March 30, 2015

Dear Mom and family! 

Ok... I know last week was a hard week, some things happened and I didn’t have too much time... I’m sorry! I’ll be better-- I promise! 

So first about the companion! He is seriously awesome! He got here on Wednesday and he seriously is an amazing missionary! He loves to work and is super funny and really nice! He is learning English but is already really good.   We are going to try to speak solo Spanish so I might have a accent after this transfer! hahaha He is seriously such a blessing to me  I love him!  Being district leader has been kinda crazy but I’ll talk more about that later! So that is really sad to hear that Dad is released!! haha It’s crazy-- I was just 13 and now I’m on a mission haha!! Time just flies haha!!   Everyone out here says that being a District Leader is like being a Bishop.  I already have so much love for all the people in my district I can only imagine dad and five years! That’s so awesome and I look and think about his example every day! 

So it's  kinda weird but our Easter isn’t until the week after General Conference here haha!!   You guys should watch the new Mormon message called “Because He Lives!”  It’s awesome!  This time of year really is special and I want all of you to know how grateful that I am that my Savior lives! It means we can all be together forever, which is the best thing in the world! You really are an amazing family and I do love you so much! 

So as for this week,  it’s been kinda crazy! So my companion went home on Monday and I was with the Zone Leaders for two days until I got my next companion.   We had some crazy stuff happen! First it's super sad but the G’s aren’t anywhere close... I guess they were just saying the stuff that they knew Elder Ribeiro wanted to hear.   When we went over there without him booooom so much stuff came up!  Super sad but its ok-- it’ll still come just not super soon! Later that night though we were driving home and I saw a little 2 year old girl just walking down a sketchy road at 9:10 at night! haha So we pull over and as we are calling the cops this guy comes up and calls her by her name-- not even running or anything.   He just says  “Thanks”  takes her and walks away!! Like your baby almost died and he does nothing! haha It was crazy! But I forgot-- while we were at the Garcia’s I was able to bear my testimony about the Book of Mormon and it was one of the coolest things ever. Seriously,  I don’t know why but the Spirit was so strong and I just know it’s true and it really is the physical evidence that our church is true. So then once Elder Cataldo got here,  we have just been working--really trying to find new people to teach and just getting to work! We ran into a guy that started talking about all this crazy stuff and its kinda cool but sketchy at the same time... but literally before people even start talking about sketchy stuff we can feel the Spirit leave and then it is just trying to get out of there and make them stop talking. hahaha It’s like a game sometimes!! haha!   Umm-- I gave my first baptism interview this week before I even got trained on it--so it was just totally by the Spirit! hahah I loved it! The guy was awesome! Really cool experience! I love this work so much!! There is nothing better! 

I love you guys so much! Hope you have an awesome week!! 

Love Elder Oliver