Sister Ashlee Olsen: :D :D :D :D :D :D :D I AM HAPPY!!!!!!

Hi Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So many good things happened this week! SO MANY!!!!!

Alright so we will start with transfers. I dropped off Sister Hamblin at her new apartment. Sister Baker is her new companion. She goes home in September.

Then Sister Lewis was my companion for 30 minutes while we drove to the mission office. We got to the mission office and I passed Sister Lewis off to her new companion AND THEN SISTER MAGLEBY WAS MY COMPANION FOR A FEW MINUTES!!!! Sister Shin arrived after me and Sister Magleby is training this transfer and the greenies don't get in until after everyone else leaves. Sister Magleby is in Fontana!!!! She is in my district!!!! YAY!!!!!!

Then Sister Shin and I drove back to our apartment. Let me tell you something. Heavenly Father answers prayers! I prayed for a trial and then I got one. But, the whole last two weeks of the transfer I prayed for my companion. I didn't know who that was going to be...I honestly thought I was going to be with Sister Hamblin for another transfer so I really thought I was praying for her. I just prayed that whoever it was His will would be my companion would be prepared. I prayed that she would be knowledgeable and experienced so she could help me and help the area. I prayed that I would have a companion that would push me and help me be the best missionary that I could possibly be. And that is exactly what I got! Sister Shin is a really hard worker and we are going to see miracles this transfer! She is already helping me SO MUCH! She is super super smart and our companionship studies rock! AND she is just super cute and hilarious! We really balance each other out and it's awesome.

I am seriously so excited for this transfer. We get IPads on Thursday, interviews with President are soon and I have soooo many questions for him, we get to do a temple trip on the 26th, and we are going to baptize 13 wonderful souls! It's going to be awesome!

Hermana Wright is still my roommate. I mentioned that we are cousins right??? She is also a descendant of the Bingham that has a cabin in Lagoon; right by the ice cream place. She is wonderful and has really helped me this past transfer. Her new companion is Hermana Ipson and she is also awesome! I HAVE CLEAN ROOMMATES! Last transfer the two senior companions in our apartment didn't want to clean and it was nasty....we cleaned today and threw away a ton of crap! I'm tellin' ya it's the little things in life.

I also got my STL assignments. Sister Shin and I are over my two roommates, Sister Hamblin, Sister Baker, and two other sisters I haven't met yet.

JUAN'S BAPTISM WAS AMAZING!!!!! Oh man. Two people from the ward gave wonderful talks. I seriously can't even describe how happy I was when President Sears baptized him. D&C 18:15-16 is REAL! Right after he was baptized Sister Shin and I got up to teach the Message of the Restoration to everyone that came. I wasn't even nervous! I thought about crying...I think my body actually wanted to cry.... But I didn't because I thought to myself Holy cow I am so happy right now!!! I was seriously beaming!!!! Juan's roommate who isn't a member came and while I was teaching I could literally feel the Holy Ghost testifying through me to him. I can't even describe it! All I can say was I have never been so happy in my entire life!

So. Lesson time. Everything that I went through those 6 weeks was TOTALLY WORTH IT. It was so worth it even for that 7 minutes of indescribable joy. I LOVE this work because it is TRUE. I am learning and growing more than I ever thought I could and it's all because of HIM. The best part about Juan's baptism wasn't even that I got a baptism. It was that JUAN got BAPTIZED. I can only imagine how happy he must have felt and I am so so so grateful that Heavenly Father let me feel a little bit of that happiness.

I think what I am really learning and seeing the most is just that the gospel is pure joy. There is nothing in life that can make us happier. I know how happy I have felt and right now all I want is for other people to feel that and understand it.

There is something else I am learning, too. Missionary work is a commandment for everyone- not just the full-time missionaries. Do everything you can to help the missionaries. Invite friends and neighbors over for dinner or FHE and have the missionaries meet them. The worst thing that can happen is they will say no and continue being your friend.The BEST thing that could happen is that person can know what their purpose in life is and someday been sealed to their family for ETERNITY. Let people know what you believe! Share the gospel with others! I really hope you get to experience working with the missionaries like I have been working with the Sears' family. I hope you get to experience the joy that I did!!!!

I love you Mom! I love you Dad! I love you Taylor! I love you Tara! I love you Dannon! Is Bailey even alive still? Poor guy.

Keep reading the scriptures everyday! Thank you for everything you do for me!

Love,

Ashlee

California Sunset

LOOK WHO IT IS!!!!!! Sister Magleby is in my district now! We live in the same apartment complex so I see her almost everyday!!!! We matched on transfer day...she was my companion for 10 minutes while I was looking for Sister Shin. Yay we are best friends!