Mon., 12/25/2017  (Neuland)

Merry Christmas everyone! What a week! I'll keep it short and sweet because I don't have much time! It feels like yesterday that I was in Juan de Salazar with Elder Bridge, sick as dogs but grateful for our Savior's birth. Elder Bridge was a good example to me that Christmas, giving a talk even though he really shouldn't have gone to church he was so sick. It reminds me of what our Savior did for us, many years ago. He didn't deserve all the treatment he received, but he suffered it out of his love for us. In his memory we celebrate Christmas every year, in every part of the world, in every language of the world. Seeing Elder Ruiz's face when he got to talk to his family for the first time in 5 months was another testimony to me, about the family. CHRISTmas is for Christ and families, so think about those things for a little while! Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pics: (YAY!!!! Elder Olson's brother Mike helped his mother download pictures!  She will work on adding pictures to all of the other pictures from the other blogs!)

1: Paraiso AKA African Safari

2: Merry Christmas from the Neuland Branch (maybe it wasn't a white Christmas, but it was cloudy! That was a Christmas blessing!)

3: With Family Duarte from Paraiso. They're recent converts and ALWAYS go to church, no matter if there is rain or heat or whatever in Paraiso!

4: On the way to Abundancia to Skype!

(ELDER OLSON CALLED AND TALKED WITH HIS PARENTS AND THREE BROTHERS FOR AN HOUR FROM ABUNDANCIA.  LATER, ELDER RUIZ WOULD CALL HIS FAMILY.

ELDER OLSON LOOKED GREAT AND SEEMS TO LOVE THE WORK AND THE PEOPLE.

HE TALKED ABOUT THE WEATHER, THE CHALLENGES WITH BEING SO FAR FROM THE REST OF THE MISSION, AND THE HIGHER EXPENSE IN THE AREA. HIS SPANISH IS NOT BAD, SINCE HE HAS HAD LATIN AMERICAN COMPANIONS MOST OF HIS MISSION.  MOST OF THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM THEY COMMUNICATE SPEAK SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND SO HE HAS HAD THE CHALLENGE OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND GERMAN SPANISH, NIVACLE SPANISH, AND GUARANIAN SPANISH.  ELDER OLSON NOTES THAT PARAGUAY IS A MELTING POT OF OTHER CULTURES.

HE BORE HIS TESTIMONY TO US IN SPANISH.  GREAT VISIT!)

We got picked up by the 2 Elders from Filadelfia in their truck and they dropped us off in Abundancia, where we have our skyping. As I write Elder Ruiz is next to me doing his skype call. His family hasn't been able to email him at all, so it was awesome seeing him able to talk to them. Christmas is a time of miracles!