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!