Week 85 SPS

I didn't take any pictures and it was an exhausting week.  It was just tiring because for 3 days we had to wake up really early. One day we woke up at 6:30 the others at 3:30 and 4:00 in the morning to go to the airport.  How much money did it cost to ship bag home for the elders?  It costs 46 dollars for the second bag.   Did you catch up on your sleep today?  Not really.

How did transfers go and how many trips to the airport? We went to the airport 3 Times for the changes. Do the airline employees know you by name yet? No they don't know me but they don't get mad at me any more, they used to try and tell me that I couldn't wait in the check in line now they don't say anything.  Who makes the bigger mess the incoming or leaving missionaries?  The missionaries that are going home. 

How has the weather been there this week? It has been hot as always but I feel that it is cooler than some of the last few weeks.

Have you heard anything more about the church putting your house up for sale?  No they haven't done anything and they most likely won't do anything they are big talkers but slow doers. We will be fine or well at least I won't have to be in charge of figuring out what to do when it happens.

What happened with your investigators this week? Well we were going to have a baptism this week but we had to reschedule it for next week. Han K. is really excited to be baptized but there just hasn't been enough time to plan the baptism this week and get an interview done so we will wait until next week.

Do you ever run the dishwasher after your bubble incident? Yes I usually wash a lot of dishes just that I use so I know that they are truly clean because many of the dishes look clean but aren't very clean.

Did you have something funny or exciting happen this week? The coolest thing this week was we gave a reference of an inactive family to the sister missionary's in the area right next to ours and well I was the only person that had ever visited this family that was still here and I knew if I didn't show someone else they would be lost again. So we went with the sisters to the lesson so they could get to know them. He should go to the sisters ward but he has only come to ours a few times and the members haven't helped us visit him, so we decided it would be best if the other ward would help them out.

What are you working on today?  We are planning a video that we are going to make.  What is the video going to be about?  You will see it when we make it.  What is the video for?  We are doing it for fun.  Is the video coming today?  No the video will take us a while because it is going to be good.  Will we see your video skills?  Possible.   Will you be doing the editing?  We have someone to do it all. 

When your replacement comes, will he sleep in the same room as you two or does he sleep in the over flow. 

What did you do today?  We went to the airport and picked up President D. and his wife.  So that was the 4^th trip to the airport this week.  They had church training with all of the mission presidents from Central America.  Did you wait long or were they on time?  No,they got there on time. 

Sorry we had to go and pick someone up but now we are back.  Where did you go?  We had to go to the center of SPS.  Who usually rides in the front of the truck?  I and Elder P. are usually in the front.   

How is it going with your companionship?  Fine.  How is Elder B. adjusting to the mission office?  He seems to be doing good, he is really funny.

Where did you eat this week?  Just a fast food places the whole time.

We checked out your apartment complex at BYU.  I heard it was far from everything.  One of your roommates works in the food service.  That sounds boring, I don't want to work like that. I will figure something else out.

We just came upon an accident; the traffic going the opposite direction is at a stand still.  At least they set up detours in Utah, here in Honduras they wouldn’t tell any one then they would shut down all the streets and trap you.  Why would they shut down the streets?  They would shut them down for an accident.   Everybody here makes their own roads, wherever there is space is considered a road here including sidewalks, driveways, grass and anything else you can think of.  The best thing is the cops don't get mad because they do it too.

I am out of time. Love you all see you later.

Week 84 SPS

What are you working on today?  We were looking at the requirements at BYU and the new AP elder B. was helping us know what are good classes we should take. It was kind of interesting.  Is he the elder dad met when he went to church there in Honduras?  Yes that is him.  It sounds like he adjusted well to the mission.   Yes, he is a good missionary. Did elder B. remember me talking to him?  Yes, he remembers you, its not too often that a gringo comes to church.  Do you guys not consider yourself as Gringos?  Well we are pretty much Latino’s. 

What was the spiritual thing of the week? Well it was so interesting but I don't know if I want to share it yet, because after the mission this will be the best one that I have had. I saw a literal miracle in my life and in the life of another person. I just couldn't even believe what happened so it truly was a miracle. I just had to laugh for like days after it happened because I still didn't believe it was possible.

Is your baptism still on for today? No.  What happened with the baptism?  Well, she hasn’t been able to come to church, because she is really busy. She wanted to get baptized but there isn't enough time. When does she rotate to a different area in the hospital? Every month they have her rotating. So when did you push it to?  It’s up in the air right now.  We have some investigators from Lempira Honduras, they are workers for some of the member family and they really want to learn more.  You won't have much time next week to teach because of changes, any old companions going home this transfer.

What are you studying right now? I am reading in D&C in section 69 and I really liked it and I feel that I am going to be better with writing in my journal after reading it.

When are transfers? Next Tuesday.  Are any of the office elder’s leaving this transfer? Only Elder W. the old AP.  Was Elder W. the one who was funny, like jumping off onto the mattresses? No that is elder P., he will be here for the next change his replacement will be coming soon as well.  So your replacement should come at the same time as his, did he come in after you to the mission office?  His replacement will come a few weeks after mine. He came a change after me.  Are any of your old companions going home this transfer?  No, I only have 2 companions that are still in the mission, my current one and the last one.  How many missionaries will be going home this transfer?  16 or so leaving and about the same number will be coming.  There are no gringos coming in this change. 

What did you do for p-day? We played soccer and we ate at orange burger

How is your health? I am doing well; I final got some new creams to try on my rash.

It is weird to watch people make cinder blocks here they cost like 9 HNL I think I may be wrong.  In Mexico, the bricks were I think 2 for a dollar and there is no cement in them so it costs next to noting to make them and they are real fragile, if you drop them they would break.  Wow that’s cheap but the cinder blocks are still cheaper and bigger.   I see people making them all the time and then they leave them in the sun to dry.

Love you all but my time is up so have another super fast week and I will try and be better with taking pictures for next week.

Elder Olsen

Week 83 SPS

What was your spiritual experience for the week? Well there was one night that was amazing. We started out the day and everywhere we went there was a member that wanted to talk with us. We walked and every 200 yards we met some new member from another ward. It was really cool, then we went to little Caesar’s pizza and yet another member talked with us. And right now, I was looking at this and just thinking, wow the church is huge and truly covers almost the whole earth, truly the second coming is really near. Look at the meeting houses around the world, it is interesting.

 

Did you do any traveling this week? We didn't do much we went to the airport a couple times but nothing more than that.

Did you try any new food this week? No I didn’t try any new food this week well not that I can remember.

How is the weather?  Do you have any rashes? Well the weather is really hot especially at night. And also I always have weird rashes.

What did you do for p-day this week? We didn't do anything really fun. We went and played soccer for an hour, the soccer field was outside in the sun. Then we got our hair cut, which cost 100LHN, then we ate at dominoes pizza and then we came here to the office.

I finally got my residency, I had to just take the picture and in one month my ID card will get here.   Usually you should get residency in about a year but there has been major problems.

Are you getting any dinner invites?  We have dinner always on Sunday and Thursday, the other nights we have to fend for ourselves.  Do you get tired of all the fast food every day?  Yes I don’t want fast food, it is nasty, but that is all there is. What do you usually eat for breakfast?  Cereal and sometimes pancakes eggs and ham.  What is the food that you have missed the most on your while on your mission?  Good meat and really some salad and real butter in everything, not margarine and real cheese not processed cheese that doesn’t melt, just all food in general.

Is there any new information on the mission getting a new truck?  No, one knows.   Our ac doesn’t work really well any more, we need new tires and there is a pulley that is making a weird sound so hopefully soon.

Are the baptisms still on?  We will see about the baptisms, I hope there will be one, we will see.

Have you had to find any new housing for missionaries or is everything just moving along?  We have been looking for some new houses. 

What has been distracting you today?  We had a rubber band fight with the other office right now, other than that we aren’t doing anything else.

Week 82 SPS

Disneyland is 80 degrees and sunny. Well that sounds cold. It is 90 at night to sleep here and the power supposedly went out last night some felt it but I sure didn’t. Well Logan sounds best, in the 60s and sun.  I would have to wear a coat.  It is super hot this week hotter that most all other times, and it sure is a killer. It is just hot.  Are you using fans on the bed to keep you cool? We would soak our sheet in water before we went to sleep and let it evaporate so we could sleep?  That would just make things hotter. I sweat enough to get the sheets wet

What happened with your investigators this week? Well this Sunday we had a reference for a well it is like a maid or I don’t know how to say it that came with one of the member families. She is really interested in the message and accepted her baptism date for the 16 of April so she should be ready. We also have many other investigators. We are still waiting on the hna M. to come a few more times to plan her baptismal service she is ready but we cant change the job of a doctor, if she has to be there she has to be there otherwise people will die.   Are you going to have 3 baptisms in April?   We have a goal for 2. 

Tell us something funny that happened this week. Honestly I can’t think of anything funny that happened this week. Sorry I just don’t remember these things very long. 

What was a spiritual experience from this week? Well I would say it has been the opportunity that we have had to see conference. It is great to be able to hear these talks in English and hear and find ways I can change. I really liked Neil A Andersons talk it was really dynamic and interesting to listen to.  I watched the first 2 sessions on the computer in the office; the next will be in the institute building. How many elders are watching with you today?  There were 4. Do college students go to the institute like they do here?  Yes that’s why it is right off the campus.  Who teaches the Institute classes are they American?  Our bishop is in charge of institute, that’s his job. There are many teachers.  We ate lunch at KFC because we all have 10 percent discount coupons without restrictions.  Who gave you the coupons?  Workers in KFC, it just says we are students or executives but it works every time.

What did you end up doing on Easter Sunday? Truly we didn't do anything.  Easter week is known as la Semana Santa.   Out of the normal we worked in our area and there was not many people that we found (most families head to the beach during this holiday) but we had lots of lessons planned to the point where it was impossible to go to all of them. We ate sushi with family Molina who invites us to dinner on Sundays. It was really good. 

How is your companionship going?  It is going good, Elder C. is funny he is also very old like 28 years old and he was a sales marketing person and he is always too worried in presentation of everything he has to use big words and sometimes it is funny because you never know what he is going to say. 

Well my time is up, so have a good week. Love you and talk to you later. 

Elder Olsen