16 July 2012

SO, i dont got alot of time today i always sign on and my mind just goes blank on what to write you guys everyweek. this week we had some troubles with the family padilla his daughter decided she wants to be a catholic and not go to churhc the whole family got super down and i had no idea how to teach this little girl why she does not have to be catholic it was one of the hardest lessons i have taught in my mission, and i realized how stubborn teenagers can be. and how skilled one has to be in order to teach them correctly, so unfortantley my teenager skills are down and the family did not come to church yesterday. so we went in the evening to teach them,and we just decided to teach the papa and wow it was awesome i just felt so much more power and authority, and i knew how to get to his heart, it was a very different teaching situation, and he accepted to be a leadre in his family and guide them to the kingdom of god. But i did learn some thing very important. you cant teach kids with just doctrine you have to go at it in a different direction, i still have no idea how to do it but just a heads up tyler you gotta teach your little boy good things. other tthan that i am doing great i am loving bolivia i am working my butt off, looks like the zone is turning around, transfers are in two weeks i dont know what president is going to de with me, but i would prefer to stay i have a great realation with the area and i know everyone in my area so it is just a matter of time before everyone starts to accept the gospel. love this work stay strong read and pray daily. monday night is sacred. Lve eldder olsn

23 Jan 2012

Brothern since the premortal existence, i am very thankful that you have been my brothers and for all the hard work and example you have all given me seriously i feel very blessed to have brothers that are and were and will for ever be the greatest missionaries. i am so very thankful that you were all able to go before me and be such amazing missionaries, the reason for writing this quick email is just so i can finally feel free of the pressure you have all put on me, which by the way i am thankful for because it has made me who i am today it has made me work harder than ever just so i could messure up to your standards. but the thing is i just never felt that i could get to your level, tyler and mike were both assistents and i have always thought that if i am not assistent i will never be able to messure up to your level. but i also remember various time mike telling me that his time in the office was very hard for him because he did not have the whole day to preach the gospel, so i have always felt the same but i finally feel just good, just tranquilo just calm i guess, the other day president called and notified me i was going to be the next assistent, i felt at last i had accomplished what i needed to do to be able to call myself an olsen missionary an ELDER OLSEN and then after that just came the thought but what am i going to do sitting all day i am going to kill myself, i expressed my thanks to pres. and politley told him i would prefer to stay in the field, he told me that i would still be a missionary and still work if i was in the office, but i told him i just need to stay in the field, but the reason i tell you guys is just at last i feel like we are all the same i love you guys a ton, i would appreciate if you would not tell this to anyone, it is an experience very personal. but i just finally feel like i have really joined with the sons of mosiah, STEVE; MIKE;TYLER; JUSTIN four ELDER OLSEN really i love our name it is the greatest i love you all Have a great week rememeber we can do anything, we are different and it is for a reason, the lord has not given us the special talents to sit around, you still have the priesthood GET OUT THERE AND BAPTIZE, do everything you can for the work of the lord, WE ARE THE SOLDIERS OF GOD: fighting his battles against the armies of satan, I know your not fulltime missionaries but since when did it finish the work of the lord is without end. KEEP FIGHTING. NEVER GIVE UP NEVER SURRENDER!!!
HURRAH POR ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elder Olsen

2 Apr 2012

Dear mom,
Yes conference was quite amazing i was super amazed at the spirit the apostles have and how quickly they help us realize our faults, i escpecially liked the talk by Pres. Uckdorf, it is so true how often do we get angry when someone else is happy, we say all types of things such as oh this is not fair or why not me, and we lose the joy to be able to see someone else happy.. I think dad is one of the greatest examples of a person who really is happy when he sees someone else complete a goal or get something new in there life they have been working for, thanks for always being such a good example dad..
the next part i really enjoyed was that they talked so much about families and the importance to raise each child with love and let them make there decisions so they can learn and grow from there mistakes. i loved the story about the mom that prayed with her daughter and after her child started to cry.. that is the gospel in action.. tyler i know you enjoyed this more than anyone with all the talks it had helping out parenting.. seriously you better study all that stuff over and over again..
Anyway thisweek was awesome. we have two families with baptismal dates 7 people and wow i love them so much. Sorry about the emails lately but i have been writing alot to president. but i will try and do better.
Anywya yeah it is all good, i still think my pres. doesnot know you guys live in missouri send me your addresss so i can advise him. also the realease dtate i have no idea i jut know the prophet called me to serve two years so i am guessing some time in september but i have no idea what day and i am not to anxious to be asking.
If you could please look up that stuff about college i would appreciate it.
Elder Olsen

9 Apr 2012

Dear Family,

So this week was great, we had some amazing experiences working with the children of the Lord here in Bolivia, a quick experience i had this week so we went by a members house and there grandfather was there and when i presented myself it was as if something sparked in his eyes and he asked me who my grandfather was i told him he got a little dissapointed then i said but my great grandfather is Eugene Olsen and wow he lit up so fast started telling me about all the times he had to visit with my great grandfather and how much good he did for the people of bolivia how he opened the doors for the nation to here the gospel, then a second time we went to a different members house to eat lunch and his grandpa was there he also knew personally Eugene Foss Olsen and he has also had lunch wiht him in his house more than thirty years ago, a third time we are walking by the street stop by a members house his dad from cochababba comes out to meet us, he also knew grandpa nad i t turns out grandpa is in his line of authority for the priesthood, anyway all three of the encounters with different people from all over bolivia really helped me realize the importance of setting a legacy of faith, thanks to my great grandfather Eugene Foss Olsen i am here and firm in the gospel of Jesus Christ and i ahve met some of the very people he taught and testified of the same things i am so greatful for hime i love my middle name and all it stands for.
Family remember everything you do is either building up or destroying your legacy of the faith we have to set the standads for the future. be bold, be courageous, be an Olsen
Elder Olsen

Amado familia,
ni sabia yo que él iba a ir a jerusalén, que esta haciendo en jerusalén, pero bueno parece que esta bien si el esta haciendo las cosas buenas. bueno ya tuvimos cambios,. yo sigo en cañoto con mi nuevo compañero Elder Vreeken él es de Hawaii entonces es un buen compañero estoy animado por tenerle como mi compañero el tiene muchas ganas de trabajar y estamos trabajando bien, ayer solo una sola investigadora fue a la iglesia fue un poco triste que las demás familias no asistieron con nosotros, vamos a ver que pasó pero de verdad yo se vamos a tener mucha éxito esta cambio. pero por esta semana día de la madre voy a llamarles día Sábado para pedirles a que hora domingo quieren charlar conmigo estoy animado de charlar con ustedes.
Elder Olsen

9 Jan 2012

Buen Dia
Wow before i forget thank you guys so much for the package it was so sweet to get some new pants !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! now i am not walking around in the same ones every day it is awesome :) but some thing bad happened in the package nanny sent the jolly ranchers got heated up and melted all over the pants and shirt..... but thanks to my new found washing clothes by hand skill i was able to get out all of the stains. quick note... by that washing clothes by hand is the worse thing in the world I LOVE AMERICA and i love washing machines. i promise when i get home i will not be so lazy to just put my clothes in the machine and turn it on haha... seriously being in bolivia so long makes me so grateful for how blessed we are in the states. and how blessed we are to be american :) GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

So this week we went to santa cruz it was pretty sweet, we flew in a small plane and got to see some old buddies, and have an amazing meeting with pres. calderon. now we are in our area again just tearing apart every door looking for the chosen ones... we had some amazing spiritual exp. this week. first monday night before we went to santa cruz we were contacting and lets just say it was one of those days where we felt like we could not just find anyone, and just my luck some druck guys starts talking to us i go over we start up a conversation, i realize his whife is pregnant and he really does not want to drink i set up an appointment with his whife to come back this thursday and teach theem, we come back and his whife had his baby, he remembered our appointment and they were anxiously waiting for us to get there. it was a giant testimony builder that everyone needs the gospel and whatever person can change, this sunday they came to church they are a big family 6 kids 4 of them the age of baptism they all loved church, and we have talked about baptism they accepted the prep, but not a specific date, and i think we really need to helpo him with the word of wisdom but they are way excited and all of his kids just love us.. and so do the parents they will be baptized here in three weeks.

Another story so the rios family that has a baptism date for this saturday did not come to church and the district leader is coming after church to do the interviews, so i am like well what are we going to do they gotta come to church, i just start moving around being super anxious and i got to the point i was just like lets go get em. as we were walking out the door, getting ready to go and bring the family to church, a strong thought came to my mind send a sis. and right then comes out sis. sandra a return misionary and is super awesome i tell her they need to come to churhc she is like ya i will go get them.. she goes and by the third hour they finally get there and it was just perfect for them sandra went down there and they were all way sad because the dad had just gotten there in the mornign and started to say bad things about the church and just being a jerk (quick thought about 3 months bakc this dad left his family and kids to live with a different women) luckily we sent sis. sandra because everyone knows women are better than men when it comes to comforting someone. they know have a stronger testimony of the truth and are way excited to be baptized this saturday.
also we are just tearing it up serously with my new comp we are just going overload, it is always nice to recieve a new companion and just be ready to tear it up. gives me animo jajja

anyway i love you guys i got your packages it is way nice to here from yall, yeah i think shane durfey should be getting home here in a couple weeks along with trevor norton keep me updated if you hear anything about that.. also is jeff getting married?? or what??
Love you all, stay strong in the lord, if you feel like your drifting here and there look for the guidance of the lord.
Amanda Happy Birthday your the bomb!! i cant believe your fifteen holy cow that is so crazy all of my little cousins are growing up.
Tyler voçe are going to teach me portugese thanks :) ha happy b day brother hurrah for israel.
Have a good week, and that the lord may guide you in all you do.
ELder BALBOA:)