Week 8!

Hola Family and Friends,

I hope all is well with everyone, all is SO GOOD here!  I had such a fantastic week!   A special thanks to Spencer Gines, Sis. Huch, LANDON!, Grandma and Grandpa, Kate, Kaylie, Amanda, Corinne, Sydney, and Mom for the letters.  Thanks mom and Corinne for the package!  I LOVE the pen! hehe.  And I had a pretty similar reaction like Corinne when I saw the donuts...  Thanks Aunt Jennifer for the package, card, and pictures.  I LOVE your caramel!

So this week, I was able to see a lot of people which was cool.  I saw Elder Blake Lindner a few times before he left (best of luck in Fresno!)  I saw Sister Jenna Higgins, Karalee :), and Sister Kelsey Bullock!  I did not even know she was serving a mission!  SO happy for her!

I have just been happy lately.  I know why too!  I am on a mission!  I was sitting in class sometime this week and it just hit me.  I AM ON A MISSION!  What a great feeling.  I never want it to end!  What a great week I had too!

So I had interviewes with both of my teachers.  They are so easy to talk to I was able to open up and tell them my few troubles and they were able to give me so much praise and love.  It was so good to have an interview with Hna Camacho, because she understands what it is like to be a sister missionary.  She told me that God was proud of me, she could see my progress, and she said I was a great influence and that I was working hard and though not perfect I was where i needed to be! 

Hno. Ton-son told me that I was a great example of diligence and speaking spanish and that this was having an influence on the whole district.  He told me my spanish was improving, and he told me that I had a great attitude about my visa and that I was just positive about everything which was also helping the members of my district waiting for Spain visas (there are 4 of us).  But the best part was when he told me that one of my companions, Hna. Minert told him and I quote, "Sometimes Hna. Olsen is the glue that holds our companionship together."  I had NO IDEA I was making an impact like that.  I don't know exactly what I am doing, but I guess I will keep it up.  Our companionship is definitely good and slowly improving.

Mom, thanks for sending the chocolate hugs, it has been fun to "hug" my elders!

So we are not teaching Daniel any more, only because we have other people to teach.  But Hno. Ton-son told us all about the real story, because our teacher was pretending to be someone he had converted on his mission.  THe real story is about Daisey.  Basically she was in a really bad spot in life and she gave up her boyfriend and most of her family because she knew the gospel was true.  Hno. Ton-son cried a bit when he told the story about the things she went through and the faith she had.  I cried a bit too, especially when he bore testimony that there are people out there who are prepared for our message and our prepared for US!  I know this is true!

So now we are teaching each other.  Each missionary in our district is pretending to be someone they know who is less active or not a member.  It is sooo fun to pretend to be an investigator and to feel what it is like to be learning about the gospel.  It is helping my teaching a ton!  We are teaching 2 of the elders who are pretending to be friends from High School or whatever.  Our lessons are going pretty well.  I am learning to teach simply and go at the pace of the investigator.

Sunday was INCREDIBLE.  Corinne, this is going to make you jealous :), for RS we got to hear a speach from Sis. Sherri Dew and after, I got to meet with her for a bit and she hugged me! That night we had an incredible devotional about the Book of Mormon.  We got to watch a  scene from the Brodway play in New York.  It was insulting and i was really confused but the speaker talked about how they counteracted the play and how we should teach the Book of Mormon and how important it is.  It turned out to be a really inspiring devotional.

On Wednesday, I got to be a new missionary host.  I hosted 2 new missionaries.  I got to take these wonderful sisters to their dorms, the bookstore to get all their books and to their classrooms.  It was such a fun experience and I hope i was able to make the sisters feel welcome.  One of them is spanish speaking (going to Portland, OR!!!!!) and she has class on my floor so I actually see her a lot and say hi when I can.  It was such a good experience though to be able to make a difference and try to give love to these wonderful sisters that jsut said good bye!  I remember my first day and I tried to say what I would have wanted to hear.

I am so excited for this Sunday!  We get to watch the Brigham City Temple dedication!  The last temple dedication I went to was Detroit, and I was so young I do not remember a thing.  I am very excited for this opportunity.  We are not going to Brigham City but will watch it via broadcast.  Our teacher Hno. Ton-son was so excited for us that he bought our whole district (still 13 in number) white Handkerchiefs.  So nice of him!

Okay, the great question you all probably have.  I am supposed to leave the MTC in a week and a half but I don't have my Visa, so what is going to happen!?  I'm not exactly sure, but it is VERY LIKELY that I will be getting re-assigned.  I might get travel plans today or next friday.  It all depends on the travel office and probably other things.  i don't really know. But, you probably want to know how this makes me feel. 

Let me tell you, because I think this has been the highlight of my week.  In one word, I feel peace.  Obviously I have moments where I am frustrated or a little upset because in all honesty, I just want to go to Spain.  But, whenever I feel down or any bad feeling, I am immediately encompassed with the deepest feeling of peace I have ever felt.  i can't describe it--go on a mission if you want to feel this.  I just have such peace knowing that I am in God's hands and he would never let anything happen that wasn't supposed to happen.  I KNOW i will be taken care of!  So I will likely get reassigned for a month or two or whatever.  This makes me SO EXCITED!  I get to serve TWO MISSIONS!  And i am beyond stoked to find out where the Lord needs me now.  I know wherever i go will be where I need to be.  Such peace, have I stressed that enough!??

I love you all, and if you want to read a great scripture, 2 Nephi 22:2 is gold.  SO BEAUTIFUL!

Con amor,

Hermana Olsen