OH.........Changes.....

Hey Everybody!

Elder Oliver once again reporting from Mexico....but from a different area. I had my first transfer here in Mexico and I am still in the state of Mexico but in a different area that is called Valle Dorado. I only have a few hours here but....Wow..it is really nice! I didn´t realize in my last area that it was not that pretty....haha. But here it is really nice. Lots of traffic but lots of trees and the areas are really nice (as in money). haha. The houses are big and fancy looking which is a big difference from the gray buildings that I was at in my old area. haha. But the new companion is Elder Nillson. He is my brother in the mission (Which means that he had the same trainer as me which is Maldonado.) But he is cool really quiet and shy but cool. I am excited to work with him.

So what happened this last week we had another baptism of Bro. Genaro. I will send pictures next week. But it was something really special. We were changing into our white clothing in the bathroom of the church and he just started to tell me how excited and nervous he was. I told him that he had nothing to worry about. That really his Father in heaven was so proud of the decision he made. And he said I know I can feel his love so strong. Then after we were changing back into our clothing. Then he told me that he wished more than anything that his family could make this great promise with heavenly Father. He said I feel great but I know it could be better that his girls and his wife could take this step. We have been teaching them for awhile. And they are progressing to their Baptism but they still have doubts. I know that one day this wish of Bro. Genero is going to come true. I told Elder Cruz to write me when or if they get baptized. So I will let you know what happens with them. But keep them in your prayers.

Transfers is something really strange...It felt like my home in my old area. I had been there 5 months. I knew that transfers would happen eventually but the time is passing so fast....it is crazy. Sunday we went to church and did all the usual things. Then after the services we went and visited all the friends I had made and all of my converts. It is something that was so special and so difficult. I really never thought that is would be so hard to leave an area. But I really do love these people. My converts are people that are really special in my life and they always will be. As I was laying in my bed at night. I remember thinking...how great is the mission? These are people here in Mexico and they are such great friends of mine. That I have such a special relationship because I was able to watch them change their lives and grow in the Gospel. It has been something so amazing. I am so grateful for the decision I made to come on the mission. For the opportunity I had to serve in Pensamiento. And meet all these great people. Although it was so sad to leave these people I was so excited to come to this new area so that I can meet more people like them. I will always be in contact with these people. They will always be my friends. So being transferred wasn´t to bad just another opportunity to meet and help and serve more people. But more importantly serve the Lord.

Thank you so much for all of your love and your support. I love you all so much and I hope that everything is going well. I feel your prayers and your love everyday. Thank you so much!!!!! I hope that you have a great week! Until next monday!

Con Amor Elder Oliver

Holy Fireworks???

Hey Everybody!

Elder Oliver Once again. How is everybody doing?? I hope wonderful as usual. I am not going to lie I was very very delighted to hear of the Utah Victory over BYU! It sounds like it was a crazy game!!! I definitely wish I could have seen but I am sure that will watch highlights when I return. It is always a good game between BYU Utah that is why they are so fun you never who is going to win. I was surprised and happy to hear that Wynn quit the team. He has never really been my favorite. And now we see how classy he really his. But anyway not important. haha. I am glad that it was a good game! 

This was an interesting week. And when I say interesting I mean difficult. haha. This past weekend was the independence weekend of Mexico. So it was crazy all weekend. I almost got nailed with a firework haha. But besides that nothing happened. Last night and the night before we could not sleep because there were so many fireworks. And they were lighting fireworks all night!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahaha. But that is ok. I was fine with that. The part that was hard is that all of our investigators were out of town visiting families. It was a bummer because we were excited to see them and we had prepared some pretty powerful lessons for them. But I am glad as well that they were able to go spend time with family and enjoy themselves. We are working really hard to find new people to teach and it is something that we are struggling with. The one thing that I am learning here in the mission is that I am far from perfect. I am learning something new everyday about how can improve as a missionary and as a person. That is one of the reasons that the gospel is so amazing. We can always improve. We always become more like our savior. I am glad that in this life we are not going to finish the journey. Because I know how weak I am and how much I can improve and it motivates me to change the things I need to change. To strive harder today than I did yesterday. It is easy here in the mission because we are always praying and fasting and talking about the savior. But It is something that we all need to do wherever we are. Because that is when we grow. And if we fall (which we all fall in something at sometime) What a great opportunity it is to grow. I know that we could have done more this past week to help our investigators. Elder Cruz and I both felt that we should have done more. We both felt really bad. But then we began to talk about what we did wrong and what we are going to do to fix it. And we got so excited for this week to improve the things that we lacked so that our investigators can progress. It was something so special and I learned a great lesson. We are going to do things in our lives that make us feel bad, or guilty, It is in these moments that the atonement carries us. To improve and remember so that we don't fall in the same mistake. We become perfect in this area in our lives. We are slowly perfecting ourselves one aspect at a time. It is so awesome the power of the atonement I am grateful for lessons I learned this past week. 

I love you all so much and I hope that you are having a wonderful day! And week! I want to give a shout out to Miranda! happy Birthday Friday! I hope it is wonderful!!!! Once again thank you for all of your support I hope that you have a great week!!!!!!! I love you all so much!!! 

Con Amor Elder Oliver

Fighting Hard

Hey everybody!!!

How are all of you doing? Well I hope good. Because if I am going to be honest...I would be really sad if any of you were not doing well. I am very sad for the news that Utah to Utah State this past week. It was something that will keep me up at night...No...not true I am glad that Gary Anderson is having success but I am sad that we lost. 

I am glad to report that we had another good week! With another baptism! It was an interesting week because we have both been struggling with sickness. Nothing serious just the runny nose and fatigue. But when we are walking all day in the sun it was something that was difficult. But we fought really hard this week. And we were able to have more blessings and miracles. We found a new investigator who was the most prepared by the Lord that I have seen. We taught her the first lesson and she accepted everything and told us that she would be baptized. It was something really special. It was another testimony builder for me that The Lord really is preparing people. And it is up to the missionaries to work hard and do everything they can to find them. 

We also had another miracle Sunday! We were in sacrament meeting when one of our investigators came in late to hear the talks. One of the Brothers of the ward gave an excellent talk about is conversion and how much the gospel has blessed his life and the lives of his family. After sacrament meeting he told us that he is ready to baptized and wants to be baptized this week. He also has 3 daughters and his wife who were not able to go to church because his wife fell and hurt her back. But we are hoping that we can help them receive an answer as well. So that they can enjoy the blessings and happiness of the gospel as a family and some enter the temple and be sealed for time and eternity. 

We have been working really well together my companion and me. We have been finding ways to find new people. Elder Cruz is someone that I am learning a lot from. I am also learning a lot from my Father in Heaven. The scriptures and prayer have been my fuel to find answers to help people accept the gospel. If there is one thing that I have learned here in the mission it is that I really am nothing. This whole work is run and operated by God. I just need to make sure that I am worthy to be the tool in his hands so that I can do what he would have me do. 

I am so grateful for what I am learning here in the mission. I am so grateful for the support That I receive form home. I love you all so much and I will keep praying for all of you. 

Con Amor Elder Oliver

Oh...the possibilities...

Hey Everybody!!!

How is it going??? I hope well! I am glad that first that the Utes won!!!! In fine fashion and Congrats to the BYU people also. I don't know who they played or what happened but I heard they won. haha.

So we had a really good week. We had a lot of lessons and were able to talk to a lot of people. Right now we have so many possibilities here in ward. We have a lot of people that we are teaching. But the ones that really stand our and it seems like are really interested. We have two families of 5. They are both really good families. They both have told us that they want to be apart of the church they feel that is something really special. The only thing is that they will not commit themselves. We are working very hard with these families because it really does look like that they are going to be really good members. They are really special. We have so many possibilities to help many people accept the gospel in their lives.The is trying to relate the gospel to what is going on in their lives. We are really praying hard to find the answer. But I know that they will be baptized it is just a matter of time.

We also had a baptism! Her name is Gloria and she is a girl of ten years. She is really awesome and is always excited and super happy and her baptism was something that was really special. Her mom who was inactive broke down crying because she was so happy. It was something really so special and something that I will never forget! I am excited to help these people receive these same blessings that Gloria and her mom were able to receive. I need to work as hard as I can to be worthy to help these people but I am going to give my all! 

Sorry this is short!! I done have a lot of time. But I love all of you so much! Am so grateful for your support and your love and prayers you really don know how much it means to me. IT is something I am so grateful for and I don't know how I got so lucky to have all this support. I hope you all have a good week! I love you all so much and until next week. 

Con Amor Elder Oliver

Ups and Downs, Cakes and Chilis

Hey Everybody!

How is everybody doing?? I hope well! I want to let everyone know that I am doing very well. I am learning a lot and staying healthy and safe! It was another good week here in Mexico! 

We were able to work hard and too see miracles this week! But as always there are ups and there are downs. We have a lot of investigators right now that are on the edge of getting baptized. We have the Dad who smokes and the daughter who both committed to be baptized but they just have not gone to church. They have both overcome their addictions and preparing for baptism. The thing is that they cannot be baptized if they do not attend church. They told us this past week that they were going. They committed and we visited them Saturday night and they said yes they were going. We we arrived at church guess what happened??? We did not find them there. They did not go again! It is something that is frustrating for us because we come to love these people and Heavenly Father has so many blessings for them and they are choosing not accept them. I am learning not to get upset with them but instead looking at what I am doing how I can better help them understand what they are missing out on. We are going to hope they attend this next Sunday. 

We also have a baptism this upcoming Sunday. Her name is Gloria she is the daughter of a less-active member. She is 10 years old and is really excited for her baptism so I will have pictures from that hopefully next week! We also have two families of 5 that we are teaching. I think I have talked about the one family who could not attend because they work Sundays well we had an extremely powerful lesson with them yesterday. And they told us that there is no problem and they are going to attend no matter what that is what they told us. We explained to them that they can find peace in this life. We asked him if he had ever felt peaceful in his life. He told us that only a few times in his for a very short period. We asked him what he would do to have peace all the time and he told us anything. The spirit was so strong that I really could not breathe very well. I felt like I was on fire but I was not sweating or anything I was thinking super clearly and speaking the best Spanish I have ever spoken. It was such an amazing experience I am just so grateful that the Lord allowed me to be apart of it. I am so excited for this family to progress! It was something really special that I wont forget!
So really quickly! It was the birthday of Hermana Alicia yesterday! SO we went over to her house and had cake with her and other members. It was so awesome! And delicious. And this week I also had chilis and ya...It was spicy and I did not like it. I know some of you will know what a Jabañero is...ya that is what I had...I thought I was going to die. haha. But that's ok. I am alive and doing well. I love it here in the mission. I hope that everyone is doing well I am so grateful for all the support I get from you guys. GO UTES!!!!!!!! I heard their first game is this week! And Also congrats to my sister for moving into to her new house in California. Its really weird for me to think about but I know you guys will be great! Love you all so much HAVE A GOOD WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Con Amor Elder Oliver

Teotihuacan again????

Hey Everybody!!!!!!

Elder Oliver once again reporting from Mexico. I am doing very well. Healthy and safe. It has been a really good week. We have been working really hard and we were able to find new people to teach but I will get to that a little later. But guess where I went today??? yup you guessed it Teotihaucan. It was pretty sweet once again. We went much earlier so it was not as hot and I hope that I did not get burned as much as I did last time. haha. But it was fun it was the first time that Elder Cruz had gone. I am definitely lucky that I have been able to go twice in my first area. 

So Like I said we had a good week. We found a less active member in the street and we were able to talk to her and she told us that her daughter who is 10 years old has not been baptized. And we were able to visit them and now she is going to be baptized in September!!!!! So that was super exciting! 

Right now we are teaching another family. They are all older. But they live next door to each other. The son Lives by himself and has 28 years. And the dad and the daughter live together. The dad is old and the daughter is 26. So anyway... ha. We are teaching them all at the same time but separately. Because each one has really serious problems. The dad has been smoking for 40 years and drinks 10-15 cups of coffee everyday. He is super sad because his wife passed away 3 years ago. He wants to change his life and find God because he wants to be with his wife again. The daughter is super Lonely....She does not think that she will ever find the right person and that she is going to be alone her whole life. And the son has serious drug problems. He lost his family because of the drugs and he is super sad as well. This has been quite the challenge for us. We know that the gospel can bless there lives and we have trying to figure out how we can help them apply the atonement in there lives and receive the help from our heavenly Father. I am glad to report that The dad has cut down his smoking to 3 cigarettes. It is not great because he is still smoking but he almost there. He has dropped coffee completely. And is now preparing for his baptism in September. The daughter has also accepted to be baptized in September and seems to be walking with her head a little bit higher. And I know that is because of the Lord. And The son....we are working really hard with him he knows what he needs to do. But he does not think he can do it. So is not really committing himself. We are working so hard with these three people. And they are all so awesome and I am just so grateful for the opportunity I have had to know them I hope that they can keep pushing forward so that they can have the blessings that the Lords has prepared for them. They really are so special. 

I am So glad and grateful for the things that I am learning and experiencing. It is crazy that 7 months have passed by so fast. I really am having a hard to believing it haha. But I really do hope all is well with you! I pray for all of you everyday and I am so grateful for the support and Love I get from you guys it means so much!! Thank you so much Love you all I hope that you all have a great week!

Con Amor Elder Oliver

 

 

WOOOOW my sister is married!!!!!!!!

Hey Everybody

So to start off I want to say congrats to my sister and Norman!!!! It sounds like everything went really well and really smooth. I sounded like it was a beautiful event. I am glad that everything was great! I am not going to lie I missed you all a lot this week and I was thinking about the Family and the wedding And wishing that everything went smoothly. I am glad that it did. I am expecting a very detailed summary of how it went and how everybody felt when I get back. So you all need to remember very well how everything went. haha.

I am doing really well. We are working hard and trying to help the people that we are teaching understand and accept the gospel so that they can have the blessings that it brings into their lives. It was a week up ups and downs. We found old investigators who Elder Maldonado and I talked to when I first got here. We had not seen them in months. And the last time that we talked to him he told us that he did not believe in the Book of Mormon. He felt like it was inspired of Man not of God. And after he told us that we decided to drop them because they were not progressing and usually just wanted to argue. But when we saw them in the street he was like when are you going to stop by? So we made an appointment and went to visit him. We talked about how he was doing and they are in a really hard situation. His papers are in Venezuela and because of this he cant get a job. His girlfriend works a little bit. But they don't have any money. They have nothing in their house. and they are 5 months late on the rent. And then he explained to us that he was reading in the Book of Mormon and he got really sleepy and fell asleep while he was reading. He told us while he was sleeping he had a dream that the missionaries that he first talked with visited his house and they talked about the Book of Mormon and his baptism and in the dream he believed that it was true and accepted to be baptized. He said that he felt super relaxed and content. Another Miracle. Another Dream. Another Prayer answered. They said that they wanted to get baptized and that they know this is the correct path for them. We are not sure when they will be able too because they need to get married and its expensive. But we are trying to find a job for him so that he can save some money and so that he can have the blessings of the gospel. 

We had three other investigators that have a lot of problems. It is a dad and his daughter and son. They are all older. the kids have 25 something and the dad is 60 something. They all have things that they want to change. They are all super sad. But we explained that the gospel helps us find the peace and joy that we are looking for in the gospel. They all accepted to be baptized but they all are going to need a lot of work. And they were not able to attend church and it was frustrating for us. Because they want to change and be in the good with God( their words). But then they did not show. We are going to work with them and continue praying that they can find the strength to press forward. 

And something not important but awesome. There are places here that are tiangis...Bad spelling. But they are portable malls. they really strange but the thing with these malls is that they are super cheap. I bought two pairs of Ray Bans for 55 pesos each. Or roughly 4.50 Dollars. True they are not originals but they look original. IT was awesome I am actually going to return today and maybe buy more. haha. 

But I am doing super well. I am so grateful for the things I am experiencing. I am sad that I could not be there for the wedding but I know that I am supposed to be here at this time. I am so happy for Mandy and Norman. I hope they have the best life ever together. I know that the church is true and that it really is the only way we can have the true happiness forever. I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your support and Love. The letters and packages. Everything is so appreciated. I love you all so much I hope you have a good week!!!!!!!

Con Amor Elder Oliver

Special Times

Hey Everybody

 how is it going? I hope that everything is going well! I have been hearing a lot of things about the Olympics here. That michael phelps is not doing as well as hoped. And that china is destroying in almost everything. haha. But I hope everyone is enjoying them. I am doing super well. I want to say congratulations to my sister and Norman that they are getting married this weekend!!! So awesome wish I could be there but I know that it is going to be a special day. I wish the best for you guys!! Love ya!

So this has been a really special. We have been working hard in our area. And this week we were able to be apart of something really special! So we met with Ana this week and we were wondering if she was ever going to commit herself to be baptized. She had everything she read and prayed and went to church every Sunday. We went to visit her and were not sure what were going to do. But we talked to her and she explained that she was ready and that she could have all these blessings this weekend and she said yes. She committed fully. And it was something really special. Because she had always been telling us that she had doubts and that she was afraid to commit to this. And we talked to her about it after this visit she said that she still had all these doubts but that she was like whatever I am just going to put my faith in the Lord that is right for me.  And she did. The Lord really did change her heart. Saturday was her baptism and it really was something really special. Hermano Ivan was able to baptize her. Because he received the priesthood this past Sunday. It was really a special experience. I felt so much love for this family. I was so grateful for the love that my heavenly father had for them and fro letting be apart of this experience with them. It is something that I will never forget!! 

I am learning a lot here in the mission. I am learning that I am not perfect. That Spanish is awesome hard but awesome. That I things are always going to have opposition. But I am learning that there is always hope. There is always hope for everybody in any situation. Ana was someone who did not believe anything. She was a atheist. She has changed her life completely. And Ivan was able to overcome problems that can tear people apart and never recover. This family has changed my life. They will be my friends forever. and I hope that I can have the pleasure to be with them when they get sealed in the temple. But who knows they still have a long way to go. But I definitely love them and to be there when Ana got baptized....It is something I wont ever forget. I am so grateful for the things I am learning. The love for the scriptures that I have. I learn something knew. Seriously....Everyday. It is so awesome. I am so grateful for all the support that I receive from you guys. Thank you so much for the prays and the letters and packages it is all so awesome!!! i LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!I hope that everything goes well with the wedding this week and go USA!!! Love you all. 

Con Amor Elder Oliver