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

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