Wednesday, December 30, 2015

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 

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

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