Come in, between. Drink a chair.

Dearest family and friends, hello!

This week was fantastic.  We had the oros conference with Elder Anderson´s group in Montevideo.  The hermanas viajantes taught us some awesome workshops, and we were also with Pte y Hna Cook.  We ate super well.  We learned a lot.  We had fun being with all the trainers and oros of this change.  It was a lovely experience.  Included is a picture of Tres Cruces, the giant bus terminal in Montevideo for travel throughout the country.  

Church was a miracle.  76 people showed up!!!  Usually there´s only about 52.  It is amazing to me how the Lord works.  We hardly do anything -- He directs this work, the grand work of salvation.  As full-time missionaries, we just be obedient, learn, study, and work as hard as we can to help others come unto Christ.  We are less than the dust, but in His hands, we can help others.  Often, He prepares people´s hearts without us even doing anything.  There´s a handful of less-active families who have started coming back to church -- we are going to help them return to full activity and build their faith.  But there is still LOTS of work to do.

On Saturday we had the most spiritual, beautiful, miraculous lesson of my mission so far.  We taught Louisa for the third time and we brought Hna Sanguinetti, who is less-active.  Louisa kept all her commitments.  She has been reading the Book of Mormon every day and night, and she has been offering personal prayers every night.  She told us that she never took interest in religion and never really believed in God, but then we appeared at her door and she received us.  After the first contact with her a couple weeks ago, we showed up late to our scheduled time with her because we actually found Melani and we were teaching her the first lesson.  Louisa had waited for us, but then left because we didn´t come.  We told her daughter we would come back.  Louisa has kept every single commitment.  Despite our weaknesses and our failures, and our más o menos lessons with her at times, she is feeling the Spirit.  She is being converted through the marvelous power and truth of the Book of Mormon.  Her family doesn´t want to learn anything right now, but they support her, at least.  She is SO FAITHFUL and is really a chosen person.  It was the most beautiful experience to hear her say that her life has changed already because of the Book of Mormon.  She came to church by herself on Sunday and seemed to enjoy it.  We will see her on Tuesday -- tomorrow!!  Pray for her.  She is amazing.  She has a baptismal date right now, but will need to get married to achieve it, and she doesn´t know that yet . . . . . so we still have a lot of work to do.  But yay!!!

The rest still haven´t kept commitments or we haven´t been able to find them.  Entonces . . . claro.  Así es.  Pero ta.  :)

Love you all so much!  Have to go!  Bye!

--Elder Max Olivier

ummmm did another week really just pass by? :)‏

Hello dear family and friends!

This week was interesting.  It was a bit patience-trying, to be honest, and yet it flew by insanely quickly.  I think it´s because I am often at a bit of a loss of what to do, as far as planning goes -- our few firm investigators are so hard to get a hold of that they almost never answer the phone or respond to messages or receive us in their houses, and they have canceled whatever firm lessons we had scheduled.  It is disappointing, but I am doing the best I can and seeking the Spirit´s guidance every day, and I know that I am still learning, so I feel okay.

We had an amazing first lesson with Melani, who we contacted in the street with her boyfriend.  They were super nice people who stopped to listen and were very kind with my companion´s slow spanish.  They both showed interest and accepted baptismal dates.  This was about two weeks ago, but only in this last week were we finally able to have our first lesson with Melani.  It went very well and the Spirit was very present.  She told us that she struggles with depression and bipolar disorder and that she is also entangled in drugs right now, and that she wants to find the way out and wants to feel like God is actually helping her.  We taught her the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and gave her the Book of Mormon.  It was so wonderful to be able to teach according to her need and testify of God´s love and hand, and how we can receive His help through the Book of Mormon.  We read from Alma 7 about Jesus Christ´s Atonement -- His part, and our part, or what we need to do to apply it.  She committed to read and pray -- we left her with 2 Nephi 2 to read.  She also said that she would love to be baptized and that she would love to receive answers from God.  The frustrating part is that she canceled on us for our next lesson two days later, and we haven´t seen her since, despite calling, sending messages, and passing by her house.  I pray for her every day, because I know that she has desires to change and improve her life, and I know that learning and living the restored gospel of Jesus Christ will enable her to do that.  I ask that you pray for her also!

Our other firm investigator Iris and her niece Karen have also been nearly impossible to get a hold of, and although we fixed a lesson with her and a member yesterday, when we came by they were in a birthday party and told us to come back later.  Ugh!  Iris told us that her daughters talked her out of going to church last week, and she didn´t want contention so she didn´t go. But she still seems  interested, and said that she read a few things in the Book of Mormon but didn´t remember anything, although she did like it and felt good about it.  She´s such a funny old grandma -- I wish her large loud family were more open to being taught as well.

Once again, no one committed to go to church during the week.  We also had a good first lesson with Louisa -- she was a contact from knocking doors.  She actually keeps her commitments to have lessons!  That lesson was . . . hard.  My poor companion broke down into frustrated tears when I gave him room to speak because he didn´t know what to say nor how to say it.  I felt so bad.  Louisa was so kind and understanding.  I didn´t really know what to do . . . but I finished teaching the lesson (which went poorly) and we set up a time to come back this week.  I felt responsible at first for my companion´s suffering.  Now, I think it´s not my fault.  I wish I could be a better trainer and teach him better, but all I can do is continue to give my very best effort and constantly seek and follow the Holy Spirit.  It did feel good to comfort him and teach him afterwards about how I have learned to be more patient and charitable with myself in the mission.  He is a bit of a perfectionist as well.  Pray for Elder Anderson!

We had a very interesting experience this week with recent convert Angela.  She was baptized by Elder Oliver at the end of December.  She is the most faithful person I know, I´m pretty sure.  The way she 100% accepted and immediately lived the restored gospel is astounding.  She is a single mom and grandma right now and has many health problems and basically no support from her family, but her faith in Jesus Christ is basically unshakable.  When we were in a lesson, she sent a message canceling our appointment with her and saying that she wasn´t going to go to church anymore.  This shocked me, coming from the woman who, despite her physical pains and difficulties, bikes to church by herself every sunday.  It was alarming!  Then she called a bit later to make sure we knew that she was still going to read her scriptures and everything, but that she wasn´t going to church and she didn´t want us to come over.  I explained that we would still love to come over even if she didn´t go to church, and that our priority is to make sure that she is well, spiritually.  She accepted.  In her house that day, she ended up letting us know that she learned in church through a class that she, without previously realizing or understanding it, was breaking a commandment, and for that could not take the sacrament last week.  She talked to the branch president and everything.  She felt so horrible and remorseful for her sins -- she is really a converted person.  She demands a lot of herself.  We were able to read the scriptures together.  I had recently studied 3 Nephi 18, and we studied the Savior´s own words about the sacrament and repentance.  It was a very spiritual experience -- I felt like an instrument in God´s hands.  She committed to keep going to church every week -- her repentance was strong and immediate, and will continue with time.

There´s a lot more I want to relate .  . . .  but I have already gone into depth on a few of the highlights of this week.  Now I shall read your lovely letters!  I have talked too much!  That´s something I have to work on -- sometimes when people actually listen to us, I get overexcited and talk and teach too much.  I just love teaching the gospel -- but then I get tangled in too many words and talking too much.  This is a dispensation of preaching repentance, and not many words, as the Lord said in the Doctrine and Covenants.  I am working to be more efficient with time and words, more simple, more clear, and more focused on the Spirit.  I ask for your continued support in prayer.

I love you all so much and give you many thanks!!!

A large hug,

Elder Olivier

pictures: the house!

and . . . me, always ready to study! ;)

¡Gladys se bautizó!

Dearest family and friends,

Hooray for Gladys Tomé!  She is so wonderful.  And stubborn. She didn´t want to be baptized in front of so many people and didn´t want to go under the water.  I knew she would do that -- she´s quite the character!  She cracks me up.  It was awesome!  And Elder Anderson got to baptize her -- the first time  he has ever baptized!!!!  yaaaayyyy!!!  The service was good, but also mas o menos -- some of the members can be so difficult!  They were complaining about the use of both the children´s songbook and the hymnal, and some were making negative comments when Gladys was resisting a bit in her typical rebellious way.  But there was also invaluable support from some truly amazing members!!!  On sunday, Gladys and her mom were VERY welcomed into the church.  I got to confirm Gladys!

The last time I had baptized was Nov 8 -- it had been faaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr too long.  But I know that as we continue with faith, patience, and animation, the Lord blesses us.  We have a lot of really good posibilities for serious investigators this week and this month -- it is exciting!  We continue to find wonderful little miracles every day.

Hmmmmmmmmmm my time has already left me.  Sorry everyone!!!  I will try to write some physical letters to relay the incredible things that happened this week.

Love you all TONS.

Chau, see you soon!

--Elder Olivier

Yay for training!

Dearest family and friends,

Yay for training again!  This time I feel so much better-prepared.  I know I am VERY imperfect, but I know I can do my best, and the Lord will make all the difference.  My companion is Elder Anderson of West Valley, UT!  He is absolutely wonderful.  He is 19 years old.  The group of gringos that arrived all went to the Provo MTC because Argentina was full!  Poor souls. :)  

It is great to be training -- I learn a lot from a different perspective.  I am trying to help him adjust, get out of his comfort zone, teach, contact, study, everything!  My companion´s spanish is just developing, so there´s an added burden on me to take the reins in pretty much everything.  But I am learning to give him more opportunities to take the initiative from the beginning, so he can learn.  I hope he feels like he is fully contributing! I seek balance between letting him learn by faith, by experience, by my help, and I also seek balance so that I can still effectively direct the area.  He is great!  I have already seen much learning and improvement!

My time is already escaping me, but good news! Gladys will be baptized this saturday!!!  Her family members still didn´t go to church, but her mom committed to bring the family to the baptism and to bring Gladys to church on Sunday -- she even said she could take Gladys to church every sunday.  They need your prayers so they can open their hearts, their desires, and their schedules to help this little girl come unto Christ.  She really loves church and loves learning about God and His Son.  She will be the key to bring her family into the church.  It was a very hard decision for me to make, because I would hate to baptize a child and have them go inactive because there´s no one to take them to church.  However, my companion and I prayed together and made the decision together to announce her baptism yesterday, and I feel that it is what God wants.  The work is only just beginning, though -- we have a TON to do with her family so they can all arrive on Saturday and Sunday, and so they can commit to bringing Gladys to church!!!  It will be a challenge.

Ah, so many wonderful experiences to share and so little time.  Every day is so incredible in the mission.  I have learned the following about daily life:  If we search for miracles, we find them.  If we search for revelation, we find it.  If we pray for energy, happiness, and the attitude to do God´s will, we find it.

I love you all so much.  Pray for familia Tomé and also a new investigator Eduardo!

--Elder Max Olivier

Oh, how I love the Book of Mormon!!!‏

Dearest family and friends,

I know I promised details to mom and dad about inviting people to be baptized in the first contact . . . but we´ll see if I have time for that . . . :)

First of all, Gladys Tomé is doing well!  She came to church with us again on Sunday and immediately asked afterwards when we were going back!  She could conceivably be baptized this saturday, but we want to make sure she is really ready and that she has someone to go to church with every week.  Her parents are very supportive, but have not gone to church . . . also, Luis seems to be losing interest . . . we haven´t been able to get a hold of him -- he won´t answer his phone and usually isn´t at the house anymore.  However, I have hope!  It is a struggle to teach the Tomé family -- their house is pure chaos.  We usually have ended up just trying to teach Gladys alone while the rest of the family is doing whatever so we can focus a bit more -- although she doesn´t focus very well . . . but we will figure it out!  Her siblings are great -- we need to help them come to church.

Last Tuesday (I think) we had a super cool experience!  It was morning, (which is always a difficult time to work in Uruguay) and we had basically no good plans.  We started to contact a guy on the street and we asked him for references, and he told us to go visit a nearby house.  We knocked, and Teodoro answered.  He chatted for a bit and then immediately invited us inside to get out of the sun.  He is the most well-educated, interesting, well-traveled Uruguayo that I have met!  He has a whole bunch of books and loves reading, which is sadly VERY rare here.  One of his best friends is our YM president!  We were able to teach him about the Book of Mormon (woot! the best book you can read!), and I think he fell in love.  He ended up reading all of Moroni 10 out loud with us!!!  We felt the Spirit really strongly.  I am a huge fan of that chapter.  It is an incredible voice crying from the dust: "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him . . ." .  Just . . . WOW!  We really can become perfect if we follow Christ.  I know that is true.  We committed Teodoro to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon.  We weren´t able to fix another visit because he travels a lot, but we have his number and know where he lives. I plan to visit him this week.  He is very intellectual and calls himself primarily a follower of Descartes (awesome) and doesn´t have interest in churches, but I know that the Book of Mormon will change his life and help him come unto Christ by receiving the restored gospel.

Yesterday, we had another super cool experience with the Book of Mormon!  A few days ago, the Spirit told me to go knock on a door, and the coolest lady ever greeted us as we were about to leave her doorstep -- Blanca is her name.  She is the most exuberant, happy, smiling person I have ever met!  She is a devout reader of the Bible and believer in God and a really great person.  She presently belongs to a questionable church called Dios es Amor, known for extorting money of its followers.  It is quite prevalent here in South America, or at least in Argentina and Uruguay.  But we gave her a folleto about the restoration (I think) and challenged her to read, pray, and have another visit with us.  The missionaries visited her and her husband years ago, and they have a Book of Mormon but have never read it.  

So yesterday, we went to her house because we had set an appointment.  Blanca wasn´t there, but her husband Domingo was waiting for us. (!!!)  This was amazing for several reasons: 1) Basically nobody keeps their commitments -- the great majority of people who accept another visit in a street contact or a door contact do not keep that commitment.  2) They are actually MARRIED!  3) Domingo is a super nice guy, a sincere believer in God, and open to listen and talk civilly, unlike many people who judge and label and reject us before even opening their ears.

So, YAY!!!  We were able to explain the Book of Mormon, correct the common misconception that it was written by the prophet Joseph Smith, and read Moroni 10:3-5 together.  Domingo showed interest, listened sincerely and attentively, and committed to read and pray about Moroni 10.  We go back to teach them both this week.  What a fantastic couple and a lovely miracle that the Lord gave us!!!  

I absolutely love teaching about, presenting, reading from, and testifying about the Book of Mormon!  (for me, now, El Libro de Mormón!).  This book has changed my life and continues to change me every day.  I have learned recently the great importance of sincerely seeking truth through personal revelation -- that is so amazing to me.  The Spirit can speak to us and give us our own personal REVELATIONS through the Book of Mormon if we ask, seek, and knock.  Wow.  I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that it is true, and that it is the most correct book on the earth, and that by reading it we come closer to God.  I know Joseph Smith translated the book by the power and design of God.  I am so grateful to have this treasure in my life and to be able to share it so frequently and directly as a missionary!

Well, I have a lot more to tell you all, but my time escapes me now.  

Oh yeah -- I´m TRAINING AGAIN!!!  Elder Oliver is leaving as a zone leader, and I will be able to train these next two changes!  I thought this might happen since my trainee left.  I will miss my companion very much.  We have really been an ideal companionship, because we get along easily, we are friends, and above all we have the same goals and desires to work, improve, and invite all to come unto Christ.

I love you all so very much!  Fortify your faith TODAY in the Book of Mormon!  Read, ponder, and ask God if it is true!  Seek personal revelation!

--Elder Max Olivier

"Listen to the touch of the bell" ;)

Dearest family and friends,

I decided to write before reading all the letters this week, because I have really been falling down on relating all the wonderful spiritual experiences I´m having out here!!!

The incredible thing about the mission is that every day brings wonderful new spiritual experiences.  Every day is a blessing and an opportunity to give ourselves to the Lord; each day gives us a chance to learn and to be better; every day we can find the Lord´s hand in our life and rejoice.  I couldn´t possible relay everything that the mission is, nor everything that happens every day, but know that I am LOVING it!!! :)  The mission is the best.

SO, first off, I need to relate an experience that was super cool.  We have had a large handful of odd contacting experiences, Elder Oliver and I.  Now I refer to something that happened about 2ish weeks ago -- I should´ve written it last week.  My testimony of "hablar con todos" or "talk to everyone" has been growing so much here!  I love stopping (or trying to stop) everyone in our path to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, because I know that the message we bring is true, life-changing, and joyful!  Anyways.  There was a young guy walking in front of us, towards us, slightly rushed, but he was about to turn onto another street.  As always, rationalizations popped into the mind trying to persuade me not to talk to him.  I quickly moved to salute him with my companion, and he stopped a moment.  After hearing that we were missionaries and we are hear to share a message about God that changes lives, he said, "Okay, I don´t have time right now.  I have to get to work right now.  But walk with me!"

WOW!  That NEVER happens.  So we walked rapidly with him about 12 blocks, speaking and teaching as we went.  He told us that he is living house to house right now and has lots of family and personal problems but did not elaborate.  He asked VERY intelligent questions like "How long have you been talking to God? If I get baptized but my family doesn´t, what happens?"  We set a lesson with him for that same night in the chapel, but he cancelled because he just wanted to sleep after working all day.  His name is Maximiliano.  We have had some phone contact with him, but we haven´t been able to see him since.  He still shows lots of interest, but we haven´t been able to find a free moment when he´s not working. :( Pray for him!  He is so interesting and wonderful!

Another miraculous contact from the last week was Luis.  He called us over from the street offering soda to us -- it was a VERY hot day.  We were in the most "complicado" barrio (um, the most difficult neighborhood), so once again rationalizations almost prevented us from talking to him.  But, the Spirit whispered again -- GO!!!  So we went and talked to him.  He is about 24 years old and a very nice guy.  He recently came out of jail and has been in jail many times.  He told us rather quickly that he wanted to be baptized because he had never been baptized!!!  A missionary´s dream!  He came to half of church but missed sacrament for work, and yesterday he got called into work super early. :(  But he has a very sincere desire to be baptized and also to repent.  He wants a better life.  He still doesn´t understand the doctrine, but he is learning, and he loved the bit of church he went to.  His parents are inactive members, and one of his many siblings is baptized.  His sister-in-law, 2 of his sisters, and him all want to be baptized!!!  We have taught the whole family -- familia Tomé -- a couple times now.  It is great to sit down and teach an entire family -- I have basically never gotten to do that.  

Luis´s sister Gladys came to church with us yesterday!!!!  Yay!!!  She is 9 years old and an awesome little girl.  We were waiting for 5 people -- Luis and family plus our investigator Norma.  We were very excited because they had all committed very firmly to show up.  Luis had to work. Sandra (his sister in law) had her sister visiting from Montevideo.  Leticia (sister) slept because Sandra didn´t go.  Norma called, saying she was "sick".  But Gladys kept her commitment!  We went to their house and her parents quickly gave permission.  She loved church!  It felt like playing with Eva or some of my mathnasium students -- I just love kids!!!  In sacrament Hna Perez and her daughters gave us stuff to draw, and the other girls wrote the cutest little notes for Gladys!  She felt very welcomed and was eagerly asking us if we were coming back next Sunday to take her to church!  What a beautiful experience!

Random thought -- I keep forgetting to tell you guys bajillions of things, for example: my camera has been malfunctioning for the past . . . 10 weeks or so.  Probably more.  That´s why I haven´t been sending pictures.  It stopped reading the memory card, which is frustrating.  I had some pictures from Elder Aviña´s camera on a flash drive I bought, but it has stopped functioning as well, which may mean that all of my photos have been lost. :(  Oh well!  At least my journal is detalied and up to date!  :)

Anyways.  Another super wonderful spiritual experience to follow.

But in general, the Lord is working all kinds of miracles in Minas 1A every day.  We´re not really doing anything -- just being obedient, working as hard as we can, and striving for real improvement every day.  It´s going great! :)

On Friday, Elder Oliver and I listened at lunch to a cool talk by President Eyring about making covenants.  As we listened, we thought a lot about a long-time investigator we have, Hno. Machado.  We received a lot of inspiration and revelation from the Holy Ghost.  We had already talked about how he perhaps doesn´t understand the doctrine of covenants.  His sons and wife are fantastic, active members, and he is also super active in the church and reads the Book of Mormon every day and has a wonderful testimony.  He´s basically more active than most of the members.  But he refuses to be baptized.  As we listened to President Eyring, we felt prompted to go teach Hno Machado that day and invite him to be baptized the very next day.  We went immediately after lunch and study, but they were just leaving for the beach. . . . so we fixed a charla for that next day which was saturday.  It was one of the most powerful lessons -- or no, definitely the most powerful lesson -- I have been present in.  We had previously had a wonderful family home evening with their family about temples and family history.  In this lesson, we asked him how he felt about the temple -- his wife is endowed and attends regularly, and his sons have gone for baptisms.  One of his daughters is sealed in the temple.  We felt the Spirit guiding us so sweetly and powerfully, and he even opened up and shared a very personal experience he had in the hospital with us -- his wife was also with us.  Sadly, he thinks that he doesn´t need to be baptized at this time -- he feels like he has already made a covenant with God -- he seems to feel like God doesn´t want him to be baptized right now, which I know is not the case.  It was an incredible feeling to testify to him that God sent us there as His called servants to invite him to be baptized the very next day.  However, he chose not to accept.  Perhaps this was just another step closer to him making the decision.  Pray for Hno. Machado!  

I know that God has called me through His prophets to serve a mission here in Uruguay.  I know that I have been given power and authority to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, even the eternal plan of happiness that has existed since before the beginning.  Is that not an incredible privilege and honor?

Ah, there is just so much more I would love to tell you all!!!  I am getting along so well with Elder Oliver.  We are learning so much together and just having a great time too.  We have specific, achievable plans to improve this week.  I fear that he is going to leave at changes in a couple weeks and I will probably stay here, but I hope we can stay together another change!  Gladys will be able to get baptized after coming to church one more time, and the rest of her family members we are teaching will be baptized after coming to church twice.  Pray for familia Tomé!

I love you all so much and keep you in my prayers.

Major shout out to Anika, my wonderful cello student! I just got her physical letter today!!!  She is so awesome for writing me!

Much love!

--Elder Olivier

Wait on the Lord

Dear Family and Friends,

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

--Psalm 27:1, 14

This wonderful pair of scriptures has been on my mind this week.  I have been feeling absolutely wonderful in my new area with my new companion!  Elder Oliver is the best, and we get along super easily.  We are working with all our might together in unity, and we are helping each other improve.  He is super tranquilo like me, and we just work well together.  We know we are imperfect, and we are able to set that aside to focus on the Lord and His strength, and then we can focus on tackling our weaknesses together.

this week the focus of the zone was great street contacts and placing baptismal dates in the first contact.  We achieved our goal of 14 dates placed this week, and we were able to improve our contacting skills together quite a bit!  It´s hard to come up with the portion of doctrine that shall be meted out unto every man in a heartbeat when contacting some rushed person in the street, but we´re getting better at being quick, urgent, and following the spirit.  

Yikes, se me fue mi tiempo . . . . my time has left me.  Already???  Um . . . today I had to go to Montevideo to sign a visa paper -- I got to see all my CCM friends, even those in the other mission!  how fun!  

We had a miraculous contact on Saturday -- he called us over, gave us soda, and told us he wanted to be baptized!  Luis is wonderful.  He has been in jail many times and has a sad life, but we are going to start teaching him.  He came to half of church yesterday, but had to leave before sacrament meeting sadly.  Pray for him!

I am super happy!  I hope to work even harder this week and learn even more!  I am feeling comfortable but not content!  I will give everything to the Lord.

Love you all so much!!!

Elder Max Olivier

Esteeeee .... cómo es?‏

Hello everyone! ... from MINAS!!!

I have just arrived (since Friday) in Minas!  It's a beautiful city known for its "mountains" or hills.  I love it already.\\

You'll never believe who my companion is . . . Elder Oliver!!!  Hilarious, no?  He is the district leader here.  We live in a house of 4 elders, but right now 2 others are also living with us -- Elder Contreras (who was my zone leader when I first arrived) and his new missionary Elder Johnson (from Orem!).

Yikes, as usual my time escapes me, but there's so much to tell you all!

Despite the uncertainty, my last days in Florida were wonderful -- my time spent with the zone leaders there was some of the best days of my mission, because we were able to exercise faith and work hard despite not knowing what was going to happen with my companion situation.  Elder Rivera is physically completely better now and is back in Peru now. 

I witnessed so many beautiful little miracles just before leaving Florida.  We were able to find some very promising new people to teach who accepted baptismal dates!  I wish I could be around to teach them, but I know that they will progress and change and grow. 

Ugh, there's no time left to tell you just what those wonderful experiences were.  Know that I have built my faith greatly in the power of my calling, and in the ability of the Atonement to overcome all my faults and flaws and weaknesses.  I know that I have been called by God's prophet to do His work, and I am so excited and happy about that!!!!

Church in Minas was mas o menos . . . the branch needs a lot of help here, and needs new members, too.  I am eager to work more!  I still need to get to know the streets -- I'm so lost right now!  But I am excited!

Chau!\\\\\

Love you all so much!!!

Working hard and feeling the Spirit and feeling the heat!

Dear friends and family,

I have had some wonderful experiences this week, and some hard ones too.

You would not believe how HOT and HUMID it has been lately!  Wooooo!  It can be difficult at times, but I actually kinda enjoy it.  I feel like an official missionary sweating buckets and walking in the street for 6 hours. :)

My companion got very sick and had to go to the hospital on Thursday night . . . now he is recovering in a hospital in Montevideo.  I have heard that he is getting lots better, but I don`t know if or when he will return to Florida.  I am supposed to find out tonight.

On Tuesday, I had a wonderful intercambio with Elder Vazquez in my area -- I love that man!  We had a great day working to find new investigators, and we gave everything and worked really hard.  We were able to achieve our goal of the intercambio -- 3 baptismal dates placed!  I learned to improve my contacting skills and to not stress about being imperfect (heavens, how many times do I have to learn that before I will feel it deep inside?).  Hey, that`s my goal for this week!!!  I will do everything I can to feel that deep inside -- that I don`t have to be perfect, nor can I be, and that I am fine the way I am as long as I am facing the right direction and progressing.  Which I am.  Yay!

Anyways.  Wednesday night was amazing -- we encountered a wonderful miracle!  I saw a woman sitting in front of her house out of the corner of my eye, and saluted her and walked over to talk.  She immediately invited us to sit down and have a drink, and is an inactive member.  She later said that she was wondering whether to call us over from the street, and then I saluted her.  I am so glad I was able to hear the Spirit`s still small voice in that moment.  We challenged her to pray, and with her read an extract from 2 Nephi 4, and she accepted and wants to come back to church.  Then we talked with her husband (not married, not LDS), and he accepted the challenge to be baptized if he feels a response from God.  We had one other charla with them this week.  They are awesome!  They are Yenny and Martin.  She started praying again and feels a lot better, and they committed to pray as a couple and read the Book of Mormon together.

Marisol is doing well!  She really wants to be baptized, but is struggling to stop smoking.  We had an amazing lesson with her and Pte. y Hna. Martinez of our branch, and also a lesson with Hno. Oyarzabal.  She couldn`t come to church because of her job, but should be able to come next week.  The goal for her baptism is the 24th!!!  Pray for her -- she needs lots of help. :)

Well, I don`t have too much time left -- I have been loving working with my zone leader Elder Macavilca.  I have worked a bit in his area and mostly in my area.  I have been living in the zone leaders` house since my companion got sick.  He is such a Christlike missionary and I am learning tons from his very good example.  We found a couple new promising investigators yesterday, but I still have hardly anyone to teach.  I humbly ask for your prayers that I might be able to find people to teach who can progress towards baptism.  I just LOVE seeing progress in people so much!!!  I know that change is possible through the Savior!

Love you all so much!  Trust in the Lord with all your hearts -- that`s my goal for this week too, so let`s do it together!

--Elder Max Olivier

Las primeras 12 semanas ... otra vez :)

Dear family and friends,

Thank you for praying and fasting for me.  It means a lot to me!  I love you all so much.

This week was a challenge for me and my companion.  However, I am super excited to be working with Elder Rivera.  He`s a truly great guy!  I love him lots already.  I feel bad for him, though, because at times I don`t really know what to say when it`s just the two of us alone.  I want to socialize more, but it`s harder for me in Spanish, and y'all know how hard small talk is for me as it is.  But I feel like we`re getting along really well and able to share our thoughts and feelings sincerely with each other.  We will learn a lot together!

We have been working super hard since he arrived, talking to everyone and trying to find people to teach.  There`s an exciting new initiative in the Sudamerica Sur area of the church to focus entirely on the progress of people.  Now we only account for 4 key indicators: total attendance at church, baptisms & confirmations, investigators with baptismal dates, and progressing investigators.  We also choose, working with the branch president and leaders, five less-active members to work with for the month in our area.  We need to have discussions with them and with members, and we need to help them progress and come back to church.  If they don`t progress in the month, we choose new people for the next month.  We also need to talk to everyone, members and nonmembers, about the gathering of Israel and the hastening of the work.  I will need to study the gathering of Israel a bit more, but I think that`s very interesting and exciting!

Despite our grand efforts, we haven`t really found anybody new to teach.  There`s a few potentials though, so that`s good.  But our hard work paid off -- Marisol came to church!!!!!!!  She came from La Cruz with the family of Hna. Cabrera and Alejandro.  She liked it, too!  We had an amazing, brief lesson with her on Saturday about the Sabbath day, and Hna. Cabrera gave an amazing, sincere, gritty, simple, honest testimony of how coming back to church has helped her and her family.  Marisol then decided firmly to stand up against her boss and go to church despite her difficult work schedule.  So awesome!  She needs your prayers so she can continue to progress.  The next step is a baptismal date and she needs to stop smoking.

Well, yeah!  My time left, yet again!  (ps, Dad, I realized that it really is Spanish syntax!)  Love you all so much!

--Elder Max Olivier

CHANGE

Dear family and friends,

What a wonderful Christmas week it was!  I loved spending Christmas in Uruguay.  I didn´t feel homesick, which was wonderful -- I just enjoyed everything we did, and the skype call home was a happy privilege and a boost for me.  I pray that I can carry the Christmas spirit with me throughout the rest of this year, remembering my Savior and trusting in His grace.  I will take the counsel Elder Bednar gave in an MTC devotional and relish those few holidays spent here away from family -- it´s a unique experience for all of us, and therefore one to be enjoyed.

Well, my mind is somewhat scattered right now -- I can´t remember what I meant to tell you all.  I am focused on one big change:

I am training!!!!!  I am staying here in Florida, my first area, but I am now training a new missionary!  He is Elder Rivera from Peru and is a generally fantastic guy.  He arrived ready to work and did 3 contacts in the airport, even noting their addresses and everything!  So awesome.  His whole family are members.  He is 18 years old.  He seems pretty chill, and I think we will get along well.  I love him lots already.

Right now I´m in the chapel writing, because my p-day was consumed by meetings in Montevideo and meeting the new missionaries.  We have already placed one baptismal date in the street, though!  So that was good.  Nicolas, the guy we contacted, lives in the area of the sisters, though.

We need to find new people to teach, desperately!  We encountered a wonderful miracle right before Christmas in Susanna, a woman who lives in La Cruz.  She listened to the message of the restoration and showed interest, and accepted a Book of Mormon.  She was going to come to church but then cancelled. :(  Marisol and her family also cancelled. :(  She was sick.  So, once again, we just had Alejandro in church on Sunday, and he isn´t able to get baptized until he gets married, and there was some strange problem in the judicial system here, so they probably won´t even get married until march or so.  Oh well.  He´s coming to church, which is awesome!!!!!!!

This last transfer, we just had so many people fall through.  I´m excited to find and teach this transfer, and I believe we will find people who are ready to progress to baptism and confirmation.  It´s definitely intimidating to have such a big responsibility so soon.  I pray that the Spirit will help me know what to do so I can work well in the area and also help my companion.  I am going to try and focus more on faith and stop worrying about whatever weaknesses I have, because the Lord has called me to do this and His purpose is higher than I know.  He will help me.

I hope I can do it!  I ask for you prayers as I make this big jump and change.  I love you all so much and love receiving letters from you! :)

-Elder Max Olivier

Festivities, music, and lots of Christmas spirit!

Dear family and friends,

You are so wonderful -- you have no idea how great you are and how much you mean to me.  Your support, love, friendship, and acceptance of me have made me into who I am.  Thank you for being such great people and for being my friends! :)

This was a lovely week!  On Tuesday night, my companion and I took off to Montevideo, because the Assistants and President Cook were able to get a cello for me to play for a day!!!  Wednesday was our Christmas Conference, with all the Montevideo mission.  So on Tuesday, I got to rehearse the piece they had me play in!  Elder Perkins played piano and Elder Alder sang -- it was an arrangement of What Child is This.  It felt absolutely amazing to play cello again, after nearly four months of being without it!  It was also quite difficult, but I think with the help of God I produced a satisfactory and spiritually uplifting performance.  

We spent the night before the conference in the house of Elder Alder -- 8 elders live there!!!!  Their house was large, beautiful, and there was even air conditioning in the room where we slept!  What a luxury.  Unfortunately (or fortunately . . . ) there was also a scale!  I was dismayed to find that I had gained 10 pounds . . . but maybe it´s okay. ;)  Who knows.  Everyone always tells me I´m going to get fat in the mission -- it´s terribly irritating!  I refuse to do so!  When the food is pure carbs and fat, though, it can be slightly difficult . . . but I feel healthy, so I think all is well.  

People in Uruguay are oddly frank and direct -- they call people fat all the time without blushing -- I don´t think it´s even remotely offensive.  Same thing with skinny, black, white, whatever it may be -- it´s kinda funny!  Uruguayos just say it!

Anyways . . . the conference was fantastic!  We practiced in the morning.  My zone leader Elder Saavedra, who is a friend, and who also speaks the best english of any latin elder, invited me to sing with the mission choir!  It was a blast, and the songs weren´t difficult, so I was able to jump in at the last minute.  Apart from the mission choir, every zone also performed as a choir.  We heard the testimonies of the valientes (those who are going home and completing their mission) and talks from President and Sister Cook.  Then we had a lovely lunch all together and received gifts from the mission!  It was delightful.  I received English Liahonas from conference and from December -- Mom and Dad beat them to it with the conference issue!  I have loved studying the conference talks bit by bit -- the last conference was a HUGE impact in my life and I encourage you all to study the talks.  I recently read Elder Klebingat´s talk, a big favorite!  We were also given some candy, a beautiful tree of life pin made in the country, and the 1st Presidency´s Christmas card.  The whole experience was very uplifting and Christ-centered!  I love being a missionary during Christmastime -- I get to testify of Christ to everyone and share that great gift that He is.

On Thursday, we went to La Cruz with Alejandro in the morning to work on his house.  We mostly just did yardwork, which was quite nice for a change!  I love giving service, and I felt like I was actually somewhat useful, so that was good.  We spent the afternoon working there, and Hermana Cabrera (Alejandro´s wife-to-be) accompanied us for two lessons!  She has never gone out with the missionaries before.  She´s quite a character, working on getting active and getting her life in order, and she has a gift for naturally talking to people and connecting with them.  Our investigator Marisol welcomed us into her house and we were able to talk to her daughter and son who live with her!  They are wonderful.  The lesson was a bit of a struggle for me because the two grandkids were SUPER noisy and distracting most of the time, and I haven´t had to teach in many group situations like that before.  However, I felt the Spirit and did my best and know how to improve for next time.  The hilarious and ridiculous thing was that Hna. Cabrera gave Marisol a cigarette in the middle of the lesson!!!!!!!!!!  She is trying to quit smoking and has improved a lot since we arrived, but oh my!  That was a crazy moment.  We teased her about it -- she is so funny.  She said something like, "What, I´m not going to refuse her if she asks for a cigarette!"  At least she has fewer in her bag now! :)

On Friday, our little zone had a conference with President Cook and the assistants, with personal interviews with the President.  It was fantastic!!!  My faith was strengthened and I felt uplifted.  The highlight was the brief interview.  President Cook is a very loving man -- I felt very comfortable talking to him.  He told me that he is very pleased with the progress I have made in the mission and that he can tell that I have lots of love for my brothers and sisters.  It was exactly what I needed to hear to be edified and comforted.  

Saturday was the branch Christmas activity!  I played piano with the choir and the narration of the Christmas story with live nativity scene.  It was very spiritual and peaceful.  Marisol and her family came all the way from La Cruz!!!!!!!!  The branch president´s wife was able to pick them up, and the elders quorum pres. was able to take them home.  We were so excited.  We had to leave before the activity was over (without eating the food . . . oh well) because they started quite late and we had to be in the house at 9:30.

Sunday was a bit of a struggle, but an incredible experience.  No one we teach showed up to church.  Earlier in the week, we saw Paula and she is going to another church right now. :(  I think my companion has mostly given up hope on her, but I haven´t.  We must talk to her again this week.  

I will share the hard but good experience as recorded in my journal:

"No one we teach showed up to church. :(  But when we walked in, the Hnas. told us they had a surprise and that the reference they gave us from Calleros [a street] showed up to church with them!  he was a wiry old man who smelled strongly of alcohol and tobacco.  Needless to say, I was excited.  When I took a seat next to him after I played the piano, we listened to the talks.  Walter [his name] randomly got up and bid farewell to the sisters (missionaries) . . . E. Aviña signalled for us to accompany him our.  I was very confused as to why, and what was going on, but then Walter took out a cigarette outside the doors.  E. Aviña left me to speak, but I had no clue what to say in this odd, unfamiliar situation.  Eventually my companion told him not to smoke there, so he started towards the gate.  I was still left to speak and still was clueless and nervous, so I just asked questions to try and get to know him and his circumstances better.  BIG MISTAKE.  He got offended and asked if I was police, after which he stormed away.  Needless to say, I felt HORRIBLE.  It was perhaps the most crushing single moment of my mission.

"We went back in.  I didn´t understand a word of Hno. Suarez´s talk, sadly, because my heart was broken and my mind was ablaze with sadness, remorse, and self-doubt and self-destruction.  This was after taking the sacrament and feeling a certain burden of self-doubt lifted away.  But the Lord knows me perfectly and knows how to refine me with His great fire so that I can truly grow -- for this He gave me this grand trial.  Because of my weakness, my stress shot up and my brain fell into instant depression -- I destroyed myself over this great or grave error.  I don´t 100% know why.  I had actual thoughts of giving up on everything, like this mistake was the end.  I didn´t have enough faith that the Savior´s Atonement would make it all okay.  I couldn´t forgive myself for being so imperfect and having such a hard time with such a simple thing: knowing what to say, or how to naturally make small talk with someone [in Spanish!].

"Thankfully, the Savior of course succored me.  I uttered prayers of desperation in these hard moments.  It was so hard to get up and play two lively Christmas hymns when I felt so terrible with bitter tears of sorrow in my eyes.  However, I felt the Spirit coming to me through these hymns.  THen I had to offer the closing prayer!  Or, I got to -- it was a privilege and a help.  I offered one of the most earnest, sincere, heartfelt, simple prayers of my life.  I asked Heavenly Father to help us love and forgive.  After that, and after seeing INTENSE rain, I briefly expressed my feelings to E. Aviña in private, apologizing, and telling him how I felt awful and tried and failed.  He told me with love that it´s part of the mission, and not to feel bad, but to learn from the experience.  That comforted me.  He said we would take turns [doing contacts] so I could see more of how he talks to people instead of leaving every beginning up to me.  I think he saw that this is just an honest weakness I have . . . that I really do try my best, but it will take time.

"I feel like I was able to forgive myself after that and trust in Christ.  It was good because I became humbled.  I don´t really know how to get rid of all my fear -- all my self-doubt.  I don´t know what to say.  however, I can turn to God for all my support.  Now I am praying and fasting that He will help me know what to do to get rid of doubt and fear so I can replace it with faith."

As you can see, I am perhaps overly hard on myself, and I do find it difficult to forgive myself and trust myself.  I am trying to apply the wonderful teachings in Elder Klebingat´s conference talk about being spiritually self-confident.  Thoughts of inadequacy and of self-deprecation come from the adversary.  God is patient with me and He works with me.  My Savior will forgive me.  I just need to learn to forgive myself and trust myself.

Now I am feeling better. Fasting helped a TON.  I am eager to make the most of this wonderful Christmas week!  Sister Gammon said in an email that Elder Bednar gave a devotional at the MTC in which he said that we should RELISH our holidays away from our families, because the rest of our lives we can be with them.  Right now I am so happy to be serving others and focusing on Christ this Christmas!!!!!!!!!  It´s the best!

Many thanks to Mom & Dad for the package!  Also, many thanks to Grandma & Grandpa Taylor for the package of heavenly granola bars!!!!!

Love you tons!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

--Elder Max Olivier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6v-iSgCAVM&feature=youtu.be

Watch that!!!!

A grand week of work and patience! :)

Dear family and friends,

This week was utterly fantastic!  We got to do a "choque de fuerzas" two times as a district, which was super fun.  It´s when all the missionaries of our district go to one area to work together for two hours, contacting and searching for new investigators.  The spirit of unity and teamwork by doing so is delightful, and it´s always a pleasure to see and work with the amazing missionaries of my zone.  We also do it as a very brief exchange.  The first time, I got to work with zone leader extraordinaire Elder Saavedra of Peru, and the second time with district leader extraordinaire Elder Huaira, also of Peru.  The first one was in our own area!

I feel like my companion and I are getting along a lot better -- I am able to be patient with him and accept his criticisms however they are delivered.  We are working hard together, which is my favorite part!  We definitely teach well together, and pretty much always have.  That´s the most important part, I guess!  We´re continually improving.

On Friday, we got to do divisions with two young men members!  I went with Bryan, 17, of another branch.  We just did a bunch of contacts together, and it was a delight.  I felt fairly confident leading the way without my trainer, and felt really good about the work we did.  Unfortunately we didn´t find anyone who is truly ready to progress, but we did all we could.

Saturday we spent most of the day in La Cruz.  It went really well.  We taught some really good lessons and found some promising new people, but none of them came to church and a couple have already generally fallen through.  Oh well, we did our part and worked really hard!  We´ve been doing all we can these last several weeks to find new investigators, but no one is working out.  However, I don´t feel disappointed in myself, because I am doing everything I can.  It does make me a bit sad to see people fail to accept the blessings of the gospel, but not too sad -- how can I be sad when I am preaching the gospel of Christ to the people? :)  I absolutely love testifying of Christ and bringing peace, hope, and joy into the lives of those who have little.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that through Him we can improve in this life and leave behind our sins.  I know that His Atonement is enough for us.

I have been learning so much more about the continuous power and grace of the Atonement!  Even so, I am finding that I still struggle at times.  I make lots of mistakes, it is true!  And my companion lets me know, which can be hard at times -- he gets frustrated when I don´t progress quickly enough, and of course so do I.  But I am being patient with myself (and with him), and I am improving every day.  I find it difficult to be kind to myself, especially when I make mistakes, but I lean on Heavenly Father through constant prayer, and my spirits are high.  I just need to learn even more how to love me . . . .  But I´m getting there!

We had a powerful discussion with Paula on Saturday night!  She was our only hope for someone who would actually come to church, and therefore be able to be baptized by the end of this month.  The Spirit was strong -- she has truly progressed.  Her boyfriend left her house this week, which is very good, because they were not getting along, not keeping the commandments, . . . . . . . it was just a generally bad situation, but now she is really progressing spiritually!!!!  And she came to church on Sunday with her 3 sons!  YAAAAAYYYYYYY it was so happy.  She is planning to be baptized on the 27th!  We have another lesson with her on Wednesday night, and our fantastic RS Pres., Hna. Luengo, will accompany us.

Paula was the miracle of this week.  Pray for her!  I look forward to working hard this week.  I love you all so much.  Shout out to Mom for her amazing package, and to Jessie who RAN A MARATHON and COMPLETED IT!!!!!!  OH my gosh that´s awesome.  

Love!

--Elder Max Olivier