Thursday, September 25, 2014

September 18, 2014

Clay with his district at the Mexico City Temple

Ola--Familia--
Things here are so good. Everyday is like a rollercoaster and I am growing in my testimony so much!   Oh by the way—driving here is NUTS!!  Just crazy!!  No lanes, cars coming everywhere, like 10x worse than New York!!  But anyways, I get to my house which is in the very back corner of this compound. Hahaha!  That’s just the best way to describe it!  It’s 90 acres total and there’s this huge wall all the way around with guards all the way around! Haha!  They have like huge guns too!   Soooo the food.... not the best haha!!but it’s alright.  I  at least try everything haha!!  So in the morning we wake up and get ready (yes I’m the only one with hair spray lolololol) Then we have personal study which is always the best because I get to read the Book of Mormon  for like 45 minutes  and it helps my day so much! Then we go to breakfast--which I get cereal haha!! Afterwards we have language classes and like a religion class. They’re always really good just sometimes I let Satan into my head a little too much and I start to worry a lot about the language and if I will ever be able to speak it but then without a doubt I will feel this overwhelming peace that everything is going to be ok if I keep working hard. Then we go to gym where every one looooooves volleyball haha!! It’s all right I just wish we could play some cage soccer or something because all the guys in my zone that I’m buddies with are always like-- you should come play. But-- my comp never wants to-- so we play volleyball hahaha!  I make everyone go to the weight room at least once a week haha! Ok so then there’s lunch followed by more language and religion classes. During the religion classes we have this thing called progressing investigator.  It’s like the best and worst part of the day.  I wrote you guys a letter a lot about that.  Idk if you guys got it though. I do not like Mexican postal service hahaha!  Then we have dinner.  After dinner we normally just study till like 9:30 hahaha its crazy but so good at the same time! My district is so good!  We do 25 min of studying and then 5 min of like talking and such. That goes on for like 3 hours every night!  Some crazy things that happened this week-- umm one guy in my district got  super sick.  We gave him a blessing and he didn’t get any better. The doctor said he was going to have to go to the hospital if he didn’t get any better.  Then  we did a district fast and it was crazy.  So we started before we went to bed and literally that next morning he was better!! Crazy stuff like that happens and it’s so cool and so spiritual every single time!! Then a Hermana got really sick and asked my best friend (Elder Jeppeson the tall blonde one) and I to give her a blessing. He’s such a good guy!  We gave her one last night but that story is to be continued! hahah Also ok-- so on p-day we do nothing.  My comp just wants to chill and write his girlfriend!!  The kid that came over for the thing with Pres. Greer he is sooo cool!  He can play the piano really well.   So today I went and just listened to him play and it was so good! It did remind me of you though and I miss hearing you play!   Buuuut it sounds like you had a crazy week!! haha I wish I could’ve gone with you to Utah and DJ’ed hahaha and seen Chels.  But no-- Cassie doesn’t forward me her letters.  I’ll tell her too! We kinda just write each other haha!   Yes-- I will agree it feels like I’ve been away forever hahaha and its only been like three or four weeks?   IDK  it’s weird here-- I lose track of days hahaha!!  But honestly Mom, it’s amazing here! I love you guys sooo much! 
Love, Elder Claybird Oliver
ps-- we had like this huge celebration on Monday for Mexico Independence Day. I took some videos and stuff on my card

Saturday, September 20, 2014

September 11, 2014


Clay with Elder Mask & Elder Clouse--they all left on the same day from Arizona!
Oh la familia,

Ok sooo district leader isn’t really too hard, I just kinda watch over and lead like 12 missionaries. We have 4 Hermanas’ (which two of them I’ve already given blessings haha) and then 8 elders who are all soooo cool! We all get along really well and we’ve all become really close! I’m probably the closest with the guy named Elder Jeppeson who is so cool and funny haha!! But he’s not going to Kennewick so its really sad!   Anyways, not that this is a bad thing-- but it already feels like I’ve been out a month haha! Like it feels like it was at least two weeks since I wrote you guys.   So speed round--being a district leader is actually way fun and I love all the guys in my zone! They’re all so cool and I don’t know if you remember McKay from like elementary school but he’s up here haha! My comp is ok I’m finding little things to love about him haha! Oh and ps you guys were all right my roommates all chew sooooo loud haha! but its ok because the other two are so cool! Sorry I’m like all over the place. But we also got two more fake investigators which are way cool to practice with.   Ok I heard about the rain haha! That’s nuts!!! Of course when I’m not there haha!  This week has been all up and down... every time I’m down I can feel the Lord lift me up. Its crazy how strong my testimony has gotten.  I love the church so much guys! There is literally nothing that will bring you more peace and happiness in your life than this church. But I love you guys so much and mom don’t worry I love the long letters!! 

Love, Elder Oliver

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

(Clay checking into the Mexico MTC)
Mom,
Yeah I’m sooooo sorry about that mom!! I totally forgot to put next week and once I got the package, which was great, but I felt so bad. Ok speed round-- the food isn’t really too good so I just eat a lot of fruit and I’ve lost like 7 pounds haha!  But it is so amazing here Mom, the spirit is so strong!! Don’t get me wrong it’s really hard and this week has been the longest week of my life haha! but it’s been good. I got made the district leader the day we got here which was kinda nuts but it’s helped me so much. The language is very hard... but I am picking up a lot and have been putting all my faith in Christ and I can honestly feel him holding my hand and helping me. It’s so cool I love the gospel and I can’t wait to share it with everyone!! Also-- so we had like this fake investigator that ends up being our teacher tomorrow but we had to give her a few lessons. The first two were kinda rough but the third was amazing!! I have never felt the spirit so strong and I didn’t even know what I was saying but it was Spanish haha! I bore my testimony and was just crying soooo hard hahaha! I’ve found out I’m a huge cry baby haha!  She was crying too so it was way good! Then the fourth lesson we committed her to baptism!!! Even though it was fake it was so cool! I cannot wait to actually change someone’s life for eternity!  I’ve made some really good friends in here and so that’s fun. The weather here is literally perfect! Like 70 with clouds and some light sprinkles haha! Except for yesterday-- It rained so hard and for so long that all the streets were filled. But ok-- so we are like in a walled area and just outside is the city, which is nuts. All night you here gun shots then sirens-- gun shots then more sirens hahha! It’s so crazy but so cool! Everyday my testimony grows and I realize there is absolutely no better place for me to be... besides watching TV late at night  with you lololo just kidding! I love you guys so much!  You are the best family ever!  Oh and everyone has pictures of their girls on their desk-- I have a picture of me and you haha! 
Love, Elder Oliver