I know these are a little old but he hasn't sent any pictures lately--and I love how these show how happy and crazy he is!

Right before he left the MTC for Florida

November 7, 2011

Hola Familia!
So the Disneyland trip pulls through again huh? and this time sounds like it was a little bit better than previous years according to the rain and rides and better shoes to walk in and good food and such. Well let me tell you guys I am glad to hear that all was swell and dandy. I am however disappointed that star tours seemed to decrease in its level of interest. I was really hoping the new one would be out of this world or something. but oh well. Disney is known for consistently producing worse seconds than first. hahaaha. It is also sweet that Chloe can now make it onto Indiana Jones therefore making our team of delta force squadron an impenetrable Disneyland destroying terror. haha Now we can really get to town when we go there. So props to Chloe this trip for sprouting those last little inches and a couple to Cami for overcoming the tower of terror, and some to mom for finally realizing how much fun Disneyland is in tennis shoes and a baseball hat, some to Chelsey for getting wet, haha, and some to clay for sleeping in the car, and some to dad for most likely sitting on the edge of his seat, leaning over the edge a little, to get the full "California Soarin" experience hahaha just kidding dad doesn't need props he already has to much. But good good good to hear. Things are great and the work is fine. We had like 17 visits this week which is the most I have ever gotten. I also had a ton of fun playing volleyball and ultimate frisbee this week which is something we do every week with a bunch of less actives. I also have been able to use my wrestling skill to befriend this really less active family because they are all about the ultimate fighting. We found an awesome new investigator who came to church, his name is Nelson and he is awesome. He talks spanglish so bad that i cant help but laugh. his most famous phrase is " Idrinkadabeer" mexican accented. So yep things are good and fun. I really enjoy being out here and serving as hard as I can and Elder Clark and I are getting along very well. Spanish is doing good. and the weather is perfect. Its hard having full car because I love to ride bike but alas it is what it is. Not only that but the weather is amazing. Breezy cool and refreshing. I couldn't ask for much more. haha but things with investigators and such are going well. well they have their ups and downs. Some are really progressing but some like Jessica are not at all and they are the ones that we are dying to help. haha We have two kids and a mom that just told us they want to get baptized and another lady wants to start being taught. It really is awesome how much the members out here help., They pretty much do all the hard work for us and we just go around and teach and hopefully baptize. haha I love it a lot. WE have great activities and great programs like university night which is where the members hold all sorts of classes that anyone can come to and we have family nights with lots of people and we have splits every week all sorts of stuff. Not to mention the members are awesome in and of themselves. they are so kind and nice and always feed us whenever we are over. It pretty much rocks and I don't have to buy very much food because we usually get feed. But we are having some drama over here. There is this member named Russell who was a boxer and now has theories about life and god and stuff and he was going around and teaching lots of the other members of his family and even some other members about it. So we got some complaints from some of the members and it was enough that we decided to take it to the branch president. He told us to confront him about it and see if we could resolve it. SO we did. we sat him and his wife down and had a little chat about teaching only doctrinal sound things. OF course there was a twist. Russell does not like elder Clark at all for some unknown reason. He says it is because elder Clark is not missionary material. SO elder Clark is trying his best to deal with that and then be nice as we have to tell these two not to preach false doctrine. haha Ends up pretty alright or so we think... Later that night we get a text from them laying down the rules for us missionaries. things like no talking to our kids unless one of us is present, (by the way their kids and I are already close), no teaching anyone in their family anything without their consent and things like that. oh yea and we were officially uninvited to family night, which is a family night with like 40 people that we use to build relationships and get tons of referrals. SO the laws laid and then a couple other things but they are all in the past and hopefully don't affect the future but we are kinda worried because apparently only Russell made the decision to uninvited us and no one else knew and so now they are all kinda mad. well I will tell you how it turns out. Aside from that we are working with nelson and he came to church after he invited himself which was awesome. haha we just sit and listen to him go on and on and he pretty much just figures it out himself. haha he will be baptized in no time. not only that but he also brought his friend to church with him and they both said they enjoyed it. SOOO the lord blesses once again. haha With the less active ultimate fighting lovers that I now have a bond with, we are also working (Yoda) I got to be friends with one of the 18 year old boys because I can sit there and talk about fighting and wrestling forever. haha not only that but their dad listens to me too and likes to talk and share stories. The best part is that the boy wanted to wrestle me. probably thought he would womp on me but we waited till Friday night which is when we play volleyball with all their family and extended family and then he came over and started trying to wrestle me. well lets just say hes a fish. I whipped him sooooooooo bad like 20 times. hahaha Just have a little more experience. but the thing is is that he thought it was cool and so did all the men in the family so they all came over and watched and then started talking and joking with me and saying things like "hey you better watch out or Ill sick elder Oliver on you" haha It was awesome and I never thought they would but my wrestling talents have really come into play here and I have some ideas on how to use them to get this family to church. hahahaha well we will see. Anyways I love you and miss you but most of all I hope the best for all of you. YOU ARE THE BEST FAMILY IN THE WHOLE HUGHNIJALTION!!!
LOVE ELDER OLIVER