June 23rd--
Hello hello from Canyon Country! Oh my goodness, sounds like quite the week for everyone back home haha This week I got thinking that I was really missing "the summer season"...a truck drove through our parking lot during studies the other day and stopped right outside our building. He had music up looooud and I realized it was LUKE BRYAN!! I cried haha full on, had three tears roll down my face. BUT getting emails today and being reminded that with rodeo and concert season comes HAY SEASON ...I find myself not missing summer quite so much ;)
Well this week has definitely been one of the strangest weeks of my mission! Long story short: last Sunday, we got a call from one of the district leaders around 1015 saying that we needed to get to some of our Sisters apartments ASAP. We kinda laughed and were like okay we'll hurry and get dressed. He said "No really!" We went in pajamas and retainers and flip flops and confused what was going on. GOOOOOOD TIMES to show up and have the district leaders, zone leaders and President all be there haha Sister Missionaries at our finest ;)
By 2am we were finally headed back home but with different companions. Sister Johnson stayed with one and I took the other home with me. She's Samoan!!! What are the odds huh?! This week has been pretty funny with the Samoan aspect...feels like high school again living with a poly! We are going to stay in these companionships until the end of the transfer, which will be good but now I'm REALLY praying Sister Johnson and I stay together because we only got four weeks! CRAZY that transfers are already next week!
President Hall told us to do whatever we needed to do this week so this week was a "recovering" week. It was actually really really good! We didn't get to do much of the typical missionary work but got out a lot, and talked through lots of different things. It's so crazy how the Lord had really prepared us to be companions this week. And just prepares us in general. We did get to meet with one of my favorite families this week! I LOVE THEM! I pray all the time that we can continue to work with them and help them progress because I see how much they want and need the gospel and how much it would bless them.
This week we get to go to the temple as a mission :) So Wednesday morning the army will all be down in LA. I AM SO EXCITED! I know I took the temple for granted before I left; I never went! Now I'm excited to really be learning the difference and impact it can have in our lives if we make it a priority.
This week we also did run into a bull statue hahaha (again, I wish I could send pictures but not happenin') Tinges of home sickness came for a second but then like 30 seconds later, we ran into a woman who opened up right away about how much she needs peace in her life right now and what a dark place she's been in and instantly I was grateful again for being able to be a missionary. I LOVE being out here! I LOVE that Heavenly Father lets us be part of so many miracles! I LOVE how much spiritual growth we're able to experience when we allow Him to help us.
And I know I'm totally like starting to talk like a valley girl haha BACK OFF! Hope you all have another great week! Don't get stabbed Jake! He was probably wanted down in my area haha And remember it's Chantel on a mission...not Brittany ;) OFA ATU whole heaps!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen
Monday, June 23, 2014
Te Quiero Mucho
June 16th--
This week was pretty crazy! Nothing went according to plan..which is actually pretty normal for missionary life so maybe it was the plan?
One thing that was amazing this week is a girl we just started teaching. She's dating a member in our ward and we met her my second night here at our ward softball game. She went to youth conference with them this week and had such an AMAZING experience! It was SOOOO cool! We had planned on watching the Restoration DVD with her but when we got there, they told us about testimony meeting of Youth Conference. She knows the Church is true!!! She had such a spiritual experience and was actually really blown away by it cause she didn't expect to actually feel anything. We talked again last night and she said she's starting to realize there's nothing really holding her back from being baptized :)
The coolest part was Saturday they did a "LIFE" game at the church. They had to go get educations, get married, start having kids etc. The whole time though in the gym, they just had a bunch of fun free stuff set up; as distractions. They only had 2 hours to accomplish all that they could. Spencer and Lindsay went and started everything right away and even did a "temple marriage". She was telling us that night how even just the make shift temple there at the stake center felt different from all of the rooms. Everyone was more calm and peaceful and happy. Right after they got married, they left and the "fate bell" went off where they had to open one of three fate cards they'd been given. Both of them got a child in theirs. So then they were walking around carrying 2 big dolls and this man walked up to them and said "Lindsay come with me. You just died."
It was powerful to hear her talk about that! Even in this makeshift game she said she suddenly felt panicked because it felt SO real. She was telling him "No! We just got married and had two kids. I don't want to leave them yet!" Then something came back to her from the "temple" when he talked about how they could now be together even after death. :) And she felt calm. She talked about it just being a game but how she felt the truth of that.
I am SO grateful for the temple! I know that we truly feel more peace there than anywhere else and are able to overcome the world and our struggles when we make the time to go there. I believe we truly will be together forever through the temples and the power of the priesthood. I just feel it and I know it. And I know that making it to the temple is worth anything that we have to sacrifice or go through!
Hope you all have an amazing week! We're meeting with the cutest little families! They make me even more grateful for mine for sure. Summer has been a little bit difficult seeing everybody out swimming and playing and bbq-ing...but there is no where else I'd rather be right now. Not even at a concert ;) I'm thankful for this time to help other people's families have the same peace and knowledge that I have and getting THEM to be together forever; cause a good 50 years just isn't enough. LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen
This week was pretty crazy! Nothing went according to plan..which is actually pretty normal for missionary life so maybe it was the plan?
One thing that was amazing this week is a girl we just started teaching. She's dating a member in our ward and we met her my second night here at our ward softball game. She went to youth conference with them this week and had such an AMAZING experience! It was SOOOO cool! We had planned on watching the Restoration DVD with her but when we got there, they told us about testimony meeting of Youth Conference. She knows the Church is true!!! She had such a spiritual experience and was actually really blown away by it cause she didn't expect to actually feel anything. We talked again last night and she said she's starting to realize there's nothing really holding her back from being baptized :)
The coolest part was Saturday they did a "LIFE" game at the church. They had to go get educations, get married, start having kids etc. The whole time though in the gym, they just had a bunch of fun free stuff set up; as distractions. They only had 2 hours to accomplish all that they could. Spencer and Lindsay went and started everything right away and even did a "temple marriage". She was telling us that night how even just the make shift temple there at the stake center felt different from all of the rooms. Everyone was more calm and peaceful and happy. Right after they got married, they left and the "fate bell" went off where they had to open one of three fate cards they'd been given. Both of them got a child in theirs. So then they were walking around carrying 2 big dolls and this man walked up to them and said "Lindsay come with me. You just died."
It was powerful to hear her talk about that! Even in this makeshift game she said she suddenly felt panicked because it felt SO real. She was telling him "No! We just got married and had two kids. I don't want to leave them yet!" Then something came back to her from the "temple" when he talked about how they could now be together even after death. :) And she felt calm. She talked about it just being a game but how she felt the truth of that.
I am SO grateful for the temple! I know that we truly feel more peace there than anywhere else and are able to overcome the world and our struggles when we make the time to go there. I believe we truly will be together forever through the temples and the power of the priesthood. I just feel it and I know it. And I know that making it to the temple is worth anything that we have to sacrifice or go through!
Hope you all have an amazing week! We're meeting with the cutest little families! They make me even more grateful for mine for sure. Summer has been a little bit difficult seeing everybody out swimming and playing and bbq-ing...but there is no where else I'd rather be right now. Not even at a concert ;) I'm thankful for this time to help other people's families have the same peace and knowledge that I have and getting THEM to be together forever; cause a good 50 years just isn't enough. LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen
#letitgo
June 9th--
AWW I was starting this email, put my memory card in and whaddyaknow...it started erasing!! So I just lost my last 3 months worth of pictures. SO you will no longer be receiving pictures over email cause I'm ticked haha what can ya do? Can't just scream and cry about these things... At least not as a missionary ;)
Which goes with what I was gonna write about today...sometimes in our lives there are things we just have to let go of! I have been so overwhelmed on so many levels this week of just how aware the Lord is of us and what we're going through in life.
This week is kinda hard to explain haha We were able to be a part of so many miracles again! One of them being that we helped a lady move who literally had no where else to go for help. Thursday we were over at Presidents helping SIster Hall with some stuff (kinda...more like she was helping us haha) and we ended up scoring a dinner from Cafe Rio with President and his family. It was a blessing for sure! It's amazing to see how many sacrifices him and his family are willing to make to really magnify his calling. They are inspiring people!
Last night, we had a member text us and tell us we were on her minds all day yesterday. She invited us over for dinner but we had stuff going on. We asked if we could maybe stop by later though and she said of course. We had a meeting and so we finally got to her house about 8 pm. Leaving the meeting, we were drained!! Physically and emotionally we were feelin it for sure. We talked on the way over how much we just wanted ice cream! For some reason last night, that was alllll we could think about. When we got to Wilsons' she opened the door and said "Sisters I hope you don't mind! I told the boys you were coming over, they got excited and asked if we could have ice cream with you!" She had 6 different cartons of ice cream on the table and we almost cried! Something so simple meant the world to Sister Johnson and I last night. I am so grateful she followed that prompting and was mindful to helping out others. Well played Heavenly Father...well played!
I know that whether it is the best of times, or the worst of times He is always with us. I know He hears us when we pray. I know He always answers our prayers, even if it's a "no" or a "not now." I know that He places us where we are supposed to be in our lives for our greatest benefit. I know He gave us the priesthood to really bless and uplift us. I got a blessing Thursday night and there were many things I needed to hear, and many things the Elders NEVER could have known about. At one point though, Elder Kottcamp said "You are exactly where you are supposed to be." I thought back to the Dove chocolate at the MTC and had the same reassurance I had then :)
I know a lot of this email probably doesn't make sense. So I'm gonna end it in the words of Alma the younger. Cause he's my favorite and says things better anyways..." Yea, I say unto you my son, that there could be nothing so exquiste and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquiste and sweet as IS my joy." Hope you have a great week :) Love you all whole heaps!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen
AWW I was starting this email, put my memory card in and whaddyaknow...it started erasing!! So I just lost my last 3 months worth of pictures. SO you will no longer be receiving pictures over email cause I'm ticked haha what can ya do? Can't just scream and cry about these things... At least not as a missionary ;)
Which goes with what I was gonna write about today...sometimes in our lives there are things we just have to let go of! I have been so overwhelmed on so many levels this week of just how aware the Lord is of us and what we're going through in life.
This week is kinda hard to explain haha We were able to be a part of so many miracles again! One of them being that we helped a lady move who literally had no where else to go for help. Thursday we were over at Presidents helping SIster Hall with some stuff (kinda...more like she was helping us haha) and we ended up scoring a dinner from Cafe Rio with President and his family. It was a blessing for sure! It's amazing to see how many sacrifices him and his family are willing to make to really magnify his calling. They are inspiring people!
Last night, we had a member text us and tell us we were on her minds all day yesterday. She invited us over for dinner but we had stuff going on. We asked if we could maybe stop by later though and she said of course. We had a meeting and so we finally got to her house about 8 pm. Leaving the meeting, we were drained!! Physically and emotionally we were feelin it for sure. We talked on the way over how much we just wanted ice cream! For some reason last night, that was alllll we could think about. When we got to Wilsons' she opened the door and said "Sisters I hope you don't mind! I told the boys you were coming over, they got excited and asked if we could have ice cream with you!" She had 6 different cartons of ice cream on the table and we almost cried! Something so simple meant the world to Sister Johnson and I last night. I am so grateful she followed that prompting and was mindful to helping out others. Well played Heavenly Father...well played!
I know that whether it is the best of times, or the worst of times He is always with us. I know He hears us when we pray. I know He always answers our prayers, even if it's a "no" or a "not now." I know that He places us where we are supposed to be in our lives for our greatest benefit. I know He gave us the priesthood to really bless and uplift us. I got a blessing Thursday night and there were many things I needed to hear, and many things the Elders NEVER could have known about. At one point though, Elder Kottcamp said "You are exactly where you are supposed to be." I thought back to the Dove chocolate at the MTC and had the same reassurance I had then :)
I know a lot of this email probably doesn't make sense. So I'm gonna end it in the words of Alma the younger. Cause he's my favorite and says things better anyways..." Yea, I say unto you my son, that there could be nothing so exquiste and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquiste and sweet as IS my joy." Hope you have a great week :) Love you all whole heaps!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen
I THANK MY GOD FOR EACH AND EVERYDAY
June 2nd--
Okay so for the record, mom wins for the best story telling abilities! hahaha I'm sad I missed the rodeo of the campout too! Sounds like things were crazy but fun!
This week I had a couple funny connections to back home! We were talking to a mail lady and as we talked about Utah she said her dream was to retire and move to Price! She asked if I'd ever heard of it and I laughed and told her that's where I'm from. I couldn't help but wonder if she's ever actually been there. Kinda of an interesting life dream... AND THEN I found out one of the Sisters out here was born at Castleview too and one of the members we had dinner with this week. Mormon world just keeps getting smaller!
Sister Johnson and I have been BLESSED beyond belief already! We continue to see miracle after miracle after miracle. We got two member referalls this week and set some crazy high goals for the month but we feel good about them. It's so nice to have a companion ready and willing to WORK and work hard and we're still cracking up every single day. This week I also got to go on exchanges with SISTER KEMP! Yep. The Lord is kind :) Our zone leaders doubted how "inspired" it was but it was straight from Heavenly Father and such a blessing.
One of the many inspired moments we had this week, was with a family that lives in our complex. The Elders taught them awhile ago but for a couple of reasons have been out of touch with them for months. We felt really strongly we needed to go by. The lady has some trust issues and so we decided it might be too much to just pop up and see how they've been so we made rice krispies and stopped by just to say hi and get to know them. THEY WERE HOME! AAAND even better, they let us come in and spend an hour with them. They are the coolest little family! It's a boyfriend and girlfriend with two little boys named Kameron and Connor. So that's kinda funny cause they remind me SO much of Pieries' little brothers and even have the same names... Hopefully we'll be able to continue to go back and start teaching them again. It was cool to see how fast the mom warmed up to us and how different she was even from when we got there to when we left.
Saturday was a crazy cool day! We had a stake event and it was so fun to see so many people from the YSA ward. One of them, being Brooke who Sister Hacker and I started teaching right before I left and now she just got baptized!!! YAY! And I was able to see Chelsea as well and talk about her baptismal date coming up. I continue to be shocked and amazed at how much the Lord has helped me to leave YSA. It was great seeing them and I miss them but it wasn't enough to even make me sad or wish I was still there. The Lord knew what I needed right now :)
Church was as noisy as ever haha I think cultural shock hit me more this week! It's SO different in Santa Clarita from the valley!!! I'm so used to falling asleep to sirens and traffic and noisy neighbors fighting and street racers... Now we have a big dry hill right behind our house and we wake up to birds! There's maybe one siren every other day. I like it but I must admit I still miss the crazy ghetto valley :)
Things are good here. I continue to be blessed more than I deserve! Hitting nine months this week was a weird point to be at. There was maybe one or two tears shed as we drove home that night. One of my favorite songs out here is on a CD called "The Work" and it talks about all the hard aspects of missionary work you come to love. It goes through telling your mom bye, singing in the MTC, meeting your trainer etc. but ends, of course, with " the hardest thing I ever loved to do, is getting on this plane and coming home to you. In a million ways completely torn apart, as a land so far away still owsn my heart. IN THE MOST SINCERE PRAYER I'VE EVER PRAYED, I THANK MY GOD FOR EACH AND EVERYDAY..." I can't believe this ride is halfway over but I truly do thank my God for each and everyday. He blesses us MORE than we can imagine when we put our lives in harmony with His will. Enough rambling for this week and sorry it was long Tanner boy ;) LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!
With faith in every laughing footstep,
Sister Olsen
Okay so for the record, mom wins for the best story telling abilities! hahaha I'm sad I missed the rodeo of the campout too! Sounds like things were crazy but fun!
This week I had a couple funny connections to back home! We were talking to a mail lady and as we talked about Utah she said her dream was to retire and move to Price! She asked if I'd ever heard of it and I laughed and told her that's where I'm from. I couldn't help but wonder if she's ever actually been there. Kinda of an interesting life dream... AND THEN I found out one of the Sisters out here was born at Castleview too and one of the members we had dinner with this week. Mormon world just keeps getting smaller!
Sister Johnson and I have been BLESSED beyond belief already! We continue to see miracle after miracle after miracle. We got two member referalls this week and set some crazy high goals for the month but we feel good about them. It's so nice to have a companion ready and willing to WORK and work hard and we're still cracking up every single day. This week I also got to go on exchanges with SISTER KEMP! Yep. The Lord is kind :) Our zone leaders doubted how "inspired" it was but it was straight from Heavenly Father and such a blessing.
One of the many inspired moments we had this week, was with a family that lives in our complex. The Elders taught them awhile ago but for a couple of reasons have been out of touch with them for months. We felt really strongly we needed to go by. The lady has some trust issues and so we decided it might be too much to just pop up and see how they've been so we made rice krispies and stopped by just to say hi and get to know them. THEY WERE HOME! AAAND even better, they let us come in and spend an hour with them. They are the coolest little family! It's a boyfriend and girlfriend with two little boys named Kameron and Connor. So that's kinda funny cause they remind me SO much of Pieries' little brothers and even have the same names... Hopefully we'll be able to continue to go back and start teaching them again. It was cool to see how fast the mom warmed up to us and how different she was even from when we got there to when we left.
Saturday was a crazy cool day! We had a stake event and it was so fun to see so many people from the YSA ward. One of them, being Brooke who Sister Hacker and I started teaching right before I left and now she just got baptized!!! YAY! And I was able to see Chelsea as well and talk about her baptismal date coming up. I continue to be shocked and amazed at how much the Lord has helped me to leave YSA. It was great seeing them and I miss them but it wasn't enough to even make me sad or wish I was still there. The Lord knew what I needed right now :)
Church was as noisy as ever haha I think cultural shock hit me more this week! It's SO different in Santa Clarita from the valley!!! I'm so used to falling asleep to sirens and traffic and noisy neighbors fighting and street racers... Now we have a big dry hill right behind our house and we wake up to birds! There's maybe one siren every other day. I like it but I must admit I still miss the crazy ghetto valley :)
Things are good here. I continue to be blessed more than I deserve! Hitting nine months this week was a weird point to be at. There was maybe one or two tears shed as we drove home that night. One of my favorite songs out here is on a CD called "The Work" and it talks about all the hard aspects of missionary work you come to love. It goes through telling your mom bye, singing in the MTC, meeting your trainer etc. but ends, of course, with " the hardest thing I ever loved to do, is getting on this plane and coming home to you. In a million ways completely torn apart, as a land so far away still owsn my heart. IN THE MOST SINCERE PRAYER I'VE EVER PRAYED, I THANK MY GOD FOR EACH AND EVERYDAY..." I can't believe this ride is halfway over but I truly do thank my God for each and everyday. He blesses us MORE than we can imagine when we put our lives in harmony with His will. Enough rambling for this week and sorry it was long Tanner boy ;) LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!
With faith in every laughing footstep,
Sister Olsen
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| REBECA came and surprised me for breakfast at Bishops' my last day. Don't judge me...I was exhausted and had had an emotional late night haha |
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| Exchanges with Sister Kemp=blast from the past! |
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| Dropping Sister Vanhoven off at the office when she left for Brazil |
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| Dylan is home!!! So good to see him again! |
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| The result of our Memorial day... only 2 hours in the sun playing ultimate |
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| I've quit drinking it but seemed like the best way to celebrate! |
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| Waking up in NEWHALL the morning of my 9 month mark :) Pretty fun to not only be with Sister Kemp but also in the same apartment I spent my first night in the mission. |
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| Making pa-possas (I don't know how you actually spell it but that's how it sounds) Food from El Salvador that is crazzzy good! |
Happy Happy Happy
May 26th--
Dear Familia y amigos,
So I am now writing from...SANTA CLARITA VALLEY again! SO CRAZY! I got transferred back to Santa Clarita Zone (where I first started) and am in the Mint Canyon Ward! Seriously, I could not be happier! My companion is Sister Johnson and she's amazing; we did exchanges together in Granada Hills!! So I've served with her a little bit before but it's been great to be companions. We've had so much fun this week and had a few crazy moments that lead us to opening up/trusting each other from the start. And yes, I stayed a Sister Training Leader. This time over 5 companionships so it'll be fun.
Seriously, it's crazy how much peace I felt with leaving YSA! And with being in SC, I'm over the YSA Sisters :) :) Which means I'll get to occasionally do exchanges and work in the YSA. GOD IS GOOOOOD! Do you have any idea how many babies and kids are in a family ward?! The last speaker was finishing and I was thinking "nobody is gonna say amen cause nobody can hear him!" There was a little girl who was being contained by her dad and she turned, smiled at him, and let a HUGE sneeze out right in his face hahaha I was NOT the most reverent missionary yesterday...I've missed this chaos!
This week has been full of so many blessings and miracles and I can't even count them! One thing that was really cool was we stopped by the wards' softball game for dinner and to meet the ward mission leader. We were walking by the field and a girl was wearing these really cute pink chucks, so I told her I liked them and we started talking. Talked to her for like 30 minutes; she's a nonmember who was there watching her boyfriend. They graduate next week and then he's taking the summer to get ready to serve his mission. She was SO supportive! She said "I don't understand it. I don't get why he has to go but it's something he really wants to do so it's cool. I'll support him!" I LOVED THAT! I love that somebody who really just doesn't understand can still be so great about something hard.
It made me think about the Young Womens theme..."We will stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places..." I know that we're taught to stand true at ALL times because not only are we blessed, but it becomes easier. For example: people aren't going to ask you to drink if you ALWAYS say no, because they know you just don't do it. But if you only sometimes stick to your standards, people never know when you'll say yes so they're gonna keep asking. I love that Lindsey was able to be so supportive even though she didn't understand, because she saw what it meant to him. She saw him living it. She saw his dedication and determination to it.
I am so grateful for this time I've had to serve a mission so far. It is going by WAY too fast!! This week I'll especially be feeling that ;)Read the Book of Mormon. Read it everyday :) There is a power that we gain from it and I know it helps us feel peace when things are crazy and overwhelming. It applies to us more than I ever understood! Especially the war chapters! Coming back to the church saved my life, and serving a mission has changed it!
I think being away for summer will be harder than holidays honestly! haha Sorry mom... I heard Jason Aldean at a stop light this week and I realized country still makes me come UNGLUED! But I'm grateful for the time I have to sacrifice for the Lord. I just keep reminding myself concerts and the lake and rodeos and everything else will still be there when I get home.
Happy memorial day and have a great week! LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen
Dear Familia y amigos,
So I am now writing from...SANTA CLARITA VALLEY again! SO CRAZY! I got transferred back to Santa Clarita Zone (where I first started) and am in the Mint Canyon Ward! Seriously, I could not be happier! My companion is Sister Johnson and she's amazing; we did exchanges together in Granada Hills!! So I've served with her a little bit before but it's been great to be companions. We've had so much fun this week and had a few crazy moments that lead us to opening up/trusting each other from the start. And yes, I stayed a Sister Training Leader. This time over 5 companionships so it'll be fun.
Seriously, it's crazy how much peace I felt with leaving YSA! And with being in SC, I'm over the YSA Sisters :) :) Which means I'll get to occasionally do exchanges and work in the YSA. GOD IS GOOOOOD! Do you have any idea how many babies and kids are in a family ward?! The last speaker was finishing and I was thinking "nobody is gonna say amen cause nobody can hear him!" There was a little girl who was being contained by her dad and she turned, smiled at him, and let a HUGE sneeze out right in his face hahaha I was NOT the most reverent missionary yesterday...I've missed this chaos!
This week has been full of so many blessings and miracles and I can't even count them! One thing that was really cool was we stopped by the wards' softball game for dinner and to meet the ward mission leader. We were walking by the field and a girl was wearing these really cute pink chucks, so I told her I liked them and we started talking. Talked to her for like 30 minutes; she's a nonmember who was there watching her boyfriend. They graduate next week and then he's taking the summer to get ready to serve his mission. She was SO supportive! She said "I don't understand it. I don't get why he has to go but it's something he really wants to do so it's cool. I'll support him!" I LOVED THAT! I love that somebody who really just doesn't understand can still be so great about something hard.
It made me think about the Young Womens theme..."We will stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places..." I know that we're taught to stand true at ALL times because not only are we blessed, but it becomes easier. For example: people aren't going to ask you to drink if you ALWAYS say no, because they know you just don't do it. But if you only sometimes stick to your standards, people never know when you'll say yes so they're gonna keep asking. I love that Lindsey was able to be so supportive even though she didn't understand, because she saw what it meant to him. She saw him living it. She saw his dedication and determination to it.
I am so grateful for this time I've had to serve a mission so far. It is going by WAY too fast!! This week I'll especially be feeling that ;)Read the Book of Mormon. Read it everyday :) There is a power that we gain from it and I know it helps us feel peace when things are crazy and overwhelming. It applies to us more than I ever understood! Especially the war chapters! Coming back to the church saved my life, and serving a mission has changed it!
I think being away for summer will be harder than holidays honestly! haha Sorry mom... I heard Jason Aldean at a stop light this week and I realized country still makes me come UNGLUED! But I'm grateful for the time I have to sacrifice for the Lord. I just keep reminding myself concerts and the lake and rodeos and everything else will still be there when I get home.
Happy memorial day and have a great week! LOVE YOU WHOLE HEAPS!
With faith in every footstep,
Sister Olsen
Photoshoots before Transfer
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| Em Rod, Laila, Allie, Melinda and the Sisters |
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| Matt and his mom. They are AMAZING at feeding us and I seriously almost pee laughing every time we're there! |
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| JACKIE! She doesn't live in our area but her fiancé does she comes to our ward every week with him. And almost EVERY single week, she brings a huge bag of food for us since she can't actually feed us at her house. |
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| Pamelas mom and brother: Peter and Juanita. Peter is soooo a Tanner boy! He is precious! He is 14 and super smart. One day when we came over he was like "You guys want to see my grades?! They just came today!" He was so pumped to show up all As. His mom calls herself Hermana Juanita :) Peter explained to her that I'm leaving and she kept hugging and thanking me calling me "My sista! my Sista!" I hope one day they as well will investigate and get baptized. |
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| Em Ram! One of the classiest and funniest girls |
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| Tim and Emily. They are getting married June 20th :) LOVE THEM! |
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| Heart attacking with Rebeca and Em Rod. We totally got caught! |
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| Gilbert! We have accidentally matched each other MANY times... |
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| SYD DAWG! She's moving to Arizong so we had to go tell her bye before church |
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| Dinner with McKenzie and Holly. If you look on the left, you can see this big streak of white wax... Kenzie's house smelled really good and there was a candle sitting on the table. It looked solid! So I picked it up to smell it and it had barely set up so this warm candle wax came FLYING at me! It was all down the front of me, down my shirt, on my skirt and a llll over the table. Oops! We couldn't stop laughing, Scared me SO bad! |
Monday, May 19, 2014
I Thank My God for Each and Every Day & Meet Some of Our Investigators
May 19th......
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
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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