Olivia's Los Angles California Mission: March 2021

New Missionary Assignment

31 Mar 2021

Brother & Sister Brunner,

Sister Olivia Brunner has been called to be a Sister Training Leader in the California Los Angeles Mission. This assignment has come to her because she has exhibited high qualities of leadership, demonstrated her obedience, and gained the trust of her fellow missionaries.

As a Sister Training Leader, Sister Brunner will work with between 5 to 8 companionships of sister missionaries and be responsible for their training and welfare. She will also be a member of the Mission Leadership Council, which helps set and carry out the efforts of our mission.

Sister Cordón joins me in extending to you our sincere appreciation for your fine daughter. We realize that your example, training, and love have contributed in large measure to her success as a missionary.

Sincerely yours,

Valeri V Cordón
President
California Los Angeles Mission

March 15

Hola familia y amigos!

This week was crazy!!

We had a random transfer on Wednesday. So I now have a new companion hermana siete! Saying goodbye to hermana Keller was sad but hermana Siete is such a blessing. She is from West jordan Utah! She is amazing. She is also a blessing because next transfer hma Sieta and I will be the only spanish sisters for the VC, right now we have one other companionship of spanish sisters in the vc, but hma bonilla and my trainer hma Pirela go home at the end of this transfer. and we are now allowing virtual tours for everyone! So it's going to be very busy for us. So if you're interested in a spanish tour from me I'll be posting on fb soon. Or message me. If you want it in english there's lots more english vc sisters.

I am really nervous because im still not totally understanding spanish and still learning how to teach. (Learning to teach with the spirit) but im excited to work hard and learn how better listen to the spirit.

We are constantly witnessing miracles with finding people. We got two new people through street contact.

Our friend Lester is progressing lots! We gave him a bom and he gave us Coffee from Starbucks. He was so sweet to think of us but we couldn't drink the Coffee.

And yes daylight savings was quite a Killer because we went to bed late. I may or may not have fallen asleep during language study

Photos:

(At this point you know there's going to be temple pictures)

1: we had to make a video this week and so there's a picture

2: temple!

3.our friend Lester!!

4-5. New companion Hermana Siete!

6. When Lester got the bom !

7. Another

8. Saying goodbye to hermana Keller

9-10: even more

My mom and my aunt Kristi sent me an Easter Package this week.

Arepas Recipe

2 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups pre-cooked white corn meal (such as P.A.N.®)
¼ cup vegetable oil, or as needed

Directions

Step 1
Stir water and salt together in a bowl. Gradually stir corn meal into water with your fingers until mixture forms a soft, moist, malleable dough.
Step 2
Divide dough into 8 golf ball-size balls and pat each one into a patty about 3/8-inch thick.
Step 3
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, cook corn patties in hot oil until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked arepas to a paper towel-lined plate to drain until cool enough to handle.
Step 4
Slice halfway through each cake horizontally with a thin serrated knife to form a pita-like pocket.

**Fill it with cheese, meats, Chicken salad, egg salad, or just use butter and honey,

March 8: 2 Months and Elder Cook

Hola todos!!

This week has been so good! One of my favorite things about this week is we had Elder Cook from the quorum of the 12 speak to our mission. It was amazing!! He talked lots about missionary work. And at the end he bore his testimony it was so powerful.

He told us to have an urgency about serving a mission. To not just be on the mission to pass time. I loved all the Scriptures he shared

D&C 6:18-19

D&C 68:6

D&C 3, 121

It was so so amazing!

This week flew by. Lots of tours this week. By the way the tours we give are to friends (investors) from other missions. the tours we give are fully centered on christ we teach according to their needs. We currently don't give tours to everyone just investors and to family.

My favorite tour this week was Tuesday. His name is José we had never met him before, but the elder missionaries had been teaching him for 4 months. We taught him the story of Sermon of the mount and then Hermana Pirela shared 2 Nephi 25:29 and at the end of the tour I was prompted to share Mosiah 18: 8-10 and he started crying, and right then and there he set a baptismal date!!! How amazing is that!! The lords work is amazing!!!

Love my comps so so much and I love the lords work! Hope you all are staying safe!

Photo

1: Elder Cook!!

2: hermana Keller!

3. Three of us at the temple

4. Hermana Cluff made cute heart rice crispy

5. We make so many arepas

6. Cookies for the elders

7. One of my friends Pia!! She's amazing!!

My grandma Doolittle sent me a package with lots of goodies and homemade cookies.

Arepas

Hermana Keller

Our friend Pia

Elder Cook doing a Devotional

Olivia and Hermana Keller

Week of Feb. 21-Feb 28: Out Of Quarantine

Hola familia!!

This last week has been so good. Also shout out to my mom, it was her birthday on Saturday. So message her if you haven't because she's awesome!

I am officially out of Quarantine. Although it doesn't feel that much different.

This week has been super spiritual. I have realized since I've been here I have been more sensitive to the spirit. This one friend we are teaching is so so sweet, the lessons we have with her are so spiritual we are really hoping to get a baptismal date with her soon.

Another friend I am really hoping that we can get a baptismal date soon. He so awesome and I love teaching him! Mostly because I can understand him (meaning Spanish) but I just feel the spirit so strong when teaching him.

On Tuesday my comps and I got to sing in front of the whole mission. The song Hazme Andar en la Luz. (Teach me to walk in the Light) It was amazing!

I have been at the visitor center tons this week. It has been amazing. I am starting to be better at memorizing and being able to teach better. I am beyond grateful, because the visitor center is only allowing the VC sisters and directors inside. Well and the mission president. The temple ground is also closed! I feel extremely blessed, I get to be on temple grounds every week. But it is closed to everyone else.

I love love love my companions!! They make me laugh so much. Hermana Pirela says that im so funny that she sometimes wants to open up my head to see what goes on inside my head.

Also story time, during district council we were throwing a small ball. And I accidentally hit one of the elders in the face!!

Church is still not in person. On Sundays my district ( 6 elders and 5 sisters) have the Sacrament outside in the church parking garage.

We had crazy experience this week with a guy that walked past our apartment as we were outside and he started to talk to us. It was a very weird and scary experience. Once we were able to get out of that the rest of the evening we listened to hymns and prayed lots.

Also had a miracle this week. Actually we had many miracles,

1. We made a new friend this week. She had been not answering us a while and not listen to us, but we finally can got her to listen. And she really opened up to us. And it was amazing

2. Yesterday (Sunday) we had to go to the VC and we didn't have tons of gas. But we didn't want to break the sabbath so we didn't get gas. We made it to the VC and back (19 miles) on basically no gas.

3. On the way to the VC Hermana Keller was driving on the freeway. We were going 70mph. Hma Keller was trying to get over but couldn't see because of the sun. And there was a line of stopped cars in front of us just in our lane. I told her to (very nicely) to look out! She slammed on the brakes and swerved into the next lane. Luckily no one was next to her, it was miracle that no one got hurt. Angels were watching over us.

This week I really have been studying Luke 24

This week try to notice God's hand in your life

Love you all!! Stay safe

Also shout out to my cousin Cynthia for getting married this week!!

Also here is my mailing address

California Los Angeles Mission

1591 E temple Way

Los Angeles CA 90024-5801 US

Photos!!

1. Pupusas

2. Temple!

3. Pantacon