December 8, 2014

IT'S BAPTISM WEEK! hahaha 

Dear Mom and family,

That’s so weird about the letters. I remember being home when we wouldn’t get emails so I am so sorry that’s never fun! I’m glad it finally got there though!!  Sounds like you guys had an amazing week!! Disneyland is always the best! And yes we definitely are vampires! ohhh I loved the pics haha!!  Although it wasn’t Disneyland-- this week was amazing!! Probably one of my favorites so far! So the beginning was pretty good, Chris's daughter wants to get baptized by Chris so that was awesome to hear and I really think Chris loved it! haha So we visited that guy named Bryce again who’s really intimidating but has such a big heart haha!! It’s so awesome to see!  We get there on Thursday with a sixteen year old kid from the ward who’s super shy and was super scared at the beginning but it actually got really good!  We talked and shared a little of the doctrine of Christ but at the end, out of no where,  he said,  “I want to be baptized.”  So no joke all of a sudden, January 27th came to my mind haha! I think it’s like a Tuesday-- it was weird.   I started getting all nervous because I wasn’t saying it, but then it just came out and I could  relax again!  We set up some stuff so he can work towards that day and he said he already quit smoking and is going to quit alcohol this week so we were stoked! But really the best part was, he started telling the guy that was with us-- that every time he was feeling his lowest we showed up.  He  starts crying and says how that’s how he knows God loves him. It was amazing. The spirit was so strong and the best part is really none of it was us! We were just guided to his house multiple times after  random assorted events!! haha  Honestly,  it’s the coolest thing ever to watch. Ok so not to interrupt,  but I just thought of a super funny thing that happened! haha Really painful but so funny.  So I was making Ramen... and we have a bunch of spices so I was just trying to make the Ramen the best it can be!  Elder Hooper had some left over jalapenos so I thought why not? Wrong. haha!! I put it in the microwave and was kinda watching it  to make sure it doesn’t boil over and my eyes start to get warm and I was just thinking wow that’s kinda weird its literally burning my eyebrows off soooo I rubbed my eye. Probably the dumbest thing I’ve done my whole mission haha!!  Some jalapeno juice was still on my hand so instant fire to my eyes hahaha! Just the worst pain ever hahahaha! I was dying, and Elder Hooper was on the ground laughing and literally I was laughing so hard. It was the funniest thing ever. I’ll send some pics of my eyes-- they were awful! haha  Ok-- so back to the update, Kathy passed her interview so it’s all set for this Saturday!! My first one!!  Ahhh it’s so awesome! Also,  Chris is stopping all tobacco today and asked for a blessing. Honestly it was the coolest thing ever! He asked me to give the blessing and after we were done,  the spirit was sooo strong. He just sat there in silence for a long time and then was like "wow, that’s so cool. I feel like a weight was just lifted from my shoulders." So me being me-- I started tearing up haha! It was so cool to see the Lord instantly bless him because of his faith. Jaye came to church again and the testimony meeting was so good! I think she really liked it. I heard her talking to Gary afterwards and just said she loved it! So she is still doing great! But honestly it’s the best thing ever! The work here in Walla Walla is awesome! It just keeps picking up!! I love it!!

Guys I love it out here,  especially in this area!   I think I’d be good staying here my whole mission haha!! But now that I’m saying this,  I’ll probably leave after this transfer haha!  And-- yes, I think it might be balding haha!! I guess you’ll see in 17 days!   The food here is so good except Thai food haha!  We had it and I put on a good face but deep down I was not liking it!!haha 

I love and miss you guys so much! Hopefully I can get the Christmas stuff out today!!! 

Love,

Elder Oliver 

December 1, 2014

First off-- dear Carlee, Happppppy Bbbbbbbb Dayyyyyyy!! I hope you got my letter and present from Mexico! 

Dear Fam and Mom,

Sooo first off I have some bad news, and then even worse news.  I have gained like ten pounds haha I weigh like 187 now and even worse there is a very slight possibility I might be balding! haha!  Idk for sure but I’ll keep you posted! haha  Sounds like you guys had an awesome trip and a few kinda crazy things happen!  How fun would it be if none of those things happened! haha 

As for this week--really it was just another amazing week like always! haha  So ok updates-- Kathy is the best!!! She is doing so good and it shocks me sometimes!  haha She bought flash cards for the Articles of Faith so she can memorize them.   I don’t even think I still have them  all memorized!! haha But it’s awesome and she asked me to baptize her not this Saturday but the next. I was of course in tears when she asked me. Because really-- not to get too preachy,  but we are just representatives of Christ so really its Christ baptizing her. It’s just so awesome to see it get so close and we can start planning everything! Chris (Darla’s boyfriend) is doing super good! He’s come around and stopped drinking and said he’s going to quit smoking and using tobacco by the 8th so we are super excited!!  When we were teaching him, just randomly he stopped, and was like, “ I’m going to quit by the 8^th”  so we are so stoked!!  His daughters actually have really gotten into it and came to church this Sunday so things are looking really good for them! Also we have been teaching this less active man named Gary.  He lives in a really small house with his wife Jaye who the first few times wasn’t interested at all.  But she has done a full 180, has a baptism date, and came to church!!! Sooo awesome! She said she would’ve never imagined  herself there in a million years. It’s so amazing to see how the Lord really is softening the hearts of everyone. We also have continued to see Joey who showed up to church this Sunday RIGHT in the middle of the sacrament! Haha  It was awesome to see him but since he didn’t know,  he just walked right in and started talking sooo loud to me haha!  He said he really liked it and  wants to come back so again we are so stoked for him! As for Thanksgiving-- we were idiots! haha We set up a lunch and a dinner so we literally couldn’t move going to our visits!! haha  Darla and Chris laughed because we like waddled into their house haha! But it was a great day and it was awesome to be out on a mission really during that day.  We were able to really focus on what we are really thankful for and kinda start this Christmas season off right! There is this video out now called,  “He is the Gift.” Super good!   As for the weather here-- it’s like ice now haha!! I think the high this week is 25 and the low like 5 haha!  It’s a good time though I love it!   You guys really are the best family ever and I do miss the holidays and traditions but hey now-- only one more Thanksgiving haha! You guys are the best and I really hope everything goes great this week!  As for me and my comp-- he’s really a great guy and honestly one of the best missionaries I have ever seen. We have a lot of time to drive so we talk a lot and just his attitude on everything is amazing! Honestly he helps me so much just figure stuff out. We work really well together and both have all the same goals so it works out great!  Love you guys and miss you so much! Have an awesome time at Disneyland!

Love Elder Oliver

October 20, 2014

Hola familia!!!

Ok so first about you guys! Mom that’s so awesome! One of the things I miss most is going to the Temple and feeling the amazing spirit that is there! I guess we get to go every other transfer so I’m super stoked!!   So first-- about my comp. He’s amazing haha!  He’s just like Chantz!! It’s kinda weird sometimes, but we get a long really well and we both have the same goals so it’s really nice! We have a lot of similarities, its kinda weird-- his name is Clayton haha and his  mom’s name is Lanae. Well that’s her middle name, but she goes by it. He went to Mountain View so we know a lot of the same people but really, it’s awesome! The area is awesome!! The  English ward is super nice and loves to feed us but I think we’ve had lasagna or however you spell it hahaha like 7 times already haha!!  It’s good because everyone is so nice! We also serve in a Spanish group.  It’s not big enough to be a branch so we have a ton of work to do! ;) haha!! I’m super excited! Spanish people are so much nicer by the way haha!!  We spend a lot of time knocking and talking which means a lot of doors in my face haha! but you know it's really just made me so much stronger! I have thought a lot and sometimes people don’t know or think they need this gospel... but they do!  Whether they except it or not,  it’s my job to let them have the opportunity to learn because this gospel really is what brings true happiness. We ran into this girl last night and she gave us  all these excuses of why she can’t go to church but what it really comes down to is-- this gospel can help everyone with everything! Whether it’s being nervous or having a dirty house or having  kids that are crazy-- it’s hard to know that this gospel will help her with every last one of her problems, and tell her that --but have her not except it.   I guess everyone has their agency. I don’t know, this gospel and teaching people about it has made me so happy in my life!! haha I love it!   I feel like I always say this,  but really when I lay down and think of why I’m so happy it’s because of this church. The area is still a little difficult because we are trying to meet people but we did meet this awesome part member family who are like these cowboys and they have this little daughter who is super cute just this little cowgirl. Well  they hadn’t been to church in awhile so we went to visit them and helped move some hay (you’d be surprised what you can do in church clothes hahaha!!) Then they came to church this Sunday!!  The daughter had baked us some cookies and drew some pictures for us--she’s the best! haha The people here have already been amazing!  On Saturday,  we had this day of service and went to a cemetery and probably planted like 15 trees haha!! It was actually super fun! It was just my comp and I  and the bishop, his wife and daughter! Oh yeah--these ladies helped us out and they were awesome and super funny! It’s just a little town so we always run into some awesome people!  The best news of this week is-- we have an investigator on date for baptism!!!!  It was so awesome!  The last missionaries dropped him but on Wednesday, we  thought we would  go over and just talk.  We had this awesome super spiritual lesson and at the end, asked him if he would like to be baptized and he said YES!!!  It was the best! His name is Bob.  It was by far the best feeling ever. Now I just hope he keeps going strong and progressing!  This week has been awesome and I love you guys so much!  Oh also,  I didn’t know, this but I guess in our mission we can only where plain shirts--which kinda stinks but it’s fine, I just flip them all inside out hahaha!!  I love you guys and miss you so much! These are like the best months to be an Oliver haha!! You guys have Halloween, Disneyland, Thanksgiving and then Christmas haha!! The best! 

Love Elder Oliver

October 13, 2014

(Clay with Elder Nelson who is from our ward!!)

Heyyyyy familia!!

Sooo it’s amazing here!! Well ok, first things first--It sounds like you guys had an awesome week! I miss that gorilla haha!! Ok, so I’m sorry I kinda had to go really quick at the airport--they like called my name over the whole intercom!! haha It was funny and I’m really blessed they didn’t leave without me! haha  So we got here and President is amazing! Just the nicest guy in the whole world! I got to spend my first night with Nathan and it was amazing! They had a huge feast for us when we got there that was sooooo good! I hadn’t had any real food in 6 weeks haha!!  So then the next day we got separated into our areas and I’m in the Walla Walla college place area!! It’s awesome! But it’s kinda weird because I’ve been zebra’d! haha I’m in a half Spanish half English zone so it kinda gets weird with boundaries and stuff.   My comp is awesome!! We both want the same thing and he’s super chill and really easy to get along with! We have a lot in common and I guess he’s been through like everything I have, just 7 months earlier haha! He’s awesome and his name is Clayton haha!  It was so funny when we found out but we are both new to the area so this first week was a little difficult because we are trying to find people and basically starting from scratch.   It’s so fun and kinda cool that we get to do it!  This week was General Conference so we still didn’t really get to meet everyone! hahaha   A quick story about this week--so our first day here we meet with the ward mission leader of our English ward who is an awesome guy and I think he really likes us. He asked us to go with him and give this super old lady who was investigating the church a blessing. It was so cool and the Spirit was honestly so strong in that room!  So then her son, who has been watching her was there and we were just like if there’s ever a time you want to talk, we are always here and he was totally down for it! haha I was sooo excited because he really needed this in his life! So we go over two days later and I was so excited and we caught him outside!!! It was actually really sad because I guess his mom died that morning.  So he lets us in and said he wants to show us a video.  There was something super weird about the house and I kinda just felt sick to my stomach.  So he showed us the cover and it was an anti-mormon movie which was so sad. He kinda bashed on us for a little and then we helped him move some stuff and left.  It kinda taught me two things. The first is, Satan is really working hard on everyone!! He knows how important this gospel can be for people and doesn’t want them to have it. So he beat us to it on this one. Which was way sad! But I also learned about the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Its kinda crazy but sometimes we take stuff for granted until we don’t have it anymore. It was weird but the feeling I had in that house and knowing the Spirit wasn’t there, was a huge testimony builder because I know that I have it! I know the comfort it brings and the amazing blessing it is that we can have it everyday, every hour of our lives. Idk,  just one little story!  Also-- so we are in a college town and the college is a Seventh Day Adventist college which means almost every white person who isn’t Mormon here is that! Haha  It’s crazy! Some of them are super nice annnddd some not so much!! hahaha but I love it so much here and I know the Lord has a purpose for me here!  But yes, I think I got everything and thanks sooo much!  I love you guys and miss you guys so much! 

Love Elder Oliver 

October 2, 2014

Dear Mom y Familia, 

Ok soooo just some things I might need-- First off,  thanks for always thinking about me and my needs haha!! I did take some money out of my account because we got to go to the Temple again today!!! We are so lucky we like have the best timing ever haha!!  Also,  I did spend some money and get stuff for everyone for their birthdays that I think I’m going to send home together and then you can give it to them for their birthday haha!  It is just a lot cheaper here and there was some way cool stuff haha!  But I feel really bad talking about money and stuff.  But ok-- last thing sooo I won’t know when I can really call until Monday which I think I get to send a quick email about so hopefully you get it and it all works out!!   Ok-- sounds like you guys had quite the week haha not gonna lie I’m kinda sad you sold the car but it’s ok I guess.  I guess our memories just aren’t important... haha! Jkjk!! That’s way cool you should send a picture when you get it back! Oh and  thanks-- I'll try to keep writing and baring my testimony because I love it!!! You just don’t get better than this church!   Elder Jeppesen and me are like best friends!! He’s the best but no, he’s not going to Kennewick and he leaves the day after me which is the biggest bummer!!  We try not to talk about it!   I know this week is General Conference and I couldn’t be more excited!!  I think it’ll be the first one I actually stay awake the whole time haha!!  Seriously though,  I’m so excited!!  It is sometimes surprising the feelings and promptings I get when I listen to the apostles or someone speak.  Sometimes they are super random but I know they are from God and I love them so much.  This week has kinda been crazy.  Being zone leader is so fun and I love serving the Lord.   I do miss you guys sooo much!  I cannot wait to talk to you guys!!!! It’s been a long but short and best 6 weeks of my life if that makes sense haha!!  It just amazes me when I think of where I was, at say like 10 months ago.  I just want you guys all to know that this is the true church. Christ is our Savior and knows each and every one of us perfectly. I love this church and I know it is the only thing that can bring us true happiness. I love you guys so much. 

Love Elder Oliver

ps 5 more days until I get to talk to you!!!

pps pictures are on their way!!