Week of July 20, 2015 "CONGRATULATIONS!"

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Did I spell that right?

Congrats family! You have made it SIX WHOLE MONTHS! Isn't that crazy insane?!?! I still feel like a little baby.

Well it's about that time. TRANSFERS. I am going to the desert!!!!!!!!!! It's going to be so flippin' hot! I'm really, really nervous! We told our ward mission leader that he is getting Elders... he's not excited about it.

Bahaha. Just kidding. Sister Shin and I are both staying here. Sister Shin only has two more transfers left. She thinks I'm going to kill her, but I think I am going to be transferred in September and she is going to train her last transfer. She hasn't trained yet. But she has been a STL pretty much her whole mission. Man, my companion rocks. I'm seriously so blessed.

My cute roommate Hermana Wright really is going to the desert though. She's been my roommate for 3 months now! I'm really going to miss her. (She is the one who is also related to Ernasnus Bingham. I know I didn't spell that correctly... you know. The dude with the cabin at Lagoon.)

Guess what? We had a good week! Hooray! Wow it took me a really long time to spell that for some reason and now Sister Shin is laughing at me.

Okay so two really cool experiences we had this week:

I went on exchanges in Spanish land! It was so cool! THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS SO REAL! We went with our roommates! Hermana Wright and I switched beds for the night. Her mattress sucks. So I went with Hermana Ipson to the Rialto 4th ward! I ACTUALLY GOT TO TEACH LESSONS! It was awesome! We taught like 5 lessons that day! 

My favorite lesson was with a hermana who has been investigating for a really long time. I'm not sure how long but I know it's over a year. She finally accepted a baptismal date about a month ago, but still hasn't come to church. Her fellowshipper came to the lesson. Side note: This Hermana speaks ZERO English. Nada. I was seriously soooooooo nervous and I prayed for the gift of tongues (which I never thought I would have to do on my mission. (Actually I take that back because I can barely speak English)). We started the lesson and I could understand what was going on! I know it was partially high school Spanish, but mostly the Spirit. I couldn't understand word for word what was being said, but I was able to follow the lesson okay. I used a tad bit of Spanish and luckily Hermana Ipson is pretty fluent (even though she came out a transfer after I did) and the member also speaks English. But I seriously felt the Spirit SO STRONG! It was so cool because I was able to experience for myself that the Holy Ghost speaks all languages. Of course I always knew that, but I actually got to witness it! Heavenly Father loves ALL of his children and he will provide a way for ALL of them to hear the gospel, no matter what language they speak.

That day also rocked because the Bishop's wife took us to Chipotle for dinner. I hadn't had Chipotle in many moons. YESTERDAY WAS SO AMAZING! It was like Heavenly Father would see how hard we would work all transfer and then at the very end he was like, "okay you did pretty good. Enjoy a ton of blessings now." We had EIGHT non members at church! That is unheard of in this area! This man that we met two weeks ago came and brought all 5 of his kids that are Young Woman and Primary age. A member brought her friend. And a random dude just showed up! 

It has been raining all week. I keep thinking of Stella from Rear Window when she says, "You think the rain would cool things off. All it did was make the heat wet." Yup. That's my life. It is seriously hotter than heck here. So Sister Shin and I decided that we were going to at least enjoy being wet from something other than sweat and walk for a while in the rain.

We planned on seeing this potential investigator. We showed up at the house after we had been walking in the rain for a while. This house has a cute little side garage that the owner has turned into a cute little sitting area with a TV. The garage door was open and there was a woman in there. She said, "I have been praying and praying for you to come! Please come in!" We totally taught her the Plan of Salvation because her son died and she totally agreed to be baptized! And don't worry because she also lives two doors down from an awesome member! 

Sister Shin and I walked away from that and I just really don't even know how to describe to you what was happening in my brain.

BUT I GOT TO TEACH SOMEONE ABOUT THE GOSPEL AND IT MADE ME SO HAPPY!

Well. This email is very, very long so I'm going to stop now. (Also sorry I randomly put a bunch of stuff in parenthesis. That was weird).

Love you all! Thank you so much for praying for me! Enjoy Utah and summer vacation :) You all look very happy which makes me very happy!

Love, 

Hermana Olsen

 I finally made that recipe that Dannon sent me for the microwave cookie. It was yummy!

Check out that outside temperature!!!!!

Hermana Ipson (my roommate and I in Spanish land.) I WAS SO HOT MAN. SO SO SO HOT.