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