Real fast.

I don't have much time to e-mail this week everything is closed over the holdiays but I will be sending a letter, I already have half of one written. It was really fun to talk to everybody on the phone and here first hand how everyone is doing. I hope you all had a great christmas i'm sure effigy josh filled in nicely. I just remember something I was going to tell you yesterday... those skull and frankenstein cups you sent me for halloween- I still use those... every day. Interesting fact.

Love Josh.
--
-Josh

2007 Christmas Card

Christmas card sent from the President and Sister Callister with the following note:

Elder Olson is a steady, faithful, exemplary missionary.
He is making a valuable contribution to the mission.
We love & respect him very much.
President and Sister Callister.
December 2007

Picture taken at the October 2007 Zone conference with Elder & Sister Kikuchi

Christmas!

Hello! The weeks coming up to christmas have been crazy. We had a huge storm on sunday morning and a ton of snow - I think our car got stuck about 15 times. It came right after we had our big Christmas Devotional were we watched our one movie for the year. This year it was "Luther" all about Martin Luther- it was pretty intense especially after not watching anything for along time.

I loved the christmas package you sent me especially all the pine needles! Christmas is going to be awesome- we already got invited to members homes for christmas eve and christmas day- and there are four missionaries in our branch now so its going to be a blast. I just keep remembering all the christmas eves that we had with the missionaries over and I've just realized how awesome it was to be able to go and eat dinner and just enjoy it. I'm looking forward to be able to call everyone on Christmas we will be calling in the afternoon. I think just after 12:00. And no later than 2:00. If anything changes will have to jump in the library during lunch someday and e-mail but That should be the best time- that way I can hear about all the stuff everyone got for christmas.

So besides being the worst winter in Canada in 15 years things are going really well- the other day it was negative 18 degress celsius. We are doing really well up here. Even after they split the are we have been able to find alot of new people to teach. So I'll be sure to send letters and hopefully a tape for christmas even if I have to express it- I was going to buy gifts but it became too difficult but I might send some a little late becaue p-day is on boxing day this year and thats when they have a ton of good sales.

Got to go a member just called me (we have a cell phone right now) and we need to help him put his suitcases in his car.

Merry Christmas Love Elder Olson.

--
-Josh

Yep!

How is it going this week has been crazy. The new apartment is really big but its super empty we hardly have anything not even things like can openers. I had to open a can by jabbing a knife into it. By the way my new address is the same zip code as before but its now

284 Kingsdale apt. # 207

Kingston, ON

Elder Hatch is Orrin Hatch's grandson and he was born in Virginia before moving to utah as a child.

Everything is going really well I am still getting used to the responsibility of being senior companion, though it isn't too much different than before though instead of having companions that have been out for about a year and a half or more now it is about 3-4 months.

It is going really well though I'm glad to hear everyone is doing really well, especially Lindsey graduating, Zach's brain still works, and Beccas gettin tons of A's!

I have it written down in my planner to sit down and write letters today so I promise to get some sent- Its going really well up here and I'm loving being a missionary thanks for the news and all the support

Love Josh (Elder Olson)

--
-Josh

A little change...

I wrote last time that they are going to split the area that I've been in so far for my entire mission. Well we just found out that that is going to happen- they are also splitting up Elder Hinkle and I and I will be having a new companion named Elder Hatch for the last 3 weeks if this transfer and probably for the next transfer as well. Elder Hatch came into the mission one transfer after me so they will be making me senior companion this transfer after all. Not only that but the are that I'm going to be in has a little less than half of the the main area that I have worked in before as well as the entire northern area that missionaries rarely go to so I get the good car and we are basiclly going to be opening up a huge unworked area though we are still holding on to a little bit of Kingston. We also got a brand new apartment which I'll be moving into on friday. It is a little sad because I'm going to miss the little dinky place that I've been living in since I came to Canada. Also I'm pretty sure that my new companion Elder Hatch is actually Orrin Hatch's grandson - yah the senator - though I haven't had the chance to ask him personally yet. So i'm really still digesting that news but it looks like fun times on the horizon. So although I'm still in the same brach and am partly working the same area I have always done everything else has changed. Mid- transfer splits are pretty rare so we'll see what happens. The work is going really well we might have to push back our upcoming baptism till after Christmas because Laura's mom probably won't be able to make it back in time. We are also teaching a couple of really cool new people that I'll have to write about. One is this really hilarious guy named Andrew- hes got sweet dreads and a beard - he spends his free time planting trees, snowboarding, and doing yoga - and as far as I can tell doesn't change his clothes that often. He just wears one of those south american poncho things Becca, zach, and I bought and some crazy looking pants and he loves praying and learning about the gospel. I'll have to write more in letters.

--
- Love Josh