Dare to be Mormon

I’m back! I hope you all had the chance to see the Lord’s hand in your lives today and if you didn’t think back on your day. Everything good that happened came from the Lord. He is in every detail

I finally went to the mall of America! Wow it is crazy haha. I didn’t actually believe that there was pretty much a whole amusement park, well at least as huge, until I walked in and saw it. It was crazy. We just walked around and checked everything out. Lots of people were giving us looks and squinting at our tags haha. We just said hello to everyone and smiled at everyone, it was fun! Anyways it was fun and I’m happy I finally got to go!

On the 4th of July we got to meet our new mission Presidents! They went on a little mission tour and came to our church building and theytalked with us and showed us a video of their family and we got to get to know them and talk with them after and we had a fun little BBQ with them for the 4th. They are so cute! I love them! They are the Gochnours and they are from Utah, and oh my goodness I am just so excited they are here!

For the 4th of July we got to go see the fireworks and we hung out as a district for the night. We played some pickleball and were just enjoying our time together! I missed being home with my family for the 4th but I was surrounded by some pretty amazing people that made it feel like I was home!

We made a trip to Fairboult and Northfield this week which is about 40 minutes from us because we went to visit some of our members down there and teach some of our friends. It is BEAUTIFUL! It is kind of in the middle of nowhere and there are rolling hills and green everywhere and rice fields and corn fields and fields with horses and barns everywhere! Oh my goodness I loved it! It was the cutest thing. We got to walk around the cute little town and we went to this cute little ice cream place. It was a whole different world! We usually stay closer to the city so it was fun to make that little trip.

We got to visit the sweetest little lady in an assisted living home. We shared a message with her and got to help her. She was so cute haha. She spoke in a whisper so we really had to listen to understand her and she would just giggle and smile. She was just the cutest! It felt so good just to visit and be with her. She doesn’t get visited a lot so we were so so happy we got to visit her and share a message and give her all our love!

The members in Lakeville are just the best! I love them and they are all just so fun and loving and so so welcoming. They hug us and treat us like they’ve known us their whole lives. They are incredible and I am so grateful for them. We started up a volleyball night every Saturday to help get more people together and to invite our friends to come and meet people and it’s a rough start haha but all the members have been so supportive and amazing and getting the word out. Ahhh I love them!

A friend that Hermana Erickson and I were teaching when we were in Minne got baptized on Sunday so Hermana Pister and I got to go to Minne! When we got to the church building in Minne, as we were walking up to the church, Hermana Erickson walked out the door and immediately we sprinted for eachother and we gave eachother the biggest hug!!! We literally fell to the ground we were jumping up and down so much haha! I was so excited to see her! I have missed her so much! Oh my goodness the bapstim was amazing, I love baptisms. The spirit just fills the room every time. I was so happy for Julio and am so excited for the joy he is going to continue to feel because of this decision! I got to see the members again in the minne ward and I was so excited! I also got to catch up with Hermana Erickson. Oh my gosh I love her, I’ll never stop saying it. I also got to see some other missionaries in my district feom last transfer. It was a fun little reunion!

We ran some more this week and we have been trying to find new places to run so that we can see more places. We have recently been running on these trails in the woods and it’s so beautiful because we are just surround by trees and it just smells like pine. We were running one morning and this one lady was just riding her horse so we stopped and pet it and gave it treats haha. We ran at this one trail that the church owns and it was so gorgeous. We were running in a grove of trees and oh my gosh, so beautiful. Sometimes after we run we will go reward ourselves with a slurpee from speedway even though it literally defeats the purpose… but MEMORIES!

Our teaching pool hasn’t been the best lately. It’s been hard to get solid lessons since everyone’s work schedules have been everywhere since no one has a solid work schedule. But we have had some really powerful lessons this week where the spirit has just testified through us. We have been able to really help our members who aren’t as active re-light that flame and remember the feeling of the spirit. It’s just so powerful when you can see the spirit hit them and see the comfort and joy in their eyes. This gospel truly is powerful.

I hope you all have an amazing week! I love you! I invite you all to share your testimony with someone this week, even if it’s small and simple. There may be someone that needs to hear it. Be safe I love you all! Also the Elders always say “dare to be a mormon” from President Monsons talk dare to stand alone so I thought it was a fitting title.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/10/dare-to-stand-alone?lang=eng

Hermana Olsen<3

Pics

– Adopted park from the church

– Ice cream sign

– Girls really do do everything better

– Our friend Pablo

– District on 4th of July

– Beef patties at MOA

– Slurpees