ALOHA!!
Ok family who i love oh so so much. I apologize for my rushed letter last week. Hopefully this one will be better:) Lets begin with the important stuff first. 1- I ate horse. 2- I had ribs for the first time (and got made fun of because i didn't know how to eat it) 3- I got splashed by the ocean 4- i eat meat so much now. Hahaha I figured dad would be proud about that. But ok ok now for real-
I just want to say that I love being a missionary. I love it more then anything I have ever done! This week I started out really frusterated with all the lessons that have been getting cancelled. It gave us a lot of personal study time, because my companion isn't into tracting... so that really frusterated me, but then I realized as I have been studying, and learning, and strengthening my own testimony more and more each day.. I am converting the most important person on my mission... MYSELF!! Ya that blew my mind. My mission president made me realize that I cant convert beyond my own conversion. Which is so true. And I have been gaining such a love for this gospel its just building and building! I love how it all just makes so much sense. There is no way that none of this could not be true. And if you have any doubts that it is- then your not putting enough effort into reading and studying the Book of Mormon. I know with all my heart that Jesus Christ lived and died for us. I know that this is HIS church. He established it. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and restored the gospel and brought it back to the earth. I know that Heavenly Father loves us SO much that He gave us things on this earth to help us return to him. He didn't just drop us offf and say- K peace out! Meetcha on the other end! Good luck kid! ..... No. He gave us prophets, families, The Book of Mormon, and most importantly he gave us the gift of the Holy Ghost.All to use in the life to help us return to him. I know all of this sounds so familiar and simple, but I dont think that I've ever before would have been able to say that with meaning behind it. I KNOW that, that is all true. I cant wait to strengthen my testimony in the next year and a half!:)
A really cool experience that happend this week was with Don-mike. Don-mike is a member, but his family isn't.. he's inactive and wont come to church, and its going to take us getting him to start coming back to church, in order to get his family baptized. Don-mike is somewhat difficult to get to come to church. He loves the book of mormon, loves to pray.. KNOWS the gospel is true. And has a STRONG love for Heavenly Father. Why wont he just come to church?? Ya- we dunno. Sister Willis said her and her old companion have been trying for weeks to get him to come but nothing works. SO- we were walking by his house one day and I said, "Lets go by Donmikes house and remind him about church" my companion said no. So I asked again, and again, because I really felt like we needed to stop by. So we did, and he came out and starting talking about how he loved Heavenly Father and loves the book of Mormon, Sister willis invited him to come to church and he just said, no- I dont want to (he just doesn't think he needs to.. idk why??) So I said a little prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help me know what to say to this man to help him understand the importance of church. I waited for him to finish talking (people here talk alooot- its really difficult to get what you want to say in) and when there was a break... i then I asked, "Don mike, how can you SHOW your love and graditude for Jesus Christ, beside reading your scriptures and praying?" It was crazy, for the first time ever, Donmike couldn't say anything back, he got very flustered, couldn't find words and was just going "I dont know!.. I dont know!! How?! Sister Olsen How?? Hmmm....?" I said, "You can show your love for him by worshipping him and using the of the sacrifice he made in your life by partaking of the sacrament." It all a sudden like clicked with him. He went off for like 5 minutes "I'm so enlightened right now! I never thought of it that way.... Wow- just give me a minute i need to take this in." Inside I was so confused because i'm thinking - Dude how many times has sister Willis explained that to you...? But it was SO INCREDIBLE to see him come to know the importance of church. The spirit was there and it was so cool. I was glad that my oh so simple question- led him to such a big 'enlightment' So hopefully we can get him to start coming to church!! Prayer works:)
Second miracle- Moleka is a 15 year old girl who really wants to get baptized but cant find an answer.. and wants a strong answer before she commits. So during our lesson I got the impression to kneel right then and say a prayer. So I asked if we could, and she was really nervous and didn't want to do it. So i asked if I said one first, would she mind going after me- and asking if getting baptized was what she needed to do. So in her kitchen us 3 all knelt down on the floor and prayed. After we did that that spirit was SO strong! Sweet Moleka was crying, saying she knows she knows she needs to get baptized! Wow So cool. Prayer works guys- it really works.
I love you all and Dad HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! Sunday was really hard- ha listening to everyone talk about their dads. I hope you know that I wouldnt be out here- working hard if it wasn't for you! Thanks for your strong testimony, it has strengthened mine SO much!! I hope you got my letter I sent last week. I love you so much!!!
Shout out to poppop- My companion is from alabama and is a huuuge Roll Tide fan:)
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