April 6, 2015

Dear Mom and family,

First-- yes that’s the right address, they just always make us go to the Post Office to pick it up.  Oh my gosh seriously--I love you guys so much and you really know how to make a missionaries life haha!! Those ties-- Ohhh sooo cool! Thank you so much! Seriously it means so much and you are really the best family in the whole world.  I was so excited, you have no idea hahaha!! I love you guys!!

Wow! Sounds like an awesome Easter!! hahaha  The strings... not going to lie I might have looked for a string Sunday morning and it lead right to the Post Office but the Post Office was closed so the Easter bunny had some pretty good tricks!! haha  But man-- was Conference amazing!!! Seriously for the first time, I was awake for it all and sad that it went by wayyyyy too fast hahaha!! I loved it!!  That was the first time though at the beginning of the Sat. afternoon session I heard people say they were opposed. I got like a sick feeling in my stomach. So sad but then they get up and say that our church has never been stronger! That was so cool!! Something that I really liked from Conference was when they were talking about Peter’s gaze on Christ when he was walking on the water and it wasn’t until his gaze left Christ and fear set  in that he started to sink... that hit me super hard!! How if we ever take our focus off of Christ we will surely sink! I don’t know-- just something that I thought was really cool! 

That’s crazy!!! Cassie is already coming home!! hahah I can’t wait to see her (through Skype) haha!! It’s been a whole year! That’s so crazy though! hahaha

So as for this week! Well with the Spanish—it’s getting better poco a poco haha Not going to lie sometimes it is tough haha but with the help of the Lord all things are possible! For the food I haven’t really eaten anything weird haha!! I ate habaneros haha like a ton! I love them haha!!  The G’s were waiting for me to be dying but it wasn’t that bad hahah umm so about the G’s-- this week was really hard with them.  We went over to have a dinner and basically tell them if they aren’t willing to keep commitments and stuff we weren’t going to come by as much... but we ended up talking and it got super spiritual and Brother Garcia just broke. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen.  He’s a tough guy and always really happy but he started crying and was just so confused and lost and didn’t know what to believe and it was so sad to see someone you love just look completely lost.   The worst part is, we have the answer but they have their agency and we have to wait until they are willing to find it.  So that was a really hard lesson but I have so much faith for him! He knows and wants it so that’s good! 

Apart from the G’s-- the week was crazy hahaha! On Monday we had a member come out with us and there was this guy on the road and said,  “Hey Elders” so of course I stopped and wanted to talk but it turned out to be a guy who really didn’t like Mormons hahaha!  So for us it was nothing, I just felt super bad for the member hahaha!  Also I got told I look like I’m 35 a few days ago.  That was weird-- I didn't think I looked that old haha!!  When I told him I was 18 he didn’t believe me for like 20 minutes hahah!!  It was rough!! I think I’ve already got to many wrinkles or something hahaha!! But something that is really cool about the work is that if you are looking for it,  there are spiritual experiences everyday! For example we were tracting these apartments and ran into a girl who didn’t really like us hahaha and  she went up the stairs and into an apartment.  We had no idea which one, so we said a little prayer to have some help.   As we walked down the hallway she opened her door, walked out and back in for literally nothing. Elder Cataldo and I just started laughing and both thanked our Heavenly Father for that direct answer hahaha, it was so cool! I love it out here!  Also one day we had a really long afternoon and me and my companion set a goal to talk to 10 people in the afternoon when its super hard.   At 4 o’clock we had nine people and nobody who was interested but then the last one-- the tenth person was the most golden person ever!! Her name is V and she has been reading the Book of Mormon and already knows it’s true!! It was the coolest thing ever! There really is nothing better than this work!! I love it so much and Conference was just the cherry on top! I know this church is true and that we have a prophet of God on the earth today and that Christ leads this church! I love it so much haha and it just makes me so happy!! hahaha I love this gospel! 

I love you guys and miss you so much!! Give Cassie a big hug for me!! 

Love Elder Oliver