Avoid the Mission Midlife Crisis! - Week 43

Dear family and friends,

As crazy as it is, did you know that you could have a midlife crisis out here in the mission field? It is when you realize that you are only at your halfway point and there are another 9 months ahead--it can be a really great thing or it could be really bad. I know about this because I hit that point this month where I thought to myself, is this something that I want to do for another 9 months?

Luckily, the Lord has a way of interfering and keeping your mind on the work to the point that you forget about that want to go home. Also, He gives you really good leaders. This week, I finally has my STL (Sister Training Leader) exchange with Sis. Bennett--she is on fire even though she is going home this week after serving a very successful mission--and she got me back on track. During our 1-day exchange, I just kind of mentioned that I was starting to feel like I was getting into a rut and I didn't really feel like being a missionary for much longer, then she gave me a really good secret. Everyone feels that way at some point or another. It is that feeling of just wanting to sit back and relax because you have been living and working non-stop, but the antidote was to find a bigger purpose. So that is what we did.

I finally made some big goals to keep going strong until the very end of my mission. I want to read the Book of Mormon through Mongolian 3 times before my mission ends (from front to end) and I can do that if I stay on track with the 90-day challenges: just do it over and over again (and right now I am still on track and am in 3 Nephi 6). I want to complete the entire Mission Library (all of the standard works--I am in Acts in the New Testament, Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, and I have finished the other ones already--plus 5 other books). I want to make a really good 42 Principles Book (this is where you take every topic in Preach my Gospel and find a good way to teach it and write it out for practice in English and Mongolian). These are hard!

Plus, I want to be able to do a 5 minute plank and I want to be able to do a standing split before this mission is over. You also need to concentrate on your health!

So good news, I am avoiding the mission midlife crisis. It is hard, but I love what I am doing.

Love you all,

Sister Jessica Olsen

PS - Sorry this letter is a little short, the keyboard that I am using is a little muuhai (ugly and generally just bad)

So this is a picture of the smog that is going to be coming in (and the reason that once Nov. hits, it is a face mask time all the time), Sis. Bennett getting me in gear by showing me her really cool 42 principle book, and my comp found her name on the Cola bottles.

Getting ready for the day :)