I have a new companion, Hermana Benally. She is 20 years old and is from.... UTAH!! She is Native American and has been on the mission 10 months! 

I just LOVE her! We have been adjusting to life as two Americans here in Comitan... luckily she speaks with a Spanish accent so the people understand her! She struggles a little with understanding when others are talking, but I understand so it makes it kinda like a game. I understand and then explain to her and she talks. We had a KILLER week. I was a little under the weather ( I had the flu for 3 days) but despite that we ROCKED it in our lessons and contacting! We set goals for the week and reached almost all of them! 

Thursday we were  walking to an appointment and contacted a young man. We taught him how to pray right there in the street and he said the most heart felt prayer I had heard!!!!!  Even though we were in the middle of the street and could hear children yelling and playing, the spirit was so strong! We knew that he needed to feel God's love for him. We invited him to church and he accepted!!!

Last night we went with the Relief Society to the hospital to give service. I have never seen a situation like that before. There were so many people sitting outside of the hospital just waiting for their chance to get in or just waiting for their loved ones to be released from the hospital.   Hermana Benally and I went on a split with two different sisters from the ward to contact people, and the sisters had made sandwiches and hot chocolate and they had 15 blankets to give away with the name of the church on them. It was a really humbling experience to see how grateful the people were to receive a cup of hot chocolate or even just to have someone to talk to. We were hoping to get references to be able to go and teach them, but I think our examples was what counted most for those people. We did give away about 20 folletos of the plan of salvation and the restoration! Maybe someone will show up at church?!

Yesterday we had 4 investigators in sacrament meeting.  I was playing the opening song when one sister walked in. I was sooo excited to see her that I totally lost where I was in the song and messed up! Ha but who cares, SHE CAME! We had been teaching her but we stopped going over because she stopped reading the Book of Mormon and kept making excuses as for why she couldn't go to church. Well she went last week alone and then yesterday alone... so we are going to start teaching her again and see what happens. 

I am so happy to be on a mission. 

I am so happy you are my family. 

I love you all. 

I pray for you all.

I always will! 

Love

Hermana Oliphant 

We  helped a family in the ward clean their fruit stand! :)

Today is independence day of Mexico!!

Well we had transfers and  Hermana Trad went to Tuxtla as a  Sister Training Leader!!! We were sooo sad to have transfers; I think we tried to convince ourselves that we wouldn't have transfers. But she will do so good there! 

I am still here in Comitan and will meet my new companion in the night. I don't know who it is or anything, our zone leaders won't tell me!!! so for now I am spending the day with Hermana Guerrero and Hermana Allen. Wow, Hermana Allen is doing so good with her Spanish!!! I think I need to practice a lot harder on my own Spanish ;)

We had our activity last night (the fireside) and we had about 40 members who came to support us but sadly it was POURING rain... we are blaming the rain for the reason that there wasn't more people or investigators. But it went well. I sang His  Hands (Sus Manos) with the recording.... it was a little weird... but I played the piano the rest of the time. It was fun! The Elders had a baptism after church and since I was at the church they asked me to play the piano for that also. I am just playing all the time! haha Oh and almost the whole time I have been here in Comitan I have been playing the piano for the Primary, so I haven't been to Relief Society for a while!! 

I went through my clothes this morning and set some things aside to donate to an activity that the Primary is doing next week. They are taking clothing and food and toys to a shelter. We might go with them, but we don't know the details yet. I love helping out wherever I can!

I am so glad to hear that you are all using your talents! Good luck to everyone with your upcoming concerts and I wish I could be there to hear them, but make sure to record them and practice a ton so I can have my own personal concert when I get home! 

my picture wall

 

I love my Savior; I love this gospel; and I love our mission president, He is so wonderful!!! He is so loving and I just love talking with him. 

Sorry I don't have a ton of time, but I will be sure to tell you all about my new companion next week!

I sent a letter last Monday so it should come in a few weeks!  :) 

I love you all!!!! 

Hermana Oliphant

 

P.S.  I am happy to be here and to be honest I don't want to go home. I love LOVE the people here and I LOVE being a missionary. It's not easy every day. In fact it's really REALLY hard. We get rejected. We have people tell us we are wrong, We get lied to. But it's all worth it because now I know for certain that it's true. I always THOUGHT it was true, but I KNOW now. I have a better out look on life, and I know what is really important. And I have realized that things I used to think were important really don't matter in the big picture. I have all I need, my family and God. ( and Hannah of course :) :) :) )

Thanks for everything you do for me momma. You are my best friend. I love you forever :)

I can't wait to talk to you every single day, even if it's over text message when I am at school :):):) 

 

P.S. I forgot to tell Trynn happy birthday. I have a new companion, she´s American but her Spanish is really good. I love you!! Happy Birthday Trynn!

 I am so happy to hear that everyone is doing so well. I needed to hear from you today. I am so happy to hear that Damon is doing so well at work and that he is training to be a manager! He will be good at it if he gets it. Wow the boys have shot up! they are so tall! when did that happen?!?

It's been a long few weeks of weird pains and people rejecting us, but, hey, we are working in this wonderful work and are going to find the people the Lord has prepared for us. We had our companion exchanges with our Sister training leaders this week on Thursday and I was here in Comitan with Hermana Hernandez and Hermana Trad went to San Cristobal.

 We were back together on Saturday and had an interesting evening. We did a lot of walking, we both were in a little pain from our injuries, but kept going! It was getting late, well it was like 7:45 and our appointment that we had fell through so we were trying to figure out what to do and contacted a lady. She was really funny but seemed interested. Then her friend came over to talk with us as well. Well I will be honest, they were a little drunk and it really made our night. We invited them to church and they said yes; they said they want help changing their lives. One of them is a transvestite ( I am not sure how to write that--a guy dressed as a girl). Well they didn't come to church but they have the directions to the capilla so we hope that one day they make it! It cheered us up though from being rejected all day!

We are putting together a fireside for Sunday night. I am kinda nervous because guess what? I am the one putting on the fireside--as in I am going to be singing and playing piano. We need to help the members here remember their testimonies and we have invited the other ward and the branch to join with us that night. Pray for me Sunday that all goes well! I am going to use "The Living Christ" as a dialog and then I have chosen a few songs to sing throughout and we are putting together a slideshow of pictures of Christ in his life. I hope and am praying that everything turnes out well! 

I made rice and didn't burn it!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choco milk!  Yum!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first time using a lavandaria! We dropped it off one day and picked it up the next! 

And look what I found in my jeans pocket!!! woot woot fifteen dollars!

Se que esta es la iglesia verdadera en la faz de le tierra. Se que tenemos la oportunidad para aprender y mejorar en esta vida. Se que nuestras familias pueden ser eternas! Se que mi padre celestial me ama. Se que los pruebas son parte de esta vida, pero que podemos aprender de ellos (Doctrine y convenios 121 y 122) 

Muchas gracias por todo sus oraciones y ayuda en todo! 

Le amo muchisimo!!

Hermana Oliphant

I am so happy today because we are finally in the green to go back to work!

We ended up going to Tuxtla on Thursday morning (we left at 5 AM!) and spent the entire day with President George and Hermana George. They took  us to lunch at a nice taco place and waited while we were in the Doctors office and even took us to the farmacy to buy the medicines we needed. We were trying to get on a bus to come back to Comitan that night but by the time we got to the OCC it was too late to get back by curfew so we ended up spending the night at the Mission home. Hermana George is so wonderful. She made us food and treats and we spend the night around the piano singing and laughing and having a good time. President George told us all about his cow farm at home and showed us pictures of his family and the farm. Its so beautiful up there! 

So the x rays showed that I am okay. I am not sure what it's called that I had but basically my bones were rubbing. I can't walk  up stairs or down them and need to not stand up and sit down so much for a few weeks, but we can work and my knees haven't been hurting! ( if you want to know what he really said,  dijo que soy gorda y nesecito bajar mi peso...:) Oh Mexico and the joys of loving food! haha

 My new companion is Hermana Trad. President George wants us to work together, so we are not changing back companions and I am working in the area of Balun Canan 1 (not my original area). Hermana Trad and I have the same time in the mission and will be going home the same day!!!

Well our first day back to work was on Saturday and we taught 6 lessons and found a sister who is so ready to be baptized. Before we even invited her to be baptized she told us that she wants to. She knows she has to get married first but says her husband doesn't want to tie the knot. We have an appointment with them tonight and are praying that the Brother accepts our message and will marry her so that she can be baptized! We are putting our faith in action and are so excited to see what will happen this week. 

 

So I just wanted to share something that I studied today and yesterday. I was reading in Mosiah 27 about the sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger. I love using this story when talking about repentance. Well yesterday we were sharing this story in a lesson and it really stuck out to me the sub-story about prayer. I think its verse 14 and 15 but it's talking about how Alma the father spend a lot of time praying for his son and it is because of his faith that his son was changed. Then, a little later, when he son is brought before him as if dead, the father rejoices because he knew that this was a miracle from God. I encourage you to read this chapter. Study it with faith, repentance and prayer in mind. I absolutely LOVE the conversion of Alma. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week. I will be praying for you! 

Love Hermana Oliphant

 

 

P.S.  Note from Mom

Hermana Oliphant,

"Because I have been blessed by they great love, dear Lord,

I'll share my love (my daughter) again, according to thy word.

She shall give love to those in need, she'll show that love by word and deed:

Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed."

In honor of today being day 219 on your countdown calendar, I thought I'd send you a verse from my favorite hymn that shares this date.
I love you,
Love,

Mom

Dear family and friends, Sometimes it takes something discouraging to help us become stronger. This last week has been so good for me. I have been able to really study diligently and although we haven't left our apartment much, I feel like we were able to accomplish so much. Tuesday we made invitations for our ward mission activity that we had on Saturday. We also taught two lessons, one with a less active sister and her non- member husband, and the other lesson was with our friend and his cousin who is a member. We met this investigator because he was in church last week with his cousins. He himself told us that he would be at church the next Sunday but yesterday his sister had an accident and he was with her in the hospital. I hope everything is better so that we will be able to teach him again soon.  The family that I told you about have decided to go to church with the TJ´s- Testigos de Jehova. We are really sad because the little girl was so ready for her baptism but at the last minute her father said no. The other Sisters and the Elders went to their house for the interview and everything went well, but just before they left the father asked to talk to them alone and said that he was sorry but that they have been receiving the lessons from the TJ´s and that they have decided to join their church. We were so devastated when the Sisters told us because this family was so ready to be active in the gospel and receive all of the blessings. I hope that soon their hearts can be touched and can come back into the true fold of God.  Sister Trad has been having a lot of pain in her ankle and foot. I am not really sure what her problem is called in English but its called Esguince. Basically she tore some tendons and now they are healing. It's so weird because her foot is not swollen or anything but hopefully after all this time of resting we will be able to go back to work really soon! My knee hasn't given me any trouble this week, so hopefully after my doctor appointment this Friday everything will be all good to go!  I have really enjoyed this time together with Hermana Trad. She is 21 years old and from Mexico City (well, District Federal!). She is planning on going to BYU-Idaho when she finishes her mission--who knows, maybe we will be roommates! Needless to say, her English is SO good. She did BYU-I Pathways before her mission and is planning on studying English. We have so much in common--music, movies, food, everything!   Well I am just about out of time, but I love being able to write you all each week. I love being a missionary! I love studying the gospel each and everyday. I am working on reading "Jesus the Christ". It's quite a large book and it's hard to read because of the wording. But I am learning so much about our Savior and his importance in our lives!      Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I love my family. I love this gospel! Thank you for all that you do for me!  Love  Hermana  Oliphant Hermanas Oliphant and Trad ​

Receiving a blessing from an ancient stone hahahah!

Well this week definitely did NOT go as expected. I can honestly say that it has been the hardest week of my whole entire mission. Not lying. I had problems with my knees after the activity last Monday where we got to hike some Mayan ruins 2 1/2 hours outside of San Cristobal.

 It was a multi-zone activity and I got to see many of the friends I have made here in Chiapas.

Our doctor told us to take it easy and go home and rest if it really hurt. I had an appointment with a specialist on Friday in Tuxtla Gutierrez so we had to wait to see what he said. We aren't sure what happened. I think its just sore muscles, but he wants an x-ray and I am going back to see him on the 29th. Oh, and I can't walk up or down stairs or up or down hills. SO I am stuck in the house. Hermana Trad has problems with her ankle and has been told that for 10 days she also can not work.

 So Last night President George called and told us that Hermana Trad and I will be living together, and our companions will be working together. (Hermana Trad and Hermana Allen are also serving in our ward, so they will be working in the whole ward, both areas.)

I am frustrated that this has happened, but I have faith that it will all work out. I am going to use the time to study a ton!!!!! 

 

 

 

I am sorry this isn't very long or exciting. 

I know the church is true and I know that my Savior loves me!!! 

Oh I spoke in church yesterday as well as Colin!!! I did not write a talk I just used some quotes I liked from conference in April and spoke about sins and addictions and how we can over come them and be forgiven. I think it went okay. 

Well I love you! 

Love 

Hermana Oliphant

 

Today was really long. We woke up at 4 AM to take a bus to SAN CRISTOBAL!!!! for our multizone activity. It was about 2 hours to San Cris and then everyone got in a tour bus and we traveled like 2 and a half more hours to our destination!!!! We went to some ancient ruins that were SO cool. Literally we were walking around on these ancient pyramids and walked through one of them. (I'll send pictures next week).  SO cool. Mom, you would absolutely LOVE it here! After hiking up and down the steep pyramids our legs and bodies were so sore and most of us slept the whole way back. It was fun to be back in San Cris even just for a little. 

Hermana Davidson is in my first area and she told me some sad news. Maria Rosa (my first baptism) died a few months ago. :(     I am sad but I am also happy because she is now living with Heavenly Father and is not in any pain.  She was such a sweet Hermana and had such a strong spirit. 

 

 

My new companion is from Ecuador! Her name is Hermana Guerrero. She has been in the mission for 4.5 months and I am senior companion. But really, I think I am learning more from her then she is from me. She is SO awesome! We have been having a lot of stress this week because we are both new in the area, don't know where anything is, or where anyone lives. And we have had to start completely over with finding people to teach. It was a little rough this week with only teaching 5 lessons but we really pushed through and contacted lots of people and have appointments for this week. We do have one family whose 3 children have the desire to be baptized- the parents are members and are working on coming back into activity in the church. As of right now, they will be able to be baptized August 30th! Our area is all of central (downtown) and it's my first area to be really in the city. So that's a little weird for me, but I really am starting to love it. I miss Tapachula and my ward Vista Hermosa, but I know that this is where the Lord wants me.  

 

Estoy muy feliz por la oportunidad a servir un mision. Estoy agradacida por todo los bendiciones que tengo. por mi familia por los oraciones de ellos. Yo se sin dudas en mi corazon que esta es la Iglesia verdadera en la tierra. Yo se que mi padre celestial me ama y me conoce. Se que Jose Smith fue un profeta llamada por Dios para restaurar esta evanjelio en la tierra. Yo se que el sacerdocio tiene mucho poder y podemos ver milagros cuando tenemos fe. Les amo con todo mi corazón. Hacer sus oraciones y siempre recuerden que tengan muchas bendiciones en sus vidas.Hasta la proxima semana, Les amo! 

Hermana Oliphant