February 22, 2016 Watermelon!!!! Nueva Santa Rosa, Cuilapa 11

Hey Fam.,

I don't have a ton of time so I'm gonna write super fast. Sorry. We are in Cuiapa right now for a Zone p-day. Well on Monday Elder Marroquin practically died and we had to stay inside in communication with the nurse, me taking care of him. That was not a good feeling. The next day was the same. Elder Marroquin was in his bed...dead. I worked all day trying to organize with all 6 of our melchizedek priesthood holders (the only people that can leave with us individually) and only got out of the house at 6:30 in the night. I don't have much to say about those days, they were just sad. I was happy, just disappointed in the circumstance. On Friday we had divisions with Cerinal and Elder Gollaher came here to Nueva with me. We worked super duper hard and had amazing success and found a less active family. The non-spiritual highlight was lunch. Just before leaving, Elder Marroquin said, "Eat watermelon". Elder Gollaher and I took that VERY seriously. We took out the (oldish) whole watermelon from the fridge and I sarcastically said, "guess we got to eat the whole thing" to which Elder Gollaher responded, "you really think we can eat all of it?" There was only one appropriate response: "challenge accepted". Well it was a lot more than it looked like, but we won! Then, we went out back and got twigs and pieced together the rinds and put it back in the fridge. . . . . well Elder Marroquin found it. He wasn't very happy as he tried to give it to a family and I told him "there is nothing, don't offer it." He said, "No I saw it! in the fridge". Much later he laughed about it.

I would like to touch for a second on the power of the mind and will. Elder Marroquin couldn't even walk on Tuesday when I told him about the President's challenge to achieve certain high numbers in our stats. His eyes got big and he only thought about that. On Wednesday we went to work. Elder Marroquin put his own health in the hands of the Lord and went to work. The mind has incredible power. We just have to be willing to use it. 

We need to trust in the lord as well. Do what you have to, but do it with the Lord first. Complete all that he has asked and EVERYTHING else will fall in place. Do your idea first, and God let's you try out life on your own for a bit. 

Also, you love those for whom you sacrifice. For that reason, Seth told me he misses the people from his mission the very most! I LOVE these people.

That is why service is the precedent of powerful and true love. If your relationship with someone isn't as full of love as you would like, SERVE THEM. Sacrifice your will for theirs. You will obtain a strong love for them and it WILL be returned. Love you all!!!!!!! Need to go. I LOVE being a missionary!

27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst they brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. 

Elder Olson

Pictures:                                                 a watermelon taco!

                                                              My district at the temple

Elder Marroquin grew a ton at the temple!

February 8, 2016 Parasite? Nueva Santa Rosa, Cuilapa 9

This week I had my first Choco-banana. Just about every house in the world that isn't selling something else sells these chocolate covered bananas. One of these houses is now our most progressive family, but they didn't give me these. It was Angelica and Samuel, our first baptisms. They were good! (Absolutely irrelevant but for me it was a game-changer). 

On that note, I also had my first hamburger since arriving in Guatemala. It was a mushy mess (and raw) but boy was it good.

This week (week 9) we FINALLY looked into maps. I have wanted to map my area since day 2. (Day one was like: hmmm mission. I'm actually here. Okay) The map is going to be super chafa (bad quality) but man it's cheap for what we're going to print. Now I probably just have to wait 9 more weeks before we actually get around to making it! Woohoo! Indecisiveness is KEY!!!! Not. It's okay; we are unbelievably busy and this is good. I took a parasite test and convinced my companion Elder Marroquin to take one with me (I had to because Hermana Caffaro commanded me to). While we were waiting for the results, I started getting attached to my little parasite family. There's a mommy and a poppy and they have three little kids. I ate more than usual just to give the lil'uns an extra bite or two before sleep. I even sang to them. Results came back.... I don't have any!!! LIES!!!!! Doctors ruin families. I do have a ton of bacteria though.

This week we were hunting down the branches of the Lopez family tree. The grandparents are our investigators, parents of nine who all have their own families, and all but one live here in Nueva. All together, they are about 30 to 40 people. They are all super pilas too! This whole family is willing and open-hearted to accept the truth. Now we are just helping them to ACT according to their feelings. One of the grandkids who is 11 years old is just downright amazing! He was just eating up the lesson with questions like, “How can I know? Where is this church?! What do I do when I finish studying this? When I get my answer, what do I do?” He is awesome! He will get his answer. That is why this mission is SO much fun. I am not here to nor do I convince anyone. I am a messenger of the TRUTH. I share the message and leave them to ask God for the answer. Those who ask ALWAYS receive their answer (unfortunately there are some that are too proud to say a prayer and ask their Father in Heaven).

We also met the new missionaries. Elder Martinez left and was replaced by Elder Mora. This kid is super awesome. He already speaks English pretty well and is just happy always and loves jokes. The area Pueblo Nueva Viña opened this week with Elder Edwards from Panama (super funny but crazy strict when it comes to work) and Elder Bahm from Spanish Fork, Utah (your average looking Utah 18 year old missionary, but with extraordinary faith and delightful perspective). To sum up that matchup and their character, their area opened on Tuesday and they had a baptism on Sunday. They are awesome. On Wednesday we had a district meeting there in Pueblo (2.5 hour trip) and afterwards celebrated Elder Magdaleno's birthday for 5 minutes and did an Attack the Area there to add more investigators and start the work (we all contact and teach in one area (Pueblo) to accumulate a ton of contacts and new investigators. Their area is made up of aldeas, villages in the mountains. To give you an idea of this, their church building could fit in the cultural hall of the ones in the states and their baptism on Sunday was in a River! Lucky!!!!!!! On Saturday, we had to go all the way back out there to hold the baptismal interview and got on the wrong van/bus back.

There is a lot of progression here. We are focusing on helping our investigators keep commitments to read the Book of Mormon, to pray about it, and to attend church. These are essential to have a change of heart and of happiness. Also, we are helping them to understand that EVERYTHING depends on whether the Book of Mormon is True. If it is true, Joseph Smith, who translated it and restored Christ's church to the earth, was a real prophet of god. If it is true, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's only true church here on Earth in which He directs today through a living prophet. If it is true, Jesus IS the Christ and our redeemer and savior. If it is not true, nothing is true. The church is false, Jesus doesn't have a church on the Earth, and I am wasting my life here lying to these people. I know the Book of Mormon is true! I have read it and simply from it, and I have prayed about it. I HAVE received an answer directly from God himself through the Holy Ghost. I KNOW it is true and thus KNOW that Jesus is the Savior, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is HIS (Jesus') church here upon the earth. The only Church that has HIS (Jesus') authority to act in His name. I KNOW it.  If you have not received a personal answer from God about this, ask for it: Pray and plead with God asking if it is true. He WILL tell you. 

EVERYONE (member of the church or not): READ Our Search for Happiness by M. Russell Ballard. He is an apostle of Jesus Christ in this Church and has written this short book for those who are not of our faith. The purpose is to explain simply, to give Understanding of what it is that we believe and why. It is amazing. It is around 150 pages but I only wish it were more. My personal understanding has increased. 

I love you all. Keep being amazing and always remember your savior, your redeemer, your life-giving brother (who LIVES) in all of your actions and thoughts.

-Elder Olson

February 1, 2016 Brand New Nueva--Nueva Santa Rosa, Cuilapa 8

This week was Awesome! Why?! You might ask? Because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Gospel are TRUE!!!!! I can truly feel the change that this message brings in each and every person. This life is a life of trouble and of doubt, of hardships and of problems, of obstacles and of disappointment. But is it really? No. The Remedy to all (each and every) problem, hardship, or pain in this life is the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the pure teachings of Jesus Christ as revealed through the Prophets of God--in biblical times and today). This is the Good News. I love to meet new people and dig for their pains, doubts, and troubles because I always answer with a smile on my face, that they have just found the Remedy. I teach the Truth. This mission is too difficult to complete without a burning sensation of the reality and undoubtable truth of the message. I KNOW that this is true. I KNOW the Book of Mormon is true. When used with the Bible, there is no question as to what is Christ's doctrine or will. I KNOW Jesus Christ lives today and directs his church through his selected prophet; without a prophet, Christ could not act or do anything progressive really.

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the 

prophets. There isn't a single person, thing, or occurrence that could even shake or nudge me from this knowledge. I believe many things but I KNOW this. 

Helaman 5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send  forth his mighty winds, yea his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”

Each of you can have this same surety and clarity in your own heart and in your own being. This testimony only comes from the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God. So... read the things provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Christ's church), listen to the message. And then pray. Open your heart and ask God, your heavenly FATHER, if these things are real, if they are true. Ask specifically, then press forward in faith, start or continue to go to church, continue to read to show God you are doing your part to receive the answer. He will always answer. This message is 100% true or 100% false. There is one God, there is one Christ. They 100% live or 100% don't. There is one truth, His truth. Go. Find it.

This week on Monday I got 4 letters! From President Goodman, Rich and Cathy Huffmire, the Donahoos, and Sharon Rasmussen. All Christmas letters, but "obviously" written JUST for me! But really, I am sooooooo grateful for these. I also received a base for Agua Pura containers. ***Just a fun thought. Here if you want water, you want "agua pura". Just to say "agua" will get you anything from coffee to sprite. It just means liquid, but never water. Haha. They will go through every drink in the world and at the end, " Oooooohhhhhhh. You want agua pura? Why didn't you just say so?!"*** I also got PEANUT BUTTER!!!!!! Hermana Caffaro mailed us some. I can just tell her heart is so sincere. I can't think of a greater act of love. A close second would be giving her life for me. The other night I had a five stack tortilla/peanut butter delight. I had to hide it from Elder Marroquin though because he has softened his heart and accepted the pure love of Peanut butter. It was super funny when he found the picture I took of it. 

This Sunday, we showed up just a tad bit late to church because we were bringing two families (9 in total) all the way from Santa Rosa Lima in the Colonia La Union. We entered just before the Sacrament (the most sacred and special ordinance that we can participate in the week, every week--the bread and water representing Christ's body and blood to renew our covenants of baptism and receive a forgiveness of our sins, if we have properly repented). President Caffaro was on the stand! (my mission president). He stayed with us until after and witnessed the Baptism of Nora Villalta. 

Her daughter was baptized a number of years ago, and she has been attending church on and off for two years. Her pains and struggles were too great to accept a change, until she found how the Gospel resolves or diminishes these things. She got up afterwards and bore a powerful testimony. One of our eternal/forever investigators (has a testimony but for some reason is unwilling to change/repent from sin) help us a lot (she is her aunt).

 My new favorite investigator of all time wasn't baptized yesterday as scheduled as his father on the day of said, "no. No. NO!" We went after church to speak with his parents about the testimony that he has received on his own terms and by his own will and we still don't have permission, but they are new investigators. His name is Bryan Anaya. We are having changes this Tuesday, but Elder Marroqun and I are staying, only one of our buds in our district is leaving and President is opening up the work again in a new city named Pueblo so our district is getting two new missionaries. I love this work. I love you all. This IS the path. This is HIS path for each and every one of us. Get on it. Then go get your friends, family, and loved ones. His atonement and saving and forgiving power are infinite. Who am I or any of you to not share Infinite peace and joy with EVERYONE, but first yourself. 

If you have a question or doubt, trust first, act in faith first. I love this work!

-Elder Olson