of the transfer.

Some news on life in Madrid Spain:  The limpieza, (cleaning crew) are on strike.  The streets are filthy with garbage and litter.  Normally, the streets are swept every day and the garbage cans and dumpsters emptied with frequency. For the past week or so, none of this has happened.  All the garbage cans and dumpsters have filled up and are overflowing with garbage.  And there are garbage bags just sitting on the street next to the garbage cans and dumpsters.  It´s like this all over madrid.  It´s not horrible, but there is a lot of garbage around.  I will try to take some pictures and send them next week.  We don´t know how long it will last.

Random story: we were hunting down a less active and went to this really nice part of our area.  The people in this part, almost lived in houses.  I havent seen a real house in 9 months, it was nice to see one that was almost a house.  It was like a bunch of little houses attached to the next one.  But each one had their own gate and their own garage I think.  And maybe chimneys, but I am not sure if that is a thing in Spain.

Sidenote, Mom, does the new house have a chimney? I forgot those existed and now I really hope we can spend a night warmed by the fireplace.  

Back to my story, so we are looking for this less active in a really nice area, and we are walking toward this green hilly landscape.  Looking closer at it, I see a bunch of people driving in carts, and swinging shiny metal clubs.  I SAW A GOLF COURSE!  I also had forgotten those existed. It was a weird day.  I wonder what else I have forgotten about!?

We had a great lesson with the Bolivar family. This is the family where the parents are not married yet and that has been the only thing holding them back from baptism.  We had a really powerful lesson with them about the restoration and because we knew that they have plans to marry on the 16th of December, we invited them to be baptized.  They have accepted to be baptized the 20th of December!

We are sooo excited for them!  And for their family!  I have so much love and appreciation for this family.  Can you imagine investigating two years, waiting patiently for marriage, and letting your children get baptized before you!  What faith and dedication they have for the gospel!  I love when I have investigators, or less actives or lo que sea (whatever, actually i don´t know how to translate that one) and they are an example to me.  I find myself thinking, I wish I had the faith that they had.  I wish  I was like that.  I LOVE that I can teach them, and they can teach me!  We can both edify each other!  I LOVE this gospel!

Recent converts are amazing!  Justino and Oscar (my recent converts in Barrio 8) both have temple recommends!  In barrio 1 our recent convert, Dantel, recieved the Aronic Priesthood on Sunday, and will be baptizing a friend of his on Saturday!  I think one of my favorite parts of the mission is working with recent converts and helping them have spiritual experiences that will keep them firm in the gospel.   

God has blessed me so much on my mission with small miracles, and big ones! I know as I work hard, I can become the missionary I am meant to be, and I can see miracles every day as I look for them.

I LOVE my mission.  I am learning and growing, and as I do so, I am better able to help others do so.  This week, or maybe this transfer I have been learning about how much I have to change.  I have been thinking a lot about the natural man and I have been thinking about how to overcome him and get rid of him.  This has led me to think a lot about the Atonement, and I have read a lot of scriptures about the mercy and patience God has for us.  How grateful I am for the knowledge that I can repent and improve.  I wake up every day with the desire to be a perfect missionary.  I fall short every day.  But through the atonement I can wake up the next day knowing that I can try again and I always have hope that although I won´t be perfect, I can at least be better.

I LOVE my Savior and I LOVE this Gospel.

No pictures this week, sorry!

Con amor,

Hermana Olsen