Real Growth

As I've read Elder Olson's emails these past few weeks I've really noticed a change in him, something I like to call, real growth. I can tell for sure that he's experiencing that as he plows along in the service of others out in Ohio.  Here's a couple excerpts from his latest emails that really highlight how his testimony and faith have grown even in just a few short weeks. Also, I've included some pictures from his first few weeks that may or may not have required an impressive level of stealth to acquire:

On change

"[Satan] doesn't want us to be happy or make changes in our lives because he wants us to feel like because we sinned or slipped up once that we are destined to do so forever! But we know that's not true because through Christ we know we can be forgiven of our transgressions and can completely change and never look or go back to our old selves..."

On receiving strength from the Lord


"Well...out here the work continues to go on with much success from the Lord! I constantly see his hand in all the people we talk to and that it is through Him that peoples' hearts are opened and receptive to our message! God truly is great and knows us all individually and will be there to help us as we seek his guidance and rely on the Holy Ghost to guide us!"

On Studies













"It's true about what they say about studies in the morning! There is a reason why breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It's because how you start the day off will truly set up how your day will go!"

On missionary work

"The one thing I hate is that everyone who gets back from a mission acts like they are done and their duty of service to the Lord is checked off the list! A mission should just be the first step to real missionary work for a person's life!"

 On finding people to teach

"...guess how many new investigators our district found this week!? That's me, Elder Pingel, Elder Brasher (another greenie), and his trainer Elder Fadely (also from Montana), and Elder Wall and Elder Decoursey. So us three companionships. Guess how many new investigators we found? ...If you guessed 50...then you were wrong. 70? Please... We found 103 new investigators as a district, breaking the mission zone record of 89 with our zone total being 135! ...We go with this idea that we will just teach and find as many as possible and that those who are ready or willing to hear our message will accept it and our "funnel" will open up at the bottom (baptism) if it is increased at the top (finding)....I think it can work as long as we don't just focus on numbers and really work with the Spirit to get to know those people effectively as well...I think our success will really come when we start to care more about those individuals and can care and help them with their needs."

-Elder Olson

They call it NorHOOD...

Sorry people of the world for my total slacker status on Elder Olson's blog. This update is a lil' overdue n'est-ce pas? Anywho, he survived the MTC and is serving it up in Ohio! Here's some excerpts from his last few emails:

Week 1

• Where he is: "Well you'll never guess where I am!! Haha I am in CINCNY!! It's northen Cincinnati in an area called Norwood, and all the missionaries call it Norhood!! haha, cause ya a large part of our area covers this part of cincy called avondale which is straight up ghetto!! haha But I'm loving the area and talking to everybody and just sharing the gospel!"

• How he feels: "All in all, its been great and I've loved the people and the work. High light of my week I think is when we got done talking to this guy in the ghetto, he turns to me and says, "Oh, and your buddy here seems really tight, try and loosen him up a little!!"haha it really made me laugh." 

• His companion: Elder Pingel from Idaho. 19 years old, been out for 1 year, 4th transfer in the area.

•  What he eats: "I'm excited because I get to finally go shopping for food today, because we couldnt go get anything all last week so I've been eating mac n cheese and top ramen that his old companion left behind all week."

• Who they teach: "Lets see, oh ya all the people we teach are either one of 3 things, 1) recent convert, 2) less active, or 3) mentally handicapped! haha no but really we don't really have any real investigators except for two maybe 3 people."

• Morning Workouts: "We go for a jog in the morning and its literally around the block, we walk one length of the block, then jog two, and then walk the last length of the block back to our apartment. yeah... we MIGHT get in a half mile in the 15 minutes we go out. then we have a bout 10 minutes left to workout however we want in the apartment...we dont bike or have a car, we just walk and bus everywhere."

Week 2:

• How the work is going: "The work has been pretty awesome! This last week we got 18 new investigators and taught like 30 something lessons, and I know I havent been out long but I feel like thats a lot!"

• This week's miracles: " Hmm... any miracles... well! Yesterday this recent convert(Like a month or less) was bearing his testimony explaining how he was reading his scriptures on his porch, when he just suddenly looked up and noticed to cop cars by his friends house up the street, he walked over there and found this random guy he didnt know cradling his mom's limp body in his arms on their porch steps. As he got there the ambulance showed up and 4 EMT's got out and started to do their check up on her, and she hadn't been breathing, he then got the impression to start praying for her that she would be alright, and as he prayed he got the impression that he needed to go up and put his hand on her. And so, some how we walked pass the policemen, through the EMT's and was able to put his hand on her and start praying again that she would be alright, not even 10 seconds after his pray she woke up like gasping for air and was ok! She hadn't been breathing for over 4 minutes! pretty crazy. The faith people have out here is incredible!"

• Elder Olson takes the lead: "Anyways, last monday or tuesday night we were walking and this guy from his porch yelled at us and asked if we had a phone we could use, so we go up and explain he can't use it and that we are missionaries. He realizes we are mormons and starts asking a few questions, so soon we start teaching him the restoration, I give the part that I was practicing earlier that morning during comp study and my training, and then expect Elder Pingel to take over again and finish off the lesson. Well, I wrap up what I was saying and look at Elder Pingel and he is just silent, gives me that look like you are finishing! So I go through the rest of it as best I can and then throw out the baptism challenge and he accepts!! So i wait a sec and still silnce from my comp, so I just go ahead and throw out a baptismal date haha! So we will be meeting with this guy Steve for the second time tonight and we'll see how things go! "

• Fourth of July: "Oh well, the fourth of July was way cool, we went downtown to this park and got chalk and drew out the Plan of Salvation real big and shared it with people all morning. then went to lunch and moved spots to the Red's Stadium and re did it and talked to everyone as they were going to the game! haha. And we did it as a zone so it was a lot of fun and were able to talk to a lot of people! Then that night I went on exchange with the zone leaders and went down to Hebron Kentucky so that was pretty cool. I was able to see and eat lunch with one of the elders from my MTC district while I was down there! And I get to go on exchange again tonight with a comp in our district cause Elder Pingel is the district leader! So that should be fun!"

Love,

Elder Olson

First Email Home!

He's always been a man of few words, but it's great to at least see signs of life:

Hello Anne!

Well it was nice to log on and see that I got at least one letter! haha There are 4 companionships in my district! Two sets of sisters and two sets of elders. My companion is Elder Blackhurst. He is from Pleasant Grove(like ten minutes from here) and just graduated like two weeks ago. We get along pretty good. He is a lot like me in that we both are quiet but have a lot to say I guess. He plays baseball mainly but hes pretty athletic and played bball with me in the gym yesterday and he pretty good so it was fun.The MTC has been good so far. I haven't found that tree you are talking about that smells like cream soda! There are a lot of trees and none of them appear to be enclosed in anyway that you were describing... but my search will continue. maybe you can give me better description or reiterate to me where I can find it! Well I'll talk to you next week. 

Love,

Elder Olson

#thereisatreeattheMTCthatsmellslikeCreamSoda

He looked so happy the day we dropped him off! :)

It's so hard to say goodbye

And just like that, the big day is here. Elder Olson reports to the MTC in a day and a half, and will be serving ever so diligently in the Ohio Cincinnati Mission for the next two years. Out of the overflowing kindness of my heart, I, Michael's trusty older sister will be posting weekly updates from Mike on this blog.

Set apart, and ready to serve!

We're excited for Elder Olson and headed out on the road tomorrow to make the drop-off. Here it comes, ready or not! And oh how ready we are!