Elder Cameron Reid Olson

Cam has been called to serve...in the Mexico, Mexico City Southeast Mission! He enters into the MTC July 5, 2012. He has set the Wright Tradition back on track, speaking Spanish.

Elder Olson Update 3/4/12

Drew is winding up his mission.  He is serving in a Spanish branch in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  We got an official email from the Massachusetts Boston Mission this past week with his release date of June 1^st.  He wrote earlier this month, “This past week has been an emotional one for me. Today when I started my email, I put the date 2/6/2010 by accident... I wish that was still the case. I wish I had another two years to give the Lord. I have had dreams of either being home and no longer a missionary, or being released... I fear that day more than I feared the day when I left home.  I wish that there was more I could do for this mission and for the Lord.”

He was able to help another missionary this past month that was planning on going home with only 7 months left.  Drew said “I told him all about my experience of coming home from Brazil, the feelings, the pain, and regret.  I answered all the questions he had, then just listened to him with love.”  He then decided to finish his mission.  Drew said, “President Evans and a lot of other missionaries thanked me for keeping him here, but I don't think it was me at all.  I think that the spirit bore witness to him through my experience in Brazil that couldn't have been born through someone who hadn't experienced that. So it was a great learning and growing opportunity for the both of us and I'm grateful that he will be staying through the end of his mission.”

We are grateful that Drew has grown spiritually and has been able to help missionaries in the field.  We know that he has not lost his sense of humor or his love for motorcycles.  He wrote, “We finished our studies and lunch at the Cerro (Spanish) house. They are way freakin cool. I love that family. They are from Columbia and Brother Cerro is a big guy.  He works for some intelligence agency and we're not really sure what he does, but we talked a lot about the Gospel, Guns, and Motorcycles.  What could be better!?  Then he showed me his new toys.  He's got some sick bikes, but he doesn't know much about them.  So I was answering a lot of questions. We will go over one P-day and I'm going to do some maintenance for him on the bike... Service! :)

He ended his last email with this testimony, “Well family... Thanks for everything; your love, letters, prayers and support. I miss you and I hope that you will continue being healthy and doing what's right.  I am excited for the time I have left here as a servant of the Lord.  Never quit and settle for a satisfaction right now when you can receive an even greater reward in the long run.  I know my Savior lives! I know the Book of Mormon is True!  I love my mission. I have never experienced so much joy in my life.”

 

Bridgeport, CT

Drew being....well...Drew

Elder Olson Update 2/10/12

Drew got transferred this last week to Bridgeport, Connecticut.  He has been in Lowell, Ma, since August, so he was excited for the change.  We have not received an email from him since his transfer, but he wrote last week and said, “I’m stoked to serve in Bridgeport with a Brazilian that is learning English and I hear that Bridgeport is more "ghetto" than Lowell. So I'm pretty excited.  It will be a 4 elder apartment so that will be fun.  We will be with the Spanish elders and the Branch or church on Sunday is all in Spanish.  So I will have to study my Spanish a lot more seriously.  It will be hard to leave and it has been really hard to say goodbye to people, but I am ready for a little change and I know the Lord needs me elsewhere.”

The missionary work was slow in Lowell, but Drew was a district leader there and a trainer.  Even though they did not have many to teach, we know that he had a purpose there in training his companion that came straight out of the MTC.  Early in December he wrote about the struggles of this new Elder….

“So we went to church and President Evans came to our ward to interview my companion.  He has been struggling a lot with wanting to go home, and he is very close to doing it.  I have spent a lot of time telling him all about Brazil and when I came home and how hard it was and how much a mission would bless his life, but he just doesn't seem to care. So he doesn't have the strongest desire to work and he told President to get him a ticket home, so he wanted to come and talk to him.  I have tried and I continue to testify that this is the best place for him now.  President was in an interview with him for an hour or so and then he talked to me.  He just said, ‘Elder Olson, he is with you for a reason and I know of no better person for him to be with then you.’  He said to just keep him busy like I have been doing and he will do what he will. So we had a good long talk and I love President Evans.  He is the sweetest man. I am so grateful he's my mission President.  So he gave me a lot of advice and told me not to beat myself up or feel like a failure if he does decide to go home.  President just said he's selfish and immature and we just need to love him and hope he makes the right choice.  So it was great to spend a short time with President and get some advice from him.   After the interview I told him that he is NOT going home as long as I am with him or even as long as he is in the field. The work of the Lord is huge!  I just hope he realizes it and works hard.  I love this Elder, he's a great kid, but he just needs to get to work. This is the best thing for him and I'm so so so grateful for my mission.  I know this is where I need to be.  So I will keep encouraging him to work hard and share my testimony of a mission with him.”

One month latter Drew reported to the President about this Elder’s progress….

 

“We did have interviews with President Evans this past week at Zone meeting.  He asked how my companion was doing.  I said he's happy and good.  I enjoy the short time I have with President Evans.  He is a man called of God and he is very close to the spirit.”  

And just this last week he spoke of his companion again….

“I will miss Lowell, and the people here. I will also miss serving with "my son" (his companion.)  We've had a lot of fun together.”   (We are glad that Drew’s past experiences were able to help this young Elder.)

Drew shares some experiences that he had in December…………

12/7/11  “Today was an excellent day. We left early for our Annual Christmas Mission Temple trip.  It was a lot of fun and an excellent experience. We were there early and we did an endowment session.  It was an excellent experience for me, because I was able to sit in the Celestial room for about 25 min or so and I was able to communicate with the Lord through prayer and he was speaking directly back to me through the scriptures.  It was a very neat experience to me.  I had a lot of questions answered and personal revelation come to me.  I know the Lord is aware of us and wants to have a conversation with us and help us.  It was great. Then we went to the Baptistery.  We did confirmations and then we had the opportunity to be baptized for 20 or so names.  Being baptized is a very cool experience that I often forget the feeling of going in the water and coming back up being washed clean.  It was amazing. Then the temple had a nice lunch for the Zone in the cafeteria with President and Sister Evans. That was excellent.  It was just like Costa Vida.  Following that, we all met at the Belmont chapel and had a testimony meeting.  It went really well. Then I spoke with the AP's for a good amount of time about the Portuguese program and what they wanted to know what I thought should happen. Then we left for home with the other elders.  We got home about 6 or so, had dinner, then went to work.  It was a spiritual feast.” 

“The Christmas devotional was excellent.  I wish I had the testifying power of the Prophet. He has simplicity but much power.  I'm so grateful to have a Prophet on the earth today.  I see things daily in Lowell and in my mission that I would never want for my family or to happen to my friends. The world is dark.  The world is wicked. Satan is trying harder than ever on us as missionaries, the people we teach, and the members of the church.  I'm so grateful that darkness and light can't be in the same place at the same time. There is no grey area to God and his commandments and what the Prophets tell us.  But like you said dad, from Elder Holland, which team are we suited up for?   The light will always over power darkness, what are we doing everyday to prepare to burn our lights each day brighter?  I'm so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  This is his kingdom once again established on the earth and we will reign with him if we do our part as in the S.U.D.  That is what will solidify our foundation of Jesus Christ and our testimonies there in.  I love this church, I love my mission, His mission, and I love my family.”