Alma 36:21

August 25th--

Sorry this week is kinda crazy and I don't have time to really email so I figured I'll send pictures instead!

One of the "crowning events" of this week was Marisse was baptized! One of our favorite songs to listen to says "And the most wonderful sound I've ever heard, is the sound of water running in the church as someone I've come to love got dressed in white. My eyes saw their first glimpse of heavens' light." This has never been more true to me! Her baptism was beautiful :) She's carried some heavy stuff for a good 40 years and when she came out of her interview she said "I don't know how I could be happier." Thursday night is a night I'll remember forever! SHE WAS SO HAPPY! We sat there just laughing and making jokes for a while and she seemed so light. It was easy to see she'd had quite the burden lifted.

She got baptized a little different because of some concerns she had. She knelt down and went forwards instead of the usual backwards. After, she just sat there for a minute by Bishop and everyone stayed silent for a good two minutes while she kind of processed. It was powerful to see how much it meant to her and the impact it was having. I first met Marisse when I was 1 month out so I have known her for quite some time now. When we were talking Thursday it was hitting me just how much she's changed and what a better place she is in now.

This gospel is amazing! As great as it was to have the atonement changing my life so much before, it feels almost even more powerful to see it in work for somebody else. I love seeing people become happier! I love seeing them start to understand that God really does love them. As a missionary, you hear a lot that missionaries are happiest at baptisms. I'd have to disagree. Baptism is amazing, but seeing the gospel actually mean something to people and see their whole lives change because of it as they build up their testimony....THAT is what makes a missionary happiest.

I can't believe all the rain Utah got this week!!!! AH! I felt culture shock just looking at all those pictures. But the Lord knew what He was doing in giving me Southern California....it hit 81 this morning and I'm sitting in a cardigan ;) Hope you have another great week! Thanks for thinking of me! LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!

With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

​Amanda....LOVE HER! Her and her boys are getting baptized soon. THey have an amazing story and even asked how soon they could get sealed before we even had a baptismal date set :)

P.S. I can't believe I've been out for a year this week. I have been telling everyone I'm at about 9 and I think I'd tricked myself into believing it. We had interviews with President Hall this week and he brought up that the things I learn are going to soon be more about me than my investigators and that was really hard to hear. I feel like a mission has become such a part of me since I"ve been out of course but it's been like the last THREE years of working towards it that I really really am emotional and sad to think I'm on such the downward slope of it and it will indeed be coming to an end. But that's okay. I'm just gonna keep working my butt off. I heard a saying once my first transfer out "Make them send you home." And that's what I'm gonna do!

LOVE YOU!