Week 4 and 5: Feb 8-Feb 22

 2/08/ - 2/14

This week I have so much to say. mostly all about Monday. Monday was very special because one of my companions was called to serve Provo Utah, Hermana Olgiun is from AZ so her family drove her down a day early and so I got to meet her in person! such a blessing, her family bought me breakfast. They were so kind! We called our other companion Hermana Lopez. We can't wait for the day we can all meet in person.  

Also Monday was the first day of my Visitor Training. It is all in english and all sisters a total of 8 sisters they are all going to Visitor centers! Either Hawaii, or LA cali or the Oakland temple. so its been pretty. This is where I wanna share a really awesome experience.  

June 2020 I was going through a hard time, because of this my stake president told me June 21, that I had to wait, that my mission would be delayed. I was devastated.  Later that day I got a blessing from one of my friends in my singles ward. That blessing was very powerful one of the things it said in the blessing was not to ignore any future or past revelations about going on a mission. I was very unsure about a mission. A week later I was working (I was working at the hospital in the Instacare as a medical assistant) I had a patient that was the same age as me, we both went to Weber State, she told me that she also was wanting to serve a mission but that it was being put on hold because of health issues, she testified to me that she knows that God has a plan for her and she knows everything will work out, that it is all in Gods timing. She had such a positive attitude and it was something I really needed to hear, she increased my testimony. She was such a tender mercy, it was a revelation not to ignore. I never saw her again. During MTC the last few weeks we would have devotionals with over 200 people on the zoom, there was one sister that looked super familiar but I couldn't figure out how I knew her.  Then Monday my first VC training class I saw the same sister, it was then it clicked in my head that she was my patient back in June! when I realized this I immediately asked the sister if she remembered me, and she did! she asked if I was the MA from the hospital. I started crying! (which is kind of embarrassing because I didn't even tell these sisters my name yet and I am already crying in front of them, and even more funny the day before I told my new companion sister Shirley that I haven't cried yet during the MTC... now she probably thinks I lied haha) God is real! What are the odds this sister started the MTC same time as me and is also going to Cali to be a VC sister?? She will be at the Oakland Visitor Center. 

2/15 - 2/21
My first week in Cali has been amazing!!! I have two companions which is awesome my trainer Hermana Pierla and my other comp Hermana Keller. Hermana Pierla is from Venezuela. And Hermana Keller is from Texas. I love them both. They make me laugh so so much. Hermana pirela is learning english but she is already really good. We try to only speak spanish. Hmna Pierla is the cutest she is so little but she holds my hand and is constantly hugging and kissing me!!  she loves to cook! She has made me arrepas and much more. She says that if we were all barbies Hermana Keller would be the barbie in a  pink car. And I would be the bent over broken barbie hahah she says that I am super funny. We ready have so many inside joke. Mostly because of and my personality. 

So If you don't already know I am a Visitor Center Sister for the LA temple. I am at the visitor center Tues, Thurs, and Friday. My whole mission I will have two areas at the same time. My mission president and the VC Director told me it is going to be a very hard busy, having to work twice as hard. Especially with learning Spanish. I have already given one tour. And many many lessons. I have so so much to learn. With having to memorize all the doctrine in the VC and the history and all the lessons in PMG. I wake up earlier than my comps for extra time to study. (Which I know Grandpa Brunner would be proud) anyways on Sunday we fasted all day to be able to find more friends  and literally Sunday we found 3 knew friends!! One of my first lessons I taught a friend (aka investigator) about prayer and when he prayed I could tell he was touched by the spirit it was so powerful. Already a cry baby hahah. 

Also guess who I saw??? Celestine!!! She is a trainer so she was there when I got my trainer. I couldn't hug her because of the quarantine. But I started crying. Celestine has been my best friend since I can remember and she really inspired me to serve a mission. Before the mission she joked that I would be called to LA and that she would be my trainer. So just seeing her was a blessing. 

Hope you all are staying safe and healthy!! Love you all!! 
Photos:

saying goodbye to friends
Andi and charlie
Krissa and I the day before I left 
VC training sisters
My MTC comp! Hermana Olguin + hermana lopez 
Krissa 
My VC comp during training sister Shirly we got to fly together!
First time at the LA temple with my cute comps!! 

More photos!!
1. Celestine 
2. Me lol
3. I lived on a street in Ogden ut called van Buren so seeing that sign was pretty cool
4. Me crying the first time I saw celestine 
5. First time meeting hermana Keller and hermana Pierla 
6. All of us!! Hermana cornielson, Keller, Cluff, Pierla, and me 




























Arrived Safely

 17 Feb 2021 

Brother & Sister Brunner,

Sister Olivia Carol Brunner arrived safely to this mission 15 Feb 2021. After prayerful consideration, Sister, Sister Sarah Pirela Pirela, Brooklynn Keller was selected to be her companion.  We make every effort to assign only the very best missionaries to be trainers, as these first few months are critical in the life of a new missionary.  Attached are some photos.

During the course of her mission she will be transferred from place to place, therefore, we ask that all her mail be sent to the following address:

Sister Olivia Carol Brunner
California Los Angeles Mission
1591 East Temple Way
Los Angeles, CA  90024-5801

We are excited and grateful to have Sister Brunner serve in the California Los Angeles Mission.  Our desire is to help her succeed and magnify her calling.  We will do everything possible to see that she remains healthy, actively engaged, challenged, and happy in her missionary labors.  Please be assured that her welfare and happiness are of primary concern to us.

The information attached answers many of the questions frequently asked. Should you have any questions or concerns during the course of Sister Brunner's mission, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely yours,

Mission Office Staff


Made it to California

 

President and Sister Cordon

Her new mission Companions: Sister Sarah Pirela and Sister Brooklynn Keller


**Her mission president sent us these pictures.  

Family outing before I leave

Braza Grill 



 We went on a family outing before Olivia leaves on Monday.  We went to Braza Grill and Jenn and Vince met us there.  The afterward we were going to go the aquarium. but it  was sold out.  So we went to Thanksgiving point to the Holdman Glass Studios.  We got to watch them make glass and look at the work that was already done.   That had a stained glass window of Christ that looked amazing.   The cool thing about this place is that they make some of the stained glass windows that are in the temple. 


*The price tag was 90 thousand dollars. 

Meeting My Companion in Person

 I got to meet Hermana Olguini.  Her family drove her to Salt Lake for her Mission.  We met up before she reports to Salt Lake.   Her family took me out to Breakfast.  We spook Spanish.  Her family didn't know much English. 




Week 3: Jan 31-Feb 7

 I honestly don't know where to start.  I am officially done with MTC, this coming up week I have online training for the visitor center! 


My Spanish is slowly but surely getting there. I have such an awesome district. This week I have laughed SO much! I have also felt the spirit many times, for all of my district has such powerful testimonies. I have overall loved HMTC, I have learned so much and just because it is over zoom it doesn't mean that will stop us from feeling the spirit. I am grateful to have the technology to be able to still have the MTC, however I can't help to think how fun and amazing it would be if the MTC was in person. I also try not to think I may not ever see them in person. Although one of the Elders in my district ( Elder Atilano) is getting married once he returns from his mission and we have all talked about attending his wedding.


My companions and I made goals last week to do 3 TRCs and 3 workshops, we did attend 3 workshops but we may or may not have done three TRCs. We did Attend one TRC with Joslyn which went so well! My companions and I planned a whole lesson and we didn't use any of it because we listened to the spirit and we taught her exactly what she needed to hear. it was such an amazing experience. 

We did sign up for two other TRCs but my companions and I accidentally signed up for the wrong day.. TWICE! which there is kind of a funny story about that. One of the TRCs that we signed up for we didn't realize that it was the wrong day, and we went on the zoom link and there were two elders there!! so awkward, but funny in the end. 

Another goal my companions and I had was to take more pictures together, So I am sorry for all the pictures.. Am I really sorry though? We had fun with the Facebook filters a little bit too much.


I had a pretty awesome opportunity this week, my cousin Cynthia got to go through the temple, and she was so kind to invite me to go with. (So it was my second time to go through) It was such an amazing experience, she went through the Las Vegas Temple, and there was also a beautiful sunset. I loved that I was able to be a part of that experience with her, and to be able to go with family. I am so proud of her. 


pranks this week...

one of the days we all put stuffed animals in front of the camera for when we started class. aren't we so funny?

The "prank" that we did the last day of class is we all made thank you cards and surprised our teachers to show our appreciation for them 


Scriptures this week

Mosiah 24

2 Nephi 2: 6-8

D&C 34


best joke this week 

A spanish magician tells the audience he will disappear on the count of 3.He says, “Uno, dos...” and then poof... he disappeared without a tres.


I know there's lots of pictures from this week, but please enjoy. Also please enjoy my adorable cousins.


Love you all!!

- Hermana Brunner


photo 1 and 2: The goodbye prank (best one yet)
photo 3: my district 
photo 4: My companions <3
photo 5: My baby cousin Peter
photo 6: A missionary with direction and magnitude
photo 7: Las Vegas temple
photo 8: surprisingly the least embarrassing photo 
photo 9: My companions 
photo 10: all the family at Cynthia's Endowment
photo 11: Cynthia, Her Fiance Dawson, and I
photo 12: Funny picture of Elder Tellez from the  stuffed animal prank
photo 13:temple and sunset
photo 14: more pics of my comps
photo 15 and 16: beautiful sunset and temple pic
photo 16: Cynthia and Dawson and I
photo 17: My Grandparents and I
photo 18: temple pic
photo 19: my cousins Sarah and David
photo 20: stuffed animal Prank
photo 21: my comps again, aren't they cute?
photo 22: My cousin Isabella then her bf, then me, Cynthia and Dawson

photo 23: My cousin Sarah