March 5, 2012
Lai Lai Lai Lai Li Lai Lai! HOLA Familia!
Well I thought this week I might explain some of the pictures and videos considering you may not understand why they were taken and how they work unless you are out here. I realize that some of them might actually have been frightening. hahahaha To start off, Sister Beck is a new sister missionary. She actually is very cool and I really like her a lot for as much as an elder can think of a sister. We the elders find lots of joy and comfort in messing around with the sister missionaries with every opportunity we get. This one was particularly a good time to mess with her considering she had just got to the mission field and not to mention she is serving with Vogelsburg so we thought we would give her a little love. haha Also yes that is a bucket of gel and me and Elder Spendlove had quite the wonderful time but it like fried our heads. Also Thank you for all the great comments about the movie they always make a guy feel good. haha We have a couple others but they are on my hardrive because my camera couldn’t film them at the time. I think there is also a picture where I am like dancing with a very painful face on. We had been doing ballet poses at Monica’s for Elder Clark’s last pics with them and when I went to ballet position my leg cramped up soooo bad that I yelped and everyone started busted up laughing. It actually was a very funny/embarrassing moment in my life. So if you have anymore concerns or worries please ask! hahahaa

As for me and my week, thing were alright this week. Our number of lessons this week shot way low because we were so busy with so many other things. This week we had pday so that takes up most of the day then we had zldc ( a conference for district leaders and zone leaders because Elder Berry is district leader) followed by singing practice for 2 and a half hours and then we had to drive 1 hour and a half home. so Wednesday was gone, then Thursday we had district meeting in Sebring so like 3/4 of our day was gone, then Friday was weekly planning in the which much had to be planned out and talked about, then Saturday was frisbee and then Elder Berry had a baptism in Apollo beach so we went out there for the rest of the day only to come back and have Elder Clark, Elder Parkinson and Elder Clark’s companion Elder Nelson at our house for the night because Jose was getting baptized on Sunday. Sunday is a day where we drive pretty far to spend some time with some recent converts and their nonmember mom and less active dad not to mention they live with another family who is also investigating so we spend a good amount of time there. Oh yea and we had to get Jose interviewed by the zone leaders. OH my it was quite the busy week and therefore not so many lessons were had. But we did finally have the baptism of Jose who has investigated the church for 13 years and his son who is 8 and they had their baby blessing all in the same day. Well Jose is a brother in law to the Juarez inactive side so guess what?! Every member of the entire Juarez inactive family was at church! Every one of them! It was awesome and they were all so happy and all their non member spouses were there and they had a good time! The only bad part is that all the active side did not come... the grand poopa of all the Juarez family is bleeding internally at 90 years old and went in on Sunday to be operated on. So everyone was at the hospital leaving us with about 60 people at church instead of the about 120 we could've had. But that’s ok and what really is important is that Buela (abuela) is ok and recovers. She is the nicest most oldest mexican I have ever met and I love her a lot. She is the epitome of genuine and humble. I really hope she is ok. We will see how the operation goes. But the baptism was awesome and super spiritual. I have so much faith in the gospel and how it can take the most wicked men and make them into spiritual warriors of God. I also had a very special tender mercy this week. During sacrament meeting which was fast and testimony meeting I was sitting there stressing about the baptism and things that needed to be done and how we were going to do everything, this is already after I bore my testimony, so its not that kind of stress, And there I was praying in my heart that Heavenly Father would help me calm down and find a way to get everything done when all of a sudden a little girl walks up to the stand. Well it was Maria the girl who I just barely baptized. She gets up there probably being the newest member of the whole branch and she bears the sweetest tender testimony I have ever heard. It filled my heart with so much peace and happiness that I really just began to cry. It was like a little ray of light telling me that I was doing ok and that I have already made a difference. I really felt a divine love letting me know that He is there. I testify to you that He is there and that He loves each and every one of us and that He is proud of what we have done in our lives. We are His sons and daughters and this is His gospel restored by a prophet Joseph Smith. The keys of the kingdom are here on this earth and all we have to do is grab a hold of them never to let go again. I Just love being out here. I love my mission it is an inspiring motivational learning and growing experience that will never be forgotten. I despise how fast time is flying by. It fills me with urgency to do everything I can! I love you guys and miss you tons you really are a light in the dark to me in ways that you don’t even know. You guys are my eternal and celestial family that I would not trade for all the world!
LOVE, ELDER OLIVER