Feliz Navidad! 

Espero que todos están bien y que tengan una semana muy bonita con regalos y fiestas y todo, pero espero que recuerdan la razón en lo cual tenemos navidad!!!! (CRISTO!!!) EL es la DÁDIVA!!!! (HE IS THE GIFT)

Hoy quiero compartirles mi testimonio. La misión es maravillosa. No cambiare nada de las coses que he aprendido aquí en la Misión. La misión no es fácil, pero como dijo un apostal, la misión no una experiencia fácil, porque la expiación no fue una experiencia fácil. Hace 14 meces, yo no sabía nada sobre Dios, ni Jesucristo. Pues, pensé que sabía algo, pensé que conocí el evangelio. Pero MAN was I wrong!!!! He aprendido como ser amorosa, como amar a otros aun cuando ellos no me aman. He aprendido como ser mas paciente, mas humilde, y como tener mas fe y como compartirlo con otros. He aprendido la importancia de ser obediente en todo tiempo. En los 14 meses que tengo en la misión, he tenido compañeras difíciles, he tenido MUCHAS enfermedades, enfermedades sin numero de hecho!! y he conocido muchas personas, muchas miembros, contactos, y he visto como el evangelio y Jesucristo puede cambiar las vidas de las personas. Cada día caminamos hasta cuando nuestros pies duelen, y están enchados. Cada día, hay personas quien nos dicen que estamos mal y que necesitamos buscar la verdad (y siempre reímos porque esta es la mensaje que nosotras estamos compartiendo!! Solo que ellos son los quien necesiten buscar la verdad… ) Pero cada dia puedo compartir mi testimonio y cada vez que lo comparto, puedo sentir la verdad de mis palabras. YO SE que estamos en la Iglesia verdadera. SE que Jesucristo pago por MIS pecados, y SE que el es mi Hermano y que el me ama. Yo estoy muy feliz porque tengo el evangelio en mi vida y también porque mi familia son miembros. Aun que no somos perfectos, se que tenemos la oportunidad para llegar a ser como Dios. Se que Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios. Se que el Libro de Mormon es el libro mas correcto en toda la tierra. Se que si lo abrimos y leimos, podemos encontrar respuestas de cualquier problema y dificultad que tengamos. Amo mi Salvador, amo la obra misional. Se que las familias pueden llegar a ser eternas. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Con mucho Cariño,

Hermana Oliphant

 

And for those who only read English:

 

Merry Christmas!

Hope you all are well and have a nice week with gifts and parties and all, but I hope you remember the reason for which we have Christmas !!!! (CHRIST !!!) THIS is the gift !!!! (HE IS THE GIFT)

Today I want to share my testimony. The mission is wonderful. I would not change anything of what I have learned here in the Mission. The mission is not easy, but as an apostle said, the mission is not an easy experience because the atonement was not an easy experience. 14 months ago I knew nothing about God or Jesus Christ. Well, I thought I knew something, I thought I knew the gospel. But MAN was I wrong !!!! I learned how to be loving, and love others even if they do not love me. I learned how to be more patient, more humble, and how to have more faith and as share it with others. I have learned the importance of being obedient at all times. In the 14 months that I have in the mission, I had difficult colleagues, I have had MANY diseases, countless procedures done !! and I have met many, many members, contacts, and seen as gospel and Jesus Christ can change the lives of people. Every day we walked to when our feet hurt, and are tired. Every day, there are people who tell us that we are wrong and need to seek the truth (and always laugh because this is the message that we are sharing !! Only that they are the one who need to seek the truth ...) But every day I share my witness and every time I share, I can feel the truth of my words. I KNOW that we are in the true Church. And that Jesus Christ paid for MY sins and that He is my brother and He loves me. I am very happy because I have the gospel in my life and also because my family are members. Although we are not perfect,  we have the opportunity to become like God. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know the Book of Mormon is the most correct book in all the land.  If we open it and we read, we can find answers to any problems and difficulties we have. I love my Savior, I love missionary work. I know that families can become eternal. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

With much care,

Sister Oliphant

Hello! 

Navidad in Zanatepec!

December in Mexico is HOT! In the mornings it's been a little cold when we take our FREEZING cold showers! I think that will have to be our snow for this year... :) 

We are going to call home on Christmas!! I will let you know what hour we can the next week because we forgot to ask our branch president what time we can use his computer. But 25th works for us! 

So My new companion is Hermana Humphrey. She is from SANDY, Utah and has 11 months in the mission. She is sooooo wonderful!!! She started in Tapachula and then went to Huitepec (my 1st area) and now is here with me! It's been fun to be with an American again and we have been really trying to only speak Spanish! Honestly we don't speak English!  She used to work with Kaitlyn Ortega.  It's a small world, right?

I haven't gotten any packages or letters recently, and you haven't received mine either, right? I don't know what's up with that! Hopefully I will get something this Thursday because we are having our Christmas get together with President George and all of the missionaries in Arriaga and Chahuites. I'll keep my fingers crossed that something has come through! 

We have been really focusing on teaching about Christ the last few weeks. Every lesson we have tried to share scriptures about him and his birth and his life. I like using Mosiah 3. We are sharing it with everyone: members, less active members and non members. We are trying to find los escojidos para bautizar en esta cambio. Se que el Señor tiene personas preparadas para escuchar el Evangeio, solo nesecitamos encontrarlos! Estamos usando mucho Él es la Dadiva, y me encanta esta Mensaje Mormon. Veanlo! Es muy bonita!! (Dad's translation--We are trying to find people who will want to make this change and be baptized.  I know the Lord has prepared people to hear this important message we have prepared for them.  We are using "He is the Gift",  and I love this Mormon Message. Watch it!  It is very nice!)  oops.. I didn't mean to write in Spanish! Ask Dad to translate because I don't have time to write it again. 

 

 We drank out of a coconut!!! It was my first time drinking coco juice straight from the coco!!!

We had 3 investigators in church with us yesterday and they all came alone! Hopefully they will keep progressing! We are having to leave others because they won't make time to go to church. It can be frustrating. It's like JUST go to church, one time, and you will know it's true!!!!!!!!!!! But they don't listen. That is how we know if they are ready or not, if they listen. I hope that this week we find a family to teach. We are sure praying and looking for that one family who just is LOOKING for the truth! I know that anything is possible with help from the Lord. I LOVE this gospel and I love having my Savior's help in everything I do. I love my Father in Heaven. I am so thankful for the blessings I have been sent. I am so thankful for my family.  You all mean the world to me! 

Love 

 

Hermana Oliphant

Tlyudas!

P.S.I love you all!!!!

OH and I forgot to remind you, watch the movie he is the gift (El es la Dadiva) (The Mormon Message)

We are sharing that with everyone here.  And you can all be working on what gift you are going to give the Lord!!!!! I love you and will talk to you next week!!!

​

Me encanta pina!

I have so much I could say but I really just keep running out of time to say it all!

Well this week was super long but we worked super hard!!!! Again, we came home tired and wanted to go straight to bed... After we did our planning :)

We have 10 people with a baptism date as of right now, but all of them need to get to church first! We will be working with them EVERYDAY! 

Hermana Diaz and I have realized the importance of just work work work and nothing else. We have come to really know the truth in the statement, forget  yourself and go to work. It goes by faster, and the pains go away if you just think about the other people and how you can help them. How you can help them get to baptism and then to the temple with their families!! 

I am so thankful that I had this wonderful opportunity to work and help train Hermana Diaz. She is wonderful and I have learned so much from her. I am so sad that she is going back to her other area tomorrow, but at least we are still going to be in the same Branch!!!!! :) Yes, we had transfers, Hermana Park is going to Tuxtla and I am receiving a new companion.... I have heard she is American and has about 1 year in the mission. How exciting, right?! I will be meeting her tomorrow when I go pick her up at the bus station in Arriaga. ( 2 hours from here!) 

Hermana Diaz and I have been seeing how the blessings come after the trials. We worked really hard all week to find people and invite them to church and only had 1 investigator show up :( we were a little sad because we wanted to reach all of our goals and one of them is to have at least 4 people in church with us every week... we only had 1. But then in the afternoon, we found a whole bunch of new people who are really interested in the gospel. One of them has even been to church before! And we had been teaching his wife for a few weeks. They both accepted the baptism invitation and are going to come to church next week! Another investigator has been to church 3 times before with the Elders and wants us to come back and teach her again!!! 

We are focusing on the message of El es la Dadiva (look for it on LDS.org, it's a huge hit!) and are sharing the message with everyone. As a mission, we have been given a goal. As a mission we are going to baptize 400 people this transfer, which is 4 people each area. Usually we are baptizing less than 300 each transfer. We are doing this as a gift for our Savior Jesus Christ. What are you all going to give him this year? I challenge you to watch this short video ( I don't know what it's called in English) and then decide what gift you will give Jesus and you can tell me at Christmas! SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS... it's that time again!! to talk on skype!!!! We can talk any day between 21 and 29 of December. What day works best for you all so that everyone can be there? Let me know and we will talk to our branch president; he is letting us use his house :) 

I am so excited every day to watch people grow and progress, M is going to the temple this Saturday with the other members of the ward. I LOVE seeing the glow that he has in his eyes, and his wife is really changing also; they are all growing so much closer to Christ.

Well I really am out of time. I am going to try to send a few pictures. I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!!!!!! 

Pray for us to find and teach the 4 people who want to be baptized to reach our goal! I LOVE YOU!

I  AM SOOOO EXCITED FOR THE REUNION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WAHOO!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Hermana Oliphant

tan lines... and .... my hammac!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE hearing from you every week! And I agree, Mom, the time is FLYING by!!!

It looks like you all had a blast on Thanksgiving!!! We didn't do anything super fun; well I went to Juichitan for the last time (to see the doctor), so I guess that was a fun little ´break´. I got some pretty neat stuff that you will all be able to see in 4 months! :) hahaha or maybe I will tell about some of them at Christmas.... :) 

 All of the boys have changed so much!!! STOP GROWING UP!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Well, this week we worked super hard. Every night we came home soooo tired and basically just fell asleep. I didn't and don't know the area really well--the streets and everything--so it has been a fun adventure to try and find places, but we have taken advantage of this and contacted SOOO many people! Yesterday we were 6 lessons short of reaching our mission goal, and so we spent the whole afternoon looking for people to teach, and were seriously guided by the Spirit to some wonderful people!!! We reached our goal and found some new people who are interested in learning!!!

We had 5 people make it to church with us, and are starting to get a lot of help from the members here. Hermana M and her husband picked up 4 of them!!! and we went by another investigator's house and he was ready to go! I am so thankful for the blessings that come when we do what the Lord asks! Hermana Diaz is such a delight! I love working with her; we have our differences, but she is so wonderful and honestly we have the best study sessions together!!!!!! 

 

 from my study this morning.... Alma 29!!!!!!!

I am so thankful to be a missionary!! I am sad honestly that I only have 3 transfers left... I am going to be home soooo soon!!!!!! I hope to go home different then I was when I started my mission. I hope to be an instrument in God's hands always!!!!!!!!!! 

Thank you for all of the support that you send. Thank you for your prayers for me, for my investigators, and for my companions. I LOVE the power we receive when we pray. I love each of you sooo much!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Damon, I LOVE you no matter what! Thanks for helping Mom out!

Ammon, I hope you have so much success in your play!!!!

Lincoln, I cant believe you already had another birthday.. I didn't see you for any of your year 14.... oh well!!! 15 is better anyways!!

Colin, How is everything going? I hope you had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa!

Trynn, I can't wait to play all the new WII games with you!!!
Dad, I am so thankful that you work so hard to provide for the family. I love you!!

Mom, thank you for all of your encouraging words each week. They really help.

Grandma and Grandpa!!!! I am so glad you were able to spend time with the family... did you like the new guest room!!!!???? I love you!!!!

Love

Hermana Oliphant

 

P.S. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALL OF YOU!!!!!!! I CAN'T wait to talk in 3.5 ish weeks!!!!!!!!!! 

 

 gracias por mi regalo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hermanas Tlahuel and Oliphant

Pues estoy muy feliz en esta tarde para tener la  oportunidad a escribirles. Pero voy a escribir en Ingles para que pueden entender!!!!!

We are working with a whole family (7 children but the parents won't listen... well it's cousins and brothers and sisters) and also with a few young adults. I will have to write more next week about all of them but just remember to pray for the people of Zanatepec so that they will open their hearts and accept our message that we want to share with them!!!!!!!

Today I would like to share some of what I have been learning.

I am reading in Alma and this week read about Ammon and his brothers. I would like to invite you to read Alma 20-22. It's part of the story of Ammon. I LOVE this story now because it's talking about how King Lamoni wants to share the gospel with his father. When you are reading, think in these questions. They came to me when I was reading:

1. What do I learn about my job as a missionary (or member) from this story?

2. What am I doing well?

3. What can I do better? 

4. How can the Lord use me as a tool to bring souls back to Him?

¨Sin embargo fueron pacientes en todos sus sufrimientos¨ (Alma 20:29)

6. How can I be more patient in my problems? and How can being patient lead us to the better life?

I am now working with a different Sister, Hermana Diaz. This is her first transfer and we will just be working for the next two weeks. I am excited to learn new things from this experience and from her. We made a whole bunch of new goals this morning and I am excited to see the results from working hard!

I will be going to the Doctor again this Thursday just to make sure everything is healing well.I have a pretty sweet scar now!!!! It's about 2.5 inches long! Cool, right?

Well I sure love you all so much! Thank you for always being by my side. I am so thankful for every one of you and for all of the trials and hardships we have or have had that have helped us to become stronger. I learn new things every single day! Thank you for being patient with me. I have been working on developing this attribute (Well I have been working on it my whole mission actually!!!) 

I love you!!!!!

Love

Hermana Oliphant

We dressed up for the District Conference.

These dresses were itchy and hot.  The embroidery is done by Hand!

 Hermana Park and Hermana Oliphant.  They were in the same district at the MTC and are both now in Zanatepec!

Well, this week we got back to work. My companion is still sick but we are doing our best to stay out working all day. I got my stitches out on Thursday and we will be going back on the 27th to make sure everything is healed up.

We have been doing a lot of contacting and also been told by everyone that they are happy with where they go to church. So we are doing what missionaries do best, looking for new people to teach!!!

I love sharing my testimony. I love watching people change. M is so wonderful!!!! He has been a member for 3 weeks and is progressing so much. He comments in all of the  classes at church and is really studying the gospel. I wish more people could be like him! He also is always first to volunteer for things. He and his wife are excited to go to the temple Dec 13th to do baptisms and are already talking about going in the next year to be sealed together. I LOVE how the gospel works in the lives of people.

Hermana Benally told me that Hermana R was finally confirmed a member and that F is really doing well. He studys his Book of Mormon and is just so happy to be a member.

I love you all. I know this church is true. 

Love
Hermana Oliphant

 

I still like posing for the camera hahahaha I haven't changed that much!

With Elder Lopez

This is from when we went to Chauties for our zone meeting. We all rode in the back of a truck there and back! I have videos but they won't send in email :(

As I have spent a good part of my mission sick, I have had a lot of time to think and ponder about a lot of things. Today I am so thankful for all of the wonderful people I have been blessed to call my family and also my friends. I am so thankful for the influences that I have in my life who have helped me to become a better person. I am thankful for My friends who have helped me over come hard situationes and have helped me to be the best I can be.

I am so thankful to be a member of the church. I am so thankful that my Savior Loves ME! I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have to be here In Oaxaca on a mission. It is hard. But I love it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am learning to be patient. I think that is something that I have been learning my whole mission. I guess I am just really impatient! I am also learning how to be more loving and how to serve my companion. I am also leading by example which isn't very easy, but I am just relying on the Lord to help me through all the hard times. My companion is great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry this isn't very long. We didn't really get out of the house much this week because Hermana Tlahuel is sick, and, well, I was too. But I am better now; we went to the doctor on Thursday and I got all fixed up! We went to the Doctor of the Mission Oaxaca because it's closer than our doctor. It is in a town called Juichitan ( I think is how it is spelled). and EVERYONE there wears their .. how do you say it? custom clothing? like the dresses and everything that are specially for here? Yeah I don't remember how to say it... 

Justyce in the Native dress for the District Conference where the missionaries got to sing

I am so glad to hear that the concerts have started up and that everyone is playing well! I can't wait to hear all of the progress!!!

I love you so much!!!
Love

Hermana Oliphant

 

P.S.  I love you!!!! I can't wait to share all of my stories!!! It's much better in person. 

 

Well we are leaving the internet now. I hope you have a wonderful week. I know I will be thinking of you a ton. I miss you so much.  I am doing my best to keep  my head up and work as much as I can. I know I can do anything with the Lord's help :) 

I love you!
Tell the boys I love them SOOOOOOO much!!!

And I will talk to you next Monday!
:)

Movie gifts from a friend--waiting to watch at home!

Justyce's District

Wow. I can't believe we are already here at the internet again. Well actually we are at a different internet in a different town about 25 minutes away but hey it's internet! We had to come here because there aren't any banks or ATM's in Zanatapec and,well, it's the first of the month so we desperately needed money!

Well we had a very good week. I was working on getting to know all of the members; there aren't tons but hey that's why it's a branch! I love the people here. They are all super nice! You remember those motor taxis I told you about? Well we are friends with most of them so they sometimes give us rides for free!!!! Or maybe it's because I am cute?? because my companion said that they usually don't give rides for free!!!!!

I haven't died of the heat yet, which is good. I know that the Lord is helping me keep cool because it's super hot some days! and I haven't gotten sun burned yet which is Awesome! I am loving working with Hermana Tlahuel. She is headed home at the end of this transfer which is super sad :( but hey these 18 months go by sooo fast! She has been getting things ready to send home to her family which has gotten me thinking, I have SO much stuff! I am going to give lots away before I come home so that I can (hopefully!!!!) bring home a hammock! :) :) :)


​

Well we had a wonderful week of small miracles. We worked hard even though we were a little sick. We reached our goals, we contacted every day and we saw the blessings on Saturday when we were able to move up a baptism date and watch M be baptized!!! Sunday he received the Holy Ghost AND the Melchizedek Priesthood! Our goal is that he can come to the temple with us in 2 weeks! In his baptism interview, he told Elder Hernandez that the reason he wanted to be baptized is so that he can go to the temple with his family. (His wife was baptized 2 years ago, and they have 2 young children). We are going to be working with him this week to try and find family names so that when we go he can be baptized for his family!!!! :)  I LOVE this gospel more and more every day. I LOVE seeing their faces as they come up out of the water (or RIVER!!) because they are just BEAMING. They can't get the smile off of their faces!!

Well church is definitely different here. We are in a casa de oracion (prayer house, I think is what they are called in English) and it's super small. We sing along to a CD player because there isn't a piano, and we had 70 people at church on Sunday. But I know we are going to help them grow here :) 

OH so pretty cool, we have been asked to help out with the choir for the district conference this weekend (district because it's branches, not wards, so it isn't a stake conference). We are going to be wearing original dresses from here that have been hand sewn and everything! I am super excited! We tried them on last night and they are so beautiful but they are so hot!!! It's a good thing we will only be wearing them for a short time! I am singing a solo..... wahoo!! ;) 

Well I sure love you all. I love this gospel. and I love my Savior!!!!!
Love,

Hermana Oliphant :) :) :)

Hermana Oliphant tried shrimp and loved it!

Here is a fun message from Justyce's companion in Comitan.

Hello!! I´m the companion of your daughter, Hermana Oliphant. Well, I mean I was. We have transfers today and Hermana Oliphant went to Oaxaca. She left Comitan and she is now on her way to Zanatepec. We are not exactly sure how long she will be traveling but we are hoping she will be able to write you! We just wanted to let you know that she is doing well and is on her way to Oaxaca. Hopefully she will have time to write you tonight. :) It was so awesome to serve with your daughter for a transfer. She really has a strong spirit and the people are receptive to the Spirit she brings. :) Thank you for letting her serve a mission. She was a blessing to me when I needed her. :) Thank you!!!

-Hermana Benally

 

It was a good thing we heard from Hermana Benally because we didn't hear from Justyce until after 7pm!

Here is her letter.

 

 I have been transferred! So I spent the day traveling and my new area is not in Chiapas!

I am now in Oaxaca and my area is called Zanatapec! I am going to be working in a Rama (branch) and not a ward... and I will be working with Hermana Tlahuel (who was the trainer of Hermana Park in San Cristobal!!!) and she is finishing her mission this transfer. We are going to have a lot of fun together and I am excited to work here with her. OH MY it is super hot and humid here, but hey I got used to that in Tapachula so I can do it again. In my travels, I was able to see some really good friends.... MY MOMMA!!!! Hermana Perez was in the OCC in Tuxtla. She is going home this week. I can't believe it's been so long since I saw her. She took a picture on her camera, because mine doesn't really work right now... ( it's a long story... ) and I also saw Hermana Trad!!!!! It was so refreshing to see people who I love so much.

Well we had a good week and finished our transfer strong with 2 baptisms!!! These two were able to be baptized on Saturday! Both of their stories have miracles and are so wonderful how they were finally able to receive their answers and enter into this gospel through baptism. I am sad that I don't have a ton of time today to write them, but I will hand write their stories and mail them ( or maybe just save it for when I get home.. in less than 6 months!!!! wow!) 

I was so sad to be leaving Comitan. but as I was pulling away this morning, I just KNEW that it wouldn't be the last time I was there. I KNOW I am going back to Comitan. I LOVE it there. I love the

Our bishop's youngest daughter

people, I love the members, I love the weather, and I want to share it with all of you! One day!! 

Well I know that this church is true. I love my Savior, and I am so thankful that I am able to be here in this wonderful work! Thank you so much for everything you all do for me! 

Hermana Oliphant

 This is my new Companion, Hermana Tlahuel.

P.S.  I thought the boys might get a kick out of this. So remember the bike cart that I rode on in Tapachula? They have them here and we use them to get everywhere! But they are better because they are made out of a motorcycle!! I will get a picture soon to send! There aren't combies here only motor taxies! cool right? :) I will talk to you all soon!!!!! Keep praying and I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

xoxox

Justyce Hermanita Oliphant ;)

Stitchery Mom made this week.

Oh my gosh! I LOVE the stitchery!!! It's us!!!!! :)

 I am happy because we are seeing so many miracles here in Comitan! I really appreciate your prayers and that you have kept my name on the prayer roll. 

Give each of the boys a HUGE hug from me. I miss you all. I love you all.

Well we are going to have 2 baptisms this week!!!  I am so excited to see them enter the waters of baptism and follow the example of our brother Jesus Christ! 

 

Comitan

Please tell Damon how much I love him, I miss him like crazy--honestly!!!!! 

 

 I am learning so much just by being a companion! I am the senior companion, but I feel like I learn more from my companion then she is learning from me. I love her so much! I love being able to work with her and I am sad that transfers are already the next Monday! It's crazy how fast this transfer has gone. 

 

Comitan at night

 It's the truth! the mission is  SOOOOO much harder than I thought it would be! haha

 

 

I love you! "foreber"

Hermana Oliphant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ate some interesting things this week. We aren't sure what this was but we think it was the throat of a Pig..... yep I wanted to DIE... :( but we ate the whole thing!

And this one was tacos with .... who knows what kind of meat. We think it was cow stomach... but aren't quite sure! I didn't have trouble eating this one, but my companion didn't like it. I actually ate one of her tacos because it grossed her out so much! hahaha That's what companions are for I guess!