December 9, 2013 {Cara}

MELE KALIKEMAKA

My beloved family. One big Mahalo to you all for all the birthday wishes. Thankyou all so much! It was so exciting to open up my mailbox and see so many letters from everyone! I truly wish I could write each and everyone of you all back individually but theres just not enough time in the few hours we get on P-day. So mother- I LOVE reading all about your experience in New York. How fun, what a blessing to be able to finally go!! I can't believe it! I also can't believe theres so much snow there. It's hard to picture snow right now.  I swear its getting hotter everyday here in Ewa. 

Welp. This is the best Christmas ever. Best Birthday ever too! Tomorrow  I'm speaking at Zone conference with two zones combined and we also have Mikey's baptism that night, and right after we have sports night with the branch and a lot of our new investigators are planning on coming! I can not wait! 

Well we have found so many solid new investigators this week for the branch and its super exciting! Me and Sister Teuscher go ''tracting'' on the college campus in Waipahu. What pretty much happens is, we walk around campus and sit down next to people and the first thing they say is, 'OH hey! Where are you two from!? then they ask.... Well why are you here?'' It's great. What a wonderful way to start a converstaion with a misionary, ya? :)

Well Alika is one of our less actives, and he is super awesome guys. The Atonement changes lives. He was the most smarty pantz person I've ever met. Took lots of patience for me... but now- He is SO AWESOME!! His whole accountenance has change. Picture a punk with long black shaggy hair, scruff, peircings, ect. And now his hair is cut, parted, shaved, dressed nice and he is such a gentlemen now!!! And he is staying for 2 hours at church now. His calling is handing out programs and he LOVES it!! He even passed me up in our race to read the Book of Mormon... and He's praying now. All for the first time in 18 years. INCREDIBLE!! He also gave us pepper spray after we told him where our area was...... Sooo no worries guys... I now got a nice pink pepper spray thingy. haha

Well How? What did he do to go through this change? What made this all possible and enabled him to experience the joy he once felt before? The Atonement. I know you guys hear it all the time, and I know I say it all the time, but it changes lives!! He started with the 3 very. very. very. basic things we challenged him to do. Church, pray, read. Thats how you access the Atonement. That's how your faith is exercised and how the blessings you are promised come. As simple as that.

I have never felt so close to my Savior before. This time of year is truly incredible. Dad you are right, the spirit out in the field is something special. Something incredible. I think of Grandma and I love it.  True joy is what it's all about.We were at the Christmas Devotional yesterday with Alika and it was a powerful experience to listen to the closing song, Silent Night. I'm sure that it must have been a silent and very Holy night when Jesus Christ came to earth. I love imagining it. I know that He lives. I know that this is His church He set up. I know its His because I know it's true. I have felt the power of the Atonement and I have seen it touch others.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I TOTALLY forgot to tell you about RENO!! The Villegas Uncle. Yep. So he's the uncle who is always out in the garage drinking while we go into their home to teach Christie and her boys. Kinda just in the background of everything. TURNS OUT- He has questions he wants answers. Sooo upon our arrival visiting the Villegas, he is out front in the garage sitting in his car. He wasn't drunk. And he is probably the coolest guys I have ever met. Local kine guy. Ummm yeah, just know he is probably getting baptized next week. He's already loving the Book of MOrmon. I got to go though! Tell ya more later. 

Lvoe you all!

I can skype for Christmas by the way.............. get ready to see Chubster Olsen. hahahaha jk. but really. Ok love you bye

Pray. Remember the Savior Jesus Christ. Sory this was rushed and crazy letter. It's been a crazy morning:/

aloha

Sister Cara Ann Olsen