Donde Estoy.

Donde estare in 3 semanas!!!!

Today as I was doing my personal study, I finished the Book of Mormon!!! I LOVE how it ends; there is so much wonderful information written. I challenge each of you to read Moroni 7. I have always loved that chapter, about faith, hope and charity :)

I know that the Holy Ghost is our guide and helps us feel God's love. This week we had a really neat experience. On Monday, we had 3 appointments with investigators and also were really tired. Before leaving the house to work, we prayed. In the prayer, we mentioned that we wanted all three of them to be home and to receive us because we didn't feel strong enough to just walk around all night. We got working and went to the first house, and they let us in. The second house, and they let us in. We went to our 3rd appointment and THEY LET US IN. I know that God is listening and that he answers our prayers when we are asking with a sincere heart. 

Hermana Agustin and Hermana Oliphant

We have a few families that we are teaching but they are having a few problems. One family, the husband is a member and she has been investigating the church for a while now. She has the desire to be baptised but can't because they aren't married. And they can't get married yet because he is not divorced. (I know, there are so many cases like this here...). They are losing their faith and haven't been going to church lately because of some things that were said. But we know that soon they will be able to make everything right. They have a strong desire to be an eternal family. 

Another family is progressing really well. They are a young couple and have 2 children, 4 and 2 years old and the wife is 6 months pregnant. They know that the Book of Mormon is true and have been asking all kinds of questions about their baptism (they accepted a date but it fell because they couldn't make it to church on Sunday). But the problem is that they aren't married and aren't in the financial spot where they can pay to get married right now.  But they know that is is something that needs to be done before their baptism. We know that they will become members and I hope that I can be here to see them take that step! We pass by almost every day with them just to make sure they are reading and praying. 

Yesterday we had 5 people come to church. 3 came with recent converts! They invited their friends and they said yes! We don't want to scare them away, so we are going to set up a family home evening for later this week with them. Their mom also came and the boyfriend of a member.  We talked with him yesterday and he expressed his desire to be baptised and set a date with him for the 4th of April. We hope that everything can work out fine with him and  that he can be baptised that day! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that's pretty much what we did this week. On Wednesday we had companion exchanges with the sisters in our ward (our sister training leaders) and I went to work with Sister Knight from Herriman. She is so wonderful! I always learn a lot from the companion exchanges and feel a new light when I get back to my area. 

Well I know that this church is true. I know that God lives. I know that families can be forever!

Love 

Hermana Oliphant

Hello all!

This week was such a wonderful experience for me. I was able to see the Lord working in my life, helping me through each day. I am so thankful for the Atonement, the sacrifice that our Savior went through for me. I know that He knows me, and that He loves me.  In our Zone meeting on Friday, we talked about the Atonement, and I was able to feel so much appreciation for the Savior. It really hit home that he has already paid for our sins, our mistakes, so we are just abusing him if we don’t repent. He has already paid the price!

With our Stake Missionary Hermanas!

Friday and Saturday our stake had a missionary activity. The young men and young women had a day in the mission experience. Friday night we received our two young women companions who were going to be our companions for the next 24 hours--yes they slept at our apartment. At first I was a little nervous for how the weekend was going to play out, but on Saturday night when we dropped them off at the church, we didn’t want them to go. It was such a neat experience to see the changes in those youth. We had a young woman who couldn’t speak very well because she can't hear very well, and Saturday afternoon I finally got her to open up to me and we started talking. She has such a strong testimony of our Savior and of the scriptures. Although she was embarrassed to speak in the lessons, her spirit was there and she filled the room with her light. When we dropped them off, Hermana Agustin and I were so tired and ready to sleep.  Saturday was a long and  exhausting day!!!

Saturday morning, I had the amazing opportunity to go to the temple with Hermana Cecilia Peto from Tapanatepec. She was baptized the 3^rd of January and went to the temple for the first time and was baptized for her Grandmother. Friday night she called me and said that she wasn’t sure she wanted to go to the temple; she was sad because her branch didn’t come to Tuxtla with her and she came alone and she felt like the world was falling apart. My companion and I talked to her and got her excited to go to the temple. When we got there at 7:30am, they told us we would have to wait until 9 to enter into the baptistry. Talk about needing to have patience! We waited in the front of the temple and finally were let in at about 9:30. She didn’t know what to do or where to go, and she was my companion for the morning, so I went with her. All of the temple workers kept telling me I couldn’t be there, that I had to go to a session. We had to explain so many times that I was her companion and that I had permission to be there with her.  As I was waiting on the bench in the baptistry, I had time to contemplate what was happening. I had an overwhelming feeling come over me that THIS is what missionary work is all about. Not just having a baptism, yes that is great, but watching what happens after the baptism! Hermana Ceci is now not the only member of her family.  She brought the gospel to her Grandma and is working on getting other names ready to bring to the temple.

I love watching the work roll along. I know that I was called her for a reason. I know that I have touched the lives of many. 

With my Comitan Friends

Also at the temple, I ran into a lot of members from my area in San Cristobal and Comitan, and feeling the love that they have for me  really helped me see just how much I have accomplished here in the mission. 

I have mixed feelings about the fact that I have one month left. Today I am completing 17 months in the mission which means that just one left. I am really happy to be close to seeing my family but I am really sad to be leaving here. I love Mexico. I love the people. I love sharing my testimony with people even if they reject me.  I love being with my companion. I love the gospel. I know that I will never regret the choice I made to serve a mission.

I love all that I have learned; patience is still something I am struggling with but I am working on it. It is hard to always be a happy, cheery person, but as a representative of Jesus Christ, we need to be that way. I love serving others. I love helping them. We had a wonderful lesson with a cute family on Saturday night and they accepted baptism. We are going to have a followup appointment today and have to teach them about chastity because they aren't married. But they have been to church 3 times and really want to be an eternal family. I KNOW that families are forever. If nothing else, I have learned that here on my mission. 

Thanks for all you do!!!

Hermana Oliphant

Ceci sent this to Mom and Justyce asked to put it on the blog.

No sabia de que ustedes tenial la oportunidaf de cuidar el templo, es muy super saber  que personas como ustedes le sirven con mucho amor a nuestro padre celestial, es muy hermoso aqui en Tuxtla en el Templo los hermanos te reciben con mucho amor y te ayudan sino sabes que hacer, se siente el amor que dios nos tiene, y sentimos el esperitu es algo maravilloso. Yo quiero servile al señor en una mision pero mis papas no me apoyaran, ellos no son miembros :( y me dijeron que no me van a dar dinero y que no me apoyarian, sera muy dificil pero se que Dios me ayudara porque estoy orando mucho porque tengo fé enque mis papas puedan apoyarme y ser sellados en el Templo :)... un dia yo iré a conocerle y a visitar a mi mejor amiga hermana oliphant, amo la nieve quiero conocer la nieve es mi mas grande sueño.... gracias por comunicarce conmigo, me dijo hermana oliphant que publicaria en su bloc algo jeje saludos
 

At the temple to teach this family about eternal families

 This is a gigantic hill that we get to climb every day.  If you look carefully, you can see the Tuxtla Gutierrez Temple behind the tree.

 

HEY!

I am so nervous that in 5 short weeks I will be in an airplane... again.... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a new companion, she is from Hidaldo and is 23 years old.... AND was trained by Hermana Humphrey! 

She has 7 months in the mission and her name is.... 

HERMANA AGUSTÍN!!!!!!!!! 

We had quite the week.... our area is full of stairs and hills and andadors ( I am not sure how to say that in English... passageways maybe)

There are a few people who have a good potential of being baptised soon--we just have to help them find their testimonies. We are also working with a couple whose kids were just baptised, but the parents aren't married. We will see what the Lord has in store for Bonampak in the next 5 weeks.

I love being a missionary. I love serving the Lord. I love strengthening my testimony every single time I can share it with others! 

There's not much else that is new. We are in the same Zone as the assistants to President George and our area is right next to the mission home and the temple. I really love walking past the temple or at least seeing it all the time. :) When we go to our district meetings and church, it's in the chapel that shares a parking lot with the temple. I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE! :) 

Sorry this is really confusing, I am not really sure what to write this week. 

I guess I am saving a lot of stories for when I am home :) 

Mom, will you put some extra cash on my card? because my bags are all too heavy and I am sure I am going to have to pay a ton for them on the plane........... I can't get rid of much else! :) 

Dad- thanks for your letters. They always cheer me up! I got another letter this week from December!  Or was it January......

Damon, you better be ready to teach me to box... We saw "Meet the Mormons", and the boxing lady got me really wanting to learn how! 

Ammon, I see people play the violin all the time and they are supposedly REALLY GOOD... I just try to be nice and not tell them that MY BROTHER is way better than them! 

Lincoln, HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU SO TALL? and I listen to Piano Guys and think of you... all the time! 

Colin, How is school going? I can't wait to make some more jewelry with you

Trynn- I MISS MY TRYNNER WINNER!!!!!!!!! 

I love you !!!!

Love

Hermana Oliphant

What a fantastic week we have had!

First off, we had our zone mission activity on WEDNESDAY. WE WENT TO THE BEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only were we aloud to play soccer and football on the beach, barefoot, but we also entered the water!!!!! It was seriously so much fun! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But sadly, I didn't think first, and forgot to put on sunblock... and ended up FRIED! But man it was so worth it! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, THURSDAY we had our branch activity.  It was planned for the couples in the branch and the couple investigators. The second counselor from the mission, President Olea, and his wife came from Tuxtla to speak with all the couples. We had 4 investigators show up!

They all left BEAMING from what they had felt and learned. We were helping out with all of the children.  At one point President Olea brought all the men out and handed them a rose, and one by one they walked back in and gave the rose to their wife in front of everyone. It was SO cute!!!!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on SATURDAY we went to Tuxtla--ALL of the mission--because Elder Dallin H. OAKS came to talk to us! What a neat experience! Seriously! I was asked to participate in the choir and ended up sitting right in front of the pulpit. So basically we made eye contact a million times! His message was just what the Spirit told him to say and it was so wonderful!
 

 

 

 

 

I felt like he was speaking directly to me! 

He said something that made us all laugh.  He said that the elders (and sisters) who go home are only half of a man until they get married. He told us that our mission is not over until we enter the temple and are sealed for time and all eternity. The mission doesn't end when we are released from being full time missionaries.  There is so much more we have to do. He talked about how we need to make our teaching better, really teach the basics, like what is prayer, how to pray, who is God. A lot of people don't know those things! And a lot of the time we just skip that part because we assume that they know it already. I know I have done that before.

Well there is so much more that he talked about but that is what I loved the most. I just loved being 5 feet away from an apostle of Jesus Christ!!! The Spirit was so strong and I will never forget that experience! 

Well that is what I have been up to this week.

And then this morning we got our transfer calls and I am headed back to Tuxtla. I am going to finish in the ward Bonampac. I am sad to be leaving this pueblito of Zanatepec but I know I will be coming back to visit really soon! I just LOVE IT HERE!!!! I love the members; I love the branch; I love our investigators; I love the motor taxis; I love the tlyudas. I just love it all. But changes are a part of the mission. Plus, this is the last time I will be having a transfer and a new companion... the next companion I have will be for ETERNITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) 

I love you all!

Love

Hermana Oliphant

Feliz Cumpleanos, Papa!

 

Hace un BUEN de calor aqui en Zanatepec!!!

It's super hot here. But I am LOVING my area. We have found quite a few people who are just SO ready for the gospel. We put 8 baptism dates this week  but a few of them fell thru because they didn't make it to church. We did have two show up! 

One is 13 years old and is friends with a member. They came together. And the other is the husband of a sister who was baptised in October. He has been saying that he will come and finally did yesterday! We had our District conference yesterday and Saturday. Hermana Humphrey and I dressed up all cool! But sadly the internet is a bit dumb where we are at today and I will have to send the pictures next week. Ceci might have sent some pictures through facebook! She was asked to share her conversion story in stake conference and she did wonderful! I absolutely LOVE watching her change and progress. It is WONDERFUL!!!!! :) 

I can't believe how FAST the mission goes. I have learned so much and will keep learning more every day. Hermana Humphrey and I talked a lot about the ability we have to make choices this week. We talked about having the eternal perspective and how we have so much MORE to life then just what we see here on earth. I am so excited to know all that God has prepared for me. I am excited to start my eternal family, I am excited to do all that the Lord would have ME do for Him. 

With Hermana Trad at the Tuxtla Gutierrez Temple

I know that the Gospel is perfect. We are not perfect people, but the Lord has provided the way that we can repent and BECOME perfect people. I love my Savior. I love the scriptures. I love being in Zanatepec. I love the members. I love love love love love love love being a missionary! Success isn't in the numbers; success is in the feelings and in WHO you are, not in WHAT you have done :)

Thanks for being so wonderful and for doing all you do! I love you!!

Hermana Oliphant