December 23, 2013

Hola familia,

I always feel like saying that because that is what Chantz would always write hahah but anyways, Christmas is on Wednesday!!! yippy skippy!! We are skyping at Ferris and Teresa’s and it will probably be 2-3-4ish our time so whatever time that is for you idk but hopefully sometime in the early afternoon! We don’t know for sure because our phone is tore up and we can only really talk to people in person so we talked to Teresa yesterday and she said we can anytime.  Then we found out some of the elders in our district don’t have anyone in their area that has offered to let them use their stuff or to feed them on Christmas so we are trying to work it out with two sets of elders so that we all have a great Christmas... pretty much we just felt really bad because they have a really rough area and the Pembroke ward is plentiful!!  I am so excited but anyways to answer some questions... Sister Angela works with handicap adults and she calls them her individuals... she doesn’t get paid that much but what she does she works miracles with! Out here she is known to have a GREAT job! It is kinda funny because one of the best jobs out here is working at the Campbell Chicken soup factory so that kinda gives you an idea of what it is like out here but as for Sister Lewis she is leaving on New Year's Eve... well we are pretty sure. She has been here over 7 months so one more transfer will be half her mission in one area so I am pretty sure she is leaving me. The weather out here is sooooo hot and muggy! Well this week has been-- but tonight it should get to the 20s but this week it was 80s with humidity! So you might want to know I cut my hair... off... ok well just like two inches! haha  I do cut a ton of hair all the time especially since no one can afford hair cuts right now so I cut almost everyday! It gives us a good time to teach our active members lessons.  So about  the black man brother Goodman... we found out so much about him this week... we are at his house almost every other day because he always has people for us to teach...he is not a bad man he just has made some mistakes... like he has 19 children all from different wives hahahah but he loves sharing the gospel with everyone he finds because he wants to bring them the same happiness that he has!  So we might spend some time tomorrow at his house we were there yesterday and we taught his friend Shante. He is this huge black man but it was one of the most amazing experiences! He committed to be baptized and he wants to change his life! At first it was a little intimidating when we started because he was huge but he turned out to be so soft and loving.  I love when I feel their hearts soften because they just start asking so many questions and they have a real desire to change!! This work is the greatest work!! Honestly Clay working at the warehouse makes this work even better!!!! As for Christmas Sunday it was an amazing day we had three missionaries return this week.  They are really sweet and it is really nice to have them back! As if the Pembroke ward wasn’t doing enough member missionary work, now there is even a bigger push and yes everyone invited us over for Christmas dinner!! We have already had I think 3 but whose counting!  We also had Christmas zone conference, which was really amazing! This Christmas I have just really been able to focus on Christ more than I ever did before and it has been such a blessing. Everyday I am reminded why I am on a mission and I am motivated to give back to my Father in Heaven by helping His children return home! I love the Spirit of Christmas it is my favorite time of year!! This week should be pretty crazy! As for missionary rules we can’t do much tomorrow night or on Christmas but the Ferris’s always do fireworks at their house on Christmas Eve so we are all going to that. Then Christmas day we will have breakfast from Sister Angela and open presents after she works in the morning and then we will go to Connie’s and Teresa’s later but hopefully you will get to meet Ferris and Teresa on Wednesday they are the best!! Well I hope you all have the greatest Christmas and know how much I love you!! You are the greatest family!!

Love forever 

Cassie

December 16, 2013

Feliz navidad my friends!!!

Well ho ho ho to you too! I just want to start out by saying how much I love all of you!! Thank you for writing me I love to hear from y’all and I am glad to hear that things are going well!!! I miss you too and trust me mom I have put up more Christmas decor than ever in my life! But it has been pretty fun and anytime the people out here will let us serve we do it!! 

Christmas will just be great to talk to y’all! As for skyping we will probably do it at Sister Teresa’s and Bishop Ferris’s house but we will hopefully have them call you the day before or something and have you add them so it takes less of our Christmas time. We are trying to figure it out so I will keep you posted! But anyways as for out here... I am having a bit of trouble speaking.  I swear my IQ goes down the longer I am out here because I start saying "its right der and things like I’m pitiful and ima tarred and dat der tree over yonder and your foolish... haha I’m just kidding but if you heard some things I say you-- would think I grew up in the woods or something!  As for dignified language, my Mission Pres is huge on not saying cool so I say neat and y’all and we can’t say awesome either or freakin’ or sucks so it takes time but I am getting there... haha  As for this week-- it has been another great one!!! We have spent most of it either doing service or at Brother Lee Goodman’s house... the black man of the ward... he is literally the most mysterious man I have ever met. He lives with Mary who lives in a separate part of the house and is half his age... but they have a daughter and the whole ward always talks about who the actual parents are because Brother Lee’s wife is in the military and they have another daughter.  Brother Lee has money coming from somewhere but no one knows because he doesn’t work and he always talks about this shop... oh and he just recently became active and he is the one who always has us teach random people at his house.  Since we have been spending so much time with their family we have been finding more and more out about them... it is like a puzzle.  For the first time we went to the shop this week... and the shop is a man cave of all man caves!! It has like 8 different old really expensive old cars inside, a ton of machinery to cut wood and make things-- it has a wall full of hammers and anything else you can think of that would make a lumberjack smile!! So we go to this shop and then afterwards, he is like, “Do you want to see my restaurant?”  So we go and it  literally looked like the world ended and there were people killed inside this place!! The lights were all dim and things were torn down from the walls. Then we look around and there is everything you could imagine inside-- picture all the ingredients in Sweet Tomatoes… all moldy and shut down and turned every which way. Then we walk into the freezer room and there was a light twitching, it was nuts!! Oh and as we walk through, there are just random rotting knives on the tables everywhere... I just looked at Sister Lewis and whispered, “I hope we don’t find a dead body somewhere.”  We were dying and he just acted like it was nothing... so we went there and and I guess that was good. We have been teaching Stefanie over there-- she is the one that asked the weird snake question the first night and she has the crazy husband but she is doing really well and we are so excited for her.  Then on Friday night we went to teach her again and Brother Lee brought a whole different  family over at the same time.  We found out that he wants us to teach as many  people as we can from Rowland because they think he is the devil and that he has many wives, he is the only member that lives in Rowland.  Rowland is like Globe but worse!!  We hear shooting all the time out there and we really aren’t allowed to go down there alone which we don’t most of the time but Brother Goodman is really great!   I love them and he is really a good man, he is just quiet so everyone makes up a lot of stuff about him.  Anyways Stefanie came to church!  She said that the Book of Mormon brings her peace so whenever she needs it, which is a lot, she just goes in her little world with her book! hahah it is great!! We love her!  As for Summer-- she didn’t get baptized and we are pushing it back for a while because they are having trouble coming to church... I will let you know more as it comes about,  but pretty much she just sings songs for us every time we go and I just have to smile and bob my head to keep from laughing!  So we were given those names that I told you about from the lost record that church headquarters sends us, and we have been trying to find them  Did I tell you one called us back and left a message and just said,  “This is Denise and Richards father... they got dead."  We tried hard not to laugh but that was all it said. Then we  tried to find another person  and used the GPS and it took us on this dirt road that literally was a roller coaster I swear!! It was sooo bumpy and I am pretty sure Sister Lewis was carsick afterwards--I took videos so you can see it. It is pitiful that now sometimes we will comment on how nice someone’s dirt road is!  Not very many people have driveways so sometimes we will catch ourselves saying wow this is a nice dirt road hahaha!  I guess that is what happens out in the country.  Anyways we had the most amazing Christmas program! They set it up like we were in Bethlehem and it was really a great experience! We really do a lot of missionary stuff out here and it really is great I just like to tell y’all the crazy experiences because they are funny but I want you all to know that I love being a missionary! This is the Lord’s work and I am so lucky to be able to teach from the Book of Mormon everyday. I know that Christmas is fun and all but I have really been so grateful for my Savior this season, without the Lord I could not be out here serving.  I have such a testimony of the enabling power of the Atonement and I hope that each of you know that you have a Father in Heaven that loves you so much that He sent His son to die for you.  I am so grateful to be a daughter of God and that we know we can one day return to live with Him again. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and I know that anyone who takes the time to do what Moroni challenges them to do, will find the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father and I will do everything I can to help His children one day return to live with Him again. That is what we are sent here to do and I hope that you all know how much I love you! You are my motivation to give others the opportunity that I have been given to be with my family for time and all eternity! I love you all and hope you have a great week!! Ten days and I will be seeing your faces!! yippy!

Love you always and forever! 

Cass

December 9, 2013

I am trying to catch up--wish me luck!! (New Year's resolution!!)

December 9, 2013

Well hallelujah Thank you Jesus!

I love my family! Really I can’t even tell you all how much I love you!!  I love hearing about everything that is going on.  Ok well before I forget-- mom I heard about the TVs!  Sister Bernhisel called me and we just died laughing but it is really alright!  As for Christmas-- thank you for all that you do.. Sister Ang will love that!!!  I think Sister Lewis and I are gonna get her one of her fav Greg Olsen picture because Sister Lewis lives next to him so her mom will get it signed as well.  She really doesn’t have any family at all so this is the first time she is celebrating Christmas in a long time!  We are going to skype probably at Sister Teresa’s-- we don’t know for sure but we are hoping it will all work out...  Any who-- well this week has literally probably been the best week of my mission so far!! Not that the others haven’t been great and all but honestly this week was the best!!  Tuesday we went to meet with one of our black friends from the other night and her name is Stefani... she asked the snake question but when we got there Brother  Lee had Seneca and her husband there as well and Sister Maryland came with us because we are always tight on miles so we always try to have our members take us.  Anyways we go and her husband is literally insane!!! No joke he is nuts! He wants to be a preacher but I don’t think he is right in his head and literally every 5 minutes he would stand up and repeat the same paragraph about himself " I am 56 years old-- I’m from New York!-- I love my wife!! I HAVE JESUS IN ME!!"  We just about died every time because he was doing a little dance along with it and he would step together step together from side to side as he spoke and either pop his collar or raise his hands in the air... (Clay stand up and act this out-- make sure you yell I HAVE JESUS IN ME!!) haha Anyways Seneca was struggling with not laughing and we just had to act like we were taking him seriously you better believe that "there is a time and place to laugh " was going through my head! haha  Then after that went on for 30 minutes, Brother Lee made him sit next to him and every time he was about to interrupt our lesson we could hear Brother Lee say "hold on-- talk to me we will have our conversation while they have theirs" hahah! We were dying but Stefani is great and she is really coming along! She has great questions and loves to read and always does!!  Yesterday she missed church because she found out her husband was cheating on her the night before so she was a little messed up but she met with us yesterday because she said she always feels better after she talks with us and she sees blessings after every lesson so she is waiting to see what is next! She has great faith!  Also she receives answers in her dreams all the time!! It is kinda crazy but a lot of people out here have that gift and the Lord always answers! But anyways so last week on Thursday we went to a sisters meeting in Raleigh right next to the temple, which no we haven’t been able to go it is about 21/2 hrs away.  I saw it and let me tell you how much I LOVE Sister Lewis-- she honestly is the best and we get along really well! We have become pretty much like sisters and a lot of people ask us if we are... I get compared to an albino!!  It’s alright they are all black anyways... but yes I am so excited to be with her for Christmas.  I think she will be transferred after... or else she will be in Pembroke for half her mission, so yes we are pretty sure this is our last month together which makes me super sad!!   After the Sisters meeting we decided we definitely wouldn’t be together again because it is too easy and we don’t know what other sisters we would get along with... so yes I have a feeling I am going to be taught how to get along with the next companion that I get but hopefully it all works out! hahah Anyways-- on the way home from that meeting we stopped because we were both sleepy and needed something to eat so yes I am back on Diet Coke!! woop woop! But we pull into this gas station on Hay Street and it looked sketchy.  So I drove around and at the house behind it there were about 6 black men doing a huge drug deal out in the open and I was just like alright and Sister Lewis can’t see 5ft in front of her.  I told her we should hurry but.. we get out and go in and right then of course the black men come in behind us and look at Sister Lewis and comment on her hair.  Then one of them comes up to me and looks at my name tag and starts asking questions so I give him a mormon.org card and tell him there should be a church around. Then he looks at me and says, "If I could get sober long enough to go to church" so I laugh and try to walk away a little then he stops and goes "I’m about to beat that man up over there he owes me some money!"  Now--take into consideration he is slurring his words because he is so drunk then we pay for our food and another man comes up to Sis Lewis and I and looks at Sister Lewis and says, “Can she see?” (asking me) and puts his hand right in front of her face... literally palming her face because his hand was so big but it was about an inch away and I am just dying trying so hard not to laugh and we were just like yep she can and walked away and hurried into the car... We got home and Sister Angela told us that Hay Street is like Bourbon Street in New Orleans! It is crazy and in the deep ghetto... hahaha we just laughed! But anyways the rest of the week went so great!! Jesse had her baby yesterday and we have been meeting with a lot of our investigators and they are coming along really well! I love teaching and find missionary work so fun!! It has been something that is really hard to learn to do but after you get over the fear it starts getting easier and trust me I still have a lot to learn but I always think to myself this is probably one of the first times in my life when I know with out doubt that I am right! This is the true gospel! This is Christ’s church! I get to promise these people blessings! and happiness! It is the best job in the whole world! I have been reading in Alma 32? (I think I can’t remember exactly) and it is all about the story of the little seed when planted it will grow.  After it is planted we always forget that we have to nourish that seed-- we have to endure to the end! We nourish ourselves by reading our scriptures by praying and by feeling the Spirit! Without these things we will never progress! I have a special gift that I am sending home to help all of you with missionary work! You will love it!! When the conversations get started keep talking! I love you all so much and hope you have the best week!! Oh-- also President Bernhisel came to Pembroke on Sunday! We had no idea and it was his first time ever coming down! It was too funny I think he had a rude awakening when the speaker in sacrament went off about how this country is ran by a bunch of heathens that live in Washington!  Then our investigators class was an in depth conversation about the second coming that made most of our investigators more confused than they were... but that is Pembroke and our ward mission leader is the best! He just doesn’t know what he is doing! hahaha I love it here! I will have to show yall everything in action over skype! I can’t wait and I love you!! Have the best week!

Love always

Cass

October 21, 2013

What’s peepin dogs--

Well wow what a week!  I feel like it went by so quickly it is not even funny but I love hearing from all of you. Like last week I am going to print them and write back letters-- I hope you enjoy the letters because I always look forward to writing them!! and I loved all the pics-- Clay keep me posted. PS--Mom I can see the pics you are taking on my phone so I saw the ones of Chantz and the girls at the movies and you all look beautiful!  I miss you all!!  Chloe dem boots be lookin fly!! hahah  Well this week-- where to begin-- ok well first did you see Elder Cardon's talk in the Ensign?  It was great!   I bet he is a great General Authority! Oh and this week we are having two members from the Quorum of the 70 speak to us and then next month Elder Baxter from the 70 is touring our mission!! Yay-- we are super excited! He spoke to us in the MTC as well! As for my blanket I still haven’t gotten it but it is all right I can buy one out here if our order didn’t go through or something.  I will just wait-- I might be here in Pembroke for 7 months so we have time. hahah  Yes,  you can send to the po box--we pick it up in the mail room so send whatever to that address! Ok so as for the work-- this week has been amazing! Half of our investigators showed up to church and I literally started crying because I was so happy!  The worst part was I was on the stage to sing-- yes we are in the choir and it is us, the Elders and about two other members so it is like we are singing a solo every week!   I didn’t want anyone to see I was crying so luckily it was during the sacrament prayer but anyways that was such a tender mercy! Round here church is the hardest commitment.  Let me just give you some background-- we have a ward list of about 20 pages and only 100 people show up to church every week so lets just say everyone has been baptized but no one is active.   So yes-- that is a huge goal for us. We spend a lot of time with less actives and their families because it usually is one of the parents that doesn’t attend and if they were to attend their family of about 20 would come as well and their children and grandchildren would be baptized! So that is kinda what we focus on. But anyways, we visited with this sister named Sister Gertha and to give you a picture she looks like she could be on Thumbelina.  She is three weeks off smoking so she has a very raspy voice and loves to feed us fudge and chocolate!  She is really great and she came to church for the first time in about 20 yrs yesterday!  Then there is Tamara who isn’t a member and she is one of my favorites-- they are all my favorites but limiting our lessons to only an hour is one of our struggles in being exactly obedient! She is the sweetest and she has the strongest testimony already. She knows it is true but  she knows that when she is baptized it is like she is entering into war so our job is to prepare her for that war! Her family is very very Baptist and they fight with her all the time about how she is meeting with us. It doesn’t help that her whole family lives on the same street she lives on!  She knows what her answer is about the church  she just wants the answers for them when they question her so that is kinda what we are working on.  She is in the choir and is singing a solo in two weeks in sacrament!! She has an amazing voice! Well as for Seneca and Mineka-- I think I told you all about them. They are one of my other favorites! This week was super rough for them because they have a family and they got their power turned off which isn’t unusual around here.  They have three kids and it is starting to get cold.  Seneca works till 3 or 4 in the morning and she goes to school and Mineka is trying to get a job driving trucks which everyone around here thinks that is one of the best paying jobs so they all try to do it! But anyways-- we meet with them as much as we can and they are really progressing!! The work out here is just amazing! I love teaching it and learning more about it everyday!! Clay I am so excited for you and all you girls as well. Missions are honestly so fun--and you will love it! Sometimes I feel like the guy on “The Best Two Years” because I just get so excited meeting new people especially at church because everyone is so nice and they just all give you hugs! I am so excited to spend Christmas and the holidays over here!! One because everyone is family so there are about two houses that everyone will be at-- the Locklears and the Chavises.  The grandparents of both those families are also the two doctors in the town and pretty much the only ones with homes and not trailers! hahaha I love it out here! We eat so well-- oh and let me tell you they have this tradition where everyone makes 30-layered cakes literally 30 layers!!! Crazy I love it!! My favorite thing that I have eaten was--Sister Teresa made sweet potatoes like we make at Thanksgiving except they probably had more sugar and 5 more sticks of butter!!  They were soooo good--she actually sent us home with the whole pan! Now Sister Teresa is a Locklear and she is married to the new bishop who is Bishop Ferris Locklar but we just call him Bishop Ferris because the previous bishop was Bishop locklear and so it would be pretty confusing.  We just got a new bishop yesterday because Bishop Locklears memory is pretty bad.  It gets pretty funny when sacrament meeting consists of everything but sacrament because he forgot to announce it... (We still had sacrament it is just an example) but yeah I truly love it out here!  There is so much to do and I feel so busy all the time--just the way I like it!! On Saturday nights I also get to go to this sister’s house, her name is Sister Cathy Locklears.  She is in a wheel chair and I braid her hair for Sunday! It is one of my favorite things to do because she is amazing! She crawls around on her knees most of the time because she loves to garden and she doesn’t like to sit around so she bought army pads and goes on her knees!    One thing that is super sad out here is almost half the families in the ward have had someone murdered from there direct family whether it is a son or a husband.  There is just a lot of crime out here so it is super sad because that is where they gain their faith.  My testimony has also grown about eternal marriage! It is one of my most cherished blessings because no one out here is sealed and that is why it is so hard to hear about their families so we  set a lot of  goals for them  to go to the temple. The sealing power is amazing because I get to be with you guys forever!!! You are my most cherished blessings! I love you all so much I hope you have the greatest week and expect letters soon! 

Love always and forever

Sister Oliver

ps sorry if this totally doesn’t make sense I tried hahahaha