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!

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!

Cloud 27-November 25th

 Tanner told me my emails are too long and that's probably a good point ;) haha good thing I just type fast! Today though we don't have much time because we are playing sand volleyball and still need to go shopping so I'll REALLY try to keep it short. I have thought so much this last week about the gospel and what's it done for me in life.

Obviously this week there are overwhelming thoughts of gratitude! At dinner last night, it came up that I am 24 and the guys' dad asked "So what's your story? Why now?" When we got home last night I thought about it a lot. It still is so crazy to think back over the last 2 1/2 years. I am so grateful to be on my mission NOW and for everything I had to learn in those 2 years from when I first got called. I can not imagine doing it before learning so much more about the Atonement, peace and unfortunately....love haha

But you've heard me talk about that enough before I even left! This week, it's been all about my people. It's been super overwhelming how much love and support I've gotten. Alllllll the tears and venting and frustrated rants and the blessings and the encouragement... I can't thank you enough for it! I know I never would have really made it out here without such supportive family and friends :)

I have to apologize because when Tanner Perry was out, Jess and I gave him so much crap for all of his exclamation points in his letters!!!!! haha Now though, I totally feel like that all the time. Even the very worst days out here are still so great. I love being a missionary and am so grateful I get the privilege to do so. This is easily the happiest I have ever been, but before this it would have been the "cloud 9" kick. We were driving home one night and I was wired so I told Sister Hacker this is like cloud 27! It really is the greatest. So my bad Tan ;) and my apologies haha

This week was AMAZING! Way too much to even write but my favorite thing was a baptism on Saturday in Mint Canyon.

My buddy Elder Barnett had his first one!!!

 I was so proud of him!!! It's been so amazing to watch him change so much already from his first day in the MTC, to giving his first blessing and now doing a baptism. I can't wait for his family to talk to him! His lisp is almost totally gone and he reads all the time in District Meeting now.

Transfer calls are this Saturday when we find out if we stay or go. Ahhhh! This time I am praying like crazy that we both stay! Sister Hacker is like a combination of Penny and Michelle Jaynes haha it's so great! We have made soooo much progress in the ward in these six weeks and are working with 4 solid investigators we're hopeful to set at least one baptismal date this week. So I'm really hoping we both stay put but I know the Lord knows best.

Love you all more than you know! I hope this week goes GREAT and everyone has a great Thanksgiving! CRAZZZZZY that one month from today we'll be skyping. Kiss those babies for me! Until next week...

With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

"Fred" was left at our home by the Castaic Elders. We tied him to a streamer and left him tied to their front door. PS...I AM FINALLY LEARNING HOW TO FRENCH BRAID MY OWN HAIR :) Which is great since I have neither time nor desire to do it every day.

Our view by the time we finally left church yesterday

Zone Activity...welcome to our lives with the Elders

AND it rained this week! There was much rejoicing in the land!! Only like 1/4th an inch which is like a flood here it's so dry! We were cracking up in this picture cause my hair is actually stuck in the umbrella but it was on timer so it had to wait

We went to San Fernando this week for a YSA meeting with the other YSA Sisters and we found this road!!! SO COOL! PS...Have I mentioned how much I love driving out here?! We found our first 25 mph zone this week. Everywhere is like 45 or 50 and it's glorious. And when you put your blinker on, people let you over!!! It's crazy.

Okay I didn't know why the other Sisters were laughing so hard until I actually looked at this picture. Little sketch...Don't let that pretty sky fool you! It was freezing this week! Dropped clear down to 67 ;)

Identity thief....

We went to FHE like this and we were laughing cause mine was "pink and Unicorns and UTAH" and Sister Hacker was all "Dark and radical and black" haha

Picture Time

Back on my birthday with the sign Sister Hacker made and the hats Linds' sent me

Elder Workman and Elder Axson came to go over papers for their area and got in the birthday spirit. Or Elder Workman did at least...

"These boots... HAD TO SEE CALIFORNIA!...where God paints the sky!"

I may have taken the wrong freeway last week and left the mission...OOPS!

I'M IN LOVE I'M IN LOVE AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT! 14 pit bull/Mastiff puppies!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER GARCIA! Doesn't he look like the kid from "UP" all grown up?! Linds' party hats continue to make the rounds :) :)

:) Happiness! God knew I needed Southern California :)

Another One Bites The Dust-Nov 18th

This week was somethin' different! Being sick at home sucks but being sick on a mission... BOOO! No worries though :) My fever finally broke Sunday. My lips were BRIGHT red, cracked and had heat blisters so not many pictures from this week... After multiple trips to the store, a few nights early to bed, and almost all day Saturday in bed I am finally back to a functional state today! HALLELUJAH! Sister Hacker is a trooper cause I would have gone nuts having to stick to the house that much. Things are good and we have SO SO much to be grateful for!

Remember our guy Justin Roddy who set a baptismal date?! TOTAL MIRACLE! Yeah...that fell through :( Word to the wise: don't get in trouble with the law. He's on probation and so it got put on hold while his court case was still pending. He was crying the last time he called and talked to us. He told us about being on house arrest and only immediate family could have contact with him. That was right before Halloween....

Thursday we were at somebody else's house and I had the feeling we needed to try and go see Justin. Not the best thought because his mom REALLY doesn't like us! It's weird... Don't get me wrong, I've been hated before! haha But at least by people I knew. As a missionary it's kinda funny to have people instantly so against us before we even have ANY kind of conversation with them.

SO long story short, we go to Justins. We pull up to his complex and the very first person we see....MAMA MICHELLE! She's sitting with her back to us, watching a younger daughter on the play ground. I start laughing and we start game planning what to do. Go talk to her? Book it over to his house? Leave all together? We move the car to the other side so we are now facing her. As we walk up, she totalllllly notices us and pretends to be on her phone all of a sudden. Our plan was to try and talk to her since she doesn't seem to like us... But with that we kept walking. We walk out of sight and go to game plan again. We decided we tried to do the right thing by approaching her but since she blew us off, let's book it to Justin's and try to talk to him while we know she's not there.

We didn't want Michelle to see us heading that way though and from where she was sitting you have a straight shot to the sidewalk going up to the door. So we went stealth mode :) We ran around the outside of all six buildings, went through the bushes and went along the back of his building to get to his front door. His dad answered, told us Justin no longer lives there and slammed the door. WHAT THE FREAK RIGHT?! So at this point we wanted to find out where he lives and have nothing else to lose...so back to Mama we went :) (Still going the route we took to get to the door so she wouldn't see us leaving...)

Like I said, Sister Hacker is a trooper!! Right as we were walking up, I told her we weren't leaving until we found out some idea of where he went. We walked up to this VERY large, hostile, black woman who has made it clear multiple times that she does.not.like.us and played dumb.

"Hi! You're Michelle right?!"-Me
"Yeah."-Her (TURNS THE OTHER WAY COMPLETELY)
Sister Hacker looked at me a little bit alarmed but I still just felt like we needed to try and talk to her so I shook my head like 'no we're staying!" and luckily she caught it. We stood there smiling in silence for a good minute before she turned back around to us. Talk about a prayer in your heart!!! I just kept thinking please don't start swinging at us... SHE ENDED UP TALKING TO US FOR A GOOD 15 MINUTES! It was good. She actually shook our hands when we finally left. Still hostile and I'm sure she was upset to get home and find out we had already snuck over there...BUT she shook our hands :) God bless Sister Hacker for having me as a companion but she always backs me in our promptings! :)

I'm so excited for Thanksgiving! We are VERY well taken care of even with being over the YSA Ward! We had one girl sign up for dinner and our Bishop, one of his councilors and another guy in the ward have all offered to have us over. We are soo blessed :) Our ward really is amazing. I'm sure it'll be a little different with being away from home but I realized doing dishes yesterday that I've already been in this boat before :) :) And no matter what happens out here it will DEFINEINTLY be a better Thanksgiving than the one I had in China! I'm confident not one of these people will try to feed us duck or dog...

Funny thought of the week: We shared Ether 12:27 and this guy asked if God really can make weak things become strengths. We talked about it but then on the way home I started cracking up! Remember that time when I was little and tried to spend the weekend in Brigham City?! Keyword: tried hahaha I have been super blessed to be focused on the work and life in California. I miss people but not "actively" like I thought I would. God has taken care of me in countless ways and I know he knows what I need while I'm out here and always. Endless blessings and tender mercies have come my way :)

LOVE YOU ALL!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

Hello, Hello-Just getting online if anybody is on for a minute ;)

What's Up? What are you guys up to??

This is Bryant! HE IS HILARIOUS! Little bit off but funniest guy. He's a convert. He came to one of our zone activities once and said we were "such an organization." Since he's the only black guy he said he gets to be president of the organization. And I was deemed first lady. Lucky me! He told me he has a "Christmas husband" for me that he will wrap up

Hiking "Vasquez Rocks" last week with Carissa, Jennifer and Bobbye Jo

We learned how to "properly" juice pomegranates! So fun! Aaaand check our candy stash! We actually gave it away the next day.

KILLLLLLLLLLLL ME!!