SEE THEM IN WHITE

February 24th
WHAT.A.WEEK! Oh my goodness this week flew by incredibly fast. I know I say that every week but this one even more than usual.

Tuesday we were on exchanges with Sister Rhoades (goes home tomorrow!) when we got a call from President Hall. Long story short: we had another Sister go home unexpectedly this week. Wednesday we needed to take her up to the office....and pick up our TRIO member! Luckily, come today, everyone is still laughing! It's been pretty good and pretty fun actually. But I'm gonna be honest...not sure how people do  a trio for the whole transfer!

Speaking of transfers, they are tomorrow. Sister Kemp and I are being split up. We have a Sister we're over who is now at the end of her mission so she'll be going home but they are in a bike area (Sister Rhoades from above). So we recruited a guy in our ward to drive his truck up to Santa Clarita so we can pack it full of luggage and fill our car with Sister Kemp, Sister Cottrell (my trio companion), Sister Rhoades and Sister McQueen... it's gonna make for a real fun morning! haha

Yesterday, BRYAN KELLY GOT BAPTIZED! Honestly it was one of the most spiritual moments of my mission so far! All week I just kept praying "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let us get to Sunday at 4 pm! PLEASE let us get to Sunday!" He has been so prepared but Satan has been working double time on him. But good will win in the end, good will ALWAYS win in the end ;) and it did!

We had him confirmed font side while all of Kirstys' family was already here and so her dad could do it. Most amazing blessing! After giving him the holy ghost he continued on for a bit and blessed him with incredible things. My personal favorite "Not in this circle but in your heart are those Sisters who have already blessed you so much. Keep this close. Stay in touch with them." ;) jk not my favorite but definitely precious...

Bryans' family has turned their backs on him since he started dating Kirsty. He was blessed that problems with his family would soon be over! Talked about the war and hardships he's seen and to be a peacemaker in life. Talked about going to the temple and the children that would now be born to him; the blessings they would receive from his choice. Then her dad got really emotional and talked about Zoe; Kirsty's niece who drown on Christmas day and Bryan found her.

He blessed Bryan to be at peace. That Zoe was there and wanted him to know, she knew he acted instinctively and did all that he could. She wanted him to know that Heavenly Father needed her back now and it was all according to His plan. He said "She is cheering for you and your decision in Heaven today."

I have never felt anything like that before. I know she was definitely with their family yesterday. I was excited to finally get to meet Zoes' parents. Lucas baptized him and stood in the circle and Monica and Kirsty were sitting right in front of us during it. I can't imagine going through something like that!!! Even with the knowledge we have. But it made me even more grateful for the plan of salvation. For seeing how faith in Christ, and putting him first, truly can pull you through anything we may go through in life! Monica and Lucas had so much peace and are still such happy people. I know that wouldn't be possible if they didn't have that!

This week was amazing. It was on the difficult end again but it was fun. Yesterday made every single hardship this last six months, worth it! I love Bryan and Kirsty so much and I'm so happy for what this means for their family now. I know this church is true and I know it changes our lives. More importantly, it BLESSES our lives! There's nothing Heavenly Father asks us to do that isn't for our benefit. No matter how hard it may be in the moment.

Love you all more than you know!
With faith in every grateful footstep,
Sister Olsen

When we first set his date he was joking and said "Do I have to get my hair wet?" So we told him we'd get him a special towel. Kirsty's sister is a primary president and they really do make them baptismal towels hahaha so she took care of it for us and added our names on there as well.

THE MOST WONDERFUL SOUND I'VE EVER HEARD, IS THE SOUND OF WATER RUNNING IN THE CHURCH!

Sister McQueen came from Temple Square. They go to a proselyting mission for two transfers and they transfer a week ahead of us. So we were the pick up service because her companions don't have a car. This is how we stood outside the office waiting for her and President Hall

A girl in our ward somehow acquired a baby cottontail! Which she then brought to church hahaha and I got my first sun burn this week! Aaaaand the blonde is definitely workin it's way back

BASEBALL! Seriously we found a legit sand lot haha

I had to drive but Sister Kemp summed up how both of us felt by Wednesday night after picking up Sister McQueen and getting her settled, then driving all the way back to San Fernando, moving our apartment around, driving BACK to Santa Clarita to drop off a sister and pick up our trio and haul HER suitcases up our stairs. WHAT A DAY! PS...speaking of driving....prettty darn pumped I finally know the difference between the 5, the 14, the 405, the 101 and the 118. They are all major freeways in our area :)

"David and Goliath" haha Tina is seriously 4 foot 7!!!

Picking oranges and clearly I was way more pumped about it than I thought I was hahaha feelin' like SUCH a Californian!!!

Bryan lives in Van Nuys which is the most ghetto of our area haha (but we're safe mom!) and so one night he was telling us to be careful. We joked "it's fine! We're tough! We're Gs!" So now we have this joke with the four of us that we're Gs IN VAN NUYS!!! so we got ghetto bling for the pictures.

Bryan Kelly! LOVE HIM!