Bitter sweet last few days...

Sister Robertson and Elder Olson

Well this is nearing the end of my two year mission to rescue some of my brothers and sisters and bring them unto Christ. It has been amazing. I have learned so much and have grown to love so many people. The people I have met are very diverse. I have gained an appreciation for life that I never thought I would. We all face what may at times seem unsurmountable challenges but if we pray and gain faith, God will help us to be victorious over all of it. I have given service at soup kitchens, farms, homes, and communities. I have shoveled snow and hid from tornadoes. I have loved people like my own family and then served as a pall bearer when the Lord calls them home. I have enjoyed the happiness that new converts have when they are able to attend the temple of God for the first time. I have prayed with the broken hearted, cried with the down trodden, and laughed with many. I have strengthened my testimony of Christ and His eternal atonement. I feel like Nephi, "I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love." 2 Nephi 1:15

 

Brother Lusk is taking us out to Red Lobster today for lunch. I stinkin love that man! I ate at Red Lobster for my one year mark and now once more at the end. This past week went really well. We tracted into an amazing guy. He is fresh out of prison. He has been looking for change. He is trying to be a good person and transition into normal life. Last night we brought a recent convert out with us who has a very similar past and it went really good. They related with each other and the recent convert loved it. He told us he felt that he would fit in to a church but never knew where. He felt like he had found a spot to fit in that is by sharing his testimony with those people who had been or who are going through what he had been through. 

"Avoid fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin."

-F. Enzio Busche

Love,

Elder Olson

My story on my faith...

Read the story of my faith in Christ.
https://www.mormon.org/me/C9R8/Duncan

Photos of my week...

50 cent hot dogs at Sonic

Temple Day in Oklahoma

Keeping up the service....

Elder Hoffman and I in Moore on exchanges. We came out together.

Love from Oklahoma

Elder Bishop and I on exchanges in Purcell. We were biking and tracting and ended up at this lake where we walked around and I talked to every person that I saw fishing:) We handed out a Book of Mormon to one of the guys:)

Our zone in Norman, OK.

I am trying to make the most of the few remaining days I have to dedicate to serving the Lord. I have loved every bit of it.
Love,
Elder Olson

 

Nearing the finish line...

Beautiful sunset in Norman, Oklahoma

We had a meeting up in Moore last Tuesday and we were running late. We were headed to pick up the other elders and ran into construction work. I pulled into a gas station on the corner and went out the other side of the gas station so that I could avoid a long detour. A cop pulled me over immediately and I have a ticket to pay. It's $124 for "improper use of service drive".

 

I listened to a speech from Elder Maxwell titled, "But for a Small Moment". It was really good! We are having our zone temple day this Thursday. Our session is at 12 so we counseled with our District Leaders and decided to hold a short Devotional beforehand from 10:30-11:30. We'll have a couple talks on drawing personal strength through the Atonement and being still and trusting in God. Then we'll show the Because of Him video and listen to someone play the piano for about 10 minutes while we do some personal reflection; Write a letter to yourself bearing your testimony, read your Patriarchal Blessing, read the scriptures, write questions to ponder in the temple... etc. Then we'll have a brief testimony meeting and then proceed to the temple. I think it will be a great experience for everyone. 

 

Staying strong for the last month of my mission!! I wouldn’t change anything about the last 2 years. I love it!!

Elder Olson

Teaching and Preaching...

Elder Butterfield and me emailing

Elder Tanner is now home and I am with my last companion, Elder Butterfield. He's from Draper, UT. He's pretty cool. We have a big Mission Leadership Training Meeting on Tuesday. It'll be all the District Leaders, Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders. Then Wednesday Elder Butterfield and I will be giving training to the Zone on teaching in unity and being unified in your companionships. The sister training leaders will help by giving a brief training on the same subject. Last Tuesday we got to attend a Stake Priesthood Executive Committee Meeting. We talked about Ward Counsels and missionary work from the Church Handbook 2. It's neat getting the opportunity to work so closely with the Stake leaders. Church yesterday went well. We have found a couple more people to teach and have many more names of people to try. Continuing to serve with all my heart, mind, and strength. 

Loving it here,

Elder Olson





21st Birthday Week...

This past week was pretty good. Actually, tonight we have a dinner with the Solorzanos from Ada! He fed me last year on my birthday too! He and his family moved into Norman 4th ward and we helped them move in. He said he wanted to feed us and the other missionaries that helped. Then he figured out that my birthday was Wednesday so his daughter is going to make me some Cherry-Cherry again like last year!:) Transfers are also Wednesday. Elder Tanner, my companion, is going home and I am getting Elder Butterfield from Stillwater, OK. He is super cool! I knew him when I was in OKC 2nd ward. He was in the Spanish Branch that covered our area. Lots of changes in the zone this transfer. 11/20 of the missionaries are changing. 3/11 of those missionaries will be brand new missionaries from the MTC. and 1/11 of the missionaries is going to be a new District Leader, so we have to give him training on how to be an effective District Leader. We haven't been able to do much teaching to investigators this past week. There is a less-active, part-member family that fed us on Friday evening and we got to read some of the Book of Mormon with them. We had read from Alma 24, and asked them what are some of their "weapons of rebellion" that they can bury. We all talked about it together. It was real good:)

 

 

Happy and Humid....

I am doing good, all is well. Our lessons are pretty good. We're having a bit of a hard time getting members out with us to our appointments. Yes, I enjoy being a zone leader. I don't feel too different than any other missionary really. Just we're really involved with all the other missionaries.

I've fasted every week I’ve been here so far. Pretty much 80% of our time is taken up with the administering and ministering to others. Our numbers are lower than I’ve ever had them. But the ward is pretty much doing all their missionary work. Even though we're busy most of the time I think we can do a better job at carving in time in our area. We gave a good training last Tuesday. It was all about raising the bar, raising our expectations of ourselves, our companionships, our districts and our areas. We're teaching a man B. who just moved here from Portland, OR. He is doing really well. He has amazing understanding, but is a little reluctant to set the commitment of being baptized.

Another lady is C. She as had a rough past with many trials. She has been changing and wants to be closer to God. We taught her the Restoration and all about the Book of Mormon. She loved it and said the closing prayer for us. Keep them both in your prayers will you?

We had a good day yesterday at church. We were invited into the Primary to tell how the spirit has helped protect us during our missions.

We get 1/2 off at Jamba Juice. So we go usually once a day or once every other day. It's so good!!! :) We run the OU stadium every morning Monday Thursday. Then play basketball every Friday and Saturday morning.

For the 4^th our ward had a big breakfast party outside. It was very humid; there was a parade of little kids, lots of doughnuts and watermelon, kickball with kiddie pools and a slip n slide to home base and volleyball. Elder Tanner and I played volleyball with some members and sweat a lot.

Love,

Elder Olson  

Love one another...



"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." JOHN 13:35

Saying goodbye to Elder Davis. He is finishing his mission and going home to Montana.

Reuniting with my companion from the Mission Training Center, almost 2 years ago now.

Last Transfer...Oklahoma University Ward, Norman OK.

I received a call from President Walkenhorst yesterday. He said he wants me to head to Norman and be a Zone Leader. Don't know why he'd choose me of all missionaries. But I’m glad to go. I'll be in the OU college ward there. He said I’ll be there till I come home. I'm excited to work there and work more closely to President as a Zone Leader. I headed there last Wednesday. It's going to be hard on OU game days when I can hear the game no matter where we go in town. We had another baptism a week ago. Tiara, one of Aaron's daughters was baptized and confirmed. It feels so much better when we don't perform the baptism but we have the members baptize and confirm her. The spirit was strong as she came up out of the water with a smile from ear to ear. I love this work. And work it is indeed. 

Love you!

Elder Olson

Transfer Day...some going home others going on to new areas.

Br.Kirby, convert, at the OK temple.

Styling socks and rising water...

We had a specialized training meeting yesterday given by our zone leaders and sister training leaders. It was about being happy and having the desire to get out and find people to teach. Then the second part of it was all about talking to people and turning the conversation into the gospel and sharing a restored truth with the person. It was really good. The missionaries kept bringing up, "I hate how awkward it is," "that'd be really awkward." and so on. So what if it's awkward?? Is that awkward feeling seriously keeping us from teaching more people the gospel? I read a speech by Elder Holland titled, "Cast not out therefore your confidence" it is really good. It talks about how we will always face opposition right before something great occurs. I think awkwardness might be a tool from Satan when he’s trying to get us feel too uncomfortable to teach and testify. Anyways, I hate awkward moments too ha-ha. But I think keeping focused on my vision of the investigator or potential investigator, will help overcome those feelings the best.

We're teaching the quit smoking workshop today to one of our investigators. We have another lesson with L at 3. We fixed her lawn mower last week and she gave us a grocery bag full of pecans from her tree in return. Score!! :)

Things are going well here, despite the storms. We trust in Helaman 5:12 pretty literally. That we won't get carried away in the mighty storms, hail and shafts in the whirlwind here in Chickasha ha-ha!! We haven’t had to help much. Usually after the rain has stopped for a couple hours the drains pick up the rest of the water. We have put some sand bags around downtown area where the flooding was to occur. 

Thanks Dad! Always good to laugh at your funny comments:) I think they're rubbing off on me because I usually send out a daily scripture in the mornings. Here was one from a couple weeks ago, "Good morning America! The daily double-dose of doubt-departing spiritualness is found in this scripture: Helaman 3:35  Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.."

 

Hope you have a great week! Love you tons!

Hiking in Chickasha...

Livin' in Chickasha, OK

Saying goodbye for now to the Lusk family...

Paige's baptism

Holding an Easter chick

New friends in Chickasha

Bitter sweet goodbyes to Oklahoma 2nd Ward. I am now in Chickasha, OK. It is about 45 minutes from Oklahoma City. My companion is Elder Lyman. We are the only missionaries in town. The branch is small (35-50) but growing. I am ready for the new experiences. I love it here!

Settling 'n to a small town...

This week has been pretty good. The branch is so different than a ward. It's pretty much run by 3 families. President Robertson is Branch president, his wife is Relief Society President, Brother Shaw is his first councilor and Sister Shaw is primary president, Brother Gerlach is 2nd councilor and his wife is young women president. There was about 50 people at sacrament, everyone was saying how there was such a large number of people there. Our chapel is 6 pews long. 4 people pass the sacrament, when it could actually do with 3. Elder Lyman and I are speaking next Sunday about the work of salvation or temples or something along those lines. We're teaching a lot of people and many of them are progressing very well.

 
My companion is pretty cool. He's from a tiny town in Utah. Richfield I think or it's nearby Richfield? He wrestled all high school and played football and soccer. I don't think he is related to the Lyman's in our ward. We got to go back to the city on Saturday and I baptized Anna :) it was so awesome! Elder Winslow and I found her back in October. I'm racing an investigator of ours right now in the Book of Mormon. I'm maybe like 1 chapter ahead of her. She's 13 but she reads really fast. Her name is Kalayla and her sister is Tiera and her mom is Aaron. They are all planning on baptisms in June.
I love my time here. Thanks for all the love and support.
Love,
Elder Olson

Baptism of Anna

Month in Review...

Here is a little review of the past month:

Feb. 16: Bishop Gillespie and his family fed us a cool dinner on Valentines Day. We each sat down and had a plate and a menu. But no silverware, cups or food anywhere. The menu was a 3 course meal. We got to select 4 things for each course. I don't remember what all the stuff was but it was all coded. "the devil's tool" was a fork, "a man's best friend" was some bacon, "pucker up" was grapefruit juice, "love handles" was cinnamon rolls, "yellow diamonds" was lemon bars, "cuddling" was the spoon and much more. It was really fun. We could only have one course at a time. So in my first course I got no silverware, so I had to eat all my food with my hands. So transfers are this Wednesday. Elder Quijada and I are the only ones in our district that are staying the same. So now I'm the district leader of what we call a relief society district. 3 companionships of sisters, the APs (which we never see) and the Zone Leaders (which we see every other week at district meeting). I guess this is what I need so I can learn to love sister missionaries more haha:)

Feb. 23: This past week was good. We got to have several great lessons with our investigators. We taught the Restoration to them and they were loving it. We have a new investigator. He even loved Elder's Quorum which I taught. The Elder's quorum president asked me to rebuke and chasten the snot out of all of them for never doing their home teaching. I just used scriptures and what they had to say about home teaching in the lesson. I think the spirit did most of the rebuking cause "the guilty take the truth to be hard."

March 2: This past week was kind of rough. We were grounded to our apartments due to snow/ice weather for 4 days. Then we had a great zone conference on Thursday, but that took up most of the day. On Friday I gave a training on the talk, "flooding the earth with the book of Mormon" by Ezra Taft Benson. It went pretty good.

March 23: Dakoda is coming down here today to feed us and the sisters dinner. I love seeing him again. He is working on his papers for his mission. I love that kid!. Elder Quijada and I have been teaching like crazy and everything is now falling into place just before transfers which are on April 1st. Myrna Lee is getting baptized this Saturday the 28th. Paige is getting baptized April 1st in the evening. Anna is getting baptized April 11th, the Saturday after general conference. And Lance is getting baptized April 18th, the Saturday after Anna. If I get transferred I will be making trips back here for almost every Saturday for the next 4 weeks :)

Today we are going head to head with another zone of missionaries, the Midwest City zone. Elder Debenham, my MTC companion, is a district leader in that zone and he is training Elder Riffenberg, who is from Phoenix. 

This week is going to be fun and exciting! As you can see there are lots of baptisms and miracle happening here!: )I don't want to leave:( 

Love you!:)

Another Wonderful Week....

My Zone and District at the Oklahoma Temple

This past week was awesome! Elder Quijada and I got to go on splits with the members a couple times unexpectedly. I went with Brother Woodhouse (we call him Studhouse) to a lesson with a new investigator, Mary, and her 8 little kids from the ages of 1-10. She is a single mother and raises all her kids and goes to school! The lesson went very well, we taught her the Restoration. Meanwhile, Elder Quijada went out with Brother Kunkel (a  member that I call Uncle Kunkle) to one of our potential investigators named Preston. He wants to come to church so they discussed church and the Book of Mormon. Preston told Elder Quijada he knows what the Book of Mormon is cause his grandma used to read it to him every night til she died in a plane crash before she was baptized. Elder Quijada read from Alma 40 about Spirit Paradise and Preston remembered his grandma reading that to him and thanked Quijada for bringing that memory back to him. He came to church Sunday and really enjoyed it!

On Friday at District Meeting I trained on asking inspired questions and listening. I shared the fiery sermon when I was talking about listening and being okay with silence. It was great:)

Love you!

-Elder Olson

Teaching in the Lord's Way...

A nice dog who decided to follow us for a day. We knocked on 20 doors without success.

Emailing at the library...matching tie day!

This week was really good. I'm working on focusing on the district and our investigators. I know as I get my priorities straight, the rest will fall in place. My training this past Friday was on who we are and who we can become.

 

I'm doing well. My ankles are the same. I've been putting on this cream night and morning to help them, but no improvement in the aching and soreness yet. I'm wearing the special shoes and they feel slightly better when I wear them.

I've been thinking a lot on forgiveness. The parable of the unforgiving servant. God has forgiven me and will continue to forgive me for everything I might do, but am I willing to forgive others? No matter what the offense. Will I be required to gave someone forgiveness for a huge wrong? How could I mentally get over it? 

Tomorrow is our zone temple day so we get to all go to the temple as a zone for an endowment session. I'm pretty excited.  

Here is a question I have been thumping over for quite a while and I don't know if there is an answer other than practice, trial and error and experience: How can you correct and reprimand someone yet help them still feel good about themselves and that they know you are doing it out of love? 

I love serving the Lord on my mission. I am meeting amazing people who are enriching my life tremendously.

Elder Olson

Teachin 'n Preachin

The OKC 2nd Ward Missionaries

Elder Quijada and me

This was my first week as a District Leader. On Friday we hold training meetings.  The training I gave was on personal revelation through prayer. I had each person analyze their own personal prayers and talked about the importance of it. This was kind of like cleaning the inner vessel before the outer kind of deal. I gave a talk at church on Sunday along with Sister Chugg. She spoke about God answering prayers and I talked about two of the talks this last General conference. "Receiving a Testimony of Truth and Light" By President Uchtdorf and "I Know These Things of Myself" By Elder Christensen. Paige will be baptized probably the 24th. She is due on the 27th so we'll see how all that goes.

Anna is progressing. She wants to read the whole Book of Mormon though before she is baptized and she is not feeling very worthy. Some people are  pretty self critical and we are working on helping her with that. We are hoping to have her over to the Lusks' this evening and teach her there.

I am so thankful for the family I was raised in and the examples of a loving father. That has helped me so much on my mission.

I love my mission and the people here. My new companion is Elder Quijada. We get along really well. He is a great missionary.

Love you!

Happy New Year...

At the Christmas conference I got this photo with all my companions so far on my mission. Awesome!

My new planner cover.

Me and the big guy at  church Christmas party.

Elder Winslow taking out all our Christmas package boxes. Thanks for everything.

The Bartlett's and me the Sunday before Christmas.

Changes are in the air here in Oklahoma.

So transfers are on Wednesday. Elder Winslow is going to Anadarko, I’m staying in OKC and I got called to be the District Leader here. I’m in charge of the 14 missionaries here now, I will give trainings every Friday for district meeting, counsel with the missionaries, be in charge of exchanges with all the elders in the district and the Zone Leaders and I don't know what else. Naturally, I feel completely inadequate for such a calling and responsibility. But I asked Elder Winslow for a blessing and it helped a lot. 

We met a new investigator this week. His name is William. He is so amazing! He has had a rough past and you can tell by his looks, but he has completely changed. He got up yesterday and bore his testimony on his first Fast and Testimony Sunday! We've taught him a couple times and he is really excited. He wants to be baptized but not sure when yet. Hopefully Paige will be baptized on January 10th. Then our other investigator, Anna, has a date for January 17th. They're both awesome. I'm so glad to be here.

 

We started going to the gym in the mornings now. It's pretty fun to wake up at 5:30 then exercise. It's a nice way to start the day. I am still getting used to the new shoes. These have lateral support to help keep me from rolling my ankles.

 

Thanks so much for your love, support and encouraging words!

Love

Elder Olson