Pictures!!!!

MTC

Jacob pointing to Uruguay and Cuauhti pointing to Winnipeg.

Katie Ann Zemp from our old ward.  She used to drive him to early morning
band from seminary every week.  He was her zone leader in the MTC.

"My Missionary Desk"

The four Elders from Alberta.
Not sure of the order, Elder Miller (Cardston),
Elder Kenny (Lethbridge), Elder Dola (Medicine Hat)

The missionary to his right is Ty Moeller.
They took the plane together and he is from our stake.
They used to live down the street from us

With his MTC companion
Elder Wells from Alaska

"Sassy selfy in front of the temple"

"Playing hockey at the ward Canada Breakfast"

"He took some selfies on my camera"

"Wayne - he will be baptized
at the end of the month"

"This is Jose my new black friend because
Al doesn't reply to my emails
and he never emails me."

"My greeny meal from my first week"

"I told Kenji I would send a picture"

"..."

"Yup...40 degrees celsius..."

"Oh yeah, I bought a cheap 3/4 guitar, I've been getting it signed by people I meet :) "

"Candid selfy..."
I'm not sure if it's possible to take a "candid selfy" - Mika

"Singing in the car"

"My new district all colour coordinated"

July 8, 2013

Dear Mom,

  I'm glad to hear al's been growing up a bit.  I really miss him.  He is going to do amazing, I can't believe it's less than a month till he reports!

 With some of our investigators we are constantly trying to help them and they just won't accept what we have to say to them even though we know that what we have to say can help them.  It's so hard sometimes.  But I'm not hear to convince people about anything.  I'm hear to invite them.  That's all that I can do.  A healing comes from coming unto Christ.  But until you experience that yourself you cannot convert anyone else.  Mom, when you truly experience the healing power of the Atonement you will be a testament of the truthfulness of this gospel.  When you come unto Christ the pain you feel will dissapear and it will be replaced with hope.  It's not up to you to convince others, that is the job of the spirit.  The spirit is central to conversion, but as you invite the spirit you prepare the way for others to have a spiritual experience.  I know that faith, hope and charity are so important.  But in the bible it says that one is even more important than the others: 1 Corinthians 13:13 and that one is described in the BOok of Mormon Moroni 7:45-48 and if that is true then it is the center of everything.   If Christ's atonement is Central to God's Plan of happiness then Charity, the pure love of Christ, is central to the atonement. And after all, what is God's Purpose: MOses 1:39  Everything that happens to us and is made possible for us is because God loves us.

(1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Moroni 7:45-48 - And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  Wherefore my beloved brethern, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.  Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail - but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethern, pray unto the Father will all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he lath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.  Amen.

Moses 1:39 - For behold, this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.)

So in the missionfield, ties are like currency... I went to and came out of the MTC with 8 ties... I currently have 17.  And I have some incredibly nice ones! The trick is to trade for quantity then size down for some quality, ELder kenney and I are no longer considered greenies just because of our tie collections : )

This past week has been incredible, We've been working a lot with the Pettys. a Deaf family and I can bear my whole testimony in sign lanquage now! It is amazing how humble they are and they are coming to church next sunday!! The area we cover is the richest area in winnipeg and it's really hard to find people to teach because a lot of the people won't see how the message we share can help them.  We do have a lot of strong members in the ward though and many of them are excited to be engaged in the missionary work.  I'm actually in Ben Barfuss's Uncle and AUnt's Ward! It's a great ward and we have been warmly welcomed especially because we're pretty helpless as 2 7weekers who are trying to finish each others training ; P so they take pity on us : P

We've been teaching a chinese guy named Fan who is great!  We'll probably turn him over to the YSA elders though : P

THis week we're really going to work hard, Last week we spent a whole day moving into our new appartment so we're gonna work extra hard to make up for that day!

AUntie Hannah challenged me to memorize a scripture a day in her letter... I am not quite at the level of memorization as that but I have been at least memorizing a reference a day : P

I love you Mom.  

Here's some pictures : P

"I LITERALLY HUGGED HIM FOR FIVE MINUTES STRAIGHT WHEN HE CAME IN!!!
Elder B>Lyons and I!!!"

"Elder Kenney and I"

"Where we stayed until last thursday:P (basement of the Mission office :P)"
This looks more like the room he left behind at home. - Mika

"Me cooking up a storm in the kitchen"

July 2, 2013

 Dear Mom,

 I'm so sorry I didn't email you yesterday!  Yesterday all the Libraries were closed for Canada Day, but we had an amazing Day!!!

 Our new ward is the Waverly Ward! It's incredible, I really loved the Members back in the gateway ward but it's so good to be serving with Elder Kenney, I've been assigned to take the lead, but Elder Kenney and I are so much more equal and it's incredible being able to rely wholly on the Lord as Elder Kenney and I have very little experience and knowledge.

 Since Thursday we have taught nearly 10 lessons, and we have found 3 new investigators, all of who showed up to church!! It's incredible how hard work and desire can really make things happen.  I've really been evaluating why I'm serving out here and I've come to the realization that I'm changing.   My biggest regret that I left at home was doing a poor job of explaining what I'd be doing as a Missionary to all of my friends who aren't members of the Church.  I used to think that they wouldn't understand that I wouldn't be making a "visible" difference building schools and churches in africa or south america, but I've come to realize that it does make a visible difference in the lives that I'm able to touch.

 Teaching is central to everything I do.  I spend a lot of time helping people move, helping them do yard or garden work, or work around their homes, including renovations and such, but through those opportunities I always strive to teach.  A habit that I've been falling into is: "LOVE. SERVE.TEACH" (In that Order)  It all starts with loving the people I serve and Teach.  Because I love all those that I meet, I have the desire to share with them, the message that has Changed my life.

 This area is incredible, on our second night here we taught a Less active man who is deaf and Struggles with Alcoholism,  we had a lesson with him through writing on a pen and page, he told us about his struggles to communicate with people, and I wrote down, Ether 12:27.

(Ether is a prophet in the Book of Mormon.  The scripture Elder Olguin is referring to reads: "And if men come unto me I will show them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.")

 He started to cry and he accepted our offer to give him a blessing.  Afterwards he gave a prayer and his wife who has a speech impediment interpreted for us.  We went to their home again and this time we brought one of their friends from church who is a sign language teacher, she was a great blessing and we were able to communicate much more strongly with him, and she offered to teach us ASL, so I've been learning ASL!!

 Also some of our new investigators are from China and we actaully met them when they showed up to the ESL class that Some missionaries were teaching on Saturday, we offered to teach them english and about the Gospel, and they asked if we'd like to learn mandarin, so we've been learning madarin too!!

I hope I stay in this area for a while!!!

We've been staying at the mission office in the basement cause we don't have an appartment till friday but it's been amazing!! The assistants live upstairs so I've been living with ELder B. Lyons since thursday!!! It's amazing, he's grown so much, and he's been teaching me so much.

(Elder B. Lyons is Brendan Lyons who Elder Olguin mentioned when he opened his mission call that he has looked up to and called his "hero" growing up.)

 Elder Kenney and I have been making quite the racket around here, in a good way and in a not as good way....  In a good way, we had a very short week(thursday-sunday) and we had more lessons taught and more people at church than most missionaries in the mission, so we are really excited about this full week!!! and then, We have been making a lot of trip ups and mistakes where everyone kinda just shakes their head's and chuckles to themselves; "greenies.."  ;P It's amazing being out here mom.  Teaching is central to my purpose, and I've been getting so much better at it as I invite people to take the steps that I took to change my life around and Be as Happy as I am.

 Know that Christ is the Center of our Religion.  Everything else is an Apendage.  The Book of Mormon's Central purpose is to convince all People that Jesus is the Christ.  NOT that the bible is incorrect.  The Book of Mormon is the Keystone of our religion because it proves that God is the same today, yesterday, and forever.  He still inspires men and calls them to do his work.  Right now there is no more exciting or important time to be engaged in missionary work.   Lift up your voice, Lovingly invite, and Stand as a witness and as a testament of what this Gospel means and brings.  I love you mom.  Be anxiously engaged there is not greater joy than that that comes from the restored gospel.

  

 Love,

 Elder Olguin

This is his first district in Winnipeg