We're Not in Kansas Anymore.....Dec 9th

 HELLLLLLO! Before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBS AND JAX MAN!! So crazy to think Taylor is 22 now and Jaxon is 3! We celebrated both days with my companion. We had jerky for Taylors and Rice Krispies with Nutella on them for Jax so you were in my thoughts! Hope it was great boys!

So, last Tuesday I got transferred and I left Santa Clarita Valley. I was a little bit bummed because I love it there! And with doing YSA and covering the whole valley, I got to know it pretty well. Now I am down in San Fernando Valley! And it is QUITE different! I love it haha I have become PATHETIC and freeze all the time! It's still in the 60's but it's humid cold which is like "my bones hurt" cold! And you know the winds they talk about on The Holiday? The "Santa Annas?" That's a real thing! And they're here. And they're crazzzzzy!

My companion is Sister Kemp. She's one of the Sisters I stayed with my first night here (THREE MONTHS AGO TODAY!)  so we're pretty pumped to be companions!! We kinda put it together right before the meeting started that we'd be companions since she was the only Sister Training Leader to be losing a companion so we were glad it actually happened. Sister Kemp is from Idaho, and she loves country :) Need I say more?! Right before I left Santa Clarita, somebody gave me Brad Paisley Christmas and Scotty McCreery Christmas :) :) Thanks for sending Scotty Britt! I'm gonna give those copies to the Elders cause I told them I'm gonna convert them to country music.

San Fernando is a whole other world! I'd heard before in Santa Clarita that it's crazy down here, one of the porn capitals of the world! So if anybody needs Jesus, they do :) We are living in a fine area. We had Elder Kottcamp and Elder Hansen (zone leaders) come bless it because we're opening it and it's crazy how safe you feel as a missionary. One night, they had the police helicopter going and SWAT was out tromping around but you don't even feel worried. It's pretty cool! There are some pretty "tough" people out here to say the least. We found out yesterday one of the gangs out here will only let you out if you go in a room with 14 guys for two minutes and they all have baseball bats. If you survive, they'll let you out. There's lots of homeless people and one set of Elders told us there's a street to avoid after dusk because there's a lot of prostitutes.

I'm so excited to be down in this valley! The first night was super sad, not gonna lie. Tears may have been shed haha One of our investigators we found and have been working with, we were ready to set a baptismal date and she did Wednesday night. Sister Hacker called to tell us and I was so tired from moving and changing I started crying. Laaame. But seriously though...it's pretty great down here! It's a whole other feeling. There's a BIG part of Spanish work down here. Most of the spanish zones actually. So considering my first mission call to be spanish, I get excited to think of coming in contact with the person/people I was supposed to meet two years ago! We are talking to EVERYBODY! We're gonna find them :)

Things are good here! We are going to LA Temple on the 18th :) Remember when Sage and Sydney Cornforth told me to watch for their step son/brother Elder Roundy?! I saw him on the first day out here and talked for a little while but he's my District Leader now!! He's cool! I'm excited. Being a sister training leader is still hard to wrap my head around. We are in charge of exchanges. That's where we switch companions for 24 hours and are supposed to help teach/train the sisters we go with. I'm the youngest out over allll the girls we're over except for one. So I will definitely be getting a blessing before starting out.

Hope things are still going great! This time of year is my FAVORITE! Deeeefinitely weird being away from home but Bishop and his wife had us over for dinner last night and had us decorate their tree after so that was fun! We're supposed to also help the Sisters really enjoy this time of year..and it's my first holiday out too so again I don't know what I'm doing. But watching the Christmas devotional last night and hearing a general authority pray for the missionaries is always a cool experience. You feel the prayers!!! So just keep praying for us :)

Have a wonderful week!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

Bobbye Jo! The Shepherds had us over for dinner my last night and they surprised us with having Bobby there.

This is one of our investigators about to set a baptismal date. She's gonna be in Utah for most of January

DALTON FROST! This kid just got in to BYU-I and I'm so excited for him!

Before transfer meeting on Tuesday. Elder Patterson is a visa waiter for Brazil. He has a twin brother who was also a visa waiter and they both got sent to this mission to wait. His brother got his visa and left back in July but this one is still waiting...

Our first night trying to get our apartment all set up

THANK YOU MOM!!! It's already almost half way gone. Sister Kemp is trying not to eat it haha but I put it on the Rice Krispies

Somebody gave me Brad Paisley AND Scotty McCreery...MERRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS TO ME! And Ash the decorations you sent were perfect :) Thank you! Our super fake fireplace looks great!

Holly is an investigator and she found out we both love country, especially Taylor Swift so she made these for us for Christmas and brought them yesterday :)

What up quack pack

You're probably gonna get a picture home every time it rains haha so...twice!