Miracle Week!!!

I managed 8 seconds on this Zebra!!

Two cool Elders!!  Me and Elder Davis!!

 

We will be companions again when pigs fly...Doh!

Hey everyone!! We had a pretty solid week this week and a lot went down,
but it probably doesn't sound too exciting to you guys. So you'll just have to hear my stories and put up with it anyway! haha!  Tuesday we did an exchange with the Okeechobee Elders. I went there and worked with Elder Harrison for the day. He's pretty new into his mission, and he was actually one of the missionaries who switched from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando Mission, so I gotta do some training on how the FOM runs! It was a pretty good day and FULL of knocking doors. We had a funny experience though. We were invited in by a nice gentleman and after our message we asked if we could close with a prayer and he insisted he would say it. After awkwardly waiting for what seemed like 5 minutes for him to pray I peeked and he was staring right at me and said, "You wanna say it?" HAHAHAH! Awkward..

Then we had a Zone Conference on Thursday, so that was super cool! We had a good time, and seriously learned a TON!! A lot of it was focused on temple marriage and covenants, self worth, but also a lot on repentance! Then this week, we also received our area-book so we now know who and what the previous sister were teaching. So we went around and met some of our solid investigators, one of which we did service for on Saturday. We were on an exchange and I was in Sebring with Elder Rowley. He's a super awesome missionary and we had a riot of a good time!! We did service for our investigator Dave since he needed help taking the bed off of his truck along with pulling the gas tank out. So that was pretty cool! Then we decided to go visit a cool member, who helps run a local flea market every Saturday. We did service for her and her friends there. attached is a picture of all of them. They took us out! The lady sitting to my left we call "Nana". She's a awesome non-member who LOVES the elders. But of course Nana is hiding in the pic. haha!

Nana and her friends!!

While at the flea market we met a nice couple, who owns the concessions stand. After service we decided to go snag some food over at their stand and it seriously become one of the highlights of the week!! THEY WERE SO COOL! Their names are Tonya and Mike and they are our new gators. They had tons and TONS of questions, and are actually friends with a member of the ward! Overall, we just had an amazing conversation. Like...it was nothing special. I can just tell/feel that there is something special about them! They were so happy with the work we do!!

But probably the craziest thing that happened was this: We called on an
investigator the sisters had named Alex. well....over the phone he said he was under the weather and busy. After explaining why the sisters left and we came in, then explaining we are from the Orlando Mission he said, "I have a son who is a member in Orlando...its Enoch R." We FLIPPED!! In case you don't know, Enoch got baptized in Ocoee right before I got there. So me and Elder Davis got to teach and built a strong relationship with Enoch and now we are teaching his father, both of us, exactly a year later!! It was super crazy, and after he found out that we knew and taught his son he actually asked if we could come that next day!!! WOOHOO!!!

Also here's a quick random story. There was a tornado that came through Sebring a few days ago. Unfortunately, it killed 3 people about 20 miles from here. Also when it came through Sebring it flipped a few trailers and rearranged the trailer park. Luckily it wasn't too strong by the time it got here and just touched down and went back up basically!

Anyways, as I've focused on the goals I want to achieve this year, and ultimately what I want it to become, I've thought of four pledges I wanted to make to ensure a great year ahead. As I've pondered these I've decided I will listen, I will learn, I will labor and I will love. And with that being said, I've spent the last few days thinking of a good spiritual message I could convey in my email.. Focusing on one of those four pledges so that I could learn how to become better. And I've had SOO many different thoughts come to my mind. So honestly...I'm just picking one and I'll share more about the others I'm my future emails! 

It's been said that "You begin to live only when you begin to love, and you begin to love only when selfishness dies and you live to bless others." It is the unseen power of your sincere interest and love that can open hearts, and allow the spirit to penetrate their soul! I find that pretty neat, but I know that if it wasn't for my love for the people in the wonderful area in Florida, and the love that radiates from you guys back home, I wouldn't be who I am today! I appreciate all the great influences I have in my life, and for the impact you all have had to help me become who I am, so that I can help bless the lives of others! I love and miss you all! And hope you have a great week ahead of you!!!

-Elder A. Olson