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!

With Hermana Allen.  I seriously love this girl!

Well this day has been really fun but we only have a short time to write.

We started writing earlier and I wrote the mission president, but then we were all really hungry and decided to go get something to eat and then come back, we all meaning the other sisters from our ward. Well we went to Burger King and then bought our groceries in Walmart ( I feel really North American!) and now we are back here at the internet. We had a good time looking at all of the Halloween things at Walmart. HEY! Trynn, I love your costume! It's way awesome!!!!! What are the other boys going to be for Halloween? 

I am thinking that maybe not all of my letters are coming through to you all. I sent those flash cards because I don't use them anymore. I had them on a ring and would practice in the street! Maybe you can all learn a little Spanish with them :)

 

 

 

 

With Hermana Guerrero after lunch with the bishop

 I have learned so much about the atonement. I LOVE the atonement of my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He knows EVERYTHING I am going through. I love that I can be comforted even in the most trying of times if I just rely on Him. HE knows. HE can help. HE has felt everything I am going through and everything I will go through. We have been dealing with a friend who has really bad depression. I never knew much about depression. But I know now that it is a real thing and SO many people have it. Some are stuck in this sickness and feel like they just can't ever make it out. There are so many signs of depression and so many things that people can do to avoid it, but once you´ve fallen into it, it can be hard to get out. I am so thankful that there are so many great people who can help; Doctors, Bishops, Stake Presidents, Mission Presidents, mothers, friends, grandparents, brothers. We are surrounded by our team members who are here to help us overcome these kinds of sicknesses. I am so thankful to be surrounded by so many loving and kind people who help me when I need help and I am thankful that the Lord has sent me here to help people when they are in need of help.

Package from home!

 

 

 

As for your questions that you asked, yes, I am the senior companion. I have been senior companion my whole time here in Comitan! 

Mom made me a skirt

I am reading in Mosiah about Abinadi right now and I love how strong he was and how he would NEVER deny what he knew--even to the point of death. I love his testimony. I love his courage! I keep asking myself if I have enough courage to do something like he did. I am here, as a representative of Christ, people tell us we are wrong, they tell us they are fine without listening to our message, and in a way, I am standing up for what I believe every day when I bear my testimony (in Spanish!!) and tell them that THIS is the ONLY true church on the face of the earth. Do they listen? Yes. Do they change their ideas? No. Does that make me a liar or a failure? NO! It just means that Satan is really working on them! WE WILL BEAT HIM!!!!

 

We haven't been able to get an appointment with one of our investigators because of his work, and he didn't go to church so he doesn't have a baptism date now. :( We are hoping to pass by tomorrow and catch him at home. The sister we have been teaching also didn't go to church and since she isn't married, we are having to let her go :( but we are working with two people right now who are super ready! One man ( I think I have told you about him) can be baptized as soon as he tells us that he has received his answer and we finish all of the lessons! We feel strongly that he could be baptized this week or the next. We are PRAYING that everything goes well tonight when we invite him to be baptized this week!

Another is an old (as in previous) investigator. She has been to church so many times but has been having a hard time understanding that she needs to be baptized again. She was baptized as a young child in a different church, but we finally got her to understand that we need to be baptized by the spirit and not just by water. So we are hoping that tonight at FHE with a family in the ward, she will feel the need to be baptized. 

I have felt the Lord a ton, but the day that I really felt him was when we were fasting yesterday. We fasted to have lots of people keep their commitments and honestly everything fell through so we were a little sad. But then we were able to see the Lord's hand in some personal things that we were working on and realized that sometimes we have to fall down (hard) so that we can get back up and be SUPER WOMAN!!!! ;) 

 

 

Taco delivery!

I really LOVE Taquitos. They are tacos rolled up and fried. YUM!!!! I also love the tacos here. Seriously, there is no way to explain them. We have a sister in our ward who has her taqueria (taco store) and we can call her and she sends them to us for free we just pay for the taxi that brings them to us. Needless to say, we are never hungry in the night!!!

 

As for Halloween, we aren't going to do anything super fun. I might dress up as... A MISSIONARY... but I am not sure... ;)

Well that's about it. We were really really excited this week because we met all of our goals that we can control ( number of lessons, contacts in the street, and invitations to be baptized) and are hoping to get even more numbers in this week too!!

Just a reminder that TODAY! marks 6 months until my release date (April 13th!!) and Thursday is my 1 year mark!!! Can you believe it!!!!! I sure can't.!!
I sure love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!!!

Hermana Oliphant

 

P.S. This would be my creation that we ate this week. Salchichas (hot dogs) fried with cebolla (onion) and cheese on top hahahah it was NASTY :( I am not the best chef

In Domingo with Hermana Guerrero I LOVE conference weekend!!! I watched all four sessions in Spanish and I was so happy that I understood the messages. How amazing is it that now people can share their messages in their own languages! I can't wait to have the opportunity to go to a session live and hear them speak their languages. Well, at least for now I heard the actual voices of a few of them. Random fact, did you know that Elder Scott does his own translating into Spanish? So although he spoke in English, we heard him speaking in Spanish! Cool right? So tell me, which talks were your favorite and why?  I loved that Sunday there were 3 talks in a row about prophets!!! We had our investigator with us for that session and we had just talked about the importance of prophets in our lives, so that was pretty neat! She is really wonderful, but her boyfriend doesn't want to get married so that she can be baptized. :( We will keep praying for her! She can now be baptized as soon as she gets married! The Elders had a baptism on Thursday and we invited one of our other investigators  and he came! He is so excited for his own baptism that is coming up on the 25th of this month! He is so great and is really just soaking up everything about the gospel! We were sad that he didn't make it to conference on Sunday, but he came on Saturday! SO we had a few really neat experiences this week. The first was that Tuesday we went to San Cristobal for the multi-zone conference with President George. I love going to the multi-zone conferences because they always share so many wonderful things! I also love them because we finally can get our mail and packages! :) I received 3 letters from Hannah!! and 5 from home and a package! The package had the different things for fall. I have the two fall decorations on my study desk and will open the others on their assigned days. When we left the church, we literally had like 10 minutes before our bus was going to leave and the Elders were freaking out and calling us like every 2 minutes. WE WERE HURRYING as fast as we could. Our taxi driver could tell that we were in a huge hurry so he was driving like "fast and furious" (which I have never seen that movie; everyone just kept saying that he was driving like the guy in the movie haha) and we get to the OCC (bus station) and find out that our bus is late and we were going to have to wait.... 3 hours!!!! so we raced there for absolutely NOTHING! Oh well, it was quite the adventure. OH and it was a little embarrassing because when we all were flying out of the taxi, I was waiting for my change because I paid and all my companions ran ahead without me, and when I got out of the taxi, the driver said ¨"hey miss, your skirt!!!"¨and yeah my skirt was hiked way up my legs. At least I had dark tights on but yeah I pretty much showed the world my panties!!!!! HOW embarrassing!!!!!!  Then Wednesday morning when we left for the day, we slipped in what we thought was mud... but it definitely was not mud! The sewer had broken and what we fell in was.... well what is usually in the sewer......... soooo we went back home and showered (again) and washed our clothes and shoes and everything. NOT a fun experience. But we laughed about it and it really was quite hilarious!  Well that is all for this week. I am so glad to be a missionary! I am so happy that we have a Prophet who loves us and receives guidance for us! I love you!!!  Hermana Oliphant P.S.  I totally forgot the most important thing that happened this week!  Wednesday night we were headed to a lesson with an investigator and it was pretty dark and there was a ton of drunks out (this is normal). So we were walking to his neighborhood and suddenly, I got the most terrifying feeling I have felt in my life. I was SO scared and started praying asking if we should keep going and got the strict answer NO. I asked my companion how she felt and she said she felt something weird. I took that as our answer and we promptly turned around and started walking the other direction. We were really scared and I just wanted to break down and cry! Hermana Benally asked if we should call someone and we called Hermana Solis ( a member who is really our mother here!) and she said we could come over. So we started looking for a taxi and the first one that passed by had a passenger but stopped and he said he could take us wherever we needed to go. That was a miracle because usually when the taxis already have people they don't stop for others!! So we took the taxi to their house and broke down in the arms of Hermana Solis. Hermano Solis said that he was positive that it was the Holy Ghost who saved us from whatever danger would have been in our path that night. I was just so happy to be safe in their house with them. They made us dinner and then Brother Solis said a family prayer with us and they drove us safely to our home. I am so thankful that I am worthy to have the Spirit guide me here in the mission. I am so happy that I didn't push the feelings away and that I listened so that we were not hurt. I am so thankful that we are protected as missionaries!  and I am so happy that we have wonderful members like them here with us to watch out for and protect us when we need anything!!! ​ I just love Comitan. There are no words to express how beautiful it is here; and pictures just don't show the beauty! I guess we are going to have to come back together so that you can experience it all!

4 places I have served

I love hearing about all of the wonderful things that you are all doing to stay busy. I wish I could have heard Ammon sing. I am sure that he did an amazing job!  I use my musical talent and gift on a daily basis. Of course I play every Sunday in church, but we also sing multiple times a day and I am constantly being asked to sing a special song for some one somewhere. Friday we were working in the area by the church and had to go to the bathroom so we ran to the church and showed up just in time to be asked to play the piano for a baptism. We had no idea that the elders were having a baptism, we just needed to go to the bathroom! The Lord really knows what he is doing and always puts us in the right places at the right times. 

We found a few new people to teach this last week and are really excited to go back and see if they are going to progress or not. It's kinda a game we always are playing, find people to teach, teach them the first lesson, wait a few days, pray for them constantly, and then go back and see if they have kept their commitments ( usually after the first lesson it is to pray and read the pamphlet ( I am not sure how to say folleto in English....). Sometimes they have done their homework, and sometimes not. This week we had a lot of the ´not´category which meant, yep, looking for new people! We did contact a reference who is SO ready! but she is being influenced by her older sister who is a teacher in a different church. But We are going to keep praying and visiting her :) 

One brother went to church again yesterday! When we went to pick him up with  a priest in the ward, he had on a white shirt and tie and was bursting with excitement!!!! We presented him with a Book of Mormon and he has already started reading. We asked him if he was still wanting to prepare for his baptism and HE told us yes!!! and he remembered what day! If everything keeps going this well with him, he will be baptized on October 25th!! 

 

I absolutely LOVED the Relief Society session of conference Saturday.  I loved how every talk was about the temple and how we can prepare to enter the temple to make our own covenants with the Lord. Here are some questions for each of you to answer,

1. ¿Cual es mi lugar en el reino de Dios?

2. ¿Como puedo preparar para recibir los bendiciones que Dios tiene para mi? 

3. ¿Soy ejemplo para otros personas? 

4. ¿Que necesito cambiar para ser mejor ejemplo?

5. ¿Cuales son los promesas eternos que tengo de Dios?  

I hope you understand my questions! They are some things that I thought about when I was listening (and understanding ALL of it!) in the Women's Conference. I also love the phrase ´Never stop your steps to the Temple¨ 

I am so thankful for the temple in my life. I miss it: its  been SOOOO long since I have been able to go, almost 11 months!!! but I am so thankful that as long as I am worthy and obedient to the commandments I will be blessed for the covenants I have made. 

My newest sunburn!

Well I need to finish up but I just want to end with telling you how much I love you all. I know that we all have made the choice to come here to earth and be tested. Sometimes this test is really hard. I have had to learn a lot about agency this week. It is so hard to watch people reject our message that is sent from God. It is hard to see people make dumb choices. But I have been reminded over and over again that we all have the ability to choose for ourselves. We are children of God, and he wants us to be happy but he has to let us choose. We will always be children of God. We are here on earth to prepare us for things FAR GREATER then we could EVER imagine. I love this gospel. I LOVE that my Father in heaven has a plan just for me. He has my life written out for me. I just have to trust him. I received some really amazing revelations this week. Maybe I will share them some day. But for now, just know that I KNOW that my Savior loves me. I KNOW that I need to be here in this mission to help INVITE people to come to Christ. I know that everyone has the CHOICE to keep the commandments and that we ALL have the opportunity to return to live with him again. 

I am so thankful that CHRIST gave his life for me and always did the will of the Lord. Its my hope and prayer that we can always do our best to do the will of the Lord.  

Until next week

Hermana Oliphant

 This brother is from my second area--Jardines in Tuxtla Gutierrez.  We taught him and now he is finally a baptized member of the church. Yeah!!

ps Do you just LOVE my new shirt? :) 

It says "the higher the heel the closer to heaven"! I bought it in Walmart last week with my new bag.  I think I love this color of blue hahaha

La hermana es la Hermana Solis. She is basically my mom here; I LOVE her so much!!!! She is the Stake Relief Society President :) She lives a few blocks from our house :) She has 4 girls and says that we are like her girls and if we ever need anything we can go to their house :) We sang kareoke with them Thursday night :)

My Pretty Missionary daughter

Will you read this book?

 Hermana Oliphant and Hermana Benally love taking pictures together.  Here are several of them having fun together.

 Missions are great!  I just want to add my testimony to that of my daughter's.  I know this church is true.  The sacrifices we make so that our missionary children can learn and grow in the gospel and invite others to become members of Christ's church and part of a forever family is worth it.  I am grateful to be a missionary's mother.