Monday, December 28, 2015

Last email of 2015!!!!

Can you believe it?! I certainly can't! This is crazy! I think the craziest part is that I have been a missionary for most of this year.
What the heck! My life is flashing before my eyes!

On a more serious note, thank you to everyone for sending me Christmas cheer. Really though. I can't tell you how loved I have felt this past Christmas season. It has really meant a lot to me and has really helped me feel of Heavenly Father's love for me. I marked all of the scriptures you all sent me and took time to study all of them. I think only three were repeated (mom thought only one was repeated but I found two more duplicates. Three duplicated scriptures out of 71 is pretty amazing though!) Helaman 5:12 (my personal favorite scripture) Matthew 5:16 and Proverbs 3:5-6. First I would like to point out that all of these are scripture masteries so way to go everyone for paying attention in seminary. Also these are all scriptures that I really needed and had personal relevance to my life. Thank you all for your examples, prayers, and love. I surely need it!

This week has seriously been a blur. I know I say that most weeks, but this one was especially. We visited SO MANY PEOPLE. Holy cow sister Andersen and I were EXHAUSTED when we got home after Christmas. We literally wrapped up everything we had; Books of Mormon, pictures of Jesus, candy, MOTR DVDs; you name it we wrapped it. All day long we

just shared our testimonies with people. Let me tell you: it rocked. I was on such a spiritual high which is probably why I crashed so hard afterwards.

One of my favorite experiences of the day was caroling at the old folks home. We went with Sister Stalder (my MTC companion) and the new missionary she is training. We started singing in the hallway to three old ladies. Actually one was a member and the nurse didn't realize we were talking to her and started pushing her away in the wheelchair.


After about two feet the lady screamed, "NO! Those are my missionary girls!" The nurse was so embarrassed. It was cute. Anyway. We sang for about an hour straight and by the end the whole hallway was full of about 30 or so old people and they were all enjoying listening to us. I was so happy to see all these people and was really feeling good about myself. Right after we finished, everyone started walking into the room behind us. It was the cafeteria. Sooooo pretty much everyone was just waiting in line for lunch. Kind of funny, but we still enjoyed it. We had Christmas Eve dinner with the Miskins. President Miskin is president Van Cotts counselor. So that was fun to spend time with them. They really made us feel at home and loved.

Also something crazy happened this week. There was an emergency transfer and our district got split on Tuesday morning. Our new district leader was in the desert and he found out on Monday night that he was whitewashing a new area with a new missionary that came out with Sister Andersen. And that he was district leader and had to be at district meeting here the next morning. This was three days before Christmas. He came to district meeting 30 minutes late and looked super stressed. I felt bad for him. Glad I will never be district leader! Good news is I am the oldest person in my district.... Everyone else is 19. So I got that going for me. It's really weird.

Well the time has come. Love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Olsen

P.S. See you next year ;)


The final product of the scripture tree. I don't think you can even see green on it its so full of scriptures!




People in Yuciapa have some crazy Christmas decorations.....







Tuesday, December 22, 2015

CHRISTmas

Merry Christmas everyone!

What a wonderful time of year to share the gospel and to testify of Christ!
Wow. When I was emailing today I was reading what I was saying at looking at all these little cheesy phrases I was throwing in my emails. I have come to the sad realization that I have become that weird missionary that I swore I would never be. But I have come to terms with it because this really is the only time in my life that I can be spiritual and super close with my Savior. So I'm just going to roll with it and soak it all up!

What a week! I think... I can't really remember. Bahaha. What else is new. Sister Anderson and I have had a glorious time strutting the streets of Yucaipa, boldly testifying of the birth of our Savior. Here is something wonderful, but also stressful, about Yucaipa: pretty much everyone goes to church and believes in Christ. There are seriously about 7 churches down the main road here that takes about 5 minutes to drive down. Yupp. Everyone just really loves Jesus. So that's a real blessing because it's really easy to start testifying of Christ, the hard part is getting them to take the Book of Mormon and let them know that this is the only true church on the earth.... So basically we just testify of Christ all the time and just let people know that they can come closer to him when they read the Book of Mormon. Because that's true. And that's what I am here for.

Our ward is so awesome. There are always several nonmembers at church on Sundays. President Van Cott's counselor lives in our ward and he has this ward doing missionary work. Actually, some days I kind of feel like they don't need me. They are seriously so awesome. But they do need me so I will stay :)

I am so excited for Christmas Eve. President Van Cott has asked us to go in at 6 so we can have plenty of time to study Jesus Christ's life and the true meaning of Christmas. I have really felt the Savior's love for me the past week. There are a lot of really REALLY great missionaries in my mission that are working some pretty wonderful miracles, and sometimes I kind of feel like I am doing something wrong, or I am not living up to my full potential. But I have really been studying the Atonement a lot this week and reading in 3rd Nephi. I have always compared myself to others my whole life, but I am finally beginning to realize that I am who I am and that God really does love me. The thought has often popped into my head this week, "Sister Olsen, why on earth would I suffer everything I suffered and gone through everything I went through if I didn't love you?" And I know that's not just true for me, but for all of us. And that's something that I am really thinking about this Christmas season. The gift that Heavenly Father has given us, his only Begotten Son, to suffer for everything that we have done wrong and any bad thing that we have experienced. I know that if we are ever struggling, we can just lean on him because he has struggled with the same thing. I have known this my whole life, but I think sometimes because we talk so much about it in church it gets overplayed and it stops loosing it's meaning. Maybe not. But I do know that God is fully aware of everything in my life. The tricky part is just letting him take it and stop worrying about things outside my control. He wants us to be happy. We just need to make that choice. And we have every reason to be happy.

I think once you take away all of the wrapped gifts and all the treats (which unfortunately we have still had plenty of...) and all the parties, you really focus on the true meaning of Christmas. I think that's something that I really really needed in my life and I am grateful for the gift that we have received to be free from guilt and experience lasting happiness.

Merry Christmas! I love all of you! I know you all are sharing the true meaning of Christmas with those around you that might not know who their Savior is. If not, I can promise as Christ's representative that nothing will bring you greater peace and happiness.

Love,
Sister Olsen

Merry Christmas!! I've loved 
marking everyone's favorite scripture; it's really helped me feel the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you all!!



Tearing up carpet for a family in our ward.




Monday, December 14, 2015

Surprise Baptism

Guess what?!? 
Joshua and Jiselle got baptized this week so I got to go back to Fontana!!!! OH SHOOT I JUST REALIZED I FORGOT TO GET THE PICTURES. Dang it! I had to leave my iPad with my companion because it had the areabook in it so I had Sister Jensen (my ward mission leader's wife that took me to the baptism) take pictures on her phone and then she was going to air drop them to me.......oh well I will send them next week. But it was so weird to go back. It was so fun to see everyone though! I just love that ward with every fiber of my being :)

This week was great! I think...what even happened this week. Time is just flying by because we are so busy trying to get to know everyone and working so much and I just come home and crash and do it all over again! It's so awesome! I'm like a missionary machine! But really I don't even remember what happened this week.

Oh this is a good story. So we stopped in this bathroom in a community center. This 16 year old girl was in there with us and we started talking. It turns out that her two friends from school had just died in a car crash. We went into the sitting area in the community center and taught her the Plan of Salvation. She had a lot of questions. Of course she is 16 so we have to talk to her family before we can officially teach her, but it was cool to see the Lord place someone in our path.

Sister Anderson got her iPad this week and we went to a training meeting with all the new missionaries and the mission president. I always love receiving counsel from President Van Cott. He really is inspired and loves all of us.

Darn it! Already time to go. I have been thinking a lot about repentance lately. Mostly because for me, the hardest part is forgiving myself. It's so dumb because it's not even like I am doing anything "wrong" but I feel like I just mess up all the time. I guess we all feel that way... Anyway, I guess something I have learned this week that I can share with you is that it's okay to forgive yourself. Really Heavenly Father loves us so much and he sent his own son to take away all of those crummy things that don't make us feel good. If he doesn't want us hanging on to stuff like that, then there really isn't any use to hate ourselves when we make a small mistake. Just something I have been thinking about this week I felt I should share.

Love you all! I am seriously so happy that you 

are all happy! Have a great week and don't 

forget to share the gospel!


Love, 

Sister Olsen



Making treat platters with Sister Elarbee

Caroling with the Activity Day Girls

A home lit up at night in Yucaipa

Picture of our zone


Monday, December 7, 2015

All Missionaries in the California Redlands Mission are safe

But really though all the missionaries are just fine. There is a family in our ward; the husband was at the shooting and was shot at several times, but no bullets actually hit him. We took him some Christmas cookies, but his wife said he wasn't up for talking which is totally understandable. We are praying for him; there really is only one thing that can heal what he went through- the Atonement. So hopefully we will be able to help him. 

We have also been discussing the shooting in our street contacting. One person accepted to take the lessons after we talked about it and another accepted the invitation to come to church. So hopefully both of those families will progress.

This area is so different from my last one. Fontana seems like a weird dream now. This area is so beautiful and also it's super old. I think that's why I like it. There are horses everywhere and apple farms and all this other exciting stuff. I can't wait to take you here someday. The people here are very interesting... they are mostly pretty wealthy and already have churches that they go to. Street contacting has been a challenge. So we really have to work with the members. I have found though that if you are super bold and loving with the members they help you out. 

We have been meeting some of the members friends and helping the members with their own missionary work, and that has been great. Somehow we have two investigators progressing towards a baptismal date. That is such a blessing. I seriously have no idea how that happened. It's kind of like Juan. But yes. We are just super busy. The sister before me did a TON of less active work so we have been helping a lot of them. I have forgotten how hard it is to go to a new place and get to know 400 new people. It's a work in progress. I have a feeling that I won't be here for very long and by the time I get to know everyone I will be transferred. But that's okay. I will just work hard everyday and see what happens.

This will make dad happy; a member in our zone teaches self defense classes. He teaches the sister missionaries in the zone on Mondays for free. That's actually why I am emailing a little later today than I usually do. It was so fun! I think I might actually be able to beat Taylor up when I come home! It's way fun and it's good exercise. 

We were seriously so busy this week and I don't even remember what happened... All I remember is we talked to a ton of people that I don't even know, helped members with missionary work, and totally crashed every single night. Seriously though last night I don't even remember putting myself in bed I was so tired. Being a missionary is definitely exhausting I will tell you that much.
Here's the thing; the longer I am out, the weaker I feel. The older missionaries keep telling me that's a good thing because it means I am getting closer to the Savior....but I don't know.... I still feel like I just got here. I really thought I would be an expert by now, but I am still learning everyday and relying on the Spirit 300% of the time. I definitely have a testimony of the power of prayer I can tell you that much.

Well family, sorry this is short, but I am having a really hard time remembering the week. Just know we are safe and trying our hardest to do what Heavenly Father wants us to do. Hopefully we are succeeding in that, but we definitely have a long ways to go! 
Love you all! Missionary challenge: Invite someone to church this week! Blessings will come of it!

Love, 
Your Missionary,
Sister Olsen

Monday, November 30, 2015

From blazing hot to freezing cold....

Okay well its not "freezing cold" but it's pretty cold up here! 

It gets down to the 40's at night. I know I have experienced a lot colder weather, but after being in over 100 degrees for 5 months my body is not doing so well.

Yucaipa is beautiful! I think everybody should live here! We have fall foliage (did I spell that right?) and apparently we get snow four times a year. There are a lot of elderly people here which really surprises me because it does get cold. I sort of assumed that all the older folks hibernated in Arizona during the winter months... but yes it's great here. 

The ward is about half of the size that my last ward was. But then again pretty much everyone was gone for the holiday this week so I don't know. We are living in a home share with a family called the Palmers. They are wonderful. I made a video tour of where we live, but it didn't work. Apparently President says we can make videos on our IPads as long as they are professional so I made some, but they are struggling to send from my IPad. I will try again next week. Sorry. I took some pictures for you though so hopefully those turned out good.

Man so much is happening. This email may be completely unorganized and out of control, but that's because that's how my brain is right about now. Sister Anderson and I are basically whitewashing because she has only been here for a transfer and it was her first transfer. Oh my goodness she is making my life so much easier though. I can totally tell that she has just thrown herself into the work and has been trying so hard for the past 6 months to learn everything and get to know the area quickly. That has seriously been such a blessing.

Well usually when you go to a new area and you and your companion are both new you go straight to the bishop and ward council. Unfortunately, everyone was gone for turkey day. I did get to meet the Ward Mission Leader last night right when he got home from his vacation. I really miss Brother Budge (my last WML). But this new guy seems pretty good. I'm still just trying to figure out everything so...yeah.

Thanksgiving was great. I don't know if you got my video, but we had it with this Brazilian lady and her family. The Van Horn's. They are super nice. Our investigator didn't have anywhere to go so we brought her with us. I think that was my favorite part; helping someone feel included. I really felt like I was doing what the Savior would want me to and it felt really good. Our investigator is a sweet lady. Hopefully she will get baptized soon. She is progressing. If you could all pray for her that would be great.

Oh I almost forgot to tell you! Sister Magleby served here for 3 months last year right before she got me. The legacy continues :) Of course everyone loves her here so it's just a lot of fun. I am also in President Miskins ward. He is a counselor to my mission president. So that's pretty intimidating. Actually gospel principles was way scary/ tons of fun because he was there and the counselor's in the stake presidency were there filling in for our bishopric that was out of town. We also had an investigator there that Sister Magleby taught. The lesson was on the second coming. It was actually way cool because they all started talking about the first resurrection and I actually learned a lot. So that was way cool.

I'm doing great. My companion is wonderful. Actually Sister Anderson is already one of my favorite companions. She is super sweet and just loves everyone. Super cute. Well I think that's all from me this week. I am doing good and looking forward to serving here. It's a lot smaller and more wealthy than my last area so it will be challenging, but I got the scriptures and preach my gospel and of course the Spirit. All is well. I'm just cold. But I am happy. There is always things to be happy about. Whether it's the beautiful leaves or testifying to a stranger of the Book of Mormon, the small things are what makes me happy. I look at that picture of the pioneer girl skipping down the blue path everyday and remind myself of that.

Love you all! Glad you had a great Thanksgiving. Everyone is looking so much older. I'm glad to see your smiles.
Have a great week!

Love, 
Sister Olsen 



Saying goodbye to the Smith family; I worked with them in Fontana.


Our last district meeting in Fontana. Me and Sister Magleby.




My new companion Sister Anderson and I with our friend Carl who was baptized one year ago.






Pictures of my new area Yucaipa; lots of farm land but also has neighborhoods.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Happy Turkey Day!!! Transfers!

Alright I might as well just jump right into it:
I'm getting transferred on Wednesday. I am going to Yuciapa (U-KAI-PAH) 1st ward. Yes I know that is the strangest word you have probably ever seen. Actually, Banning Ward is in the Yuciapa Stake. So I am going back to the zone I was trained in. I am follow up training a sister that came out with Sister Erickson. And my new area is one of the wealthiest areas in the mission.

So. Training round two. It should be a pretty interesting experience. Sister Magleby served there and she loved it. She said it's one of her favorite areas. That makes me feel pretty good about it. I guess I'm just really nervous because being senior companion is really really REALLY stressful. However. If I have learned anything at all on my mission it's that I can do hard things. Basically, if you are comfortable then you aren't growing. And I sure have a longgggggggggggggg way to stretch and grow so this will be good for me.

This week Sister Erickson and I have been conquering our fears of talking with everyone! I am learning to fear God more than man. It's still a work in progress, but I feel like I have gotten a lot better. So that's good.

We picked up a really awesome investigator that I am really sad I won't be teaching. His name is Lou. It was dark and windy when we first saw him outside his home, but he was like right next to a member we were seeing so we looked at each other and said "I FEAR NO MAN!" We went right up and talked to him and he was pretty cool. He is a police officer and has a really cute family. We went back with our ward mission leader and had a really great lesson about the Book of Mormon. He totally clicked with our ward mission leader and they are like BFF's now. As we were talking with him and he was sharing experiences with us, it was cool to see how the Lord has prepared him. 

Well. I'm really going to miss this area. I was secretly hoping that I was going to stay so I could be here for the Holidays. Heavenly Father has other plans for me. I just told Brother Budge (the ward mission leader) and he was pretty sad. I really love his family so much and I have really grown to love this ward. I hope I get to stay in an area this long again. It's so hard, but it's so worth it. And honestly, I feel like the hardest things in life are the best. Nothing really is worth it unless it requires work. 

Alright family. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all of you and your examples to me. I am thankful for missionary work and the opportunity I have to serve a mission and to change so I can learn how to be a wonderful mother and spouse someday. I am thankful for my Savior and all he has done for me. I know I won't be able to comprehend all he has done for me in this life, but I love him with all my heart and my greatest desire is to become like him.


Have a great week!

Love, 
Sister Olsen


Temple Trip!! These are the sisters that were in our session. RtoL- S. Erickson, S. Rivera (my stl when I was with S. Hamblin), S. Daulton, S. Gunn (she was in the MTC with me. We sat next to each other on the plane here.) and S. Fife (S. Magleby trained her.)
Sister Erickson and I.


Sister Stacey. The relief society president and basically the most wonderful woman on the planet.
Gospel principles on Sunday

Brother Ron Hatch that got baptized right before S. Shin left and my amazing Ward mission leader Brother John Budge.
Mark and Mondi Taylor had us decorate their tree! 
The lights change colors!


I was feeling a little under the weather last week so my Ward mission leaders kids brought me some orange slices



Monday, November 16, 2015

The California Redlands Mission is ON FIRE!!!!!

Hello Family!
From what I can see, everyone is safe and happy. Yay! Another successful week! I must be doing something right because I know my family is receiving blessings.

What a week. We had zone conference this week. President Van Cott talked to us for 7 hours about being on FIRE and talking with everyone. I would like to share one of the scriptures we talked about that has had a huge impact on me:

Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Wow. I was pretty silent during the whole zone conference because I was silently repenting. We cannot have faith and fear. Either we serve God and talk with everyone and share the gospel with everyone he places in our path, or we are serving man by fearing him and not sharing.

During zone conference, this sweet sister raised her hand and started to cry. She was upset because of all the times she chose fear over faith and as a result someone didn't get to hear about the gospel. This sister has been out for 5 weeks. I have been out for 10 months. So then I started to cry because I thought of countless people that I neglected to share the gospel with. 

I think I went through the biggest repentance process that I have ever gone through in my whole life. After I started thinking about all of the people I have ran into on my mission, I thought of all of the people from Lees Corner through Chantilly High School. Some of those people I was with for 12 years and I never once invited them to church. I kept them from the knowledge of the gospel because I was too afraid. 

We cannot not be afraid to share the gospel. There are so many people that don't know Christ's church is on the earth right now. How can they be prepared for the next life and fully enjoy this life if they don't even know that? I don't know about you, but I do not want to stand before God and tell him that not just one, but several people were kept from the truth because I was too afraid to open my mouth and invite. I have realized this week that that possibility is way more terrifying than someone saying, "no thanks."

I have this new vigor (did I use that word correctly...) inside of me to invite everyone I know and see. And their kids. And their dogs. And their birds. This isn't just a good message that we love because it's the life style we grew up with. This is the TRUTH. This is the ONLY WAY that men can be saved! EVERYONE needs to know about it!!!!
So I have repented. In the last two days, Sister Erickson and I (if I have counted correctly) have talked with over 40 people. Out of those 40 people we got 1 return appointment. The missionaries cannot do this work without you! You're friends are the ones that are being prepared right now. And I did notice something from talking with people. The more I do it, the easier it is. The more I do it, the happier I feel. The more I do it, the more the Spirit is with me.

Missionary work doesn't have to take time out of your day. I feel like everyone thinks missionary work is a project. All you need to do is talk with people. Be a friend. Invite people to church. "Hey we are having a great church service this Sunday and one of my friends is speaking. Would you like to come?" That's it. I know it's scary, but the more you do it the easier it is.

I know this is God's work. So much so that I just want to shout it from the roof tops. But then that would make everyone think that I was a weirdo so that would actually be counterproductive... but you know what I mean. I just have felt such an urgency in my bones to share this with everyone. I hope I'm not being preachy because their is nothing more annoying than a preachy missionary. I just want all of you to know how much I love my Savior and how much I want to share that with other people. And I just want to empower you to be awesome missionaries because I know Heavenly Father sees such great potential in all of us.

I love you all. The church is true. I know that because I see it change lives, including my own. And all good things come from God.
Have a great week! Missionary challenge: Invite someone to church this Sunday!
Love, 
Sister Olsen

Monday, November 9, 2015

:) :) :)

Hi family!

I am running out of clever subject titles for my weekly emails. I still have a ton to write soooo that's not good!

It looks like it was another wonderful week in good old Tennessee. Glad to see that! Everyone looks great and happy which makes me happy!

This week was very very interesting. Being senior companion has been a very interesting adjustment. Taking the lead in everything has definitely been stretching me. Which is good! I can definitely feel the weight of my calling. But it's good for me. 

Guess who was my companion for a whole day? SISTER MAGLEBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! She is our STL this transfer!!!! So we got to go on an exchange.............and I just realized I didn't take a picture...........dang it. She said we were going to go on another one so I will take one then :) I can totally picture Elder Bednar seeing my face and everything to decide where I was going to serve my mission. I can almost hear him saying, "Sister Olsen's companion is in Redlands, California." I wouldn't be surprised at all if THE main reason I came here was so Sister Magleby could train me. I sure love that lady.

The week started out really, really rough but seriously ended in so many miracles. We have really been working hard on finding through members and we did!!! We got a new investigator! She is living with a family that got baptized about 5 years ago and recently moved into the ward. We had no idea that they had a non member living with them, but during nightly planning their names came to mind. We visited them and they came to church yesterday. We are excited to work with their family.

We also talked with a lot of members about friends they are working with. We set goals with the members to introduce us to their friends. So there are more new investigators to come! 

We are also seeing the blessings of talking with everyone and always asking for referrals. We visited a former investigator to ask for a referral and she sent us to her neighbor across the street. We didn't get to go inside and teach a lesson because his wife wasn't home, but we talked to him outside about the Restoration for a while and was totally interested! Also he showed us his garage. We just peered in again because his wife wasn't home. His garage is basically the coolest thing ever. He is a Tai-Chi master and his garage is FULL of martial arts stuff. Again I didn't take a picture. I'm an idiot. Also he has two really old Chevy's that are probably the coolest cars I have ever seen. I jokingly asked him if he has met Mr. Mayagi (I butchered that but the master in Karate Kid) and he actually has met him. And Jackie Chan. He had some awesome pictures and lots of very impressive stuff. Anyway. The coolest part was he was interested in the gospel.

We met a lot of cool people this week that we will hopefully be working with next week. I love this work. I love my Heavenly Father. I don't love grocery shopping, but unfortunately we are running late and we have to go do that now. Love you all so much! Have an awesome week :)

Love, Sister Olsen