Sister Olds the II: "Baptism! Baptism is what brings us togeva todaaaay!"

KIM IS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was so wonderful!!!! So you know how leading up to Estevan's baptism he was having a really hard time?? Well this time around Satan attacked us instead!!!! [Which honestly we would much rather prefer! We can take it!! Leave our investigators alone!!] This past week was NUTS!! But so wonderful and amazing. Here's the run down for you:

We had the Vellinga Mission Tour on Tuesday. They leave 4 days after me and so they toured the whole mission this past week to say goodbye to everyone. Holy tear fest!!!! There was not a single dry eye in that chapel. I have never seen Elders cry so hard before. It was heart breaking. Plus at the end President gave Sister Vellinga permission to hug all of the elders. They were all so happy!! It was so tender. It was also so much fun though. They showed us their engagement and wedding pictures!! And they talked a whooooole ton about marriage. It is like they were trying to do everyone's departure interview right then. However, my actual departure interview was right after that!! Ooh that was hard/ wonderful. I love President Vellinga SO MUCH!! I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to be one of his missionaries. He has made such a huge impact on my life.
We drove to Cleveland that night and got to work with the North Olmsted Sisters for the rest of the day!! My old area!!!!! What a tender tender mercy to get to see some of my old people so soon before I leave. :) It was so great!! Then we got to stay at the mission home that night and my doctor's appointment was the next day. [I was all healthy!! Well...for the time being.]
Next day I woke up with a weird stomach ache but went for a run with Sister Genster anyways. After we got back it started hurting worse and then all of a sudden it turned into the worse stomach ache in the world!!!!!! I immediately called Sister Vellinga, then called Elder Joos to come give me a blessing. All I can compare it to was when I had gallstones and had that huge attack. It hurt SO BAD!!!! Sister Vellinga had me call the mission doctor, who then had me go to the Emergency Room. We were there for 4 hours!!!! It was ridiculous!! Nobody has time for that!! Especially not missionaries! Good grief. After a whoooole ton of tests, they had no idea what caused it. But the pains went away and so they let me leave. I think it is just my body breaking down and trying to give up on me the lest leg of the journey. Not cool body, not cool.

All of the craziness was so worth it though because Kim's baptism was so amazing!! The spirit was so strong and she was SO HAPPY afterwards!!!!!! She just kept saying for the next two days how she was so "giddy" after she was baptized!! And her husband John got to baptize her and he passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday!! Ahh!! This weekend was all just so perfect!! We had dinner with the Joos' and Kim and John last night and they are ROCK SOLID!! They were telling us how blessed they have been since they started meeting with the missionaries and how they want to start reading the Book of Mormon together every day and want to come out teaching with us and get really involved in the church. THEY ARE SO WONDERFUL!!!!!!! I can't wait for all of you to get to meet them someday :)

I had so many moments this weekend where the Spirit just hit me like a brick wall and I thought, "This is what it is all about." Missionary work is the most amazing work that Heavenly Father let's us participate in. :) And how grateful I am for that.

Sister Amber Olds

They LOVED their scriptures! Thanks Momma!!!

All the Elders LOVE Kim. They all fight over who is her favorite. It's ridiculous. She let's Elder Albaugh believe he is her favorite, but we all know that no one could ever top her sisters!

My wonderful CF Specialist! Dr. Dasenbrook. I can't believe I had my last appt. here! They were all so sad to see me go. Psh...try being on my end of this!! It is way harder for me to leave!