October 13, 2014
Surprise! Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. We
just found that out this weekend. So unfortunately, we will not be able
to get our winter clothes until next Monday. But la famille Baker is
having us over for Thanksgiving Dinner! They are seriously the
best. We feel so loved by them. It's just what we need!
Heavenly Father is so good to us two nineteen year-old Americans in little
Gatineau.
Okay so this week was crazy again with the buses. We
are having a hard time figuring out how all this works. But it is so
good! We are learning so many amazing missionary skills and we have so
many more opportunities to connect with people and share the Gospel! I
love it so much. It isn't coming all at once. It is definitely
going to take some more practice, but it's the coolest experience to meet a
person, make a connection, and share a truth all between a few bus stops!
We have to be careful though, because otherwise we'll get kicked off the
bus. But it's so fun!
We had interviews with President this week! We got super lost on the buses on the way
there. Interviews are in Ottawa, which is in Ontario, which is a
completely different state from Quebec but it's like fifteen minutes away from
where we live. We had to get to Ontario and then buy new bus tickets
there and anyways, we got really lost. We also had a few incidents in
between on the way. By the time we finally got off our last bus we were
way off the mark. So we were marching through this wooded area fifteen
minutes before my interview was supposed to start. Miracle of the story,
we somehow ended up on the road just around the corner from the chapel five
minutes before my interview started. I wish I could convey to you what a
miracle it was! We were so lost and so late and we were never going to
get there. Heavenly Father is so good to us! He is working full
time to make up for all my mistakes that I make throughout the day, but He
loves us and blesses us anyway!
The interviews were awesome. I love President and he
still loves me. He just spent the whole interview complimenting me and uplifting
me. He's the best! It sounds like the mission is down a car. If they open up an area that needs a car more
than us then it will go to that area but if not we'll get one. But I have
no idea when. So we'll see!
I'm really learning the principle of line upon line, precept
upon precept. I know I gave my farewell talk about that and I thought
that I learned that lesson last year. But Heavenly Father is so much
wiser than me and He loves me so much that He continues to give me
opportunities to learn about it.
French is definitely an example of that! It is
definitely coming little by little, but that's okay! It's so fun! I
love speaking it so much! I learn new things every day and I am just
having a blast with it. The real problem for me is understanding people
still. Everyone has a different accent and they are all so darn
thick! I love the Quebecois and I can't wait for the day when I become
one of them! I think we are all going to have to move up here because I
don't think I can ever go home! Start learning your French but it's okay
if not. Everyone is bilingual that is from here. There are a lot of
Africans that don't speak English and some that don't even speak French but
over half of the Quebecois we meet speak both. I told you that the
Quebecois are descendants of the Indians right? I just think it's so cool
that we are sharing the Book of Mormon with the Lamanites! Fulfilling
prophecies up here! We are so blessed. I feel like the luckiest person in
the world every morning to be a missionary here! Even though it's hard
and we are still very much figuring things out over here, I know how much
Heavenly Father loves us and how much He loves these people!
Elder Ballard is coming this Saturday! Did I
tell you that? We are getting a new stake President in Ottawa so he is
coming to call him. He is holding a special meeting for our recent
converts, less actives, and amis Saturday! I can't wait. Please,
please, please pray that these people will have the desire to come! This
could shake the lives of these people if they come. I just know it! We
are doing everything we can to get people there. I am so excited!
We are so blessed to have living prophets and apostles today. It is
usually the truth I share with the people I connect with on the bus. What
better news than Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have restored their Church
and speak to us as their children today through their prophets and apostles?
I love it so much!
We have a new ami this week. His name is Amid.
He is a former Muslim. He is another person who believes that it doesn't
matter how we worship, just that we do. I can't wait to share with him
all the blessings that come with joining himself to Heavenly Father and
Christ's Church. Of course they love us no matter what but because They
love us so much, They have given us the way to receive the fullness of the
blessings that They have for us!
Okay, I think that's all I have time for, I love you all so
much! Thanks so much for your love and prayers! Have a wonderful
week! We'll try to start taking pictures again so I have something to
send!
Love love love,
Soeur Olsen
