05/29/2017 - We Had An Awesome Miracle

Hey everyone. So this week was interesting, not much happend so I will be short. We had the car. So we were visiting a lot of people we struggle to get to on foot because it is so far. We tracted a lot. Not much happened though. The big news is we had zone conference this week and turns out from now on, starting next week we have P-day on tuesdays. Not sure how I feel about that but I trust that it was prayed over and was inspired. 

Other than that we had an awesome miracle. Yesterday we visited with T. She had previously been kinda scared about baptism and was unsure. Well we started talking and she handed me a paper with the plan for what she wants her baptism to be like. All the talks and prayers and songs set in stone and said she wanted this! It was super cool. So this time it will be June 10th. As for that there isn't much more. But have a good week everyone!

Elder Ollis

05/11/2017 - "Posterity Picture" on Transfer Day
Left: Elder Miller, Center: Elder Ollis, Right: Elder Wiwchar

05/22/2017 - I Know There is a Family Here for Us to Teach

Hey everyone. 

Well this week was interesting. It was a tough one. Me and Elder Wiwchar (absolutely none of you are going to pronounce that right) have been working hard. It is so different to have a new missionary, he is a good elder and is excited to work, so that is what we are doing. It is pretty funny though, and honestly crazy how much I have noticed he follows my lead and does the things I do. I only hope that I can be a good example and help him learn. 

It is kinda tough though, we are struggling to find people. We put in hours tracting this week and picked up only one really drunk guy who will probably go off on anti-mormon stuff as the typical. And we are struggling to visit with members. And lastly during ward council we needed approval for a book of mormon study class, literally that is all we needed. We had a flyer, a lesson time and date all set, and had a strategy to get people there, but we were told to wait a week with no explanation.  Frustrating, but we are keeping out heads down and working. I know that there is a family here for us to teach. 

We did have a cool miracle. It wasn't exactly us but we were affected by it. This week the spanish sisters were tracting in our area. And they tracted into this family from Africa. They said they were from our church and the man stopped and said he believes in Jesus Christ as well. He had moved here because he wasn't free to believe that where he is from. So they went in and had a testimony meeting basically with him and left him with a BOM and a restoration pamphlet. They are an incredibly poor family but we ended up getting the referral for the family. It was about the best news we had all week and we have an appointment with them tuesday. We are pretty excited about that. 

But that has been our week. I know our savior blesses us. Regardless of the times we feel like nothing goes right, our savior is always there. He is blessing us and sometimes we need to just look for those blessings and keep moving forward. Love and miss you all!

Elder Ollis

5/15/2017 - SHARE THIS MESSAGE!

Hello everybody. 

So this week's email will be a little shorter. I don't have a ton to say, partly because I got to talk to my family yesterday. Which was super cool. But anyway. This was a weird week. Let me explain.

So first off it was transfers and Elder Miller was leaving. He transferred to Trail and Nelson British Columbia. Literally 10 hours from here in the mountains. Which is cool. So we got to say goodbye to a lot of people. It was pretty tough, Elder Miller trained me so I am thankful for that, but it was good to see all the people we had an impact on as a companionship. It was sad to say goodbye though. (even though I wasn't leaving) But I got a new companion. Fresh from the MTC, Elder Wiwchar. He is from an Island on Lake Huron, Ontario. So I have a Canadian companion. But he is pretty cool, and super excited to work. So that is good.

As for the work, this week we took some steps back.  We had to drop a couple of investigators and didn't have a very good visit with another couple, but that just means we need to put our heads down and work even harder. We are going to have to rebuild our teaching pool but I am excited to do it. A bright light was last night we picked up a new investigator. His name is J and he is a big native kid. But he is YSA age so we got to pass him off. So that has been the week. 

But let me say one thing before I finish up, I am so thankful for our Savior. I really can't express how much I love him. Without him nothing we do here on this earth would matter. Without him we couldn't live with our heavenly father. I know this to be true and am so thankful the opportunity I have to share that. Love you all and please SHARE THIS MESSAGE!

Elder Ollis

05/14/2017 - Happy Mother's Day!!

Post from the Ollis Family:

We got to visit with Elder Ollis on Mother's Day!  What a treat!  Once we got the technology worked out it was great to see and hear him.  He looks so happy and smiled freely throughout the call.  He still has his witty humor and wanted to make sure he answered all of our questions.

Some of the things we learned:

• He is assigned to work in the Confederation Park 13th Ward.  He and his companion share a car with another set of missionaries who work in another ward in the same stake.  This proposes an interesting challenge on P-day.  They spend part of the day at a member's home doing laundry and are very appreciative of the generous members.  However, they spend quite a bit of time driving back and forth between the two areas.

• Tracting is not terribly successful in his area, however, he explained that he does tracting as a principle of obedience.  And every time they do it, they find an investigator, but usually by some other means or referral.

• His zone has two districts with 8 missionaries in each district.

• Food is expensive in Calgary.  A box of cereal (a large box) costs $8 in american dollars.  So he doesn't really like to do a lot of shopping, and keeping within their budget is a challenge.

• He loves Canadian syrup!

• Driving has taken some adjustment.  They really don't have turn lanes and people park on the road.  So the car in front of you could turn right or left without much warning!  Paying close attention is highly recommended.

• Elder Ollis loves his Mission President, and enjoys every opportunity to visit with him and his wife.   He says he is "one cool dude who heli-skis, and loves adventure almost as much as he does the gospel."

Oh, how we love this great servant of the Lord!  He is doing an amazing work and does it with all his heart!  He is growing by leaps and bounds and is finding great joy in serving the people of Canada!

05/08/2017 - I Know the Lord Has A Purpose

Hello Everybody,

So this week was really weird. We got to go to the temple Tuesday. It was so cool. It was good to see all the missionaries from the north of our mission. It was super fun, and it was nice to sit next to President Miles through the session. It was such a great experience, one that probably won't happen again and one I won't forget. 

As for our investigators. A little frustrating this week. D is struggling a little and I am worried he is really only looking for a church that suits his lifestyle (which really aren't many). But he keeps visiting and we keep trying to find what he really has trouble with. There seems to be something else he is worried about but we don't know what. 

However, we are super excited T will be baptized this Saturday! Hopefully. We went over the questions with her last week and she is ready.  We had the interview set up for yesterday but satan got in the way. The members who usually pick her up for church were out of town, and we searched to try and get her home address so we could have someone else pick her up, but no such luck. Anyway she still came to church but left early because she was sick. So this week will be make or break, we have to get that signature from her parents and schedule an interview. But I trust the Lord can work miracles.  

But the weirdest part of the week, well to be honest I was shocked and a little nervous, but I am training a new missionary. I can't really believe it. We had a trainers meeting this Friday and we were going over 12 week, the program to help missionaries adjust to the work, and I couldn't help but chuckle because I still wasn't finished. So pray for me. I pick him up Thursday, and we begin the work here. I am super nervous. I don't really know the area that well, but I hope I can just guide and let him learn. Or really, we are going to be doing a lot of learning together. But I do find comfort in one thing. President Miles said he prayed about it and felt that this is what I was supposed to do. And that is comforting. I know the Lord has a purpose, and although it will be hard, there isn't anything he has given us or will give us, that we can't do. He always helps and we can always receive strength.

Elder Ollis

05/02/2017 - Mission Temple Day at the Calgary Temple

05/01/2017 - But the Missionaries Can't Do It Alone

So hello everyone! This week was the last week of our mission spring fling. We absolutely dominated our district and are waiting to see who won out of the zone (I am confident we also dominated, we threw up 29 points yesterday. Our average daily is about 7-8). But it isn't about who wins…that’s what they say. I say otherwise. Anyway, I don't think the mission achieved the goal, but because they had already planned and got the food to feed the whole mission at the temple we are going anyway. So we get to go to the temple tomorrow!!!!!!! I am so excited. Usually we don't get to go that often. And I promise I won't forget to take pictures this time. 

But as for the week, it was super busy. We met with our investigator D this week and finished up the commandments. That included chastity and tithing. It was interesting. We learned some things about D. First off, he is still trying to get off coffee. Which is good. But that divorce he said he was going through wasn't actually a divorce. They were never married. So chastity will be tough, is what he said, but he said he would try to live it. And that is sometimes all we can do. We have to trust in Christ that if we do our best we can have strength to get through it. Unfortunately the adversary now is working double on D. His work is more demanding and we were only able to meet once this week. And he wasn't able to come to church. We are a little worried about that but I still think he is prepared. 

Yesterday we got to teach T! We finished the lessons and went over the interview questions. She is ready. Her fellowship dropped of the permission form and supposedly the native Elders will sign it. They aren't fans of it but they will do it. We are super excited. 

Thursday we had interviews, it was great. President Miles really is called of God and is inspired. He helped me and told me some things I really needed to hear. 

But the biggest miracle was the R's, the doomsday preppers. We went over Saturday. We went over there to help them paint but they said they didn't have anything for us to do. So we shared a message and they really enjoyed it. But right as we finished G noticed that their car's tire was flat. It worked perfectly, G could go change the tire and we got to paint, kill two birds with one stone. It was perfect, a blessing from heavenly father. While painting however we started talking about temples with D. SHE SAID SHE WANTS TO GO TO ONE! And there is only one way to do that, get baptized. Diane pretty much made it clear she believes this is the truth, she talked about how she believes everything we have taught, especially the Book of Mormon. And how it all makes sense. She is just afraid that if she joins and G doesn't, she wouldn't be able to do the church. So we explained that it can happen, and often when she wants something and if she acts in faith that G will follow her. I think we cleared up one of her last concerns as well. So we invited them to church, again. We have for like 2 months straight. We didn't expect them to come. And we get a text Sunday morning from D, it said we will be there! The R's came, it was amazing. I think they really enjoyed it. I know they felt welcome, D was almost more sociable than me and they already have friends in the ward. And the best part, D asked Bishop a question about if she joined could she still do a bible study class. It was amazing. We really were blessed. I was so happy all day Sunday. I just hope it doesn't stop there. 

But I just wanted to share a little testimony. I know our Heavenly Father loves us and everyone. I was even more excited to hear about the things happening at home, about people just appearing and coming to church. And brothers and sisters, I can't say it enough, the Lord is hastening His work, and the field is ready. People are prepared to hear the gospel, but the missionaries can't do it alone. Please share. There is someone everyone can speak to that is ready and prepared to hear. I know it to be true. This gospel is true. I know it. I could never deny that. I am so happy that I decided to serve the Lord and I am so sad it has already been 3 months. It is going too fast. But remember God is watching, pray always and have faith that our Savior lives and He loves us, I know He does.

Elder Ollis

So to explain the picture today, there are a ton of big jack rabbits everywhere. Like all over the place. We walked past this one and noticed it wasn't running and realized it had literally just given birth and was cleaning off the little bunnies. So we came back an hour or two later and took these pictures when they weren't gross. Kinda cute.