December 13, 2010 Last e-mail!!!!!!

Transfers were Thursday. Since there was a group of missionaries going home, the group I came out with that will be going home with me on Saturday, we had our last night seminars with them. We had some good food and some good chats. We also had a testimony at the end of the meeting. It was great to see how much each missionary has grown since we were in the MTC.

Since Thursday I have been serving as an assistant. President Holzapfel asked me to pick some areas in the mission and go and visit them. I was in the Ensley part of Birmingham from Friday to Saturday. Had a really good team-up with the missionaries there. I then headed down to Oxford for Saturday and Sunday. Elder Bishop is still in the Oxford area so it was good to team-up with him and his companion. We got a lot done and I everyone learned much. We were able to set a baptismal date with an investigator they started teaching.

I attended church in the Oxford Branch. It was fun to see the members again. After church I headed back up to Birmingham and went on a team-up with the Elders in the Bessemer area of Birmingham for a couple of hours. We ate with President and Sister Holzapfel last night and then had a short meeting to prepare for this coming week. We will have a Multi-zone conference for the Northern part of the mission on Tuesday, a Multi-zone conference for the Southern part of the mission on Thursday, and a Leadership training conference on Wednesday. I will be speaking at both Multi-zone conferences and training at the leadership conference. I am going to try and team-up with as many elders as possible in the Birmingham area during those days. Thursday I will ride down to Tuskegee and team-up there until Friday when I will return to Birmingham and have my last interview with President Holzapfel.

So, it is going to be a very busy week. It is a great way to finish off. I am very blessed to have an opportunity like this.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

See you on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#1 Missionary with Sister Holzapfel

Zone Leader Council

December 6, 2010

We had a wonderful thing happen yesterday.

When I was in this area last year there was a guy named Mike who lived next door to us. We would usually see him everyday and talk with him for a bit. Every now and again we would have a bbq or something with him and some other people from our apartment complex. We worked to get him to come to church but it never happened.

When I came back here, Mike had moved. His brother lived across the complex so I though I would try him and see where Mike had moved. His brother still lived there and I found out that Mike was still in the same apartment complex. We went over there and he said he was still interested in coming to church sometime.

We stopped by this past Friday and I asked if he wanted to come. He said he wanted to come check it out. He came yesterday with a friend. Her name is Aubrey. She used to live above our apartment. Elder Harrison and another missionary ran into her one day while she was outside crying because she is going through a very bad divorce. They gave her a Christmas DVD and she said she may come check out church sometime. When Mike and Aubrey showed up to church, we were surprised to see her. We didn't know they were friends.

They both loved it. Mike said it was the best church experience he'd had in a long time and he was making plans to come again next week. Aubrey enjoyed it very much as well. It was fast Sunday so we were a little worried about having them there. Sometimes fast Sundays can be a little much for people. But the perfect people got up. One girl shared a story and at the end of her testimony said I don't know why I told you that but apparently I needed to say it.

Aubrey also noticed that a good friend of hers is a member. This member and her parents helped Aubrey to get away from her husband who was very abusive to her and her child. The member was very happy to see Aubrey. Now, Mike and Aubrey are planning on coming to Church next week and go to the Huntsville Stake Christmas festival that is happening this coming weekend. Everything fell into place perfectly. A miracle of fasting!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am being transferred. I am pretty sure I know what I will be doing. President has shared a little with me about what i will be doing but I have not been assigned so I will let you know next week (IN MY LAST E-MAIL!) what I am doing.

Elder Harrison is being transferred as well because he is having shoulder problems and needs to be near Birmingham in case he needs surgery. The visa waiters, Elder Moore and Elder Lund, will be staying here and two more missionaries will come in to take over the area.

I think that is about it. The weather is C-O-L-D COLD!

Love ya much!

-Elder Oliekan

Nov 15, 2010

Have had a somewhat busy week. The visa waiters got here last week. Elder Moore and Elder Lund. Elder Moore is from Utah and Elder Lund is from the Seattle area. They are learning to speak Portugese and when they get their visas they will be serving in Brazil. The wards are excited to have four missionaries here for the time being. Each ward would like to have their own set.

Things have been a bit hectic though. We were supposed to get some bunk beds but I guess the mission ran out so we have mattresses and luggage sprawled across our small apartment.

We also tracted into Homer Hickham (October Sky) last week as well. We talked with him for a few mintues on his doorstep. He is a nice guy.

We have still been tracting alot. Haven't found anyone yet but they're out there somewhere.

The weather has been mostly in the upper 70's except for yesterday and today. A bit colder and rainy.

Love you all!!!

-Elder Oliekan

November 8, 2010

This past week has been a crazy week.

We had Zone Leader Council this past Tuesday. We were informed that we would be in charge of a two hour training the next day on Wednesday at zone conference. We did not get home until 5:00 and had too many things to get done before we got in for the night so we didn't have much time to prepare anything. We worked on it a bit when we got home and then tied up any loose ends in the morning. The training went well.

We had a team up on Friday through Saturday and then two investigators came to church, Ashley and Ericka. They are both progressing alot and I am sure that Ericka will be baptized before I leave.

We also found out that we are getting two new missionaries into the area. They are waiting to get their visas so they can go to their assigned missions. We will have four missionaries living in our apartment, two who are straight out of the MTC. We have been tracting non-stop and so that is what we are going to be having the two new missionaries be doing.

Hope everyone is doing great!!!

LOVE YA

-Elder Oliekan

Homecoming!!!

Travis will be coming home on December 18th! His mission report will be on December 26, 2010 at 10:50 am at the Ponds Park ward chapel. You are all invited to attend and join us for lunch after at the house.