11 Aug 2010

Hello family,

well this week was definitely the most interesting on my mission. I am seriously lost on where to start.
well on the first note we found and continue to work with all our new investagators. We continued to work with over 40 investagators in our new area, which was amazing!! We are being blessed beyond belief here in our area.
On sunday we had 16 investagators at church!!! It was amazing! 3 complete families were there, it was awesome! After church is when the riot began.
Elder ------- who lives with me, his companion got really sick... he was complaining about heart problems and that he was feeling really sick. So we went to lunch after church, and he got worse, so we ran to the local hospital with him... they told us that he was having a heart attack! and since it is a local hospital they dont have the resources to take care of him, so the sent Elder ------ and his companion by ambulance to the other hospital in a near by city. then I went with a brother from the ward to the hospital. when we got there, they told us that he was in serious condition and that we needing to go to a different hospital in campinas ( one of the best in the country) so we ran there. (I got to ride in the ambulance!!! :) so we got there in campinas and it was already like 830 at night, after all the traveling that we had done and stuff, so we got there and he was admitted. We was put in the intensive care unit, and they werent going to let anyone stay with him. I talk with the doctors very nicely and they let me stay the night in the ER with him. well that was a huge adventure.. elder damilda (elder greener's companiion) was pretty bad.. he did tests until 130 in the morning and then at 330 in the morning he had an attack, so i ended up staying up ALL NIGHT! it was crazy, i didnt sleep at all. then at 6 in the morning 2 elders came and picked me up. i called President and we both felt that there wasnt any problem for the elder to stay alone while he is in the ER. so i went to the office. I got there about 815 or 830, and i was just beat. i really couldnt do much but just stay awake. so i took a shower in the office and sat down, and about 915 President Tanner got to the office. We talked about E. Dalmeida, and how he was doing, then he looked me in the eyes and said Elder Olsen I need to talk to you. he called me in his office and told me that he really trusts in me, and then told me that i am being called as the new AP on the mission. And that i was so start imed. to help with the transfers this next week. It came as a huge shock to me, and i really wasnt expecting that at all. i am telling you this dad, mom, steve and mikey so that you can all join in and pray for me. So on monday i went right to work, and on tuesday i had my first meeting with President, we started the work on the transfers.. wow, i never realized how big the mission is. we are going to recieve 11 new missionoaries, and we have alot of changes on the mission that need to happen. How our President is new, he needs alot of help to know which elders are good and which arent. so it really gave me a headache yesterday. but at the same time i was really happy to know that the Lord loves me so much to trust me with such a sacred calling, at first it all past in a blur, i really didnt believe it... but now i am realizing how much the Lord expects from me.
Today i had the great opporunity to go to the temple and seek for further help, and it was amazing, i really felt the spirit strong and i felt the spirit testifying of what i need to do to become better.
I love being a missionary, i love being a servent of our Heavenly Father. I know that he loves us and guides us in everything that we do. I know that he will help me become better.
Please pray for me, I am really needing the help from the Lord in this moment.
I love this work, i love the mission, it is the greatest time in my life.

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

ELDER OLSEN