February 16, 2015

Dear MOM y FAM

So just some quick answers-- here is my address: 512 2nd Street Apt #5,  Wenatchee WA 98801 or however you spell it! haha  I have no idea how-- but it is SO pretty up here! Like it’s unreal! haha  It is the prettiest place I’ve ever been to! I’ll have to send some pics! Annnd I will  be here during the spring so I’m super stoked! The weather here is perfect too! I love it here so much! Don’t get me wrong, it was super hard to leave my last area but it made it a little easier how cool this place is! But yeah-- it’s just Spanish! I’m so excited! I can already feel my Spanish getting better! Oh and by the way my comp is BRAZILIAN! haha  He’s like the coolest guy ever! I love him but he goes home after this transfer-- which is a bummer! I would  be so down to serve with him for a while! haha He’s just a super cool guy! We live in a super tiny apartment-- like not even the size of our kitchen but still awesome! My comp speaks Portuguese natively but has learned Spanish and English on the mission! So its super cool talking and learning from him! The area here is on fire too! It’s intense! We have a few families that are pretty close so we are super excited about that! Ohh-- a few funny stories about this week.  The Sisters had a baptism this Friday and we went and like 10 seconds before it starts the 1st counselor comes up and asks if I can give the baptism talk... it’s totally in Spanish. I was scared to death!! haha but it went ok-- I think haha It was fun! Oh and before I left, the Fielding’s (with the huge house), made us one last "dinner".  It was so good and then they gave me this super nice sweater from their place for free!!  So cool! haha I will probably just send it home so I can keep it nice! Umm-- other than that, It was super sad to leave Elder Nelson and that apartment!   I miss them a ton! haha It was a lot of fun serving with them! But this area is awesome and I’m super excited the zone is all Spanish!  We have p days and stuff with the English zone so its just like a ton of people! haha It seems like a party.  I will tell you guys about it next week! I love this so much! I’m so sorry I don’t have too much to write haha I just am still figuring out this area.  You guys are the best family ever! I love you so much! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you guys! I love this church so much! 

Love Elder Oliver! 

February 9, 2015

Dear Family! 

Sounds like you’ve all had an awesome week--with a little craziness! haha If it’s not crazy its just too boring. So this week was kinda crazy! A little sad towards the end but still super good! This last transfer went by so fast! Transfers came on Saturday... and I’m leaving. I’m going up north to Wanachee, which was hard at first because now I have a huge possibility to be in the other mission.  That  was a little hard to accept but with a lot of prayer, I’m really excited! I’ll just be Spanish (finally) and I guess the area is huge so I’m really stoked. It was super hard saying good-bye to the ward though! They have been so awesome I’m going to miss them! It feels like my second home ward. Everybody was telling me when I come back I can stay with them! haha  They’re the best and I might have to take them up on that in a year and a half!! hahaha They are  awesome though! As for the apartment we are all together! After we get planning and studies done just as a companionship we always eat lunch and talk at night-- its super fun! haha  It’s really weird but I think the Lord blessed me so that I could live with Elder Nelson for at least one transfer, so that was awesome! I’ll keep you posted for my new companion! So other than that-- on Tuesday I went on an exchange to Dayton. Literally it is the smallest town ever!! haha  It has one stoplight-- but it was super fun and we ran into some awesome people there! Elder Shupe and I get a long really well so that was super awesome! He’s a great missionary! We met this guy named Arnesto and he was kinda funny-- a little creepy. He really liked me and told me he was going to kidnap me and tie me up and put me in a closet for a while. Little sketchy but you just got to laugh. Also figured out that the whole Relief Society has googled me! hahaha! Random ladies in the ward have come up to me like "Wow!  I can’t believe you had long hair" hahaha!!  Funny,  but just a little creepy! haha  Oh,  also randomly I ran into one of the Elders that did the dance with Chantz  on his mission.  His mom went to our Spanish party on Friday!!haha  Elder Wadell-- but other than that this week was pretty good nothing too big but I just love being a missionary!! haha  It’s honestly the best thing ever--nothing beats it! We have a few Spanish families now that we are teaching so I’m super excited to see if they go anywhere.  Seriously this work is the best!! So as for the story you need-- I was just thinking about the whole time with Chris, mainly with his dui... if we would’ve given up and not loved him because of his mistake,  he would never be where he is now. The coolest thing is that really none of it is us.   As a missionary,  you really just feel Christ’s love for them!

 As for the weather it’s been warmer here too. It’s been weird because  I haven’t seen the sun in forever until this weekend! haha It was weird but I missed it. Crazy right? haha I love this but miss you guys a ton.  Keep being awesome! I love you guys so much! 

Love Elder Oliver

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!