A week of MIRACLES

Hola Familia y Amigos,

This week has been absolutely amazing.  It started with something I like to call "Last Transfer Blues" where I have been really stressed about making the most of my last transfer and worries about going home and such.  But I recieved a blessing, and have just been going forward with faith and being pleased with the hard work that I am doing.  I am taking it bit by bit and just trying to focus on the moment and relax.  I am not a perfect missionary.  But I am a hard working missionary who constantly tries to improve. 

Would you be surprized if I talk about miracles again?  I am seeing a theme in my mission! There are so many miracles.  First, we have started teaching a Muslim man.  We contacted him and had a lesson with him where we explained the Book of Mormon, gave him a copy and invited him to read it.  The next day he came to our English Class and brought a Muslim friend of his who has asked us for a Book of Mormon in French so we might start teaching another Muslim.  The first one we found told us that he started reading the Book of Mormon.  We are so excited to meet with him again and to meet with his friend.

The second miracle happened last night.  All of our plans fell through and we found ourselves with an hour or so left, and it was COLD.  I was praying for a miracle lesson.  We were contacting and not having much success.  Then I contacted a man from Peru.  After contacting him I realized he was in the middle of dialing a call.  It started to ring, and he hung up the call to listen to us!  

We started talking and we were on the sidewalk in the middle of people’s way so he found a more calm spot where we could talk.  He seemed so interested.  We started talking about the Book of Mormon and we had one with us, so we taught him the Book of Mormon, and set up another appointment with him.  He seem so intersted and so prepared for this message.  I hope to see great things with him!

Good mission story:  We had an intense lesson with this Evangelical lady who also believes a bit of what the Testigos believe.  We were trying to teach her the Book of Mormon but she couldn´t accept that there was more than the Bible.  She kept calling me niña (child) and also told me that we had to be careful because Satan was really good at deceiving people.  

As mad as that made me, I looked at her and calmly and lovingly bore testimony of the Book of Mormon.  I told her I knew it was true because I had prayed and asked God.  He gave me a feeling of peace that I could not deny.  I told her that Satan cannot make me feel peace!  I felt the Spirit testify to me that my testimony was true.  Although she would not be persuayed, I knew what I was saying was true, and it was a really powerful moment for me.

We went to Toledo today.  It was AMAZING.  So beautiful.  I cannot decide if I like it better than Segovia or not.  The Cathedral we saw was beautiful.  It had so many really cool views.  There was a lot to see too, but we didn´t have time.  We almost went to a torture museum.  That would have been fun.  Some of our group split off and went.  They said it was interesting.  I got a lot of really good pictures, but I forgot my camera cord again. oops.  Pictures coming next week for sure!

Toledo, is known for swords.  There are a lot of tourist shops selling swords.  We were in one of the shops and we had heard there was a Captain Moroni sword.  We asked, and the 2 workers showed it to us.  It was pretty cool, and we asked them if they knew who Captain Moroni was.

One said that she didn´t really know but it had something to do with Religion.  Here we are 6 of us with our chapas (name tags) and I was thinking, yes, he has something to do with religion.  The other lady had the BEST answer though.  She said that he was a great captain and he started a little school for cadets and taught them how to be soldiers and he made his own sword and because of all this he was a Captain.  It was soooo funny.  You had to be there, but the way she said it she sounded so knowledgable.  Her tone was saying, Obviously I know who he was.  SO FUNNY!

I have done a lot better this week at talking to people.  And we had a really cool experience.  We were sitting waiting for the bus, and I asked a lady if she wanted to sit.  She said no, gracias, and we started talking.  She was from Spain and thought it really cool that we were from the U.S.  She asked us if we liked Spain and talked a bit about what we had seen and all.  We only got to talk just a bit about us as missionaries before her bus came, but I still talked to someone and if she ever sees missionaries again, hopefully she will remember us and have a good impression of us!

I know this church is true.  I know it with all my heart.  There is no doubt in my mind.   It has changed me and made me better than I ever could have become on my own.  I know the atonement is real, I have seen it work in my life and the lives of others.  I love this Gospel and the Plan Heavenly Father has for all of us.

Con amor,

Hermana Olsen