Season 16: Episode 2

So first off.. To explain the title I'm on transfer 16 - week 2, just to clear up confusion haha! This week was a pretty sweet week! Basically the same usual stuff went down, but it wasn't as stressful so that was nice! We just had another solid week of lessons and meeting some new people, along with getting to know some new faces and we even spent a bit of time knocking doors! We were able to visit some old people I used to teach in Sebring, that now live down here! They have lots of questions about the church, which is good, but we are just trying to see how truly interested they are!

We have continued to work with Neil and he's such a funny and awesome guy! We taught him the principle of prayer and how we can communicate with God. He always thought prayers were memorized and told us he was ashamed he doesn't know any. After teaching him how we pray and how God doesn't want to hear the same words every time he hears from us. He WANTS to hear our struggles and what we need help with, he wants to hear how our day went, he wants to hear what we are thankful for, he just wants us to be us! And so Neil after 87 years said his first prayer!

Also quick, random, kinda gross story about a lesson we had with them this week. We took a member with us, and well... At first they weren't home. The member quickly blurted out "I urgently need to use the restroom" so we made a mad dash for the local Walgreens. He came out looking refreshed and we headed back to see if they were home (which they were). Luckily Neil and Ruth are hard of hearing because out of no where the words uttered from that members mouth were somethings like: "what did I eat to cause such a reaction?" Neil and Ruth didn't catch a word! Phew... It was quite comical!

Anyways, this week we spent a lot of time focusing on less active members and visiting all the ones we don't know or have no information on. So that was great, and doing so actually set us up with some great service opportunities to help families move and such! We did meet some awesome members we've never met before though, and also a lot of them had non member family living there. So we will hopefully continue to meet with those families and help bring the joys of the gospel to them again!

Elder Creer and I also were brainstorming on some ideas for a fun branch activity we could throw. There is an outdoor movie screen on the side of one of the buildings here in Lake Placid, and so we figured we are going to talk to the owner and try to plan a "Bring a Friend BBQ and movie night" and show the new church released movie Meet The Mormons!! So that would be SWEET if it all works out!

We were also able to get lots of pics with the Murals here in the town, so I'll attach some of those pics!! This upcoming week is full of meetings for the zone and stuff like that, so lots of travel and waking up at like 3:30 in the morning so we can make the commute to Zone Conference on time.

Just a few quick quotes I used/found this week from various leaders of the church.

* "Our spiritual stability increases in proportion to the degree to
which we establish Jesus Christ as our foundation."
—Dale G. Renlund,
"Spiritual Stability: Building an Unsinkable Ship", Liahona, April
2016

* "You and I can not only survive but prevail ... in our efforts to
stand for truth in perilous times."
—Susan W. Tanner, "Glad Tidings
from Cumorah"

* "As we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become
better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our
steps."
       —David A. Bednar, "The Spirit of Revelation"

* "Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if
you choose to serve the Lord this day with your whole heart."
       —Henry B. Eyring, "This Day"

I love and miss you all!! Have a great week this week. Thanks again as always for the constant support you are to me! It's just been unsettling to think that in 2 short months all this, this amazing journey, comes to a close. Missionary work never stops, but the physical call and full time devotion do. This is the very thing I've come to embrace, live, enjoy, and love doing! It's strange, it's almost like I can't imagine how "normal life" is even going to be like anymore haha! Anywho, have a fantastic week! Also pray that we are guided to the elect who want the gospel!!!:)

-Elder A. Olson