Skirts and Warriors - Nov. 20th

Hello dearest family!

Oh HAPPY THANKSGIVING! So good to hear how you all are, sounds like a happy busy house! So great!!!! Eat so much turkey! and thanks for telling me about some of the things you were grateful for dad :)

SO mom i am SO SORRY that you didnt get your birthday gift...don't worry. i will try again! It'll be on its way. and it sounded like a lovely birthday too with some nice gifts---i told everyone: ITS MY MOM's BIRTHDAY!!!! yesterday was also transfer conference for us which leads me to my next exciting news:

So transfer conference we come to the square at 7:30am and our zone leaders announce our new companions and assignments. I was nervous, and upset because i didn't want things to change! i love sister pen, and am so sad she is leaving. but then when they started announcing and all of us cheering and screaming i turned into a little girl again and got super excited. SO DRUMROLL PLEASE!

I will now be serving with Sister Molodgali from MONGOLIA, we came out together from the MTC. So we are both third transfers together, she is still learning english, but is SO sweet and humble and kind, and I am SO GRATEFUL that I get to be with the princess of sweetness for this next transfer, which starts on Wednesday. I'll be senior companion and we are also the supply coordinators for temple square. which means part of our duty will be to make sure the desks are loaded with referal cards, maps, mormon.org cards, passalong things, family proc. etc.....gonna have to sharpen up on my organizational skills and inventory keeping management abilities! It will be especially busy because of the christmas season coming up---thousands of people come to temple square, which i just LOVE about this mission, people come to us and we get to teach them walking lessons about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I am very sad to see Sister Pen, i have come to love her, and depend on her, you depend on companions, so this next transfer will be a blessing and will be wonderful. We will get to eat thanksgiving dinner for sure! All of the Sisters will come together and eat in the evening, we will work in the morning and then it will be a super fun thanksgiving celebration with all of the remaining sisters on temple square. A lot of people have been called to serve outbound, about 21 i believe. hoo! It'll be perfect bonding time with Sister Molodgali during our thanksgiving meal together. I already love her, and want to support her...i know the adjustment to a new country, new language, new life can be difficult. This'll be great. Enjoy your thanksgiving with Robinsons and also in baltimore my dear family!

I have a funny story to share: So last week, we started in the TC (teaching center) so we were just sitting there making all of these phonecalls, and i thought, my skirt is kinda tight while sitting, i'll just unbutton the back of it while we sit. ( a lot of us do that no worries). ANYWHO, here is the funny part, we finish up in the TC and we start walking onto the square. We were passing by these old ladies in their walkers saying hello, when, WHOOSH! right in the middle of temple square, there goes my skirt to floor! BAAHAHA! I had my winter coat which is long so don't worry i wasn't too exposed, but man i moved so fast, my asian companion was in shock and told me later that i should be ashamed!! I was just very much surprised! The old ladies were SO NICE, they started telling me similiar stories of the olden days and all that jazz. But yeah...i suppose its things like that that keep you entertained on temple sqaure. I bet the security guys got a kick out of it---they are observant and keep us very safe. I thought it was hilarious, and don't worry, i apologized to the old ladies, telling them, that as a missionary i am supposed to be professional! i am so sorry! Honestly, so sillly. and i was just smiling in shock. it was very surprising! and i thought about you dad, how you told me my skirts were too big and would fall off and how i was like, that never happens dad!.......:). 

Now onto the work! We have the blessing of teaching amazing people. I hope to keep working hard to help others accept the blessings of baptism.

OH PLEASE TELL ELIZABETH REED HAPPY BIRTHDAY...i thought of her all day last tuesday.

but right, the work: its a joy. And it is work, and I love it. I love working with the youth, there is a young lady whose parents really don't feel comfortable with her taking lessons, but i am keeping in touch with one of her member friends who is such an example to me. he is really social, and excited about missionary work, and i found out that he had fasted with his friend to soften the hearts of the parents. Hello Army of Helaman! Honestly, the Army of Helaman may be my favorite story in the Book of Mormon. They were strict to be obedient "day to day" it says. Even when they were all wounded in battle, they were so loyal to their faith in Jesus Christ, and unshakable. It makes me thinks...who else would you want fighting in such a battle? Would you want the scared and the cowardly in your army? or the confident, faithful and valiant, obedient ones? Who are you in the army of the Lord.

I testify that we can become loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ, loyal with all hearts and souls! Its worth it. I am so grateful for this holiday season, where we can choose a side, be grateful for our blessings, be grateful for family and friends, and be grateful for our Savior---whos life made us free. may we too, fight for the lives of our fellowmen, for there is know greater work then lifting and helping others remember where they come from.

I leave you with this quote from President Holland, 

"If for a while the harder you try, 

the harder it gets, 

take heart.

So it has been with the best people who have ever lived."

I love you. I am SO GRATEFUL for you all and look forward to the package you talked about mom...so kind. nataly, i thank you profusely for those GORGEOUS pictures, my what a photographer!!! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LADY YOU ARE! 

I love you, i love you, i love you. Now go enjoy the holidays!

Love,

Sister Osorio

True Winter Wonderland - Nov. 13th

Well Good morning Osorriooo FAMILY!
I have been looking forward to writing you and hearing from you! I love you all so much!!! Things are going so well here and I really look forward to seeing how you all are and hearing about your experiences, interests, and family happenings!

WELL! IT IS SNOWING! a LOT in Salt Lake and I love it. It is so beautiful! And cold! My companion and i both walk around, and sometimes its just so cold we yelp! Haha, but don't worry, I am kept remarkably warm. My boots are fantastic (thank you mom and dad. they will last forever i like to think). But temple square is just so gorgeous in the snow. It literally looks like a winter wonderland, and luckily there are still many people on the square. I am so grateful for my calling to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Honestly, it is just so wonderful to have the calling to do that, I feel the sacredness and joy of that calling, to teach and preach the gospel. 

I ran into some of the Bench family yesterday! It was such a blessing! My companion and I were on the way to an investigator lesson over the phone that I was a little nervous for, and then we ran into them, and felt so much joy! My companion reminded me in her Asian accent, "See you are blessed! Now you can be happy for the lesson!" Right she was!

Sister Gillete challenged us this past zone conference to write down two things that we are thankful for each night this month. Some things on my list have been, prayer, peanutbutter, wind, one of our sincere investigators from China living in Canada, companionship unity, Sister Pickrel and Sister Rozas who are hilarious (one is super shorter than the other, and Sister Pickrel always pretends that she speaks spanish--sister rozas is from chile, and Sis Pickrel always says SOPAPO, which means plunger in spanish, and is quite a fun word to say)!, and the opportunity to preach and teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Isn't that neat! When we share what we are grateful for, we share things that are happening in our lives...will you all share with me some of the things you are grateful for?! OOO that would be a lot of fun to read.  :)

I am so thrilled for your thanksgiving festivities! Please tell everyone I love them and choose the right, (one way of choosing the right is enjoying all that turkey!) Really I think it will be a wonderful time as family and friends. No wonder you are excited ganae! Oh and ganae congrats on being Mary!!!!!!! How exciting! Such a wonderful way to share the gospel! So exciting! Be sure to send pictures! And i am glad your snow white party went well, i bet that could be nervewracking but you got it.

I really am in such a special place. I love it here so much. I realize how blessed I am to be living here in Utah------honestly, I've been here the past 3 years, almost 4, and I am used to it. I didn't have to go through a "culture shock" adjustment, Heavenly Father blessed me by sending me to a place where I could happily dive right in and serve.

So my dear family. Thank you. Thank you for all the love and support you send to me. I feel it. I love hearing from you. I care about each of you so much. Dad, i like that spiritual thought this week too, and I am glad you shared it with jeshua.

Mommy, i am proud of you. Enjoy this holiday season, beginning with your approaching birthday, there is NO WAY that is being skipped, you are living and get to celebrate your birthday which are just the best!!! I love you so much!! And will be sending all of my best wishes for you this next monday. oh and the gift i got you is really truly small...literally. i hope you still like it!! :) Just know that I love you. I am sorry this week was a harder one, but you keep pressing on like the amazingly STRONG woman you are. the last letter you sent me was amazing, all that strength in you. you are such an example to me. It will all be alright in the end. oh and this transfer is finishing up, we are in one of the last weeks. I am so unsure about what will happen next transfer....ah! I know I will be here, they don't send you away until much later which is good because i want to be in the most perfect sacred place for Christmas!!! but yeah, I will definitely have a new companion and thats a little nerve wracking! But the work will go forward so i should be excited!

Jonathan, nat nat, ganae, jeshua---my dear siblings. keep strengthening each other! I know you do! And i hope each of you laugh a ton and enjoy thanksgiving next week. Send me the things you are grateful for!!! I'd LOVED  to read that. i love hearing about your lives. maybe i will send you my list for thanksgiving! fun! oh and i'd also love some wedding pictures jon jon and nat nat!!! :) I can show people that you all got married in that temple, we share about the eternity and sanctity of marriage everyday here on the square.

I love you all and send you my love. LOVE LOVE LOVE
Sister Osorio

Work Hard, Then Accept - Nov. 6th

Sorry that it's taken me three weeks to get this letter up, but it truly is remarkable! Enjoy!


My dear family!

Sorry the email is a little bit late today! its been one of those full and pleasant pdays and we gotta zoom zoom!

Well first off! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!!!!!! OH papa I am SO proud of you! I hope you enjoyed some pollo loco and cake and just being with the family on your special day :) I love birthdays! Seriously, my favorite holidays alongside Christmas. So daddy, I hope you got my letter right? I meant every word and i wish you the very best birthday you have had yet! I love you daddy, and I miss you a lot. i talk about you all the time :). 

I cannot believe that Ganae and Jeshua are driving and everything!!! How cool! Be safe though okay! And ganae amen to this, "And we'll have eternity together to bake cookies and bang on windows with a purses when we're old women while window shopping." haha! You ARE SO FUNNY! i love how funny you are. keep makin people laugh, but i say AMEN to that sentence. Eternity will be wonderful as a family. opa mosseltoff!!! and i didn't know angela was engaged!!!! how exciting!! I love it.

This week we got to go to a baptism who a sister met in the Beehive house and helped him go to church where he met the missionaries, who later brought him back to temple square where we got to take him on an investigator lesson tour. Jonathan we saw your mission president from Hawaii there!!! that was pretty neat. And ya know, i learned something new: numbers are great and everything, they help you set worthy goals---but never underestimate how important it is to simply help bring people closer to Jesus Christ. It was such a calm and beautiful baptism, and I just felt like Heavenly Father wants us to be HAPPY! He tries to tell us so often that He LOVES us. This week I have just felt that, this voice saying, Look around you! Look at the gospel! Look at your family! Look! I LOVE YOU.

Anywho anywho anywho! I am doing so well. I was so happy to hear about everyone singing christmas songs around the piano, and Spencer included! He is SO COOL. a very good man. I love you all a lot. 

OKAY! Nataly asked to share an experience, so I will do that nnneeeow!:
This week we walked past a man named Ray, and then he called after us, "Ya know, sometimes you sisters don't really get to know the credit you deserve" (something along those lines. We talked to him a little more and he told us his story. In the 1970's, he had come to Temple Square, took a tour, was touched, went back, found the missionaries on his own, was baptized, served a mission, and met his wife there WHO HAD ALSO taken a tour on temple square, saw the Christus statue, met the missionaries and was baptized. They both got married and sealed in the Temple, so that their families could be together forever. Ray then choked up a little, "My wife passed a few months ago...I came here to see the Christus, where it all started." Look at the significance of that! A man who just lost his wife, came HERE, for solace, for peace, to remind himself that his family WILL BE together FOREVER. We were all so touched, (of course, you can guess, we cried), but the work we are engaged in is not to be undervalued, or tossed aside as a neat experience. It is everything, a mission isn't an experience, it needs to become your life. We don't always need to see the difference we make, as long as we do everything we can to make a difference, then life is grand, life is peace. At least on a mission it is!

Daddy, I have to go, but I wanted to wish you a very special birthday today. Your Birthday is written at the top of my missionary planner, "DADDY'S BIRTHDAY!!!" And I have told everyone today its your birthday. Dad, you have made a difference in my life, and you are still making a difference in your family and in the lives of the people around you. I know you know all that---I just hope you feel the peace that comes with doing your duty as well as you do it. I am praying for you, especially on your special day, i hope you feel joy at who you have become, and who you have around you. Ha, I hope we all do! Sometimes its hard to do that, believe me! My companion helped me set a goal this week "to accept". To work hard, and then "accept" whatever happens. Come what May!

Nataly----I ADMIRE YOU.  just sayin...:) OH! and can you send me some of your WEDDING PHOTOTOS?!!!! OOOO i would LOVE that.

Love, your! (and the Lords')
Sister Osorio