January 28, 2013

Querida Familia Mia,

Well I am so grateful for all the news I was able to catch up on! It sounds like you guys are doing awesome and that things are going super awesome. I love to hear that!! I am so proud at how much you guys can all accomplish and do in such a small amount of time! haha But this letter is going to be a little different, I am going to talk a lot more about things here and answer your questions that you always ask me. The only thing is I won’t be able to talk so much about everything over there.  As for transfers they came and Elder Vasher is leaving to Immokalee to finish training a new missionary. Also my son Elder Russell is going to St Petersburg. I am staying here and getting a red head from Arizona who knew a bunch of my friends and lived in Mesa but never knew me named Elder Durrant. He is actually more friends with Alys friends than my friends. So we are pretty excited to finally get to serve together. He is quite a spiritual giant. However this transfer is only 5 weeks rather than 6. On top of that-- they are combining my old area and the other Spanish area so that actually is causing problems because my old area is putting out about a baptism a month while the other really has nothing going on. And as the leader I am kinda in the middle of it and trying to maintain the peace hahahaaha. But I talked to President and he told me a lot of things that really helped us be able to kinda force solve the problem. We are getting two sets of sisters here in Tampa next transfer and we are losing a pair of Elders at the same time. SO they are closing an area instead of combining. Sad but sometimes it has to be done in order to keep the spirit with those Elders. They are all super good-- its just they love their people and their investigators and it’s hard to leave people you have worked hard for... As for the families they are going awesome!! They have told us they want to get baptized in February so we hope to see those through soon. Maybe a couple more also because this week we got 8 new investigators and 4 are super positive while the others are pretty positive. We are gonna work our tails! hahaha As for dad’s questions, Yes that is similar to a traveling AP, but we are not APs. We will just be like training the mission. hahaha As for my experience being a zone leader it has been awesome. The cool part is you are sure to be with an awesome Elder so like all those little miracles are a lot more present. It’s easier to become friends and form relationships with members and investigators and its way easier to teach. I also just like having to take change and make decisions when others can’t. It’s really helped me become more confident in the things I do and I feel more sure about myself. It’s been pretty humbling too. I just hope to be what everyone else needs me to be. I feel like as I get excited it’s easier to see others excited and its like all my compliments mean a whole lot more nowadays. hahaha We are really trying to teach our zones about how to work and how even good things can be distractions from better things. Just kinda focusing on what is good to do, what is better to do, and what is the best to do. I feel like sometimes we really see others thinking that they can do things their way or that they know the area and the people and how to run the place and stuff, We also see time wasted on things that are important but not the most important. For example, it took me forever to realize that just doing less actives to get a number is a complete waste of time. We are called to go and get them but if they are not willing and ready to come back we need to move on to better and best. Those willing and ready to change are the best. So even if it means knocking doors it is better than visiting a less active who has shown no interest in changing. Sometimes it’s just hard to explain to others. I feel that that is one reason why we are seeing many more baptisms lately. My last two areas have had like no less actives in them. So the work is focused on finding teaching and baptizing. We also are really trying to focus on making every process a revelatory process. Specific prayers and then massive efforts.

If I were to share something with you about teaching the gospel it would be this. It is simple. The doctrines we have are perfect. Do not fear the answer no-- rather learn to enjoy it and ask why. All we have to do is testify that we know these things are true and then you can refer them to the missionaries!! hahaha It is so easy to share the gospel. People are in desperate need! Look for each and every opportunity the Lord sees fit to give you. If we love our Savior Jesus Christ and if we truly are grateful for what He did for us we will "feed His sheep" or share His gospel. Just invite someone, befriend another, Look for those people in church who have no one to sit with or who are dressed informally, invite them to sit with our family. Tell them how happy you are to see them. Trust that the Lord will fill you with what to do what to say where to go and how to do it. Forget traditions forget yourself and give everything you have to the Lord. The happiness you will find will be everlasting as you realize those small and simple things meant everything. The Lord loves us and has promised to never leave us if we are in His work. There are so many more things but I will leave it at that for now. Some small miracles that we have seen lately are that we have been led to find so many people. We are in the right place at just the right time always. I love working. I had been praying lately to know that the Book of Mormon was true and I have never felt so strongly in my heart the power of compassionate love of my Father in Heaven. I also have been able to be living all those little stories you always hear about. Like the "so yesterday we were talking and we were saying "wow where are all the Mormons?"  next day you guys knocked on our door." or the "I don’t know if I know now that these things are true but you make me want to know" or the "I was just wishing you guys would come and talk to me because I have been praying to be able to change my life for a long time now." or recently we had a man ask us "If you could ask God anything what would you ask?" I responded "I would ask to be able to do this for the rest of my life, to testify of the Book of Mormon and the power it contains." (actually it kinda surprised me when it left my mouth) but then he said "I would ask for wisdom about the word of God" and I said to him "and if the Lord told you he was going to send two young men with white shirts and ties to give you a book that would give you that wisdom would you read it?" He pondered and accepted to read the Book of Mormon even though as a Pentecostal he thinks it is of the devil. Or each and every lesson is becoming better and better and the spirit stronger and stronger. I feel like I cry a lot more and my heart is more receptive. I am working on virtue and seeing the good in all things and finding Christ in everything. Read D&C 121 last 4 verses and focus on the promises it leaves us. Read it very slow. Virtue is beautiful. I feel my patience and love have grown a lot. I feel like I can let things go or that I don’t really need the approval of anyone else except my Father in Heaven. I just need to know that I am good to him. Revelation and Inspiration is always a huge part. We pray and pray for it every day. I feel it happen a lot more often and it always makes me feel so simple minded hahaha. It’s quite humbling. With my few more months that I have left I hope to build a desire that will never waiver. I hope to give that and teach it to other people. Just the desire to be better each and every day. I love this work and I love trying to become something I never thought I could be. I love the Savior and my Father in Heaven. I could never repay anything he has done for me. I Love you guys and hope I answered some questions.

Lightning--I ate chicken insides the other day, It is getting colder, We play soccer shoot out for pday. And a game called bang. We also wrestle and play murder in the dark. I love soccer and get about 4 to 5 goals a game even with all the Hispanics. haha I love chapter 6 of Moroni. I love the whole Book of Ether. Chapter 2 and 9 of second Nephi is awesome. Repentance is a beautiful thing.

I love you guys!!

LOVE ELDER OLIVER