Hello! WHAT A WEEK!! It flew by way way too fast! I am indeed getting transferred tomorrow Saturday afternoon we got the call, but honestly, in the temple Friday night I just knew I would be leaving. After 9 months in YSA I will finally be going to a family ward. I'm sad to leave but I feel way better about it than I expected to.
Standing here today (literally...we stand at the Apple store...) I could not have asked for more from the Lord! Two of the biggest dreams I had for my mission were to "FIND CHANTEL" and help a less active get on a mission. I wanted to find the me that I was 3 years ago. Without going into too much detail, Rebeca has been a MIRACLE! She is more of a Chantel than I realized at first. Yesterday I saw it full circle as she talked a little bit about how she's starting to really think about going on a mission and realizing that's the Lords' plan for her. Such a tender mercy!
Charlie is a guy that almost tried to throw us out of his house the first time we went to see him and missions came up. We kept meeting with him, became friends, and helped him to see for himself that a mission was still possible for him. Recently, he got a priesthood advancement and will be blessing the sacrament for the first time next week. Now he talks openly all the time about "When I got on my mission..." . Also, such a tender mercy!
Being able to be in the temple with Kirsty Friday night, was a huge blessing. I have learned SO much about hope this transfer and trying to really understand how trials play into our eternal perspective. That girl went through more in 3 months than most will go through in a year. On the way down I thought to when I went through for the first time and the week before being hell; not knowing if I'd make it. Bishop Pickering told me "I promise ANYTHING you go through or give up is beyond worth it to make it to the temple!!!" Seeing her come into the Celestial Room and seeing her happier than I've seen her in a looooong time, I was reminded again of the truth of that.
I know that Heavenly Father knows what's best for us. I know He's aware of what we want and what we need. And I'm sure sometimes it's hard for Him when those don't line up. But I know with time, sometimes they do. I can't believe I have been out for 9 months already! I can't even explain how blessed I feel to have already see the two biggest dreams of my mission come true and to become friends with so many great people who have truly changed my life!
In the temple, I've never felt such peace before and I couldn't stop crying! (Go figure...) It was a whole new level of peace and a deeper sense for everything I put myself through in the past. It was a way of seeing things come full circle and feeling good about the hard/bad experiences I may have had; knowing it helped somebody for the better and seeing somebody else pull through it as well.
On a lighter note... I had wheat bread this week for the first time since Elementary School! haha Yep! But still no french toast. Sister Vanhoven leaves for Brazil tonight and when we asked what she wanted to do for her last day she said "Sister olsen, will you PLEASE come to Ihop and eat french toast?!" Not a chance. I also offended a man who was changing his tire when I suggested that he jack up the car before trying to pull the tire off... HAHA thanks dad!
Glad things went well at home this week! Not gonna lie, I don't have much time to write people back but I promise I will next week. THANK YOU for the constant love and support! Dad, enjoy not being Bishop Olsen anymore :) Sounds like it's already a huge difference in just one day. LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!!
With faith in every grateful footstep and for the last time in YSA,
Sister Olsen
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| Earrings Rebeca and Sister Patton made me! |
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| PAMELA! So sad I'll be missing her baptism "ALMA IS BETTER THAN TUPAC!" "The Book of Mormon has a lot of wars ya know?" "The Lamanites are the original gangsters!" |
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| RON CUHA! hahaha He's pretty short... One day he was walking back inside as we were telling him bye and he stepped on those steps and said "Yeahhh I like this better! Now I can finally see your eyes" So it became a joke with us |
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| BROTHER ROSE! I love this guy. He always has us over to give us food. His wife died a year ago so he always tells us how ready he is to die but he is so hopeful and nice! Check out his left foot... I tease him every time I'm gonna slice it open and drain it out! |
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| So I wore this to his house for dinner :) Don't let his smile fool you. I walked in and the first thing he said was "Take that crap off in my house!" haha you can see why we get along so well |
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| CSUN! it's the university in our area. This thing is cool! It's a mirage so no matter what direction you look at it from, it still says CSUN |
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| Bishop KNOWS I hate the Heat! At the end of baring my testimony I said "NOBODY compliment his tie!" cause when he found out I was getting transferred he wore this to church... |
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| After the temple with Kirsty. SUCH an amazing night! :) Triplets re-united |
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| My district leader Elder Ford and his companion Elder Agular after our last district meeting. I LOVE THEM! Elder Ford has been in my zone my whole mission and Elder A is precious! He's from Mexico and one day asked us to teach him what "though" means. "They put it everywhere here and I do not understand it!" |
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| When we went to the temple, the freeway was crazy backed up so we went through Beverly Glen/Beverly Hills. Bishop pulled over on the way though at this place... the house Michael Jackson died at! This is where the ambulance was backing out of with the news coverage. |
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| Mothers Day celebration last week with half of our Relief Society. Sister Patton is amazing!! |
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| ROBERT! He's so funny! And super sarcastic |
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| Last laundry trip this morning with Sister Moore as we entertained ourselves... "Okay this picture is how we feel every night once 8 hits" |
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