Email 03/30/09

Hi Everyone!! How are you all doing? Hawaii sounds like fun. How was the trip to rachelles, Annalisa? How was having Annalisa, RAchelle? How did the 311 concert go? How did ryan's presentation go? So dad we have not had any problem with political stuff and I didnt hear of it either. Scout camp in Hawaii! Do I get to come? :) That would me fun! ha ha And my Spanish... learning a bit here and there. Mostly when we are knocking doors I try and learn. No good! ha. We find a lot of people on the buses. You just say hi and how are you and they usually like to talk back. If not. then oh well. The members are awesome here. WE had an Enrichment Stake thing this weekend and it was fun to get to know the Relief Society more. Nice people. My favorite are the ladies from Gauna. The members fed us a lot lastweek but we have no apts this mounth with anyone. I sure it will change, but we ate with the Bishop and his family. I think it was lamb? Not bad but it was green and big bones. I didnt really want to ask what it was. I just ate it. ha. It reminded me of the cruises. Good thing I had that experince so I am willing to eat food I don't know what it is :) I havent had anything that I really liked. They have no mexican food here or anything that I can make a burrito. way sad. I am going to miss that. I had a horrible dessert. It was stale bread with seeds in it and it soaked in eggs and not cooked all the way. Horrible! It was a tradition english dessert in the old days I guess. Dad I got your letter when you sent it with all the stuff. Thank you. It was good to have when I got here. Mom there are 2 missionaries in 1 ward. And no I am not that warm. I am cold everywhere. I wear my scarf and coat pretty much all the time. even inside. HA. I don't have time to really shop for anything but maybe next pday. When we knock on doors is when I get really cold. We were tracting in the Hail the other day adn it was windy. It was amazing! ha. One thing out here is that people don't answer their doors. They will stand inside and talk to us through the doors or the windows. People keep to themselves a lot here. But the African people are so nice and are willing to listen to anything. There are a ton of different people here. WE ran into a lot of Turkish people. Its crazy!. Pretty much everyone smokes here. I am getting used to the smell like the Vegas smell. In the morning I run. Sister Abellan just sits and watches because she has a bad heart so she can't do anything but walk slow. so she is nice to sit in the cold while I try to stay in shape. I get way sore easily though. We walk a lot and alot. I am dead by the time I get in to sleep. So on Saterday night as I was getting into my bed Sister Abellan was telling me I needed to prepare the Gospel Doctrine Lesson for Sunday. I was like! ha thanks for the info. I didnt have any time to get it ready but it all worked out. I like teaching now. Weird? ha I invite everyone to watch the testaments if you have not seen it in awhile. we watched it with a member the other day and it just confirms to me the amazing Christ we have and everything he did for us and how happy I am to be out here to serve him. There is nothing better to be doing right now. So watch it!!! So good! :) So I will leave you with an amazing spiritual story we had this week. We were on our way to Liverpool where we were dropping off sister strunk for moves. On our way back, Sister Abellan was talking to a lady who is from protagul and she spoke spanish with her. We gave her our number. She called us back. We met with her and found out she had lessons taught to her in portagul from elders and then moved and lost contact. She said it was a miricle and we gave her the bom and she said before we gave it to her that it was going to change her life. She remembered hearing about joseph smith and loved the story. She is amazing and I am so excited to teach her more. Miracles are happening out here. Thanks to our Heavenly father who prepares the people to listen and axcept the gospel. I better get going. I hope all is going well with everyone. I love you all and my prayers are with you. Love Sister Jennifer Olsen