I love this week!

Dear family and friends,

General Conference! Zone Conference! I love my life and it is always so much fun when the missionaries get together, this week has been so great.

I almost just want to do a breakdown of all of the fun things!

Wednesday:

It was P-day! We still had to teach the teachers that morning, which allowed us the opportunity to go to the Traveling Circus!!! Oh my gosh, it was so much fun and it turned out that it was the Mongolian traveling circus which goes all over the country. We had upfront seats and it was great!!!! The only thing was that there was this really cool act with horses and while we were at the very front, it was also shedding season, so there was horse hair everywhere! If you had allergies, it would have been your worst nightmare, but luckily, it was fine. My companion and I got pictures outside by the horses, then afterwards, we went on the stage and got pictures by a lot of the performers.

Oh, we also started everything out by going to Hard Rock Cafe! Since we went in the middle of the day, we were one of the only ones in the restaurant and they turned on the big screen for us. For the 3rd time in my entire mission, I have heard a country song and I felt like my heart melted just a little. The food was AMAZING and ridiculously expensive, so I have decided that I will go once more. That will be one of the last places that I eat at while here. Quality food always hearts the wallet just a little.

Thursday:

ZONE CONFERENCE! Oh man, these are just great. Sis. Harper even made chicken salad sandwiches on croissants--I have not had croissants since before my mission, I almost cried of happiness. There were some powerful lessons taught and we were given the challenge to be as obedient as possible. I love these.

Friday - A good normal day of teaching English, followed by having to do Big Plan and figure out next week. When I started my mission, I felt like it was just a big waste of time, but as I have moved forward in my mission, I have realized how vital they are. You need to be on the same page as your companion for how time is spent, the lessons that you share, and just goals you are working towards; when you don't take the time to plan, it is really hard to be successful. You definitely will not be united without it. Hahahahah, I am planning on doing these when I have my own little family someday.

Saturday:

GENERAL CONFERENCE and WOMAN'S CONFERENCE! Talk about pure happiness. All of the missionaries in the city came together, and get this, my ENTIRE MTC group is finally here in Mongolia. It was such a happy time and the first time that we were able to actually see each other. Sis. Harper made her ice cream and Sis. Sutphin made Apple Cobbler. Oh my heck, these woman are magical and have found ways to make food that you cannot get here. Blessings!

Sunday:

GENERAL CONFERENCE AGAIN! And the fun keeps going. This day was especially fun because we all brought food for a pot luck so everyone was able to eat together and just enjoy the company. My mission has some very firm rules regarding Sisters and Elders not mingling for social occasions, so it is only during conferences that we spend time all together. After conference, my companion went out and met with a few investigators.

Monday:

A day of English, but I also met with my New Members who were jut baptized. We taught the lesson by having them put on the missionary badges and teach us the Plan of Salvation. It was so cute! They had prepared and practiced on Sunday so that they were prepared to teach us. Then, as I pulled out badges for them to wear, they went and grabbed their parents' badges--both the mom and dad. It was precious and I felt the spirit so strongly--their family is an example of the happiness that can be brought into a family and a uniting force as they come back to church together. I love them so much.'

Today:

I am hanging out with my MTC sisters and we are going to run around town just taking pictures all day. Mongolia has warmed up to the point that it is fun to spend large amounts of time together.

So I know today's letter just has a lot of information (and not much else), but I loved this week so much!!! 

I love you all,

Sister Jessica Olsen

Hahahhaha, so Hard Rock wins the race for pics with this letter. Seriously, this apple cobbler almost made me cry with happiness because it was so good. :)

 

 

Oh man, this was so much fun and look at those seats! My camera died, so I couldn't get the ending pictures, but Sis. Hansen is having it sent to her Facebook, to be sent to me later.

IT WAS A BLAST!

 

 

 

My goal is going strong with finding and taking a picture with all the statues I can find--there are a ton here and today we are going to get so many more. 

 

 

 

Look who dressed to match! This is my favorite thing in the entire world, when I accidentally end up looking like Sis. Bottorff. :)

I just want to say right now, I really do believe that I have one of the greatest groups that ever came to Mongolia. I feel so lucky in that we all get along so well--but I am also a little biased.

Also, a picture of me talking to the Doctor and him trying to convince me that I am not going to die. I had a cut on my finger (that looked very iffy) and I was trying to talk him into amputating it off. Don't worry, he said no.

 

 

Look at all of these wonderful people! The two little girls are the daughter of one of our investigators and they are all learning really well right now--we came over as they were heading out to get water, so we decided to help. 

Then are little new members from last night. If you look closely, two of the badges belong to when their parents served from about 15 years ago.

 

 

 

Becoming a Nephite Navy Seal

Dear family and friends,

How was General Conference? We get to watch it in just a few days and I heard that there were some really great talks given. I LOVE CONFERENCE and this one will be the last on of my mission--in October, though, I really want to watch it live for the first time in my life in good ol' SLC. For a missionary, it is like pumping spirituality straight into the blood and you walk away feeling like you could conquer the world if needed and it is a lot of fun. All of the missionaries in the city will come together in the Bayanzurkh building, which is also the Mission Home, and watch it in English projected on a screen. There is power in being united and we will do that for two days, each day having it's own special twist. On Saturday, everyone will break out into little groups and go out to eat together at local restaurants during the break, then after the PM session, the Sisters will then go to the President's apartment and watch Women's Conference with Sister Harper (she makes homemade ice cream and I hope there will be a treat like that for us as well!) while the Elders stay downstairs for the Priesthood Session. Then on Sunday, since it is the Sabbath, we will have a big missionary Potluck and usually the Senior couples will make some delicious soup or something like that. I AM SO EXCITED (and now hungry).

In other news, this week has been amazing for a combined reason. As every missionary starts to near the end of their service (no, I still do not know my release date) they start to wonder about life after the mission. Not losing focus, but just starting to make plans--most of the sisters in my group are starting to apply for the Fall courses in school and I need to reach out to my job again soon--to be prepared to hit the ground running without losing momentum. You get so used to working 24/7 on others' behalf that it can seem a little intimidating if you do not keep a purpose in mind. I have a pretty good idea of the big goals that I have after my mission, but then this week happened.

I have decided that I want to become a Nephite Navy Seal. In other words, I have been reading the war chapters in Alma in the Book of Mormon and was really taken in by Teancum and his warriors who stopped the intruding Lamanites by being more prepared and skilled in their fighting abilities and not benig discouraged by being out numbered, but stood strong. Then, when they were holding the city strong and asked for help, Captain Moroni gave back the reply to be empowered to act for themselves, to stay vigilant against other attacks, and to try to gain back ground by stratagem. In other words, Moroni basically told Teacum that he trusted him to act for himself and to make wise decisions and he (Moroni) would come to help at the earliest opportunity. So here they were with a goal in mind.

They were also pretty strong. This week, I have started to do this really intense workout with my companion called T25 with Sean T and it seriously is awesome! Every morning I am dripping with sweat and becoming stronger and his motto is, 'focus on the results that you want'. So when you feel like your body is breaking, you focus on form and keep that vision in mind of how strong you are becoming and that it will all work together for your good. After my morning workout, all of my muscles feel like they have been put through the blender, I can barely walk by the end of the day, but I am becoming stronger. Oh man, it really is the highlight of my day and it is helping me remember how much I love the gym and running, so after the mission, I will keep doing this. So by working out, I am meeting the second check to be strong.

Then, we are empowered to act. We have the ability to make goals and to look above the present cares and concerns into a brighter future. Yes, my mission will come to an end, but all missions must reach this point. You can go kicking and screaming to the end, but rather, make a new goal, figure out how you are going to move forward being a blessing and not a burden, then do it. If you need to go back to school, enroll. If you are not married, well, make meeting someone a priority and start with a goal of making a family (hahahahha, yeah, this is one that I need to focus on afterwards). Don't let fear paralyze you from acting, even if it seems hard or dismal, keep pressing forward. There are so many blessings within reach.

You have the Lord of the Hosts of Heaven on your side and He loves you dearly. What is there to be afraid of? What can you not accomplish? If you have the confidence to move forward and to accomplish hard things, He will help you find success and maybe even help you become that Nephite Navy Seal 

I believe in you--and so does Sean T. 

I love you all!

Sister Jessica Olsen

PS - also this week we had a baptism and I love these two so stinkin' much!!

 

 

 

The ending was so bitter-sweet last week when the group of sisters ahead of me went home. Man, I love them so much and miss them a lot, but there are still things to be done in Mongolia. I will see them when I get home!!

 

 

 

Oh man, look at the beginning of this beautiful relationship! Guys, my companion can cook and I have been eating like a monster, but also working my butt off too in the morning. It is a fun combination.

 

 

 

We celebrated Sis. Mason being alive and born. :)

I love this picture of me and the sisters from my group

 

 

 

Poor wounded Sister Hansen. She feel last week and twisted her ankle pretty badly, and is just recovering now--so I decided to make her some bread while our comps were off teaching English! It is funny that now I finally get to end the school year with her as my new teaching companion.

Watch out world, here she comes and she has crutches to make for longer strides!

 

 

 

Making friends stronger. Hahahahahah, we play Canasta all the time now! Oh, can someone send me the points breakdown for the game and rules (Momi or Popi)?

She plays a different game and she beat me in my version, then I had beginners luck and beat her in her version. (Look at all those Canastas). Then, we played again the other night and she annihilated me.

 

 

 

So here I was, trying to prep them for baptism and it was such a wonderful event. I think that it was honestly one of my favorite services and I love them both SO MUCH!

 

 

 

So I started this new goal of taking pictures with statues--I think that we are looking pretty fantastic.

Also, this was them getting ready for their upcoming baptism. :)