Happy Belated Valentines Day!!

HI MOM. And family and friends and everyone else my wonderful mother shares these with :)

So these past few weeks here in Banning have been so weird. Sister Magleby and I have basically been chickens running around with our heads cut off. All the missionaries in my district keep saying how weird it's been lately and wondering when it will get back to normal, but this is all I know about missionary work because it's all I've experienced so far, so yeah. My life is interesting.

Okay I forgot to tell you what happened to me on my first full day in the field! Sister Magleby is a Sister Training Leader so we have to go on splits a lot. So I was on splits with this random sister and I found myself at the DI doing service hours. So I was going through this big heavy swinging door and my foot got caught and basically I bled all over the DI. It was sooooo funny. Classic Shlee. Everyone working was like "well.. welcome to the mission field!"

One more funny story for you. On Saturday nights we have correlation with the other two sets of elders in our ward. This past Saturday we got a text from Elders Johnson and Robison (the Zone leaders who are in our ward) telling the rest of us missionaries not to go to the church. We found out from the other two elders that apparently the ZL's went early to set up and this homeless woman was trying to get them to let her sleep in the church. When they wouldn't let her she just climbed into the back of their truck and wouldn't leave so they had to call the cops. It was sooooooo funny.

Alright I guess I'll talk about real missionary work now. This past week has been pretty hard for me. Being a new missionary is soooo hard because you haven't seen the fruits of your labors yet. You basically are just working your tail off and waiting for the blessings. I feel like at the beginning of this week I'm FINALLY starting to see some of those blessings!

On Sunday I just felt like I needed to start praying for miracles because we have been super busy doing things for the bishop and working with less actives, so we have like one investigator. So yeah I just really started praying for miracles and that I could start seeing some blessings because I was feeling super discouraged.

AND MIRACLES HAPPENED HOLY COW.

Last night after p-day was over we stopped at Lola's. Lola is a less active. She lives in this super nice retirement community called Sun Lakes. Banning is super weird because a lot of it is really nice, but a lot of it is super sketchy, too. Sun lakes is one of the nicest areas here, but you probably google earthed my area and already know that haha.

Anyway, Lola is 94 and missionaries have been working with her forever! She lives in this beautiful house and she's actually super hip and hilarious and basically I love her to death. Missionaries have had the hardest time getting her to commit to anything and she says she just doesn't feel the spirit. But we had a break through with her! She is going to let us teach her and she is going to start studying the B.O.M. with us! She basically told us how awesome we are and that she loves us and is willing to work with us because she sees something in us. I totally know it's not us at all. It's 110% the Holy Ghost. That is so humbling.

Also. Today was District meeting and we were all sitting there talking about being better missionaries and this woman just walked in. She was like, "I just moved here. I have been taking the lessons in Wisconsin and I want to be baptized." OKAY WOW THAT IS A MIRACLE. And she lives in mine and Sister Magleby's area so we get to teach her!!!!!!!! All the missionaries were freaking out and were like this never happens! Just the fact that we happened to be at the church when she wanted to swing by is a miracle! And she has a huge family that we get to teach too! Her name is Angela and basically I'm super pumped about her.

Well here are some pictures :) I also have some written letters I'm taking to the post office right after this. Something that me and Sister Mags talked about a lot today is finding opportunities. Really anyone and everyone you come in contact with you affect in some way. And you don't have to be a full time missionary to do that! Here's a challenge for you family- just be nice to people. Whenever you see someone in the neighborhood go up and talk and just say hi! Be like that cute little Asian woman in Halle Plantation

that waves at everyone! Because really you have no idea how many lives you can touch that way.

I love you all so much and miss you a ton. I pray for you all the time. Stay awesome Olsen's!

LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!

Love,

Sister Shlee

Me and my companion gave out valentines to potentials and less actives :) tell gma I can't get enough of this red skirt! I wear it all the time!

Here's a cute mobile home park.

Banning, California! (the nicer part)

It's warm here :)

We have been volunteering at this super cool fire museum and it's a lot of fun!

Send this one to Aunt Jeanne- I totally reorganized Sister Heacock's  Tupperware hahaha :)

and this is Sister Heacock's dog Pepe! I thought Dannon would like this.

Look Mom! I'm in the dessert!

Me trying my hardest to learn the area. I had to put out a whole bunch of maps.

Show this to dad. I colored his picture.

This recent convert's mom had us over for dinner and she had a giant spinning wheel. Sleeping beauty is my favorite. I had to.

The beautiful Redlands Temple.