Hello everyone yes I am still alive. So my mom has informed me that I must write a blog post so in order to make sure I still have a home to return to after my mission here it is. I am still in Maui in the Pukalani ward I love it here this will is my 5th transfer here which is about 7 1/2 months that's along time in one area so its a good thing I like it. This week was a little Slow but it was full of good times. One thing that happen this we showed me just how much the mission has changed me.
On Friday night we were down in Kahului (The city on Maui) and before coming home we decided to stop at target to see if they had a photo album. While we were there this man in one of those electric shopping carts rolled up next to us and said "You guys just like to play with peoples hearts." then I said "wait excuse me sir what did you say"? he said "you heard me you Mormons just like to lie to people and play with their hearts" then he said something completely false about the Prophet Joseph Smith. So my companion Elder Schnell just says to him " sorry you feel that way but we know that we believe is true and that Joseph Smith was a good man". Then we walked away thinking that that would be the end of it. We were wrong so this man starts following us all threw Target just yelling apostate really mean things about us and the church. We just kept doing our thing like nothing was happening and eventually we lost him. Then we couldn't find the photo albums so we asked one of the target employees where they were as he is showing us were they are he comes our man in his shopping cart saying " I peacefully asked for my tithing money back but you guys wouldn't give it to me!" then the Target guy turns to us and says whats wrong with that guy? We said some people don't like who we represent. then he asked us if we wanted him to call security on him? we said no he's in a wheel chair we can just out walk him. he laughed and said ok just let me know have a good day. it turns out that Target didn't have what we were looking for so we left and went home for the night.
So yeah there is my story but the reason I tell it like I said it made me realize a change in my self. 16 moths ago I probably would have yelled at the guy or punched him in the face for the things he was saying about a gospel that I love so much. but what I felt that night was actually sadness for him. I knew that at some point he believed in the gospel, but for whatever reason the advisory had turned his faith into hatred. I found myself praying for him to change his mind and open his heart once again to the gospel. I prayed that heavenly father would forgive him for the things he said. I think the reason for this is because I know now how much Jesus Christ can change lives no one is ever too far gone and no one deserves to be given up on. Just think about it did Jesus ever give up on you or me? I love my mission and can testify of the saviors love for each of us Amen.
On a different note the ward had a Elders quorum had a softball activity it was so much fun I don't think I have really played base ball or softball since I played little league. I will send some pictures of this week as well. love you all Elder Olson.
March 7, 2016
I get to stay in Maui!
I know must be blessed or something and Elder Schnell is staying too, that's good too because I like him, But i have never done 3 transfers with a companion before so we will see if i still like him at the end hahaha. The ward could not believe I am staying they were so happy , which makes me feel really loved i had so many people at church yesterday come up to me and tell me how happy they are that i am staying. one man we do service for every Friday got up and bore his testimony about how great i am- it was really hard to not let it go to my head but if anything i know this ward loves me. it awesome!
February 22, 2016
I had the BEST week of my whole week!
MONDAY: We started playing tennis every Monday with some members of our ward its super fun! Sometime we even have one or two nonmembers show up it is really just a blast. we start at like 7:00 am and play until 10:00 am so we did that last Monday then we had a member invite us to the driving range to hit golf balls on the Pukalani golf course that was alot of fun too! after that we emailed then went to the stake center and hung out with some really cool Elders. that stake center has a ping pong table so we play that alot to. we also played two games of "Settlers of Catan" I love that game!(also I WON)
TUESDAY: We had are usual district meeting>. The training the DL gave was on teaching the restoration in 8 minutes. he asked for a volunteer who thought their companionship could do it. So Elder Schnell and I volunteered and got up there and gave the best Restoration lesson ever, but it was like 14 minutes long. oh also our dinner appointment made chicken pillows! I dident know Hawaiians had normal food haha
WEDNESDAY: The best day on my mission so far! first I will tell you a little back story. So the week before we got a referral on from a bishop on the big island to go and see a man named Mr. Carvaliho, all they gave us was his address so we went to go see him. While we were there he told us how about two years ago he had a stroke and he is only like 45ish. after the stroke he was in a coma and during the coma he had a dream. in this dream he felt helpless to overcome his sins he just wanted to hide. then he saw Jesus Christ and he called out to him but Jesus just walked away, and some other stuff but whats most important is that he felt like he needed to get rid of his sins. we thought his vision was very closely related to Alma the younger's story. Anyways we set up an appointment for the fallowing Wednesday which brings us to the best day of my mission. Ok so went over and they were home! so we sat down and taught the whole restoration. During which they were every receptive (they being miss. and mr. Carvaliho) during the lesson we felt like we could extend the baptism commitment so I did and they COMMITTED! to April 9. then 2 hours later we teach a son and a dad we met while tracting we taught them the restoration and asked them if they would be willing to commit to baptism And guess What they committed as well! do you know what that means I have not had someone with a baptism date in almost a 9 months and we got 4 in one day 4! it was awesome. I fast fasted that whole day that everything would go right and it did! plus the ward fasted the week before for missionary work. It was blessing and a real miracle for me.
THURSDAY: We just did service all day we help and old lady with he yard. Then we helped one of my favorite familys the Mahi's weed wack their massive yard.
FRIDAY: I went on exchanges with the DL in Kihei it was really boring I rather would have stayed in Pukalani, but we did have stake for dinner.
SATURDAY: More service and we had dinner at our ward mission leaders house he's the coolest. their last name is Demotropouls they are just so fun they love us. Also he said that when we come back after my mission to visit Maui that we can stay at his house! that will save some money!
SUNDAY: Well we went to church studied and had dinner I love Sundays.
that was my week just a few things for you can you get me Tyler Olsons mission email.
oh and I got your card and am eating the candy as I type.
February 1, 2016
Aloha! All my Brahdas, Sistas and Ohana. I was recently informed that I now have to write actual blog posts so I guess that's what I am doing. I am not really sure what to tell you all so I guess I will just keep typing until I know what to say. Well lets start with the minor details. I have been serving my mission for 14 Months. I am serving in the most coveted ward in the mission which is awesome! All the missionary's want to be in this ward because the ward loves missionary's and helps us do the work. Its called the Pukalani ward which being interpreted means Heaven hole. I really love it here and am really depressed that I am probably on my way out considering by the end of the transfer I will have been here for 6 months. The Last six months have probably been the hardest for me but know that its all behind me and i can see what I was being taught my a loving father I feel so unbelievably blessed. missionary work here has been really slow but is slowly getting better that harder my companion and I work. most people that are living in Maui are really happy with their lives which makes missionary work a little harder, but if they would just give us a sec we could show them that their happiness is only temporary. Well that's whats happening here in my life as a missionary. Thank you all for your love and support. I can promise you that we have a heavenly father who only wants to see us come and live with him some day. He gave us a savior who knows us more then we do sometimes. I also know that life is really hard sometimes and sometimes you look ahead and see no hope of anything better but, if we know god we know he will never leave us and the only person that will ever give on you is your self so don't lose faith and "just press forward".( 2 Nephi 31:20 ) with love Elder Olson
January 25, 2016
I just found out on Saturday that i get to stay in Maui for 6 more weeks it going well I'm super excited that means i will be here for a total of 6 months. Its crazy how fast everything is going i feel as if i email like every other day and the months just past me by soon enough i will be in Elder lee chip Sao's shoes he finishes on Wednesday! it cool though i am super excited to be that close to seeing you guys again but also sad that my mission is flying right past me and there is nothing I can do. Hows grandma? and Home? Is there anyone getting there mission call soon in the ward like tanner? all is well here.
January 18, 2016
Thanks for the money i decided to use it on some tie racks from Amazon just so you know , I really needed them. we did have a really good week this week we are finally starting to find people!
also we have started playing tennis on Mondays with our new ward mission leader and the old stake president an his wife its super fun turns out I'm not half bad.
January 11, 2016
So here is what is happening in Maui and my area Pukalani things a pretty slow but Elder Schnell and I have been trackting like crazy( I hate trackting) in order to find investigators we have no actual people we teach on a regular basis so finding People is our main priority we just got a new ward mission leader and he is Dope! We have organized a ward fast on next fast Sunday so we can find more people and that the ward will be able to have missionary opportunities. We also just organized an district flood on Friday which we will do in Pukalani to tract out the neighborhoods since are area is so huge that's the only place we can tract. My companion is sick we just joke around all the time and its a blast. Sometimes I wonder how we get any work done.
(Mom note: Apparently Sick -means awesome , I thought his companion was really sick-ill ha ha)
January 4, 2016
Hi for New Years l we went and watched the sunrise on top of a really tall mountin then we had a zone breakfast at our house &went and played frisbee golf it was alot of fun but I am still tired because of it.
Also my foot has been hurting me, so I went to the doctor and got an x-ray , it turns out i have some extra bone growing in and next to my joint of my ankle and so sometimes the two bones touch each other and it hurts. I will eventually have to have surgery when I get home. Yay :(
