Small Miracles

Hello family!

This week has been great. I have never been so tired in my whole life so I don't really remember most of it, but it was great! Sister Erickson and I are really focusing on talking with everyone and asking everyone for referrals. We have definitely seen the blessings from that!

Earlier this week, I felt a prompting to try a potential investigator. She wasn't home, but her son was and he was totally interested in hearing our message! He was the only one home so we couldn't go in, but we hopefully will be meeting with him soon. When we were walking away from his house this landscaping guy called at us to come over and asked if we had anything for him to read. I said, "Oh boy do I ever!" Just kidding I didn't say that. But we did give him a copy of the Book of Mormon. He said he had met with missionaries before. He lives in LA, so we can't teach him, but the missionaries there will.

Okay the coolest thing ever happened yesterday. Basically, our whole ward is trying so so so hard to do missionary work, but they are still scared to invite their friends. They do all the social stuff- for example there were A TON of non members at the ward Halloween party, but they have a hard time talking about spiritual stuff with their friends. Yesterday, one of the things I was fasting about was the members being able to do missionary work. The Ott-Beachum family invited their friend Molly to church yesterday. Don't worry because Molly totally got up in fast and testimony meeting and bore her testimony about how impressed she was with our church! We had dinner with their family and Molly that night. We were able to give her a copy of the Book of Mormon. She lives two hours away, so we won't be teaching her, but it was still really cool to see how the Spirit affected her.

We also picked up a new family to teach this week. Unfortunately. they are moving out of the area next month, but we will continue to work with them until that point. We have only had one lesson with their whole family, but they seem pretty interested and genuine.

So yes. We are sharing the gospel. We may not have a lot of people to teach right now, but we are trying our hardest and doing everything we know to do. I know Heavenly Father will bless us for that.

I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday. I had to. I really really felt it. I have been in this area for such a long time. I know that it's for a reason. I have seriously learned so, so much. When I decided to come on a mission, I had no idea why. I never planned on serving a mission my whole life. I'm only half way and still have a lot to learn and experience. But I know that I have served in this ward for a reason. I have learned so much about myself and the Gospel. I had a testimony before, but now I am converted. I know that I was sent to these specific people for a reason. They have been wonderful examples to me. I also know that we come on our missions to "teach and not be taught." But by teaching I have learned and grown in ways I would have never been able to if I hadn't served here.

THE CHURCH IS TRUE! It's true because it is Jesus Christ's church. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. It has brought me closer to Christ "than any other book."

Love you all!

Have a wonderful week :)

Sister Olsen

We Got Mail!!!

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

This week I wrote everyone their own emails and I didn't have time to write a weekly email. Sorry! I will be sure to send those pictures. The wifi at the library crashed last week so those emails didn't send. I will get them to you as soon as I have wifi.

I have definitely seen the Lord's hand in my life as I have been trying my best to train this new missionary. I sort of feel like I am failing the ward because after all of this time not a lot has gone on in the area. I have to keep reminding myself that all of that is out of my control. I did what I knew to do and I tried my best. I can't blame myself for other people's agency. I don't know how much longer I will be here or if Sister Erickson will be here longer than me, but I really hope that whoever the next missionaries are will see the fruits of all the work I did.

For the first time in my whole mission, not only one, but three potential investigators actually let us in to teach the Restoration! Usually people say no, or they set up a return appointment. But three times this week people that I had never previously met let us sit down and actually teach them. One of them set a return appointment, the other one accepted a Book of Mormon, but not a return appointment, and the third did not accept a Book of Mormon, but gave us a referral. I was so grateful because I really wanted Sister Erickson to be able to teach what we had been role playing, but we didn't have anyone to teach. Heavenly Father definitely answers prayers!

One of our investigators that was pretty close to baptism but then dropped the missionaries right before I got here, picked us back up and came to church this week! So that was pretty awesome!

I am so grateful for my companion. She is wonderful. She has not been discouraged at all. She is always laughing and smiling. Even though there isn't a ton of work right now, we are always laughing and having fun together.

I love my mission. I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers. I know that if anything that has come from serving in Fontana the past seven months, it has been my own conversion. I know where I want my life to go. I know what kind of mom I want to be and the kind of person I want to marry. I know that God lives. I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. I want to do everything I can to be constantly changing and repenting so someday I can face Christ and tell Him I did my very best. 

I am over time now, but I love you! I guess that you can post this on the blog if you want, but it is your letter so you can choose.

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father put me in such a great home and gave me such a great mom. Thank you for leading by example and inspiring me to do something with my life and be a missionary.

You're the best!

Love, 

Sister Olsen

 This is when Sister Shin went home.

This is my new companion Sister Erickson.

 A tarantula we saw the other day. I don't actually know if it is a tarantula.... But it was about the size of my hand.

Sister Erickson II

"Sister Olsen,

You are called to serve.....

In the Summit Ward in the Fontana Stake of Zion.

Again.

Oh and you are going to train.

Just thought we'd let you know."

Yes here I am in the Summit Ward! After this transfer is over I will have been here for 7 1/2 months! Crazy! I am training a new missionary. Her name is Sister Erickson and she is from Layton, Utah. She is 26. Basically, she's awesome! I really like her a lot. Training is super stressful, but it's much easier to train someone that has already adjusted to living away from home. So she just came to me as happy as can be! She wasn't planning on ever serving a mission, but after many jobs and stressful school situations, she prayed and realized Heavenly Father needed her to serve a mission. So that's awesome. She is excited to be here and to work hard and I am so grateful for that. I miss my little Asian sensation, but I am glad to be with Sister Erickson.

Being senior companion is very different from being junior companion. Now I understand why all my other companions were stressed! It's definitely a challenge, but I know that the Lord qualifies whom he calls. And I also know that I didn't receive this calling because of anything I did, but because of the potential Heavenly Father sees in me. So there is definitely going to be a lot of growth this transfer. Sister Erickson will probably be training me! Just kidding. Kind of.

We had some pretty awesome miracles this week. We are trying to find new investigators because our two main ones aren't really progressing right now. President Van Cott challenged all the companionships to have baptisms in November AND December. So I am definitely feeling the heat of that right now. "Wow" I feel like, definitely is the word of the day or something.

Anyway. So basically we are working our butts off trying to find new people. Nothing is coming from our own efforts, but there have definitely been miracles this week and I know it's the Lord blessing us because we are trying our hardest. 

A few weeks ago, Sister Shin and I met this cute little lady outside watering her lawn. We started talking to her and she said she wanted a Book of Mormon, but asked if she could get one in Mandarin. We got her one. I was just thinking about her this past week so Sister Erickson and I went and followed up with her. SHE TOTALLY READ IT! It was so cool because she was telling us how good she felt while reading it and basically described the Holy Ghost. She was interested in seeing what our church was all about so we set up a church tour next week with a member who is fluent in Mandarin also. So that was awesome.

Another story: This member called us on Saturday night and said they were bringing a friend to church and wanted us to come to their house after to teach them. The friend is from Taiwan and is going to school to get his PhD at USC. He loved church and we did some great How To Begin Teaching. He wants to learn more, but he lives in L.A. so the missionaries there will teach him. That was a really cool experience. I keep running into all these people that speak Mandarin Chinese. I feel like I need Uncle Jared to help me.

Well I'm about out of time. Love you all so much! I am so grateful that we get to be together forever.

Love, 

Sister Olsen

Sayonara Sister Shin!!

Hello my friends!

This week has literally been the craziest and most hectic week of my life. With Ron's baptism and helping Sister Shin prepare to leave, I was busy! The departing missionaries get to go to a temple trip and they have a departing devotional that their companions don't get to go to, so for two days I had to find members to be my companion. That was very crazy. 

Ron's baptism was probably the most spiritual experience I have ever had in my entire life. At Juan's baptism I mostly felt pure joy and was just super excited, but at this baptism the spirit seriously hit me like a boulder. Ron and Wanda are both loved so much by everyone in the Ward. They are really special people. They have really touched the whole Ward. I think this has been an experience that the Ward needed. Wanda's personal trainer, Sister Jorgensen, is in the Ward so that is how she got introduced to the gospel. She was baptized in February. She is the strongest convert I have ever seen in my life. Ron took a while to ease into it. But what helped him was brother Ron Hatch. He became his friend and as a result, Ron joined the church. I really think that shows how important it is to befriend everyone. You never know how your friendship could impact someone's life. So the talks at the baptism were really good. That really invited the spirit. Two people in the Ward that are good friends with Ron and Wanda spoke. After the ordinance while we were waiting for the Rons to get dressed, sister shin and I taught the message of the restoration. Holy cow. Everyone was crying. It was seriously so powerful and I knew that it wasn't anything that I was saying or what she was saying. We really just let the spirit take over and it was amazing. 

Sister Shin had her departing interview with President Van Cott. We showed up and he told me he was going to interview me to. That totally surprised me. My interview was really good. I know that President Van Cott is led by Heavenly Father and that's really comforting to me. I know that wherever I am at transfers is where Heavenly Father is putting me. I was really afraid because I have been in the same area for six months and I have been with my companion for almost five, so I haven't experienced change in a really long time. As you all know, I'm not too good with change. But he totally put me at complete ease. He is always telling me how much he trusts me. That is seriously so comforting. I really love my mission president. 

I will find out what happens with transfers tonight. The longer I am on my mission the weaker I feel. Apparently all the missionaries say that's a good thing. I guess the weaker you feel the closer you are to Heavenly Father. Well. I feel pretty dang weak. I have never relied on Christ and the Atonement so much in my whole life. I really feel so uncomfortable. I think that's good though because if we are comfortable then we aren't progressing. Good news is some how I still feel super happy and blessed and I still love representing Jesus Christ in all that I do.

Love you everyone! Have a great week :)

Love, sister Olsen 

That picture on the package of the camel in a pumpkin patch was hilarious. We all got a pretty good laugh out of that!

We were dropping something off at our relief society presidents house and there were just some baby deer chilling right across the street! Crazy!

 

 Our awesome pull through parking. Missionaries have to back each other out so we all try to just pull through so no one has to back. I thought it was pretty funny..but maybe you have to be a missionary to appreciate that.

This is our district. Sister shin and I were the only companionship not training. The majority of all those missionaries are brand new. This was seriously my favorite district so far. Those elders are hilarious!

Ron's baptism. It was so wonderful!

 A California sunset. I thought you would appreciate it.

PONDERIZE!!

Hello everyone!


Right now we are doing laundry at Sister McEwans aka my bff. This week was pretty great. I really loved general conference. I bet everyone is doing ponderize... But I really liked it. This week I am ponderizing 2nd Nephi 32:9. I need to be better at praying always. I know my life would be a lot easier if I did... But really everyone's would be.

This week was really busy because we are preparing for Ron's baptism. His wife Wanda, got baptized in February. They will be sealed next year! I am so excited for them! We are having another baptism October 25th. And president has challenged us to have baptisms in November and December. He called it "a November and December to remember." No idea who we are going to baptize, but I have been praying every day that it will happen. I know that I can pray all I want, but it will only happen if I act and work my hardest. 

In the middle of conference sessions on Sunday, the Tongans gave us a ton of food. They made some pretty interesting dishes. The best was this fruit yogurt salad. It had pomegranate seeds in it. 

Nothing really too exciting happened this week. We just talk to people all the time. Most of them aren't interested so I just try to make them feel really good about themselves. We had a really great lesson with Gayle this week! We brought the Relief Society President and it was great! She really wants to get baptized, but she is really struggling with her knee. She hasn't been able to have the surgery yet. She is so awesome. Please keep her in your prayers. 

Time just keeps going faster and faster. This is the last week of Sister Shin's mission. I can't believe we have been companions for almost 5 months. I'm really going to miss her and I know this week is just going to fly. I am really nervous about getting a new companion because I haven't had a new one in so long, but I know everything that happens is Heavenly Father's will. The longer I serve, the more confidence I feel in saying that. Everything happens for a reason. I know that He works in the details of our lives. Life is hard, but if we do it the Lord's way and really have faith and rely on Him, everything will work out just fine.


Love you all and have a good week!


Love, 
Sister Olsen

These are my ward mission leader's kids. AKA my bffs. 

Here are some wonderful pictures of my district. Someone sent us a bunch of food. There were some spaghettios in there that I was pretty excited about.

Who's excited for General Conference?!?!?!?!

WHO IS EXCITED FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE!?

Saturday was awesome so I can only imagine it's going to be a great one! I think it's pretty awesome that three new apostles are getting called while I'm on my mission. I'm just so excited! Conference is always a great time to repent. Well, everyday is a great time to repent... but you know what I mean. Like last time, I invite all of you to prepare a question and sincerely pray before this weekend. It really makes conference a whole lot more meaningful.

Well don't worry because it took me almost the whole time to load the pictures. So sorry if this email is terrible. But at least you got some good pictures! I know I owed you all some so there ya go. Now I'm all flustered because I'm almost out of time, but I want to make this a good email!

It's always so hard for me to remember what happened the past week. Luckily I have kept a good journal! Every night before we go in, I have been writing my favorite part of the day in the little calendar that Adam and Hollie gave me at the very beginning of my mission. It's come quite in handy!

I keep having these weird epiphanies lately. Yesterday when we were taking the sacrament, I looked up and looked all around me and thought to myself, "oh yeah! I don't actually live here!" I think I have been in this ward far too long because I really feel like it's home. I have now lived here longer than I lived in Collierville with you all. So that's weird.

My mission really is just flying right before my eyes. Everyday I wake up and thank Heavenly Father that I get to be a missionary. It's really awesome. I love talking with people. I love sharing the Book of Mormon with others. We have given away several Book of Mormons lately. I really hope and pray that every one we give away gets read and changes someone's life.

Something that our mission president emphasizes all the time is GREAT Faith and MIGHTY Prayer. What's the difference between that and just Faith and Prayer? Well, lately I have really started to noticed a difference when I just go through the motions and say a prayer than when I actually kneel down and plead with the Lord. I think there are a lot of people that don't recognize answers to prayers. I know that it is often difficult for me to recognize an answer. Sometimes it can be hard to have complete faith in someone that you can't see. Heavenly Father wants to bless us so badly, but he only can if we get down on our knees and truly plead with Him. If you really are doing that than it isn't hard to have faith. He will make our weakness our strengths. I know that He is there and that He loves all of us. I KNOW that! 

Anyway, sorry this is a short email. My brain really is fried at the moment. I hope you all have a wonderful week! I am very grateful to have such an awesome family that loves me so much. You're the best!

Love, 

Sister Olsen 

We went on a hike to Crestline about three weeks ago. These are some pictures we took on that hike.

Sister Huff and I walking in our area.

Sister Shin and I with the awesome McEwan family! Love them!

This sweet lady is Gayle, one of our amazing investigators. I love her; she's such a sweetheart!

I made a rockin' birthday card for one of our investigators. When he sees that, he will totally want to be baptized!!

Pictures from our hike up Zanja Peak with President and Sister Vancott. Sister Vancott has the pink sweatshirt. She looks like one of us!

8 Months in Paradise

Hello, hello my dear family!

It sounds like you are all doing well in Collierville and Utah. I'm very jealous that you all are experiencing fall. But I have a feeling that you all will be jealous of me when it's 75 where I am and 45 where you are :) I don't know, maybe some of you prefer the cold. But I got to tell ya, the heat is growing on me.

This week was pretty good. The more weeks that go by, the harder time I have remembering things. I have been really bad about writing in my journal this week.... I have noticed that the more I write in my journal, the more I remember. So I really need to get on that. I was doing so well for two transfers, but we have been so busy I am having a really hard time keeping up! We currently have 4 investigators on date to be baptized. Last week we had 5 which is awesome. But we cannot get a hold of one of them for the life of us.

One baptism is set for the last day that Sister Shin is here. So that's pretty exciting! I'm so grateful that I get to see some of the fruits of all the work my companions and I have been doing here. We really built it up from nothing. We are teaching all new people that I didn't even know my first transfer. We are doing most of our finding through part member families. And you know what? A lot of them are coming back because of their home and visiting teachers. I am seriously so excited to be a visiting teacher and help my lovely relief society sisters! 

We went on exchanges this week. I went with Hermana Killpack. Her mission language is spanish, but she has been serving in an English ward for two transfers. Craziness! Her companion/my STL is Sister Peterson. I don't know if you remember her, but she was my STL when I was with Sister Hamblin and she really helped me a lot. She is super awesome. I don't know if I told you that I'm not a STL this transfer... Well now you know!

We went on a hike with President and Sister Van Cott this morning! It was 6.2 miles long. It was pretty strenuous (but then again I probably just thought it was hard because I'm out of shape) but the view at the top was so beautiful! It was so cool because we would go up a ways and take a break. Whenever we took a break the view was so beautiful! But the higher we got, the more beautiful the view was. You could totally relate that to the Gospel. Heavenly Father only wants to bless us. The harder we work and the longer we go, the more He can bless us with. We just have to go a little bit further, and turn around to see all of His blessings.

I don't know if that was dumb or cheesy, but hopefully you got what I meant. I know I owe you pictures from the other hike we went on...but Sister Shin forgot her camera again. So we did take pictures of both hikes, but they are all on her camera. I'm so sorry! I will remember next week I promise! But I know that President took some and they are up on Sister Van Cott's mission blog. I'm sure you can copy them and put them on my blog. For one of the pictures President was taking it and standing directly behind the sun...so I look like a goon. I'm sure I'm just sweaty and gross in all of them so it's fine.

I do have some pictures for you though so I will send them right now :) It rained this week for the first time in a long time so I took some pictures of that, too.

My new roommate Sister Erikson is very cute! We hardly ever see our roommates because we are so busy. We are never home during the day. And then at night we are just so exhausted that we go to bed. So I have had maybe 2 conversations with her. I'm looking forward to getting to know her! It's the four of us here. There is always four. I have gone through 5 different hermanas in this apartment so far. I've been here forever!

Anyway. My time is up. Love you all! Have a great week :)

Love, 

Sister Olsen

Driving around in our area. The sky looked cool.

Yes I did just send you three selfies of me wearing my rain jacket. You're welcome.

Rain on the San Bernadino Bridge