learning every day

Hey y´all

I feel like I should have a lot to tell you . . . but time flies by and blurs together so much I´m not quite sure what happened this week! ;)  But I have been loving it!

I am learning so much every day.  I am so lucky to have such an amazing companion as Elder Oliver -- he is so real, so funny, and so efficient.  He helps me grow every day, and I love having companionship study with him because we always set goals and plans to improve, and then we actually do something about it!  It is a great way to live.  It´s definitely a process though. 

I had a really good wake-up call and a reminder that YES it is a process to repent, improve, and become more like Christ.  I was feeling stressed because of all that is expected of me -- as a zone leader, as a missionary . . . just everything, you know!  And I was feeling worried and inadequate.  But then a couple days ago I read this absolutely fantastic talk by Elder Gong: https://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/07/young-adults/becoming-perfect-in-christ?lang=eng

I already sent it to several of you but I must include it here again because it is so awesome!  I learned that I don´t have to stress out so much about being imperfect, and that being perfect DOES NOT mean never making mistakes.  It means coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him over a time and through a process which is all of mortal life.  We should just trust in His love, His Atonement, His mercy and grace, freely given to all those who live the gospel.  Then we can free ourselves of fears and just be happy.  I still have a lot more to learn and apply, but it´s coming along!  I am working to overcome my perfectionist nature, keeping the good part of those desires and throwing out the unrealistic expectations.

So, the coolest stuff that happened this week were:

1. Intercambios.  I had a couple of lovely exchanges with our district leader Elder Morales in his area and then yesterday one with Elder Delgado the financer in my area.  It was great!  I learned from each missionary wonderful things, as always.  Mostly, I learned to be a more confident leader, and to be more natural and calm in all my interactions with people.  Well, I learned that I should do that -- actually doing it will take time. :)

2. Tomas!  We started teaching this amazing menos activo named Tomas who has lived all over the world, speaks several languages, and is just a really interesting and nice guy.  He lives alone in his apartment on a major street.  But the craziest part: when we showed up to teach him, he immediately started speaking ENGLISH to us!!  We taught the whole lesson in English, and he wants to practice his english with us always.  He speaks very well.  The Spirit was different and so powerful teaching in my native language, which I had never really done before.  I love teaching him.  We have had two lessons.  After the lesson yesterday, he gave us a gift!  He gave us two old ties that used to be his dad´s (who died quite a few years ago).  He also . . . . . . . . gave us underwear.  I was surprised and tried not to laugh.  He doesn´t know anything about the endowment and wearing temple garments, but whatever!  The thought was nice! HAHAHA.

Anyways.  My time is over.  But know that I love you.  Don´t expect to be perfect now!  Trust in the merits of Christ, not your own!  

I love you all so much!

--Elder Max Olivier

Hello again!

Dearest family and friends,

I am writing again because my p-day is now saturday.  yay!  We live with the office elders and the assistants who all have p-day on saturday, so we do too.  I like it already.  We are getting along fabulously as a companionship and as a house, so I am very excited for this change.  This zone seems super awesome.  We had our first zone meeting yesterday, which was simple but very sweet.  I love the missionaries in our zone and I think we will get a lot done this change.  It was strange to be directing a zone meeting for the first time, but it was honestly easier than conducting a district meeting.  

I have a lot to learn about being a zone leader.  There are a lot of missionaries to think about -- we are 20 in the zona Este.  There are also some unique challenges in the zone, for example it is different working with the office elders who often struggle to get out and work in their area.

There are definitely some sweet little perks with being here: the house is awesome, Montevideo is really cool, we live right next to the mission offices and about 15 minutes away from the temple and mission home.  We went to the temple this morning!!! That was a very special treat.  We may be able to do that frequently early saturday mornings.  

Montevideo is SO DIFFERENT!!!  It is a big city.  We are in whitewash because the assistants took over the area where my companion was and tossed us into Barrio 9.  It´s about a 25 minute walk away or something like that -- maybe more.  Street contacting is almost impossible in many parts because we have some VERY busy roads in our area.  Just look up Avenida Italia, Batlle y Ordóñez, 8 de Octubre, Comercio on Google maps and you´ll have an idea.  I love the area, though!!!  It is super cool.  We have a big red zone that we cannot enter at night because it is fairly dangerous.  There are fairly frequent robberies in Montevideo.  

The focus in the mission is changing so that we can work more effectively in the Lord´s work of salvation.  We are going to work much better and more closely with the members.  That is especially necessary here in Montevideo where street contacts just aren´t really effective, usually.  We have been going around and meeting the members, especially the leaders, in the ward.  This is a very amazing ward.  I LOVE all the members we have met so far.  They are SO COOL and so willing to magnify their callings.  We, as the full-time missionaries, are called to help the members do missionary work, not the other way around.  When that is what happens, we have success.

We haven´t really been able to work in our area much, because we had a baptismal interview yesterday (as well as the zone meeting!) and Wednesday was changes and today is p-day.  It´s kinda lame because we won´t be able to go to church in our ward tomorrow.  The city has appropriated the chapel for voting, so we will be traveling to Aeroparque for church, where my companion started his mission.  That will be fun, but it is super lame because we don´t get to meet all the members in church until next week.  On monday we will finally be able to start working full days in our area.  Yay!

I am just so darn excited to be back with Elder Oliver.  He is such a great guy and an amazing missionary.  We have a goal to be a consecrated companionship.  I am very happy to be here in zona este, although I am intimidated by my assignment as zone leader.  It will be good.  I still have so much to learn in how to do the missionary work effectively and how to be an effective leader, but I am loving it already.

I ask for your hopeful continued prayers and thank you for all your love and support and writings. :)

Love,

Elder Max Olivier

random funnies:

1. There is an investigator in this area who is generally known as "the prophetess" because she is kinda crazy and thinks she´s a prophet.  She randomly sent us two super strange text messages.  Should be interesting to eventually meet her!

2. In our zone conference, we asked each companionship to introduce each other and decide what animal their companion would be.  It was SO FUNNY.  Elder Oliver and I both said that the other would be a fox, without planning it!  Now he is making a roster of our zone with animal pictures.  So cute and so funny!!! 

:)

A week of little miracles

Dearest family and friends,

Yay for today!  Yay for the chance to live and grow and move and breathe and work!  Yay for a God who constantly watches over us and loves us and gives us life!

This was a great week.  I was kinda feeling tired and stressed because we have a ton going on, and I am getting a little tired from doing so much all the time, but my companion´s good humor and patience has helped me out a lot.  I am loving the work so much right now.  We are really blessed with a lot of investigators with a lot of potential right now!!!

On tuesday I had an intercambio with my zone leader Elder Mendenhall.  I learned from him to make friendship be almost the first priority in every contact, lesson, and interaction we have with people.  He is full of charisma and love, and a great teacher.  

We taught the restoration to a recent convert´s sister who is a firm catholic and it went really well -- she understood perfectly, but now it has been super hard to get another lesson with her.  We will see her this week, somehow!  

Right after, we had a great contact.  A little girl had previously told me and my companion to pass by her house because her sister wanted a Bible.  I went with Elder Mendenhall and we talked to the mom, Gladys.  She opened up to us and told her about her sad life story, her divorce, her depression, and her desire to come closer to God.  She accepted a Book of Mormon and a return visit, as well as a baptismal invitation.  When we went to visit her again, she wasn´t there, and the next day we found out that she had attempted suicide.  We should finally see her today.  I can´t believe how many people actually attempt suicide -- it is super sad. Thankfully Yanci seems to be doing a lot better now and she hasn´t attempted again.  We also have two other potential investigators who have attempted.  :(  These people need the light, hope, and happiness of the restored gospel now!

Elder Mendenhall stayed the night and he and I went to Montevideo the next day for the mission choir practice.  I think it went well -- it was actually really short!  It is not sure whether I will actually get to play the piano or if it will be the guy from the other mission, but if I don´t play I will sing, so I am happy and excited either way.  Tomorrow we will have the two-mission conference with Elder Oaks!!!  yay!!!  we´re going to estaca flores in the other mission, so that will be cool.

We have a lovely new investigator named Esperanza Ilusión (Hope Illusion) (!!) who is a super cute old grandma who lives with some family members.  Despite her considerable age, she understands the gospel very well.  She read 3 Nephi 11 in the Book of Mormon and had a great spiritual experience and understood the chapter perfectly.  She wants to be baptized.  She will come to church this sunday, but needs a ride to get there.  What a great person she is!!

On Thursday, I went to Pan de Azúcar to interview a baptismal candidate of the hermanas in the district.  wow!  What a spiritual experience!  When President Cook told me I would be a district leader in my interview with him a while ago, he commented to me that: Isn´t it amazing that all through the world, if someone wants to join the true church, they have to go through a young man of only 19 or 20 years of age?  This is a huge trust that the Lord has given to me.  I prepared as best as I could and memorized the questions.  I think the interview went well. I felt the Spirit of discernment powerfully and in a very different way.  I felt that she was prepared for baptism, despite not perfectly knowing or understanding everything (duh, no one will).  I could see a light in her eyes, and I could see her as a member of the church.  I could feel that she has repented and changed. She will be baptized this coming saturday!

Ana is doing really well!  The plan is to have her baptism this sunday after church!!!  I wish I had time to go into more detail on her.  She is such a wonderful and peculiar person!  I just love her to death.  She is kinda quirky and funny, but she understands the gospel and is reading the Book of Mormon.  I´m not sure if she has a testimony of the restoration yet, and we still need to teach her all of lesson 4 and 5 this week (!) but we plan to work hard with her and with the members so she can be ready for baptism this sunday.  She came to stake conference with us yesterday!!!  This Sunday will be her third time attending church.  She really wants to be baptized and wants to change her life, and she seems genuinely committed.  Pray for her a lot!! :)

Stake conference was lovely.  Our stake president is super amazing.  the choir sounded nice too! :)  I can´t wait for the conference with Elder Oaks tomorrow!!!

I love you all so much and thank you for your continual support,

--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! ;)

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

"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