A great week for service! :)

Dearest,

What a week!

Last monday: not p-day, but we don´t have scheduled lunches with members on mondays.  However, a fantastic family in our branch just randomly decided to offer us lunch!  So generous.

Tuesday we played volleyball at the branch activity!  We miraculously found a net and ball.  The local volleyball coach loaned us a net after we called like 5 different people while talking to someone at the municipal gym behind our house.  Woo!

Wednesday we set a goal to have 3 lessons per hour.  We need to find new people to teach, and we hadn´t been doing a very good job of talking to everyone.  So we truly talked to everyone on Wednesday, basically the whole day.  I don´t think we had any fixed lessons, so we just knocked doors and proselyted!  woo!  The day passed slowly, but it was a great experience.  We achieved a lot that day -- not quite 3 per hour, but with good reason -- we had some quality little lessons and found some interesting people who can progress.  We learned that an investigator we had only talked to once just died!  Oh  my.  We knew she was old and sick, and we had passed by many times to no avail.  The first time we met Laura García, she told us she was looking for the true church of God and didn´t know where to find it.  She was super open to the message of the Restoration!  I am sure she is accepting the gospel in the spirit world now.  We were able to talk with her sister a bit and testify of eternal life and comfort her.  Very interesting!

Thursday was another awesome day of talking to everyone.  Our old investigators are kinda falling through right now, but we are finding some new people.

Friday we moved a bunch of furniture from a member´s upstairs apartment down below --- it was awesome!!!  You should have seen the mad staircase we had to climb and descend with heavy stuff.  It was basically the best.

Saturday we went to Alejandro´s house in La Cruz again to help him build it!  However, this time was less useful than last time.  He has a new car that is cualquier choripan . . . I have some awesome pictures but the computer doesn´t like them.  It is slow, has a radiator that consumes water and angrily steams and explodes while driving, and it is basically awesome.  :) :).

(my reaction to his car)

Sunday was fantastic.  We had a dream charla with an investigator of gold.  He is Emanuel, 17 years old, and has an incredibly sincere desire to learn truth and be baptized.

So much more to say.  I love this church!  It is truly the Church of Jesus Christ.  He is our Savior.  Trust Him.  Love Him.  Know that God is real.  I love you all!

--Elder Max Olivier

A busy, interesting week! :)

Dear Family and Friends,

I love you all!  I know I don´t always send this to everyone . . .so I hope everyone ends up receiving it! :)

Tuesday I had a great intercambio (exchange?) with Elder Huaira, my district leader.  It was the second intercambio in which I had to stay in the area and thus direct the work.  I was more comfortable this time, and it went pretty well!  We didn´t have any seated, fixed discussions, which is always a bummer, but we made some good contacts and felt the Spirit.  We also did the branch activity.

Thursday we had the conference of the 2 missions!!!  (Us, and the Montevideo West mission.)  Elder Craig C Christensen of the presidency of the 70 came.  It was such a fantastic experience.  We got to hear from the 2 mission presidents and their spouses, along with an area authority and his wife.  Elder and Sister Christensen both speak amazing Spanish.  I learned a ton, but the general ambience of the meeting was one of joy.  I learned to let the Spirit into my heart so I can rejoice in the work and be happy.  He talked about the nature and importance of our missionary calling.  I feel so excited and privileged to be a missionary.  It´s not the easiest calling, but it is so rewarding, and I am growing and changing so much, so positively -- especially in a spiritual way.  My testimony has become so much stronger, and I am able to recognize the Spirit more easily than before, because I am focused on doing so and on fortifying myself and others with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, a couple Elder Aviña taught was sealed in the temple!!!!  We were able to go to the endowment session and their sealing right after.  I have never been to a temple sealing before.  It was SO HAPPY and so special.  I didn´t have to know them to feel their love.  It was amazing to see people achieve the goal of an eternal family.  I felt the Spirit in a joyous, powerful way that was entirely new to me.  When their two little kids came in . . . let´s just say that I almost lost it.  :)  So beautiful!  I am so grateful that my parents were sealed in the temple and that my family can live together forever.  I testify of that fact often! :)

TONS more happened this week.  But . . . Sunday was great!  I always love going to church here and partaking of the sacrament.  There are so many incredible members.  We got to hear from the branch president and the district president because it was branch conference.  What powerful talks they gave!  That night, we were able to go out contacting with our good friend Frederico Ladereche.  He just returned from his mission in Brazil and is a wonderful guy and a great missionary.  He helps us out often.  

Well, chau!  Time is over.  I am loving the work, learning tons, and meeting many amazing people.  thanks for your prayers -- I feel the support from home when I need it.  Love you all!!!

--Elder Max Olivier

MILAGROS

Dear family and friends,

What a week of miracles.  Saturday was the grandest miracle I have witnessed.  

Monday I felt homesick for the first time.  I don´t know why.  I just had a bad attitude.  But getting back into the joyous work made me feel lots better.

Tuesday I woke up sick . ..  I still am.  That´s been a drag.  Yep.  But I worked through it and had a fantastic day because I was eager to get back to work.

Wednesday my companion fell ill . . . he reacted badly to chorizo that members fed us.  We had to go home early.  I used the time to clean, read, and ponder.  He got better quickly, thankfully!  I was really worried for him, but all was well.

Thursday we traveled to Montevideo to have a meeting with President and all the new missionaries and their trainers!  On the bus back, I taught two kids who live in our area . . . they are so sad.  They both use drugs and smoke.  They´re only 12 and 14.  :(

Friday was zone conference and TONSSSSSSSS of walking.  I just about died.  But I was happy!

Saturday we had the opportunity to take Maria Eugenia and her young siblings who are members, along with Jaqueline (a less-active) and Alejandro (boyfriend of hermana Cabrera), to the TEMPLE!!!!  It was so special and spiritual to introduce the temple to these wonderful investigators.  There we had an incredible miraculous experience.  My companion and I were able to go into the celestial room to pray for about 15 minutes.  In there, he told me that he had the impression to invite Maru (Maria Eugenia) to be baptized that very day.  I instantly felt a powerful confirming witness.  We have been teaching her, but she told us she would not be baptized because she doesn´t think she can keep the law of chastity with her boyfriend.  She asked us not to bring up baptism again.  That was some weeks ago.  She understood the law of chastity and wanted to live it, but decided not to at that time.  However, she is reading the book of mormon, praying, and going to church!  She is super amazing.  She is the one whose father killed her mother, and she is in charge of her little siblings now like a mom.

We did what the Lord commanded.  We invited her to be baptized just outside the temple while the others walked to the car.  I testified, and told her that she is special daughter of God and that baptism was His will for her.  She got teary and accepted the invitation!  She said she was praying in the waiting room for many answers, and that this was the answer to all her questions, though not really the one she expected.  There was already a baptismal service that night for a girl from a part-member family.  I was able to baptize Maru that night!  It was such a powerful experience.  She is such an amazing daughter of God.  The service was incredibly spiritual ... everyone felt the spirit very strongly.  She was ready for baptism and needed it, and now she will be blessed so greatly.  She is going to tell her boyfriend this tuesday or wednesday and either leave him or live the Law with him and bring him into the church!

My time is short.  So many small miracles led to this great one . . . I wish I could tell you all of them now, but I must stop writing.  I love you all so much and I thank you for your prayers, love, support, and friendship with one so imperfect as I.  I am feeling great right now and loving the work and learning every day.  Bye!

--Elder Max Olivier

Reunión de oros.  Me with Elder Carroll, my wonderful district leader and a best friend in the CCM, and other good friend from CCM Elder Bauer.  It was so nice to see everyone from the CCM again.  They are wonderful!

¡¡¡EMANUEL FUE BAUTIZADO!!! :)‏

Dear family and friends,

This week was so fantastic.  The obvious highlight was Saturday!!!  Emanuel and Iara (daughter of Hermana Maria Jose Cabrera, a less-active member) were both baptized!!!!!!  I was able to baptize Emanuel and on Sunday I was able to confirm Iara.  

At the baptismal service, it was like a happy dream.  I felt the Spirit so strongly and peacefully in a way I have never felt it before.  Emanuel is such an amazing person, and the Lord truly prepared him for us before we arrived.  All we had to do was teach him and help him make commitments.  He truly made a lifelong covenant with God on Saturday, and the incredible gift of the Holy Ghost will help him keep that covenant his whole life.  I feel so privileged to know him, and to have had the chance to baptize him.  The whole service was very happy and peaceful.  I have never felt the Spirit in such an exuberant, constant, joyous fashion before.  I couldn´t wipe the smile off my face.  Seeing the members and families that attended the service was so special and exciting!!!

The Sunday service was also very special.  Seeing the two new members of the church was just fantastic, and the Spirit was strong during their confirmations.  I am SOOO grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  It is a grand blessing that we don´t fully appreciate, but we have it, and we can always learn more about how to recognize and follow the Spirit.  Indeed, He can help us in every single aspect of our lives.  I am learning to trust that guidance more and more, but it is difficult to discern at times.  However, the Spirit is always available to us as long as we are worthy and listening and seeking and acting.

Emanuel wants to get married to his girlfriend!!!  We shall help them make plans to go to the temple together.  Maria Jose Cabrera also wants to get married to her boyfriend!!!!  He sat in on our last discussion with her family, and his interest in the church is slowly growing.  These two beautiful couples need to go to the temple!!!  They will be so blessed.  We shall do all we can to help them make that a goal.

Church was also amazing because of who showed up.  Maria Eugenia came!!!  She even bore her testimony!!!  She is progressing, and it is amazing.  I was humbled when she thanked us at the pulpit for helping her to progress by reading the scriptures and praying.  I think she wants to be baptized, she just has to figure out what to do with her boyfriend.  We shall continue visiting her periodically.

So much more to write, but my time is spent.

Curiosities:

1. fireflies!  I have never seen them before.  Very beautiful.

2. Frogs!  Everywhere!  Squished flat in the street by cars!

3. I met a Mennonite from California who barely speaks Spanish!  What??!!

4. much more, but no time . . .

photos from Oct. 31 - Nov. 3

Elder Aviña and I about to go out in the heavy rain!  My rain gear works very well.  The rain is crazy and beautiful here!!! (We think he looks very tan for an Olivier!)

La bandera Uruguaya -- from today, at a tiny uninteresting museum

A curious breakfast sandwich given by the members of the bakery.  

The food here is good, but strangely bland and always fatty.  There´s lots of milanesa (thin, fried meat), rice, eggs, fideas con tuco (noodles with sauce and meat), and other stuff that I don´t have names for.  Uruguay has a strange obsession with mayonesa (can´t remember how to spell that in english) -- they use it with almost everything in somewhat large quantities.  Also: Dulce de leche is fantastic and everywhere.  And alfajores are delightful and truly dangerous.  They´re like an oreo from heaven, but not macarons . . . they´re cheaper and bigger, but quite good.