02/27/2018 - Through Our Savior We Can Find Peace, Joy and Reassurance

Well hello everyone, 

Well to be honest I don't want to be long, I am running out of time but I wanted to share with you a little about our week. Seems like lots of you back home could use some uplifting.

This week was great and we were able to find a new investigator. It was that kid I told you about who turned nine right on our appointment with him. That is exciting. Our investigator on date is doing great, we had to move the date back to April 7th but it should work. our other investigator is doing well, we were worried about his intent but we taught him the plan of salvation this week and he seems to be eager. All in all it was a good week. Other updates is we get our smartphones this week, Elder Crockett is getting transferred and everything is going to be new next week. so I will let you know how it goes. 

But Brothers and sisters I just wanted to let you all know that our Saviour has an incredible love for each and every one of you. He is the Saviour of the world and we need what he has. And that is his Atonement. I just wanted to tell you all I love you too. I know as each of us strives to live like the saviour, strives to have his help, through prayer we can have his help. I love you all, my thoughts and prayers are for you. But I know that I am called to this work, at this time for His reason and I love the opportunity I have to share this gospel. I give it everything I have every day. Love you all and always remember your saviour!

Elder Ollis

From Elder Ollis' mom:  Elder Ollis' Grandpa Stan unexpectedly passed away yesterday. We were able to talk to President Miles so he could share the news with Thomas prior to our emails today.  We are so grateful for his kindness and concern for our missionary and our family! It's no wonder Elder Ollis has a deep respect and love for him and his dear wife!  In true missionary fashion Elder Ollis shared many words of testimony and comfort to his family and we felt they were words that bring comfort and peace to all who may read them and have included some of them below!

In an email to mom: Thanks mom. Just know I have been thinking and praying about those back home. I love you all, and I know this is a tough spot but I do know it is all part of God's plan. I got the call from president and it was good to hear the news from him instead of email. Thanks for that. But I have peace about it. We were able to teach the plan of salvation about 30 minutes after the call and I know that plan is real. Tell everyone I love them. 

In an email to his Nana: Nana, I just wanted to leave you with what I can. I am sorry I can not be there in person but I can leave you with words of comfort and hopefully words of peace. This week we were able to hear from a stake president in cardston at a ward conference. He shared about our Saviour. And particularly, he shared about how he is absolutely the prince of peace. Nana I love my Saviour. I know that he has overcome all. I am so grateful for him and his great, eternal atoning sacrifice for each and everyone of us. He loves us and he loves you. I know that he does. I am so grateful for my chance to represent him on this mission and I do have a testimony that through our Saviour we can find peace, joy and reassurance. He truly knows what we go through. And I know that gift is available for all, that gift of peace. I Love you Nana and I will pray for you continually. I love my Saviour and my Father in Heaven. I love in the scriptures Isaiah 12 verse 1-2 as it gives me comfort in what he has done. "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though  thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my son; he also is become my salvation." I know all those promises are available to each of us. I love you Nana and I have peace with the knowledge of our Saviour. I will continue to pray for you! Love, Elder Ollis

02/20/2018 - Kinda a Weird Day

Hello everyone. 

All I can say is I am grateful it is p-day. I really am so glad. This was a crazy week. Let me explain. We went on exchanges after p-day last week. I was in cardston with one of our district leaders, elder Higashi. It was a good day. It snowed like crazy and when we had to drive to Fort Macleod to exchange back. (its a 30-40 minute drive) it was super sketchy. We have to drive through the reservation and I think the province is upset with the laws past on the reservation and we don't think they plowed much. So it was a good drive. We had plenty of time to do it and we were safe but it was a good day. We then went on exchanges again on Friday to Saturday in Calgary with the APs. It was a great exchange, learned a lot but once again we drove 2 and a half hours there Friday and back Saturday. So it was a lot of driving this week. It was good though. Learned a lot. Then the crazy part. 

Sunday we wake up and it had snowed since Saturday at probably 6. So we get ready like regular and ward council cancels. Not that big of a deal. Then we get a text from our Stake president and ward mission leader and all of church in cardston was called off. Two whole stakes with no church. It was the strangest thing I have had happen. We cover 5 wards, church from 8-4:30 and it all is cancelled! It was a weird day. So Elder Crockett and I called President Miles to let him know what was going on and got permission to do district meeting on Sunday. So that is what we did. Kinda a weird day. We shovelled so much snow. We didn't have anything to do as church cancelled and so we picked as many non members as possible and went and shovelled their snow. It was a long day but it was good. We got dumped on. probably over a foot of snow. Cars were getting stuck everywhere. It was a lot of fun. 

But as for that, everyone I am doing good. It wasn't crazy cold and things are going well. We heard from our investigator who kinda went missing in action and were able to meet with her. She is facing a big decision so our bishop and us helped her know how to get answers from prayer and she gets to make it on her own. So its going good. Thats all I got. Love y'all

Elder Ollis

02/13/2018 - This Week was Bitter Sweet

Well hello y'all. 

Well this week was bitter sweet. So lets start with the sweet. First off today has been a good day. It started out like I said last week. Biscuits and Gravy, Lets go. Then we drove 20 minutes south to a members home, brother Kormos. Well Brother Kormos's property is on the border. So we went for a nice hike up a mountain to the US border. LETS GO! we saw freedom today. It was pretty fun. Brother Kormos is one of my favourite members, he is a farmer, and to be honest that life sounds good to me. We couldn't cross the border, as that is illegal but we were there. It smelled like freedom. It was glorious. I was just hoping to see a bald eagle. It was crazy windy though and super cold but it was worth it. We also climbed it in our white shirts and ties. LETS GO

02/13/2018 - View from the US Border!

02/13/2018 - Brother Kormos

02/13/2018 - The US/Canada Border!

But as for the week we had a tough one and a good one. The good was we found a new investigator. The situation is a little weird. His name is Collin, he is struggling and he needed to get away from Calgary so he moved down her to live with his aunt. Who is a recent convert we have been helping get to the temple. Well the situation is weird because we aren't sure how interested he is and he might be just being nice because he is living there and getting a lot of help but none the less it is a new gator. Bad news is we weren't able to get our phones, they have been taking a long time to ship to Canada, because Canadien post takes a long time. But our other investigator on date had a rough week. She has been hard to get a hold of but we will keep trying and see what happens. Probably won't happen on the 10th but we will see. 

I was super excited to get a package this week. A surprise valentines gift from my family. And the chicken was so funny. Haha what the heck. I put my name tag on it so it now is one of my companions. I am going to keep that chicken around. (thanks dad!)

But as for that just wanted to let you all know I love you all. Each and everyone one of you. I know the Lord does too. I love this work and am so happy to be a part of it. See ya, Elder Ollis

Note from Elder Ollis' Mom: Just in case you are wondering what Elder Ollis is talking about see the chicken video below.  His dad thought it was hysterically funny and thought it might be a good way to laugh off the frustrating moments!

02/06/2018 - I Am So Grateful to be Able to Serve in the Lord's Army

Hello everyone! Sorry I am on late, we went to the temple this moring!

Well we had a pretty good week this week. It started out super good last tuesday. We visited a member and he gave us some home grown pork sausage (it was his pig) and white gravy. We are really excited for that, you can't find that stuff in canada! Biscuits and gravy here we come! and we had zone conference. It was awesome to here from President Miles. He really is the best mission president. Sad to have to say goodbye to him but that is how life goes. We received training for the smart phones we are getting. But as for that things were just good. Thats all I can say. Tomorrow is MLC, so Elder Crockett and I get to drive up to Calgary and we will get are smart phones then. 

Also we had another super cool member feed us this week. She is from Brazil. It was so cool, we had dinner at there house a month ago and I told her about when I was part of a branch. So she made us a bunch of brazilian dishes. It was so cool! She also made me a ton of brigaderros to take home. That was cool.

Well to be honest I can't remember to much about this week, it flew by. But most important, our one investigator is on date!! She is going to get baptized! We are excited, but it is really strange, both of us feel like we really aren't doing anything. Our members are so awesome, and she is so prepared. To understand what I mean I will quote our lesson when we put her on date to be baptized. We had planned to do it at the end of the lesson, well in the middle the members ask if she has heard about baptism, She says "yes, I want to be baptized, when can I be baptized?" Elder Crockett and I respond " well we were thinking March 10." Investigator: "can I put that on my calendar?" It was super cool. But we are excited. The only thing I am worried about is transfers happen the week before the 10th. And knowing my luck I will be out of here. But I guess it is what the Lord wants. I would love to see one baptism though. But things are going good. Our wards are awesome, the members trust us. Elder Crockett is great. I still want to become a farmer, and I love being a missionary. I know this work is true, I am so grateful for the service I am able to give, I know the Lord needs us for each a unique purpose and what ever it is we receive help, often through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love my savior and I love this gospel! I am so grateful to be able to serve in the Lords army.

Pictures: We went street contacting this week. Haha jk

But the second one makes me want to...

Wait for it......

WOLVERINE! 

(thought dad would like that)

In a letter to mom:  Anyway we had a good week. To be honest it flew by and I can't really remember it all. We, meaning the leaders in the mission, get our phones tomorrow. So we get to test them out for a month or so before everyone gets them. So that is cool. It will be weird. It was cool at a zone conference this week President said to us: " 18 months ago I would have never trusted this mission with technology." It is kinda cool how much our mission has changed for the better, and now to a totally new universe. So we are excited!