February 2, 2015

Mom & family,

So that is crazy! Happy Anniversary tomorrow!! You guys are such an example to me! I love you guys so much!  But of course-- you guys would have a super bowl party when I’m gone. Watch next year you are all going to watch ASU football (the good stuff-- cough cough haha) None of this NFL stuff hahahaha! Just kidding-- sounds like a fun and crazy week!   You guys are amazing! You’re all such examples to me! If I could give each one of you any advice it would be this-- tonight go kneel down in your room and say a prayer out loud. I know it’s weird but if you just do it this once, I promise you’ll feel something. Whether it’s comfort or peace or whatever it will be good-- I promise! Some of my most spiritual experiences come from that! DO IT I promise it’ll be good. Even if you haven’t prayed in super long or whatever-- just give it a shot. What could it hurt? For Spanish-- it’s kinda crazy! This week, speaking wise was a lot better, but I still have a ton to learn. As for Kathy-- I know I’ll have to teach her how to truly creep. Except for I kinda caught her in it. haha!! I know the ways!

This week was awesome!! Seriously Jaye being baptized was the coolest thing ever! I got the best seat in the house too! haha  It was so awesome! She just gave me the biggest hug and she was so happy! That just makes everything worth it. It makes the long days, the hard Spanish, the people cancelling every time, it makes everything worth it! Seeing the happiness and the glow in their eyes is the best thing in the world! Gary was super happy too! I got to talk to him just for a little while, and he was like I’ve been waiting for this day for a looong time. So it was so cool to see him so happy! As for Chris and Adri-- they are doing super good! Chris broke up with Darla so its kinda weird. We are in the middle of it and it’s been just a little awkward haha!  But all good times-- I just feel bad for Darla. She was super sad last time we saw her, but its ok-- they both have a super strong testimony so we are hoping this won’t affect them too much spiritually. Other than that, Spanish work is still going good.  We were low on miles this week so we had to walk… a lot!! haha!  I’ve been spoiled because just walking for a few days was tough-- but it’s all good!haha!  I love this work so much; there honestly is nothing better!   I feel like time is just flying wayyyy too fast! This is my sixth month on the 27th... that’s nuts! 

I love you guys so much!   You guys are seriously the best! I couldn’t do this without all of you! 

Best family ever! 

Love Elder Oliver 

January 26, 2015

Familia--

It sounds like a crazy week! Super fun though!  Mom-- just don’t pull a Cassie at camp and get tied to a tree hahahahaha!! jkjk I miss you guys so much and hope you have an amazing week! Keep sending pics and telling me about the little things! haha I love them! 

As for my week-- it was super good!! I really do love this work and there is nothing better!  The ward here is amazing! haha I love them so much! I feel its a second home haha which I hear most peoples first area is.  So,  of course I’m thinking I’m going to get transferred soon. Buuut we found a Spanish family this week!! They’re amazing and Heavenly Father is just literally putting people in our path sometimes it’s just crazy! We also have another super nice humble older Mexican lady who wants to be baptized so I’m super stoked about that! Little side note--something about older ladies and red hair!! hahaha It’s kinda creepy sometimes. So we are teaching an 84-year-old lady who is named Honey.  That’s the only name she wants us to call her hahaha!  We saw her earlier this week and she was like,  “Oh honey,  you look good”  and because I don’t know her real name I had to say, “Thanks Honey” back... hahahaha so awkward but you just have to go with it. Then before we left she gave me a big hug and its not too bad because she’s just an older lady so it’s super funny,  but its just kinda awkward because we aren’t suppose to give hugs, but we aren’t going to pull away so it just gets weird.haha!  Then Kathy (our recent convert) apparently looked me up on the internet and showed some older ladies in the ward my long hair hahaha I just laughed it off hahahaha!! I love Kathy! hahaha   On another note-- Jaye is getting baptized  tomorrow!!  It’s so awesome!! We’ve been over there a lot this week and she just keeps saying how happy the church makes her and it’s like the best thing to hear! That’s why I’m out here--to share the happiness I have with others. It’s the best! I’ll send some pics next week! Hopefully it’s as good as this one! 

I love and miss you guys so much! Hope you have a great week!  

Love Elder Oliver 

January 19, 2015

Dear Family!! 

Ok-- so first off I have to get this off my chest... why are you going to Cafe Rio instead of Costa Vida..? I can’t believe it hahaha!! jk Sounds like a crazy week, Mom, and those are never too fun. I do know when I seemed to be getting stressed out or things seem over whelming I just take a second and realize that I’m thinking too much and I kneel down and ask my Heavenly Father what He wants me to do. I hope things calm down a little.  So questions,  Yes-- we always have a car.  Her name is Beatrice haha!!  Um—it’s been kinda cold. It’s like 30 and then it rains so it’s just chilly haha but I love it here so much!   Living with Elder Nelson is the best thing ever. Seriously such a blessing from Heavenly Father. 

But ok so as for this week!! Sooo amazing! ADRI GOT BAPTIZED BY CHRIS!!!! It was so cool! Honestly best thing I’ve seen yet. Way better than being in the water haha I know it's a little cheesy-- but afterwards,  they just stood in the font hugging each other tearing up and Chris just kinda said quietly,  that he loves her. It was the coolest thing ever, especially for Chris.  I mean-- he’s not the most talkative guy. So it was awesome! That was Saturday and I literally feel like part of that family. They’re all so awesome and I could just talk with them forever. Just having so many spiritual experiences over there really brings you close together. I love this work!! Ok then Jaye is still doing awesome! She went from a ton of fear to now-- none and she is  always talking to her daughter about it! Its super cool! She told us that once we leave she goes over and basically tells her what we talked about. So its super cool and I hope something will come from it! Oh another thing about the baptism,  so after Adri and Chris got changed we just kinda talked in the hallway for a little bit and Adri started crying because of how bad she wants her brother and sister to feel how she is feeling. It was so cool because this gospel and the Spirit really do change people’s lives, and bring so much happiness!  Then she said she wants to go on a mission!! I was going nuts haha!! She's awesome! Some other kinda crazy things that happened this week are we went over to one of our Spanish investigators house and they were packing everything up. They had to leave their home because the pipes underneath broke. Crazy. This lady just had a son die about 6 months ago and now this. Just so hard but she says what she does to get through it-- is read and pray! So she’s doing what’s right but she is really going through a hard time and I just want to carry her burdens for her. That’s probably one of the hardest things about being a missionary. Seeing these people struggle so much and wanting to be there to lift their burdens but we can’t. Not at least until they  allow the Savior to do it.  Other than that,  I ate fried bananas this week hahaha!!  They were actually really good. Oh another funny story-- so we are sitting in the Spanish branch and a High Counselor gets up and says that he loves coming because it reminds him of when he was on the reservation... soo it started out good but kinda went downhill!   Then I got to confirm and give Adri the Holy Ghost-- so it was awesome!! Great week hahaha!!  I love this life it’s the best life!  I love you guys and hope you have a great week!!

Love Elder Oliver!