October 26, 2015

(Wow!!  I am really behind!!  New year--new goal!!)

Dear Mom and family,

As for your week, man things are just crazy!! hahahah awesome though! (Besides the whole ticket thing) hahaha!   I can’t believe you got a ticket... that’s got to be the worst feeling ever! Seriously!   Man that’s just nuts! It’s so exciting about Kenzi!!! Imma be an uncle hahaha!! Did I tell you I saw Carter???

So as for everything here! So first thing is-- Moses Lake was like a second home for me so it was really hard to leave! I have tons of pictures and memories there! I truly changed more there than probably anywhere besides my first area! I loved it! But it’s just how missions go!  I’ll be back to visit! Buuuuut I love Ephrata!  Man,  it’s incredible here! So the area is the whole city of Ephrata (it’s a small town) but we have everything here in Spanish! We just get to work Spanish! The first day was a little hard just trying to get back into it but I have an amazing comp and an amazing Father in Heaven that has helped me out so much! Everyday it just gets better and better! I mean I’m still not fluent by any means and its a very humbling experience, but I’m truly growing and learning how to rely on the Lord more and more everyday, so I love it! My favorite thing in the world is changing and progression and how we have so much potential as children of our Heavenly Father! So we work in just a tiny group... its super different then Moses Lake!hahaha Two huuuge wards and now I am in just a small Spanish group of like 15 people! We had sacrament in the Young Women’s room and then an hour of gospel principles and a little "rama drama" hahaha and then we were done. Quickest church of my life hahaha! but I think, now that harvest is over we are changing and might combine with an English ward! But either way, it’s super fun! 

My new comp is Elder G and he is pretty incredible!  He served 18 months in Mexico and got super sick pretty much the whole time so he came here and now we are serving together! (His Spanish is incredible)  He is just such an example to me! He’s had a lot of hard things on his mission but he just keeps going and keeps killin it! We are going to have a really good transfer and I’m super stoked because he really likes to work! So we are going to get to work! hahaha! The Lord has blessed us with so many miracles just in these last 3 days alone!! So we have an investigator named L and we were in her home teaching her and the someone knocks on the door.  All of a sudden, two people walk in and tell us they have been looking for us.  They want a better life and they know that we are how they find it!! It was the coolest thing ever and seriously just an answer to my prayers!!  Then-- because God is incredible haha we went yesterday to this trailer park and found a family and a new single investigator!! God has seriously just been placing people in our path! It’s amazing!! Something that I’ve really learned with all this, is that the Lord expects us to work hard, He expects us to work for our prayers. Does that make sense? Like He doesn’t want us just to say things and then wait, but He wants us to truly show Him our faith and act and allow Him to bless us! Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and that’s really all this gospel is about. Because God loves us, He has given us all these things! It’s incredible and I love every minute I get to wear my Savior’s name on my chest! Sometimes I feel like those minutes are flying by way too fast! 

Ohhh-- so the stake had this musical thing and so we invited one of our investigators and went to it.  Well after the show we were just talking to her about it and this lady comes up to me and says I have a little girl who want to meet you. So this super cute little girl kinda walks around her back and says,  “hi!” hahaha  She was so cute, so I shook her hand and talked to her for awhile.  It was so sweet! haha  I don’t know-- just little things like that really make my day! I love this life!! hahaha I know that’s cheesy, but it was just something that was cheesy but awesome and little! 

I love you guys and miss you so much! I hope you have an incredible week and know that you’re in my prayers! You’re the best family I could’ve ever asked for! 

Love Elder Oliver 

October 19, 2015

Dear Mom and family,

Holy cooooow this week has been crazy!! So yes, you all know the news before I could even tell you! I am leaving Moses Lake and going to Ephrata in just a Spanish area!!! I’m super excited and know that it’s where the Lord needs me to be! The only problem is leaving Moses Lake! I love this place and it's seriously my second home! I love everyone here! It’s the best place ever! I feel like I could’ve been here my entire mission, but I’m excited to go to a new area and find children of God.  It’s just going to be weird speaking Spanish... God will provide though! I’ll let you know my info as soon as possible as for now I know nothing about this new area! haha 

Sounds like you guys had a great week! I miss you guys so much but sounds like you're killing it!  This week has been amazing and sad all at the same time! Brother M got baptized!!! He’s incredible! I love him so much and our last lesson with him, he bought me a journal and wrote this awesome long note to me in the front that might have made me cry!! hahaha  He's just the best and I’m so glad I was able to be here to watch his entire life change! That family is the best!   I have a lot of pictures, I’ll send them, don’t worry! So some awesome things that happened this week was one, I saw C at church (Kenzi's brother) and he's doing awesome! Something else that was awesome was B (a recent convert) came to a lesson with W  and it was incredible! He bore an awesome testimony and really helped W! Also this week,  I went on exchanges with Elder D (who's my really good friend) so it was super fun! We visited this one guy who did not really like us. He was getting all worked up at us and freaking out in my face and honestly it was super sad because he just doesn’t really understand how this gospel can bless him and bring him so much happiness in this life! One day! 

Other than that,  this week I’ve really been studying consecration and the power behind it! I love this gospel so much and the ability we have to change! Something that I really learned through Brother M’s baptism is that with every step we take closer to God, He takes one closer to us and everything just makes sense! God loves us so much and we truly are His children! That’s why this all happened! That’s why the Gospel was restored.  That’s why Jesus came to the earth.  That’s why I am as happy and peaceful as I am--because God loves me and each one of His children! 

I love you guys so much and hope you all have a great week.  I am sure it will be packed with dance and school and everything in between! I love you guys so much and miss you a ton! I cannot believe how fast time is flying! You’re seriously the best family in the world and everyday I realize and thank my Heavenly Father for that! 

Love Elder Oliver 

October 12, 2015

Clay's favorite Seminary teacher with his ponytail he cut off!!

Dear Mom and family,

First off, you guys are awesome!!! I miss you so much! Glad Cassie is ok!  You guys are the best and everyday I am grateful for you guys! Cassie is just having the worst luck I’ve ever even heard of hahahahaha! I’m so sorry!  I’m glad to hear you guys made it to Utah ok! (And yes mom that drive is nuts) I hope this week is great and everybody stays safe! 

So as for this week! IT’S BAPTISM WEEK!!!! Brother M is awesome!! I love him so much! I’m so grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to see him completely change. The first few times we went over there he just kept to himself and  said it would be good for his kids but that he didn’t really want it.  Now, he is getting baptized!!! It’s incredible and God is just too good to me! I love him so much! Brother M is on day 14 now of no chew and just going strong! He has awesome goals and wants to get sealed in the temple! I’m going to have to come back often for these sealing’s! Other than that, the YSA is doing great! W (one of the new guys) came to church and loved it! He is on date for November! Also all the college kids are bringing their friends so we had like 10 non-members at church! hahaha It was nuts but super fun! My comp tells everyone about my long hair so my insta just gets passed around the whole ysa... goood gooood goood goood good hahahaha!! 

So transfers are coming up and I literally have no idea! So here are the thoughts-- I could leave and Elder B could stay but that would mean he is taking over the area in 3 weeks which would be nuts. Or I could stay but then it would be Elder B’s last transfer, which would mean I would stay for another transfer, putting me here for 7.5 months! hahaha Sooo I have no idea! hahaha We'll find out this week! 

This week has been incredible guys! I seriously love every day out here! Nothing is better than the mission I promise! Something I really learned this week is the power of prayer! I’ve learned it time and time again but this week I’ve really been praying out loud and talking with my Father in Heaven! He has changed me! I love the atonement and the power that comes with it! I am a totally new person and I know who I want to be! I love this gospel and progression! 

I miss you guys and love you! 

Elder Oliver

October 5, 2015

Dear Mom and family!!

Thank you so much for everything!!! Seriously you guys are the best family ever! I love you so much! 

General Conference was incredible! I loved it so much! Seriously I told Dad I wish it was a whole week! But yes-- you know me being a big momma’s boy, I loooved Elder Holland’s talk!  I love you so much Mom!  Just like 10 more weeks until skyping!!! hahaha  I cannot believe that Chloe is 11!! blows my mind! Chloe you’re so old!! Thank you so much for your testimony and everything! I love hearing and reading your letters!! 

So as for some answers-- the tri- pan is doing great! It’s a party! We will probably be in it for 3 more weeks till transfers! General Conference was awesome! We were able to watch Sunday afternoon with the M fam and had food so obviously it was the best thing ever!!! hahaha They are incredible! Brother M is doing great! He is on day 8 of no tobacco! He’s awesome! He has so much faith and is so willing to do anything! The son, C Jr is stoked to get the priesthood and pass the sacrament! He’s super awesome too! That family is just great! As for the ysa investigators, they are awesome! They weren't able to come to General Conference so their date will be pushed back, but we are still working with them! 

This week was incredible, the Lord has blessed us with so many blessings! Miracles are just happening over and over again! Yesterday we were tracting and two super solid ysa aged guys let us in and were super solid!! We’re super excited to see where that goes! I love being on a mission so much! I love every day out here! Seriously-- I want it to never end!! hahaha I know that’s probably not what you guys want to hear! But I just love my Savior so much and I can’t imagine going back to any degree. This gospel is incredible! Just to say we have a living prophet called by God is amazing! To watch him and the Lord's apostles speak to us, is something no one else has! This is God's church. This is the physical proof of His love for us! I know He cares so much about us and hears our cries every night as we pray to Him! I have felt His love time and time again-- I cannot deny it!! I love my Heavenly Father more than anything! I want my life to be a demonstration of that love! 

i love you guys so much and miss you a ton! I hope you have a great week!  Chloe I hope  you have an amazing birthday! 

Love Elder Oliver

ps Mom-- We also had a lot of meetings this week! They were super good! I have learned for myself what manner of man I ought to be!  

September 28, 2015

Dear Mom and family,

Anyways, so we live with members who are awesome but they don’t necessarily cook us meals but they are still amazing! I love them! My comp is doing good! This is his 8th week and we just found out we are going to be in a tri-pan again because a missionary is going home which is super sad. So starting later today I will be in another tripan! haha  They're parties!! The weather here is amazing now it’s perfect 60-70 during the day! I love it and its almost sweater weather! hahaha  Thank you so much for the update!! I love it!! Sounds like you guys are having an amazing week! I did not get to see the blood moon because I was making some calls! haha  That was J  who sent that video and it was L who kinda did it with me! haha  I’m rusty but they think it’s like the funniest thing ever! hahaha I’m glad you laughed though! hahahah They like to embarrass me!  They're awesome! 

As for this week, It was amazing!!! Brother M is on date for the 17th of OCTOBER!!!! He’s incredible and we are going over there tonight! They are seriously the coolest family! C Jr will be getting the priesthood next time we have church-- so in two weeks and he is sooo excited! haha He's awesome! So I did have a question though-- we had zone conference this week and Sister L talked a lot about that family packet. Did you get that email? Also have you checked out the blog or Facebook? She told me I’m all over it hahahaha probably just because of my super red hair hahaha Oh—one thing funny about my hair though... I killed a fly with it hahahahahahahaha I was looking in the bathroom and I saw something a little black so I looked and it was a pierced fly!! hahahaha but anyways back to the miracles! This week was so awesome! Something that I learned a lot about this week was our potential as children of God! We have so much potential! God has such a big plan and we just have to be trusted by the Lord! That’s the hard part-- to gain the Lord's trust, but little by little we get there! I love this gospel so much! We found this new ysa investigator who is on date for the 17th as well who is doing so good!! I’ll keep you posted on him! 

Dad you look so good and that is awesome!  It is seriously the best thing ever--front row seats to a baptism! haha The spirit is always so strong! I love it!

I love you guys so much and miss you a ton! You mean the world to me! 

Keep having a great week! And killin’ it of course haha 

Love Elder Oliver