First letter....

Wow... I've only been here for three days but it really feels like a week. It seems so long ago when we went out to sushi before you dropped me off. Anyways, to answer your questions yes i have made new friends. My companion, Elder Debenham, is awesome! We immediately clicked and are really good friends. He is 18 and from Sandy, Utah. He played football, basketball and tennis. I'll send you some pictures in another email. Here it is non-stop spiritualness haha. Today is my first p-day and i think i have another one on Monday. We are living in the Wyview section of housing which I've heard is the best. We live with another companionship, Elder Evans from Gilbert, AZ and Elder Kelsch from Haremen, Utah. They are headed to Minnesota on their mission. We met the MTC president on our first night here. I don’t remember much of what happened haha. We met our Branch President last night, Brother Stice. He is just like Jim Wilcox, in his looks and his personality both. The 1st counselor is Brother Gallacher and 2nd counselor is Brother Thayne. I was interviewed by Brother Thayne who used to work as a Waterfront Park Ranger on Colter Bay in Jackson Lake! We talked about Jackson for a bit and then he sent me back to the class. At the end of our 3 hour meeting with the branch president and his counselors, Brother Stice asked my companion, Elder Debenham and me to follow him to another room. We both knew what was going to happen. He sat us down and told us he wanted us to be Zone Leaders and watch over the 22 missionaries in our Zone and give an orientation meeting to the 16 new missionaries that will come next week. We have a lot more meeting to go to and responsibilities. By the way, a Zone Leader is the highest assignment a missionary at the MTC can receive haha;) 

We will be teaching our first investigator later today named Bill. We were all told that it isn’t going to go well. The investigator is going to be rude and not listen to us. But oh well! Our Branch president quoted something last night that i think is going to be my motto for my mission. "Where much is given, much is required" 

With lots of love from your missionary,

Elder Olson