Attitude Of Gratitude-Dec 2nd

 GREETINGS from Santa Clarita :) (aka the place where Paul Walker apparently died this weekend..??? We've heard about that non stop) It sounds like Thanksgiving was great!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful day and week in general.

So...after weeks of feeling like we were "safe" from transfer calls, they finally came on Saturday. Last transfer they came at 3pm and this time, we had to wait clear up until 8:30 pm. Elder Schick (our zone leader) is getting made an assistant to President!!! We found out Friday and his last night in our zone was Saturday so Saturday night we decided to throw together a "heart attack" for him, with little notes from everyone in the zone. It was so cute :) He was really excited and surprised by it. As we were going from companionship to companionship though, everyone was soooo on edge and just down since everyone was still waiting to hear who was leaving. It was probably the longest day of my mission so far honestly. Pretty crazy.

We were sitting outside Elder Schicks gathering our supplies when our District leader Elder Ford called. He said "I've got transfer calls Sisters! I'm sorry but Sister Olsen you're being transferred to a car area." I was so bummed! I tried really hard to pray to be okay with however they went, but not gonna lie, my heart dropped just a little. We were talking at home around 10pm about everyone else leaving (every companionship in our zone except for 2 are getting split up) when our phone goes off and it's President Hall calling. Long story short (thanks to Elder Olsen haha) I got called to be a Sister Training Leader!!! He had asked to talk to me alone so I was in sitting on my bed and just started bawling. I thought I felt inadequate to train at 6 weeks but I feel REALLY inadequate to accept this. So I'll finish packing tonight and we're off to transfer meeting tomorrow. I have no idea what area I'm going to but I have a feeling it'll be either Newhall or down to San Fernando Valley so we'll see how it goes!

Being transferred coupled with Thanksgiving, I feel SO overwhelmed with gratitude and couldn't stop crying almost all day yesterday. (Thanks for that trait mom...) I got moms letter saying how grateful she is to have two empty seats at Thanksgiving this year with Tanner boy and me gone. She talked about two years ago and what a rough place I was in and it really hit it home in me. I am unbelievably grateful that the Lord never gave up on me. I am grateful for the Atonement and the total PEACE and joy it can bring to our lives even when we think we are past all hope. I am grateful for Bishop Owen being so loving and telling me to never give up on myself. I'm grateful for my family being so patient with me when I was trying to figure out what I wanted in life and what route I was gonna take. I am grateful for learning so much on my first transfer and deciding what kind of missionary I really want to be. I'm grateful for this little black piece of plastic I wear every day and what it represents.

I never wanted to go on a mission, but last October something switched inside of me where I went from fighting AGAINST going on a mission, to never fighting harder for something in my life! And I am grateful for that. For Michelle, Jessica, Chrissy and Lindsey always staying so patient and encouraging to me! I'm grateful for Taylor's example and seeing how much his mission meant to him when he was released and had to take his name tag off. I'm grateful for my sistas (not to be mistaken with my now Sisters...) always loving me and being the greatest friends I could always turn to and talking about things they probably would fathered have not talk about. I'm SO grateful Tanner boy and me get to be out experiencing all of this crazy at the same time :) Nice to know my "little buddy" is going through a lot of the same things. Grateful mom and dad have always supported me in everything I've done and for always building me up that I really can do anything I put my mind to.

I'm grateful for the Lord constantly humbling me and knowing that He knows what's best for me. I came out here thinking "I want to go anywhere but a YSA Ward" and now I don't want to leave. Bishop Rock and the whole ward are great and everyone knows how "GREAT" I am with goodbyes. But I'm pretty pumped for a change! I got a blessing from Elder Ford and Elder Nielson last night and that helped calm me down quite a bit. It's got me pretty nervous and anxious but I'm excited. I know the Lord will continue to bless and guide me more than I can understand now, because I wouldn't have even made it to California without His help. I know he won't ever leave me. And for that, I am grateful.

LOVE YOU ALLLLLL! Until next week...

With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

Clark told me he's sad I'm leaving and he gave me a hug when he opened the door.  This kid cracks me up! He taught me a "missionary handshake" that almost breaks one of our fingers every time we do it.

This might be used in a Christmas card haha ps....they gave me that skirt I'm wearing ;)

Their son Dalton is a kid we've been working with in our ward.  He had to work last night so we're going to see him today but when they found out I was getting transferred, Sister Frost text us to come over for dinner.  Their family is AWESOME!  Sam (next to me) reminds me SO much of Tanner!  They are who we were going to spend Christmas with that I told you about.

Mosiah 13:3 "Touch me not! For I have not delivered the message which the Lord hath sent me to deliver" (more or less.....but that scripture cracks me up as a missionary!)

Christina Frost haha we always take a ton of ugly pictures on her phone at dinner.  She's the one who text some to Britt a few weeks ago!  So we had a whoooooole shoot with me leaving.

ALEX WALBORN! How I love this girl.  My very first night there I met her and she was so cute and so sweet! I love her!

BROTHER FOLSOM!! He's great!  And he served in Japan...hence the peace.  He has a son serving in the Philippines right now so it was cool hearing him bear his testimony about the gratitude for his son not only serving, but being protected also.

Brother Ashton, us, Brother Smith (STONEY MCCOARD) Brother Folsom, and Bishop Rock before church yesterday.  I wanted to leave and not tell any of them (since I suck at goodbyes) but wanting this picture gave it away.  Such a great Bishopric!

"I could get used to a view like this! Yep....I'm used to it."

Elder Dunn, Elder Schick, and Sister Hacker and I.  I am SO grateful for Sister Hacker!  I don't know what I would have done if I had to train somebody who didn't really want to work, wanted to go home, etc.  And becoming friends was just a bonus!