So far behind!!

Okay--Okay

Since I am so far behind on updating Clay's blog--I am just going to give you the address to the mission blog.  Sister Lewis always updates and takes tons of pictures!!  It really is the best! (especially for a mom really missing her missionary!)

https://yakimamission.wordpress.com/

Maybe someday--I will catch up!!

January 11, 2016

Clay and one of his first converts going through the Temple!

Dear Mom and of course La Familia!

So sounds like your week was nuts!! I don’t know how you make it through! haha But you're a pro at it! Dance seems just nuts! hahaha  Happy birfday Cami! I love you guys so much!

This week was just incredible and crazy all at the same time! hahaha  So  we got transfer calls and we're staying!!!! We are so stoked! It’s going to be a great transfer! Our whole apartment gets to stay and we are going to start working out super hard you know... so we can dunk it! hahaha So there has been a lot of awesome things this week! The mission is really changing the culture and everything! President really made a good point that this is the first year as the Yakima mission! So we've changed some things and it's going to be an incredible year! I’m so excited! We also have training by the missionary council coming up so that will be awesome! Something else that was super funny that happened this week was L, (a recent convert from Moses lake) told the missionaries that he needed to talk to me but he wouldn’t say why.  So the whole mission started getting curious.  I  called him (after getting permission from President) and all he wanted was

Dad's number because he has a dump truck he's trying to sell in AZ! hahahahaha  So funny but it was like talking to part of my family! It was so good to hear them and just talk to them for 5 min. They are still doing great! There have just been tons of miracles this week! Our area is just exploding! God is blessing us so much! We have our one male member who has started to take us to his family (we are really the first because he is super careful with his fam and we've spent all this time building up trust and praying and now it is finally  taking off) His name is R and he says he wants to come out with us every night! On Friday he brought us to his brother’s house to share the restoration and the whole family was there!  The mom and one of the sons came to church and the son that was at church said he wants to be baptized! It’s just incredible and God is just putting them in our lap! hahaha Our goal is to one Sunday have more investigators than members hahahaha it’s awesome! They are really my family! We are all so close and it just feels like a big Mexican fam! haha  R and his fam are my favorites though! His kids are awesome! They are like mine and Elder W’s little brothers! haha They always want to sit by us at church! I just really do love being a missionary, there is nothing better! I love the people here and just the love that you can feel God has for them! Something I’m really trying to work on is seeing everyone through God's eyes and recognizing if my love is conditional. There is an awesome talk from last conference!

Anyways I hope you guys have a great week and know how much I love you! You’re all incredible and examples to me!

Love Elder Oliver 

January 4, 2016

Dear Mom and family,

Sounds like you guys had an incredible week though! I do not miss taking down the Christmas decorations that's for sure! hahaha But that's so good to hear that everyone is getting good at snowboarding!  I also forgot to tell you my gift to Christ. This year it’s going to be pride. I really am trying to become a nice always gentle meek person. So that’s my goal for the year--as well to dunk a basketball!! hahahaha Just kidding!

So this week was crazy, that’s for sure! We didn’t really get too much time in our own area. But we still saw tons of miracles and God blessed us way too much! So Quincy is pretty close but I’ve never seen her. She’s been telling everyone though that she's seen me since I was in diapers, so I’ll get random people coming up to me telling me that this lady in Quincy has known me since diapers!! hahahahaha I met her that one time in Wenatchee but never here. She’s super nice I would love to run into her! This week has been super cold and super snowy, probably more than a foot. Elder W and I just kinda run everywhere we go!! hahahaha  This week on Wednesday we went up to a town called Omak and then to a town real close to the border called Oroville which was super cold. We visited the Sister companionship up there and then went on exchanges in Omak and then on Thursday in Coulee Dam.  There was a lot of driving involved but it’s super fun because I love Elder W and we just talk about everything. He helps me so much! We have also made a lot of really funny videos! hahahaha I think you'll like them!  We did have a lot of really cool spiritual experiences this week.  Probably one of the coolest was when we were out on New Years with our group leader and he suggested we go by a less active who they haven't seen in 6 years.  Well she was home!!   She has been wanting us to come by for soooo long, she just works a ton-- 12 hour shifts 7 days a week. Her prayer though was the most spiritual part. I haven’t heard a prayer that humble and loving and desperate in a long time. All of us were in tears. You only get experiences like that out here and they are so hard to explain but that's why they are the best!

So our Spanish group here is really really small! hahaha This Sunday we had sacrament on the stage... it was super different but still great and spiritual. I had to lead the music and if you know Spanish singers, imagine them without a piano!  I was pretty much just singing a solo!! hahahaha But testimony meeting was super cool. People get up that never would in a bigger setting and theirs are always the best! I love the little group we have and how close we are! It’s seriously incredible!

Oh also this week we did some really nasty service... we were taking out and replacing carpet.  But not just any carpet,  carpet with dog and cat poop just mashed in. Ahh man,  it was disgusting and smelt terrible but feels so good!! I love doing service its a great feeling!

I love you guys and hope you all have a great week going back to school and everything! Time is going by way too fast!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

Elder Oliver

December 28, 2015

Dear Mom and family!!

This week was crazy but amazing all at the same time! I loved talking to you guys, I just feel like I might have talked a little too much!! hahahaha  I do that a lot!  I did get all the packages and everything was perfect! Thank you so much! You guys take way too good of care of me! 

Your week  sounds great and crazy!! hahahah I wish I could have talked to you guys for the whole day as well. That’s probably the hardest button to push... the end call button hahaha but only one more ;) I’m glad everything went well! 

So this week--I already told you about the Temple but I will  send a pic.  That was the best thing ever! Then for Christmas Eve we went to a family in our ward (the group leader's) home and had the coolest Hispanic family over as well and it was incredible! I seriously love their kids so much! They have 3! One 10 year old who's my best friend haha! One 8 and a 3 month old baby and they all just play with me and it's so hard to to restrain myself! haha But they are awesome and they were all dressed up so that made it a little more homey! haha Christmas day was crazy but great. First off the cologne smells sooo good I don’t want to use it maybe I’ll save it for home! hahahaha we'll see!

But so early in the morning,  we woke up for air alert (the work out program) then we had to drive to Coulee Dam, which is about an hour away. We had a great Christmas breakfast and watched, “The best two years”.  I don’t know if it is just because I’m a missionary, but that show is sooo funny and just perfect! hahaha  We drove home, went to talk to you guys then had dinner! It was an awesome day! Thanks to you guys, it was  the best thing ever!

Yesterday was a super sweet day! It just went really well and later we had a lesson with this lady named R who is super awesome! I love her so much and she is progressing pretty well.  She  has some of the best desires that I’ve seen, so we are really excited for her! I will have to keep you posted!

I love you guys so much and want you to know how much I love Christmas time! It really is the best time of the year! I’m so glad to hear that yours went well! I hope you guys know how much I love you!

Love Elder Oliver

December 21, 2015

Dear Mom and family!

Thank you so much-- you guys are all incredible! I love that music video as well! It’s so good! I love this Christmas time! Thanks for all your letters they mean so much to me and I always love them!  But your week sounds crazy, I’m sorry to hear you're not feelin to good. That’s no fun! You’ll be in my prayers, especially around Christmas! You’ve got to sing the 12 days all in one breath and you can’t do that with a sore throat! hahaha I love you guys—I’ll sing it and teach it to our apartment! hahahaha

So first-- thank you so much for everything! You guys are too nice to me! The Thanksgiving package was incredible and made me cry just when I thought I got out of that! hahahaha  The 12 days have been awesome, Thank you so much (those thermals have saved my life!) it has snowed close to a foot now! I love it!!!! It just keeps coming! We are going to have a white Christmas!!!!!

To answer some questions,  I’ll probably call Christmas Eve  between 4and 5 to figure everything out... with the Skype or face time.  It’s going to be crazy because Christmas morning we have to go up to Coulee Dam from 10 - 1 and it takes an hour to get back and the family has a missionary out as well.  So we are trying to be courteous to them-- but we will know for sure by Christmas Eve! I’ll try my hardest to do it as early as possible!

So as for this week it has been crazy! I’m a professional snow driver now! hahahaha It’s been super icy and snowy all week and its actually snowing right now! I love it so much! There has been like a foot so far! It’s incredible and so pretty! So we've seen some super incredible miracles this week! One of my favorites is the M family  (from Moses lake) He baptized his son and daughter this weekend and we got to see it!! It was amazing! They told me that Sister M’s dad had passed away on Monday and it was the strongest spirit I’ve felt in a long time. I just started crying! I felt His love for me. It was amazing! I felt like He was super grateful for the things that have happened with that family! And honestly, none of it was even me!! God just blessed me to be a part! It was amazing! Oh another sweet thing that happened this week was,  the Spanish group went caroling and there are some pretty crazy boys but we went to a nursing home and all these crazy boys started to cry.  The Spirit was so strong and they are just the best!! They were saying "when they cry it makes me cry" and it just reminded me of me! hahahaha I remember just always cryin’ -- I still do cry all the time, who am I kiddin’ hahahaha! This week has just been incredible! I’ve truly seen God's hand in everything! He’s blessed us so much and comforted us so much! This is truly the best season to be a missionary and it's sad to think that’s it’s going to be my last time. Time is flying by way too fast! I love you guys so much! You mean the world to me and I can’t wait to see you guys on Christmas! I hope you have the best week ever! Can’t wait!

Love Elder Oliver 

December 14, 2015

Dear Mom and familia! 

So first to answer some quick questions! So don’t hate me but President Lewis is doing things a little different for skype and we only get 45 minutes.  I know it's super short but that’s what the white hand book says.  We will be going over to a family called the E’s who are the coolest people ever and you'll hear a little more about them later but we will still get the 5 minute call on Christmas Eve to get last minute things figured out. I  guess we are going to Skype around 3ish if that works! So the truck is incredible and so much fun--maybe a little too fun!  hahaha We call it the silver pony haha!! Also, I’m sending out Christmas cards tomorrow!  I am writing them today so I wont be sending any pictures  because that would give a sneak peak!! hahahahaha 

So as for the area and companions-- Elder G goes home on Thursday and it’s crazy, he is getting married on the 6^th! haha  But there is a reason behind it, her dad is getting deployed so they are doing it super quick!  He's talking and stressing a little about that which is reasonable! hahaha   Elder W and I are best friends so it's going to be a great Christmas! I’m really excited and the missionaries we live with are incredible as well! It’s a party! The weather is so much fun! The wind just goes right through you though... holy cow it's cold sometimes!! hahaha But I love it because it is  an adventure everyday! Like today is sunny and beautiful! 

So this week was crazy! We have some super funny things planned. Like we set up with the E’s (who are farmers and raise pigs) a pig wrestling match hahahahaha!! They are going to have Elder W and I in a ring with a pig. So of course,  we are buying American flag do-rags from Wal-Mart! hahahaha   But there has been some really cool miracles this past week! One is just the people God has placed in my life! He has put some amazing people in my life (like you guys) and I’m so blessed! We found an amazing new investigator named Y who is super golden and asked all the super cliché questions so we were stoked and because there are 3 of us,  we can just walk right in, no need for another man! hahahaha  Also the family that dropped us earlier, the V’s, we visited them and shared “A Savior is Born” and the spirit was so strong that they said we can come back and teach them! So we're stoked! The video is incredible, I would encourage everyone to share it! One really cool miracle that we saw this week was, we were knocking and it was about time to go in and we literally said the cliché,  “one more door” and no joke this super nice Hispanic lady let us in and loved the message!  It was super sad because she was leaving to Mexico for awhile but told us as soon as she gets back she wants us over! That was such a blessing from God, He’s so incredible! He blesses us way too much! Just like you said,  He even answers all our small prayers, it’s incredible that  He knows us so well! 

One last cool thing, we had a dinner with a lady from Germany and she cooked us an all out German dinner-- it was incredible! The members up here are just amazing! I love them so much!

I’m sorry this one is a little shorter, I need to type quicker!! hahaha  I love you guys so much and hope you have an amazing week and don’t die due to craziness of the week before Christmas! hahaha 

Love you guys and  thanks for being so incredible and such an example to me! 

Love Elder Oliver