I learned something really important this week. As missionaries we are blessed with the gift of tongues. I always took that to mean that we are blessed to have the ability to speak and understand the new language. But Hermana Humphrey and I learned this week that the gift of tongues is also to help us eat some foods and not die....... We were served something really gross this week. We weren't really sure what it was.... . I can honestly say that was the hardest meal I have eaten in all of my mission! I am so thankful that the people feed us........ but hey we survived and now can look back at what an adventure it was!

Well this week I received a few packages from home!! the one with the 12 days of Christmas!!!!! it was so much fun to read all the scriptures with Hermana Humphrey and try to guess what everything was going to be! We ate so much candy that night... (and yes we opened them all the same night cause it felt like Christmas finally!!!!!) The skirt is just too cute Mom! thanks!!!!! I also received a package from the Curtis family (the Young Women!!!) and from Della (activity days!!!) Please send my love to all those cute girls!!!!!! I couldn't believe that they are all growing up! I remember babysitting some of them that are now in Young Women!!! I also received a few Christmas cards from some families in the ward, the Dixons, Isbels; from Wendy and the Frost family... I can't believe how grown up everyone is looking!! 

 

 

We had a few really neat lessons this week.

Monday night we went with an hermano that we have stopped visiting much because he won't go to church. His dad lives in Chiapas and has been a member for YEARS. This brother has gone to church with his dad before but now doesn't want to go. But we decided to stop by and he told us that he has been reading the Book of Mormon. (he hadn't been reading before). Well we had a short lesson with him and then I had the impression to stop and pray with him in that moment. So we did. We all knelt down and he said the prayer. After the prayer, we all just stayed on our knees and he had his hands clasped together and his eyes shut tight, really pondering.... He stayed like that for about 10 minutes!!! It was REALLY a neat experience!!! When he finally opened his eyes, he was different. We only asked how he felt and he said, wiping sweat off his face, that he felt really warm. That he was even hot! He KNEW that was an answer from God. He told us that the Book of Mormon has to be true and that he knows the church is true. We invited him to be baptised and he said.... no..... But we have faith that one day soon he will accept! He has some family problems that they are working on, and he is struggling to find a job. But it was such a neat experience! 

We have another family with their 2 children. They are always waiting eagerly when we go to our appointments (this never happens here, people never remember the appointments are are NEVER waiting on the couch!!!!) They are so special and please pray for them so that the will be able to go to church this Sunday and not have to go to their ranch!!! 

SO I made a small mistake this week when teaching about the Book of Mormon. I said it was written 2 MILLION years ago... so with the dinosaurs!! ;) oops!! 

In our Zone meeting on Thursday, one of the elders said something I LOVED SO MUCH!!! he said ´Quienes somos? Somos Misioneros, apartados, con poder y autoridad de Dios? O somos Jovenes Adultos Solteros?¨ (who are we? missionaries, set apart with power and authority from God? or Young single adults?) Just something to think about as a missionary... WHO AM I? :) 

I finished Helaman this week and started 3 Nefi!!!!! I LOVED Helaman 5,  I encourage you to study it this week. It talks about repentance and how important it is to be forgiven! Why do we need repentance? Well because NO one is perfect and if we want to go back to live with Our Heavenly Father, we need to repent DAILY! Some other scriptures I liked from my studies this week Santiago 4:17 Isaiah 1:16,18 Hechos 2:38, Mormon 9:21.....

¨the Lord is in charge of his work¨

´We set goals to show our FAITH. We fallow up on our goals to count our BLESSINGS¨

Well that's about it for this week. Looks like we might go to Tuxtla this week because Hermana Humphrey needs to go get her fingerprints done again because her VISA expired.... I hope we will be able to go to the temple again! President said that we can if we have time!!! 

I sure love this gospel! I love being here even on the hard days, even when my feet hurt and even when I just want to play in the snow! 

I love you all!!!
Hermana Oliphant