April 7, 2014

Family!!

Thank you all for writing me! I really do feel that I have the greatest family! I am so lucky to have y’all! As for Conference... how amazing!! Wow I don’t even know what to say was my favorite because they were all so amazing!! I guess I could say that the one that stuck out to me the most was President Uctdorf's talk about gratitude.  I always love President Ucthdorf’s talks and since I have been on my mission I feel that I always need to be more grateful for what I have been given. I have learned so much about enjoying today instead of looking for tomorrow. I feel that this life is too short to forget about what is in front of us and I love trying to see things from Heavenly Father’s view.  The life we live here is so short we can not let any time go to waste.  You know me and quotes-- I just loved "The saddest line of tongue and pen are the words it might have been." I hope that each of you realize how great today is and don’t let a minute pass by! Clay especially you as so much change is about to happen in your life. Don’t forget to have fun in high school- enjoy it!! Enjoy the time you have with the family and remember that you have prepared for 18 years to go on a mission and you will have eternity to look back on it.   So for the two years you are on your mission--just live it up!! I think that so many times I forget this, I forget to see what I have when it is right in front of me! Well anyways-- enough of my ranting!! I just love all of you and I really do miss you! I miss eating Mike and Ikes during conference while acting like I am playing bingo. haha! Well as for everything else... Chapel Hill is great! I really do love it here! It is a HUGE adjustment from Pembroke but I am finding my way. Like I said-- it is kind of like living down Mill Ave.   We have a Mill but it is called Frankolin and Sister Wilde’s favorite restaurant is down that street so we have been there a few times. One thing that a lot of people say about it around here, is it is a little piece of the North in the South and they aren’t lying!! The people are very liberal and they are all getting their PhD degrees or their Masters. Most of the people in our ward are very educated.  We have 3 former Mission Presidents in our ward and many Bishops.  Most of the classes teach deep doctrine and most things fly over my head let alone our investigators but somehow everything always turns out and the Spirit brings it to their hearts! It is a lot different here though because most of the couples are working, studying, and newly married so we don’t see much of our ward too often, which is understandable! They are all really smart! We do cook for ourselves a lot but that is one of my favorite parts because I am learning how to make stuff! Sister Wilde is going into nutrition so she teaches me but lets just say I am really good at scrambling eggs!! haha We do live in an apartment and it is huge!! So much room! We have our own Gym downstairs too... a bit of a change from walking down the street every morning for exercise and calling it good when the neighborhood dog chases you for 5 minutes. Haha! I do miss Pembroke and Sister Angela but it was time for a change and the Lord knows where I need to be! There is a lot of work to be done here but we have lots of restrictions as well because we are in a college town and everyone is our age.  We have to be very careful what we say and do. Sister Wilde and I get along great! I feel like I have known her for so long we just click easily! She makes fun of me for being dramatic all the time but yet in the same sentence she catches herself saying the same things-- it is pretty funny! We have two other sisters super close to us as well that we hang out with on preparation days.   One is from Hong Kong and she is teaching me Cantonese! It is super interesting!! We also take the bus a lot out here-- they are free, so we walk and talk and take the bus to save miles! We meet some pretty great people that way and learn to appreciate the heat and our ability to walk!! I feel like a real missionary!! As for all my friends on missions--they are all doing great!!  Clay I know that it will be just the same for you and all of your friends and I am so excited for you.  I feel like we all grow from one another’s experiences and it really is amazing!! As for what has happened this week-- we have had just an amazing week with conference!  We are meeting with a lady named Vernetta who lives a few doors down from us. She is great!  We met with her and invited her to write down some questions she had about the Church and her hesitations.  We promised her they would be answered in Conference if she had an open heart. She came to the first session on Sunday and we saw some of the questions, let me tell you each talk hit one of the questions she had.  She turned to us at the end and said I will be back for the next session I have to go home and write more questions. It’s like magic!! The greatest part was it wasn’t magic at all it was Heavenly Father! I am so grateful that He has a hand in this work!! I am so grateful to have an opportunity to play a part in the hastening and I know it is what brings me the most happiness! It truly is amazing to see miracles happen!

As for everything else... It is pouring outside right now-- it literally looks like a hurricane!! The thunder has been so loud all day and it is exciting!! As for you all I truly love and miss you so much! Everyday I promise myself I will never take for granted the time that we have together.  I have the best family in the world and sometimes I feel that I should be more humble about how great you all are!  Sister Wilde laughs because she will find herself talking about y’all like you are her family and she says I just feel like I know them! haha  I talk a lot... but I guess that is how you can know that I miss you! Thanks for being my greatest blessing I hope you all have the best week!   Oh by the way the deer are like dogs out here-- they are everywhere!   In the streets, in the yards, you name it they are there!  Well I am off to give Sister Wilde a weave-- So fun!!! I miss doing hair!! Well, I love you!!

Love forever and always

Cass/ Sister Oliver