October 16. 2-17 Over and Out

Hey Family,

This has been a very enjoyable week. I have not blinked to make sure I absorb as much of this wonderful country and my people as I can. 

On Sunday, the Lord introduced us to a family who are ALL super excited to REPENT and be baptized. They all accepted a baptismal date except the little princess (7 years old).

I love Guatemala! I love the Lord! I am ready to take on Today! . . . every day!!! 

I have had the greatest opportunity of my life to live side by side with Elder Sandino and Elder Zepeda (Caranza =) ). I love these guys! That will be the very hardest about leaving  -- leaving them!

-Elder Olson

Still Elder Olson

#Untilthefinalsecond!!!

October 2, 2017 It's Happening Boca del Monte 1--Guatemala 10

It’s Happening  Boca del Monte 1—Guatemala 10                                             October 2, 2017

Hello family. 

I hope you all enjoyed General Conference as much as I did. It is such a treat to have those men with such sacred callings speak to us. I hope we all follow the invitation of Thomas S. Monson to read often the talks given and study them deeper. Then let's "look farther than we can see".

Try running while listening to conference talks or waking up extra early to study them (so you still have time to deeply study the Book of Mormon each day)

Today I am here in Villa Lobos saying my goodbyes. In the afternoon, Raul Chopen, the father of some members that were baptized while I was serving in Peronia, is going to pick us up and take us home to Peronia. I hope he gets baptized soon. He is such a good man. We will surely have that discussion. 

Carlos Pineda and Irma know that all that we have taught them is true. They can feel it! Now Satan is not about to just let all the process happen lickidy-split. He helped them not attend any sessions of general conference. And so the battle takes way. He is a great man. He will overcome all.

I am a happy man. I do not know how to take in the fact that my precious Guatemala will not be a part of my everyday life, . . .  so I won't. I'll just be happy instead. I am a happy man. 

We have to make a constant effort to let in the light. We do so by searching for it. All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. Don't worry about your plan to read the Book of Mormon. Just do it!!! 

When you read this, pause and read a chapter of the book of Mormon. 

If there is not a book of Mormon near, just give a click here and read away:

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/34?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/32?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/40?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2nephi/31?lang=eng

I love you all!!!! I'm gonna hit the ground running so let's all get up and get goin!!!!!

Elder Olson

#Untilthefinalhour!!!

#Happybdaygrandpa!!!

2017 September 18 Be Worthy, Be Ready Boca del Monte 1 Guatemala 8

Family! I have a lot of little letters to send today that I have waited for too long to write. I believe this will not be as long as usual.

I wanted to speak briefly about Carlos. We fasted last week to find those children that want to progress and become closer to their father. 

As I passed Carlos standing in his doorstep, I felt a magnetic pull to him, but we were in a hurry so we rapidly proceeded to march up the street and around the corner. At that moment, this man appeared in a clear image in my mind. STOP! We turned around and went back. Carlos let us in and we felt and learned clearly that he is an amazing man! He just wants to do what´s right. He has pure principles that drive him. We have now visited him and his family twice and we did a huge service project in his yard helping him to move giant slabs and pillars of cement for prefabricated walls. He is probably 60 years old. He is very interested in the church and I see him as a future bishop here in Boca. I now have to be worthy of the spirit so it may accompany us to the visits (including a family home evening tonight) so he can continue to progress and overcome the obstacles of Satan.

I want to speak briefly about the worthiness factor. 

First comes worthiness in obedience to obvious laws. This worthiness allows us to repent and feel the spirit. The majority of people are worthy in this sense.

From there, comes the eligibility of blessings and care from the heavens. This worthiness does not refer to that we are not doing bad things, but rather all the good that we are doing. 

You cannot earn salvation, or baptisms, or blessings. Rather God desires to bless all of his children with all that he has, but he allows us to choose our eligibility for those blessing. 

NOTE: There is a very thin line of understanding this concept where you can easily say that it is not true or that you are blessed based on what you do as an immediate consequence. But rather than thinking how to disprove what I am trying to communicate, just meditate it and allow the spirit to teach you something new.

I can think here in the mission that if I walk extra fast and bang on a ton of doors and declare the message to a ton of people, I will earn a baptism or a miracle. However, I must understand that those things are necessary, but it is God that gives those things. While I must work hard, I should really focus on how involved my heart is and how devoted my desires are. I must pray intensely and study the scriptures. Instead of seeing each person as a baptismal statistic, I must plead with God and strive to be filled with charity, the pure love of Christ, as I see each and every person. I must do all that I can spiritually while working hard and continue patiently with confidence that the Lord will deliver His blessings. 

Basically, a second person will not tell the difference between the two ways of working, because these worthiness battles are from within. How much do I really WANT it. And for what motive? Ponder about that and the Spirit will fill the gaps of understanding that I could not relay today.

On Thursday, Luis  and his whole family drove to Boca in their new car from Barberena to take me to eat. What a special privilege it was to see them! I love them. They inspired me to kick it up a notch in my efforts to find those who are waiting for the truth. 

I love you all family! I am excited to see you soon, but I have to occupy myself to do ALL I can for my country and my people before I am sent to the states. 

-Elder Olson

#untilthefinalhour!

August 28, 2017 Rapido Rapido Rapido! Boca Del Monte 1

Everything is Rapido Rapido Rapido. (Fast) 

-I am going to write fastquick today so I can actually read and respond to some people.

-Today I complete 22 months in the mission.

-John is 17?!!! Already?!

-When it is 8:54 and we still need to pick up the tortillas, we walk pero rapido rapido rapido.

The mission is passing insanely fast, but I don't really feel it because I stopped trying to hold onto the time. It just slips away. Instead, I focus on utilizing the superpower of writing history today!!!!! We all have the superpower of TODAY!  But just like the Superman Movie that came out before I left with Russel Crowe in the first scenes, if we try to focus on all that has, will, and is passing, we go crazy and cannot take it all. Superman focused on the task at hand to overcome all of his powers and senses. If we focus on doing good and justice TODAY, we become empowered to change the circumstances. 

It is really important to focus on the weak points instead of trying to find a balance. An apostle taught this point using the example of the Chinese acrobats that balance 5 spinning plates on staffs. If he tries to spin them all equally and perfectly, they will all eventually lose their momentum and come crashing down. Instead, he sees which plate has less momentum and he focuses there to give it more spin and then moves to the next. We must focus on the weakest point and get it rolling again and then look to the new weakest point. We will over-stress ourselves searching for a perfect balance that does not exist. A perfect effort does exist and is always enough if it truly comes from the heart. 

Elder Sandino and I joke and play all the time in subtle little ways so he can get over the stress and me too. One of the simple jokes is "Rapido Rapido Rapido" I guess it started because I say "rapido" all the time. He was helping me to see it. 

Pablo and Paula came to church yesterday!!!!! They are awesome!!!! Pablo is the brother of Brother Vasquez "el canche" (the white). Everyone knows him that way. They loved church and are preparing to be baptized on September 30th. 

Happy birthday John!!!!!

We had interviews on Wednesday with President Shumway. He is a man of God. You can see it in his eyes. We spoke of many special topics that hopefully lead to great and fun things. We also spoke about Claudia Cano, the one that knew President Virula in Nueva Santa Rosa. President is super involved in our work. I love it. I only speak to his wife in Spanish and she loves it, but gets very upset sometimes with me. 

After interviews, the assistants offered us a ride home as they are in the next door area, but we got stuck in traffic for over two hours. I got to tell some of Dad's good old stories. They all want to get to know him now. 

I love Boca Del Monte. I want to help them. We are going to start doing the short visits to EVERYONE. That way we can all be unified and fortified.

My companion contacted a family that brushed him off because they had two weeks of searching for a house without success and they are kicking them out of where they live for construction. Elder Sandino quickly informed them that we live upstairs in a new house and there are two other livings spots there. Happy as can be, they agreed to come to a church tour (we were contacting outside of the church) while I called the Lico, the house guy. He came down and showed them the place and then came over to me and whispered in my ear, "If they stay, we are going to drink MANY sodas and eat MANY barbecues (si ellos se quedan, vamos a tomar MUCHAS aguas y comer MUCHOS churascos". It was pretty funny. He hasn't been able to find anyone to live below us. Don Lico always comes by while we are studying and exclaims, "Hermanosssssss OLSOOOONNN" We open the door and he preaches to us from what he learned in his little evangelical church. He said he wants to come to church sometime though. 

The dad of the family is Mario Cu so you can keep an ear out for him in the future. 

I'm going to finish now so that I can respond to some of you. Ask John about my almost Weiner-Pitbull Gladiator event. It was intense.

-Elder Olson

#untilthefinalhour!!!!!!

June 5, 2017 In My Father's Footsteps Arrazola

What a fantastic week! I know it can be annoying to hear only bright things and wonderful things as at times it is nice to hear that others suffer or are having hard times just so we can feel like real people and that we can progress together. Is this hard? Of COURSE it is! This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life! But THAT is why I love it so much. We should LOVE and appreciate difficulties as they allow us to be molded, formed, and developed into greater people!

One of the greatest difficulties here in Arrazola is simply coordination. Everyone here is of a bit higher intellect, studies, financial and business position, and vocabulary. It's a bit bigger deal that we coordinate correctly and execute our plans. That gives me the most pressure. However, this is not my work which keeps me calm and happy. I am simply an instrument in the Lord's hands in His work so if I just do my very best, he makes it work out. That is where miracles are witnessed. I am here to learn to coordinate well with people and leaders and members so I can serve with more efficiency after my mission as well and for all of my life.

Here we are going to meet with a member to design and print gigantic a map of the area to be able to pin point with stickers the homes of the members, recent converts, in-actives, and investigators. That is something Daddy Olson did in his mission. 

Now something daddy Olson did after his mission and with his babies is he would put our feet on his hand and they would shoot our legs straight for fear so he could balance us before we could even stand. Now that I have a baby boy, I figured I would follow the tradition. He's already learning to walk too!!!! I'm so proud of my boy! Attached is a photo of our fun. Thanks dad. Dad would also say Woopdidoo!! Woopdidoo!!! As he did it. 

We go to the big supermarkets to contact those that live in the condominioms and residentials. The BOOK OF MORMON has POWER to call their attention. The spirit testifies of it in the very moment, but as they cannot recognize it as the spirit, they just take it as extreme curiosity and invite us to their homes. The Book of Mormon IS the very evidence provided by the Savior that the Restoration DID take place and the True church and Kingdom of the Lord is here on the earth and guided by a living prophet. Carry one with you everywhere you go. You will have more missionary opportunities than you will know what to do with. 

My companion is losing a ton of weight. He is pretty happy. 

Tomorrow Elder Renlund of the twelve will address us. It will be nice.  

May 8, 2017 It's a Boy! Arrazola Don Justo 1

Alrighty, I just had one of the most coolibopp'n weeks of my whole mission. Elder Rosales came in from the Provo MTC on Monday night and he was already mine on Tuesday. He is from Lompoc, California (he's from Santa Barbara). His dad is from Italy and his mom is from Spain. He was adopted . . . to his parent's best friends who are also from Italy and Spain. They moved to Santa Barbara  when he was eight years old. His foster parents had nine daughters before adopting him. He graduated from High school when he was 16 and got a degree in Culinary arts before coming on the mission.  . . . but he is still 18. He graduated top in his class so Chef Ramsey from Hell's kitchen hired him to his restaurant in downtown LA. His choice  was to come on the mission or go to London to work personally with Chef Ramsey making more money than you can imagine. 

Elder Rosales son of Elder Olson hailing from Santa Barbara, is a convert to the Church. He was baptized five years ago and through him, his entire family was baptized. He has a great spirit and has no fear. His Spanish is how you can imagine for having 6 days in the field, but he doesn't worry. He is full force to do the work of the Lord. You name any sport, he is great at it!!!! He is also a tech guy and had his own tech team for apple that he ran since he was 15. Yea. I'm a humbled man. 

Arrazola is just wonderful. When I got to my area, I was in shock, "This is not Guatemala. This is not my home."  Everyone here has more money than anyone I have ever met in the states and everyone speaks English. Everyone in church is a returned missionary. The ward is STRONG. The people actually visit. People call us to ask when we go with them. It's a different life, but the Lord wants me to learn another way to work. I am the happier than you could hope. It's time to make history! Let's get to work!!!!!!

-Elder Olson 

May 1, 2017 Beat Jacob To it! Barbereba, Cuilapa 12

Lots of News!!!!

I have to say my goodbyes today to Barberena today. Tomorrow, I move to Don Justo, the money of Guatemala. My new area is called Arazola. And, Jacob delayed for too long. Your gonna be a dad in October. My boy will be born TOMORROW!!!!! (My older brother Jacob is married and has a baby due for October, but I am going to Train in Arazola -- I will be the first companion of a new missionary-- in the mission, we say that he is my kid)

That will be a very fun experience and to remember my first days. 

In the mission, they say that I took off the skirt this week. That means to say that I completed 18 months or a year and a half when the sister missionaries would finish their mission, but I continue thus I take off the skirt. Time is passing by WAY TOO RAPIDLY. I have to take advantage of EVERY day to give my all to have an eternity to reflect upon all that I have become. 

I love Barberena just a little bit too much. In all of the excitement last night, I was left laying on my bed with my eyes closed the whole night not being able to imagine leaving my precious Barberena behind. These people are all of my life here. In the mission, you live for them. Your own interests are left behind and you learn how to truly be happy.

All of the branch went to the beach today too, but I haven't told anyone yet. We asked permission to go .  .  . .but . . . . so the branch will come back at about 6pm. 

I have too much to write but it's all clogged trying to come out together but nothing is filtering. 

Okay, the mission is like the movie THE MATRIX. Neo living his normal life receives a package that invites him to act. Through this action, he wakes up to find that all of his life was fake. He sees the truth and can later return to the matrix or that other life and be super and overcome it with his higher understanding. You come to the mission to wake up. My life in California was not fake, but all of my focus and priorities were off track or under par. I have woken up. I now understand the real degree of importance of the Gospel and how life is just a simple but necessary appendage of it. NOT the other way around. It is not necessary that ALL come to the mission, but why would you ever stay in the Matrix if you know there is more prepared for you. Prepare now to wake up. The Lord God LIVES. You know it, but do you really UNDERSTAND it? I think not. Come. 

This is not about you. It is 2meso much bigger than you. Lose yourself this week. Block out all "I" and "me" in your desires this week to taste the real life and real joy. Every time you want something for you or feel sorry for yourself, just say, "wait, this isn't about me. Where is someone that I can worry about?" 

Many ask me, "Aren’t you homesick? -- are you ever sad? -- don't you ever rest? --  why are you always happy? -- aren't you hungry? -- I wish I could be as happy as you, but I just can't -- etc."

They don't understand my simple responses, but those things don't apply to me. I am living the life of perfect happiness. Personal Concerns aren't mine. I never feel sorry for myself because I never think about myself.

ALL MENTAL BATTLES CEASE WHEN YOU FORGET YOURSELF.

So, how to start? In the perfect words of my parents, "just serve someone"

It doesn't matter who. Just ACT. 

Just ACT. Nope. Throw away that excuse, stand up, and do it!

Sister Donahoo asked for a video for the orange stake youth, and I was going to make it during the mother's day call. However, I felt a spiritual impression to make it with some recent converts. She asked for one or two minutes, but I got carried away and it is more like 11. I hope she can use it or edit it and put subtitles to understand in the echoes. I will share that with all through Google Drive. If someone else can throw subtitles on there for me for the whole thing that would be sublime.

Sorry for all the awkward pauses and poor wording, I was fighting my ganas to say it all in Spanish.

Here is a link as well:

https://drive.google.com/a/myldsmail.net/file/d/0BwgYaooBRKURZXpKWUozSWV0b0E/view?usp=sharing

We fixed the "pita" so you can open the yard metal gate from inside the house. I'll send you a candid cam video too. hehe 

Alrighty, I am going to attach a PDF of what has changed my mission and my life. It is called "the fourth missionary" send it to every missionary you know and then read it and study it for yourself as "the fourth member, father, bishop, disciple, almost-member, etc." Just print and study it. Maybe modify it for two pages in each sheet. 

Wellsies, not sure what else to say. I hope you've gotten to this point without giving up. I really love the Lord. I really do. Words no longer do anything to share that love. Now it only depends on my actions. Am I utilizing His great sacrifice and atonement in my life to BECOME the most I can? That is when I know the Lord will be able to say, "He really does love me". When I fight viciously to BECOME! He only asks more than what you are giving now. 

Elder Olson

#UntiltheLASThour!

#worthyandwillingt

#WAKEUP!