March 2 – March 8

Week 3

This week was the busiest week for real. So much was going on but it was so fun! This is gonna be all over the place so sorry in advance.

First off I just wanna say how much I love the birds chirping here. I’ll be sitting in my room studying or be walking outside or I’ll wake up to them chirping. I just love it. 

I was talking with the CCM President and his wife about my mission and of course after I said I was going to Minneapolis Minnesota they said oh! my daughter lives there! I was absolutely not surprised. I swear everyone has lived there or been there or served their mission there all of a sudden. But it was fun to talk about it with them. What made me really excited was they said that in Minnesota they call themselves “Minnesota happy” because everyone there is just so nice and happy!! I can’t wait to meet everyone!!! 

We did a service project this week. We helped the workers weed. We got to do it with our friends Hermana Shepard and Hermana Rick’s. We got to all chat and it was nice to help out the workers who seriously are always out making sure everything looks perfect! 

The Elders beat their froot loop record of how many bags they could eat. They ended up eating 30 bags and had a huge pile in the middle of our table. It got enough attention that people all gathered to watch. The most excitement you’ll get here at the CCM haha. Oh also they served hamburgers and fries for lunch and it was DELICIOUS! I guess you can say I’m excited for a fat hamburger in Minnesota. 

I was able to get a blessing this week from one of our Elders in my district. It was so special. The Elder who gave me a blessing, it was his first time and I felt the spirit so strong. My companion was also able to get a blessing from another Elder and I just want to say how grateful I am for worthy priesthood holders. It is such a powerful blessing in my life.

My companion and I decided to walk around the CCM for our gym time one morning. This place is huge. I have never really walked around and seen it all and so when I did I was shocked. It’s just so beautiful and just the best little place to be ever. I’m too attached. 

Remember when I said the Elders were practicing a child’s prayer and they wanted to perform… well it happened and the Elders and Hermanas sang together. The first couple practices were a little rough BUT after some time we sounded so so good!! The Hermanas sang the first verse in English and the Elders sang the second verse in spanish and the last verse we overlapped and it sounded so good. Oh my. We told our stake president we wanted to perform in Sacrament meeting and so we had to perfect it. 

We had our first fast Sunday here. We fasted Saturday night dinner and Sunday breakfast which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I was expecting to fast from Saturday night dinner to Sunday night dinner since those were the rumors going around. Sunday we shared our testimonies in Sacrament and I was able to go and share mine! I shared my first part in spanish and then finished in English. I wish I could express everything in spanish but I did what I could with what I knew. It was such a powerful meeting. I just love love how I feel here. I just am always overwhelmed with joy and love and happiness and I pray that you all will feel that!

Sunday night we had our devotional. At devotionals we always recognize the missionaries leaving that next week and when the president asked all of them to stand, 2/3 of the missionaries stood up. It was crazy. Everyone was leaving. It was honestly sad to see them all leaving because I have made a lot of friends and I didn’t want them to go but I was so so happy for them!! Every sunday after the devotional, before we all leave back to ours casas, we sing “God be with you till we meet again” of course in spanish and that songs just hits me so strong. Just hearing all the missionaires sing it and just being filled with the spirit it makes me so emotional. My companion and I were sobbing by the time it finished and then we had to say goodbye to all of our friends. Lots of tears were shed both happy and sad haha. It makes me sad thinking next Sunday I’ll be the one leaving. 

This week we have done lots of teaching. We have planned 15 minute lessons that we teach to our teachers or we have to teach to people over zoom. It’s been a challenge but each time it gets a little easier. Only a little haha. We also have been doing a lot of test prep for our final spanish exam at the end of CCM. 

Of course there was more beat boxing this week and it got even better. At dinner one night Hermana Parmentor showed us all that she can make trumpet and flute sounds. Our other Elder started beat boxing while she made the sounds and it was just the best haha 

Another hit has been hackey sacks. Every time we have a break in class the Elders are always throwing the hackey sack around. They chuck it as hard as they can at each other, ypu never know where it’s going. In class our teacher always is holding one and we do hot potato with it. It’s just become routine.

My hands have been unbelievably dry here. So I’ve been putting Vaseline on them and putting socks over them before I go to sleep. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night so uncomfortable so I’ll just take them off wash my hands and go back to bed. It defeats the purpose but its helped a little.

We went to the temple this week and did initiatroys and an endowment session. It was sad knowing it was my last time at the Mexico temple. The temple brings me so much peace and comfort. I love the feeling the temple brings and the love that surrounds me there. 

This week my companion and I were wondering what HLJ stood for on the ctr ring. I just thought of the first words that started with those letters and said hasta la Jesus. My companion was like definitely not haha. We then learned it stands for Has Lo Justo which translates to do the right thing. So do the right thing!!!! 

Last thing! At our devotional one thing that I absolutely loved that was said was “Whom the Lord calls, He qualifies” -President Monson. I love that so so much because the Lord doesn’t call those qualified for the work or perfect for the work. Who He calls He qualifies. Through Him we can do all things. It was such a testimony builder for me and I know that if I put my trust in Him and turn to Him whenever I need strength I can be qualified for this work. I love this gospel and I know that it’s true. I know that my Savior lives and that if we have trust in Him we can do all things. I promise you that. 

I love you all!! 

Hermana Olsen ❤