Short week~

Hello, everybody!
     This week has been a short one since we had a later-than-normal personal day last week but a lot of good things were happening this week! 
     On Friday, we went to Columbus for a new missionary follow up. Brother D*****s brought us. He is in our ward and helps to find a lot of people through our internet program. I had given him my family pedigree chart the night before. In his family history research, he found things on my dad's side of the family. (My parents may already have this stuff but it was cool for me!) He found World War I and World War II Registration cards and a death certificate for my great-great grandfather, Dario Olivo. His signature is very close to mine and I felt so connected to my family in that moment. 

     At the training, we paired up with other new missionaries and I got to work with Elder Barnes again! (my companion from the MTC in Utah)

       We were on the OSU campus and we went out to contact people on campus. (It was still nerve racking to approach people) At first, we were just saying Good Morning to a lot of people but then we got a little more brave. We began to talk to people about the Savior and the Gospel. Most of these people were running late to class and didn't have a lot of time to talk so we gave them a pass along card and some information about the Gospel. We were giving someone a pamphlet when a man driving an OSU campus van rode up with his window down. He beckoned us to come over to him and then asked for something. All we had left was a Book of Mormon so we gave it to him. He flipped through it and said he would read it. We were so excited! We got his contact information so that we could refer him to the OSU missionaries.
     This is all I have time for right now but I love you all and remember to keep smiling!
Have a great week and I'll email again soon!
Love,
Elder Donovan Olivo

Hallelujah!

Hello all!
This week has been a pretty long week!  And today we get to go to the
temple!! I'm so excited to see a new temple and be with new people!

Elder Morris and Me

I also don't have much time to write so I will make it quick.

First, we provided some service sometime in the middle of the week to a 
Pentecostal pastor, Pastor Ivan.We helped by moving chairs and everything to reset
his chapel. Then we told him we would gladly accept any service
project he had in the future. Pastor Ivan lit up and said he
needed help making a curtain holder so it can block out the blazing
summer sun if they need to see the projector during worship service.
Since we knew that Brother M******* did a lot of home improvement
before, we asked him if he would help us and he came with us. We made a
great frame that would hold itself up so it wouldn't fall on any kids
by accident. He was very grateful and wants to help serve us by
helping clean our building or something in the future.

Elder Morris, Pastor Ivan, and Me

Me, Elder Morris, and Brother M*******

"It has to be very precise, Brother!"-Pastor Ivan

Second, one of our investigators, Na****, is a Pentecostal youth
minister at a different church in town. At our last lesson we invited
him to attend sacrament meeting with us and he said that he would go
with us if we went to one of his services. We had to get permission
but we were able to go to last nights' service and they had a guest
speaker named Brother McCoy. It started out with people coming up to
greet us as honored guests and welcome us and thanking us for coming.
Na**** wanted to introduce us to everybody and give us a tour of the
place. Then we sat in the front center pew because we were guests and
it got me a little anxious because there were probably eyes on Elder
Morris and me the whole time. They started with a lot of singing and
dancing. It was pretty intense. The guest speaker went up and
gave his speech and there were a lot of times when he or people in the
congregation would say Hallelujah or Praise Jesus or Thank you, God. He
did have some good points and it was an interesting, cool
experience.

Third, we went to the temple today with half of our zone and it was
pretty cool. The Zone leaders are in our ward, too, so they were able to
give us a ride to the temple. When we got there it looked like a
really small temple compared to Boston or Rexburg but it was still a
great Spiritual feeling before and after the temple. I am glad I was
able to take part in ordinances today and to be with other
missionaries.

These are the major things of this week that I have time to write! I
hope you all have a wonderful week and remember to pray always that
your questions whether of the mind or soul may be answered. I love you
all and wish you the best in your endeavors.
Love always,
Elder Donovan J Olivo