December 15, 2014

Mom & Family,

I know that as my mission comes to an end there are so many things that have been weighing on my mind but one of the greatest things that I have to look forward to is being there for my family when I get home! Even though I know it will be so hard to leave this calling there will always be another job waiting for me to accomplish when I get home!  This week has been filled with gratitude for the both of us.   I know I told you about how George is a blind man who really has taught me so much on my mission and there is something very special about him.  He has changed my life in so many ways and I know that I came out here to meet him specifically.  I have never felt like this with anyone on my mission and I know that the Lord placed him in my life. This week we had 2 lessons with him and on Friday I just felt so prompted to re- invite him to baptism. As soon as I finished he said,  “You know Ms. Oliver the Lord has been telling me for a time that you have wanted me to be baptized. I asked him how the Lord told him that and he said that the other day he felt warmth in his heart and he began to speak with the Lord and as he did this, he felt very strongly that I was praying for him. He knew then that I would soon ask him and he was contemplating whether he would accept or not! Well he is now praying about January 3rd so keep him in your prayers!   I love George, he really is someone who is so important to me and I know that I have been sent to Zebulon to meet him! I can’t wait for you to meet him! As for everything else this week has been filled with all sorts of fun Christmas parties and miracles! As you well know I hate tracting and it is something that just comes with missionary work so I set a goal for myself to knock 10 doors everyday. I know  this is the only way that we will find new investigators! So the first day we did this,  the first door that we knocked was Katie and she was amazing! She was so opened and we were able to teach her all about how the Book of Mormon strengthens our families! She was so excited and told us that she would love to learn more! We will see her tomorrow so that will be really good!  Tracting is good for a few things; it always is filled with some really interesting experiences! You knock on people’s doors and you never know who will answer--always an adrenaline rush!!  That is the way that we found George and he is one of my favorite people that I have met, so it is worth it! I know that there are more Georges out there! Oh one last thing that happened in a different lesson with him that was really neat was-- as I began to bear my testimony I said,  “George I just know that this church is Christ's true church here on the earth” and he stopped me and said, “ Ms. Oliver since the day that I met you and Sister Anderson I knew that you believed that it was true, I can feel it in the words that you say and the spirit that you have.”  I just hope that you all know that I know that this church is true and that I have a testimony that Christ is our Savior. I am so grateful to have you as my family! You truly are such an amazing blessing to me and I am so grateful to know that I will be with you forever!

 Love forever,  Cass

December 8, 2014

Mom & Family--

This week-- Holy Cow I don’t even know where to start! It has been crazy! Well so on Monday we had to drink an egg shot, yep a full egg out of a shot glass! The Martins,  a family in Zebulon, make every leaving missionary do that so it is pretty funny! It was nasty! But don’t worry you should get the video sometime this week! Then on Tuesday I had to say goodbye to Sister Anderson... pretty much tore my heart out and stomped on it! It was seriously one of the hardest things but then I got put with Sister Bauers and she is great! I actually really like her! She makes me laugh a lot and so that is really good! I have a feeling that we will really get along! We are both just laid back so that is nice! haha Oh-- by the way, she is 6 ft.!!! Sooo tall!  She is kinda a new missionary so that is fun as well! So since Sister Anderson left so did our car!!  Now we are part- time car so we pretty much have been with members all week because I officially hate biking!! But it is all right because the Lord blesses us when we bike so that is good! This week we were biking and we stopped for this lady that was raking her leaves and we talked to her and honestly she was so excited to hear about the Book of Mormon that she asked us for a chapter to read and she told us she would read it that night! We met with her again on Saturday and she told us that she read the chapter and she knows that it is the word of God! So that was pretty great! We have also been seeing George a lot and Charles! I just love them both so much! Sister Anderson says that I had to come on my mission to meet George but if I said that about all the people that I feel that way about,  I think my list would be way too long! Just know little girls-- that a mission is one of the best things that I have ever chosen to do! I hope y'all know that it is part of me! It has changed my life for the better and I am so grateful that I get to serve Heavenly Father every day! I have the best calling in the whole world. I really don’t know how else to explain how much I love being a missionary! I know that this gospel is true and I know the Book of Mormon is true! I will finish it by the end of this year for the 4th time! It is a road map for each of us! I promise that if you read it you will never have to worry about all the scary things that are around you.  You will always have the strength to overcome whatever you face! I love you all so much and I miss you! You are the greatest family!!

Love always Cass

December 1, 2014

Mom & Family,

As for transfers yes I am sad that Sister Anderson is leaving!!  It is like saying goodbye to family and we both have been crying about it literally! But I will still be here in Wendell and I would love some pics!!  Oh and yes we will be on bikes when Sister Anderson leaves!!! I am going a little crazy! This area is over 100 miles and the members are pretty angry because no one has gas money and they all heard that the mission got more cars and Zebulon is the biggest area but we will see.  I guess the Lord will prepare a way. So I am senior but we don’t really do that here pretty much we are called the sister training leaders and that is about it! My new comp is Sister Bauer.  I haven’t met her, but lets hope she is great! 

Well anyways as for this week! I am so happy to hear that y'all had a great Thanksgiving! I sure did miss eating our good food! Thanksgiving was WHAT.... CRAZY!!! We started at the Bokish's and had lunch, we tried to eat small portions and Sister Bokish knew that we were pacing ourselves! She is one of my favorite members! I love Sister Bokish!  Then we went to the Haeberlins... they are a Hispanic family and they literally gave both of us soooo much food! I was dying and we just kept eating.  Then we went to the Strickland’s who are also some of my favorite people. They are a part member less active family,  and they are crazy! They have lots of roaches but they make us laugh too hard to care when we are over there! So as soon as we get inside we both look at each other and I seriously almost threw up I couldn’t eat anymore.  Then Brother Strickland gives us sooo much food and no utensils--just hands! So I finally finish, only through the enabling power, and he looks at us and says “Sisters no plates go empty at this house get more!”  I couldn’t-- I just had to tell him I couldn’t.  He kept insisting but I said I would wait ten minutes and get some-- then he forgot luckily!!   We rolled on home and just died!! The next day we had MLC which is a mission leadership meeting.  It was pretty great and I saw all of my friends that are leaving this week and said goodbye.   Then the best part of the whole week was Charles Snellings baptism. We saw him Friday night and he had fallen down the stairs and we were worried but he said,  “Nothing is stopping me from going!”  So,  he showed up the next day in his gold Michael Jackson suit and was ready to go! Seriously though when you see these pics you are going to think I baptized Michael Jackson-- It was so great! He came out of the water and said,  “Wooh  that felt great!! We just died laughing! Then he wanted to sing,  “Joy to the World”  as the closing song.  Then his wife  Zenobia,  prayed,  she said" Some people say tis the season to be jolly, well I say tis the season to be holy holy holy" haha!  It was pretty funny!   Other than that, I love my ward mission leader here in Zebulon! He is the best-- his name is Brother Boyd and you can see him in the District if you watch it.  He is the ward mission leader in it! He seriously is the best!! Then on Sunday, Charles spoke and it was amazing to see how much he has changed! This whole ward had kinda given up on him but after  he got up,  so many people came up to us and said he is so different. That really is what the Gospel does to the people out here--it changes them. I don’t know how to describe it but the Gospel is the only way to true happiness! I know that it is true and the main reason I am here on a mission is because all of these people that I talk to every day, everyone that I love out here, the only way that they will truly ever be happy is if they receive the Gospel and that is what I get to do every day is bring it to them! This is the best calling that I could ever ask for! I love my mission no matter how hard it may seem some days, this is the greatest work! I am so grateful for y'all as well! You are the best family I could ever ask for and I love you so much! I can’t wait to see you in 24 days!! 

Love,  Cass