Sacrifice

Bonjour! 02/24/2014

This past week has been pretty good! Not a ton of new stuff really. It’s strange sometimes working in a tri-companionship, but it was still good! On Saturday Elder Haggard got the missionary he’s training who is a Tahitian named Elder Florion. I can’t even tell you how happy I am to have him in my District! He’s seriously hilarious and is just a big teddy bear. I forgot at the same time though how big Polynesians are, but then quickly remembered again. I was messing with him while he was in the shower as the light is on the outside, then quickly remembered he could probably tear my skinny body in half, so I backed out of that one. Things have been good though, and it’s been the best having him as a new missionary in the apartment. Along with that, Tahiti seriously sounds like the best place in the world, and I would die to live there one day seriously!

We won inspections last Monday in our apartment, so that was the best! And on top of that on Tuesday morning we had to go to the couples house to call all of the contacts we took a couple weeks ago. They were very nice to make us lunch! I can’t even express how incredible it was! Sister Christensen made us lasagna, as one of their sons served in Italy. It was honestly was the best.

On Thursday we had a zone meetings so that was nice to be together as always! One of the best parts is with the latest transfer; Elder Merritt and Elder Barton came over here from Benin, so it doesn’t get much better than that! It was great to see them again! I’m excited as well as next week we have a mission conference again with Elder Vinson, in where he is specifically coming for the mission rather than for the Stake. So I’m really excited for that, and again he will be interviewing a few elders, so that would be cool to have that opportunity as well!

We didn’t have any baptisms this past weekend, but are hoping to have one this next week! It’s another Ami who is a contact of a member, like almost all of them we have, and I’m really excited for her! One of the best parts in seeing that someone is really devoted and has the faith, is when they make the sacrifices to follow the message, or come to church; for example, the church is super far from our area. Yet she walks each Sunday, as she doesn’t have the way of paying for a moto ride, and is there about 30 minutes in advance! I’m really excited for this next week with her! All of our other Ami's are doing good as well. We have another Ami for example who has had problems in accepting the message as his family is very very voodoo... and we can never teach him at his house. Along with that he is very poor, just like everyone else here, but is even more poor which is hard to believe. But he usually works on Sunday to make just enough money to be able to pay the rent for their little parcel. Rather than going to work though he decided to come to church in place of that understanding the importance of it, and also that the Lord will do his part. I was amazed to see the faith he had, and honestly, I’m not sure how things are going, but I’ll be finding out soon, I hope all is well with him though. I love the ward here as always. I love our bishop and his counselors. They’re incredible, they’re at the point even when they name their kids after people in the Book of Mormon, for example the bishops daughter is named Sariah, and his counselors son is named Lehi. Ha-ha seriously its the best! I had an ingrown toenail yesterday and that was seriously the worst thing. I’ve never really had one but that was rough, I was able to figure it out though and fix it at least, I think!

Today we went to the beach with some of the elders from the zone and that was really fun! The best part is Elder Potter fixed his football so we had some football on the beach. Best thing ever! Elder Barton and me ended up being captains and we had a pretty good game! Unfortunately though there was a blowfish that had gotten washed up on the beach and he stepped on it cutting himself. It was actually really weird but he’s all good!

One of the things I’ve learned on the mission big time, and from President Weed, is that you can’t change other people, and in some cases your situation, but you can only change yourself. So if there are problems with a companion for example, even if it is their fault, change yourself and make yourself even better and more patient and more charitable, and it will be less of a problem.

Thanks again for all of the love and support! I love and miss you all a ton! I hope you guys have a great next week, and things go good for you! Thanks for everything!

Elder Oliverson