June 24, 2013

Dear Mom,

Out in the Missionfield we measure time by Transfers.  Transfers happen every 6 weeks as new missionaries arrive and old missionaries complete their missions and go home.  We get transfer calls the friday before transfers so we got transfers last Friday, which usually doesn't mean much to someone in training because usually the first two transfers are spent in training... so we got a call from The assistants to the president on Friday, and they asked: WHo wants their call first,  and elder moore said give elder olguin his first, so the Assistant said:"Elder Olguin, You're Taking over Our area" and I replied with: "Haha yeah okay whatevery"  and he replied with:I'm being Dead serious" and I said "Yeah Sure; P" and He said"  You and Elder Kenney will be finishing each others training and WE(the Assistants) are becoming travelling assistants and we'll be going all over the mission training everyone".     Elder Kenney is one of the GOod friends I made in the MTC!!!!!! Words can't describe how excited I am!!  President told me that He and the Zone leaders are confident in me as a missionary and that even though I haven't been out for too long he trusts me enough to train another missionary.

I don't think I would've grown as much as I have with a (different) companion so I'm very grateful for the way the Lord has prepared me for the next part of this Journey.

Last week was incredible,  we have started teaching a lot more, and WE HAVE A BAPTISM ON SATURDAY!!!

It won't be my area anymore but I'm just being transferred to the more southern part of winnipeg, to an area called Waverly.  And I have recieved permission to attend Wayne's Baptism!!  I'm so excited for him, he has a true desire to be baptized and his life has changed so miraculously as we've taught him and invited him to keep the commandments.  He has such an amazing testimony and he said a 15 minute prayer at the end of one of our lessons and the feelings of peace and Love that entered the room were undeniable. 

another one of our investigators, Buba CAMe to church yesterday!!!  WE call her Buba cause that means grandma, she's from Yugo slaavia and she has a ridiculously long and hard name, like my name times 5 in difficulty and length... but she is incredible, she is one of the most religious people I have ever met.  She believes that the book of mormon is true, but she didn't want to be baptized because she believes that all baptism is the same.  We have been teaching her more on the significance of the book of mormon being true, as it means that the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is true, which means that God has restored his true power to this church, which means that we have the authority to baptize.  Last week she asked more about being baptized and how she didn't want to spit on everything her parents believed in, we told her that she wasn't turning her back on anything, merely adding on to what she already believes.  We invited her to pray about coming to church and later in the week she agreed and it was an amazing experience as she went to church and felt peace that she hadn't felt for a long time.

Besides that we did quite a bit of tracting, (knocking on doors), we were able to set up appointments with a few them and we'll be checking up on them throughout the week.  We tracted one young family, that we were able to teach the restoration to and they turned out to be christian, they asked about some of the things that we believe in and we explained how many of their concerns are answered not only through the Book of Mormon but the Bible as well.

We've been spending a lot of time in our service clothes as well, we helped weed the largest garden I've seen in my life one day and I was sweating buckets!! It's been above 30 degrees for the last week!!  Helped a bunch of people move, it's been amazing as we try to leave everyone that we do service for with a spiritual thought. 

This week we willl be teaching a ton of people, until thursday at least... then begins the next part of the adventure!!! 

I'm so very excited.  I have truly grown to love the ward I've been serving in, but I'm excited to meet even more people and learn and grow as I serve with Elder Kenney, who is the tall red head in some of the MTC pictures, he is from Lethbridge Alberta, and we are gonna tear it up!!

I have grown to learn how important my family is to me.  One of the things I learned last week was:  You have to know where you want to go before you choose your path.  Sometimes it seems like all we can do is just survive till the end of the Day... but there's a better way.   Focus on giving it your all until a point where you think you can't go further.  Then move on to the Next point in the near distance.   As you try to live the gospel and live in a way that you aren't looking for the blessings but acknowledging and utilizing them instead, you will learn that living is better than surviving. 

I  love you.  I miss you.  Everyday I see the things you taught me, and I see your love for me as I work my heart out and strive to honour the savior and you through all that I do.

Love,

ELder Olguin

June 11, 2013

Thank you all for the support and love you have shown for Elder Olguin. 

He must have run out of time this week to email. He is currently living in the north part of the city of Winnipeg. He is in a ward called the Gateway Ward and it has about 60 active members who regularly attend church. There are six wards in the city and they meet in four different buildings. He said it is very difficult because their numbers are so small and a lot of the work is contacting members. 

All mail is sent to the mission office in Winnipeg and he lives about 30 minutes away from the office. He receives mail every Tuesday at zone conferences. This will probably change if he is transferred to another area out of the city. He uses Internet at the library for about one hour every Monday. He sometimes doesn't even have enough time to read all his email so if you write to him on paper he will have more time to read your correspondence. They have from 10-6 on Mondays to do laundry, grocery shop, some recreational activities such as the rugby he spoke of a couple weeks ago and email. 

Elder Olguin's trainer is a missionary named Elder Moore from Duncan, Vancouver Island. He said that their personalities sometimes clash.

 

Apparently Cuauhti is a self-proclaimed excellent cook and he has also realized that, (contrary to the last 12 years of his life), he is also excellent at studying. 

They live in a small apartment and out the window there is a sign that reads "Smile you are on camera".

They have two desks, four folding chairs, and a table. The bedroom is two single beds and apparently Cuauhti does know how

to make a bed.

He is still excited and loves what he is doing. He said time goes so fast and there are not enough hours in the day to do all he needs to and wants to. 

Thanks again for all your prayers and support. And remember, if you see Mormon missionaries walking down the street, they are kids just like Cuauhti (so be nice!).

Mika

Cuauhtis district at the MTC (Missionary Training Centre) in Provo, Utah. 

Canada Winnipeg Mission
Elder Cuauhtemoc Olguin Jr. 
845 Shaftesbury Blvd
Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M5

June 6, 2013

Dear everyone,

This past week, I've really learned more about who I am, as a person.  As I've learned more about who I am I realize how much I love everyone at home, especially my mom.  It's hard being out here but I've also learned that as ME, I'm at home anywhere that I can lift a burden or make someone smile and/or laugh : )  I realize that as a person I truly do love everyone, and I want them to be as happy as I am, and that really helps me as a Missionary.  I realize that, While I love everyone here with my whole heart, I love everyone at home with my whole heart.  The heart's like a candle, when it lights another one it loses no light itself.  I've learned so much more, but the most important thing is that the road's only long if you try to see the end of it.   I only look as far as the days end and I make sure that I have absolutely nothing left to give for that day.  I love you all. And I love being a missionary.

Love,

Elder Olguin

May 27, 2013

Dear everyone,

Sorry about the short email last week : P

These past 2 weeks have been absolutely incredibnle. not because everything's been going nicely, but because I've grown so much in who I am.  As I said last week, there's so many Phillipinos!!! They are the funnest and funniest people ever!!! they all remind me f my grandpa; short, asian looking, love karaoke, kind of eccentric, and able to find a joke anywhere. we played volleyball with a bunch of them last Preparation day and they kicked our butts... they're ridiculously good... Later that day we were invited to a Phillipino potluck, fed some more crazy things and had a good time getting to know the phillipino members of the church here. 

Besides that our week has ben tough.. My purpose here as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ.  we accomplish that by loving, serving, teaching, and inviting everyone everybody we meet.  I love talking with everyone we see even despite some of the not so pleasant responses we get : P I love sharing the message that has brought so much peace, happiness, and love to my life. we've started working with the youth in the area and started planning activites for members to enjoy and bring their friends to like sports nights, movie nights, talent shows, and also an english class that we'll be teaching. I've made so many friends here and grown to love. One person is bipolar, has minor cerebral palsy, is epileptic, and is one of the most sincere souls I've ever met.  He loves to talk and he has incredible faith.  He loves having my companion and I over and he has such an amazing, penitent heart.

Yesterday was also incredible.  at church, they surpised me by announcing that i was giving a talk : P I'd heard that I might introduce my self... but a talk definitely wasn't planned : P
BUt I survived.  Church was definitely eventful....

anywas after church we had a dinner appointment with this older couple. the wife comes to church and loves it and  the husband not so much but he loves meeting with the missionaries and he's such a swell guy.

All new missionaries are called "greenies" so they have a tradition of feeding the new missionaries a meal that is completely green... I'll try to attach some pictures : P

We had a wonderful visit with them and we invited the husband back to church after sharing a message with him, with tears in his eyes he accepted our invitation.

This morning, we played rugby with some of the missionaries in winnipeg, our team was called "The Green Knees"

I loved it, and afterwards I was challenged to a race cause I'm speedy or something ; P

It was so much fun, they were fast... but not fast enough : )

BTW to expound on "balut" It's like a hard boiled egg until the arms or wings I guess... and legs pop out of the sac in center, Brother Dimalaluan said; "wait till you try one day old chick" : P

FOr those of you who would like to learn more about what I believe in, who I am, and what has driven me to spend 2 years completely devoted to bringing happiness and peace to others, check out mormon.org I'm Even on the site!!!!! Look me UP:  Cuauhti Olguin

I miss you and I love you, I sometimes don't have enough time to reply to all your wonderful emails and responses so if you want me to definitely reply, write to me at:

Canada Winnipeg Mission

Elder Cuauhtemoc Olguin Jr.

845 Shaftesbury Boulevard

Winnipeg Manitoba

Sometimes it might take a while to get back cause I might be living up to 14 hours away from this adress at times but this will be the most sure way to get mail to me!!!

LOL,

ELder Olguin

LOL(lots of love)

May 21, 2013

I love being out in the mission field!!! On Thursday I was assigned to my first area in northern winnipeg! I love my companion and I love the people!

THere's a lot of phillipino people! I love them and they love feeding me crazy food especially Balut, a phillipino delicacy, which is pretty much duck fetus ; P

It's alright.. it's jsut the thought that's a bit hard to stomach : P

I love bringing people happiness and loving them and serving!1

love

elder oolgusiojn

May 14, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

I have had such an incredible week!  This past sunday I heard one of the greatest things I've ever heard about a mission: "If your mission isn't hard, Then you're doing it wrong"

It is hard and I can only imagine how hard it'll be tomorrow as I'll be leaving for Winnipeg tomorrow and getting right into the Work.   But stragnely enough, I'm more excited about entering the mission field than i've ever been in my life!! I'm so excited to love and serve the People in the Canada Winnipeg Mission.

Some of the people have been here for 6-12 weeks but the Elders in my district and I tell everyone welcome to the MTC and they yell at us about how they've been here for 6 weeks or so and we just tell them we've been here for a long time too... Almost 2 weeks.. : P

we also pretend to speak french or spanish. 

The 3 canadians and I convince americans that we call "packing": "Luggaging" and that we call donuts: "dessert bagels"

It sure has been a slice here at the MTC,  The Teachers are incredible and the spirit is strong. 

I love you all, Write to me in winnipeg or just email me as that'll probably be 10 times faster!

Love Elder Olguin