September 15, 2014 "The church is a hospital for sinners."

All 

Jon is doing well.  He is so happy and seems to be thriving in the work.  There were a few things I thought about editing, but I guess we also see that Jon is still Jon is some ways.  And yes, for those that don't know, Jon does call us Jimmy and Suzi instead of mom and dad.  He always does things his way.  Thanks for your love and support.  

This week has been POWERFUL to say the least.  Some amazing miracles happened and I have definitely felt the hand of the Lord in the work that is going on here.  I haven't been as tired and I think that it is because of my attitude! I can't stress how attitude makes or breaks missionary work.  I have made some hard decisions about dropping or temporary stop visiting some because they aren't keeping commitments which stinks.... But sometimes in order for them to know how great this gospel is you have take them away from it.  I just really hope they will call and say we miss you please start visiting us again.  But who knows?? Also we had an investigator miss sacrament and it was her 3rd week in a row so we had to tell her that we had to push back her baptismal date.  It wasn't easy but sometimes you have to be the bad cop.  I tried to do it as loving as possible.  It was definitely an Elder Holland moment.  Elder Smith-Holley tried to sugar coat it and I told him after that giving false promises just makes it worse. He hates being bold and confronting so I had to talk to him after and help him understand we can't do that.  That was something that I also had trouble doing at the beginning.  The husband and wife that are getting baptized this month are doing amazing!! I am a little worried about the wife understanding everything but I think they will be fine!! The husband says that he will be done with smoking by friday.  At church they said that they heard about baptisms for the dead and loved it.  I have never seen an investigator so excited about it.

High: this week there was truly a miracle. There is this this less active and recent convert and he has only been to church once since I have been here.  We were visiting with him every week till he called us 3 weeks ago saying he is done with the church and that he doesn't want us to visit him anymore.  I was devastated I even fasted for him.  Finally we were with this amazing member and we were just doing missionary work and he said we need to visit him so we called him, stopped by, and called him again! and nothing so finally we just said we were done.  Then later in the day we decided that we would visit him again just see if he was home. He was and it was so awkward at first. He was wondering why we were there and he really didn't want us to be there... So we sat down and talked and then he finally opened up to us about things that he was going through.  I never thought that was why he was missing church and didn't want to be there! He didn't feel worthy! So we continued and we helped him understand if you don't feel worthy then church is exactly where you need to be! The church is not a country club for the righteous but a hospital for sinners! He never understood that.  In missionary work we are only suppose to visit for 45 minutes and an hour at the most.  However the spirit confirmed to me that we were suppose to be there.... We sat and helped him get through his problems for 2 and a half hours.... He needed us and I truly thought of the savior and when he was walking in the streets and the women said if I can just touch his garment then I can be made whole.  Jesus was probably in a hurry but he stopped and comforted her and made her whole.  I truly felt the weight and the responsibility of my calling  as I  sat there and helped this young man understand that withholding himself from the blessings of the church is the wrong decision but to use the atonement and BE MADE WHOLE. It was amazing an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. 

low of my week: well I had two.  The first was that I was picked in zone conference in front of 70 missionaries how to use the BoM in sharing the gospel.... haha I thought president Dunn liked me.  However it went well! the next one was that I was given to talk about charity 5 minutes before sacrament and it needed to be 20 minutes long.  Again it went well but eish I was nervous.  I talked about Jimmy and Suzi and how they are the perfect example of charity! Several people said it was inspiring which was cool.  so I guess really no lows... just things that aren't fun hahaha 

Elder Olson.

September 9, 2014 "You have the ability to change your mind."

This week has been very good.  I figured out some things that are really going to help me with mission because I actually hit a wall this week... I think the wall was more physical but it did effect me spiritually so it made mission really hard at the beginning of the week.  It was Wednesday and we were walking to an appointment and I was in a bad mood.  Then right before we knocked on the door for the appointment I thought to myself you have the ability to change your attitude.  Right as I thought that I put a smile on my face and had a great lesson filled with the spirit! I was so amazed after and I realized that my attitude doesn't just effect me but everyone around me. I needed to learn that experience for myself and so that I can be the best to those that I teach.  In sacrament meeting while it was being passed I thought to myself and prayed that things might come to my mind that will help me be better.  Many things came to my mind and so I wrote them down.  It was crazy right as I finished writing one down a new thought came to my head it was personal revelation flowing through me which was so cool.  One of the things I wrote down was never say I'm tired.  That sounds like something really small but it isn't. It makes the biggest difference because everyone is going to have that thought, I am tired, I need a break, but if we throw that thought away and don't feed it then it will go away. 

High of the week:  Brother Sunday fasted yesterday so that he can have the strength to quit smoking so that he can be baptized.  He and his wife are the most amazing investigators.  They feed us and the lessons we have with them are sooooo spiritual.  With them is the closest I have come to crying during a lesson.... You can just see that they truly love the savior and this gospel.

Low of the week: We live in an apartment complex and there were two really loud parties that were going on till about 5 in the morning... Eish Elder Smith-Holley and I didn't get an ounce of sleep. 

One of my favorite sayings on mission which I have really come to embrace is "it's fine." I say it all the time and it helps a lot.  Elder Smith-Holley will say I am so hungry, all of our appointment have cancelled and now we have to tract all day and my response is "it's fine."  It is my way of saying come what may and love it.

Hope you guys are having a good week and everything is going well.  Tell Abe and Christian that they need to work out more.... hahahah but that is a cool experience that you guys had and it is true we should never ignore the promptings that we have! I love you all and miss you so much! I got one of the packages and mom the photo of me at the hospital is not funny... It is not ok to feel vulnerable... hahahahaha 

Much love! JON 

(This is an email sent to Jon by a member in his stake)

Elder Olson

This below is you sir….

I wish I could express adequately how I feel today after fasting and pleading with the Lord about some people that I love dearly, those who are assisting in shaping my life.  Some are people that I have known for a while – others just a very short time.

You look in their eyes and notice that they are angels – people sent by God to come into your life at the precise moment when they are needed.  I have met more of these angels this past 8 days than I have met before in a given week.

We think angels to be these perfect beings who appear to us in the form of a vision etc….

I disagree….some are just ordinary people, just like you and I who just go about being who they are – but make a miraculous impact in our lives, or the lives of others.

My observation and question to you is….

       Have you ever considered that you are one of them….?

Yes Elder Olson – you!!!!

To me and to Elder Smith-Holley and to one other – which I hope he will allow me to talk to you about….(and us are just the starters….)

God sends angels to deliver a specific message to people – you do that…everyday

God sends angels to help the down trodden and faint hearted – you do that….everyday

God sends angels who sacrifice their own needs and forget themselves for another – you do that …..everyday.

You see Elder the Lord will send the most humblest and totally reliant person to help another.  This week again I have seen in the lives of others how a specific person has been prepared, specifically for and meet the exact needs of another – in a miraculous way.

This is evidence that God lives and hears and answers our prayers….He IS in control.