Becoming a Man of the Priesthood, Instead of a Boy with the Priesthood

I got your letters on Friday! The letters you sent on the 16th. They made my flippin' day. I love getting letters from mis hermanos. Thank you so much, Porter, Landon, Regan, Turner, and Cooper! You are the best!

Anyways, this week was great. Elder Rodríguez and I are teaching more effectively than ever, and teaching more than ever as well. We are getting along perfectly, and I have been speaking Spanish a lot more. It is basically 50-50 Spanish and English between us. Give me another month and a half, and I will be able to speak nearly fluently. I really am working as hard as I can to learn the language, because I don't know how good the Spanish will be for my next companion, whenever that change is made.

So, update on L, the Supermodel. We postponed her baptism, because they want to get married first. But, the paperwork is going to take a minimum of 15 days to do, because F wasn't empadronized yet. BUT, she still really wants to get baptized, and they are living the commandments to the best of their ability.  This week we had a funny experience. We went to their house for a lesson (as usual) and saw an air mattress on the floor downstairs. That is F's bed until they get married.

The 12 week program (training for new missionaries) has been going great. I am learning so much from Preach My Gospel and the District. We watched some videos this week on how to teach commandments, and it was perfect! Because we were going to teach those same commandments to people in similar situations that same week. I was able to fulfill the checkpoint of teaching multiple commandments in a lesson to an investigator this week. It was great. Elder Rodríguez and I have been praying more sincerely for our investigators. Studying for them. Learning for them. We have seen the results of that labor. Our investigators are all softening their hearts towards the message of the restoration.

I have learned so much from my reading of the Book of Mormon as well. Everyday, I find something in the chapters that I read that applies directly to the concerns and doubts that our investigators have, as well as my own doubts and concerns. I am surprised at how relatively little I know, when it comes to the Book of Mormon, and other scriptures. I have studied very hard throughout my life to read and learn, but when it comes to scriptures, I have a lot I need to improve on. Elder Rodríguez impresses me every day, with his knowledge of the scriptures. His mastery of the language, and ability to tailor our message towards the needs of the people. He is the best trainer in the world. I love him so much. He really has taught me more than I possibly could have imagined, and everyday, I learn more and more how to become a Man of the Priesthood, instead of a Boy with the Priesthood. He is so sincere, and is always helping me better myself, even if it isn't how I wanted to better myself.

The reading we are doing as a mission in the Book of Mormon is awesome. I am in Mosiah, reading about Abinidi, and his determination to declare repentance to the people. That is what we are here for. Elder Rodríguez and I have been stressing the importance of true repentance to everybody we teach. Every lesson. It is working miracles. They are feeling the spirit manifest the truth of our message through feelings of peace, joy, and a simple state of 'just knowing'.

A side note, I am reading the Book of Mormon in both languages (for those of you who didn't know) Spanish and English. Side by side. It is a lot more work, but I have seen my Spanish improve leaps and bounds since General Conference. 

And talking about Spanish improving, There is a guy in our ward, his name is Cristu. It is the Bulgarian version of Christofer, I believe. He didn't speak any Spanish 4 weeks ago, and we all needed Google translate to communicate with him. He has been really struggling with learning Spanish, because he is only here to work, and doesn't have time to study, time to sit down and learn what the heck is going on. But for some reason, he didn't bring his Book of Mormon in Bulgarian when he moved here. He has been reading his Spanish. I say reading, but it is more like looking at a bunch of letters and turning a page. So, we ordered some Bulgarian BoMs from the Mission Office, and yesterday I gave him a copy at church. The look on his face when he saw it was of utmost relief, gratitude, and brotherly love. I don't think anybody has looked at me so sincerely grateful for something. I love that guy. He taught me how to read the letters of his alphabet, and some simple communication, so in the future, he can have somebody to talk to.

And acting in the capacity as one set apart to act in Christ's place, I promised him that if he would read the Bulgarian BoM and Spanish BoM (in the same manner as I am doing my reading), that he will be able to speak and communicate sooner, and more effectively.

I am seeing miracle after miracle here. They aren't big things, but they are the simple tender mercies of the Lord that he has placed in my life. 

The new people in our zone are awesome. We have great diversity of people. It's not just a bunch of middle class white people from Utah. Places of origin: Chile, Ecuador, France, Nigeria, Arizona, Texas, Utah, Oregon, California. It's pretty cool.

The new Elders and Hermana in our district are super cool. They are going to get work done.

The Cosecha that I mentioned earlier, is a harvest. All the missionaries from Cartegena and Murcia Zones got together in Cartegena and a little pueblo called San Pedro, and went on splits with the members in that area. It is called a harvest because of the sheer number of future investigators that are received in one day. The zone leaders in Cartegena have their work cut out for them, because we worked in their area the whole time.

Oh, and don't feel too pressured to send me peanut butter. I found some for cheap. Real, 'murican, peanut butter. The American family in the word here is an Air Force family, and the kind Sister M said that she would buy me 2 Costco sized things of peanut butter. Which should last quite a while. It will only cost me about 7€ too!   yay, ¡muy barato!

The ward has teamed up with us now. We are working together. We have an awesome mission plan, and our goal is by the end of this transfer (4 more weeks) we will have so much missionary work to do, that President Deere will need to send another companionship to Torrevieja. 

Anyways, I love you all, keep up the hard work, and show the world what you can do.

¡Os quiero muchisimo!

Elder Hayden Oliver

PS. Congrats on the mission calls Andrew Reay and Jennifer Hochstrasser!

Hayden with President Deere and another Elder, he didn't give me enough info!  

Changing the Course of my Mission for the Better

Any color you want, as long as it's white!

 

I thought I had told you about our investigator, the Supermodel. We have been teaching her since my first week here in Torrevieja, and she has more faith than I have seen in just about anybody else. She has a baptismal date set for the 26th of October.

She reads in her Book of Mormon EVERY day, and always has great questions, and we have had some great discussions about all sorts of things.

This week we taught her the law of chastity. She kicked her boyfriend out of the bedroom, and he sleeps downstairs on the sofa.

We taught her the Word of Wisdom. She gave us a bag with all her cigarettes and coffee so that we could throw it away for her. (I'll send the pick tomorrow, Elder R forgot his camera today)

She and her boyfriend are trying to figure out a way to live separately right now, so that she can be baptized this Saturday.

And he (the boyfriend) is progressing as well. He has been talking to the Bishop, and they're going to start working together to clean him up. He is an awesome guy.

It has been difficult getting along with Elder R this week. There were little things I was doing and little things he was doing that drove each other crazy. But, after a rather painful discussion in a dark alley Saturday night, we both ended up crying, man-hugging it out, and going on to teach together that night better that we have ever taught. I think that talk may have changed the course of my mission for the better.

However, despite difficulties getting along with him, I had never stopped admiring how well he could teach people, and what a great example he is to me. I love him like a brother.

Last week, Elder Read, Elder Avilés and Hermana Lovell were transferred out of our zone. It was hard for them to go, because they had all been in Cartegena for about 6 months, but they are replaced with some new missionaries from all over the world. Utah, France, and Some country in Africa. It's exciting to see how the dynamics of the zone will change.

 

 

 

There are all sorts of wonderful things happening with the work here in Spain. We are finding more new investigators every week that we ever have. We are baptizing more sons and daughters of God than ever before. We are bringing those lost sheep back to the fold, and watching as people accept the atonement of Jesus Christ, and change their lives for the better. The kingdom of God on Earth is strong in Spain. Next year, we're going to work even harder. 

This week has been crazy. We have had a full schedule, every day of the week, every evening. We have been teaching families. We have a few individual investigators, but we like to try and teach the entire family if possible.

I found a violin! There is a shop that has a violin for 120€, which is totally worth it, in my opinion. Next week, I may send you a video of me and Elder R jamming out to some hymn. We'll have to figure out a musical arrangement for Sacrament Meeting.

It feels weird that I only have 2 weeks left of being 18. Holy moly, I'm getting old.

For my birthday, I would like all our investigators to get baptized.

Now for things that I can actually get for my birthday.

   Um, have Porter and Brodie go to Goodwill and buy the sweetest ties that they can find. I would like a few more skinny ties. I trust Porter's judgment. Letters, pictures, videos of everybody telling me how they are, what is going on in their life (under 3 minutes each though) and that doesn't have to be just family. If you want to send me a quick update on how your life is, send it to my Mom! I would love to hear from you.

  Also, sheet music. Make copies, and send it to me, of all sorts of different things. Or scan it and dropbox it to me.

  Anything else, just use your discretion... If they happen to sell peanut butter for really cheap on Amazon, remember me. They don't sell peanut butter here... And I used to live off of that stuff.

Other that that, I don't thing much else has happened. Or I have forgotten it. 

If I remember, I will tell you next week.

Anyways, I love you all, keep up the great work, and do all you can to become the very best you can be!

¡Os quiero mucho!

Élder Oliver

Baptismal date!

¡Hola!

First, to answer your questions.

Elder R is from Quito, Ecuador. I'm not sure where that is in relation to Simon Bolivar.  However, he has lived in Madrid for most of his life. 

I just remembered this, The MTC President in Madrid opened up the mission when he was 19 that Austin is serving in!

We watched General Conference delayed, except for the morning sessions, which we watched in the evening. We just streamed it off of the internet, so we had some difficulties in getting it all to work properly.

Yes, I would like it if you would continue printing out the messages from my friends and mailing them to me. That is one of the highlights of my evenings.

Now, most importantly...

Do you remember our investigator, the supermodel? Well. She has a baptismal date, for the 26th of October!!! We are so excited. She totally has a desire to be baptized, because she said she will move out separate from her boyfriend so that she could be ready to be baptized. She has so much faith, and she really wants this for her family. Eventually, they will get married (hopefully), and then go to the temple, where they can be sealed together for time and all eternity.

Secondly. Elder R and I are staying together for this transfer, luckily. I still have 6 weeks left of my training, and he hasn't been in T***** very long either, so we were almost definitely going to stick together. However, 6 weeks from now, when my training is over, chances are one of us will get transfered, and maybe both. Hopefully not though.

We had stake conference this Sunday. It was really good, and it was in a really cool building that was all super modern. I learned a lot. 

I love how I can see my progress out here. My Spanish has improved leaps and bounds, and I can teach with confidence. Which means, improved ability to teach clearly and with the Holy Spirit. We now have 5 progressing investigators, and we think that we may be able to challenge them (and have them accept) to baptism. They really are wonderful people, all of them. 

To Trevor N, frequently when I am talking to the Elders that have been out for a while, your name comes up. Sounds to me like you were quite a beast out here in Spain. I have only ever heard great things about you.

And like Trevor told me before I left, I am teaching mostly non-Spanish people. In T*******, most of the people seem to be Columbian, or Ecuadorian, or English. Maybe it's just because the Españoles don't want to talk to us.

I have been sleeping better lately. I like the schedule here. We get a break during the middle of the day, because everybody else in the whole country does too. It's pretty nice.

This next week will be even better than last week, just as every week has been. My testimony of the Gospel, and the power of the Atonement in people's lives has really been strengthened. 

I love you all, and I love hearing from you, by email, or by letters.

Os quiero mucho,

Elder Oliver

ps. To my cousins, thank you for the letters! I love them! I'll write you back as soon as I have time.

Videos

No pictures from Spain this week, but two new videos!  

Communicating Through the Spirit

This week has been better than last week. That is for sure. And this week has also been quite rough. 

During the journey to Málaga with the other missionaries that were getting their DNIs, I read like, a bajillion pages in Jesus the Christ. Holy moly that book is fantastic. I learn so much from it every time I read it. Later that day, at the mission home, I had a great chat with President Deere regarding faith and courage to act, and I feel stronger because of it. Everybody was on a spiritual high that evening, and the next morning we had a lot of time to study and hang out (we didn't have any of our proselyting stuff) because we had a lot of extra time. I got my residency, and I am now Empadronized in Torrevieja. That's pretty cool.

However, when I got back from Málaga, my week took a dive. I don't know why. I became very irritable and silly, unimportant things made me angry, to the point where I wanted to leave my companion in Cartegena. I don't know why I was so grumpy. I wasn't thinking of his needs, service, let alone Christ-like love towards him. I recognized that I was being a doofus on Friday, and I was really trying to overcome those mean-spirited thoughts. Luckily, he and I had a great chat and talked about everything that had been on our minds. It is difficult with the language barrier. Many things we say to each other sound a little offensive, just because we are translating too literally. So, we decided to just shrug it off, and get to work.

The Germknödel was awesome. I loved it. The German lady that made them for us has been struggling with her testimony of the Book of Mormon. She has a testimony of the plan of Happiness, Jesus Christ as our Savior, Joseph Smith, Thomas S Monson, and so many other things, but it just hadn't been confirmed to her that the Book of Mormon is the word of God as well. So, last week, we found a verse while studying specifically for her,

 Doctrine and Covenants 6:23.  

She thought a testimony was exclusively a burning in the heart. She didn't know that feelings of peace were confirmations of the Spirit, but when we identified her feelings as she reads the Book of Mormon, we read her this verse, and her face lit up. She seriously smiled bigger that I have ever seen any person in the whole wide world smile. It made my life. Seeing how happy she was made me so extremely happy, I can't even describe it. She turned to her husband, and spoke excitedly, joyously, in the fastest German I have ever heard, describing to him how she now knows that she knows it is true.

We also had a great lesson with Standip and Pini, the Indian couple. It is extremely difficult to communicate with them, because their English is terrible, and their Spanish is worse, so we leave the communication to the Spirit. We taught them about baptism, and the neccessity of baptism through proper authority. He had initially refused to be baptized a ''second time'', but as the Spirit entered into the room, we began to warm up to the idea, because it isn't a second baptism, it is the first. A baptism is not Baptism without being performed the proper way, and by a man holding the Priesthood of God. 

The next step is to get them interested in the Gospel, not because they want a Church-marriage as well as their legal marriage, but because their faith in Jesus Christ will develop into a desire to repent, and after, enter into the waters of Baptism.

Every time we teach, no matter which language we are using, Elder Rodríguez really amazes me. He is always so close to the spirit, so sensitive to the things he should say. I really want to become like that, but it takes a lot of spiritually intense practice. He is seriously the best trainer I could possibly have. That dude rocks.

We watched conference in the Chapel here. They set it up on a projector, and listened to it in Spanish. I was the only English speaker for 2 sessions, and since I can't be alone, I found a way to listen in English.

We have a translation set here, a microphone and a bunch of wireless headphones that are linked to the microphone (which are usually used in translating for the English speakers of the ward). I used the computer in the other room to play the audio of general conference (had I streamed the video it would have been really choppy for everybody), set the microphone next to the speakers, put on the headphones, and went and sat in the chapel. It was perfect. I was surrounded by the members of the ward, and I was hearing the conference in English! I love hearing the voices of the Prophet and Apostles. I know those guys are inspired.

I really loved Dallin H Oaks' talk. He laid down the line, and anybody that takes offense to what he said should probably consider why they are getting offended, and see if their opinions are in harmony with the will of the Lord (which it won't be, if they are offended). The Lord establishes doctrine and structure for a reason, modern opinions and popular ideas do not change what has always been.

To all my buddies leaving and preparing for your missions, remember; they aren't your missions. A mission isn't for you. You are only a tool in the hand of the Lord to bring those souls back to him. A mission is for those whom you serve. Not you. It is important that you don't lose any time (even just 3 days of grumpiness) in thinking of yourself. Think only of those souls that are waiting to hear the truth they haven't heard since before their birth.

Those who aren't, please pray to the Lord and ask him if you should. There are people waiting around the world that you promised--in the pre-mortal world--to bring them the gospel and return them to the fold.

I love you all, keep working hard at everything you do

Os quiero mucho,

Elder Oliver

ps. I realized that you could say "We are children of God" in 10 different languages, but if you do, you are saying the same thing 10 times. The only difference is the sounds. I think that is why the Holy Spirit helps us bridge the language gap.

***We didn't get pictures from Spain this week, so here are some pictures of him with the rest of the "Stripling Warriors" who assisted at the Stripling Warrior Boy Scout Camp this past summer.  For more information about the Stripling Warriors and who they are, visit HERE.

Bonus Letter!

We got an actual handwritten letter in the mail yesterday, with special letters for mom and Porter for their birthdays.  I wasn't going to type it out and put it on the blog, but I found it so inspiring, that I decided to do it anyway, just leaving out the personal parts.  I hope it is inspiring for you as well.

Sept 17
The 2nd Letter of Hayden,
An account written by the hand of Hayden.

Never mind, I'm not Nephi.  And the reason that looks so messy is because there were lots of bumps in the road on our way to Cartegena.  We're staying the night in one of the other Elders' pisos.  It is a two hour bus ride, both ways.  It is really not an enjoyable experience.  Aside from the ocean.  We can see the ocean most of the time, which is a great view with a few drawbacks:  Hairy old men in Speedos and fat old women sunbathing totally topless.  Not the best image.

I thought I was going to be able to get this letter out yesterday, but it turns out I didn't have the opportunity.  We didn't pass by a mailbox, and I didn't make time to write.  I spent too much time studying my Spanish, which I'm getting pretty good at understanding now.  And that's good.

So I've realized I have still been selfish. Even though I am out here 24/7 working for the Lord.  I still think about myself a lot.  I heard a song.  It gave me goosebumps.  Alex Boye's "Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?"  I'm going to apply that to my life, and try to become a new person.

Sept 23
Well, this week has been fun. I've had two issues though.  On Saturday I rolled my ankle for the fourth time since I left the states, and had that whole fiasco with the keys.  And also, my thumb.  I was chewing on it, and I broke the skin.  And then it got infected.  And was about 1.5x bigger than usual.  It was ridiculously painful.  It still hurts a bit, but it is getting better.  I just hope it doesn't go septic.  Then I could die, but it is small, and recovering. so I'm pretty sure I'm fine.

The days here are super long.  Every day takes all the energy out of me and I go to bed too tired to even write in my journal.  But the weeks are short.  I've already been in the field for three weeks.  That's crazy!  The members compliment me on my Spanish.  I've improved so much in the past three weeks, but i have a really long way to go.  I have a goal for my Spanish.  I want to be mistaken for a native speaker @ 1 year.  That time-frame is unheard of, for non-autistic savants.  I can do it.  I WILL do it.  I'm going to be fluent before Christmas, and then I have seven months to increase and expand my vocabulary and choose an accent.  Apparently, I have already started sounding good--accent wise.  I occasionally drop the s's, and that is how Southern Spanish people speak.  Dropped s's and a thick theta.  You only pronounce the theta on these specific sounds:  ci (thee), ce (thay), za (thaw), zo (tho), zu (thoo).  The sound is very similar to the "th" in the words thought and thaw.  It really helps with hearing and spelling.  If anybody has any tips with learning faster, let them rip!

I love you all!  You're the best family ever!!

Os quiero mucho,
Élder Oliver

PS.  Watch "Joseph:  Prophet of the Restoration for FHE or family movie.  It's flipping fantastic.  It will strengthen your testimonies like no other video.

And then a few thoughts from my birthday letter:
Happy Birthday Mom!
Holy Moly.  I've already been out here for two months.  That's crazy!  I'm running out of time here.  We're already half-way through a transfer, and we are really close to setting some baptismal dates.  I'm telling you, this place is amazing.  It's dirty, and the people are rude, but I don't care...I love it!

I really like a scripture in Alma, you probably know it well.  But I'm going to change it a little bit though:

Now they never had served, yet they did not fear the world; and htey did think more upon the salvation of others than they did upon their personal lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  
And they rehearsed unto me saying: "We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

Adapted from Alma 56:47-48

This mission isn't mine, it's not for me.  It's not so that I can become more successful.  It's not so I can get blessings.  It's for the people of Spain.  This is the Lord's mission.  Everything I do is for these people.  I sleep at night so as to have strength enough to continue.  I shave, cut my hair, and groom it nicely to be presentable to them.  I write to you every week to build the confidence of my siblings for those they will teach in the future.  I study the Gospel every morning so as to understand it, that I can better explain it to those I come in contact with.  I am learning Spanish so as to build trust with them, and communicate to them the truthfulness of the everlasting Gospel.  I am overcoming fears and weaknesses so as to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement.