Letter #23 (April 13, 2009) - 6-month mark!

In 2 days I'll reach my 6-month mark! UNC won the national Championship in College basketball and Chapel Hill went crazy. We actually went on exchanges with one of the High Priest. His name is Anson Dorrence. He is the coach of the UNC women's college soccer team. They have won 18 straight national championships! That's ridiculous! He has won the most championships than any other coach ever. He coached the USA women's world cup team which had Mia Hamn and they dominated the world cup back in 1999(I think that's the year). He's so down to earth. He's very active in the church. He has several callings. We had a great exchange with him. I kept wanting to tell him in my excitement, "YOU'RE ANSON DORRENCE! YOU'RE THE MAN!" But I didn't!

So we had a baptism yesterday. Sam Cooper got baptized! He's amazing! He's 17 years old. He was born in Liberia but moved to Ghana as a refuge. He's had a tough life! He moved to the U.S. like 4 years ago. He lived in Oregon. He got into a fight with a kid over there. The other kid's family forgave him and they became friends. The family was Mormon. He would go to church. He gained a testimony that the Church was led by Jesus Christ. He moved to North Carolina a couple of years ago. His mother was opposed to him joining the church. Sam would tell his mother that he was going somewhere else on Sundays when in reality, he would sneak into our church. He even went to seminary every morning, riding his bike or walking a considerable distance to get there, without his mother's knowledge. His mother finally found out and he could not hide his love for the church. Sam and his mom had family problems among themselves due to his grades in school (It was hard to get adjusted to the U.S. schools considering his lack of education in Ghana) and also other disagreements they had. She was going to put him in a boy's home. But Chris Harlos, one of the members of the church in Chapel Hill, took him in to his home last August. The Harlos family has been a great support to Sam. His vocabulary is expanding, and he's getting better in school.

Sam has for several months wanting to get baptized on his birthday on April 10th. He wanted to get his mother's blessings, and he did even though she opposed to our faith. Sam is amazing! He is a light! Everybody loves him. He knows how to put a smile on your face. He has great faith in Jesus Christ. His baptism was long awaited and it finally arrived on April 12th, Easter Sunday. The Spirit was so strong! Everybody who attended his baptism witnessed something special. They witnessed that Sam is going to be a great leader. He's chosen to do a great work on Earth. He's going to be a great missionary! I spoke to him after the baptism and gave him some words of counsel and gratitude. He very much appreciated it as we hugged and rejoiced.

We have another baptism (Corey Sims) this Saturday. I love this work. People are changing and their lives are being blessed miraculously.

Love, Elder Olaya

Ps I'll send the picture of Sam's baptism next week since I forgot my USB thingy.