Week 28

It's getting warmer! YAY!!!

Not the greatest week. Sister Dean and I were both SICK. Sister Dean has a pinched nerve, not sure how that happened and I had a sore throat and running nose. Sister Dean had to see the Mission Doctor and he prescribed her some strong steroid meds which made her a little crazy. I just drank plenty of liquids and cough drops. It's been No fun, but we're feeling better and hope to be back into the swing of things this week.

Other than being sick, I was able to go back to Sandy on Saturday for TWO baptisms! Michelle was baptized in the morning and Mallory (pictured below) was baptized in the evening. It was great seeing them enter to the waters of baptism. This is a new beginning for them and I know Heavenly Father will bless them for their obedience and faithfulness.

That's something I want to talk about...Faith. The talks in church were about faith and I've been studying faith lately. "Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." Alma 32:21. I have faith in my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. I know of the plan and exercise my faith daily. How do we obtain faith? Look up Mosiah 4:6-12. This is one of my favorites...Faith is a combination of believing and acting. We can't comprehend everything, but the Lord can. We must trust Him. We must endure and believe and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love this quote:

"If our lives are our faith are centered in Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong." - President Howard W. Hunter

Love you all. Have a wonderful week. You're never far from my thoughts.

Love,
Sister Olszowka

Week 27

Hi Family!

I gotta keep this one super short!

Zone conference was on Tuesday. Our whole zone sang, Nearer my God to Thee. It was okay. lol. But Zone conference was legit! It was very uplifting and motivating. I'm so thankful for President and Sister Chambers, they're amazing people.

Valentine's Day was just another day. We did get chocolate covered strawberries from Sister Mabey, but we ate them before I could take a photo. haha! Not a lot of people were home that day.

I was able to attend Sister Woods' baptism is Sandy on Saturday. It was a beautiful service. She's such an amazing woman! It was nice to be back in my stompin' ground. I've missed that place!

We had a baptism scheduled for this coming Saturday (2/22) but Alaska's mom pulled the brakes on it. Alaska and her younger sister came to church and I sat in with them in Primary. It was fun. We're teaching a new investigator, Pat, he grew up in Utah and has agreed to listen the  missionary lessons.

Oh! we got tickets to General Conference this year! Saturday and Sunday session! and tickets to the Relief Society meeting too! We hope that we can take our investigators to it as well.

Alrighty, got to go! The Sisters are waiting. ooops!

Love you!

Sister Olszowka

P.S. I've never seen a 10 1/2 speed limit sign before! I thought it was neat!

Week 26

Another week here in South Jordan!

We had the car this week so we were able to make many visits. There's a lot of new houses being developed in the area. As a result of our door knocking, we gave out a few Books of Mormon and have a few return appointments set up for this week. One of the doors we knocked on the man was from Seattle and really nice. He said he was catholic but accepted a Book of Mormon. He also asked if were like nuns. lol.

We're currently working with Alaska, she's 11. I can't remember if I told you this already.. Anyways, her baptism is schedule for the Feb. 22nd. We spoke in two sacrament meetings this past Sunday and then attended two sacrament meetings after that. Sebastian, he's from American Samoa, received a priesthood blessing to help him overcome smoking. He's been investigating the Church for a while now, he has a son serving a mission. We continue to pray for him.

We knocked on the wrong door, but come to find out she's the Relief Society President in one of the wards we cover. She told me her mother who's from California but now lives in Salt Lake knew of some Olszowka's. She said her mother's friend is a woman named Estherella. I told her that's my grandma!!! Small world huh? I'm always making connections.

Ohh! So I'm a BIG fan of Apolo Ohno, you know the Olympic speed skater?! Anyways, we were eating dinner the other night with the Wardle's and they said that Apolo lives next door! I about died! haha! So yup, the picture below is of me in front of his home! Well one of his homes. I know he's in Sochi right now, but when he gets back I'm definitely gonna knock on his door. haha! You can see the Jordan River Temple from his door step! oh yup! :)

Zone Conference is tomorrow and our zone is singing. Hmm. Other than that I hope all of you are enjoying the week. I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to serve my Father. I am truly blessed with so many loved ones in my life.

I just send my CONGRATULATIONS to my sweet sister Sia for having her beautiful baby girl, Olivia. And CONGRATS to Danica! I can't wait to meet baby BOY!!! :)

Love You All!

Sister Olszowka

Week 25

Greetings from SOUTH JORDAN!!!!

Transfer calls came in on Tuesday and I was transferred to South Jordan on Wednesday. Wow. There are so many things that have happened within the last week. Where to start....

I hit my 6 month mark on January 31st! Crazy that I'm a 1/3 of the way done with my mission. My testimony continues to grow each day. I love my Savior and I feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life. I invite all of you to pray, read the Book of Mormon and attend church. :)

On Tuesday Sister Paredes and I celebrated the end of her training and her membership (9 years) with ice cream cones. We also went around saying goodbyes and collecting photos and address. I felt a little anxious about the change. It's like starting the mission all over again. Seriously. I cried a little. I was sad to leave all the WONDERFUL, AMAZING people in Sandy, but looked forward to the new experience in South Jordan.  

My companion is Sister Dean, she just finished training. She's from Hesperia, Southern California. She's been out 3 months and is 26. We cover a whole stake, 11 wards and 2 branches. It's a WALKING area. Actually we share a car with the other sister in the neighboring stake every other week, but this week we walked. It's SUPER windy over here too. I thought it was cold in Sandy, its colder here! burrr.

We live in a really nice SPACIOUS place! It's still a basement of a member's home but we lived in a gated community right next to the Jordan River Temple! I see the temple all the time, its sooo beautiful. Our place even has a treadmill that we can use. I'm very thankful for the generosity of the landlords. However, the previous sisters (back in the summer) didn't get along with the landlords' very well and they lost the privilege of using the laundry room. So a sweet sister picks up our laundry and does it! I was shocked!!!! I'm not sure if there is a laundry mat around here, but I'll be looking for one. That's crazy that someone else does our laundry when we're capable of doing it ourselves. aiya.

This area has potential so we're working hard to recommit people to baptism. Sister Dean was informed that "we don't knock on doors we don't know." what the heck?!?! We knock on ALL doors! So we're meeting lots of people now. We had a lesson with a young 11 year old girl, her mom and siblings. Her baptism is scheduled for Feb. 22nd. Come to find out, she moved from Sandy and attends the elementary school that was in my last area. I know a lot of her friends from school and their old neighbors!

Hmmm other news....Guess who's in my zone?! Sister Swain AND my MTC companion, Sister Williams! Happy to see them. Sister Swain is the Sister Training Leader so we'll most likely go on exchanges sometime within the transfer.

Well I'll end here. Mahalo for all the prayers and support. I miss you all.

Love,
Sister Olszowka

Pictures



1. Me being a fatty! Eating our ice cream cone! haha!!
2. Brother Birch! Gonna miss him lots!
3. Sister Hoole, great member!
4. Nola and Boone
5. The Morgans! I love them! I'm coming back to chill at their cabin.
6. The Yates! Morgan just got her call to Guatemala.
7. Sister Dean and I
8. Sister Swain!!!!