I got a hair cut. Sister Gleason cut it for me over the trash can last night. One of the members (who is this total glamor woman/famous singer in Japan) couldn't believe it and called us total red-necks. Lol she made us stay at her home so she could curl our hair. Hahahaha sooo funny. We taught her the Restoration while she pampered us. It was great.
Oh and these oreos and chips are mine and Sister Ahokovis addiction. Love all three of them!:)
Ohana-
One BIG Mahalo for the package, thankyou so much! Lord of the rings, what? hahaha oh mom your such a crack up:) Sounds like things are going great at home! Thanks for all the letters! Thankyou family!
Well, I am emailing you today, because its our P-day today... because... We got to go to the LAIE, TEMPLE today!! Wow, it was a very.. very.. much needed experience. Thus- it was a very, very uplifting and spiritual experience for me. I fasted yesterday so that I may learn something new from this temple trip. Let me just tell you this- the temple truly is the house of the Lord. It is the most Holy place we have on this earth and its where we gain a whooole lot more knowledge and understanding then we ever can outside of the temple. It was really cool, when we were in the room before the last room, I remember thinking- wow, I like this room, its bright and pretty and nice.... and once I entered into the last room- The second I opened that door, it was like blinding light. Something like hit me, it was like 'boom'... and for some reason it just really took me back this time. It then hit me hard as I related that to our life here on earth. Think about when we feel the spirit really strongly.... or a time where you have felt truly happy/content. Maybe at church, or even at the temple. Well just think- that happiness is only happiness on earth.... think about HOW much happier you are going to feel when we enter into that door and we are in heaven with our Heavenly Father and our Savior, in the Celestial Kingdom:) Sorry, I hope you can understand what I am trying to say. I dont know how much I can say about the temple that would be appropriate. I recieved a great answer to my prayers today in the temple. I am truly grateful and so blessed to have such a place here on earth.
Alright. Well I just want y'all to know, this was a kick bum week. I also want you to know that no one knows what the word bum means in Hawaii. Hahaha it's been the joke of the week... Anyways- It's been tough. But I am so so so glad that its been tough. 1- I know it's going to get better 2- There's ALWAYS a reason we go through tough times. I figured theres two ways I could face this transfer... one- give up. or two- try harder. Well- I figured #2 would be a lot more fun to do then #1. I'm going to tell you the benefits of when you choose #2:)
If you continue to have faith, a miracle will come. So on this one particular day- we didn't have any appointments until really late that night. So we spent the day tracting because my companion hasn't been able to do that. Well many people say and think that tracting may be a waste of time. The entire Villegas family is being taught because of tracting so I very much disagree with that, sooooo... we went tracting. Haha... well.... let me just tell y'all about our tracting experience... So we start out and no one is home... and then- it just starts (literally out of no where) pouring rain. Hours go by and not one person was interesting in talking to us.... So my companion was wanting to just leave... a long time ago... but I knew that there HAD to be some one that Heavenly Father has placed in our path of tracting. So we said a prayer... and then I said, "Alright. Last one." and I point to an apartment building.... We end up knocking all of the doors... I was praying soo so so hard that there was someone in this building we could see, because if not, my companion may get really angry with me ....... We knock on the last door..... and it was the sweetest Lady- Analu. Ohhh my goodness. Long story short- We prayed with her, gave her the Book of Mormon, and shared testimonies. She was just crying and crying. She stopped and told us how she's been praying for someone like us to show up and to help her and her family. It was SOOOOOOO incredible. My faith grew. So did my companions, it was a miracle.
Next I want to talk about............. the VILLEGAS!! Well GUESS WHAT!!!! HUGE DRUM ROLE PLEASE!!! CHASE passed the sacrament on Sunday!!! Ahhhhhh it was so incredible!!!!! He's so cute oh my heck. Are missionaries allowed to adopt their converts? Just kidding. Christie- still trying and praying to get off work. Hey wanna hear a cool miracle...
Remember Liki? He's one the the villegas son. He's 20. And he's mentioned interest in the lessons but never actually went through with scheduling.... Well get this- all a sudden he walks in the room, during a lesson with Christie and he says, "I'm ready, I want to know and hear what you guys have to say." and he sat down. Haha pretty much we had 3 lessons in a ROW with LIki!! He's SOOOOO eager and thirsty for more and more. Its incredible and seems lil bit too good to be true. But he has a girlfriend, who is mad at him, because when she saw us teaching him and saw us calling him, yeah for some reason she gets the wrong idea... So pray for her heart to be softened...
This is how solid of an investigator he is- He says, "Can you come over in one hour for a lesson?" We were like- "... YES!!" So one hour later, we show up at his house and guess what Liki, his older brother, uncle, dad, and christie were all watching? The Joseph Smith Dvd AND right after they watched The Lamb of God. One of the greatest blessings from Heavenly Father- to have an investigator prepared so well for a lesson. By golly I'm so grateful! The lesson was the Restoration and after the lesson we asked, "What questions do you have?" He just stares at us for a couple seconds and goes, "woah. You guys answered all my questions. Just like that. All of them are answered..." It was soooo cool. It was an unforgettable lesson, because now- his older brother who disagreed with our church- admitted to his mom that, everything we said makes sense. Man. The villegas family is a gold mine. Haha but really.... every single time we go, theres always unexpected opportunities and investigators to teach. The cousins and more uncles. AHHHH!!! It makes me want to stay here until they're all baptized. Just kidding, as long as I can 'plant the seed' I'll be ok.
Ok last super cool story.... I'll be short because we have to leave for our lesson with Zack! Who so far is still set for his baptism date on Feb. 8!!:) Anywho- So we were on exchanges and we had in our planner to go tracting. We park our car. We knock on the first door, and the little lady says no thankyou. We ask if theres anyone else in the area who'd be interested in a prayer. She points around the corner. We go around the corner. It was a very strange hillbilly man. He said no. We ask if there anyone else in the area who'd be interested in a prayer. He says, "the house around with the red and white van." We leave and go walking down the street, turning left, turning right, left right, turn, looking for a red and white van........... Well we FINALLY found the house, but....lets just say the spirit was not there, and it just didn't feel right to knock. So then out of the RANDOM I saw a house down the road and decided to knock on it before we headed back. You would never guess.........................
I can't wait!! I have hope. and faith for this family. Isn't it cool to see how we were lead to this home?? After we were walking back, me and sister Ahokovi looked around us and were like, "Where the heck are we?!?" Hahaha nooo idea if we would have ever knocked or found that house without the help of the hillbilly and the little lady.
I have a testimony and I know that missionaries and instruments in the Lords hands and we are lead to those who are ready and prepared for the Gospel. I know that through my obedience and worthiness, He can trust me. I know that prayer works. I can't deny that. Sometimes my pride sets in, but it doesn't take very much time to realize that I truly can not do this work alone. I am very well learning that this transfer you guys.... I'm grateful for the tough times. I know that if we choose #2, to try harder when faced with trials, we will get so much more out of what Heavenly Father is trying to teach us.
I read a cool little story about a man who wanted his business to be better, and stronger, and grow. He would pray a lot and noticed how Heavenly Father never seemed to help his business be better and stronger and grow.................. He later had a dream, and his brother told him, "We dont care about your business up here, we care about you." I know that Heavenly Father wants US to be better and stronger and grow while here on earth. Choose #2!! Dont ever give up when faced with something hard. Dig deeper, find answers to your questions through diligent studies AND prayer. Ahhh I'm totally like preaching and rambling on to you guys right now hahaha sorry. I am just sooo so grateful for the answers and experience and knowledge I have recieved by choosing #2.
I love you all:)
Once again I hope my letter makes sense to y'all. I'm soooo tired. We woke up at 4:00 to go to the temple. So worth it though!!
Anywho-
Love you:)
Sister Olsen
Ofa Atu
P.s.- Uncle Randy!! I know Sister Munoa!! She is an incredible missionary!!
P.s.- I saw Kenz again as I pulled into temple. Insane, It was absolute perfect timing!
No comments:
Post a Comment