"We Christlike......but We Ain't Jesus"

January 27th--
 Okay first and foremost....WHY THE HECK did nobody tell me the Broncos are in the Superbowl this year?! Jacob Brandt I hope you're eating your words right now! Go Denver! Anyways...this week was really really good! It was definitely a battle though for sure. I was reading over my blessing wondering where my "health and strength" part was this week.

BUT that's okay! Satan couldn't get us down! We worked incredibly hard this week and really worked on getting the ward involved as well. It definitely paid off! This week was full of more miracles than I can even explain! Honestly, this week was one of the best weeks of my mission so far! I LOVE seeing the ways this Gospel really does change and BETTER our lives! 1 Nephi 3:7 talks about how there's nothing the Lord has asked us to do, where the way for us to do it isn't prepared already. So true! Things are hard. Doing the right thing is harder. But I know in the long run we are truly blessed for following what the Lord has asked of us.

I can't even explain this week but I wish I could! It was most definitely a CLOUD 27 type of week! Our ward is going to Arizona this week for the Gilbert Temple Open house and three of our investigators are going. I am so excited for them to get to see the inside and see what we're talking about. It made me think about the first time I went through... Taylor was the first person I saw in the Celestial room and I remember just losing it. The week before, I honestly didn't know if I was going to get there. Satan was working so hard on me I didn't know if I WANTED to. But I did and for that I am so grateful! I know that the temples truly are the closest we can get to God in this life and even though it's not dedicated yet, I'm still so excited for them to get to feel just a glimpse of that peace and joy that's there.

Sorry it's so late this week..things have been nuts!! I am learning so so much as a Sister Training Leader! I'm so grateful to get to have this time to learn from the other Sisters and getting to know them on a much more personal level. Hope that everyone has a great, exciting and safe week! Know that we are safe and protected without a doubt :) Life is gooooood here in the great San Fernando Valley. LOVE YOU ALL!

With faith in every exhausted footstep,
Sister Olsen

This is seriously only the second Utah license plate I've seen out here! And it's the epitome of Utah!

We listen to a song that says "This work's gonna fix what don't 'work' anymore" and I think of Josh every time now. This was at church cleaning/basketball the other night. This is the happiest we've ever seen him! So happy things are clicking and working for him

Sick day this week means this stretching was the extent of our exercise! If you look close on the left you can see where I hung up the babies shrine haha

"White" Winter

January 20th--
Greetings from the Ghetto! :) We made three trips to Santa Clarita AGAIN this week, I totally saw Billy Ray Cyrus at dinner at this place called "The Yard House", the Jeppsens went back home to Utah, took the new missionaries out for contacting, we moved apartments three times (seriously still sore from that), set up exchanges for the eight companionships (16 sisters) this transfer, set a baptismal date with this guy named Josh and had a night in when Sister Kemp got super sick.  Whaaaaaat a week!

So this week we met this guy named Michael. He just got out of prison and, like much of the valley, has some pretty strong gang affiliations. He has a slit tongue....apparently that's a real thing that if you snitch on other members, they'll slit your tongue. We were talking to him when his "baby mama" called and she cussed me out for talking to her "baby daddy." So fun! We also had a hand off lesson for another guy this week. He is 22 and so awesome! He also has been into some pretty heavy gang stuff; he's covered in tattoos and piercings. But the last year he's worked really hard to genuinely turn his life around and better things for his two kids. He'd been on drugs since he was 12 and is finally totally clean and working hard to find clarity and peace. It made me think about Alma 36:21 where it talks about how the Atonement can take any bitter or awful thing and make it equally as great and sweet to us. MY FAVORITE SCRIPTURE FOR SURE! We set a baptismal date with him :) :) February 16th so hopefully he can continue to work hard to make sure it follows through. We ended up not getting one solidified with Bryan this week but we know he still is so close! There's nothing really holding him back and I am SO EXCITED for him to finally get to that point! Just a step on the way to the temple for him and Kristy.

I forgot to mention, but for the last 3 weeks I have been back in the driver seat! WOOP WOOP! Great news, I know ;) Life in LA is still taking a little bit of getting use to for me. We go to District Meeting in Sherman Oaks; 10.4 miles from our home exactly. Mom thought going from Helper to Provo traffic was bad.... It takes us FIFTY minutes to get there! 50 minutes to go 10 miles!!! It drives me crazy. Patience continues to be an attribute the Lord teaches me.

Taking Sister Lind up to the office this week to go home was one of the saddest drives! It was hard. We also joke we go "roadtrippin" up there but this was by far the worst. We picked them up right after District Meeting (which was actually 60 minutes after...) and went to meet President and Sister Hall at the office. The assistants came out as soon as we got there to help carry stuff in. She started crying and it was really hard to see it ending so much sooner for her than she'd planned. She'd been out about ten months. Definitely a testimony builder to always be as obedient as possible and ALWAYS make each day count.

As you can see below, we also are having a white winter ;) Although ours is in the form of blossoms instead of snow! And it was pointed out I never sent pictures from our ocean lookout drive. So there's that as well :) my last day as a blonde so about a month ago.  It is such great weather down here! We dropped for a little while but are back in the 80's-90's. God is great, beer ain't good, and people are crazy! LOVE YOU ALL and hope it's another great week! 

With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

Maybe You Aren't Here For Yourself

January 13th--
HOLLA! I can't believe it's another week gone by. We had one guy commit to baptism...just have to set a date (YAY!), two trips up to Santa Clarita, three exchanges and four Sisters getting transferred tomorrow! We are NOT one of them! Sister Kemp and I will be staying together another transfer which means she will officially be the companion I have had the longest so far. Today we are going out contacting with the new missionaries! SO excited :) It'll be fun!

This week was nuts! Yesterday, we had President Martz from the LA Temple Presidency come speak to us. He did an amazing job! Turned out he is also a convert to the church. We had our investigator Bryan sitting right in front of us with his girlfriend Kirsty. We've been working with him since I've been here and last time we asked him about baptism he said he didn't feel quite ready yet, but he felt close. When President Martz talked a little bit about his own sealing, it was this really powerful moment for myself where I knew that some day Bryan and Kirsty would be at that point! They are totally going to make it to the temple. Last night we had dinner with them and we talked about what he thought of sacrament. By the end of the lesson, we bore our testimonies that we knew he was ready and that there shouldn't be anything to hold him back from progressing. We asked him to pray about getting baptized either the end of January or the first of February. And he said YES! I felt like I was floating on air last night! So dang excited for them. So it's totally happening, it's just a matter of when.

We also had a crazy man YELL at us on the street corner this week about how we're less than men and should be ashamed to be Mormons. I was in total shock! I've never had that happen before and he was sooo rude!! I was pretty ticked at first but the more I thought about it that night I think those are the moments that are really hard for Heavenly Father to sit back and have to watch. I WILL find that man in Heaven and I WILL get an apolagy!

Sorry not much time today but things are MUY BIEN here in California :) Hopefully you all have a great week this upcoming week. We have a Sister who is being sent home early this week..It's been tough! Definitley not a fun thing to be involved in and my heart goes out to her but it's been a constant reminder that He knows the bigger picture and knows how things will play out long before we do. It's made me think about a scripture in 1 Nephi 21:14-16 that I really love. It talks about how we are graven upon the palms of His hands. I never thought about it much before the mission that in a totally perfect and resurrected body, He left to leave those scars in His hands. Whenever I see somebody with their arm all tore up and ask what happened, 90% of them will start the story with "I was with my brother boating and..." "I was in Moab with my friends..." they always start the story with who they're with! I think if we were to see Him now and ask what happened to His hands he'd say "I was with you during your heart break. I was with you in your car on the worst night of your life. I was with you while you were nervous about starting your mission." Whatever it may be! I know President Monson was 100% right at conference when he said "Whether it is the best of times or worst of times, He is with us! We truly do need Him every hour." I know He loves us and walks with us constantly. And for that, I am grateful :) Love you all!

With faith in every tired footstep,
Sister Olsen

We heard there's a movie coming out about Elders who were kidnapped in Russia. The something approach...? We were at lunch this week and the director of it was there and wanted to take a picture with US!

BOOTCAMP with our ward last week. Seriously could not walk until Thursday

2 Nephi 5:27

HAPPY 2014! So crazy 2013 has already come and gone. Church yesterday was crazy...I saw one of my good friends from high school! I was freaking out a little and Sister Kemp had to remind me not to hug him haha and remember our white supremacist gang member?! HE came walking into sacrament meeting, as we were sitting next to our black investigator! Our stomachs dropped and we were glued to our guy allll day! Luckily nothing happened :) we also taught Sunday School and spoke in Relief Society so it was quite the exhausting day.

New Years Eve this year was definitely the most different I've ever had! Our investigator (a marine) is struggling to find the motivation to read the Book of Mormon and we've been struggling to work out so we told him on the 30th to start reading every night, text us how many verses he read and we'll do that many crunches or push ups the next day. 113 the first night!!! 1 Nephi 1-4... I have never been so excited to work out! Then we went to Mission Leadership Council from 9-5:30, drove back to our valley and grabbed a pizza just in time for our 7pm curfew!

New Years is fun to me! I thought about being in Hawaii last year and never thinking I'd be on a mission a year later. I'm thankful for everything and everyone that got me out here! I know I say that every time but I can't say it enough! I know God loves each and every one of us and everything we go through is for a reason. I know everything happens for a reason...and a reason for the BEST! I thought about 2013 and had my song stuck in my head :) :)

LOVE YOU ALL! And hope you have a great week :)
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

New Years was different but probably one of the better ones I've had for sure. I thought a lot about last year and being in Hawaii...being determined to let go of what an awful year 2012 was. I thought a lot about the upcoming year though and how 2014 will be "MY YEAR" as a missionary. Not a lot of sisters get a solid year on their missions so I thought a lot about what I want to do/become. One of my goals is to read the Book of Mormon four times. Which is easier than I thought it would be. Reading six pages everyday I can read it every three months!

We have a Sister who has struggled her whole mission and President asked us this week what our thoughts would be in sending her home... I think that's what's got me so down today. They've only had 3 full work days this whole transfer (so five weeks....) and other than that they've been staying in! Which is not okay. But it's really sad and hard to think of another going home. Sister Kemp and I struggle a little bit because she's still caught in a little bit of "I need to be on top" so she's like "Honestly she needs to just go home" and I want to shake her sometimes. She doesn't understand having messed up. She's got a touch of self-righteousness. And is very immature.

I'm struggling a little. But I am praying daily for patience and charity. I know things could be worse and I'm grateful that overall we do get along great! I've learned to ignore and correct in a loving way (hopefully) but it's hard just thinking back to Pierie I think. And if nothing else, at least there aren't obedience problems! haha kill me...

So I am indeed down a little bit today. Sorry about that.

Love you tons. Thanks for always supporting me :)
Your favorite Sister Olsen

Our investigator Bryan wanted to take us out to a fancy dinner for our Christmas present. We went to the Odyssey last Saturday! It was amazing! Melt in your mouth steak :) :) This is the over look though. That's the 405 freeway, San Fernando Valley and more of LA county.

.....And A Happy New Year--Dec 30th

HEY! Looked like everyone had a good Christmas :) I did hear that the Lakers lost to the Jazz this week so MERRY CHRISTMAS indeed!! I realized the longest I'd been away from home was four months and two days with living in China, which is how long I've been away as of today! So crazy how fast time is going by! Ironically enough after Ash made the joke about not being in North Hollywood to see the celebrities, we had a legit referral come in for Justin Bieber! Apparently he asked an inactive girl out and she used it to refer him. There's a city in our area called Calabasas and it's loaded!! Will Smith, Justin Bieber and the Kardashians all have houses out here.

This week was overwhelming on just how grateful I am for my family. After skyping, we ate dinner and got a text from one of our investigators. Remember Bryan and Kirsty?! Bryan went to Kirstys' house for Christmas Day and that night we got a text from him that started with "Sisters Kirsty's niece just died in my arms. This is not a joke either...." It was heartbreaking! Especially after just seeing Kez and Jax a few hours earlier, I couldn't help but think if it had happened to us. That's why I am SO grateful for this gospel!! To know that no matter what kind of crazy stuff happens to us in life, this isn't the end. Having the temples are such a huge blessing to me!

I can't believe 2013 is already pretty much over. I thought a lot this morning about last year in Hawaii and the goals/plans I'd set for myself and how I did on them. At that point, I still had no real plan that I would be on a mission exactly a year later, but I continue to be incredibly grateful this is where I'm at! Some of the things I've learned in 2013 and especially as a missionary...
     -Avocados make guacamole...not guacamole.
     -Stretching is a perfectly good form of "exercise"
     -6:30 am comes EVEN EARLIER as a missionary!
     -Not going to seminary can really work in your favor. I have NO desire to Bible Bash...I know I'd lose.
     -Life Savor mints should be on the food pyramid
     -I continue to have the most supportive family ever
     -Prayer works...like for reals!
     -Loving people is hard. Watching them use agency in a not great way is even harder.
     -Always follow the Spirit. Especially when you don't know why!!

I am so so grateful for the endless blessings I have and the tender mercies the Lord continues to send me every single day. I know the Atonement is powerful and it is real. No matter what we are going through, it covers us. I know the Lord not only loves me, but is walking with me constantly. I love the temple! I know a lot of people probably never thought I'd say it but I LOVE garments! I love the protection, spiritually and physically, that they provide. I know the Lord doesn't give us any commandments without a reason for wanting to bless us. I know that what is sealed in the temple, will be sealed in heaven. And for that, I can not even express how grateful I am!

Hope everyone has a great New Years! Remember that as great as it is to set goals about diets and gyms, goals about prayers and spirituality are a lot more lasting :) LOVE YOU ALL! Until next year... (Never gets old haha)

With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

The beginning of gingerbread houses last Monday before the Elders started a full on frosting fight-clean the church? Check!

Christmas Eve we went caroling with the Resenda Elders and a family in our ward before dinner.  SO MUCH FUN!! Seriously one of the highlights of the week.

Our district at district meeting on Christmas Eve

Okay funny story....I took this pictures 3 weeks ago and sent it to Tanner because of his shirt!  Yesterday, we were back in that town, different street and this same homeless man comes walking up to me and says "Hey, I remember you! You took a picture with me!"  haha oops! So much for my "It's okay, I'll never see them again" logic

Exchanges with Sister Panlilio this week had me back on a bike!  I've never felt prettier in my life...;)  Biking is still SO much fun to me though!

NOTHING is more annoying than getting to these houses that are gated/fenced off and they have a "Welcome" sign on them!  And I swear 9/10 of the gated ones do have a welcome sign. At least this one was cowboys.....

December 23rd Photos

Temple day on Monday with Holly, Brian, Kirsty

These signs are all over the valleys! These are the "secret" signs for when they are filming shows and movies

Temple day on Wednesday before the session

LIN! This guy is from the Shondong Province. Which is where I lived when I was there!!

I tried to talk Sister Kemp into camping out on the balcony like we do at home but we compromised with sleeping in the front room....all week haha

MERRY CHRISTMAS at church yesterday with Brother Turner

FELIZ NAVIDAD-Dec 23rd

HOLA from the Great San Fernando California! I can not believe we're only two days away from Christmas!! I will definitely NOT be having a white Christmas this year! Mine will be hot and drrrrry. But that's okay because much like Kenny Chesney, all I want for Christmas is a real good tan! ;) Jokes jokes! I have though successfully gotten the whole San Fernand valley hooked on Scotty McCreery and Brad Paisley Christmas!!! :)  But for reals this year has flowwwwn by! Happy Birthday Jesus, Happy Birthday Jake and Happy Birthday Dad! Love you all

This week was great!! We went to LA for the Visitors Center with Brian (investigator), his girlfriend and Holly (another investigator) on Monday. We saw a few of the videos, met up with the ward to watch a bell choir and then walked the grounds to look at the lights. Holly set a baptismal date and Brian is on the verge of setting one also so it was exciting. The spirit was so strong! Wednesday morning we got up at 5:30 to head back to LA to do a session with all the English speaking missionaries in the mission. THAT WAS COOL! We did a chapel session and sitting in the chapel waiting to get started, "Behold, A Royal Army!" was seen in an all new light!!! WOW! There were about 125 of us, all dressed in white. Getting to the end and being in the Celestial Room with them was even happier and more powerful than when we went for my birthday with the departing missionaries. And I didn't have any "wardrobe malfunctions" this time so it was a great experience. We saw a lot of heart ache this week. We met a girl who had an abortion because her boyfriend got another girl pregnant and another girl who was four months pregnant and leaving her boyfriend for a better life. SO proud of her but I definitely had an overwhelming reminder that the Lord has given us commandments for our blessing, happiness...and sanity. In the bible dictionary under the commandments it says they may also be referred to as "the covenants." I love that! It's not just a list of thou shalt nots, it's ways the Lord has set up to make life even better for us. We had exchanges this week and I went to Woodland Hills with Sister Lewis, one of the Sisters I was in the MTC with. SO MUCH FUN! It was my first time on bike and I hope I get transferred to a bike area at some point.

This time of year is so amazing! I was nervous because I LOVE Christmas! It's my favorite time of year. But I have had countless tender mercies on a daily basis with just loving where I am right now. We've been incredibly busy so that always helps... At Mission Leadership Council the start of the month, Sister Hall said this year, as missionaries, we are the angels of the Christmas story. We get to go forth to other people and tell them "...Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people... Glory to God in the highest. And on earth, peace, good will toward men." I love this gospel and the ways it has blessed and changed my life. I'm grateful to have time to help others find the peace they don't have in their own lives...yet!

I can not wait to see your faces in two days!!! I have no idea what time but I'll give Bishop moms' number and they can talk and get it figured out for sure. Ahhhhhh!! And I have a surprise for you that day...
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! ...and to all a good week!
Love you all!

With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen

PS Remember how mom would re-write Christmas carols for our Christmas cards? Here's my version of the 12 Days of Christmas as a missionary haha sing it as you read it!

"On my first Christmas away from home the good Lord gave to me...."
     -A companion just like me!
     -Two skirts I love!
     -Three colored pens
     -Four favorite verses
     -FIVE BAPTISMAL DATES!
     -Six types of cereal
     -Seven Sister exchanges
     -Eight hours sleeping
     -Nine dogs a barking
     -Ten strangers staring
     -Eleven ways of tracting
     -Twelve pounds of letters