Riley Olsen's Mission: 2 1/2 Transfers in, Exactly 20 months left.

April 13,2015

Yeah, I was bored a long time ago (Like the beginning of last transfer) and figured out what day my last transfer ends. It is December 13, 2016 that I will be leaving. I can't believe It has already been 3 1/2 months! It feels like... 3 1/2 months! Wow. Just kidding. Time flies. exept for this week, which, besides the very first week of the CCM, has been the longest one so far. There really isn't a lot to talk about. All of our fechas failed this week. We are starting from ground zero. We didn't even find very many people. This week was not very good. We didn't do a lot of study (however I did read the first 10 chapters of Jesus the Christ), and it really showed how much success can change. Study is a HUGE deal, and is definitely necessary to have success. It prepares you for the day, and helps you recognize what is important when teaching. Also, excercise was a lacking element of the week. It also is very important. So, this week was bad in terms of success and drive. we were unprepared. I guess the Companionship of the month got us full of ourselves, but we have learned our lesson. Next week will be better. Way better.

Today, however, was really... different. it was District P-Day, and we went to the beach, kinda. Like to the Ocean, where we just kinda sat there forever. the waves at this beach were HUGE. Bigger than the ones I've seen in Hawaii and California, anyways. BIG waves. I am sunburnt. :P Forgot sunscreen. Haha, and I thought I was gonna die on the hike back up mini-sahara. That's not actually its name, but you will see why I called it that. It is all sand. Wow. yeah.

I got some letters sent to me from the 11-year-old scouts. They have some questions for me. Let's go and answer them. :)

From: Jackson Gray

"I was wondering what it is like to serve, could you tell me?"

Jackson, the mission is awesome. As a missionary, you meet a lot of people, and all of them are cool. You get to be friends with everyone, especially the ones who you serve. It is a lot of fun, and there are a lot of ways to make it fun, like games, competitions, and jokes. It is a lot like having friends at home. But it is a lot of wor, too. Every minute of every day, you are trying to learn how to help more people, and make more friends. As a missionary, you want EVERYONE to be happy forever, and it is sad when they don't want the same, so you want to be like Ammon, and make friends who trust you, and will understand what it means to be happy for eternity. I hope I answered your question good!

From: Garrett Gardner

"How is Peru?"

Awesome, poor, and dusty, with lots and lots of hills and sand. :)

"Do you have a house or an apartment?"

I have a room in the second floor of a mamber's house. Not really an apartment, not really a house. It is really small, and we only have a fan to stay cold when it gets hot. It is really awesome though.

"What do you eat?"

Chicken, rice, more chicken, more rice, sometimes fish, more chicken and rice, salads, some beef and rice, rice, and to top it off, Inca Kola, the best, yellow, kinda fruity, Peruvian soda in the world.

"What do people wear?"

The same thing as you, down to the English written on their shirts. And sometimes, a straw cowbay hat like the pioneers used to wear. The old people dress more like mexican cowboys. Yeah, and the missionaries wear a white shirt and tie, with a nametag, church pants, and black church shoes.

"How many people have you met?"

A LOT. LOTS AND LOTS. If you want a number, maybe 200ish, but not all of them know me. ;) I say hi and meet everybody that I can. That is what you should do in 7 years too.

Also, one of the scouts asked me about peru for a school project. Some ideas for him are to look up the following places, and then tell me about them, so that I can know, too. :)

Cuzco, Machu Pichu, Incas, some lines on the ground or something, and just... I don't know... everything. I don't know a lot about this place yet, oh and the best meal here is called Lomo Saltado. Yeah, also served with rice;)

I hope I answered all of the questions. I couldn't read 2 of them, because they were scans, and in light pencil. So... yeah. Thank you scouts!! You're awesome!

I had 2 baptisms this week. I will send pictures. Now for mi testimonio (en español, obviamente.)

esta semana no fue lo mejor. Yo sé. estoy comprometido para ser mejor esta semana siguiente. La misión es lo máximo, pero también es muy dura. Si no trabajamos duro, no vamos a tener éxito. Algunas cosas de las más importantes son estudiar, ejercer, y encontrar. Para tener éxito, y ser un misionero exitoso, tiene que hacer estas cosas, y seguir las reglas muy bien. Sé que esta iglesia es verdadera, y que Jesucristo sufrió para nosotros. Gracias a que Él vive, podemos llegar a ser mejores personas, y ser perdonados de nuestros pecados y imperfecciones. Tenemos que seguir en Su camino, y hacer las cosas que son importantes a él antes que hacer las cosas importantes a nosotros. Gracias por ser los máximos. Les amo mucho, y quiero que ustedes tengan una semana muy muy bien. ¡Hasta la próxima semana!

Con amor,

Élder (Riley Jacob) Olsen