April 9, 2012

Hola!
Well this has been quite the last week. We had many experiences and opportunities that I really think have put a new perspective in my eyes as a missionary. Well to start with is business of course. Madre tu eres lo mas amorosa persona que conozco. No te precupes de los discos que me dio. Esta bien todo y no hay una problema mas. Really I am just grateful for the discs in the first place. Plus they are working fine now, I just had to learn how to jiggle the disc in right. Trust me it plays great and I am getting the workout of a lifetime! I love you and your concern for me it is quite the sign of a wonderful mother.

Well as for some of the going- ons here, We did just get transfers and I am staying again. I will probably finish about 9 months here in Wauchula because not only am I staying but I also am getting a new companion. Elder Wedell is his name. He is a little bit of a hard elder to be with is what everyone says but I have always liked Elder Wedell and I am sure we will have a great and fantastic transfer if not two. But the sad part is that Elder Berry is leaving. I can now say that I really will miss the guy. We were becoming such close friends that there was a few times that we would say the exact same things at the exact same time or react in the exact same way. For ex. we were reading an email he got once and we both leaned back and said "what?!? No Way..... then we both looked at each other and laughed and couldn’t stop laughing because it was like we were ha ha haing at the exact same time and it really was quite embarrassing! haha So he will be dearly missed as he goes to Fort Meyers to be a zone leader. Meanwhile I did just get called to be the district leader here which is cool.
Now as for you guys I am soo happy that Easter was great. For me it was like I have never before experienced it. I was thinking so much of the Savior and all that He did that I was more happy and more in tune to the Spirit than I ever have been before. We tried to do a couple things to just make us think more about Him some of those being listening to talks or carrying our favorite picture of the Savior in our pockets. It actually really helped. My favorite picture is " I AM" by Simon Dewey that I cut out of my calendar haha. It of course was the picture for my favorite month.. March hahaha So sounds like the activities were tons of fun and that you guys are really getting busy. By the way to break a little secret I had I also have been practicing the piano because we found a keyboard in our apartment. I am now able to play two handed for most of the hymns. well we have a little booklet that has hymns done easy or something so its not too complicated. But asides from that I hope all keeps going up! I am so happy you guys all got to see Chelsey. It makes such a difference and makes it a lot more important to see your family members when they are usually not there. Its like a relief and just makes the day worth it haha. I get to feel that way out here a lot. We do have family out here and sometimes going too long without visiting someone really makes you ache for them. haha

I do have quite the stores for you this week. First off though we did have a very low number week. It was very difficult because we had about 4 days out of work. We had music practice Monday and Tuesday then Wednesday we had dm and our splits was gone because the branch asked us to participate in a youth activity. Then Friday we went to a baseball game for a less active family in the ward and spent some time with them. But here’s the cool parts of the week. On Saturday we get up and get our transfer calls then after many phone calls from other missionaries we head out to frisbee where we had 10 on 10 which is the largest it has ever been. Then we get back and we were asked to participate in the primary easter activity so that was like 3 hours setting up and cleaning up and all, then here’s the really interesting part. We had been asked by an investigator named Mitch Kuck to go see what is called "The Story of Noah" Its kinda like an Easter Pagent kinda thing but its put on by a different church and instead of Christ during Easter they choose Noah. Anyways its suppose to be this huge deal and the tickets cost 20 bucks each so we were pretty excited to go. Plus it was such a good way to spend time with this investigator who is having a rough patch in his life. Oh yea and he took us out to eat at Giovanni's an italian restaurant. Well to skip a lot the play starts and its pretty intense. Like a great set! There are camels and all sorts of cool animals and they have real wooden carts and everything. Well to depict the wickedness back in the day they have some pretty graphic and intense moments. Not to mention like a lot of chastity comments like slaves being sold as "fresh meat" kinda deal. Oh yea and there is this scene where this really buff guy lifts a kid up by his neck and runs him through with a sword. So in other words very graphic. haha especially for a play where little kids are watching. Not to mention the music for the background is like Christian rock where these pubescent boys are wailing about Jesus. Yea just very very different from the Easter Pagent. haha Anyways its actually pretty good and entertaining until the end--like all the way to the last scene. Well the last scene is called the end of all times. So of course they bring out the white, red, black, and pale horse stuff and start showing like death stuff and seriously like freaking us out. Then all of a sudden out comes the boyish christian band music and Who else but black Jesus comes riding out on this beautiful horse at which the whole stands start stomping the stands and clapping and screaming! Yea so you got the drum beat, sparks going all over, black Jesus flying across the stage on his stallion sword in hand, wailing boy voices singing about Jesus, some other Jesus dancing some form of a modern dance with zombies praising him and moving with him, girls with flags dressed in white, and about 400 people shouting praise Jesus and screaming all kinds of other things. Elder berry and I were utterly bewildered. I seriously felt like I was participating in idol worship from the olden days. It was all emotion and no spirit. Well after a long while of this entourage the thing finally closes and the pastor of this church who was Noah runs out to the middle of the stage and gets on the mic. " Well ladies and gentlemen lets here it for Jesus!" "YEAA :ASLKHFPOE!!!!" Thank you so much for coming out tonight...... blah blah blah....... so we are sending out angels among you with buckets (at which about 40 people done up as angels run out throughout the crowd) Not gonna beat around the bush these buckets are for money. If you feel so inspired to through some in we would really appreciate it. (okay these angels are like funneling the stairs and ways to get out so you have to pass by them) Not only that but if you feel so inspired that tonight you need Jesus we are going to be able to help you do that TONIGHT right behind these doors just come up this hill here after I am done. We even are doing free baptisms! right over there in that pool. We already had a bunch of people do it last week so just come over if you feel so inspired. Not to mention we have clothes and towels and anything else you will need. Everyone else have a great night! JESUS BLESS! well needless to say we hustled our way out and I almost donated because I have been listening to a lot of talks lately and I was thinking what would the apostles and prophets do. then I realized i had to pay tithing the next day so i didn’t and i really kinda felt bad about it. The Lord would have. Anyways I learned only one thing from this experience and that is how to explain the Holy Ghost. It IS NOT emotions like the kind you get listening to an intense song rather it is a sweet and tender quite voice that touches your heart with peace and happiness in a most respectful and beautiful way. I was soo sickened by this performance. It really was well done but the sickening part is how lost everyone is. They don’t even realize that they are the ones outside the boat when the doors are closing! ahhhh I just almost lost it! I just feel so much more of a need now to go out and teach people how to feel the Holy Ghost. What a missing piece of the puzzle. I promised to push myself harder than ever to save those people from the "flood" that is coming.
Also we got to celebrate Easter with the Juarez family and they ended up surprise attacking us with a shaving cream fight in the which everyone was covered in shaving cream. Good thing I had chosen to wear bad clothes. hahaha. I took pics so I will try to get them to you. I just really hope you guys know that this was the most special week in the history of time as it is the very time to remember the greatest accomplishment ever made. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I promise to get as many of his children as I can back to him. I love you all and miss you much but there is just too much work to do. SO Back to work!
LOVE ELDER OLIVER